Using Herbs To Control Skin Outbreaks

31. May 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Health, Herbalism, Mommy Care, Remedies · Tags: , ,

Today’s guest post will help you learn to use herbs to control skin outbreaks – Just love that acne mask recipe! Enjoy!

Chamomile Flowers for Healthy Skin

For millennia, women and men have been using herbs to support the heath of their skin. As modern people become more and more wary of synthetic skin products, they’ve rediscovered some of the herbs that used to keep their ancestors skin fresh, blemishless and healthy. See wrinklecreams.com for more information.

The Good and Bad News About Oily Skin 

Skin outbreaks can happen to anyone, but they seem to be the bane of people with oily complexions, or at least young people with oily complexions. For people with oily skin have skin that holds in moisture, so they tend to have fewer wrinkles as they age.

Since oil does have the benefit of keeping the skin lubricated, nothing should be taken that shuts down oil production all together. Some herbs can stop the overproduction of oil that leads to skin outbreaks like acne. Some of these herbs include basil, eucalyptus, lemon grass, yarrow and the fruit and leaves of strawberries.

Cleaning Away Excess Oil 

A person with oily skin should wash their face at least twice a day with a neutral cleanser. Cotton pads dampened with witch hazel will also help wipe away excess oil. They can also steam their face once a week to unclog the pores and further get rid of excess oil. Alcohol should be used sparingly, as it dries out the skin so much that the skin reacts by producing even more oil than it did before.

One facial steam for oily complexions uses a mix of herbs: 

1 rounded teaspoon each of chamomile flowers, lemon grass leaves, lavender flowers and rosemary leaves. Simmer water, add the herbs, remove from the heat and steep for five minutes. A mask for an oily complexion can be this one:

1 tbs. witch hazel

1 tsp. bentonite clay

1 strawberry, mashed

2 drops each of lemon and cypress essential oils

Mix the ingredients and apply to the face. Leave on for about five to 10 minutes, then rinse.

A mask for acne can be: 

1 tsp. bentonite clay

1 tsp. ground strawberry leaves

1 drop chamomile, sage or rosemary essential oil

1 drop of tea tree essential oil

Water

Mix these ingredients into a paste with the water. Apply to the face in a thin layer and take care to avoid the eyes. Leave on for as long as it’s comfortable, then rinse.

Herbs and their essential oils can make a great difference when it comes to skin care and they’re much less expensive to buy than the batteries of skin care products found on the drugstore shelves!

Naturally Care for Your Skin

30. January 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Health, Mommy Care · Tags: , ,

Please enjoy today’s special guest report which shares some tips on how to naturally care for your skin.

We all worry about our skin from time to time – especially as we age. Whether any woman wants to admit it or not, we are all prone to the effects of aging and those sun spots, dry skin, and wrinkles are bound to creep up on us at some point. However, in a world obsessed with looking young, you don’t have to commit to some age-defying procedure to get great looking skin. Simply switching to natural skincare products can do the trick.

While most women stick to high end traditional skin care products to care for their faces, many are unaware of the damage these types of products can actually do. Traditional skin care products contain large amounts of parabens and other chemicals which can actually further irritate your skin, leading to dry or red patches or even further break outs. The additional dryness these products can cause can actually increase the signs of aging at a more rapid rate.

So if you are looking for a better way to care for your face, consider purchasing natural skincare products. There are a wide variety of lines, including those from major recognizable brands to more natural and independent lines such as Nude Skincare, and these products don’t have any of the harmful additives found in traditional products. Because they are packed with vitamins and minerals, your face also gets an extra boost that can help with reducing age spots and increasing firmness.

In addition to not having any agitating chemicals, natural skincare products are just all around better for the environment. Most natural skin care products come in a biodegradable packaging that is plant-based so you don’t have to worry about the environmental impact, and they are also not tested on animals. So for those of us looking to further reduce our footprint, buying natural skincare products allows us to do so with one easy switch.

Those interested in natural skincare products should note, however, that they can be as evenly priced or even more expensive than some traditional brands. While the effects on your skin and environment make it worth the few additional bucks you spend, you are going to want to shop around for the best deals. There are several retailers online which offer great natural products at an affordable price.

3 Relaxation Tips for Busy Moms

29. September 2011 · 2 comments · Categories: Health, Mommy Care · Tags: , , ,

The amount of daily stress and anxiety you experience as a modern mother is nothing short of incredible. It’s hard to believe that day in day out you are able to not only complete all of your daily tasks, but do so with a smile.

But that stress does start to add up, and no matter how strong you are, there is a limit to how much you can handle regular stress without it starting to grate on you. It’s important that you find ways to de-stress every day so that you can avoid any serious mental health consequences.

