Natural Skin Care Recipes-Masks Part 1

Natural Skin Care Recipes-Masks-Part One
Facial Masks

As you all I know, I make skin care products. During an economic down turn people still buy face creams, body lotions, and the like. What suffers is the spa industry. Only the very rich can still afford these services. There’s no need to feel deprived. You can still get wonderful face treatments, done by YOU, in your own home. These treatments are fresher, you control the ingredients, and they are certainly affordable. Home masks are just as effective as a spa treatment.
 There are many, many masks that can be done for all kinds of skin issues. In this first part of a mask series, I will offer 2 simple masks that can be done at home.
The first exfoliating mask I will be talking about is one of my favorites, especially during the summer months. A STRAWBERRY & PAPAYA mask. Now I mash up equal amounts of both fruits, maybe even enough for the week (3 applications). I sit at a table with a large bowl under my face, and apply the mixture and massage my face on and off for 15 minutes, while watching Martha Stewart-of course-Ha!. I then rinse my face and then spray my face with my rose or lavender toner. Pat dry and moisturize. It’s as simple as that!!!! Easy peezy lemon squeezy!
This mask replicates a light fruit acid peel that is offered at many spas and salons.  Papaya contains the enzyme papain, which helps to dissolves lifeless skin cells that sit on the top layer of your skin. If you remove this lifeless layer regularly, your skin will be newer and more radiant. The strawberries contain salicylic acid, along with other fruit acids, to deep clean the pores and slough off that old skin. These fruits also offer a plethora of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
This video below is another woman’s way of doing the same facial mask.

Papaya and Strawberry Home Facial Treatment

Now for an oooey gooey moisturizing mask, which by the way is also nice for minor acne because of the anti-microbial properties of honey. This is an AVOCADO and HONEY MOISTURIZING MASK.

Avocado contains fatty acids and is known for it’s moisturizing properties. Your skin can also use the vitamins and minerals that it’s full of.
Honey-oh the wonders of honey!! For the skin, honey has natural antioxidant and anti-microbial properties, which is wonderful for all skin types. Honey absorbs and retains moisture keeping the skin hydrated and prevents drying.

Recipe-AVOCADO and  HONEY facial mask
Take a small slice of organic avocado-put the rest in your salad. Mash it up. Mix with 2 teaspoons organic honey, into a nice gooey mixture. Apply for 15 minutes. Finish with a toner and moisturizer (avocado oil perhaps?) Voila! Darlin’ you look marrrvalous.
More masks to come soon and they are not just for the face.
Signing off!!  Ali O.

2 Toners to Make at Home

 

2 Toners to Make at Home

Citrus toner & Rose toner

This Citrus toner can be made from simple things in your home.  If you don’t have the essential oils of orange, lemon, grapefruit and mint-you can always use the tangible fruits.  Keep in mind-that fruit products do not keep as long as essential oils.
Citrus Mint Toner
3 Tbsp fresh mint leaves       or——-2 drops mint essential oil
peel from 1 orange                or——-3 drops orange essential oil
Peel from 1/2 lemon              or——-3 drops lemon essential oil
Peel from 1/3 grapefruit        or——-3 drops grapefruit essential oil
1 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp witch hazel extract or 1/2 cup witch hazel distillate.
1. Place mint leaves in a bowl and bruise with a spoon in order to release their volatile oils.
2. Add citrus peels.
3. Pour boiling water over leaves and peel and allow to cool completely
4. Strain to remove solids.
5. Add witch hazel extract (tincture) or distillate.
6. Pour into a clean container
*NOTE: as an unpreserved toner, this is essentially a “fresh” product that must be kept refrigerated and used up in a week or so. Don’t store it in your warm bathroom! Also makes a wonderfully refreshing facial mist for a pick-me-up any time of day.
ROSE TONER-very simple.
Excellent for acne, mature skin, and any skin!!!! Great for hydration-a spritzer in your purse!!
Rose water and rose essential oil.
4 oz. rose water and 10 drops rose essential oil.
LOVE that Rose!!!
Happy concocting!!!  Ali O.

Natural Beauty Tips-Crystal Nail Files

Natural Beauty Tips-Crystal Nail Files

Crystal Nails Files-For Nail Beauty

Why blog about crystal nail files? What a thoroughly interesting subject. If you take pride in the appearance of your nails, you may be interested in this subject. I don’t know of anyone who wants to help destroy their nails when they file. These files are the remedy for nail chipping, splitting nails, and nail problems. A great manicure tool for perfect nails.
There are only two manufacturers in the Czech Republic that make the original crystal glass nail files. What is Czech Glass?
The Czechs have been famous for years for their glass and crystal. The crystal nail files are made from tempered glass with some lead in it, which means that the final product has been heated to a certain temperature for a certain amount of time to make sure the glass throughout the file is melded together for super strength. The files are permanently etched for a super fine grit, and never wear out. These files can last a lifetime. These are THE BEST!!!! Don’t be fooled by Chinese copies.They are glass nail files-NOT crystal!  They don’t temper their glass( no lead in them), they spray the grit on the glass, they wear out quickly, and the files break easily. Don’t be fooled by imitations.
Emory boards, metal nail files, and other nail products, produce microscopic tears in your nails, which tends to make the nails chip, flake, and break later on down the road. You can avoid this problem by using crystal glass nail files.
The video below explains the value of these files for healthy nails.

