Midterms...

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Did You Know...

...the global cosmetic chemicals market is expected to hit $19.2 billion in sales by the year 2015 according to Global Industry Analysts?

This is the reason that I started this blog. To educate myself, and in the process I KNEW that other women and men would be interested in this information as well. You are right?

Good. Well Midterms are here and before the final exam I am making a tutorial of everything we have tested, loved and hated over the past couple of months just to refresh our memories.

Here we go....

Lotions.....

Jergens naturals Refresh Daily Moisturizer X

alba un-petroleum MULTI-PURPOSE Jelly Greenlight

ecoTOOLS Nourishing Shea Butter Body Lotion Greenlight

Soaps...

bodycology fresh waters foaming bath & shower gel X

Olivella Face and Body Soap Greenlight

Aura Cacia aromatherapy body wash Greenlight

Body...

Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal X

Tom's of Maine Natural Conditioning Shave Cream Greenlight

Face...

Lip Balm All Natural Enriched with Vitamin E Greenlight

Apple cider vinegar face cleanser Greenlight

Lipocils Eyelash Conditioning Gel Greenlight

Oatmeal face mask Greenlight

Homes and Environment...

green works natural bathroom cleaner Greenlight

Eden Organic Sencha Mint Green Tea Greenlight

Pan-Fried Chicken with Tarragon recipe Greenlight

And that's that!

Have a great week ladies and gents...

My best, Lynn

Music: Gogol Bordello "Start Wearing Purple". He's a nut case and this song is one of the interesting ones. You might recognize him from Everything is Illuminated with Elijah Wood. I apologize ahead of time if there are any offensive things in the videos of the song. I tried to get the best versions. I really did.

Eat To Your Health!

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Did You Know...

...that children are 2 to 3 times more likely than an adult to get the flu and spread it to others?

The kids have been sick for a bit over a week so our house is the new Pfizer headquarters.

But not exactly in this pill-type form....

I hate (my own personal opinion) giving my kids lots of "drugs" when they are feeling under the weather. But I'm not one of those moms also who will make their kid eat tree bark no matter if they're fever has been over 105 for the past 4 hours. I know that medicine has its benefits and I use it when it's necessary. But lately, the kids have been coughing and sneezing and have been all around yucky. So instead of giving them the usual pediatricians go-to (Amoxocillin) I asked the Dr. if I could hold off filling the prescription for another week because I read a really great article one time, I think in Parents Magazine, about overdoing it with antibiotics and our children which is causing more SUPERgerms and making them more susceptible to colds and illness. The Dr. agreed and said "okay well I don't want to prescribe him prematurely. Yeah why don't you wait a few more days." But these days a cold sometimes is not a cold, and the flu is not just a plain ol flu *oink, oink anybody?* so I am keeping my eyes on them and feeling their foreheads about every 1/2 hour.

So instead of plying them full of medicine in the form of amoxocillin I have been putting some of the most freshest ingredients and grandmas best versions of home remedies that I can remember and recreate to the best of my abilities down their throats. I have them on a fresh fruit diet with nothing fancy - no sugar added. I would rather them get a variety of vitamins and nutrients in their rawest form. They are drinking orange juice, grapefruit juice, water, and warm tea every moment of the day that I hear "Mommy I'm thirsty!" We're talking Cream of Wheat, warmed milk with cinnamon sticks in it, peppermint tea, laboowee (it's a haitian word and a porridge that I grew up on and that is my best guess on how to spell it, it's wrong though). And of course the end all be all Chicken Noodle Soup out of a big ol pot.

If after a weeks time, they are not feeling better, than Amoxocillin here we come! But give mamas ideas a chance first I say...

What about everyone else? What are you doing this flu season to care for the kiddos and yourself? One of my friends got a flu shot which is a great idea I think. Anyone else? Let's talk it out amongst ourselves...

My best, Lynn

Music: Ben Lee "Catch My Disease". This is the song I hear in my head every time my kids come up to me and sneeze in my face. I am just waiting for the day I wake up all achy and sniffly (more so than usual!)

ecoTOOLS Body Lotion

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Start here.

Did You Know...

...that your skin loses about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells from the surface almost every MINUTE, even though you don't see or feel it happening?

As I was looking into skin care and what can cause dry skin I was amazed at some things that some dermatologists have said. WebMD has a great article on 11 Causes of Dry Skin Problems and I would like to share just a few more interesting facts from it with you. Feel free to check it out for yourself and get more details though.

A few things listed as causes were harsh soap, itchy clothing, misusing moisturizer, and long, hot showers, medications and illnesses could trigger it too. Diabetes, psoriasis, hypothyroidism, malnutrition, and sadly too genetic predisposition (thanks Great Aunt Edna!) were listed as some reasons for dry skin.

Normal skin has a layer of natural fatty lipids that keep in moisture and leave the skin soft and supple. Dry skin is when the lipids have been stripped away leaving the skin cracked and unprotected. This leaves room for bacteria to get in there and cause infection too. Thankfully, there is a way to handle dry skin and manage it well.

