Pure-n-Simple Soap
For Healthier Skin Care
Take Control
Archive for the ‘Bath and Body’ Category
There are many skin care products available today that promise healthier and younger looking skin. Most of these products can be very expensive, and not as healthy as the label claims them to be. Here are some affordable and practical skin care tips that will keep your skin looking healthy and young. Also books such as Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Personal Care for Every Body, by Dina Falconi are highly recommended for equipping yourself with practical knowledge for healthier personal care.
- Your skin will experience a significant difference by eliminating the use of harsh soaps and detergents that are loaded with synthetic ingredients. Instead try using natural handmade soap such as goat milk soap. These soap bars still contain all the natural glycerin which promotes moisturizing properties, and have no synthetic chemicals that often cause many skin irritations.
- Drink plenty of water and eat healthy. You are what you eat! You should avoid drinking soda and sugary carbonated drinks, having at least 7-10 glasses of water a day. Also try to avoid snacks, instead eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you will not only feel better but your skin will shine as well.
- If you exercise, be sure to shower and change your clothes shortly after exercising. When we exercise our body sweats, releasing many toxins. These toxins remain on our clothes and skin afterwards clogging our skins pores.
- Skin exfoliation. This is the removal of dead skin cells from the (epidermis) which is the outermost layer of skin allowing new skin cells to develop from the (dermis) the lower layer of skin. To learn more on skin exfoliation read this previous post, Skin Exfoliation For Healthier Skin.
There are so many products and techniques that promote healthier skin. These are just a few of the many practical and safe ways you can keep your skin healthier and younger looking. There really is no need to buy every new and expensive product that is on the market. Most of what your skin really needs should be pure and simple, not high priced and loaded with harmful ingredients.
add comment | 5 Comments
If you are suffering from really bad dandruff and are already using a natural shampoo bar, you do not have to give in, and use a chemically infested product to deal with this problem. there are many natural remedies available and here is one that worked great for me.
Herbal Vinegar Rinse
2cups Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Rosemary (or) your choice.( I use fresh herbs )
Place the herb in a glass jar with the vinegar, and let it sit for a week.
Strain threw a cheesecloth.
Add 1 Tablespoon of the strained oil to 8ozs. of water
Use as a hair rinse after shampooing.
Some people may think that taking a bath is a waste of time when they can spend just a few minutes taking a shower. Too many people are in a hurry these days and that’s one reason indulging in relaxing activities is so important. Taking a hot bath is about more than getting clean. Hot baths encourage tense muscles to relax and soften the skin.
A Mayo Clinic study found that soaking in a hot bath offers many of the same health benefits as exercise with less strain on the heart. Soaking in the tub can also lower blood pressure and counteract insomnia. Many people enjoy adding scented bath salts to their baths.
Rosemary officinalis is native to the Mediterranean regions which would limit our growing season here in the Northeast, unless we invited this wonderful plant into our homes for the winter. Rosemary is famous for its many uses in the kitchen, but also has gained great recognition in the skin care industry as well. These are the two biggest reasons we wanted to have this herb easily available to us all year round. We can cut fresh rosemary in the middle of February for spicing up a delicious meal, and also have available for making new batches of soap, such as our shampoo bar, in which one of the ingredients is rosemary, for it stimulates circulation and increases the blood supply to the skin, which is why it is commonly found in shampoos.
Rosemary is one among many herbs such as basil, oregano, sage, lavender and many others that do well in containers placed in windows, that receive plenty of sun; typically a window that receives southern exposure. Be sure to have your plant in a container that has drainage, and minimally in a 4-6 inch pot using potting soil, rather that soil from your garden. Potting soil will have fertilizer and all the nutrients the plant should need to get through the winter. If however your plant looks pale you should fertilize with a diluted house plant fertilizer once every two weeks. Also make sure not to over water, letting the plant dry out between watering.
Epsom salts are so effective in offering healing properties to the body due to one key component and that is Magnesium, which regulates the activity of more than 325 enzymes. Magnesium is an electrolyte that aids to proper muscle and nerve functions, aids calcium cells, and can help lower blood pressure decreasing the risk of heart disease and strokes. Magnesium is also noted to lower the risk of diabetes by increasing the effectiveness of insulin, and is famous for reducing inflammation and relieving aches and pains.
There are several ways we can obtain magnesium, but the most effective way to receive the desired amount our body needs, is to soak in an Epsom Salt bath. Not only do you receive the wonderful mineral magnesium, but Epsom Salt also delivers sulfates. Sulfates help detoxify the body by flushing out toxins. Sulfates also improve the absorption of nutrients, can prevent headaches, and helps form brain tissue, mucin proteins and joint proteins. Sulfates are very difficult to absorb from food, but are easily absorbed through the skin, which is another great reason to bathe in bath salts that contain Epsom Salt in them.
It is recommend to use 2 cups of Epsom salt for a standard size tub, and to double the amount for larger tubs. I know that most of us live very busy lives, and hardly ever have the time to soak in the tub; however if you can find the time to bathe in warm water with Epsom Salt for minimally 12 minutes, your body and overall well being will greatly benefit.
