Health Among Cobwebs

Everything is pre-made and in a bottle. Creams. Shampoo. Conditioner. A lot of it is just a mixture of chemicals. It may take a little more time and effort, but in the end, I feel better after creating my own substitutes, both in body and mind, because I know what I made is 100% good for my body AND creating it gives me a sense of purpose and fulfilment. Clearing away the cobwebs for both body and soul. How the natural methods I use will react with other individuals' unique hair, skin, etc - I cannot guarantee. I can only guarantee that it worked very well on me.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Spa Day Series 4: The Bath/Body Scrub

Now, this is a spa day, after all, so taking excessive time isn't really supposed to be an issue.

Take what is left of your facial scrub, add a little vanilla and maybe some brown sugar. Hop into the shower and turn the water on warm. After getting all of you wet, cover yourself with the scrub and ... scrub. Rinse. Get the tub all clean and add:

- teaspoon of whole cloves

- teaspoon of powders cardamom

- teaspoon of cinnamon

- a few drops of your favorite oil (I used jojoba again - it's amazing for skin, too)

- some of your favorite body wash (create a bubble bath basically) - I used a coconut one

- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Make the water as hot as you can stand, hop and relax. Basically, you are brewing yourself. While doing this, make sure and put shampoo into your hair and just let it sit for a few minutes. Then rinse and let your hair rest in the hot water, absorbing the good smells. Then apply conditioner and repeat the process.

Make sure and soak for a good long time. Maybe grab a book, put on some music and just enjoy the warmth.

After I finished, I sprayed myself with ice cold water to close my pores, hopped out, dried off well (some dead skin might rub off - this is good) and since it was a spa, I did my eyebrows and upper lip (icky extraneous hairs), because my skin was warm and loose, so it was a good time. Then I washed my face again to avoid any acne from irritated skin, dried and moisturized with jojoba. And of course, to add to the spa experience I:

- lotioned 

- did my nails

- pumiced my feet and moisturized

- whitened my teeth

- curled and moisturized my eyelashes with Weleda's Sea Buckthorn Oil (I love oils!)

[healthamongcobwebs]

Spa Day Series 3: Face And Lips

While doing all of these hair treatments, you have some pretty long waits. So, I used them to do my face.

First things first, wash your face. Get rid of all residual make-up, products, whatever. I used Sibu Beauty's Sea Buckthorn soap. I have posted about it before. Warm water, rub it directly onto your face, then get some on your hands. Put the soap away and lather in circular motions til you look like a geisha. Make sure and rince with warm water - keep those pores open. Dry and rub any dead skin off with a dry towel.

Facial Mask/Scrub: I decided to do a 2 in one - saves time and mess.

- Teaspoon of honey

- 2-3 teaspoons of coffee grounds (finely ground, please - too coarse and it won't be good for your skin)

- teaspoon or a bit more of cocoa

- approximately a teaspoon of lemon (I used half a lemon, but it was drying out)

Heat and mix. Let cool a little, we don't want to add too much heat to your face. In circular motions, use your fingertips to apply mixture to your face. Make sure you get massage into your chin, nose, just below the eyes (very gently) and even into your eyebrows. All over. You should feel the mixture cooling beneath your fingers as you rub. Once your entire face is covered (and you should have some excess left over) and you aren't dripping (because the mixture has cooled sufficiently), let it sit on your face for 20-30minutes.

Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Dry.

If you have quite a lot left over, divide the mixture into two portions, one will be used as your body scrub base and one will be used as your lip scrub base (so obviously one needs to be bigger than the other).

Lip Scrub: Now, I added cinnamon and chile to mine. It may sting a little, but your lips will come out plumper and pinker. Your call, you know your body best. If you have sensitive lips or don't trust your ability to keep this mixture off of your face, leave one or both out.

