I have been praying, yes I really have, that someone would come out with a glass water bottle as easy to carry and tote along as all those Sigg and similar type water bottles. Unfortunately for Sigg, I stopped trusting them when their company boasted that its proprietary plastic liner didn’t leach BPA’s into liquid like other bottles did. But what they didn’t share was that the bottles had contained the substance at one time, and they knew this, while they were capitalizing on a market that wanted BPA free water bottles. Pretty slimy Sigg.

Back to the good news though! Life Factory has created the most awesome, stylish and completely practical and user-friendly glass water bottles I have EVER seen. What impressive design! The bottle is smartly executed, wrapped in a brightly colored cut-out sheet of silicone, which is BPA, phthalate and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) free. The silicone also acts as a cushion protecting the glass from a fall.

Life Factory Walks The Walk and there’s not much that I love in a business and their product more than integrity, quality and an amazing aesthetic. These water bottles are Bad Ass!

I want one in every single color. Good thing I’ll be carrying them in my boutique…

With that said, it is important to know some very important rules if you will before running into your local nail salon. These “musts” will better protect you against fungus and bacteria and will also allow you to come pretty dang close to getting an organic treatment in any Main Street nail salon without the hefty price tag! So before you get painted, check out these simple and easy tips…

1. Don’t Get Nipped – If you are going to a salon that is unfamiliar to you and you are not sure how hygienic their practices are, definitely walk in with your own nippers, nail file and nail clipper. Oftentimes in an unsanitary environment these tools are not properly sterilized leaving dead skin and blood on them. Gross is right! Obviously you want none of this and avoiding it is as easy as ABC. My favorite tools are from Eco Tools. Not only are the implements made using recycled steel, but the wood sticks and center file are made from recycled wood and the nail file itself is 95% natural wood pulp. The icing on the cake? The kit is inexpensive and it works!

2. Soft and Pure. The one thing that terrifies me more than toxic product is toxic product that comes in an array of bright and fluorescent colors. This is something that not, once in a blue moon or ever, do I want touching my skin. Most of these products are cheap mass produced ones and apart from them containing hazardous FD&C colors they are also most likely fully loaded with petroleum, fragrance and mineral oil. I would rather err on the side of caution. So the rule? Bring your favorite cream with you always and it wouldn’t hurt to have a small bottle of almond oil in your purse as well to soften those tough cuticles. Kindly ask your manicurist to use these and if she is anything like Nancy, who does my nails, she will probably love the products so much that she will ask you where she can get a hold of some for herself!

3. To Bubble Or Not To Bubble, That is the Question – When getting a pedicure, do not ever let them run the jets. Plain and simple folks. All of the dead skin, dirt and yes bacteria from the previous client(s) are in those jets and every time you dip your pretty foot in that bubbled basin you are putting yourself at risk for a gnarly fungus or infection. Not pretty! What everyone must know is that there is a specific protocol salons must adhere to in order to properly disinfect the jets in between clients. This includes, after each customer, the technician running disinfectant through the jets for a good 10 minutes, draining that solution and then running clean water to rinse them. Unfortunately, I have never seen anyone in any salon take the time to do this and that means buildup of other people’s “stuff” (eeeew) in that piping. So the way to handle this is like anything else when you are the customer and you have a concern: just ask kindly, “Please do not run the jets.” and that is it. Easy breezy! So remember, soak? Yes. Jet? No way Jose!

The silver lining in all of these tips is that by acknowledging them and putting them to action, you are then being empowered to make more thoughtful consumer choices for the health and well being of your body. When spending hard earned dollars it is important to speak up, respectfully and with tact of course, for what it is you want as a customer from a business. It is their job to meet those needs with a smile on their faces. Not one of us (I hope) wants an infection or icky smelly lotions slathered on our skin, right?  Our standards for ourselves are hopefully higher than that. So, whether it is not running the jets, returning an item that you don’t like, or speaking up against an injustice in general, don’t be intimidated and instead Rock On!

]]> http://www.blog.eliqueorganicskinfood.com/?feed=rss2&p=602 0 http://www.blog.eliqueorganicskinfood.com/?p=476 http://www.blog.eliqueorganicskinfood.com/?p=476#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:26:35 +0000 elisha http://www.blog.eliqueorganicskinfood.com/?p=476 Oils on the skin are pure joy. Everyday when I pump Soft in my hands and rub its goodness, from head to toe, into my just cleansed skin, I imagine my skin cells singing in glee, delighting in all of the yummy delicious nutrients they are being fed. I envision them getting bigger and plumper, kind of like Popeye’s muscles after a can of spinach as they prepare for battle against harsh external elements that come my way. Oils protect and shield the skin like nothing else whilst also leaving it radiant, soft and supple.

Oh oils, you are so misunderstood. If only everyone could grasp your true powers and realize how amazing their skin would be once they took the plunge and slathered you all over, and then I remember, I have a blog. I can debunk the myths and untruths about oils and help people understand how to use them and which ones to use and why. How thrilling!

