Pure-n-Simple Soap
For Healthier Skin Care
Take Control
Posts Tagged ‘natural skin care’
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.
add comment | 1 Comment
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.
Do you ever wonder about the history of soap? Well, you probably would if soap was no longer available to you. You would need to find some way to get clean and handmade soap may be your only option.
People have been using soap for thousands of years for everything from personal hygiene to housecleaning. The first soap probably came from the soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum). When crushed and moistened the roots of this plant formed foam that was used as shampoo.
Several hundred years ago people learned that alkalies and fats when combined with fire formed saponified compounds. Modern soap is made from oil and fat that react when combined with lye. Often times, handmade soaps are made from palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or canola oil.
We need to understand that when applying things on our skin, they do not just stay there. They do get absorbed. Prime examples of this are nicotine patches, hormones patches, and Dramamine patches. When these patches are applied the drugs are being released into our body through the skin. Some may argue that the harmful chemicals we are finding in our products such as shampoos, and household cleaners, are in such small amounts and are harmless in these small dosages. Well think about it, there is no such thing as small dosages when you factor in the amount of different products you are exposed to in a single day, over a very long period of time. Products like tooth paste, deodorant, soaps, shampoos, hair gel, dish soap, laundry detergent, clothes, plastics, food, there is no escape from the invasion of these chemicals.
Do not become discouraged, but rather informed. Know what you are putting on you and your families body. Take a good look at the products you are using and research the ingredients. Discipline your self to either make your own products which might actually save you few bucks, or find companies that make natural products and make that switch. I much rather spend a few more dollars on natural shampoo bar knowing that I have therapeutic essential oils penetrating through my skin than harmful carcinogens such as formaldehyde.
There are a lot of people today who find it very important to eat healthy and exercise regularly. They will spend money on gym membership fees, exercise programs, organic foods, vitamins and nutritional supplements; however one really important factor that is most often overlooked is skin care. This is usually one area that unless a rash is present, or suffering from dryness, itchy or flaky skin, does any thought go into natural skin care. Typically once a person knows and understands the importance and functions of the skin do they begin to think differently on what they put on their skin.
The skin is the largest organ of the human body which is roughly between 15 to 20 percent of the total body weight, consisting of millions of cells, thousands of sensory points, 100 sweat glands and 15 sebaceous glands to every square centimeter of skin on the body. The skin has three different layers, the epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue, all which serve important functions.
This past weekend we attend a Christmas craft fair in Greenwich NY. I had only volunteered to drive Mom to this event to help her get set up. Working farmers markets, craft shows and festivals can be a lot of work. You have to carefully plan each show making sure you’re not forgetting any thing, having a full stock of all your best selling products. Setting up your booth or table can be time consuming as well. Presentation is everything and is always much easier getting set up with a helper. So being a good son I decided to give Mom a helping hand.
After we had got everything unpacked and set up; the show was just about starting. Considering I was going to be leaving very shortly, I had told my Mother to go walk around and check out the other vendors before I left. Once a show starts, and you are by yourself you may not catch a break the entire event.
Well the show started before she had returned and I had begun selling our natural skin care products. I was shocked how quickly our table was filled with folks trying our goats milk lotion, picking up and smelling soap bars and asking all sorts of questions regarding natural skin care. I was amazed how many people were sharing with me of all the different allergies and skin problems they themselves are suffering, or someone they know who are. It is unfortunate as always to hear of any one suffering from anything, however I do admit that I was very encouraged to see a large amount people becoming more informed, more aware of the harsh chemicals that we are subjected to each and every day.
I just recently read a book by Kelly and Bruce Francisco called “Warning! Dangerous Ingredients” This is a great book, very short and easy to read. The book shares there story and informs the reader of the dangers chemicals have on the human body and what one’s to look out for in the products we use on a daily basis. One quote from the book I found amazing was, “before a typical person (male or female) , has had their breakfast in the morning, they often expose themselves to over 100 various chemicals”. Let’s face we live in a chemical world, and though it might be impossible to seclude ourselves 100% of all chemicals, we can at least start making practical decisions on eliminating the one’s that are unnecessary and causing us all sorts of health issues. I highly recommend this book “Warning! Dangerous Ingredients”, by Kelly and Bruce Fransisco.