- less than a teaspoon of facial scrub mixture

- less than a pinch of chile

- less than a pinch of cinnamon

- a punch of sugar

Mix and apply. Rub your lips together some, reapply. Rub again. Reapply and let sit for several minutes. DO NOT GET ON FACIAL SKIN. I usually repeat this process several times, to get maximum results.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Day Spa Series 2: Hot Oil Treatment

Jojoba Hot Oil Hair Treatment: Usually I wouldn't do the hair mask and hot oil the same day, but I could use the extra boost, plus my jojoba oil just came in and I am eager to use it. You can also do olive oil, argan oil, almond oil, castor, sesame, avocado or even coconut oil again. A basic hot oil can be infused with herbs, depending on your preference, making it not much different than a hair mask with oil, also you can combine oils - a tablespoon of your base oil with teaspoon of one or two other oils. However, mine was a single oil with no improvements, as I did not feel like steeping the herbs in the oil for 30minutes and I had already done a coconut hair mask. Maybe some other time I will share the more complex version ;-)

- A teaspoon to a tablespoon of the oil of your choice (mine is jojoba)

- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg for clarification

-1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon for growth

Heat it in a bowl or sauce pan until warm/hottish. Massage into the scalp thorughly. Make sure you coat all the way down to the tips - not dripping, but a nice sheen. Wrap your hair up in a warm towel - it can be damp, heated with a microwave or hair dryer. Personally, I wrapped mine dry and heated, then reheated it with a hair dryer. Regardless, the warmth opens the follicles and helps the oil to absorb. Let sit for 20-30minutes, minimum - there is no maximum. Then wash.

Several great washing tips you’ll definitely want to remember:

When you first get into the shower, rinse your hair with the water on the warmest setting your skin can handle. This reheats the oil and gives your hair one last boost of extra moisturizing. Then go about your showering business, waiting until the very end to shampoo the oil out.

You may need to shampoo twice, but you’ll be able to tell by the texture and feel of your hair when you’ve gotten all the oil out. There is a strong (almost definite) possibility that you will not need to use conditioner after shampooing – but you’ll be able to tell based on the feel of your hair.

At the end of rinsing with the shampoo, turn the water temperature to tepid. So it’s about the temperature of your body, maybe a little colder. The remaining oil will rinse out MUCH easier if you rinse using tepid water. I don’t know why, but it does.

If you have hair that touches your neck and shoulders, after you’ve washed out the oil, you’ll want to hold that hair up off your neck and wash your neck completely, removing all the oil that’s stuck to your skin. If you skip this step, once you let your hair down, it will gather the oil from your skin and look oily within minutes of drying.

Let your hair air dry as long as you possibly can, waiting to use a hair dryer until your hair is at least 3/4 of the way dry. This is a good tip for all the time, actually. Extended exposure to hot air damages your hair, so try to limit it as much as possible.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Spa Day Series 1

Just because I am pregnant does not mean I should let myself go. If anything, it means I should do as much to maintain my appearance and health as possible, considering I probably will temporarily let myself go, once the baby is born. Lack of sleep, time and energy can do that to you. In general, limited resources mean your resources go where they are most needed - which will be in the baby's direction. Plus, it's just logic - the longer I am lazy, the more habitual becomes and the less likely I am to get my act together when I finally do have the resources (aka baby isn't so demanding).

So, today, I decided to do the full spa - Hair masks and hot oil, facial scrubs and masks, lip exfoliation, fully body exfoliation and of course, a lovely warm, scented bath. I won't post them all in this post, but more as as series of posts.

Hair mask:

- tablespoon of coconut oil for conditioning and shine

- tablespoon of honey for conditioning and shine

- teaspoon of fresh grated ginger for strengthening and dandruff

- 6 fresh mint leaves (large to medium) for cleansing the scalp, removing excess sebum and stimulating hair follicles.

- teaspoon of olive oil for moisture and to make the mixture easier to spread.

- you can add an egg yolk if you like, for protein and strengthening, but eventually decided not to, because it's a bit messier than I prefer.

Crush the mint, add all of the ingredients except egg, then warm (microwave or stove). Mix, add yolk, mix. Wet hair with warm water - not sopping, but not just damp. Apply mixture and let sit for at least 30minutes. You may find a hair cap over your head or towel around your shoulders useful, at least until the mixture dries.