Oils get a bad rap: they make the skin break out, they congest the pores, they leave the skin greasy and oily. I agree with it all, but not when using the quality of oils that I  consume for my skin or suggest for my clients. Yes, it is true that when you use a substandard oil on the skin, it will remain on the surface longer than most. Your skin is rejecting it, not wanting to absorb (eat) it.  It is solvent extracted, not organic and not cold and/or expeller pressed. This subpar oil is what I refer to as “junk food” for the skin. The heat and chemical processing has adversely compromised the nutrients, essential fatty acids, proteins and vitamins that are the heart and soul of the product. When your skin comes into contact with this “empty” food, it is not recognized and will linger on the surface, leaving you greasy and consequently with clogged pores. The chemicals in these inferior oils also tend to be quite irritating, which can instigate inflammation, i.e. pimples, redness and cysts.  This, by my standards, goes nowhere near my skin!

Now it is time to praise the quality of oils that I use and delve deep into their regenerative, nourishing and surface immune building properties. How when you feed these most precious, antioxidant rich, organic, cold pressed oils to your skin, it responds immediately, strongly embracing and fortifying your body. Your skin, our most complex organ, is able to be completely present and take on the many crucial roles that are natural to it. So how does one choose an oil or apply it to the skin properly? Heed my simple advice and you will sooner than later find yourself using oils on your entire body, face and hair included. And believe it or not, you may never use another cream as a daily moisturizer again! The love affair has begun…

Below is a basic, foolproof guide to using and enjoying oils on the skin…

How To:

• Remember, a little goes a long way, so until you familiarize yourself and are comfortable using oils on the skin, tread lightly…
• Oil and water do mix! Always and forever, apply oils only to just cleansed, damp skin. The water helps the oils better absorb into the skin, leaving you soft, not greasy and the liquid allows for a greater use of the product, as it helps such a tiny bit of it spread completely across the surface, leaving you with a fantastic healthy barrier.
• Use pure and only organic, cold pressed oils on the body. Only purchase oils that are in glass bottles and when in doubt, step into your local organic market and peruse the oil aisle. You will find avocado, sesame, safflower, olive and almond oils there which are absolutely perfect for the skin.
• If you have a *skin condition please tread lightly with oils and initially, just try one at a time. If you blend them and you have a reaction or you just don’t like the effect of it, you won’t know which oil is the troublemaker. Make sure that topically you are using only the bare minimum (you’ll be surprised how far that goes on damp skin). By this I mean one drop spread across 10 fingertips. Trust me… After a good month or two of consistent application, and your skin seems to love oils, feel free to experiment more with them and perhaps you’ll soon find yourself also “slathering them on!”

*acne, eczema, psoriasis, sensitization and itchy skin are examples of some common skin conditions.

The Perfect Skin Food

My favorite oils are the ones that I have been using consistently on my skin and my clients for years. Rose Hips, Sea Buckthorn, Avocado, Vitamin-E oil and Sesame… Oh my goodness. My kind of skin oil is the one that is packed to the nine with vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Below is a little introduction to my most beloved face and body oils…

