Cleaning your skin with OIL

Thank you for your interest, but this post has been moed to http://diyrainbowwarriors.com/

Natural DIY Protein treatment for your hair

This recipe was taken from a friend of mines blog. Her blog is dedicated solely to curly hair and keeping that main naturally beautiful! Go check it out at http://www.ohmycurls.com/

Ive actually used recipes similar to this to fix my frizzy hair (my hair is so curly my family calls me Lammy) and let me tell you - Olive oil, yogurt, and eggs are all miracles for hair!

• 1 egg
• 1 cup of Greek plain yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• mix in a large bowl
• separate hair into sections and coat onto each section of  hair
• Take plastic wrap, shower cap, or a plastic bag from the food store and wrap saturated hair into bag. Let treatment sit on your head for 45 mins- an hour and rinse. Depending on your hair texture you may only want to do this treatment once a month.
  

*Side note from Melody: Ill actually go outside (I live in az so its usually sweltering) and let the natural heat open the pores and follicles of my hair to help it absorb those oils and proteins!

Her post with this recipe can be found at http://www.ohmycurls.com/homemade-protein-treatment/

Please stop with the microwaves

I cant even tell you how many Pinterest pins or recipe websites I see that use the microwave for thing that just make me cringe. Making homemade Mozzarella cheese IN THE MICROWAVE? OH MY GROSS. Making eggs for my TODDLER by just popping them IN THE FREAKING MICROWAVE? THIS NEEDS TO STOP PLEASE.

A plant that was watered with microwaved water (a young girl did this for her science project)

When I went to college for nutrition we learned that it specifically retards protein molecules.

(You can find more info and every days progress at http://usahitman.com/microwave-test/)

That same website (and many others) lists the following

Ten reasons to throw out your Microwave oven (taken from research):

1.  Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term, permanent, brain damage by ‘shorting out” electrical impulses in the brain (de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue).
2.  The human body cannot metabolize (breakdown) the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3.  Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4.  The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual (long term, permanent) within the human body.
5.  Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6.  The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7.  Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths (tumors). This may explain the rapid increased rate of colon cancer in America.
8.  The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.
9.  Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and serum alterations.
10.  Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

{Health Freedom Resources, Public Awareness Announcement #1, June 2000, Radiation Ovens, The Proven Dangers of Microwaves.” Also information from the Forensic Research Document, prepared by William P. Kopp, A.R.E.C. Research Operations. TO61-7R10/10-77F05. Written by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell. healthfree.com, Apr. 2003}  Author's comment: The use of artificial microwave transmissions for subliminal psychological control, ‘brainwashing,’ has also been proven. Clinical experiments have been written up by Drs. Luria and Perov. 

Even if you are one of those cyncical, sarcastic people that think its cool to be unhealthy and like to rub it in others face how you dont care, consider that this is from a mother, who when it comes to her children - is better safe than sorry. It doesnt matter to me or MOST mothers how cool you are, Im not gonna risk anything with my kid.

****There is huge controversy over what is fact and what isn't. Its hard to trust any sources so I'm gonna leave it at this: Better dafe than sorry. Is it really THAT important that food is ready in 30 seconds as opposed to 15 minutes?****

Another pharmeceutical lie debunked! Heart burn!

How much money do you think companies make annually on heart burn medicines and antacids? What if they were getting us to take those things so the we never actually CURE the issue?

Well if you are familiar with the medical industry in general you wont be surprised to know that antacids actually coat the bottom of the esophagus, numbing the pain but allowing erosion and damage to occur!

Heartburn is caused by acidic gases and liquid getting up into the esophagus, irritating the lining of the esophagus. More often then not this happens based on your diet, OR because you took a medication that lowers the acid in your stomach. This will cause your body to retort by creating more acid to make up for the loss and sometimes that can cause spill over into the esophagus. Its a never ending battle unless you actually stop the problem

Your body is way smarter than you are. It will constantly be trying to find equilibrium  so when you use drugs and medicines to cover the issue it will find another way to let you know it is out of balance. Always try to find the ROOT of an issue before trying to just heal it.

Whats the remedy? Apple Cider Vinegar of course!
There are a few theories as to why.
The vinegar seems to trigger the sphincter at the lower end of the esophagus, causing it to tighten up and stop the "leakage." The reason I like the most is that your stomach is low on acid - give it some acid! As a pregnant lady this has been working instant wonders on me.
You can mix a couple of teaspoons in a glass of water, or drink it straight up followed by water! Neither are that bad for me, but my body loves vinegar, haha.

Remember the glass bottles! Plastic leaches into our food!