Rinse thorughly with warm/hottish water. Absorb excess water, so that hair is not dripping wet, but damp.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Last night, I was considering a female of acquaintance of mine who I gave one of my wonderful Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn soaps. Unfortunately, I didn't give a paper with a short list of instructions on it. Oftentimes I expect people to just know things I have long since accepted as common sense. Now, it's too late to give her instructions - that would be awkward, especially since we aren't very close....I mean, if I were to walk up to her and say 'hey, by the way, here are some quick notes I jotted down about skin care while thinking of you...' wouldn't that just imply that her skin still looks bad? 

Like I said, awkward.

However, the entire situation got me thinking about the most basic, available and inexpensive, but beneficial skin care regime. One that will maximize my wonder soap's miraculous powers (I know, some of you out there probably think I am crazy, but that stuff is amazing - I never go off it) without a lot of effort or money.

This is what you need: Now, if anyone has bothered to read any of my other posts, they will already know why I have listed these items. No worries, though I will give a quick recap.

1) The Soap. You can find it at Iherb.com for the best price (I have checked Amazon and the Sibu site as comparisons). If you want a discount, use my account code: WEM940. Sea Buckthorn Soap (especially the Sibu - I have tried the Aubrey - didn't like it) contains over 190 bioactive compounds that restore, revitalize, and protect youthful beauty. These berries help nourish skin, hair, and nails with powerful antioxidants and essential fatty acids, including the rare Omega 7 – a key building block to healthy skin. Plus, I used it a week before my wedding as a last ditch effort to get rid of a long scratch underneath my eye. It scabbed, peeled, showed a scar and then was completely gone. I have tons of success stories like this one. I used to have dry, flaky skin between my eyebrows and in my eyebrows - gone after using the soap. Two weeks ago, I stopped using the soap (trying to be more efficient) and my skin was fine up until a few days ago, when I got lazy and didn't wash my make-up off for several nights. STUPID. Regardless, my skin got extremely dry and I started to have clustered breakouts. I immediately started using my soap again and 2 days later, my skin was healthy and happy.

2) Lemons: Alpha Hydroxy Acids shake up the outer layer of dead skin cells. They soften the ‘glue’ that holds these dead cells together. Once loosened, the dead skin cells can be exfoliated or even just washed. Basically, lemon juice tightens your skin's appearance, gives it a natural glow, kills bacteria and lightens acne scars. It's a natural toner.

3) Pure Olive oil. If you don't have it just lying around for cooking purposes, you won't be using a ton of it and it doesn't go bad, so pick up a bottle - it will definitely last awhile. It's a natural moisturizer.

4) A second dry towel.  Once your face is dry, rubbing gently with a second dry towel serves as a cheap and readily available exfoliant.

Instructions:

Splash your face with warm water - this will open your pores. Get the soap wet and lather it all over your face, then lather your hands and put the soap away. Rub your face with small circular motions until it is covered with a thick, white layer. Basically, you will look like a geisha. Rinse with warm water. Cut a lemon in half and massage one half a few seconds to loosen the juice. Rub all over face. It may sting a little, so try blowing some air on your face (fan, magazine?). Let it dry, thoroughly. Once dried, rinse with very cold water. This will close your pores. Dry your face. Once you have completely dried your face, find another towel or a large place that isn't damp and gently rub your face with small, circular motions. Easiest exfoliation ever - dead skin just rolls off of your face.

Finally, depending on whether you have dry, oil or mix skin, apply some olive oil. A few drops applied between the eyebrows, the nose, beside each nostril and on the panels next to the skin, usually works for me, as those are trouble zone for dry skin, but I am mix/to dry skin.

[healthamongcobwebs]

iherb.com

35,000+ top-rated healthy products; with discount shipping, incredible values and customer rewards.

Not only that, but if you use my code, you can get $10 off your first purchase. I have had nothing but positive experiences with them. The one time they lost my order, I contacted customer service and was immediately refunded the full value of my order.  Iherb.com has a wonderful rewards program that allows you to add to your discounts continually, through the sharing of your customer code, so not only do you get a discount, but whoever you share with gets one, too.