• Almond Oil – Almond oil is rich in protein and omega fatty acids. It helps relieve inflammation in the form of  itching, soreness and dryness and can also be used alone as a general moisturizing oil for the body and face. It also blends well with other oils and improves the penetration of essential oils.
• Apricot Kernel Oil – Great for prematurely aged skin as well as sensitized, dry and inflamed skin. It is a fantastic oil to protect against cold weather, so pack it in your travel case when going skiing, snowboarding, etc… Apricot kernel oil is rich in Vitamins A,B2, B6, and E. There also trace amounts of calcium, phosphorous, potassium and sulfur. Apricot kernel oil can also be used for acne skin that is being treated with harsh, skin drying medications and cleansers. This oil will also act as an astringent oil for this type of skin and help balance sebum production.
• Avocado Oil – One of my favorite oils. It penetrates exceptionally into the skin making it an exceptional oil for the body and face. Avocado oil is cooling and anti-inflammatory which makes it a wonderful after-sun oil. It is also best mixed with other natural sunscreen oils to create a protective barrier against indirect sun exposure. Avocado oil contains proteins, lecithin and fatty acids as well as trace minerals and antioxidants. It is another great oil for eczema and dry skin as well as for normal healthy skin. I use it religiously.
• Borage Seed Oil – Contains 15% Gamma Linoleic Acid, and is very helpful for dry, scaly and eczema prone skin. Dilute borage in a carrier oil. Refrigerate.
• Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is beloved for it’s silky, lightweight texture, its delish soft coconut aroma and its ability, because it is is so nutritionally packed, to positively transform even the dullest, problem, sallow, and unhealthy skin into a vibrant and delighted one. Coconut oil is rich lauric acid, which is known for being anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. A perfect commodity for anyone with acne and severe redness. It is also loaded with vitamin E which your skin ADORES! Coconut Oil is extremely healthy for the entire body and should very well be a staple both in the kitchen and the bath.
• Rose Hips Seed Oil –  This is a truly remarkable oil known especially for its magnificent regenerative and healing properties, helping to repair the skin from scar damage and beyond by promoting new and healthy cell growth. Because it connects especially on the cell membranes, it supports their immune reaction, and initiates their regeneration. It penetrates the skin’s upper layers very quickly making it a superb moisturizer while also supporting the keratin migration cycle that is responsible for the natural regeneration of skin cells. One will notice after using rose hips seed oil consistently on their skin for at least one month, that there will be an increase of renewed cells in the epidermis (beautiful toned and supple skin) in which these healthy cells are producing more collagen & elastin, which will encourage a firmer skin.
• Safflower Oil - Contains vitamin E, one of my favorite skin foods, so it promotes healthy skin and also hair growth. A fantastic antioxidant rich oil to use by those that treat their skin and hair with intense and invasive peels, perms and colors. Safflower oil has a very light texture, and absorbs wonderfully into skin and scalp as it moisturizes deeply and effectively. An overall easy to use and highly antioxidant oil for the entire body.
• Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil - Sea buckthorn oil is connected with its apparent capability to promote the regeneration of the skin. Currently, sea buckthorn medicines are used around the world to promote the recovery of burns, ulcers, bad healing wounds, skin damaging effects of sun, therapeutic radiation treatment and cosmetic laser surgery. This is a fantastic oil for the person who undergoes harsh dermatological skin peels, treatments and cosmetic surgery. The berries are unsurpassed in their natural source of vitamins A and several other carotenes, vitamin E and several other tocopherols and are second only to rose hips and acerola in vitamin C content. This is a highly antioxidant oil. Sea buckthorn is also very rich in vitamins B1, B2, K and P as well as in numerous flavonoids. Furthermore, the berries have remarkably high content of essential fatty acids. Sea buckthorn seed oil is super concentrated. A few drops in a carrier oil like avocado or almond is a perfect facial moisturizer.
• Sesame Oil – Sesame oil is a superbly effective detoxifying oil for the skin and scalp. It warms the skin allowing for  deep cleansing and also penetration of treatment oils and vitamin rich masks. Packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins, lecithin and amino acids, this oil is completely nourishing and immune building which makes it an ideal choice for imbalanced and inflamed skin conditions.
• Vitamin E – Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, powerful enough to protect against harmful UV light, heavy pollution and a host of other free radicals that every second are on the hunt to deform and malign your healthy cells. Vitamin E also helps regulate vitamin a in the body which is essential to the development and maintenance of your body’s epithelial cells and overall is a fantastic topical protectant, moisturizer and skin food. I love using vitamin E once a month for 3 or 4 days. I swear to you my skin looks like it has been in the most luxe spa somewhere in the Swiss alps… Think I’m kidding? Please make sure that quality is a key factor when purchasing your oil. You will learn as you get to know my writing that an underlying theme in all of it has to do with using only the best and purest ingredients on and in your body! What’s the point if your vitamin E has fillers and chemicals in it? High standards are essential if your goals are optimum health. No compromise.

Are Oils Your Facial Moisturizer?

Yes, yes and yes! There is not a product more magnificent to use as a face and body moisturizer than luscious oils! By simply following the advice noted above, you should have no problem using your oil day or night. You can use them only in the evening and a cream in the day or use a cream only when you feel your skin is communicating that it wants one (yes your body does tell you what it craves or needs.) There are no rules except your personal ones so make sure to listen to your body and pay attention to what it is “telling” you. How else will you know if a product is working?  Though almond oil may be great for sore, sensitive and chapped skin, it may not be great for your type of inflammation, and that is okay. We are all different and it’s definitely no loss. Because you are using food-grade and organic oils, you can use your almond oil in the kitchen and try something else on your skin…

I believe it is important to note that moisturizers play the role of “mom” in some regard. They protect and nourish (feed), so the best moisturizers are the wholesome ones that do the same thing. They are 100% antioxidant, vitamin and mineral based. Remember your moisturizer sits on the skin’s surface and seeps into it ALL DAY long. It better be nutritive.

Oils are your skin’s best friend and a direct source of vitamins, proteins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and other immune building nutrients.  I believe it is always best to buy your oils where you buy your foods and for precious oils like rose hips, sea buckthorn and vitamin E, it is best to do your research and buy from a reputable company that is highly experienced in the extraction and manufacture of these oils. As for vitamin E, please do not use cosmetic grade vitamin E in a clear glass jar that is sold in the beauty section of your market. Only use pure vitamin E on the skin. Either break open a caplet and apply it directly or source out a product that is not compromised. My favorite liquid vitamin E is manufactured by Solaray.

Have fun with your oils as well. Make blends with essential oils or without to customize a product especially for your skin type. Enjoy!

Most of the time when I ask my clients if their previous salons were clean and if they double-dipped, they do not know. They don’t even know what double-dipping is. And for the few that do know, they do not seem very concerned and are focused only on breathing their way though their wax, eyes closed unaware if their esthetician is double-dipping or not.

So, what is double-dipping and what makes it so gross and unhealthy? Double-dipping means the esthetician is using the same wax stick throughout your entire service and oftentimes is even using that same stick over and over again all day long. The problem is that wax stick is not just on your genitals (and let’s not forget lip and eye area – scary!) but complete strangers as well (I wouldn’t even want to use a wax stick that was used on my best friend for goodness sake!) and if you have ever waxed before than you know that waxing will sometimes draw a little blood. Now, every time that stick, bloody or not, goes in the wax pot, the product becomes contaminated with not just bacteria, but dead skin cells, pubic hair and basically, all your stuff. And then that intermingles with ickiness and potential disease (in blood) from previous clients that were there before you. Eeeew! When this stew is applied to your body with every spread of the wax, you are playing Russian roulette with your health, exposing your body to yeast infections, disease and STD’s. And though it is very unlikely to get an incurable STD like herpes from a wax service, it has happened, so why on earth risk it?  And, think about if  you do get away disease free. You still have been in contact with other folk’s pubic hair. That should be enough to get you to demand a clean pot of wax.

