Natural Beauty Tips-Beautiful Nails-My Opinion!!

Well, I just spent some time on the internet researching fingernail health and what makes for beautiful nails? Boy-was I in for a surprise!! I found all kinds of information on products to make your nails beautiful, AND all kinds of recommendations on supplements to make your nails beautiful. OMG & Yikes!!! Let’s pay for products or supplements for the rest of our lives. SURE-they all will cure-mask-whatever- the problem. Be a consumer and be a consumer until the day you die. We are so brain washed into buying something to cure the end result- to try and reverse the things that we do to ourselves in our life.

Healthy nails reflect a healthy body. If your nails have a natural shine, are strong and free of ridges or other blemishes, this is a sign that your diet is providing you with the nutrients needed to keep your nails in optimum shape. If your nails are brittle, dry, dull and weak, this is a sign that essential vitamins may be missing from your diet. Because our health is reflected from the inside out, a balanced diet that focuses on nutrients that enrich the nails is an important key in allowing our fingers and toes to look as beautiful as they can.

 The best way to have beautiful, skin, hair, and nails is to work from the inside-not apply to the outside. One needs a healthy diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, 40% raw and a bit of protein. Eating good, healthy, organic foods-will do wonders for your outside appearance and make you feel fabulous. Spend your money on the best foods, instead of products or supplements. There are only a few vitamins out there- that the studies show-conclusively-that they are effective. Do the research yourself. Supplements are a huge industry. I guess that’s because people believe the claims. Until I see studies to convince me otherwise-most-not all-supplements are a waste of money.

I was lucky enough to be brought up in a family that had healthy food on the table all the time. My hair , skin, and nails were never a problem until the last 4 years. The reason being is that I started playing water volleyball, and the chlorine took its toll. My nails started to crack and peel, so I filed my nails down to where there were no more chips, peels or cracks. Then I rub lemon essential oil (suggested by The American College of Healthcare Sciences) and a base oil (Oils to use: Flax seed oil, Vitamin E, Almond oil, Jojoba oil, or  Olive oil) into my nails before bedtime-to let the oil soak in. I wear gloves to do dishes, heavy cleaning and gardening. I keep my nails polished to keep the chlorine away from my nails. That’s it!!! It works for me. Those are my fingernail tips.

Below is a video on the benefits of the aloe vera plant and aloe vera juice.

Below is a video on-5 Aloe Vera Uses for the Magical Aloe Vera Juice

Drinking Aloe Vera-Digestion-Cleansing

After sun lotion-aloe vera for sunburn skin-aloe vera after sun spray-soothing to the max!!

Insect Bites-works like magic!!

Skin Toner-Refreshing & Healing!!

Mouth Wash

That’s it for  fingernail beauty tips. Adios Ali O.

Natural Skin Care Products-Lavender

Natural Skin Care Products-Lavender

Lavender in Skin Care Products

Lavender is one of the worlds most used, most popular, and most medicinal oils in existence.  It has so many wonderful properties to use in skin care and in holistic medicine. There are some 39 species. The lavender used therapeutically for aromatherapy, skin care, and holistic medicine, is called lavandula angustifolia or true lavender. This is the lavender that relaxes you and is used the most-therapeutically. Oddly enough-some lavenders actually stimulate you. They all have different chemical constituents, so if you want to relax, read the label and the Latin names to get the correct lavender  for your purpose. To learn how essential oils are distilled watch this video from The American College of Healthcare Sciences.

Lavender Uses

Lavender is excellent for skin care. It is an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and helps to heal scars. Lavender is the best essential oil for healing minor burns while also healing cuts, wounds, insect bites, and many minor skin problems. The other great benefit of lavender essential oils is the harmonizing effect that it has on the nervous system and its ability to relieve stress. Lavender has the ability to exert a sedative or stimulant action depending on what an individual needs. Lavender can calm the mind and body in times of emotional or mental unrest—BUT—at the same time lavender can revive the spirits to bring you out of physical and emotional depletion.

Ali O. Lavender Lotion

Indulge yourself in a rich long lasting body lotion. Keeps skin moist and smooth
while relaxing your mind and healing your skin. Made with the finest and freshest ingredients.

Until next time-Ali O.

Natural Skin Care Products-Read The Label!!!!

About Ali O. and Her Skin Care Products

Ali O. in Heavenly Lavender Field

My Mother always taught my Sisters and I how important it was to take care of our skin, and I am so thankful to her. She insisted on teaching us her skin care regime which involved washing, exfoliating, toning, and moisturizing our skin. It was ingrained in us. I guess we’re lucky, because we enjoyed the ritual of it all. Needless to say, our Mom ended up paying for all these products. Yea!