My customer code: WEM940

[healthamongcobwebs]

Acne Tips Most Of Us Never Consider

The skin is a living, breathing organ and most of us think we know how to care for it, but in reality, don't know all that much.

Question: what causes acne? Some possible answers might be: stress, diet, genetics, hormones, water intake, skin care regime, too much oil, too little oil and so on.

However, those are not the only factors you should account for when trying to put your best face forward. Allow me to list a few other factors which are far too often overlooked.

1) Hair products: What you’re using on your hair winds up on your face, especially if you use products with spray applicators. Styling products seep oil onto the forehead, which can trap acne-causing bacteria inside of your pores. One thing leads to another, clogged pores become inflamed, which results in redness, gunky white stuff (pus) and ultimately, blackheads and white-heads along the hairline and forehead.

2) Facial Hair Removal:  We all want perfect, blemish-free, hair-free, smooth skin. Let's face it, though - you are just switching one undesirable complexion issue for another. Tweezing, waxing, shaving and depilatories can potentially irritate your skin tissue, which leads to swelling, sending acne-causing bacteria and skin cells deeper into pores. Not only that, but the topical products you apply to your skin before or after hair removal also can clog pores and encourage the formation of acne.                                                                                       The solution? Reduce bacteria on your skin by cleaning hairy areas thoroughly before de-fuzzing and use products labeled “noncomedogenic” (means they won’t clog your pores).

3) TOO MANY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS!!!! I am convinced that it is a disease. I cannot count the number of times I have gone into a woman's bathroom, only to witness a slew of different skin care products crowding around her sink and in front of her mirror. The average woman tries 5-10 new skin care products a year. That pays off for the cosmetic industry, but it doesn't pay off for your skin. Let me let you in on a little secret: switching products or adding a new one before giving it a chance to work challenges your skin with new preservatives and active ingredients, which can be irritating and cause breakouts. Speaking from personal experience, every time I begin a new product, I expect the first week to be a pimple week. My skin has to adjust. As I said at the beginning, skin is a living, breathing organ. It functions best under a regular routine - same products, same product combinations, consistent schedule (washing, application, etc). Even anti-acne products can cause blemishes if you use too many. If you switch between multiple anti-acne creams or use an astringent, facial wash, toner and moisturizer, all with acne fighting ingredients, it will SHRED your skin.                                                                                The solution? Whether your goal is fighting wrinkles or zapping zits, pick one or two products and give them at least 4-6 weeks to work. It takes some time for your skin to adjust. Plus, it'll save you from wasting your money.

4) Traveling: Any change of environment – humidity, weather or even the water you are bathing in (minerals, fluoride or other elements) – can trigger acne. Just like with multiple product usage, your skin is not accustomed to those things, so it’s being challenged and reacts to that challenge by breaking out. The solution? You can’t change the weather or humidity of where you visit. You can't change the contents of the water. So, before traveling, don't try any new products, wash your face with bottled water only, once arriving, if you can, and avoid using hotel soaps. Your skin is already adapting to environmental changes, so ESPECIALLY don't stress it out even more by trying new products while traveling.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Simple Facials For Shrinking Blackheads

Personally, I blame genetics for my blackhead issues. Quite simply, the women in my family have been gifted with large pores and I am no exception to the rule. However, genetics or no, there are still plenty of natural and on-hand/at-home ways to combat and minimize pore visibility and maximize pore cleanliness. Orange Juice Facial Mix half a cup of honey with 3 tsb of orange juice. Apply the facial on your face and leave it on for 30 minutes. This is the ideal period for the ingredients to exercise their revitalizing effect. Finish up your beauty ritual by washing off the mixture with cold water (cold water closes your pores).

Rice Facial Recipe Use the natural cleansing power of rice to get rid of blackheads and dead skin cells. First, soak a few grains in cold water overnight. The next day grind the rice to prepare a fine paste. Apply the paste on your skin and leave it on until it dries. Finally, rinse it off with lukewarm water.

