If So Many Basic Grooming Products Are Filled With Toxins, What *Can* We Use? I made the decision about four years ago to clean up my grooming routine. I’ve had severe allergies and asthma my whole life. Being a makeup artist on set, I quickly realized the effects that the cosmetic powders, sprays, and fragrances had on me. My allergist also warned me that if I was going down this path, I’d better take care. I read several books on how to live a healthier life and I became aware of the risks associated with many ingredients in my makeup. So how do I approach my personal care routine? The most important tool you can possess is knowledge of your ingredients! You can find the no-no list of ingredients here and here. Stay away from the majority of drug store products. Many mainstream cosmetics are filled with petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances. It's estimated that 60 percent of what you put on your body gets into it and then stores itself in your tissues. Be wary of “greenwashing.” They have great alternative options for the whole family. My Basic Grooming Routine
Shea Butter Recipes - Shea Butter Guide Here are general guidelines which are applicable for almost all shea butter recipes on this site. Learn how to make scented shea butter cream, how to melt shea butter, how to whipp shea butter and how to store shea butter. How to Make Scented Shea Butter Cream If you want to make simple hard shea butter cream, you basically need shea butter, some base (carrier) oil and some essential oil. Actually, adding base oil is optional, simple combination of shea butter and essential oil(s) will do as well. Exact choice of base and essential oils depends on: targeted purpose of a shea butter cream (wrinkles, dry skin, stretch marks, eczema)scent preference Technology is simple: melt shea butter on the steam using a double pot. Important thing is not to overheat shea butter or any other ingredient ‘cause they will loose most of their healing effects. If you don’t intend to make whipped cream, you can mix it by hand. How to Make Whipped Shea Butter Cream So, what do we need? Acne Eczema Dry skin Wrinkles
Make ScrumptiousHomemade Vegan Nutella Spread Email 1. Gather the ingredients 4 cups of hazelnuts2 cups of brown sugar2/3 cup of dark cocoa powder1/4 cup of sunflower oil (or hazelnut oil)1 tbsp of vanilla extract1/2 tbsp of marine salt RELATED | HOW TO: Make Nutella Fudgesicles for a Creamy Chocolatey Treat 2. Wash the hazelnuts and leave them in water overnight, or for a few hours. 3. Process the hazelnuts in a food processor for about 2 to 5 minutes until they start to look like oily butter. Pages: 1 2
Want to Feel Great in the Morning? Start the Day off Right with a Morning Ritual. ~ Nicole Carlin Tired of feeling, well, tired in the morning? Yeah, I was too. It didn’t matter how much sleep I had the night before, I still woke up feeling sluggish, blurry-eyed and plain ol’ tired. Using my knowledge of nutrition, yoga and ancient Ayurvedic health practices, I created a morning ritual for myself that not only helped increase my energy levels, but was so nourishing to my body and soul that I actually wanted to get up in the morning to start my day. I find pleasure in committing to a morning ritual. It grounds my mind, energizes my spirit and allows me the quiet time to reflect on and prioritize my day ahead. 1. Nicole Carlin, MA Sexuality, E-RYT is a dynamic, playful and fiercely feminine vinyasa, Yin and fertility yoga teacher and teacher trainer. Assistant Ed: Terri Tremblett About Nicole Harlow Nicole Harlow is an international bestselling author who teaches laser-lucid business, writing + marketing skills through her signature program, Brand Better.
自製環保手工皂粉 許多皂友跟我一樣，面對一大堆切皂剩餘的邊角料和松糕失敗的皂皂，不知如何處理。學習了菜菜和發條自製洗衣粉的博文後，我也用自己的理解製做了一款環保洗衣粉，簡單易學，低碳不浪費，希望能給皂友的制皂生活帶來另一番新意，如有不對的地方也請多多指正。 本方法適合用雜質少、顏色單一的皂碎製作，如皂碎里含過多粉、泥、花草及色素等添加物，容易對清洗衣物造成二次污染。 市售洗衣粉為了具有更多更強的洗滌功能，往往會添加表面活性劑、助洗劑、穩定劑、增白劑、香精和酶等，以達到易溶、潔凈、柔化、起泡、防止衣物靜電等目的。 自製洗衣粉首先解決了邊角料和廢皂處理的問題，其次，添加物僅為食用純鹼（小蘇打），它的主要成分是碳酸鈉，除做包子饅頭用外，還可以用來清潔污物和去除蔬菜的殘留農藥，在以前肥皂緊缺的年代，人們常常用它清洗衣物。 下圖：收集皂皂邊角料，切碎更有利於溶解。 自製環保手工皂粉 下圖：準備皂碎1200克，食用純鹼600克（約皂碎重量的一半）。 下圖：將皂碎倒入不鏽鋼盆內。 下圖：加入2400克水（皂碎重量2倍）左右，這裡我要特別說明，水量多加或加少都沒有關係， 加水的目的是為了融化皂碎，水加多一些，融化起來更方便，但未來晾曬的時間可能會長一些，反之同理。 下圖：小火，將皂碎慢慢攪拌融化（加水靜置一晚更能加速融化）。 下圖：倒入食用純鹼600克（約皂碎重量的一半） 下圖：攪拌均勻 下圖：用網兜或平鋪晾曬一至兩個月（視天氣情況增減），直至乾燥。 下圖：將已乾燥的皂塊研磨成粉或碾碎（越碎越利於在水中溶解） 下圖：研磨成粉是一個麻煩的過程，沒有研磨工具時可將乾燥的皂塊碾碎使用。 下圖：環保洗衣粉製作完成
How To Eat Mindfully, A Practice That Will Change Your Life During the 25 years I have eaten exclusively vegetarian (the last 15 years of which have been completely plant-based), I have noticed a reaction that has not been described here, and which I call "the Vegasm." I am usually in control of what I eat: packing lunches, calling ahead at restaurants, and filling out my response cards for social events with requests for vegan entrees. A vegasm, in contrast, is the out-of-control excitement I feel when I'm surrounded by vegan foods, particularly if in an unexpected place. It reminds of Erica Jong and her zipless passion, the random connecting of a vegan and his object of affection. Airports are not usually plant-based havens, although my own Detroit Metro Airport has been named the "most vegetarian friendly airport" in the country several years in a row. Back to LaGuardia. Fewer than 5% of us are vegan, and this vendor was catering to us. So I bought them all, fully hypnotized by the unexpected vegan motherlode onto which I'd stumbled. 1. 2. 3.
