Truly Natural Skin Care

Have you been spending a lot of time and money looking for truly natural and organic skin care? I have been making my own for years because it is nearly impossible to find truly pure products. Finally, I would like to present to you a skin care line that is truly pure: Annmarie Gianni Skin Care.

Read a review on the products here.

I have used 3 of the products myself.

Coconut Body & Face Oil - I loooooooove this, and so does my skin. It smells great, calms, and nourishes.

Anti-Aging Serum & Anti-Aging Oil - I put these on before bed. They have a nice herbal scent. A little goes a loooooong way too, so your 15ml bottle will last a long time.

Good news is, mini sets were just made available, so you can try it out without committing too much. Also, you get free shipping until Dec 15... that's just 3 days away, so check it out now. Read more...

Non-toxic Herbal Hair Care

Truly natural body care products can be difficult to find, and the really good, pure ones are often fairly expensive. If you have been looking for a natural solution to shampoo, conditioner, and hair spray, I have your answer! As an added bonus, I'll tell you how to make a quick & easy hair sheen and perfume combo (my favorite!). Not only do you get to have non-toxic hair care, you get to have fun making it too.

These are do-it-yourself herbal recipes that I got at a workshop sponsored by Create Plenty, a non-profit organization here in Portland, OR whose mission is to reduce waste by connecting local producers and local consumers and following sustainable consumer practices. They have lots going on so check out their website. By the way, I think the workshop took these recipes from the book Organic Body Care Recipes. Check it out if you'd like to do more herbal experimenting.

And back to the hair care...

I made and used these recipes, so I know they work! I think they are good enough to enter into the Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest. Speaking of Mountain Rose Herbs, most of the ingredients can be purchased through their website. Bounce on over for a visit as I'm confident you will find many other fun goodies to play with.


Besides the ingredients listed below, you will need 2 empty bottles in which to store the shampoo and conditioner and 1 empty spray bottle for the hairspray. I also recommend a glass dropper to make the hair sheen easier to apply.


Herbal Shampoo

Mix in small to medium sized bowl the following:
1 tbl calendula blossoms
1 tbl chamomile buds
1 tbl nettle leaf
2 tsp comfrey root
2 tsp orange peel
2 tsp rosemary leaf
2 cups boiling water


After steeping for 30 minutes, add
20 drops of lavender essential oil
½ tsp jojoba oil
½ c castile soap


Herbal Conditioner

2 cups of boiling water
½ c vinegar
2 tbl Rosemary leaf
2 tbl Sage leaf
1 tbl Nettle leaf
Mix and steep for two hours. Strain, then add:
10 drops Rosemary essential oil or Tea Tree oil

Here is a second conditioner recipe for a simpler alternative:


Simple Conditioner


½ cup rosemary leaf
1 tsp borax
4 c boiling water
Mix and steep for two hours. Strain.


Activities for when your herbs are steeping:


Hair Sheen

I love to apply this hair sheen after blow drying my hair in the morning. It soothes dry frizzies and makes my hair smell great! It helps if you have your jojoba oil in a glass dropper. I merely drop the oil in the palm of one hand, rub my palms together, and rub the oil into the ends of my hair.

3-5 drops of jojoba oil
1-2 drops of bergamot (or another favorite essential oil like lavender or ylang ylang)


I love the beautiful floral citrus fragrance of bergamot. Do be warned though not to wear bergamot on the skin in the sun. It will turn the skin red for months. I speak from experience.


Hair Spray

1 cup of water

1 chopped lemon

Boil until lemons are soft. Let cool, then add ½ tbl of 80 proof Vodka.

Consider adding a few drops of essential oil such as lemon or mandarin for a fresh fragrance.

This hairspray offers a gentle, flexible hold. It's enough to smooth fly-aways and keep strays out of your eyes without cementing your hair into an immovable block. Lol. Do be advised that it contains lemon which may have a highlighting effect when combined with sunshine. I cannot say for certain though since it is not so much a concern for blonde hair like mine.




Mountain Rose Herbs is my favorite place to get organic herbs and essential oils. They have everything you need to create your own body care, teas, and home remedies. Go get your herbs now and have fun creating personal care products you and the environment can truly feel good about!