Milk and Orange Peels Facial Citrus fruits are perfect to eliminate impurities from the depth of your pores. In order to enjoy the cleansing effect of orange, dry the peels of a medium-sized fruit, then grind them to create a fine powder. In order to revitalize your skin, grab a bowl and mix 1 tsp of powder with a tiny amount of milk. The soft mixture can be applied on your skin and neck. Leave the treatment on for 10 minutes and finally rinse it off with tepid water.

Chocolate Facial In a medium bowl mix 4 tbs of milk with the same amount of cocoa powder. After you've obtained a fine paste apply it on your skin. Leave out the sensitive areas around your eyes and mouth. Leave the treatment on for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

[healthamongcobwebs]

WEDDING SKIN!!!!

I have a pretty regular skin routine - wash daily with a certain soap, moisturise daily with a certain moisturiser and consciously exfoliate AT LEAST once a week.

However, there are times when I would like to do a little something extra with my skin, usually because I have some upcoming special occasion. In this case, a wedding. So, on the today's skin menu (after I cleanse my face with my Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn soap):

- First, a coffee and olive oil facial for tired skin,

- Second, a home-made blackhead mask,

- Third, a home-made mint and green tea facial toner.

Coffee and Olive Oil Facial: Revitalized skin's condition with the necessary antioxidants. In a bowl, mix 5 teaspoons of coffee with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of honey. Apply the skin pack on your face and neck and leave it on for 30 minutes. Finally rinse off the mixture with lukewarm water. Personally, I am going to use coffee grounds, instead of coffee, due to the fact that I want the added benefit of exfoliation. Naturally, you don't want to use 5 teaspoons of coffee grounds. About 2 should do. This is also a great mask, because you will undoubtedly have some excess (I did) and that you can just make it a hair mask day and massage into the roots of your hair near your forehead. Coffee, honey and olive oil are all great for your hair. (Remember to rinse, shampoo and condition if you do this, of course).

Home-made Blackhead Mask - Orange Peel Off Mask: First of all, gather the ingredients: dry orange peels, milk and lemon juice (optional). To dry orange peels quickly, put them in the oven at high temperatures, until completely hardened. DO NOT BURN. Then, you will have to grind those dry orange peels until you get a fine powder. I have found that a blender or some sort of food processor works best. In a bowl, mix the orange powder with a bit of milk, enough to make a paste. If you have oily skin, feel free to add some drops of lemon juice to this home-made blackhead mask. Apply the orange peel off mask on your cleaned face and let it sit for 15 minutes (or until it dries completely). Peel it off and rinse with lukewarm water.

Green Tea and Mint Facial Toner: Steep green tea and about 10 mint leaves in hot water for no more than 8-10 minutes. Strain and let it cool. Apply the toner on your face with the help of a cotton pad. Put in a bottle and store, if you intend to use it several times a day.

Note: if you don't have fresh mint, you can always use about a teaspoon of dried mint.

[keepingthedarknessatbay]

Pregancy and depression. Nobody told me about how connected these two are. They told me about depression pregnancy. I can find references to that everywhere. However, I find absolutely nothing on depression during pregnancy…

So, tell me ladies, is it just me?

Another week like the last two...

[healthamongcobwebs]

35,000+ top-rated healthy products; with discount shipping, incredible values and customer rewards.

Not only that, but if you use my code, you can get $10 off your first purchase. I have had nothing but positive experiences with them. The one time they lost my order, I contacted customer service and was immediately refunded the full value of my order.  Iherb.com has a wonderful rewards program that allows you to add to your discounts continually, through the sharing of your customer code, so not only do you get a discount, but whoever you share with gets one, too.

My customer code: WEM940

[healthamongcobwebs]

And my final video, the one I find to be most demanding, especially with those leg pulses. This video might leave you feeling a bit sore after several days of following it and maybe sweaty, but trust me, it is worth it and you will get accustomed to it very quickly. Again, 2lbs weights, a couple of unopened cans or small water bottles with water can be used, depending on how far along in your pregnancy you are and what your doctor recommends. And of course, keep drinking water nearby.

