Natural from Toe to Head - Home Remedies for Blackheads

A few home remedies to remove blackheads...

• Wash your face and rinse with warm water. Steam your face or use a hot wash cloth to open your pores. Take uncoated crunched up asprin and mix with enough fresh lemon juice to make a thick paste. Scrub affected area gently for up to a minute let paste set for 5. Rinse with cool water.
• Slices of Cooked Potato. I know I know but, but some people swear by this... simply boil a potato cut it into a couple of thin slices and place over the nose cover it with a cotton bandage of some sort (like an old tshirt ripped into strips) and affix it with medical tape leave over night and in the am the blackheads should be on the potato...
• Dried Basil Leaves: Place two to three teaspoons of dried basil leaves in one cup of boiling water. Allow the herb to steep for 10 to 20 minutes. When the mixture has cooled, apply to blackheads using a cotton ball let sit for about 5 minutes then rinse.
• Steam skin then apply a paste made with a little baking soda and water - leave on skin for about one minute then rinse (use 2 or 3 times a week)
• Coconut Milk or Soy and Unflavoured gelatin (agar flakes are a vegan opion) heat for 2 minutes over medium heat until gel is dissolved spread on nose wait until cool and pull off like you would a pour strip.

Natural from Toe to Head... Cures for Chapped Lips

A few tips for soft lips...
Resist licking your lips it will dry them out. 
Become addicted to lip balm

Drink plenty of water and take a good vitamin B complex.
Eat food that is rich in Vitamin B (like bell peppers, spinach, green peas, yams, broccoli, asparagus and turnip greens)
At the end of the day if your lips are still dry try an exfoliating treatment

Natural Lip Exfoliation
For smooth lips try making a paste of one of the following and gently scrub your lips with it before bed - follow with lip balm.

• Honey and Brown Sugar
• Honey and Baking Soda
• Fine Sea Salt & Grape Seed Oil
• Fresh Pineapple because it contains an enzyme call Bromelain will help gently break down the bonds holding dead cells onto healthy skin. Enzymes also strengthen healthy skin

Super Soft Lip Balm Recipe
2T of Shea Butter (Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter or Coconut Oil)
1t Beeswax
1 T of Virgin Olive Oil
1 Vitamin E Caplet (squished)
2 Drops of Carrot Oil
2 Drop of Peppermint Oil
Melt the butter and oils together over low heat in a stainless steel pot until warm add beeswax and heat until melted let cool a bit and stir in essential oils (if you have a stick blender use this in short bursts to mix the oils/wax/essential oils together). Pour into tubes or small pots and let cool


 

Natural from Toe To Head - Face & Neck Yoga

 A few exercises for the face and neck based called face yoga. I'm not sure if these work or not but, they can't hurt and they might help right? I'm going to give them a try for a few months. I'll repost if I find they are working... Facial Yoga

Natural from Toe to Head - Real Perfume Essential Oil Recipes

I have chemical allergies. Many fake "fragrances" set me off - coughing jags, headaches and the like. Not so fun. A couple of years ago I visited a Perfumery in Cairo. I was a little worried I'd have to turn around and leave if they were using anything at all that wasn't real. It turned out all the fragrances offered were naturally sourced using essential oils. Rows and rows of beautiful glass bottles filled with floral and spice essential oils and not a one caused a headache or coughing spell. Some Perfumers use synthesized chemicals and chemicals extracted from essential oils because they are often cheaper than using pure essential oils - you will find these in most cheaper commercially available perfumes, bodysprays and creams. Mixing up your own signature scent with essential oils is easy. Using essential oils for aromatherapy can also be a lot of fun. Below I've posted a few essential oil recipes I enjoy. 

To make your own aromatherapy perfume you will need to start with a base. 

Alcohol (vodka is the classic choice) or a carrier oil Jojoba is often used because it has a longer shelf life - almond or apricot kernel oil also work well and are way cheaper than jojoba. Or you can use a mix of the two. As a rule of thumb always blend your essential oils to start before adding them to your carrier. This way if you hate the blend you haven't wasted your carriers

* If you are pregnant there are some essential oils that you should stay away from. You can find a good list of these here

Guidelines

Essential oils can be categorized into groups based on aroma. Below is an example taken from Aromaweb which is packed with useful information on scent.