The problem is that it’s hard to find the time. It would be nice if you could spend two hours every day to relax in a scented bubble bath and get a deep tissue massage, but chances are you can’t, so you need to find relaxation techniques you can fit into your hectic schedule. Below are several quick relaxation techniques for the busy mom.

Relaxation Techniques

  • Deep Breathing – Total Time: 5 to 7 Minutes

How often do you find yourself feeling as though you never get a chance to truly take a relaxing, deep breath? Deep breathing is actually a very effective relaxation technique. By taking full, controlled breaths you are able to relieve stress and tension and experience a sense of calmness around you.

There is more than one type of deep breathing. But an example of a deep breathing exercise involves sitting on a chair with your back straight, with your hands resting gently on the chair arms or on your lap and your eyes gently close (not squeezed shut). You breathe in very slowly through your nose, for 4 full seconds, and try to feel it in your stomach first and your chest second. Wait a few seconds and then slowly exhale through your mouth. The exhalation needs to be very slow and controlled, and take roughly 5 to 8 seconds letting out all of the air in your lungs.

Repeat the process 10 to 15 times. As you get used to the breathing exercise, you can increase the number of repetitions to 20 or 30. The breaths should be calming. If you have asthma or feel any shortness of breath, stop and try again later. Breathing exercises take very little time out of your day and can introduce some calmness into your otherwise busy world.

  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Total Time: 10 to 20 Minutes

Research has found that muscle tension can contribute to mental stress and anxiety. So a common relaxation technique is to relieve that muscle tension. Progressive muscle relaxation is simple in principle, but it does take some practice to do correctly.

The basic idea is that you first tense up a muscle before the muscle can be relaxed. As an example, try squeezing your hand in the tightest first possible – so tight that you feel a great deal of pressure in your fist while you’re squeezing – and hold it for 10 seconds. Then let go. After a few seconds the muscles in your hand start to become more relaxed than they were before you squeezed. By applying continues tension and then releasing it, the muscles start to relax.

There are several additional techniques necessary to make this effective. First, you need to breathe in while you’re applying tension, and breathe out when you’re releasing it. Second, you need to make sure to only do one muscle at a time, in order to get the full benefit of tensing that muscle. Third, you should start from the bottom of your body and work your way up (feet to face). Finally, focus your energy and attention on the tense muscles and the feeling you get when you release them. Progressive muscle relaxation is a mental process in addition to a physical process.

Always be careful not to over-exert yourself if you have any potential for injury. For example, if you have back problems, don’t over-tense your back and focus on the other muscles instead. Once the process is over, your physical body should be more relaxed, and your mind should follow.

  • Meditation – Total Time: 5 to 30 Minutes

Finally, you should also consider meditation. It may be hard to find 30 minutes of your day to sit in a quiet spot and simply meditate, but even 5 minutes of meditation can have calming effects. The key is to make sure that you can find a location that allows you to relax your mind – a place without disruptive noise, and where no one can bother you while you’re in meditation. We all want time alone. Meditation gives you that time in a way that can help you relieve some of your regular stress.

Finding Time to Relax

You have a busy schedule, and it’s often difficult to fit in long relaxation time. But treatment for anxiety and stress is something you need to find time for, otherwise the stress will build and cause problems with both your health and your quality of life. The above strategies take only a few minutes out of your day but will have a lasting impact on your life.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera suffered from serious stress and anxiety. His hope is that everyone can one day experience a stress free world. To learn more about stress and anxiety, visit www.calmclinic.com.

Natural Cures for Jet Lag

20. May 2010 · 1 comment · Categories: Health, Mommy Care, Remedies · Tags: , ,

With the travel season gearing up, I thought we’d take a look at a few natural cures for jet lag.  So today we have an excerpt from the book Chinese Home Remedies: Harnessing Ancient Wisdom For Self-healing, reprinted with permission from New Pages Books.

What is it and What Causes It?

Tired yet unable to sleep; hungry yet unable to eat. Our bodies have a built-in biological clock to regulate the sleep/wakefulness cycle. It has trouble adjusting to the rapid time zone shifts made possible by air travel. The resulting fatigue and insomnia can sometimes take days or weeks to dissipate.

What Should You Do in Daily Life?

- Plan ahead to adjust to the change in time zones. Four days before the start of the trip, adjust schedule to fit to the new time zone.

- Practice so-called “light therapy,” which is spending some specific time in the sun to adjust your biological clock. If you fly from Lost Angeles to London, four days before you leave do more outdoor activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will gradually move your biological clock forward and change your bedtime from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you fly from New York to Hong Kong, do more outdoor activities after 2 p.m. Change your wakeup time from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

- You can ease your transition by drinking coffee or tea at the time corresponding to the morning of the destination. Drink 1 cup of soymilk with honey at the time corresponding to the bedtime of the destination.

