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Archive for December, 2009
Wow! Winter has finally arrived, and with that so has shoveling snow. I have had my share of plenty of snow shoveling this past week, and this last storm was the heavy slushy mess. Good snow shoveling advice is to remember it’s not a race, pace yourself and lift with your legs not your back, the best snow shoveling advice is to have someone else do it for you, or go buy a snow blower!
Well if you are like me and take care of this mess the old fashioned way, your body will most likely pay the toll not too long after. It is important to make sure you stretch before and after you have participated in shoveling activities, but if you still receive aches and pains afterward, there is nothing more rewarding than soaking in a hot bath with homemade bath salts. Not only do these salts smell great, offering a calming aromatherapy, but contain magnesium which physicians report can improve heart conditions, flushes toxins and heavy metals from cells, ease muscle pains, improve nerve functions by regulating over 325 enzymes, and relieve stress among several other heath benefits.
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Natural and organic seems to have taken on multiple definitions today, and often a misleading conception is that because the label says organic, or natural it must be safe. I find this to not always be true, and which is why I think it is very wise if it is indeed a natural product you are searching for; to be informed and educated on how to read labeling and understand what the ingredients are. One example of this is, if you are chemically sensitive and want to give natural homemade soaps a try. There are many soap makers that hand craft soaps from home that may not be using all natural ingredients, such as essential oils and instead use less costly fragrance oils. Fragrances oils are nice, they smell great, and are more available, but they are synthetically made having no therapeutic properties and can cause further skin irritation for the one who is chemically sensitive searching for that chemical free product. Just because a product says all natural, organic or even doctor recommended, does not mean it is safe for everybody. We are all different and are bodies react differently to natural and non- natural products and should never assume because the label tells us it’s natural and organic that its safe to use.
However going back to my original thought and title to this post; what does natural and organic mean to you? Do you simply trust what the label says, or do you agree that it is important to know how to read and understand the ingredients that are in that particular product, and to know your own body and how it reacts to these ingredients as well, or have you never given this any thought at all, and I have just given you something new to think about?
There are several benefits to using natural skin care products. They are easy for people who have sensitive skin and may be allergic to chemicals used in non-organic products. Natural products usually contain certain elements, such as Aloe Vera, that bear healing properties.
More than anything, natural beauty products aren’t too difficult to find nowadays and thanks to the advent of the internet, there is a huge palette to choose from, as well as in varying degrees of prices.
Once you start using organic products, you’ll find that they are safe, healthy and better for your well-being, as opposed to their chemically-dependent unnatural, commercial counterparts.
Looking for practical gift ideas as party favors, for weddings, baby showers or any special occasion? Many soap crafters make handmade soap bars that are in 2 inch rounds that are much cheaper than a 4 oz square soap bar, and often when purchased in large quantities, may possibly even see a discounted rate. These make great thank you gifts. I would recommend that if you are choosing soap bars as a thank you gift to choose an unscented bar to be safe, everyone reacts differently to different scents, and an unscented hand crafted soap bar is safely mild to use on just about all skin types. Hopefully on the soap label will be the soap crafters contact info; so that if they do enjoy the soap, they can visit their website and shop for more. You never know you may have some guest who suffer from sensitive skin and they could very well be thanking you down the road.
Who isn’t trying to stretch a buck today, with gas prices still pretty high and unemployment through the roof; the unstable economy has many of us cutting back, looking for ways to save money and live more practical. Well I would like to share with you a project that could save you and your family some extra cash and that is to make your own laundry soap. Not only will you save some money but it is much milder and safer for you and the environment, still keeping your clothes freshly clean. You do not need to be an experienced soap crafter to make your own laundry soap, it is actually very simple and unlike making some handmade soaps that take up to 4 to 6 weeks to cure, you can make your own laundry soap and use it in just a day.
There are several different recipes you can find on the Internet, here is one that I use and am very pleased with. All you need is a 2 gallon bucket with a lid, 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha, ½ cup of washing soda, and a ½ cup of borax powder. Your Fels Naptha will need to be graded and have 6 cups of water added to it in a sauce pan and heat until soap begins to melt. Then you will need to add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax and stir until it has dissolved. Now remove from heat and pour 4 cups of hot water into your bucket, add your soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cup of water and stir. Now all you need to do is let it sit for 24 hours and it will gel up. When it is ready to use it will have a gel like clumpy appearance; you can use a large wooden spoon to stir the gel substance into liquid form and use only 1/2 cup per load. This recipe will supply you with an estimated 64 loads and cost less than six bucks!
Nothing like a warm therapeutic bath on a cold wintry day!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
posted by Rob 5:00 AM
I’m not going to lie, I would have never thought in a million years I’d enjoy soaking in the tub with bath salts. I have never been a bath guy, typically a five minute shower and done. Soaking in a tub with herbs or bath salts is something I had never given any thought at all, until I had begun to research natural skin care and the medicinal properties of herbs and plants. Prior to this I had always thought of soaking in a tub, lighting candles and adding bath scents was just a bunch of girly stuff. Well most of it actually is; however soaking in a hot tub with bath salts is like saving many trips to the chiropractor and message therapist.