One way is by using your moisturizer properly and using the right kind. Dr. Barney Kenet who authored How to Wash Your Face said not to put moisturizer on dry skin. "You have to put on moisturizer when your skin is still damp. That way, the moisturizer is trapping the moisture still on your skin." Great advice right? I'm notorious for NOT putting on my lotion right after a wash. I always forget until later when my daughter points to my hands and says happily "white!" (because she is learning her colors). Now Dr. Kenet instructs us to pat yourself dry with a towel and put the moisturizer on. Let it soak in for a few minutes, and then towel off the excess.

What's the right kind of lotion or moisturizer for dry skin?

Here is a super simple guide. Get a mild, perfume-free moisturizer. Dr. Kenet also praises drugstore moisturizers over the high-end products. For good dry skin care make sure the moisturizer is thick and greasy. Simple test: Put the lotion in the palm of your hand and flip your hand over. If it runs or drips, it's not thick enough for dry skin.

Enter our product review for this week......

To be more specific...

ecoTOOLS Nourishing Shea Butter Body Lotion

REVIEW:

I LOVE this lotion. I am glad that it is in my life. I bought it at Walgreens for around 8 dollars. It smells absolutely delicious. The fragrance has a tropical flair to it. After application of it, I am always in the mood for a fruity frozen mixed drink on a beach somewhere! It passed the palm flip test too. It is made from 98% natural products which I really appreciate about it. I looked up the non-natural ingredients and the one that I came across that might concern others with sensitive skin is Cetyl Palmitate which states that it may cause irritation. The other ingredients had very low hazards information and no environmental beefs with anyone. So I give this a huge thumbs up and full approval. I love it. You will too. It's a thick lotion so a little goes a long way. A bonus to this bottle was that in my Walgreens, ecoTOOLS was giving away a free tote with purchase (while supplies last) of either the Body Wash or Lotion and so mama got a cute new canvas tote with it too. Gotta love that!

Enjoy your moist skin this week people!

My best,

Lynn

Music: Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". I love the lotion, love this song...it's gonna be a good week!

A Great Cleanser...

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Did You Know...

...the average American consumes 31 teaspoons per day of added sugar, or the equivalent of 465 calories?

That is ALOT of sugar folks! So, why are we talking about sugar this week? Well I was reading an article about how sugar can actually cause us to wrinkle and make our skin dull over time. Now just because they didn't say that it could have immediate effects, don't take that as "Alright! Let's eat cake today, for tomorrow we shall dullify!" Researchers found that people with diabetes show early signs of skin aging because they went so many years with undetected high blood sugar, so even if you don't have this disease it's wise to avoid going overboard with the sweet stuff, because who knows if tomorrow our Dr. calls with news for us.

Who wants wrinkly, dull skin before their time? I don't. I will welcome it in my old age, but for now I am enjoying all the elasticity my skin can muster up still. So how do I keep this little ol' face of mine in order? Sadly, I neglect it and ignore it half the time, until I need to leave the house or do something important, or be around other humans my height. Kids are too short to notice, so why doll up my chin for them? I am one of those women who sadly....... (please don't throw tomatoes at me all you makeup lovers cause I'm about to tell you my sinful ways) wears makeup all day, forgets it's even on and falls asleep with it on! *GASP! SHOCKING! SHAMEFUL!* I know....or so I thought I knew how horrible it was until I did a little digging around on the Interweb. Turns out wearing makeup to bed isn't all that bad at all. - too many alls just now right? - anyway, so I went on dermtv.com and the lovely Dr. Neal Schultz explained it all in a nice short video. Click on the link and he can explain why sleeping with makeup on won't do anything harmful to your skin for the most part, you just have to look out for some clogged pores if you aren't a back sleeper. (Me? I'm a thrasher and poor hubs wakes up with inexplainable bruises sometimes!)

So what to do to clean your face in a safe and most natural manner? I have been wanting to know and I read that Apple Cider Vinegar could do the trick. I put about 1/4 cup into a bowl and I did the split face test. One side I did just straight up vinegar, the other side I used the vinegar and 1 tsp of honey. I'll tell ya what, both sides feel just as soft as what I imagine the first day I was born felt like. So I would say to save your money and your honey and just use the vinegar by itself. I put it on *warning! avoid getting it in your eyes! trust me.* (always in an upward motion as my first makeup artist roomate used to tell me) and pretty much a minute later washed it off, patted dry with a cotton towel and then my face looked really clear and it felt clean. I did a slight scrape just ever so lightly on the surface to see if there was any makeup residue and there was none so voila! Vinegar is some great stuff! I nominate it for substance of the year!

The only complaint I have about this cleanser is that it does leave a vinegary aroma still on your face. It kind of just lingers there. I don't know about you, but I don't want to walk around all day smelling like a bowl of borscht so if anyone out there and has any suggestions for the "aftertaste" smell let me know. Leave a comment and I'll try them out and report back. Be kind to me though. Please no suggestions of 'stick your head in a beehive'.... :o)

My best,

Lynn

Music: Modest Mouse "Float On" with lyrics. This is a pretty positive song. I know I'd be upset if a fake Jamaican ripped me off!