Read more...

Relaxing Home Spa Hour

The best way to unwind after a stressful day is to treat yourself to a personal spa hour at home! Let me tell you how you can have a relaxing spa experience that doesn't come with a $200 price tag.

Salt Water Soak

Begin by filling your bathtub with hot water. Add 1 cup of Epsom salt and 1 cup of regular, cheap salt. Stir the water around a bit to dissolve the salt. Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oils such as Lavender or Peace & Calming blend. If I have an empty essential oil bottle, I will remove the cap and drop the bottle into the tub. That way I can utilize the tiny bit of oil that is otherwise impossible to use.

Epsom salt is therapeutic and assists as a detoxifyer. In this day and age, our bodies are daily exposed to exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, and other airborne toxins and free radicals. A weekly epsom salt bath is a great way to habitually assist our skin and tissues with detoxification. Epsom salt can be purchased at any drug store or pharmacy.

Next, set some lighted candles all around the bathroom to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Find a way to play some soothing, ambient music. Ensure that there will not be outside audible irritations to distract you from your home spa experience.

Mud Mask

Enhance your relaxing spa experience with a detoxifying and conditioning facial mask. Use bentonite clay or french green clay, which will draw oil and impurities from the skin. It will also revitalize the skin and tighten pores.

To make the mask, start with dry powdered clay and a small empty jar. Mix equal amounts of clay and water. I really like to use rosewater over plain water. Add liquid as needed to make a nice paste. Customize the scent with a couple drops of therapeutic essential oil such as Lavender. Store this clay mixture in an airtight jar so you will have it ready for your next spa experience.

It is very rewarding to make your own Rosewater as well. I made my first batch last spring with wild rose petals. To make your own rosewater, collect the following materials:

• Jar with a tight-fitting lid (pint size is good)
  
• Enough wild rose petals to pack the jar to the top
  
• Witch Hazel extract or vodka
  
• Pure water
  

Instructions: Pack the rose petals tightly into the jar. Use a combination of 3/4 witch hazel extract or vodka and 1/4 distilled water to pour over the top of the petals, covering them plus 1 inch additional. Screw the lid on the jar tightly and let the mixture sit in a warm, dark location for 2-3 weeks. Once the time has passed, open the jar and strain out the petals. Your rosewater should smell lovely and rosy. It will stay good in the jar indefinitely. You can use it as a facial toner or in other natural, personal hygiene recipes.


As you soak in your salt water bath, you can perform the oil cleanse method followed by a mud mask. Let the mask dry for about 15 minutes as you soak all stress away. To remove the mask, dip a wash cloth in your bathwater and drape it over your face for several minutes to rehydrate and loosen the clay. Once loose, simply wipe the clay from your face. Notice how soft and smooth your skin feels!

Follow up your bath by rubbing coconut oil into your skin all over. Coconut oil is the perfect, natural body lotion and moisturizer.

To continue the relaxation and assist you in achieving a deep, restful, night's sleep, dab some Peace & Calming essential oil blend behind your ears, on the back of your neck, and on the bottoms of your feet.

After a day, you'll be smiling and glowing if you treat yourself to this home-made spa hour.


Useful Tip: Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night to an intensely painful, cramped calf muscle. I can immediately alleviate the cramping and pain by rubbing in a drop of Peace & Calming essential oil blend. I keep it right by my bed just in case. It works miraculously in seconds!


Sources:
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar

Note: If you would like to purchase Young Living's Peace & Calming essential oil blend, you will need to set up a free, customer account and reference the following sponsor number: 615650

Read more...

Natural Skin Care

Last April I began an experimental skin care regimen from which I really got results! Since my teenage years I have struggled with skin blemishes - acne and congested pores. I fully expected to just grow out of it, but it persisted into adulthood. While browsing the internet one day I ran across what is called the Oil Cleansing Method. It sounded easy enough, so I put it in to action! After one month of faithful practice, I got noticeable results. Now I want to share with you all about it along with other natural hygiene practices.

