Category: Natural Cosmetics

Pumpkins and Scarecrows and Football, Oh My!



I’m starting to feel a chill in the air come evening, which could only mean autumn is right around the corner. I’m a summer kind of girl, so this makes me a bit sad. But there are some things about fall that you gotta love: pumpkins, apple cider, hay rides… So I’ve decided to get into the spirit this week and bring you some autumn-inspired DIY cosmetic recipes.

First, there’s pumpkin. It’s great for all skin types, especially environmentally damaged or sensitive skin. High in Vitamin A (skin healing), C (anti-oxidant) and Zinc, pumpkin soothes, moisturizes and acts as a carrier, assisting the other mask ingredients to absorb deeper into the skin and intensifying the results. Enzymes remove dead skin cells making skin glow. And it may also help get rid of and prevent blackheads.

Pumpkin Pie Face Mask

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed (or fresh if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon milk (or soymilk)

Optional Ingredients: For Dry Skin add 1/4 teaspoon heavy whipping cream or ½ teaspoon brown sugar (for exfoliation). For Oily Skin add ¼ teaspoon apple cider or ¼ teaspoon cranberry juice.

Directions: Combine the ingredients. Mix gently and apply to your face avoiding the eye area. Rest and relax for 10-15 minutes while your pumpkin pie facemask gently exfoliates, nourishes and conditions your face. Rinse with warm water and apply the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type.

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

This foot and hand scrub will help slough off rough skin, leaving it soft and moisturized.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
3 Tbsp oil (try jojoba, grapeseed, almond, or olive oil)
1 pinch cinnamon
1 drop natural vanilla extract

Directions: Blend ingredients thoroughly. Over a large bowl or in the bathtub, massage mixture onto feet, hands, elbows and any rough areas. Allow mixture to remain on skin for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

Next let’s look at apples which have been used in beauty products for centuries. Thanks to a high concentration of vitamins A and C and potassium, when applied as a facial toner, apple pectin can sooth and refresh all skin types.

Apple-Pectin Toner

Ingredients:
1 apple, cut up with peel, seeds removed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup witch hazel

Directions:
1.Place the cut-up apple in a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
2.Allow the mixture to cool completely, then strain out the apple chunks. Stir in the witch hazel and pour into a clean container.
3.To use, spray or apply to skin using a clean cotton ball. Keep in refrigerator and use within one week.

Lastly, we can forget cranberries. Cranberries are naturally rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and plenty of other antioxidants, which will keep your skin looking healthy and may even decrease dark circles. This power-packed berry also acts as a natural toner, and when combined with moisture-rich honey and yogurt, creates a soothing mask.

Cranberry Lip Gloss

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon organic sweet almond oil
10 fresh cranberries (organic if possible)
1 teaspoon organic honey
1 drop vitamin E oil

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Microwave for two minutes or until just boiling. You could also heat your bowl in a pan of water on the stove.
3. Stir well and gently crush the berries.
4. Cool the berries for five minutes. Strain with a fine sieve until there are no fruit pieces left in your mix.
5. Stir and set aside to cool completely.
6. When cool, transfer into a small portable plastic container or tin. Store in refrigerator and use within a week.

Wake me up when spring arrives.

The Lemon/Chocolate Experiment: Day 1



I started my “Lemon Chocolate Experiment” a little more than 24 hours ago. So far, so good. I even noticed some ‘results’, be they psychological or not.

First let me clarify what I am doing and why. Every morning upon waking, I drink a cup of warm water with the juice of ¼ lemon. I don’t consume anything else for at least half an hour. Then later in the day or evening, I consume 1 oz. of organic dark chocolate. Why am I doing this? I’m constantly seeing articles about new health fads: the quinoa diet, the coconut oil diet, etc. Two that consistently pop up are the lemon water thing and the dark chocolate. I’ve researched both, and both seem to have some legit scientific backing.

The supposed benefits of the lemon water include: weight loss, improved digestion, boosts immune system, balances pH (reduces acidity in your body), clears your skin, acts as a diuretic, relieves respiratory problems, freshens breath, reduces stress, helps kick the coffee habit, hydrates the lymph system, boosts energy, flushes toxins from your liver and kidneys, suppresses appetite, reduces cellulite (because it increases blood flow to the skin and helps your body flush out waste), boosts your body’s ability to metabolize fat, and lowers your risk for heart disease, strokes, cataracts and gout because of the high amount of vitamin C. With all those claims, how could you NOT want to try it?!