When I left home, I of course continued on with my ritual, and became interested in making products that were more natural than you could find in the stores. Making my own products was also fresher, custom, no garbage ingredients, and less expensive. That was 17 years ago, and my passion is still going strong.

Because of my skin care product passion, I became interested in herbs, botanicals, medicinal essential oils, and complimentary alternative (holistic) medicine. That interest led me to believe that I needed more education. I found an accredited school in Portland, Oregon-The American College of Healthcare Sciences. There-I received a certificate in Natural Product Manufacturing and a certificate in Aromatherapy. This experience was and still is-SO inspiring and consuming-a true Love.

I believe my products reflect my love and passion for excellent skin care products. I am proud that I have researched and formulated each product with only beneficial ingredients that I would use myself-which I do everyday!!!! I bring my products to you, as fresh as can be, and formulated for skin health.  Ali O.


Through the years I have learned the terminology of cosmetic ingredients and what they are, by reading the labels and using my cosmetic dictionary. Getting familiar with the terms helps me make buying decisions. Below are two books-cosmetic ingredient dictionary and safe cosmetics. You can find these books at Amazon.com.
A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, 7th Edition: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals by Ruth Winter (Oct 20, 2009)

No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products–and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics by Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt (Jul 13, 2010)

There are also online databases that you can use to look up ingredients. I prefer to have my dictionary with me in the store. 

Skin Deep Cosmetics Database | Environmental Working Group

Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary: Alphabetical: A-Z    The cosmetic cops.

Yummy Fresh!! REAL!!!!!

The video below, also has to do with ingredients– in the food industry and their food label claims and food label guidelines, . Mike Adams who is known as  ”Health Ranger”-has solved the mystery of the missing blueberries. It’s quite an interesting video on the blueberries that are missing in the foods that are advertised as having blueberries. Instead these foods have petro-chemical food colorings and who know the effects of food coloring, hydrogenated oils, and a plethora of other items that make up BLUEBERRIES!!!!! They also mention some companies that actually HAVE blueberries in the product, AND some even organic!! These companies that make false claims and false blueberries are raking in the money on cheap, crappy, bad for you ingredients. Don’t buy into this. I want real blueberries AND we do have a choice!!

Well that’s it for now. If you care about ingredients-it’s very simple-READ THE LABEL!!!

    Ali O.

 

Green Topics-Meat Glue

Meat Glue

O.K. here I go again on the topic of food and what is being done to it-that you may not know or really don’t want to know. I want to know so that I can choose the healthiest foods that are available.

In some of my other blogs I talked about genetically modified seeds, grains, and food. I also talked about sewer sludge being dumped on the crops. Below is an overview of those blogs. Now to add to the list of disgusting things people are doing to food-mainly for profit-with no cares about how it affects fellow human beings

Genetically modified plants have toxins that are built into the plant itself through genes, that work as a bio-pesticide, toxic to insects and other pests. Blood tests show that in this form, those toxins show up in 100% of pregnant women and their fetuses!

We can see evidence of the toxic effects by even just consuming animals who eat GM feed. Yet the USDA continues to flash green lights for GM crop approvals considering the crops safe for animals, people, and children in the womb.

Municiple governments across the U.S. are trying to convince farmers that municipal wastewater from sewage plants-SLUDGE- can magically transform into “organic fertilizer”. Ha! If you are not eating organic-YOU are eating sludge. Organic certification and inspections DO NOT include the use of sludge as a fertilizer at organic farms. At least you’ll know what you aren’t eating. Don’t believe when they??? say there’s no difference between conventional and organic foods. Sewage sludge is a form of hazardous waste and needs to be contained and isolated as such.

California proposition 65 (P65) requires the listing of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. Chemicals known to the SFPUC that are in San Francisco sewage sludge that are also found on the California P65 list include:

Mercury – Molybdenum – Cobalt – Antimony Chromium – Dibenzofurans – Naphthalene – 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (Dbcp) – Di (2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate (Dehp) – Tcdd Equivalents (Dioxins) Such As Octachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxins (Ocdd)

MEAT GLUE

Recently in the news is another concern on how our food is treated. Meat glue is being used to stick together scraps of meat to re-sell as prime cuts. OMG!! This practiced is banned overseas but not in the U.S.
They take cuts of meat-any meat-even fish-that are too small to sell as a prime cut, and glue it together to look like a prime cut, and then re-sell the meat at top price. The amazing thing about all this is that NO ONE can tell that the meat is glued-not even a butcher!
When they use this substance on the meat the butchers wear a mask. It is dangerous to breath. Part of this substance contains the blood plasma from pigs and cattle-a coagulant. If the meat is not cooked enough a person may get food poisoning. The amount of bacteria is 100 times higher than in untreated meat. Restaurants are the biggest buyers of this kind of meat.
Meat glue is not included in the labeling laws, and the producers are certainly not going to inform you unless they have to. What next? The common practice of injecting cuts of meat with water to add weight and flavor to make the meat edible.  How gross.
All I can do is buy organic meat as the producers to not use sludge, GMO grains, meat glue, or injections. If we all bought organic, the prices would certainly come down. I don’t care what the price is, I don’t want to wonder about what I’m eating.
Video-Special Investigation-Meat Glue
 

That’s it for now.   Ali O signing off……….