"Being acidic is the natural state of the stomach, so there is no such thing as an excess of acid or acid buildup regarding the stomach. It is like claiming that the lungs suffer from excess oxygen, or the blood has an excess of red cells. Attempting to neutralize stomach acid to treat an uneasy stomach is as wise as treating an excess of blood cells with leaches. Both cases are demonstrations of using poor medicine to treat only the symptoms of nonexistent medical conditions, of which the establishment either cannot accurately diagnose, or it is too unprofitable to do so." (http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/221-why-you-should-use-apple-cider-vinegar-instead-of-antacids-and-baking-soda-for-indigestion.html)



So remember guys, be smarter and research thing sbefore you just do what a doctor tells you, or just do what "normal" people do. We are a culture bent on poisoning ourselves so its time to take responsibility for your health!

Sicky Season!

My house currently has 4 adults, 3 children (Oldest just turned 4) and a baby on the way - and for the last week it has been puke central!

Everyone seems to be taking turns throwing up regularly so I thought I would make a post on ways we alleviated our seasonal pains while having to chase toddlers and preschoolers around cleaning up snail trails behind them.

• First.. tummy aches. GINGER. so much ginger. I really need a ginger garden. Its getting out of control how much ginger a pregnant, sick, mom can use on a regular basis. Please refer to my Post on Ginger for some recipes that are helpful. Ive been all greased up with the oil and chugging the tea!
• For the little ones I actually made ginger tea into popsicles (by just pouring and freezing it in a mold) to lower their fever and stop the vomit.
• To make the pain go away, and stop the upchuck you NEED ginger oil in your life!

• I know you know this one.. but DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Especially the little ones need to stay super hydrated. The evil isnt gonna get out of you from either end if you dont lubricate its way out of your body. This will also help stuffy noses be more runny and not so stuffed.

• I had to go to school the other day while still recovering, so my wonderful lover used our magic bullet (you can use any food processor/juicer) to mash up a lot of ginger, carrot, apple, an orange, and blueberry juice and sent me on my way! I gotta tell you it was amazing! It tasted surprisingly delicious and it gave me hydration and nutrients I needed to get me going. The ginger made sure it stayed in my body. I slowly sipped it throughout the day and my day was much better for it!

• Essential oils are the bees knees, the cats pajamas, AND the cats meow:
• Get ornery kids to kill it by rubbing lavender and chamomile (mixed in a carrier oil like olive oil) on their feet.
• Lower fevers (If its getting TOO high. Dont just treat any fever willy nilly.) with peppermint oil or lavender on temples, behind ears, or forehead (I do all 3 if its getting dangerous)\

• Coffee lover? Im not gonna put MONEY on this for you since you probably wont admit ever that you can live without the Joe, but when you are sick caffeine will only make you more congested and make your sickness last longer. If you're DARING and need the gogogo energy like I did in order to make it to school you should try these:
• Wheat grass
• Carrot and Orange juice - together you will get a much cleaner burning fuel source that wakes up and keeps you going for longer without a crash.

• My roommate puts her kids to sleep using a Valerian root for kids remedy that she found at Whole Foods when they are too sick to fall asleep.
• She Also found a flower essence to help her little one sleep that apparently works like a miracle cure!

Well that's how WE have been coping! What are some of your favorite natural remedies for the winter blues?

Pregnancy Guided Meditaion

If you are in your first month of pregnancy this video is for you!

I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and I very much enjoy helping others. since I am pregnant now I've really been searching for some good meditations to help me focus on my body and my new baby. I couldn't find what I needed, so I made it! Ill be making one for each week of pregnancy so it you are farther along keep checking back! Ill be doing a lot at a time. Here's a nice little meditation focused on your first month! Please leave feedback, I aim to improve and please any one who needs anything!

All things GINGER

Being pregnant I've recently been reminded of the dire need to have Ginger coursing through my veins at all times. Luckily my family has always had a fresh ginger root on hand at all times. When I was little my mom and dad would give me ginger ale for tummy aches and nausea. Hell, even with BABIES no matter how young if you throw a little ginger tea into a bottle or their food say goodbye to most colic symptoms, fussiness, constipation, diarrhea, throwing up, and crankiness from tummy aches (Which is you have kids you know SUPER sucks more than anything in the world.) Ginger saved my life from a toddler well into my own children being toddlers. When I'm old you can bet your buck my husband and I will be doing that as the ultimate sign that we want to ease each others pain.

Well into adulthood its just common place to make someone ginger tea if they are feeling any sort of internal pains, but I realized recently that not everyone know of this amazing trick.

So if you read all of that you must be like "HELL YEAH, WOOO HIGH FIVES FOR GINGER..." or you're like, "Do I need to Google this? what is this amazing fuss all about?"

Sets start at the beginning. Since the beginning of human culture societies have been using it to aid in digestion. Religious people out there will be happy to know that Mary was having Jesus Christ sip up some ginger tea when his tummy hurt. Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Ancient India, China, Russia, and ancient every culture ever have been using it this way.