I started out with ¼ lemon in one cup of water. I think by the weekend I will up it to ½ a lemon since it’s not as sour tasting as I thought it would be. And right now, I’m only doing it in the morning. The recommendation is if you weigh less than 150 pounds, squeeze the juice of one half a lemon (one ounce) into a glass of purified water and drink this mixture twice a day (one whole lemon a day.) If you weigh over 150 pounds, squeeze the juice out of an entire lemon (two ounces) into a glass of purified water and drink this mixture twice a day (two whole lemons a day.) The lemon juice can be diluted more according to taste.

I actually find that I’m looking forward to my lemon water when I wake up. It’s refreshing, and makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body. I’ve found that I make better food choices during the day. I’m sure this is all psychological. And hey, it’s only been a little over a day.

On to the chocolate. There are many more articles out there about the benefits of eating dark chocolate. And the claims are just as numerous. They include weight loss, improved heart health, improved cognitive function, helps control blood sugar, has antioxidants (even more than the ‘superfruits’ acai, pomegranate, cranberry, and blueberry) which help fight free radicals, contains theobromine which helps harden tooth enamel, has anti-inflammatory properties, lowers cholesterol, stimulates endorphin production, contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant and even has cancer fighting abilities. Like I needed an excuse to eat chocolate in the first place?! BUT it must be noted that none of this applies to milk chocolate, white chocolate or even some of the lame dark chocolate. These claims apply only to dark chocolate with high cacao (65% or greater) and low sugar levels.

But what about the fat in chocolate? Some of the fats in chocolate do not impact your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:

•Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil.
•Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
•Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.

That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is ‘bad’ for you.

I chose Endangered Species Chocolate for my experiment. I chose this brand because I like their ingredients (low sugar, high cacao content), it’s reasonably priced, part of the line is organic, they donate to animal causes/conservation efforts, oh and it tastes good. I decided for this experiment I would eat 1 oz a day. It was hard to find a recommendation for how much to eat a day, but 1 oz seemed reasonable. The big ESC bars are 3 oz, so this made it easy for me to divide it into thirds. The nutrition content for 1 oz. breaks down as follows:

Calories: 140 Total Fat: 12 (saturated 7.3, trans 0) Cholesterol: 0 Sodium: 0
Total Carbs: 14 (dietary fiber 3.3, sugars 8 ) Protein: 1

This is not something that was gonna kill my diet. The first day I made the mistake of leaving the chocolate bar on my desk all day. There it was. Staring at me. Saying “eat me!!”. Or maybe that was the PMS talking (sorry, TMI). I finally put it into my work bag and didn’t think about it again until later that night. My boyfriend HAS to eat some kind of dessert every night. And he never gains weight. It’s so frustrating. So last night as he was looking to devour a quarter of a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, I grabbed my chocolate bar and started gnawing on it. I’m a fan of dark chocolate to begin with, so the slight bitterness is okay with me. The fact that it doesn’t have a lot of sugar, oils or other gooey junk that instantly melts in your mouth means it takes longer to chew….longer to savour. You spend more time eating an ounce of dark chocolate than you would popping three Hershey’s Kisses into your mouth. It’s an experience. I finished my last delicious bite just as he was finishing his last bite of the giant cake wedge. And I felt satisfied. I didn’t feel slighted or cheated because I didn’t have the cake. I felt GOOD. I had eaten my dessert, enjoyed it, and didn’t feel bloated or guilty. I could get used to this! In summary, the dark chocolate made me avoid making a poor food choice, gave me an enjoyable dessert experience, and had a positive impact on my mood. To me, it was a win-win.

Let’s see what happens over the next 29 days…..

How Blonde is Blonde Enough?



I’m a natural blonde. But I learned at an early age, apparently I wasn’t blonde enough. I remember I was about six years old when my mom started spraying Sun-In on my hair at the pool in the summer. This went on for years, so when I got older I continued the tradition, because blonde is apparently good. Then I learned that I could use the hair dryer instead of heat from the sun to get the same effect year round. Surprisingly, my hair handled the abuse pretty well. And then one summer I heard about girls mixing lemon juice with hydrogen peroxide to make their hair even MORE blonde. Well, this I had to try. I forget what ratio I used (lemon juice to peroxide) but it probably didn’t matter much. I dumped the mixture on my head and blasted it with a hair dryer. It worked…but turned my soft hair to straw. That was the last time I experimented with peroxide.