Beauty From Other Cultures-African & South East Asia.

Beauty From Other Cultures-African & South East Asian Tribal Beauty

Long Neck Women of Southern Africa, Northern Thailand & Burma

Giraffe women originated around the 11th century from South Africa and Thailand. The brass coils around their necks are associated with beauty. The tradition starts at age 5. The “Long Neck Tribe are from Southern Africa wear brass & copper rings around their necks after they get married. Marriage is usually around 12 years old. The rings are to show tribal wealth and provides spiritual power.
The rings actually don’t stretch their neck-it’s an illusion. What the rings are really doing is weighing down the collar bone, pushing their shoulders down, and actually deforming their body to the extent that there are many daily things that these women can not do. These rings can cause pain, infection under the rings, weakened neck muscles, and bone structure deformation. It is said that these women can not drink from a cup without a straw, and that she will fall over backwards if she looks up at the sky.

Beautiful Ear Decorations

I Like This Woman's Look!

As you can see-the ear is slit and small plugs or disks are put in. As the skin stretches, a bigger, then a bigger,and a bigger object is put in until the desired beautiful look is accomplished. Here in the United States, many people are adopting ear plugs and disks, but not to such a degree.

Skin Scarring

This man is not scarred on his skin-just his nose!!!

Skin scarring is done by both men and women. Some say it really came into vogue during the slave trade days. They thought if they were scarred, that the slave traders would not want them. Some say it’s for beauty. For whatever reason-scarring is very much practiced today-kinda like tattooing.

The nomadic Wodaabe tribe of southwestern Niger are famous for their weaving and dyeing of beautiful cloth. The men take great pride in their physical beauty. At the geerewol festival, men are judged for their beauty. An example of one of these beautiful men below.

Men also take great pride in their male member. These sheaths ( some are gourds ) are also for modesty for pubescent females.



One of the most unusual body adornments is the disks-plates that the Suri women of Africa put in their lower lip. This practice is started young and takes time to get to the proper size. A woman with a large disk requires from her future husbands family-MORE cattle than a girl with a smaller lip disk. It is said that this disk may also have discouraged slave traders from taking these women. Some modern girls are opting out of this tradition......AND do still find a man who will pay for her with cattle.

Finally-below is a very interesting video (sorry about the short commercial before the video-you can choose to skip it) about lip disks or plates, how they are made, how the lips are stretched, what the women think about this custom, and what a modern girl has to say about the tradition.

That's beauty in Africa and Southeast Asia for now. Hope you enjoyed it. My favorites were the ear decorations and the scarring.

Bye for now!! Ali O.

Natural Skin Care Recipes and Products-Masks Part 3

Natural Skin Care Recipes and Products-Masks Part 3

Daily Facial Scrub, Cleanser, Exfoliator for Sensitive Skin

 Removing spent skin cells that sit on the top of your skin is key to glowing skin. Removing those dead skin cells speeds up skin renewal and helps your skin to be more receptive to moisturizing products. Exfoliators are what we need for that chore. Facial exfoliators-in my opinion-need to be very gentle and used often. That’s why I recommend an exfoliator that won’t cut you beautiful facial skin. Ground up fruit shells, seeds, pumice, or other exfoliants make microscopic cuts all over your skin. I like to use ROUND poppy seeds. These seeds are gentle and won’t damage your skin. I formulated a skin cleanser-scrub-exfoliator for my own use and I love it. I have put this scrub in my product line and my customers love it!

Make It Yourself

The ingredients are simple and a 4oz. jar can be made to last 2 weeks, a month??? Depends on how often you use it.
You will need your favorite unscented body gel-wash—3.5oz.
3 Tablespoons of poppyseeds
1 &1/2 heaping teaspoons of guar gum
1-Teaspoon of your favorite essential oils-I use 1/4 teaspoon lemon-1/4 teaspoon orange, and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint
Mix together well and scoop into sanitized 4oz. jar
You can get the guar gum-a totally natural thickener-1 pound for about $7.00 at Organic Creations–that will last a long time
For the cost of these ingredients-you can make this cleanser for a year or two. Give some to friends and family. Made fresh by YOU!!!!!!
If you prefer not to make this cleanser, you can always purchase a jar from me.