SO Now to SCIENCE. Ginger has chemicals in it that reduce inflammation, relax intestinal lining, Ginger's root contains chemicals called gingerols and shogaols. (Thats right, its so awesome they named the acting chemicals after the plant itself.) These things do all of the awesome things I've already told you about! It helps everyone from Chemo-Radiation Patients to New borns with colic. SO when you get pregnant make sure its on you at all time. Not a joke, its a great emergency maker-better!


SO what can we do to make our lives easier with this ginger stuff? did you know even if you hate the taste of the stuff you can reap the benefits? you dont even have to ingest it. Those beautiful little chemical buddies that have just become your best friends can just be put ON the skin. BOOM. Mind blown?
The est way to do this is with Ginger oil. We make it all of the time since we have babies in the house.

Ginger Tea
You really just grate up some ginger, put it in a loose tea holder, then put it in oiling water.

Ginger Oil
Take some ginger root, cut or grate it up into small pieces. For pretty potent stuff put the ginger in some oil (any oil of your choice. I use Olive) so that it is covered in a crock pot and cook as low as possible for about 24 hours, making sure not to let it boil. After its cool store it at rom temp, preferably in a dark glass receptacle. It lasts longer that way.

Ginger Candy
Like CANDY a lot? Make your medicine into candy. Im absolutely in love with Alton Brown, so go HERE to check out his PERFECTO recipe.

(left) Candy and (right) Syrup for Ginger ale

Ginger Ale
Ingredients: 2 cups (about 10 ounces) coarsely chopped, peeled fresh ginger 3 strips lemon peel (about 4 inches each), yellow part only 1-1/2 cups (about) sugar 3 quarts chilled club soda Ice cubes

Preparation: Place ginger, lemon peel, and 4 cups of water in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer at a low boil, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Add sugar, stirring constantly, and continue to boil until reduced to about 3 cups, another 15 minutes.

Place a fine wire strainer over a large bowl. Pour in ginger mixture to separate solids from liquid. Discard the lemon peel. The strained cooked  pieces may be reserved for other uses (good with vanilla ice cream or yogurt), if desired.

Cool the syrup, pour into a glass container, seal tightly, and chill at least 1 hour until cold or up to 1 week.

For each 16-ounce serving, mix 1/4 cup ginger syrup with 1 cup cold club soda and pour over ice. Additional ginger syrup and/or sugar may be added to taste.

Yield: about 4 quarts, 12 servings


Voila! You really don't need a lot. A tiny bit goes a long long way!


Tell us your Ginger success stories in the comments, and don't forget to follow us!

Poisoning your body from the outside

Think of your skin as 1,000,000,000 tiny mouths. It absorbs everything you put on it. Just as the food that we eat nourishes us so does the food our skin eats. Actually, 1 of the best ways to feed our bodies your skin. it is your largest organ. 
Unfortunately, most of the things that we put on our skin is actually poisoning us, and most of the things that are sold to us aren't for our best interest.
Take baby oil for instance. baby oil is actually made out of mineral oil which is a byproduct from the process of making gasoline. Essentially, they had a lot of extra things left over and decided to try and make money off of it by having you put it on your skin - or in this case your newborn baby. It is extremely toxic!! even the FDA has labeled it as a toxic substance.
-Or margarine. Margarine was created to keep flies off of things, but they discover they could beat it to people and make extra profit. margarine does not mold and flies will not go near it try leaving some margarine out.. its not consumable!! it's on the FDA's list of suspected carcinogens, and may also use the term "paraffin." (I know margarine isn't thought of as something you put in your skin, but it can go by many different names and be used in a lot of the cosmetics you use. Things they put in food and things they want you to put on your skin are interchanged often.. only the same chemical is given a different name.)

You should never put anything in your body or on your skin unless you recognize every word in the ingredients. before I go any further I must also comments on "natural flavors." If they were natural why wouldn't they list them? This is just a way for manufacturers to get around listing things they don't want you to know about. don't ever buy anything with natural flavors especially especially if you're a vegetarian. they are usually made from insect or animal by products.

Here's a list of some popular ones to avoid!