Late into my college years, I really started getting into herbs. I was mixing potpourris, cooking herbs and making herbal wreaths. I loved reading about the plants and their properties. There must be a mad scientist inside of me, because I once again started experimenting. After the development of our Herbal Aftershave, Tropical Lip Balm, Deodorant Powder and a few other products that have since been discontinued, I turned my attention back to hair. I knew infusions of lemon, chamomile and calendula could give me that oh-so-coveted “blonder” look. So I made a tea. And poured it on my hair and went out into the sun. It worked. But this time, my hair felt (and smelled) fabulous. I had to share this creation with everyone else who didn’t feel blonde enough.

I researched and created another blend for folks with dark hair. Soon I packaged my whole herbs into large tea bags which were sold in pretty printed envelopes. I kept this product around for a while, but discontinued it about four years ago as sales were sluggish. Maybe people didn’t want to bother making a tea for their hair. Or maybe it was easier to just use a hair dye.

I still think the concept of hair herbs is a cool one. If you want to try it, mix together the following:

Blonde: lemon peel, chamomile, calendula

Brunette: rosemary, sage, black tea, cloves, black walnut shells

Red: hibiscus, red rose petals, rose hips, red clover

Make a strong tea with your herbs, leaving them in the water for up to 30 minutes. After shampooing, apply your herbal rinse to hair. Comb through. The more often you use the tea, the more dramatic the results.

You can add other herbs which will benefit the condition of your hair too. If your hair is dry, try adding marshmallow root, elderflower, lavender or nettle. For oily hair, add yarrow, witch hazel bark, watercress, strawberry leaf, lemon balm or horsetail. Want your hair to have more body? Try oat straw, dandelion, burdock root and apple cider vinegar.

Herbal hair rinses are easy, beneficial, and fun to mix and feel as luxurious as a spa treatment. As for the blonde thing, no matter how stupid I think it is, part of it is still engrained in me. I wish it wasn’t. Hair color doesn’t determine how pretty or attractive you are. That comes from the inside.

Stay Hydrated with Delicious and Healthy Infused Water

Special Guest Blogger Paula Hunter shares her simple and refreshing drink recipes

Summer is in full swing, with temperatures soaring (and staying!). In such sweltering heat, it is paramount to stay hydrated and refreshed. Of course, the best way to do this is to drink plenty of water. But we all know water can get boring. Try some of these tantalizing recipes to help you stay cool, liven up your water, and help your body stay hydrated.

These recipes work well stored in mason jars or pitchers and will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator.


Citrus Water

1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon

Slice the fruit into rounds, and then cut in half. Add to the bottom of the pitcher or jar, and muddle slightly with a muddler or wooden spoon. Press gently to release the juices, but keep the fruit intact. Fill with ice and cover with water. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate.


Raspberry Lime Water

2 limes, quartered
6 oz raspberries

Squeeze the juice from the limes into the bottom of the jar or pitcher, and then add the limes and raspberries to the juice. Muddle gently with a muddler or wooden spoon. Fill with ice and cover with water. Stir, cover and refrigerate.


Pineapple Mint Water

Spring or two of mint leaves
1-2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

Place the mint in the bottom of the jar or pitcher; you can either add the whole sprig or tear off just the leaves. Depending on how strong you want the mint flavor to be, you may add more or less to suit your tastes. Gently muddle the leaves with a muddler or wooden spoon to bruise the leaves and release their flavor. Top with the fresh pineapple and gently muddle again. Add ice and water, stir, cover and refrigerate.


Blackberry Sage Water

1-2 sage leaves
6 oz blackberries

Place the sage leaves at the bottom of the jar or pitcher, and muddle to release the flavor. Add the blackberries and muddle again, being careful not to pulverize the fruit. Add ice and water, stir, cover and refrigerate.


Watermelon Rosemary Water

Sprig of rosemary
1-2 cups cubed watermelon

Place the sprig of rosemary in the bottom of the jar or pitcher, and muddle gently. Add the watermelon, and muddle again. Both the watermelon and rosemary will release their flavors without much muddling. Add ice and water, stir, cover, and refrigerate.