• Floral  (i.e. Lavender, Neroli, Jasmine)
• Woodsy (i.e. Pine, Cedar, Sandalwood)
• Earthy  (i.e. Oakmoss, Vetiver, Patchouli)
• Herbaceous (i.e. Marjoram, Rosemary, Basil)
• Minty  (i.e. Peppermint, Spearmint)
• Medicinal/Camphorous  (i.e. Eucalyptus, Cajuput, Tea Tree)
• Spicy  (i.e. Nutmeg, Clove, Cinnamon)
• Oriental   (i.e. Ginger, Patchouli)
• Citrus  (i.e. Orange, Lemon, Lime) 

As a general guideline oils in the same category usually blend well together. Some categories blend better together than others

• Florals And Woodsy
• Woodsy as a bottom note usually blend with all categories
• Spicy and Oriental
• Floral and Oriental 
• Floral and Citrus
• Citrus and Oriental
• Minty with Herbaceous
• Minty with Earthy
• Earthy with Herbaceous
• Minty with Medicinal

Carrier Oil Ratios: Around 15-20 drops of perfume blend per 1T
Alcohol Based Ratio: 60 drops of perfume blend per 4 1/4t of Vodka

Calm Me Down Blend

• 6 drops Lavender
• 8 drops Jasmine
  
• 2 drops Sandalwood
• 1T of of Jojoba or Vodka

Rise and Shine Blend

• 6 drops Peppermint
• 9 drops Fennel
• 2 drops Angelica
• 1T of Jojoba or Vodka

More things I love - Documentary The Power of Myth

So good...

Natural from Toe to Head - Dry Cracked Elbow Cure

 
Today's post is a simple surefire dry elbow cure. All you need is some salt and a lemon. Cut the lemon in half sprinkle it with salt and rest your elbows in the lemon halves for about 5 minutes. Rinse the lemon/salt off your skin and moisturize with a good heavy cream (not anything containing mineral oil or petroleum jelly as it won't absorb into your dry skin easily). Rosehip Body Butter or Coconut Oil will work well as an after treatment cream. Do this treatment 3 or more times a week for smooth soft elbows.

Full Moon in Pisces - Harvest Moon

Most often, the September full moon is called the Harvest Moon or the Corn Moon. Emotional depth is highlighted with this full moon. Many will find themselves reflecting on how they truly feel about themselves and how their relationships with others make them feel. We are reminded of the fluidity of time and how our emotional states can and do change. Letting go of anger or resentments towards others is easier during this time if we can observe our emotional states as something to learn from instead of simply "being in it" and reacting without knowing exactly where the emotion you are experience is coming from. This is a period of reflection and healing. Creativity is highlighted now - drawing, painting, writing music... anything that inspires you to express your emotional state will be good for you. 

Natural from Toe to Head - Flabby Arm Fix

Natural from Toe to Head - Fade Age & Sun Spots

  If you are old enough to be concerned about age and sun spots I've found a few natural recipes to help fade them. Age spots (sun spots, liver spots, lentigines) usually appear in people over the age of 40 and are generally harmless. Age spots can be caused by sun damage (years of sun worship). More seriously they can  can be caused by impaired liver function or dietary and nutritional deficiencies. As we get older and our metabolism changes we need to take better care that our livers are not over loaded with toxins. If your liver is struggling it can result in spots on the skin. "Oxidation within the body and a lack of antioxidants in your diet can also play an important role in the development of age spots." In addition to the topical recipes below to help fade the spots appearance I'm also putting a love your liver juice blend that will help your body to "push" your liver and get rid of excess toxins.


Apple Cider Vinegar: mixed with onion juice and applied directly to the skin is said to help remove age spots.

• Blend a whole medium sized chopped onion with a little water until pulpy in a blender
• Mix 1 to 1 with Apple Cider Vinegar (the good kind like Braggs)
• Dab on to age spots and let sit for at least a half hour. 
• Repeat daily for at least 6 weeks

Lemon Juice: Use the juice from a fresh squeezed lemon applied with a cotton ball nightly on your age spots. Over time the acids in the lemon juice will help to lighten them. Some people say mixing lemon juice and turmeic powder works really well too.

Castor Oil: Has been used by women for years to help remove age spots. Dab it on and leave over night as part of your routine (if the spots are on your hands invest in some cotton gloves to keep your sheets free of stains).


Internally:

• Apple Cider Vinegar is good for your liver take 1T full every morning to help keep your liver happy and healthy.
• Take a selenium supplement daily
• Take Vitamin E, 500 units per day
• Ginseng, Dandelion Root, Licorice, Gotu Kola and Sarsaparilla are also beneficial to the liver.

Love Your Liver Veggie Juice

• 1 carrot
• 1/2 small beet
• 1 stick celery
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 Small Cabbage

Beets are especially great for pushing your liver to release toxins (no more than 1/2 beet per day).  Cabbage also contains compounds that help the liver function properly and are said to be great for fighting stomach ulcers. Celery and carrots are powerful intestinal cleansers and contribute to the detoxification process.
Drink in the mornings for breakfast to keep your liver and kidneys healthy.