• Strawberry, Vanilla, and Raspberry flavoring/scent: Made from Castoreum. (the yellowish secretion of the castor sac which is, in combination with the beaver's urine, used during scent marking of territory. Both male and female beavers possess a pair of castor sacs and a pair of anal glands located in two cavities under the skin between the pelvis and the base of the tail.)
• Red dye is made from Carmine is a red food-coloring that comes from boiled cochineal bugs, which are a type of beetle. 
• If something has the word fragrance listed this can indicate the presence of up to 4000 different unlisted ingredients.
• Phenols- A caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, Derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic. Also calle carbolic acid
• Peg-8 or polyethylene glycol - Tested heavily in animal. Can destroy renal glands In dogs, after they "sacrifice" them they found that dogs treated with this had cloudy, swollen, and disrupted kidneys.
• Polysorbate - not only is this used as an emulsifier in cosmetics, a mixing agent in food (like ice cream), but its used in vaccines as a stabalizer. According to the MSDS sheet at Science lab.com, section 11: Toxicological Information, it was tested for inhalation and ingestion and was shown to be slightly hazardous on skin contact, ingestion and inhalation. however these are minor compared to other potential side effects of it's use especially in an intravenous or immunologic setting. In the same section of toxicological information it states that it may cause reproductive effects, it may cause cancer, and may be a mutagenic, (change the genetics
• Detergents - inscreases skins PH balance and irritates the "acid mantle" of your skin. This allows for bacteria to enter the body
• Chemical dyes - There are so many, made from so much that its hard to pin down exactly what its doing to your body, but see above for RED DYE as a vague example.
• Surfactants - a type of detergent (see above) usually made from petroleum or synthetic polymers (2 words for POISON).  Foaming agents, emulsifiers, and dispersants are surfactants which suspend respectively, a gas, an immiscible liquid, or a solid in water or some other liquid.
• Preservatives - A wide range of things that over time can break down cell walls and literally turn arteries into plastic over a long period of time.
• Sodium laurel sulfate - anything that suds up most likely has this. It strips all good and bad oils from.the skin allowing bacteria (and acne) to get worse. It is used in animal testing to PROMOTE inflammation.
• Carbon monoxide is injected into plastic wrap after all the air is sucked out to block the process of oxidation that can turn pink meat brown. 
• Ammonia is a strong smelling chemical found in household cleaning products, but it’s also used as gas to kill germs in low-grade fatty beef trimmings.

Awesome Anti -acne face mask!

Simple fat flush I do reguarly. Its delicious

Fat Flush and Detox water!

So simple! Even if you arent trying to flush fat or just toxins, or maybe you are pregnant... this is always a good source of vitamins and it just so HAPPENS that it cleans you out and helps your body function!

Youll Need:
1 bunch of mint
1 Lemon/Lime
1/2-1 cucumber
Water

Slice them all and divide the ingredients between drinking receptacles such as bottles or a large pitcher. Let it sit overnight, but then do your best to finish it throughout the day. Leaving it for 2 nights or more can allow bacteria to grow and then you'll be making negative progress!



Not only does this taste delicious and help flush fat, but it also counts toward your daily water intake!

Lemons: Help in the absorption of sugars and calcium and cuts down your cravings for sweets.
Limes: promote a healthy digestive tract.

Cucumbers act as a diuretic and flush fat cells. It is alkalizing to the body (if you have an alkaline body, no diseases can live there), and increase your energy levels.

Mint is a natural appetite suppressant that also aids in digestion.

You can add things if you want to help it taste good like strawberries or peaches... but if you add these be especially dilligent to dump anything you dont drink by the end of the day! Sugars grow bacteria FAST.

Keeping your dyed hair bright

Probably once a day I get asked about how I keep my rainbow locks so bright and brilliant. There are some simple steps/ways you can do this. I can get most shades to stay in my hair without fading for 3 months. Reds and purples tend to fade a lot faster than blues and greens, as a rule of thumb.

Bleach the hell out of it (a blue bleach with 30 or 40 developer. I go 40 cause I'm hardcore) then you will inevitably have yellow or orange in there so get a toner. Wella has the best toner, t18 which makes the hair white by only pulling out warm tones. You need a white, clean palette for the Colors to be bright. This is where most people eff it up.

Theb your hair MAY be damaged. It's usually hit or miss, really... Depending on the condition of your hair before hand.... More on repairing it later...

• The NUMBER ONE way to not fade or damage your hair is to not wash it every day. Washing your hair every day is actually very very bad for it and strips your hair (and body) of natural oils. When you DO wash use sulfate and parabin free products. I acutally only wash my hair about once a week and when I do I use Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking soda. (check out this post for more on that: http://consumerimnot.blogspot.com/2012/10/faze-out-shampoo.html)

• You can also Invest in a dry shampoo. If your roots get greasy and you can't bear not washing your strands every day, a dry shampoo is a great alternative. It will hold you off on stripping your hair color.

• After dying RINSE with Apple Cidar vinegar and cold water. These lock the color in your hair and reduce bleeding. Vinegar also helps maintain a healthy PH balance of the skin on your head. When washing your hair after the dye try not to keep it too hot, this will bleed it.
• If you bleached your hair before make sure after you dye it you soak it in olive oil or coconut oil or something of the like to help your skin and hair heal from the damage you just inflicted on it. I do different things with the oil - sometimes egg, or avocado. Look up natural hair masks that you can make just from things in your fridge. Deep conditioning is KEY to keeping hair healthy and not frying it - even if you do accidentally fry it this will fix it! I promise!