Being a career woman who understands that I am responsible on a daily basis for the body of my client, I am very serious and dedicated to my craft. I am appalled that others in my field do not have this same level of commitment to their client and I am easily outraged when these state licensed “professionals” not only risk their client’s health but also will tell them untruths like the often touted “the heat from the wax will kill the bacteria”. URGH! Let’s get this straight right now, this is far from being a fact. There are plenty of strains of bacteria that flourish in warm environments and let’s be honest here. If the wax in any salon is so hot that it will kill bacteria, it has got to be pretty close to boiling and there is no way that scalding wax could be applied without giving someone third degree burns! And finally, as mentioned before, if there is no bacteria in that particular pot, there is no doubt dead skin cells and pubic hair in it.

And what about estheticians that do not wear gloves during a bikini wax? Well, I say, demand that they do or risk getting HPV (genital warts included).

So, what do you do once you’re naked from the waist down, already on the treatment table waiting for your service? You pay close attention. If your esthetician is about to double-dip you kindly, yet firmly demand that they use a brand new pot of wax for your service and if the technician has an iota of common sense they will dare not argue with you and do exactly as you request. If they choose not to, get dressed, speak to the manager and don’t go back. It is CRUCIAL for consumers to understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with speaking up when it comes to protecting what is important and I would think your health is numero uno on that list.

A hydrosol is a pure essential water  from  flowers, herbs, needles, leaves, woods, roots, barks and seeds that is left over after the distillation process of extracting an essential oil. These “waters from the gods”, as I have penned them, contain a subtle strength that is all their own. Because they are less complex than essential waters and oftentimes contain components that are not in their partner essential oil, they are so skin and body friendly that many even drink them for internal healing. However do not be fooled by their calm nature. They have a power all their own and can heal even the most inflamed skin and body conditions. When using the highest quality essential waters, the sky is the limit when it comes to their therapeutic capacities.

Back in the day and until the the Middle Ages, it was the hydrosol that was sought after when practicing the art of water distillation and believe it or not, very little attention was paid to the essential oil that was produced. Though the oils were used, they were not extracted by distillation and instead by steeping the plant material in a vegetable oil carrier until it had absorbed all of the healing properties of the volatile oils. However, in time, essential oils became increasingly more popular and with the demand for them grew, the use of hydrosols slowly declined. By the early 20th century these precious waters were being ignored and were actually being thrown away after distilling the essential oil. Can you imagine!

Hydrosols are extremely versatile and can be used for beauty care, personal care and even around the house. When it comes to skin, my favorite hydrosols are Bulgarian rose, German chamomile, orange blossom and geranium. German chamomile contains azulene, which is one of nature’s most potent anti-inflammatories. It is fantastic used topically post sun, in a compress for tired and puffy eyes and for eczema or rosacea like symptoms it also proves very effective. Because I have always had a sensitive digestion I sip aloe vera juice with German chamomile and find it to be very calming and even subtly analgesic. Other hydrosols like rose and lavender are not only soothing and comforting but they are also healing. Many people do not know that rose has trace amounts of vitamin c, making it a lovely skin food to maintain the surface immunity of the skin. Geranium is soothing to the nervous system and is expert at easing stress and anxiety. And the scent alone is heaven. It is quite well-rounded making it one of my all time favorites!

Babies have tremendous positive response to hydrosols and can be a life saver for the mom with a colicy baby or a baby with troubled skin. German or Roman chamomile is a fantastic spray for the bum in between diaper changes and to treat any rashes. As well, if baby has any topical redness, rashing or has even gotten too much sun a little chamomile hydrosol will soothe and comfort your baby’s skin. As well, misting your crib sheets with a little lavender will induce a soft and gentle sleep.

Hydrosols are the most versatile and easy to use skin food. However, like any food, please make sure you purchase a quality and organic product. This is when you will be able to truly witness hands on the benefits and amazing healing properties  of these precious waters. And please make sure, before you begin drinking and experimenting with them for internal use, learn more about  Suzanne Catty and read her book, Hydrosols, The Next Aromatherapy. When it comes to these lovely essential waters, she is the woman to know!

Fragrance is not necessarily a scent. It is oftentimes dozens or even hundreds of synthetic chemical compounds covertly hidden under trade secret laws. Because most products, from shampoos and deodorants to lotions and shaving creams that you pick up these days will list fragrance on their ingredient label, one must be educated when choosing personal care products. Also, it is crucial that you understand that a product labeled on the front of a package as “unscented” only means that there may be no physical scent, but the manufacture of the product allows for the use of chemicals to mask the odor of  toxic industrial chemicals. You will definitely see “fragrance” on the back ingredient label.