I spend a lot of time in the outdoors engaging in heavy physical labor, and have taken great notice that the winters are not exactly as friendly as they were when I was a bit younger. After hearing so much talk about Epsom salt and researching the permeability of the skin and how soaking in a hot baths with certain herbs and or bath salts have a big impact on healing the body, I figured, why not , and gave it try.
After working a long day in the bitter cold and every muscle in my body aches, I am not ashamed to admit how much I enjoy soaking in a hot tub filled with homemade bath salts. So ladies, do your husband a favor and stop hogging all the bath salts, and explain to him that bathing in bath salts is not just a women thing, but is extremely therapeutic and very effective. He’ll thank you for it later, trust me!
Well I guess it’s safe to say winter is finally here in Up-State NY. We just had our first snow fall of the season, and the air is bitterly cold. With the changes in the weather our bodies change as well; for instance our skin. Some of us have more sensitive skin than others when it comes to climate changes. No matter what skin condition you have, I am sure we have all experienced dry itchy skin during the winter months. Here are some useful tips to keep your skin healthy this winter.
The cold winds, changes in humidity, and frequent changes from hot and cold temperatures can dry the skin out real quick. My first recommendation of course is to bath using a natural handmade soap bar that still contains all of its natural glycerin. The glycerin is what promotes moisture and is often taken out in commercial soaps to sell to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies for expensive moisturizers.
Moisturizing in the winter is a must and I can testify that my skin has never experienced such outstanding results from any other body lotion other than a goats milk lotion. Goats milk is extremely healthy for the skin having a ph level similar to the skin and many minerals and vitamins that are very beneficial.
There is no better remedy for those dry, cracked and callused hands than a hard lotion bar, that is a made up of bees wax, grape seed oil, essential oils and Shea butter, which in itself has many skin care benefits, such as being a natural sun block, having the equivalency of a SPF6.
I had first learned of harmful chemicals like Formaldehyde being found in baby products, such as some of the big name baby shampoos, from a good friend of mine, who for years though she was deliberately going out of her way, and spending the extra dollar, to put only what is pure and natural on that which is most precious. After she had learned of this new startling information she had just received from watching the news, I happened to be over for a visit and this topic came up at the dinner table. Considering I have been in the natural skin care business for a little while of course I was asked what my thoughts were, and what I would be using. I simply stated that if 100% pure and natural is what your looking for, you most likely will not find it in any of the big stores. I recommended finding local soap makers or shopping on-line for 100% natural skin care products.
Of course I gave them a quick tutorial on what to look for in the ingredients, to know if it is 100% natural. Well weeks later she called me up saying that she had started to use an unscented goats milk body lotion on her two older boys, which she added; both suffer from eczema and the lotion appears to be very effective, at night before they go to bed they request for the “special lotion”. The other product she started to use for her family was the unscented goats milk soap bar molded in a natural sea wool sponge. This is an excellent choice, especially for children or any one with sensitive skin. These natural sponge soap bars are very mild and safe to use, and the natural sea wool sponge is one of the softest and silkiest sponges out there which is 100% chemical free.
Lavender is one of the most recognized herbs, known distinctly for its aromatherapy; however this wonderful plant offers more than just a pleasant scent. It is known to be the “go to herb” for treating anything from the shoulders on up. Lavender oil is commonly used for treating headaches and muscle cramps, but also contains many benefits when used in natural skin care products as well.
Lavender is known to have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-toxic, cytophylactic; which encourages growth of new skin cells, and vulnerary effects on the skin. Lavender oil consists of high levels of linalool which is what gives it the ability to effectively promote skin healing. These healing properties prevent tissue degeneration and stops bleeding in wounds.
Considering all the amazing benefits Lavender oil has on the skin, it is no wonder this oil is used in so many skin care products such as natural shampoo’s, handmade soaps, and lotions. Not only do you receive the wonderful aromatherapy from such a product, which plays an important therapeutic role for the nervous system and treating insomnia and headaches, but any one suffering from skin problems such as eczema to acne can greatly benefit from this amazing oil in their skin care products.
Bath salts & bath fizzies, wonderful gift ideas, and fun family projects.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
posted by Barbara 5:00 AM
Looking for great stocking stuffer ideas, or fun projects to get your kids involved with. Bath fizzies also known as bath bombs, are very easy to make, there fun and great for soaking in the tub! There are many recipes available on the Internet; I currently use baking soda, corn starch and citric acid. I take 1 cup of baking soda, ½ cup of citric acid and ½ cup of corn starch and generally mix anywhere from 10 to 20 drops of essential oils depending on what I am making. You can be as creative as you’d like to be using different molds and adding different coloring.
Baking soda is very good for the skin, and is great for relieving itchiness. The citrus acid gives the bath fizzie its fizz when it hits the water. This is the part kids seem to enjoy the most. When you drop the bath fizzie in the water it will fizz and swirl around leaving a wonderful aroma as well as many healing properties. Bath salts and bath fizzies are great gift ideas for just about anyone, considering we all go through life experiencing some aches and pains from now and then.