• Blow dry it right after dying. The heat will help lock it in as well - remember that this is only good right after dying - try to keep off of the heated hair tools to maintain the color after this first go around. Healthy hair holds color better!

• Don't use hairsprays of gels that contain Alcohol - You shouldn't be using unnatural products that put chemicals in your body and strip nutrients out anyways - but if you do than alcohol will strip your hair faster than anything (as well as killing it)

• When dying - I know the instructions say to leave it in for 15-20 minutes... I dont know why though - leave it in as long as you can stand it, preferably until it is completely dry. The longer your hair soaks it up the better. Also, putting a bag or cap over your head and then using heat like a blow dryer (or the Arizona sun) will help it penetrate the vortex of the hair better.

• Use better brands of dye. Manic Panic sucks and it will be hard to get these colors to last - especially red.. Special Effects is the best in my experience. There are a lot of brands that are very close though. I use a lot of  Ion (in tubes that I recently found as a new product at Sally's Beauty Supply) and Rave (which is pretty much a special effects knock off, and their colors smell like fruit and candy!) My new favorite is One n' Only new brights collection. It's amazing!

• Keep in mind that being out in the sun uncovered will fade your hair FAST. I dont have too much of a problem and I live in Arizona, but I make sure on especially sunny days to wear a hat or stay inside!
• Dont swim for at least a week. Everyone knows what salt and chlorine do to your luxurious locks!

that's honestly all I can think of - I even did some Googling on the subject and put only on here things that work for me. Good luck! Feel free to post questions!

After extreme bleachong you'll need to repair it. There are a lot of ways to do this but the key to healthy hair is to balance moisture and protein! More on this later...

Moms trust Johnson & Johnson? Why?

I don't use any baby products on my child. I make everything, and when it comes to soap I don't use any. Period. Babies, just as adults, have natural oils that protect them, only baby skin is a bit better at it. I just use a rag to wife him down and call it a day.
I do, however have a lot of products that were gifted from family and friends and sometimes I use it just to make bubbles for him. As he was taking a bath this time I noticed that the back of the bottle says, "Mom's trust Johnson's always mild and gentle."

So I wondered if I actually could. Of course I shouldn't, and can't. Here's the ingredients listed;

• Water
• cocomidopropyl betaine = used as a foam booster in shampoos.a known skin, eye, and lung irritant.  Additionally, at high temperatures and under acidic conditions, it can form carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• PEG-80 sorbitan laurate= This is a detergent-like chemical that functions as a surfactant. Basically that means that it serves as a "wetting agent" to help reduce surface tension in the water and promote smooth spreading of the shampoo. This is a gentler surfactant than the chemical that is used in many shampoos, sodium lauryl sulfate. Surfactants help to remove grease and cleanse the hair. Some are mild, some are harsh; Johnson's Baby Shampoo has several of the milder surfactants in its ingredients.
• Sodium trideceth sulfate= This one was hard to research. Although it is way better than its evil twin Sodium Laureth (and lauryl) sulfate and listed as safe in the US I found reference to a chemists listings of chemicals based on Italian standards and it is listed as highly harmful. No surprise that other countries see it as worse than the US does...
  