Some of what you may find in a product listing “fragrance”  include:

• Allergens and sensitizers: Fragrances are considered to be among the top five known allergens. They are known to both cause and trigger asthma attacks as well as sensitize the surface of the skin. This weakens the surface immunity, leaving your skin with no protective barrier to fight external elements. As a result one is more prone to chapped, tight, red, itchy skin that is easily hyperpigmented and inflamed. It is also the reason why so many people have “sensitive” skin, experiencing negative and unhealthy reactions with the use of any other product.

• Phthalates: in January 2007  phthalates DEP and DEHP (which is banned in Europe) were found in each of eight popular perfumes tested and in 2002 and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics founders revealed phthalates in more than 72 percent of personal care products tested, including fragrance-containing shampoos, deodorants and hair gels. Not surprisingly, not one of the 72 products listed phthalates on the label. Some good news is that a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics 2008 report “A Little Prettier,” noted that some leading companies are using fewer phthalates than in 2002. The sad thing is however that even though they are using less phthalates, they are stll adamant that they pose no significant health risk.

• Neurotoxins: As far back as 1986, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences identified fragrance ingredients as one of six categories of neurotoxins. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, a neurotoxin is a chemical that is toxic to the brain! ouch! Though this research has not been demanded or funded, please note that the cosmetic industry is a self regulated one that rarely funds or demands research for ingredients widely used within the industry. Please have a “better be safe than sorry” approach when purchasing skin care and follow your gut. It will be quite some time until the carcinogenic and noxious chemicals used in skin care are tested to their capacity and exposed for the real risks that they pose to adults and babies! 

In summation, please make sure to read your labels thoroughly and avoid any and all products that list fragrance on their label. As well, please know that European INCI standards are different and on these products the word fragrance is followed by a list of the fragrant source(s) used. Also please always use Environmental Working Group’s (EWG.org) Skin Deep as a resource to help you decipher any and all cosmetic ingredients. Also, if you have a child, please limit him/her to product in general. Use only food grade oils and soaps on their skin and remember, they have the ultimate virgin, untouched and perfect skin that we all attain to have again. They don’t need skin care and being that their excretory functioning is not fully developed they are better off without any of it!

Oh honey. I just love you. Whether slathered on my face to deep cleanse or mask it, or slathered in my hair to wash it, honey consistently does what no product can do on a regular basis: it deep cleans, treats acne, hydrates, softens and firms the skin. Also, since it is packed with proteins, amino acids, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins B5, B1, E, C , D and folic acid, honey nourishes the skin completely to build a strong surface immunity.

Honestly, I do not remember the exact time or place where honey entered my skin care regimen. With all the research I do on a daily basis, I am sure that honey was part of my daily reading. Knowing how much I love it with peanut butter and banana, and always using the yummiest foods on my skin, I can only presume that I decided to immediately try it in my signature facial treatments.

Reading so much about the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of honey, I decided that my first try-outs with it would be with my clients who had very moody/breakout skin. I started by tempering the regular acne cleansers with it, using it in hot water compresses and as a final facial mask for 15 minutes. Immediately after these signature treatments, I received fantastic feedback. My clients would rave about how soft their skin was. Then, in the days that followed, I began getting emails from clients. Their skin was less red, their pimples were healing and  their skin was super hydrated and supple. This was probably due to the fact that in all honeys, there is, to different levels, hydrogen peroxide which is produced from an enzyme that bees add to the nectar. No wonder their skin was healing. Honey is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal! My clients immediately wanted to know where they could get honey to use at home and what kind of honey they should use. Before I knew it, I began to be known as the honey lady when it came to facials and I could not be more thrilled! After all, any foods that I could get even my hardest “product junkie” clients to use was a huge accomplishment. That’s one less mass produced product on their skin and in our water supply!

With this said and with so many different honeys available, how on earth does one know which honey to choose? Initially, a great rule of thumb is to always choose a local honey (with the exception of Manuka honey which we will discuss later) from the farmer’s market. Also, the darker the honey the better. There are more antioxidants in these richer honeys.

Honey as a Medicinal Agent

Using  honey as a wound dressing is nothing new to the people that lived in ancient times and this “medicine” continued to be used in present-day folk medicine. It is also used as a traditional therapy for infected leg ulcers in Ghana, and as a traditional therapy in Mali for the topical treatment of measles, and in the eyes of patients to prevent corneal scarring. It is also very common to read numerous articles in medical journals that report extensively on the numerous benefits resulting from using honey to dress wounds.

• Because of the viscosity of honey, it acts as a perfect barrier to protect wounds and prevent them from being further infected.
• Honey encourages a moist healing environment, allowing skin cells to regenerate across a healing wound flush with the surface of the wound which consequently prevents deformity of the skin.
• Honey allows for scabs and dead cells to come off of the wound’s surface to leave a clean and healthy wound bed in which healing of tissue can occur.
  
• Honey stimulates the formation of new blood capillaries and the growth of fibroblasts that replace the connective tissue of the deeper layer of the skin and produce the collagen fibers that give strength to the repair. In addition, honey stimulates the growth of epithelial cells that form the new skin cover over a healed wound (tell me this is not the most perfect skin food to prevent premature aging!). Honey thus prevents scarring and keloid formation, and removes the need for skin grafting even with quite large wounds.
  