First things first:

Eye Makeup Removal

Grapeseed oil is my solution for eye makeup removal. First, I tried Olive oil which stung my eyes. Next, I tried Jojoba oil which didn't sting but left a film over my eyes (no fun!). Grapeseed oil, however, is light, produced no stinging, and is great for the skin! Perfect!

The Oil Cleansing Method

The basic idea behind this method is that oil dissolves oil. Typically, soap is used to cleanse the skin, but soap not only takes out the dirt and grime, it also strips away the natural oils which are needed to keep the skin moist and supple. This dried-out effect brought on by soap necessitates the use of moisturizers. Most moisturizing products are loaded with all kinds of harmful chemicals (big problem!). Fortunately, there are natural products available with less perplexing lists of ingredients. I exhort you to begin reading the labels on all packaged products you purchase (for both internal and external consumption). The shorter and more comprehensible the list of ingredients, the better! Don't be fooled by package labels that say "All Natural" or "Organic". Verify the ingredients yourself.

In the oil cleansing method, Castor oil is used to draw out impurities from the skin without leaving the skin stripped and dried out. Castor oil is antibacterial and antifungal and is used in many more ways to achieve healing than will be covered here. Using cold-pressed castor oil, I perform the following steps each night:

1. I remove my eye makeup.
   
2. I pour some castor oil into my palm and use my finger tips to rub it into my skin. It is okay to apply the oil right on top of makeup without washing first. I rub in circular motions all over for several minutes.
   
3. I soak a wash cloth with hot water and press it to my face. What I really want to accomplish here is a steam effect. I want the pores to open and the castor oil to penetrate and latch on to impurities. Sometimes, if the water on the cloth is too hot, I hold it close to my face. When I breathe out of my mouth onto the wash cloth, I can feel hot steam rise to my face. It is really quite effective. I will hold the cloth to my face until it cools to room temperature. Once cool, I will resoak the cloth with hot water and do the steaming procedure again. Please be careful not to hurt your skin with scalding hot water. You could also accomplish this steam using a pot of boiling water and a towel to drape over your head. Feel free to pursue this method, but chances are you are more likely to stick with a quicker, simpler method.
   
4. After the second steam, I use the cloth to wipe the oil from my face. 
   
5. Then... I start all over! I use a second dose of oil and rub it into my pores followed by two steams and wipe off.
   

Toner

Once I am done with the oil cleansing, I use a cotton ball to apply my homemade toner. In a glass bottle I have combined the following:

• 1/2 cup of strongly brewed tea: I used green and chamomile teas (6 tea bags total), but you can use other things such as Burdock, Yellow Dock, and Sarsparilla which are good detoxifying herbs. I may experiment with those on my next batch of toner. 
  
• 1/4 cup of raw, apple cider vinegar: let the tea cool before combining.
  
• Several drops of Tea Tree oil: Tea Tree is an excellent antibacterial treatment for blemishes.
  

You may at first be put off by the smell of vinegar, but don't worry, the scent disappears quickly enough.

Anti-Aging

My final step is to apply my homemade anti-aging formula. In a 2 ounce amber dropper bottle, I combine jojoba oil and the following essential oils in the approximate amounts:

• 10 drops of Frankincense
  
• 7 drops of Myrrh
  
• 7 drops of Sandalwood
  
• 5 drops of Rosewood
  
• 1 drop of Geranium
  
• 5 drops of Lavender (I may or may not add this, but it is a wonderful, universal skin remedy)
  

To apply, I drop some of the formula on clean fingertips (important!) and rub around my eyes and lightly pat all over my face. It smells wonderful. Jojoba oil is a nice, light oil that penetrates the skin easily and takes all the wonderful essential oils with it. Jojoba oil will not clog pores. Do not be afraid to use it even if you have very oily skin. In fact, your skin's oil production may become quite balanced after using jojoba oil consistently.

A second skin formula that I always have mixed in a dropper is jojoba and Tea Tree (approximately 15% solution) that I use on particularly blemished days. Tea Tree oil works just as effectively on acne as Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid and is non-toxic!