• PEG-150 distearate= "is not considered to be an irritant or sensitizer, and is CIR and FDA approved for use, but not on broken skin. Although it is still considered a hazardous ingredient by the EWG (see below), its high molecular weight makes it one of the less dangerous PEGs." (from http://www.truthinaging.com/ingredients/peg-150-distearate) It is a thickening agent and is used to help soaps be absorbed by the skin, which is why its actually controversial as an ingredient. This was from taht same link though: "
  According to a study published in the International Journal of Toxicology, PEG 150 Distearate can contain harmful impurities, including: Ethylene Oxide, known to increase the incidences of uterine and breast cancers and of leukemia and brain cancer, according to experimental results reported by the National Toxicology Program; 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen; PAHs, known to increase the risk of breast cancer; lead; iron; and arsenic"
• Fragrance =This could be anything... There are over 200 known chemicals that it could be...
• Tetrasodium EDTA= The Cosmetics Database considers Tetrasodium EDTA a low to moderate hazard ingredient, depending on its usage. It notes concerns regarding cancer, enhanced skin absorption, organ system toxicity and irritation (due to animal studies that showed skin irritation at low doses). It is classified as a high human health priority and expected to be toxic or harmful. However, tests done by the CIR (which are not corroborated) found that Tetrasodium EDTA is not a dermal irritant or a sensitizer, and is not absorbed by skin easily. "Because these ingredients bind metals required for normal cell division, some studies that indicated that these compounds were weakly mutagenic. Some studies showed reproductive and developmental effects following oral exposure to large doses of metal chelators, likely an effect of the binding of metals required for normal reproduction and development" (RealSelf.com). It found that cosmetics and personal care products containing these ingredients would result in very little skin penetration and systemic levels well below those shown to produce adverse effects in oral studies. As you use soaps and cleansers to wash dirt and grime, these products also attract metal ions that are usually found in hard water. Tetrasodium EDTA is added to these skin care products to neutralize the effect of metal ions for soaps and cleansing agents to become more effective.
• polyquaternium 10=  This chemical reduces static electricity. It enhances the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment. Thats all I could find about this one, other than it is not on any list of toxic chemicals out there.
• Quaternium-15= It acts as a formaldehyde releaser (a chemical compound that slowly releases formaldehyde.) It can cause contact dermatitis, a symptom of an allergic reaction, especially in those with sensitive skin, on an infant's skin, or on sensitive areas such as the genitals. (and THATS just from WIKI.
• Sodium hydroxide= also known as lye or caustic soda. This is extremely corrosive. I dont know if you are familiar with lye, but it used to be used pretty often for putting on top of dead bodies to make sure that everything, even the bones were eaten away to dust so no evidence could be found. Check this link out, but be ready to feel REALLY guilty for putting it on your baby: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002487.htm
• Critic acid
• Yellow 10= couldnt find it
• Orange 4= this is all I could find on this: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=701776

 Basically, if you cant eat it dont put it on your skin.. because your skin essentially is a trillion mouths.

Youre more beautiful than you think you are

Delcious vegetarian sandwich!

I just made the bestest sandwich in the world and I HAD to share it! I made Pesto (Handful of basil from my plant Ive been growing, 2-3 cloves of garlic, Parmesan Cheese, and Olive Oil blended in a food processor) and had to put something on it!

Here's so nutritional facts of the Pesto:

• Basil: An excellent source of vitamin K (which helps with blood clotting) and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A (very important in a large number of bodily functions!) In addition, basil is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.Its a powerful antioxidant, amazing for your heart and protecting arterial walls, has huge anti-inflammatory effects on the body, and is a great anti-bacterial. This is a powerhouse plant and is a sure-fire way to avoid cancer, skin diseases, and it tastes amazing!
• Parmesan Cheese: One of the lowest calorie and cholesterol cheeses, as well as the lowest in lactose. Its a great source of protein and calcium. Containing more protein than lean beef, Parmesan digests in about 45 minutes compared to a 4-hour digestion time for red meat. Other benefits to the digestion include Parmesan’s ability to promote the development of Bacillus Bifidus, making digestion easier on your system!It also gives your body Magnesium,  Phosphorus, Zinc, and Copper!
• Garlic: Is is probably my favorite amazing plant. I'm probably going to have to write an entire article on garlic, since it really would be a VERY long explanation. Ill update this when I get around to it =)
• Olive Oil: protects your body from heart attack and stroke, reduces inflammation, helps with insulin sensitivity in the body, heals arthritis (scientists still aren't sure why yet!) and osteoporosis, and helps keep your heart very healthy! Olive oil is rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin E, long thought to minimize cancer risk. Among plant oils, olive oil is the highest in monounsaturated fat, which doesn’t oxidize in the body, and it’s low in polyunsaturated fat, the kind that does oxidize.

Then I took bread, put some butter on it, and a little Parmesan cheese, and grilled the bread for a few seconds, melting the cheese to it. On The sandwich I Put:
Tomato: In-take of tomatoes has long been linked to heart health. Fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have been shown to help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. In addition, tomato extracts have been shown to help prevent unwanted clumping together (aggregation) of platelet cells in the blood. Vitamins A, C, B6 And K are going to be your biggest benefits from the wonderful red things! Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. Tomatoes also provide thiamin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, all of which are necessary for good health.They also help reduce inflammation, make cancer shake in its boots, and make everything taste awesome....
Spinach: You name in, spinach does it! One cup of spinach has nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber! Its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, helps with vision, reduces blood pressure, one cup of boiled spinach provides over 1000% of the RDA of vitamin K that can prevent excess activation of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bones), as well as promote the synthesis of osteocalcin, the protein that is essential for maintaining the strength and density of our bones. The abundance of vitamin K in spinach contributes greatly to a healthy nervous system and brain function by providing an essential part for the synthesis of sphingolipids, the crucial fat that makes up the Myelin sheath around our nerves.
Cucumber: This is such a refreshing plant! It hydrates you with water and electrolytes (So its a great hangover cure), has tons of b Vitamins (great for energy and also a hangover cure) reduces inflammation, fights cancer, promotes joint health, helps with weight loss and digestion, and relieves arthritis pain!
vitamins A, B & C and the presence of certain minerals like magnesium, potassium, and silica make cucumbers an essential part of skin care.
Grilled Eggplant: Fiber, almost no fat, less cancer, better skin, and weight loss? SIGN ME UP! Eggplant is an amazing plant.