• Honey has anti-inflammatory properties which allows for the reduction of swelling around a wound to improve circulation and speed up the healing process.
  
• Honey’s high sugar content draws lymph out of a wound, which lifts dirt out of the wound bed.

Manuka Honey – The Wonder Honey

Working in his Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato, in the central North Island of New Zealand, biochemist professor Peter Molan has identified one particular type of honey with extraordinary healing qualities, manuka honey made from the flowers of the manuka bush which is native to New Zealand and this honey has anti-bacterial properties far beyond any other honey in the world.

Professor Nolan notes that though all honeys have, to different levels, hydrogen peroxide, manuka honey has something else apart from hydrogen peroxide that make it so unique and he believes nothing like it has been found anywhere else in the world. What that “something else” is has been hard for professor Nolan to pin down, even after more than twenty years of research, but he has given it a name: unique manuka factor, or UMF. Professor Nolan has also found a way to measure its antibacterial efficacy, by comparing UMF manuka honey with a standard antiseptic in its ability to fight bacteria. The results are astonishing, as manuka honey has a very broad spectrum of action, working on bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Basically, he has not found anything it doesn’t work on among infectious organisms. So much so that he says UMF manuka honey can even tackle antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria which pose a growing threat to hospitals around the world. ”Staphylococcus aureas is the most common wound-infecting species of bacteria, and that’s the most sensitive to honey that we’ve found. ”And that includes the antibiotic resistant strains – the MRSA – which is just as sensitive to honey as any other staphylococcus aureas.”

Clinical trials at the Waikato Hospital have shown that even out of the lab, UMF manuka honey has amazing healing properties. Nurse practitioner Julie Betts has successfully used this honey to help with healing after surgery, particularly for diabetic patients.

Finally…

As we can see honey is a pretty magnificent medicinal food. Not only will healthy skin look more vibrant, toned and supple but imbalanced skin will heal, regenerate and brighten. As well, honey benefits wounds, sores and lesions, as they will heal more readily and without significant pain. Trust me when I say that honey is your skin’s best friend, and once in a while slather a giant dollop of it in your hair while in the shower. Cleanse as you would with shampoo and rinse out (yes, it easily rinses out without any difficulty.) The result is baby soft hair with amazing volume. Have fun…

I get it. You’ve tried the natural deodorants and they just don’t work. You’re still sweaty and smelly and shamefully running for cover to the nearest drug store to buy the first anti-perspirant you see. Natural deodorants – Not! While this scenario is pretty funny, there is nothing amusing about putting aluminum or propylene glycol based deodorants on your underarms (or anywhere on your body for that matter). What you may not know is that to get it right with natural deodorants, you have to take the time to transition into them and trust me when I tell you, it is well worth it. Not only will you experience amazing results with the natural stuff, but, and don’t squirm when I say this, like me, you may never need another deodorant again! 

Before making the switch to clean and toxin free deodorants it is best you know exactly what the transition will be like for the next 28 days, and also, why  it is so vital to your health that you remain dedicated to this challenge because honestly, there is no way to justify not doing it.

So first, what is sweat? Why do we sweat and how is it directly related to our skin, blood and lymphatic system? And though we  would do almost anything to be rid of it why is not sweating unarguably one of the most unhealthy and dangerous things we could ever do to our body?  

Because sweat is directly filtered from the blood and the lymphatic system it is key that we sweat in order to naturally detoxify our bodies. But there is good news. Sweat naturally contains oils that are anti-microbial and anti-bacterial.They are there specifically to keep us squeeky clean. The odor we smell is usually toxins, consistently bad diet and, if you are healthy, the smell could be from foods like garlic, curry or other spices you previously ate. Finally, cholinergenic nerves, which are part of our nervous system and are found in our sweat glands, release a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which encourages perspiration to cool the body which aids in promoting this extremely precise cleansing process. Our skin, remember, is our largest detoxification organ, so, to inhibit sweating your body’s temperature is not regulated and you are not excreting waste. You are instead harboring it. Hindering the precise workings of your body’s largest lymphatic network (which cleans out the upper body /chest and abdomen area) may be why some experts link breast cancer to aluminum based anti-perspirants. Finally, and very important to know, there is three times more lymphatic fluid in your body than blood and this fluid is meant to flush out waste. One could easily hypothesize that to interrupt this process over years would heighten the amount of contaminants stored in your body and this could be crippling, possibly even fatal. Do you really want to risk that?

Now that we understand some basic anatomy let’s progress to a more advanced basic that will help you understand why you believe your natural deodorants are not working. Let me begin with an analogy. Let’s say Mr. X has been eating packaged, processed food his entire life and now he wants to eat a more healthful and nutritious diet. Mr. X immediately starts incorporating organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains and free-range meats in his daily intake but something unexpected happens after he finishes this bountiful meal. All of a sudden Mr. X is bloated, has gas and to make it worse, diarrhea. He just does not understand it. He is eating healthfully for goodness sake.