Water is such a precious commodity. Every living thing depends on water, but many natural water sources are polluted. One of the main culprits is the soap that many of us use on a daily basis. Many household and industrial chemicals have found their way to our rivers and lakes.
To help planet Earth recover from all the harmful effects of modernization, it is time to go back to basics. Homemade laundry detergent that uses environment-friendly materials can definitely go a long way. These detergents clean your clothes and do the environment a world of good. The laundry soap recipe utilizes natural ingredients to clean your clothes, the way that Mother Nature intended.
After learning so much about the wonderful therapeutic benefits bath salts have, I really wanted to put them to the test, and soak my aching body in the tub with a homemade bath salt, after a long hard day of work. I have soaked my feet in Epsom salt before, but never had I soaked my entire body in these bath salts with a mixture of essential oils.
One of my concerns was, somewhere I had heard that you shouldn’t use these salts in your Jacuzzi tub, that it could cause damage to the jets and motor, causing all sorts of problems like corrosion and build ups. The only bath tub I have in my house is a jet tub by Jacuzzi. So I emailed the company asking if bath salts do indeed cause these problems, and this is the answerer I received back.
” You may use salts or any other bath additive provided that they are water soluble. However, you may want to stay clear from using oil based products as they tend to cause more of a buildup”.
So just the salts by themselves OK, but then I had asked what if you are using a blend of Epsom salt, sea salts and essential oil.
“Essential oils should be used sparingly or you can use the Systems Clean product more often to sanitize the pipes and help prevent a buildup”.
Systems Clean is a two part plumbing system cleaner made for whirlpool baths. It will minimize the build-up of residuals from soap scum, bath and body oils, and dirt from inside of the pipes, pumps, fittings and circulation system.
I am going to give it a shot! Has any body had any problems using such mixtures of bath salts in their jet tubs and or does any body have any other recommendations for cleaning and maintenance on these jet tubs?
Many people can’t wait until the winter season and all the fun it brings. There are many activities that can only be done when there’s snow. Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding, and inner-tubing are great activities for family fun during the winter. Unfortunately, spending a lot of time outdoors in the winter can often result in chapped lips. Cold weather chapping is caused by environmental conditions that lead to hydration. When dehydration sets in, lips become dry and can crack and peel.
The first cold day should serve as a reminder to start using protective lip balm. Lip balm can protect your lips from drying out. Make sure to apply the balm before the chapping begins however, because the protective waxes in lip balm can only protect lips that are not yet damaged. Apply your moisture rich lip balm several times a day for optimal result.
Just like everyone’s skin is different, and reacts to both natural and synthetic ingredients differently, so is our hair and scalp. There are hundreds of different shampoos and conditioners promising thicker, fuller, and healthier hair. Some of these shampoos might work wonders for one person and actually cause even worse symptoms for another. Many of these shampoos are full of harmful ingredients that could also lead to many other health concerns.
If you have not found that perfect shampoo for you, might I suggest first keeping it pure and simple? Rather than falling for the next big advertising ad that is promising the greatest hair on earth, why not try using a solid shampoo bar first. I think you would be amazed what real natural ingredients such as rosemary and lavender, and oils like jojoba and Castor, will have on your scalp and your hair. Many hair and scalp problems such as dandruff have been associated with harsh ingredients found in many shampoos and conditioners. Your hair may just be crying out for something a little more natural.
Why Using Natural Sea Sponges is a Smart Decision.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
posted by Rob 4:00 AM
Ever notice how quickly you go through dish sponges? They fall apart and get real nasty looking within just a couple of week’s time. Many of these synthetic sponges are also filled with unnecessary chemicals such as Triclosan. Which if you are not at all concerned about carcinogens being absorbed into your skin, I guess there is no issue; however if you are trying to make every effort to put only what is safe and natural on your body, often overlook is this one product, “the sponge”. Maybe the amount of exposure of the chemicals from these sponges are not enough to cause any serious health issues, but what if they are, and why not use a sponge that is chemical free, that last much longer.
I have been using natural sea sponges for over a year now and, just amazed how long a natural sponge will last. I have not had to replace my natural sea sponge from my kitchen sink for over 3 months, and it still looks and feels as good as it did when I first started using it. Natural sea sponges have enzymes in them that prohibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. Depending on which sea sponge you choose, they can last as long as 10 years if properly treated. Harvesting natural sea sponges by no means interrupts the coral reef at all, the ocean naturally contributes to the harvest of sponges as well through tides and currents. These sponges are harvested by professional sponge divers that incorporate crop rotations. Where sponges have been cut, grow back even thicker and healthier than before. Kind of like dead heading and pruning plants, this stimulates new growth.
Over 90% of the world’s natural sea sponges come from Tarpon Springs Florida, right in our own backyard, keeping many local citizens employed during the economic challenges we are currently faced with. So not only are you receiving great health benefits, durability, and saving money when using natural sea sponges, but you are also buying local products supporting local business.