Which Essential Oil Companies Should YOU Buy From? My surprising findings on my quest to find the best - TheHippyHomemaker | TheHippyHomemaker I am most likely going to piss off some people with this post, but the information that I found was too good to keep to myself and keep you guys in the dark. As always, you should do your own research and question everything (even me!!). I ALMOST fell for the ploy. In my ever growing quest to find the healthiest options in my life, I began to wonder what about my essential oils? What is in a smell? You may be asking yourself, “so, which brand would you recommend I buy, Christina?” Lavender is by far my favorite herb and essential oil to play with! I decided that it was time that I upgrade my essential oils, and signed up to sell doTERRA essential oils. Why I will NOT buy my oils from any of the MLM companies… In my quest, I had gotten so excited that I forgot to look into what these companies were telling me about their products. The first shocking thing that I learned is that there is no governing body that certifies essential oils. So which essential oils should I buy?
12 Reasons Why Apple Cider Vinegar Will Revolutionize Your Health Recently, one of my good friends shared with me her story of how she cured her eczema naturally using apple cider vinegar (ACV). Since she was a young girl, her skin would break out in painful, itchy rashes which she would treat with doctor prescribed and recommended steroid creams. However, these creams had a detrimental effect on her skin over time, and eventually she had to stop using them, being left to deal with the extremely uncomfortable disease. Her quality of life was almost always compromised, admitting to me that she found it difficult being present while living with the ailment. After doing some research, she came across people`s personal stories about how they cured their eczema and psoriasis with a simple solution of ACV. She decided to give it a shot. What is Organic Apple Cider Vinegar? Real organic apple cider vinegar, is made by fermenting pressed apple juice until the sugars turn to vinegar. 12 Known Benefits of ACV 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Acne Nails Gout
DIY Lavender Tea Tree Surface Cleaner This guest post comes from our contributor FP Naomi. This general-use cleaner is chemical free and a gentle eliminator of harmful bacteria. Why is that important? Believe it or not, our bodies and health depend on a rich environment of microbes. We don’t want to wipe them all out. Strong anti-bacterial products have their place in hospitals and things of the like, but not so much in your home. You can easily make your own surface cleaner to avoid chemicals and microbe extermination. You’ll Need (Makes 12 oz 1 Spray Bottle 1 Cup Water ¼ Cup Distilled White Vinegar 10 Drops Tea Tree Oil 10 Drops Lavender Oil Directions: Add water & vinegar to spray bottle. 2. 3. 4. 5. Enjoy a clean, lavender-smelling home! More DIY projects from the BLDG 25 Blog. Check out Naomi’s blog Numie Abbott! Tags: diy projects, diy surface cleaner, homemade surface cleaner
Why Everyone Should Get To Know Ghee I love fat, and every two weeks or so I devote a little time to making my favorite type of it. For 15 minutes, I'm engrossed in the essential ritual of standing lovingly over a pot of delicious, bubbling butter, savoring the popcorn aromas and listening acutely for that vital moment when the ghee tells me it’s ready. I grab it off the stove and strain it immediately through cheesecloth into a glass jar, let it cool, then store it for daily use in cooking over the days to come. Contrary to what you may think, I'm at a healthy weight, and I don't have high cholesterol. Ghee is purified butter and is used commonly in India. I was first introduced to ghee as a child, when my mum discovered the benefits of Ayurveda and started preparing it for our family. The idea of using fat to detox is so far removed from Western reasoning that it seems at first to defy logic. And the final selling point: fat, as they say, makes flavor. Ingredients: Directions: Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com