What Mr. X is missing is that though his intentions are right on, and god bless him for tossing the Mickey D’s, his understanding of his body is not. We must always remember that to undergo any major change with your body you must take baby steps to allow for a smooth segue into a new and healthy lifestyle. Mr. X may want to drink more water and eat smaller portions of fruits and veggies initially so not to shock his system. Also, while all that bloating and gas may be a bummer it is part of the natural process. He has never eaten foods like this before and though we are led to believe that there are quick fixes and hope-in-a-jar cure-alls, the truth is there never are. We must be more accepting of our bodies and know that if you are unhealthy (and yes, using aluminum or propylene glycol deodorants means your health is compromised) before you get healthy you have to assume responsibility for whatever your body has to do to get back in balance.

For Mr. X it’s gas and bloating. For you it will be BO! When it comes to perspiration, the transition from chemical deodorants to natural ones will be like a fast and furious tidal wave and I can guarantee that after the first day you will not want to do it. But you will if it is your priority to have a healthy body. So, what exactly will happen during this period? Basically your body, with no aluminum in its way, will purge all the harbored toxins it can and that means get ready to be smelly. For the next 28 days (or more depending on how long and how often you have been using aluminum based products), I recommend that you carry lavender essential oil in your bag and definitely keep some at all times in your office and dab it under your arms when you need it. Also, take bathroom breaks and pat dry your underarms with a paper towel. Keep at hand a natural spray deodorant (I love Weleda’s Rose Deodorant) to also mask any unwanted odor. Finally, hang out with people that love you and will not judge you. I wouldn’t care if my friend or boyfriend were transitioning. If anything we may get some laughs from the experience. Also, if you work in an environment where you are just too close to others and cannot be stinky, simply ween yourself off the product. By this I mean, wear your anti-perspirant only when you must, at work! It may take longer for you to complete the process but you will be well on your way. To speed it up you may want to be very diligent with your daily regimen. Are you cleaning the product off immediately when you are no longer needing it? Are you really wearing it only when you need to? And by the way, at the gym or exercising outdoors is not a time when you need to wear deodorant. Everyone sweats and is stinky at the gym. Who cares! And running outdoors? Who is really around to smell you? The goal is to finish the transition and the longer you take, the harder and more unbearable it will be. 

I remember when I was making my switch to non-toxic deodorants and goodness did I smell awful. I was carrying my essential oil in my purse and constantly putting it under my armpits and the funny thing is I never even used an aluminum based anti-perspirant because my mom, since I was young, warned me on the health risks associated with them. But I was using “natural” deodorants that contained propylene glycol (Tom’s of Maine to be exact), and judging from my body’s response when I began to transition, I was in pretty bad shape. But one day, after about a month of dabbing all the oils and running for cover, something amazing happened. I stopped smelling and the truly natural deodorants began to really work. Then I found that I didn’t even have to wear deodorant. It is now so fantastic because my body is back in balance and functioning exactly as it was meant to without any interference from me. And I am using one less product which means one less package every few months in our landfills! How cool is that?

Finally, this experience led me to realize that we never needed anti-perspirants until we started using them. Once we did, we were in dire need of them. This is the beauty business hard at work, creating products that we think we need and then before we know it, we really do need because our body is no longer dependent on itself for proper functioning. It is instead hooked on product. We must give our bodies more credit and allow them to function exactly as they were intended to. It is time to slow down, use less and stop running for quick fixes (in any scenario). The body is so intelligent that generally, when left to its own devices, will do just fine. So be patient, be smelly for a month and before you know it you will be dry, odorless and healthy!  

On July 22, 2005 I was intrigued by an article in the Los Angeles Times. The title, “Dozens of Chemicals Found in Most Americans’ Bodies” was especially compelling because with all of my years in product development and research, I always believed that personal care products were cause for alert due to the high amounts of toxic chemicals that they include and it was only going to be a matter of time that our bodies would reach a plateau, finally breaking down, exhausted from the struggle.

The article concluded that The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) with Commonweal conducted the largest chemical studies ever done on human beings and found that we are harboring dozens of pesticides and toxic chemicals in our bodies. Many of these compounds were proved to be linked to consumer products and right up there, just as i imagined they would be were skin care and cosmetics. From pyrethroids , phthalates  and petrochemicals, the CDC and the EWG combined discovered over 200 substances unintended for the human body in fetal blood and newborns and of the 289 people the CDC studied in September 2000, every single person tested positive in their body for a particular phthalate called dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The CDC speculates that cosmetics and personal care products play a significant role in this exposure, however it is important to know that phthalates are found at alarmingly high levels in everyday household products like soft plastics, grout and paint. When studied, laboratory animals exposed to phthalates sadly show some very familiar trends. These are contributing to the decline of human male reproductive health. However, though ever-present phthalates in the human population may justify the theory that they are contributing to significant health problems, a cause and effect relationship has yet to be fully established. So, until phthalates are proven safe it would be wise to consider them unsafe and a contributing factor in declining sperm count, undescended testicles, and testicular cancer.