Cleansing Tea

In addition to the topical skin routine, I recommend drinking tea made with herbs which are known for cleansing the liver and thus improving skin condition. These herbs include Burdock root, Yellow Dock, Sarsaparilla, and Dandelion root. Here is a formula for a cleansing tea:

• 1 part Burdock root
  
• 1 part Dandelion root
  
• 1 part Yellow Dock
  
• 1 part Sarsaparilla
  
• 1/2 part Licorice root
  

Add for flavor:

• Cardamon seeds
  
• Cinnamon Bark
  
• Clove buds
  
• Ginger root

Put 3 tablespoons of the mixed herbs in 20 ounces of water and soak overnight. In the morning bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain out the herbs and drink. Save the strained herbs and add 1 tablespoon of new herbs to make another batch the following day. Continue to reuse the herbs 3 times before discarding.

Often, poor skin condition is an indication of a toxic liver and/or poor elimination channels. If the body is having difficulty eliminating via primary means, it will eliminate through the skin.

Dry Skin Brushing

Dry skin brushing is the use of a stiff, natural-bristle bath brush which you can find sold in health and beauty supply stores. The technique is accomplished by briskly brushing in long, sweeping strokes across the skin toward the heart. Brush the entire body at least twice over and follow with a warm shower to rinse. The brush should be kept in a dry place as exposure to water will change the stiffness and effectiveness of the bristles.

Dry skin brushing removes dead skin layers, stimulates circulation, assists the lymphatic system, helps remove cellulite, and results in overall softer skin. Additionally, the dry skin brushing technique can assist us in restoring proper levels of vitamin D. It is well known that skin makes Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. However, it is not so well known that Vitamin D is actually produced by the interaction of sunlight with the natural oils produced by the skin. If we wash those natural oils away with soaps and detergents, we still end up Vitamin D deficient even with sufficient exposure to the sunshine. The dry skin brushing technique is effective enough to cleanse the skin and leave the natural oils behind.

Diet

In addition to this skin routine, I have become vegetarian/vegan over the last few months as well as increased my intake of raw foods. I didn't become vegetarian over night, rather slowly moved away from consuming meat and most animal products altogether. I'm sure this factor also played a role in my improved skin condition as eating lower on the food chain introduces fewer toxins into the body which must find their way out.

Sources:
Body Electronics by Thomas C. Chavez
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/OIL-CLEANSING-METHOD-Hi-t141871.html

Read more...

I'm Back! With more Health & Wellness...

After months of neglect, the Lemon Letter is back in action! My life got quite busy last February through April with my regular full-time job, but now I have no more excuses. With my return, I plan to add a more personal touch to my health articles and share more with you about what I am doing in my daily health journey. I will address diet, exercise, nutritional supplementation, natural remedies as well as mental and emotional health. Health is always an evolution. I encourage you to take what you find valuable and incorporate it into your own health evolution.

Just a week ago, I was finally able to define and articulate specifically how I want to pursue my passion for natural health and wellness. It seems so obvious now, but here it is:

I want to be a health and wellness coach!

I'm not sure why it took two years to come up with that realization, but it is better late than never. Currently, I am an accountant by profession, but what I really love is what I write about here in my articles. Perhaps someday soon I will be able to devote as much time to this passion as I devote to crunching numbers! What I ultimately desire, though, is to see individuals take control of their health and become vibrant, glowing human beings.

What taking control of one's health means to me:

• First, it means taking care of the physical body through food, exercise, and natural remedies. This manifests as a body which grows and ages gracefully, free of physical pain and degenerative disease.
  
• Second, it means taking care of one's emotional, mental, and spiritual health. This shows through increased happiness, optimism, compassion, and love for life without reason.
  
• Third, it means taking care of one's surroundings to support a healthy lifestyle. This would manifest in taking care of the environment such that a healthy life may be maintained in perpetuity. This would also manifest in taking care of one's relationships and personal affairs. For example, one needs to be in control of one's finances to eliminate stress and unhealthy behaviors that might result from such disorder. In fact, you can expect a future article where my accountant-self weighs in to address health in finances.
  

I hope you will keep reading. I've got an article coming on natural hygiene and beauty routine which I have been experimenting with for months! Check back later for plenty of health topics to come!

Read more...