Natural from Toe to Head - Hand Masks

A good way to keep your hands, nails and cuticles happy is to indulge ever few weeks by pampering your hands with a hand mask. You will need two largish zip lock baggies to do this and something to secure them around your wrists.

Dry Hand Rescue Mask

• 6T Flax Oil
• 3 Drops of Carrot Essential Oil
• 2T Olive Oil
• 2 Drops of Orange Oil

Wash your hands well (use a little cornmeal with your soap so they get a good scrub)... Mix all ingredients in one baggy - zip it up and let it float in hot water for about 1 minute to warm the oils. When your oil is warm remove the baggy and put one hand inside - squish baggy around until your hand is well coated with oil - remove your hand and put into the second baggy. Secure the baggy at your wrist repeat with the other hand (this can be a wee bit tricky but it is doable... Wrap your hands in a towel to keep the oil warm longer if you wish. Let your hands soak in the oil for half an hour or longer (great to do if you are watching a movie or a little tv).

Age Spot Hand Mask

• Juice of Half a Lemon
• 6T of Flax Oil
• 2T of Coconut Oil
• 2 drops of Tea Tree Oil

Apply as above. The acids in the lemon juice will help lighten ages spots on your hands. It will remove stains from nails. If your guy works with his hands (or you do) and you can talk him in to this - it is also great for removing oil stains and softening calluses.

Natural from Toe to Head - some great tips!

 Some great natural beauty tips from Sandy Gold of www.happiface.com

Natural from Toe to Head - Nail and Cuticle Conditioning Oil

Riding this out...

Do you have a theme song - something that repeats in your head that just sort of sums up things/where you are at? This is the song that keeps playing in my head lately (Imaginary Cities from Winnipeg - thanks to MJ for sending me the song).

Natural from Toe to Head - Detox Bath Recipe

Water has been a valuable therapeutic aid for centuries. The main function of  detox baths are to help your body to eliminate toxins and excess fat.
Baking soda and Epsom salts are used in fairly high quantities (1 cup of each for every 60lbs of body weight) in some detox bath recipes in order to help stimulate the lymphatic system. Epsom salt is said to be a natural anti-inflammatory and is a good source of magnesium (which can be absorbed through the skin). The high saline concentration in Espom Salts make the water denser than the body’s interstitial fluids, so in theory osmotic pressure will pull toxin-laden fluids out of the body.
Hydrogen peroxide: (half a 16oz bottle) along with epsom salts - never combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in the same bath recipe (you'll end up with a foamy mess.
Apple Cider Vinegar: (about 1 cup per bath) - it is believed that ACV will help restore the PH balance of your body if you are overly acidic - it is also great (just like sea salt or epsom salts) for muscle aches. Make your bath hot enough to make you sweat perspiration helps the body to rid itself of toxins.
Juniper: Is said to reduce cellulite. Juniper essential oil is a good diuretic, and is good for muscle aches and pains, it is also thought to help balance the PH in your system. Don't use juniper oil if you are pregnant or have sensitive skin.
Ginger:Will help your body to sweat. Throw a few fresh slices into your bath water - smells great and you will be surprised at how well it works. Ginger is great in a bath if you have a cold or fever (or check out my old posting on Mustard Baths - which work really well if you are feeling run down)

Basic Detox Bath

• 3 Cups of Epsom Salts
• 2 Cups of Baking Soda
• 1/4 Cup of Sea Salt
• 6 Drops of Juniper Essential Oil (or several slices of fresh ginger)

Mix Epsom Salts, Baking Soda and Sea Salt in a large jar - give it a good shake add essential oil if you are using it. If you are using fresh ginger add it when you are drawing your bath. 

Natural from Toe to Head - Natural Razor Rash Remedies

 

If you've used an older razor, have sensitive skin or haven't cleaned your razor properly before using it - you've probably experienced razor rash or bumps.  Razor bumps are most often caused by a freshly shaven hair that has been cut at an angle, which makes it more sharp. The hair curls back against the skin, penetrating the skin and causing the body react by treating it like an infection causing painful swelling and the tell-tale red bumps. Below are a few natural cures to sooth your skin

Aloe: A leaf cut open and the goo applied straight to the rash works wonders
Asprin Tablets: Crush 2 or 3 tablets in to a little water just enough to make a paste. Rub paste on the effected area
Tea Tree Oil: Mixed with water in a spritzer bottle -- spray on your skin a few minutes after shaving
Deodorant: (see my posting from last week on how to make it) keep a separate stick for your bikini area apply it right after shaving.
Rubbing Alcohol: For your razor not on your face! Rinsing your razor before and after use with a little rubbing alcohol will help keep it clean.