A-Tone-Mint Natural Facial Scrub

I made this naturally hydrating-exhilarating, and exfoliating scrub to be used as a facial skin cleanser-facial scrub-for sensitive skin–mainly for myself. I couldn’t find a natural facial cleanser -that very gently exfoliates AND cleanses-at the same time. I came up with a formula that I love. This sensitive skin product is a facial cleansing paste with poppy seeds to gently exfoliate the face. You put a small dab in your hand, wet it, lather it up, and wash your face. I use this cleanser every day-it’s that gentle.
This exfoliating anti aging skin product with poppy seeds-is a gentle cleanser made especially for sensitive or mature skin. The poppy seeds gently exfoliate lifeless, dull skin cells, allowing new, healthy skin to shine through. The sloughing off of spent skin cells promotes the absorption and retention of moisturizing nutrients.
Poppy seeds are completely round and won’t scratch the skin like ground up fruit shells, seeds, pumice, or other exfoliants. It was made to be a daily facial cleanser. The peppermint essential oil has the WOW wake up factor, while the lemon and orange essentials oils clean and sanitize the skin.
Ingredients:
• Water • Potassium Cocoate (Derivedfrom Organic
Coconut Oil) • PotassiumOleate (Derived from
OrganicSunflower Oil) • Lauryl Betaine(Derived from a
common constituent ofvegetable fats especially coconut
oil) •Glycerin (Organic origin – by-product ofsoap
manufacturing) • Benzyl Alcohol(Preservative) •
Potassium PalmKernelate (Potassium salt of PalmKernel)
• Palm Kernel Acid (Fatty acidof palm kernel oil used as an opacifier,surfactant and emulsifier) • DecylGlucoside (cosmetic filler and soothes skin – synthetic) • Potassium Citrate(regulates acidity pH) & Poppyseeds. 90% Organic
Gentle enough to use daily.
3 times a week is recommended.
4 ounce jar.
The aroma is from essential oils-which also benefits the skin.
Essential oils of Orange, Lemon, and Peppermint. The aroma is citrusy and uplifting. Just a small amount of peppermint to awaken you!!!!

That’s it for now. Take care of your skin & stay beautiful !!!!  Ali O.

Natural Skin Care Recipes-Masks Part 2

 Oatmeal Yogurt Sugar Mask-Scrub

Hi there!!! And Happy New Year to you all!! It’s been a while since my last blog. Oh my! Holidays and all.
Before I get to the mask, I would like to say a few things about our skin and this anti-aging craze. I am of the opinion that good skin care certainly helps the skin stay healthy, but surface regimes are not going to stop the aging process. I do believe that using natural ingredients from nature over synthetics and chemicals, is what your skin needs and craves. Just like your body, you wouldn’t want synthetics and chemicals in your food. Everything that you put on your skin, sinks into your body and circulates in your blood system.
The most important thing that you can do for your skin, to look younger, and slow down the aging process comes from within your own body. I think eating really good food is number 1. Staying out of the sun is number 2. Exercise regularly to get the toxins out of your body is number 3. Keeping your stress level manageable and good sleep are number 4. Of course it always helps to have the family genes for clear, beautiful skin!!!!
As far as surface regimes are concerned, use natural ingredients, exfoliate 3 times a week, massage your face, and moisturize.
I use a cosmetic dictionary to understand the complex names of ingredients. If you understand the labels, you can make an educated purchase. Please don’t be taken in by fancy claims and high prices. Read the label.
O.K-on to a natural facial mask, with ingredients from your home.

Oatmeal Yogurt Sugar Mask-Scrub

This is a simple mask-scrub which you can formulate to your liking. You may also add other beneficial ingredients that are in your cupboards. Now you want to make this into a paste that will stick to your face while scrubbing. You may even want to apply it and sit back for 10 minutes before you gently scrub your face and then rinse off. I am not going to tell you the exact recipe because I make this mask different every time I make it.
Ingredients
Oatmeal (organic of course)-humectant-helps to retain moisture-ground up but not too fine
Sugar (brown-organic of course)-exfoliator
Yogurt (regular, unflavored & organic of course)-lactic acid-skin smoother & dead skin cell remover
Lemon- natural fruit acid to take off dead skin cells and also kills bacteria-add just a bit
Honey-antiseptic, tightens the pores, natural antioxidant and anti-microbial properties-add just a bit
Experiment-Have Fun!!! Be creative!! Be Your Own Beautician!!!
Let me know how it turns out for you and what you think!!!!  Please!!!!!
Next week I’ll give you my formula for a DAILY facial scrub that is super gentle, and leaves you with radiant skin-feeling silky smooth. I have been selling this product with great reviews, but it is not up on my website yet. Once I get it on my website-I’ll give you the recipe so you can make it at home or purchase from me. It’s awesome!!
That’s all for now. Be well and feel beautiful!!  Ali O.