- Strictly follow the regular schedule at your destination: Go to bed on time. Use some sleeping herbs if  necessary. When you are awake in the middle of the night due to jet lag, you need to remain lying. If you are bored, listen to relaxing music or the radio. By resting according to the schedule of the new time zone, you can make the transition easier.

- When you are feeling sleepy from jet lag, and it’s still not close to bedtime, start doing things that are guaranteed to keep you awake. This can be socializing, exercises, or other activities you enjoy.

What Shouldn’t You Do?

- Don’t eat spicy food in an airplane at night.

- Don’t drink alcohol.

Folk Remedies

- At your destination, when you sleep, put some dried chrysanthemum on your pillow. The herb helps to tranquilize you.

- At your destination, apply a few drops of jasmine oil on  your temples to help you go to sleep.

Going Veg Leads to a More Peaceful and Content Life

18. May 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Health, Mommy Care, Yoga · Tags: , ,

- by Helen Laird

A gentleman of my acquaintance, a sworn vegetarian for almost as long as I’ve known him, tells an intriguing tale of how becoming a herbivore changed his life for the better. While living in Ireland, some time before he decided to give meat the cold shoulder, he regularly had to run for his life from herds of stampeding cows. Every time he crossed a certain field, the mob would be waiting for him, swooshing their tails menacingly and (as I imagine it) pawing the dirt like furious bulls.

It would be drawing a long bow to say that cow-chasing was what persuaded my friend to become vegetarian. More likely, he followed the path that most new converts take: initial experimentation with “white meat and fish only”, slow-but-sure weaning from chicken to lentils, occasional lapse into what he himself describes as “low integrity diet days”. But since committing to a life without bacon and pork chops, he has noticed that his relationship with the animal world has changed. Now when he walks through boggy fields, the livestock are happy to watch him wander past, presumably recognising a fellow cud-chewer when they see one.

Whether or not you believe in a world where cows can spot a steak-eater at fifty paces, it’s a fact that more and more people are turning to vegetarianism, not only as a dietary choice, but as a way of living in a more ethical and conscious relationship with the world. Whilst here in the west vegetarianism is generally seen as something of a New Age phenomenon, or part of an alternative lifestyle, in India yogis have been advocating a meat-free diet for thousands of years.

The ancient yogis weren’t abstaining from meat in order to curb their carbon emissions, nor were they worried about their saturated fat intake. For them the most important consideration was that their food had to be easily digestible – both physically and mentally.

On the physical level, it takes a lot more time and energy for our body to break down the fibres and sinews in meat than it does to digest vegetable proteins. This is part of the reason why scientific research is showing us that a vegetarian diet helps to protect the body from disease such as cancer, obesity and high blood pressure.

But perhaps even more important is the mental difference that comes from living, and eating, with compassion. You can buy any number of books about the ethics of our food industry and how animals are farmed: the chemicals and medicines they are fed, the environmental impact of so many millions of cattle feeding and farting, and the methods by which animals are slaughtered. But even without delving into the harsh facts, there’s something fundamentally bizarre in the way our societies, founded as they are on respect for human rights and the sanctity of life, are prepared to forget all that when it comes to eating meat.

It’s not that we don’t care about animals – how many meat eaters are also pet owners? – yet many of choose not to think about the where the steak, salami or sausage actually came from.

Yoga, as well as encouraging us to do the right thing by our bodies, encourages us to take responsibility for each of our actions. When we begin to accept this responsibility, it means we have to start questioning our choices. Do I need to eat meat? Do I simply like the taste? Or do I merely eat it because it’s what I am in the habit of eating?

Then comes the biggie: is my addiction to the oral sensation of consuming fried chicken/pork chops/lamb brains important enough to me to knowingly inflict suffering on another creature.

Yogis, too, questioned their choices and decided that ahimsa – non-violence – was the most productive path forward. They believed that the mind would become calmer, more peaceful and loving, if they chose to treat all living beings with kindness and compassion. Choosing this path, of “doing unto others (including others with four legs) as you would have done to yourself”, changes your relationship with the world. And the act of eating, so essential to the act of living, ceases to be a habitual thing, but a considered and caring act.

It’s an experiment I’ve been conducting for many years and I’ve certainly found it to be true. And I really can’t remember the last time I got chased by a cow.

Author Bio - This post continues our yoga series by guest blogger Helen Laird of Yoga in One Syllable. Helen is passionate about helping people see where yoga already exists in their lives and inspiring them to bring more yoga into it.

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