When all of the videos are used together, it amounts to a 36minutes work-out. Of course, you can use them separately or mix and match, according to your own personal preferences and needs. I like to use them altogether and in a certain order, because each video is a little bit more demanding than the last, meaning I am basically warming up before every video. Not only that, but altogether, I work on strengthening my core, legs and back, as well as increasing my flexibility and overall circulation in my body. All of these things are very important for during pregnancy, during delivery and after pregnancy.

I also like to make sure I follow this routine at least 3 days a week, so that my body gets regular exercise and does not at any time begin to grow unaccustomed to it. I hate it when I get past being sore, then I allow myself to be lazy for a week and I have to go through that sore stage all over again. It is just easier to create a good habit and maintain it - this is something you will be especially grateful for when trying to get that pre-pregnancy body back after giving birth.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Now, this workout does require weights. Personally, I sometimes do it without weights, but that is because I have some complications which make it necessary for me to do as little lifting as possible. However, I have found that it is not necessary to use 3-5lbs, but 2 will suffice just as well. If you don't have weights, a couple of small water bottles filled with water or canned goods will also work perfectly well.

This workout is about 10 minutes and definitely is no longer warm-up material. At the same time, however it isn't extremely strenuous and for most women, even though who haven't maintained a very active lifestyle before pregnancy, it should be more than manageable.

Like I said before, I like to step up the pace incrementally and keep water nearby, so that my body is well-prepared for the next video, but at the same time, I am not already pouring sweat and gasping for air. While pregnant, we need to definitely watch our heart rates, so gasping is not ideal.

[healthamongcobwebs]

After doing Pilates stretches, I like to transition into this video. Once my limbs have been all loosened up, this 6 minute warm up is a great entire body workout warm-up for us pregnant women. It is without weights and should definitely get your blood pumping, preparing your body for more demanding video segments, later on. 

Again, make sure and keep water nearby and modify the amount you exercise according to your body's limitations.

[healthamongcobwebs]

I like to begin my work-out with this 10 minutes Pilates stretch video. It is great for keeping the pregnant body flexible and a relaxing way to begin my workout. Personally, I don't like to start off huffing and puffing immediately, but rather gently work myself into a sweat.

I keep a large glass or bottle of water lying nearby, so that whenever I need a quick break or feel that I am thirsty, I can just grab a quick sip. This is especially important for pregnant women. And of course remember that if you feel this is too much for you, feel free to cut it down to whichever moves suit your body best. It may take some time for you to be able to work into all of these stretches.

[healthamongcobwebs]

Update

I haven't posted in awhile, for multiple reasons, mostly I just didn't have time to devote to more than one blog. Half the time, I didn't have time for even one blog.

I have some more time on my hands, now BUT my circumstances have changed.

I am pregnant.

That means that the content of this health blog will also change, at least for the next several months. Apart from documenting my own bodily changes/preferences and general guidelines for pregnancy, I will also be sharing a series of great youtube videos that I use for an altogether approximately 30minute work out, a day.

So, starting out with changes, at a little over 4months:

1) I used to love bananas and now, I can't stomach them. I mean, they make me sick, no matter what they are mixed with, nothing works.

2) I used to hate celery. Nowadays, I still am not very keen on their taste, but whenever I actually bite down on one, I find it immensely satisfying.

3) Before pregnancy, I very rarely had headaches. Maybe twice a year. However, currently I have to watch when I eat, how much I drink, exercise and sleep very closely, in order to make sure everything is balanced properly, because if I neglect any of those areas, I get splitting headaches.

4) Without exercise, usually I can barely make it through the day, no matter how much sleep I get, because my body just doesn't have the energy. Oftentimes, I wake up and don't feel like exercising, but in the end, I always regret it if I skip.

5) Tomatoes and pickles. I could live on them alone.

6) Constipated, even though I drink regularly and eat well. It's a pretty major change for me, because 'going' was always really easy and fast in the past.

I could go on, but those are the most significant changes. I will soon post those workout videos :-)

[healthamongcobwebs]

Amazing Tip!

Tip to reduce weight:

"Turn your head to the left, then turn to the right. Repeat this exercise every time you are offered something to eat. " Will Ferrell

It's a joke, but still...true words ;-)