I put a piece of cheese (any cheese will do, I used Colby Jack) on each slice of bread (both outsides of the sandwich) with some of the pesto in the middle of it and grilled it all together for a few minutes.

SO DELICIOUS! It took only a few minutes to make, and as you can see from the picture it was so delicious I had to take the picture with multiple bites taken out! Haha!

Natural remedies for cavities!

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Thanks!

Oil Pulling!

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice, dating back thousands of year. It consists of using some form of oil (vegetable, coconut, olive, sunflower, sesame, etc.) and swishing it around in your mouth for 20 minutes.



Do this before you eat or drink anything in the morning, as it depends on digestive enzymes that work naturally to heal and clean the mouth.

Basically, you take your choice of oil and put about 1 tablespoon and swish it around in your mouth, gently. If your jaw gets tired or starts to hurt you're trying too hard!
(If you like, you can also add a few drops of an antibacterial essential oil like oregano, spearmint, Thieves blend, etc. although it is totally not necessary)
Spit the oil out, then rinse the mouth with warm salt water. Salt water rinsing isn’t absolutely necessary, but is very helpful as an antimicrobial and to soothe any inflammation and proven to be effective in rinsing out any toxins which may be left out in the mouth.

"Oil pulling isn’t a cure for specific conditions, but it’s generally a detoxifier and that tends to help a wide range of issues. If your symptoms are due to emotional issues, for example, oil pulling alone wouldn’t be the whole solution. That’s why we can’t really say that a particular condition can be helped by oil pulling, because each condition can have many possible causes. But OP usually has general benefits for most people."



Here is a list that oilpulling.com claims can be helped with oil pulling:
Acne
Allergies
Arthritis
Asthma
Back and Neck Pain
Bad Breath
Bronchitis
Chronic Fatigue
Colitis
Crohn's Disease
Constipation
Dental Cavities
Dermatitis
Diabetes
Eczema
Hemorrhoids
Hypertension
Insomnia
Migraine Headaches
Mucous Congestion
Peptic Ulcers
PMS
Periodontal Disease
Bleeding Gums
Sinusitis
Tooth Abscess


I personally have noticed whiter teeth, and Im currently using it as part of a process to get rid of a cavity. Ive seen plenty of articles claiming that oil pulling helps heal teeth as well as make them less sensitive! The only downside to this is the length of time it actually takes to see results!

For more on the subject of Oil Pulling refer to http://www.oilpulling.org/ and http://www.oilpulling.com/

Check out this girls account on Oil Pulling! IT was an amazing read!
http://www.picklee.com/2014/03/12/im-obsessed-oil-pulling-story/

Quick and easy Pore scrub

I just tried this. It literally took 2 minutes and my pores are immaculate!

This is the recipe I used, but it made way more than enough for one cleansing so I saved the rest in a small tupperware for later.

1Tablespoon Baking Soda and 1/4 cup milk (the fattier the better.)
Mix together then rub on problem areas (either with a soft makeup pad or fingers) of skin where you make have clogged, dirty pores!
Rinse and repeat if needed. You'll see instantly clean pores!
The lactic acid in milk gets rid of dead cells and cleans the pores while the baking soda creates a scrub that sucks dirt and oils out!


My face felt a little dry afterward so I just put some Vitamin E oil on there. You can do the same with Oliver Oil.

If you have around 15 minutes go ahead and make this mask to really moisturize your pores!

Two Tsp. of Honey
1Tsp of Extra Virgin Olive oil.
Mix honey and olive oil in a small clean container.
Leave on for 10 minutes then rinse! VOILA!

Faze out Shampoo!

Shampoo isnt good for your hair, anyways. Most shampoos contain harsh, drying sulfates that are extremely damaging for curly hair and your body (ammonium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc.). They are only  foaming agents that can make hair frizzy and uncooperative.Sulfates are dangerous but unfortunately in almost everything we use daily (Even baby washes and shampoos) so be careful. The strip your hair of the oils that it creates in order to naturally HEAL and STRENGTHEN your hair - Once again your body already knew better than you do! ;)

As usual the winners of the "safe cleaning products" resides in Vinegar and Baking soda. (Remember this entry, Things to keep around?) These don't strip your hair of natural oils. Companies sell you conditioner WITH their shampoo because after you use shampoo (I'm sure you noticed) your hair is dry and unmanageable. Traditional soaps are very harmful because of how rough they are, and (another "unfortunate) we are becoming conditioned to need to feel that harshness on our skin and hair (Squeaky clean) in order to actually trust that it is clean!