When ready to drink, simply pout the waters through a small strainer of strain through cheesecloth. Add green, white or black tea bags to the water for even more flavor and anti-oxidants.
Other fruits and herbs that work well:

Kiwi
Any citrus
Berries
Thyme
Basil

You can also make fruit and herb infused ice cubes. Lemon, blueberry, and mint make great addition to any drink without overpowering their tastes. Simply place lemon slices or blueberries into ice cube trays, and then top with water and freeze. To use mint, place a mint leaf in each compartment, then top with hot water to infuse. Once the water cools, remove the mint leaves (they turn dark,) add new leaves, and freeze.

Let Your Artistic Side Shine

Special Guest Blogger Paula Hunter shares some really cool nail art ideas. Try them!

With the advent of summer, comes the appearance of more brightly colored and diverse nails. If you’re looking for some quick and easy ways to spice up your normal manicure, try one of the following:


Newspaper Transfer Manicure

Items you will need: base and top coats (or clear polish,) lighter colored non-shimmery nail polish, newspaper strips, Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol (either 70% or 91%)

1. Start like you would every other manicure, with clean nails and a coat of base coat or clear polish
2. Paint your nails with 2 coats of your chosen nail color, allowing each nail to dry in between coats. Choose your nail color wisely; shimmery and dark colors will not work as well as lighter and crème style polishes
3. Paint your nails with 2 coats of your chosen nail color, allowing each nail to dry in between coats
4. Cut your newspaper into 10 strips or blocks that will easily fit over your nail. Be creative; the wackier the words or ads, the more obscure the manicure-have fun!
5. Once your nails are completely dry, either rub the nail with the alcohol, or dip into a small bowl filled with alcohol. Then, dip one strip or block of newspaper into the bowl of alcohol. Place the newspaper strip directly on the nail bed and keep it still. Most newspapers are double-sided, but make sure you place the strip ink-side down. Then take an alcohol-dampened paper towel and apply light pressure on the nail like a temporary tattoo. After 10 seconds of pressure, slowly peel off the strip and the ink will have imprinted on the nail. Repeat this process for each nail.
6. Allow nails to dry for at least 5 minutes, and then apply the top coat or a coat of clear nail polish.


Marble Manicure

With this manicure you really have the ability to pick an array of colors, or you can stay in the same color family (use several shades of blues from light to dark, etc..) You can also do this with as little as 3 or 4 colors, or as many as 6-8. You also do it several ways. Below are instructions for two different ways.


The plastic bag method:

Items you will need; base and top coat (or clear nail polish,) a cut open plastic bag (sandwich or Ziploc,) and your nail color choices. This works best when you start with 2 coats of your favorite light or nude shade, but you can skip this step.

1. Start off like a normal manicure, with a coat of base coat or clear nail polish.
2. Paint nails with 2 coats of your chosen light or nude shade. Allow time for nails to dry in between coats.
3. Once nails are dry, drop larger sized dots of several colors of nail polish onto your nails. These can overlap, touch, or even be on top of one another.
4. Place the plastic bag over the painted nail and lightly press and slide the bag back and forth. The aim is to mix the nail colors together slightly, creating the marbled effect.
5. Allow nails to dry completely and finish with a coat of top coat.


The toothpick method:

Items you will need: base and top coat (or clear nail polish,) your nail color choices, and several toothpicks.

1. Start off like a normal manicure, with a coat of base coat or clear nail polish.
2. Paint nails with 2 coats of your chosen light or nude shade. Allow time for nails to dry in between coats.
3. Once nails are dry, drop larger sized dots of several colors of nail polish onto your nails. These can overlap, touch, or even be on top of one another.
4. Before polish has a chance to try, take a clean toothpick and swirl the colors together to create a marble look.
5. Allow nails to dry completely and finish with a coat of top coat.

The toothpick method will result in a more defined pattern, while the plastic bag method will produce a more subtle one. There is a 3rd method, called a water marble manicure, but take note; since our WaterColors Nail Enamels are water-based, they will not work for this type of manicure. If you choose to skip painting your nails with 2 coats of a nude or light colored polish, make sure that you cover the entire nail with your swirl patterns, whether you use the plastic bag or toothpick method. Be bold, have fun, and enjoy!!