 The Most Vulnerable

DBP is just one of over 75,000 chemicals manufactured in the United States and it is only now that health officials are beginning to understand their negative effect on fetal blood and the risks they may be posing in utero. Amazingly, an embryo grows at such an explosive rate the first eight weeks of pregnancy that if it were to continue at this super speed, you would have a fetus the size of a million planets combined. However it is the first eight weeks that we see the beginnings of eyelids, hair follicles, joints, nipples, lips, working fingers and toes, a four-chambered heart and even a footprint! The fetus then continues on a very complicated journey of growth. Cells are now multiplying and segmenting into specific organs and tissues, and in the fifth month of pregnancy a fetus swallows and breathes, and now this fetus has little lungs and a tiny gut that begin to fill with the same amniotic fluid that collects in the fetus’ urine. Any pollutants or chemicals excreted in this waste are recycled right back into the body of the fetus endlessly bombarding it with these toxins. To make matters worse, the mother’s body in the third trimester  is dissolving stored fat which is given to the fetus through the blood. If this fat has pollutants like flame retardants and dioxins clinging to it, then the fetus is going to get a second  load of industrial chemicals. As a whole, these windows make it possible for more pronounced risks and effects in childhood than adulthood because though a mother’s exposure to dioxins, mercury or certain pesticides during pregnancy could measurably harm her baby they may not affect her health at all. This kind of exposure during such a complex and sensitive stage is being theorized to have severe health consequences that range from birth defects, cancers and neurodegenerative disease as well as behavioral disorders and premature development.

A baby’s excretory system (and all their systems) take up to seven years to fully develop. This means that the majority of environmental elements they absorb through their skin and their fragile brain-barrier will stay within. Think about their clothing, the plastic of the diapers, their bedding, the varnishes on their crib, the paint used in their nursery, the plastic toys they are putting in their mouths and the unnecessary product that is being slathered on their skin every day. Excellent health starts at home and if the parents do not ensure a non-toxic home for their new baby then the odds are against your little one. They are like sponges, however unlike a sponge, you cannot squeeze a saturated baby clean and clear of chemicals.

It is important to note that the CDC and EWG conducted random studies. They did not choose fetal blood or children that have been exposed to noxious elements because their mothers work within a chemical industry or because they were known to bear problems from in utero exposure. The main objective of their study was to prove that everyone is vulnerable.

The challenges scientists and environmentalists face to test for chemicals in the human body are enormous.  To begin with, manufacturers do not have to disclose how to properly test for their compounds in human beings, making the process very difficult from the start. Then, only a few laboratories in the U.S. are prepared with the equipment needed to run the proper tests and even if they are, may times they do not have the financial backing to exact the methods to test human tissue for a limitless array of chemicals. The few tests scientists are currently able to accomplish are very expensive costing an estimated $10,000 per cord blood analysis.

Also, the government has failed to mandate chemical safety studies and instead has passed the responsibility on to voluntary programs that are supposed to gather more information about industrial compounds. However, this is already proving ineffective in creating a clear statutory requirement that will protect children in and out of the womb.

Responsible Consumerism

To be safe from toxic poisons we can no longer shop with free abandon. In these times, consumers have a responsibility and must think twice about their purchasing habits while also doing online research so that they are kept abreast of information that will help them make healthier choices. Understanding that every purchase has either a positive or a negative impact on our health and the health of our environment is a big step in the right direction.

Below are some basic steps I have compiled to make the transition simple and immediate. 

• Do not ever cook food in non-stick pans, aluminum pans or use plastic utensils when cooking. 
• Do not drink water in plastic bottles and instead buy an aluminum water bottle that you can refill. 
• Install water filters in your home.
• Avoid mass produced skin and body care (men included) and remember that a drug or department store is NOT where you buy food for your skin. Shop instead in stores like Pharmaca, Whole Foods, and other neighborhood holistic/health food stores so you have a better quality of options. 
• Do not store food, especially if it is still hot, in plastic containers. Always use glass.
• Do not use product on your baby. Remember they are born with the most perfect skin. Why interfere with that? When bathing baby, use Dr. Bronner’s baby castlile soap or a little amond oil to massage the skin. That’s it!
• Use only organic cotton bedding, especially for baby! 
• Do not let baby use pacifiers and diapers made of soft plastics. 
• Bookmark ewg.org and healthybaby.com. Use them as your ultimate family health resource. 
• While pregnant use only the cleanest skin care on your pregnant body.  
• When registering for your baby shower make sure to include only the healthiest products, non-toxic furniture and flame retardant free car seats and bedding. Also, definitely make sure to spread the word to other parents. Information is meant to be empowering not frightening, so take charge now to live an optimum life! 

Personally, I have not used mass-produced skin care in fifteen years. I never used aluminum based deodorants (thanks to my mother’s insistence) and I was raised on a primarily whole food and organic diet. I grew up taking supplements and herbs and tonics and overall I believe I am a healthy young woman. However, even I cannot help but wonder what toxic burden my body is harboring and  how a seemingly healthy body can properly handle, break down and expel such chemicals. I can only assume, knowing why we have an immune system and what its functions are, that the healthier we are, the better able we are to excrete and ward of unwanted toxins. This is important to keep in mind and a key aspiration to have because let’s face it, we live in a polluted environment and unless we decide to walk around with gas masks and sheaths covering our entire bodies, we are exposed. Would you rather be healthy and strong so you can fight these chemicals head-on, or weak and unhealthy, unable to fight even the slightest cold. I guess Darwin knew best when hypothesizing his Survival of the Fittest.