Organic and safe shampoos are either just a ruse OR are very expensive.

Vinegar actually balances the PH level of your scalp, too! This alleviates dry AND oily skin! Not only will your scalp feel nice but your hair will be shiny, manageable, and alleviate your need for many other products (like defrizzers and such)

In order to recycle I suggest saving those shampoo and conditioner bottles youre currently using when they are empty and applying these new tactics, see how they feel (Stick with it for about a week and see what you notice) and then enjoy how much money you saved in the process.

Here's a quote from http://mamammalia.blogspot.com:
 "After about 6 weeks (!!!) of using baking soda and vinegar, my hair magically transformed. The change from icky to beautiful hair happened quite suddenly. I was relieved because, like I said, I almost gave up a few times. Maybe my hair took that long to adjust or maybe I finally hit the right concoction. Or both."

This recipe I got from http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com and its almost exactly what I have been doing for years.
Make the baking soda and apple cider vinegar mixtures:

1. Thoroughly clean out an old shampoo bottle and and an old conditioner bottle. 
2. In the shampoo bottle, add 1 Tb baking soda for each 8 oz (one cup) of water.  In the conditioner bottle, add 1 Tb raw apple cider vinegar for each 8 oz (one cup) water.   A funnel is very handy for preventing a mess if your bottles have small openings.  
3. Add water and fill to the top of each bottle. Put the lids on and shake well.  

 Let me know how it works out for you!

Heal your skin from your pantry! Nutmeg!

Quiz time. Whats been used for hundreds of year to help with skin diseases, scars, aging, and can most likely be found in your pantry? (Especially in Autumn)
 Nutmeg!
 Frontier Nutmeg Ground ORGANIC Fair Trade Certified 1.90 oz Bottle

Nutmeg has anti-inflammatory properties and can help to heal scars and minimize their appearance. Nutmeg has been shown to help increase the volume of adipose (fat) tissue found underneath the skin.
This can fill in wrinkles. 

As an aromatherapy ingredient, nutmeg oil has protective, clearing and immunity boosting properties.

"Due to its strong tonic, stimulant and anti-bacterial properties, nutmeg had been present in natural healing and medicine. In small doses it is calming and soothing for stressed nerves. It supports digestive system, strengthens immunity and resistance to colds, enhances healthy skin and hair, alleviates arthritis pain, heals varicose veins." -  From http://delicious-skin.com/

Its also an Anti-inflammatory and has been used in history for Ringworm and Eczema (Which I will try if for next time I get an outbreak from washing the dishes too long!) It ALSO has chemicals in it that can act as a cellular protector!
So it can also can reduce and eliminate acme scars on your skin.

Remember this isnt a miracle cure so it may take a while. Its all natural, and may not show immediate obvious results depending on your skin types and sensitivity.

Try this:
Wash your face first!
Mix about half a teaspoon of nutmeg with about a quarter teaspoon of honey into a paste.
Apply some of it to acne marks or areas of infection.
Leave it on for at least 30 minutes (If you have super sensitive skin I would start at 20 and see how it feels from there.)

It shouldnt sting (the honey helps with this) but it should have some great results!


I also found this lovely recipe (which I havent tried) From http://blog.myskin.com
"Honey+ Cinnamon n’ Nutmeg mask:  Just mix one teaspoon each of grounded cinnamon, grounded nutmeg and honey together into a thick paste. Apply on your face for 20-30 minutes and then rinse off with warm water. Apply your moisturizer thereon.  The Cinnamon in this mask is a known antiseptic, astringent, anti-fungal and anti-viral agent. With its exfoliating action, cinnamon opens up your skin pores helping the other ingredients to work better. Nutmeg is recommended for its anti-inflammatory properties. Use this mask daily when ridden with an acne flare-up. Once your acne has calmed down you could use it 2 or 3 times in a week. If you have sensitive skin, this mask is not meant for you! Apply this mask gently. No rubbing and scrubbing recommended as the ingredients could hurt your skin."

DIY Facemask

AT Womansday.com I found a large list of different DIY Facials and tried some out. Heres my favorite one, with tweaks that I included after trying it out.

A nice Brightening Mask: This recipe I halved, and even after halving it I had WAY more than enough, and since its a bad idea to do it every day, its kind of a waste unles you are doing it with a group of friends.

Combine:

• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Apply to your cleansed face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water followed by a cool (not cold) rinse.
I Applied with the back of a spoon and smoothed it on.
This mask can be done twice a week.

“This mask heals, exfoliates, brightens and moisturizes skin. It refines pores, fades acne marks and prevents blemishes from coming up,” says Macan-Graves.

Read for more: Home Facials - Get Natural Skincare Ideas at WomansDay.com - Woman's Day