I have been using these files for 5 years and I’ve never had one break. EVEN in my purse. I love these files so much, that I decided to offer them on my website for an excellent price. Below are a few examples of what my website has to offer.

Colored Nail Files

Waterfall Collection

Comet Collection

Art Glass on Clear

Art Glass on Color

Elegance Collection

Hard Cases

Well-that’s it for today. Be beautiful.  Ali O.

Beauty From Other Cultures-China & Foot Binding

Beauty From Other Cultures-China and Foot Binding

Of all the ancient Chinese customs, Chinese foot binding- also called lotus feet- is a beauty subject that I’ve always been fascinated by, and have researched on and off throughout my life. It wasn’t always about beauty. The practice also showed your status in life and your identity as a Woman and as a Man. There’s even a small very glossy book published in the last decade, with just pictures and pictures of the shoes worn by those Women with bound feet. I feel a weird kind of awe when I look at those pictures. Although this book had no pictures of Chinese bound feet, just looking at the pictures of the shoes, gives you an idea of the freakiness of it all.
OMG!!! Can you imagine? I couldn’t play water volleyball, go for a walk, or dance like no ones watching.

X-ray of feet

Chinese Lotus Shoes 

                                                                   

It’s estimated that 4.5 BILLION (some say only 2 BILLION) Chinese Women were subjected to this practice over a 1000-year period. As you can imagine there is much history involved-which I will go into briefly.
There are many theories, but no one is sure how this custom or what ever you would like to call it -started. Some say it was started as a way to emulate the tiny feet of a prince’s favorite concubine. Some say bound feet started after an empress who had club like feet. Her feet became viewed as a desirable and  beautiful attribute.
I have to say that not ALL of China practiced foot binding. There is a long history about who in China practiced this and the competition between different factions.
Foot binding was first practiced in the elite class of families and represented the females freedom from manual labor, and the males ability to afford the burden of a wife-or wives-who only directed the household, but did no physical labor. The foot binding process took a lot of years and pain to accomplish the 3 inch or Golden Lilies ideal.

O.K. The bottom line is that the process WAS pretty gruesome. Breaking the arch of the foot and four toes-THEN binding all that IN-to an eventual 3-inch total foot length, AND at an early age-mind you. OOOWWWW!!!!!! Not only is your childhood ruined, but so is the rest of your life. Your rendered inoperable. This was pretty?? Open sores, puss, stench, toenails digging into your flesh, gangrene, and even death. One old lady I read about said she was a virtual prisoner in her own home for 75 years. She felt too much pain for her to walk very far. Although there were dance troops with bound feet, and women who worked in the fields after the Communist Revolution-they were ALL in great pain. Foot binding was banned in 1912, and women were told to unbind their feet or they would be killed. Is that all?? What else can be done to these poor souls? In 1949 the Communists enforced a strict prohibition on binding, which included all areas of China, even ones so remote that they had never heard of the 1912 edict.
These tiny-three inch feet were supposed to look like a lotus shape, and the families took great pride in attaining the shape. Elegant embroidered silk slippers were made especially to enhance the lotus look. As you can imagine that walking with bound feet was very painful and difficult. The knees had to be bent slightly and one had to sway to maintain the proper movement to go forward. This walk became known as the Lotus Gait. They also wore shoes called “flower bowls”, on a high platform made of wood or with a small central pedestal.

Flower Bowl Shoes

O.K. I know this is a weird thought, but I’ve heard and read about this crevice in the bound feet. Men loved these tiny little feet.  They would hold them, rub them, and do what they wanted with them-if you get my drift.

Chines Foot Binding-"In her own words."

Beauty from other cultures-an interesting subject.  I think I’d rather have rings around my neck or plates in my lips. At least I could still walk. Signing off!!!  Ali O.

Beauty From Other Cultures-The Western World-A Series The Corset A Sign of Feminine Beauty

Beauty From Other Cultures-The Western World-A Series
The Corset
A Sign of Feminine Beauty

 

To have a small waist for a woman has always been in vogue. This fact has been known for thousands of years. It’s popularity really started to get noticed in Medieval times, but never was the corset as popular as in the 19th century, and into the 20th century.
To achieve this ideal hourglass figure, young girls-as early as 5 years old, would begin to wear a corset. Girls and women wore the corset for most of the day. There’s a good reason for this. Their muscles had atrophied due to the corset holding them up. The average woman could only hold herself up for short periods, and never went out of the house without one.
As you can imagine, there were many health issues associated with wearing one of those contraptions. Because of the steel or bone cage compressing their midriff, their bodies couldn’t grow properly, crowding and deforming their vital organs. Some health professionals believe that corsets caused cancer, anemia, birth defects, miscarriages, and damage to vital organs. I’m also sure they had some pretty gruesome skin conditions due to lack of air, abrasion, sweat, and heat. Oh-I forgot that these women were always fainting. It’s no wonder that we hear about these woman of this time fainting so often, not being able to do simple chores. They were so weak and hindered. Oh Scarlet!!!
When I think about this sort of fetish-men especially loved the small waists, I’m reminded of foot binding. Very similar-upper class fetish.
Below is a video about a woman with a 15 inch waist. Cathy Jung has THE SMALLEST WAIST IN THE WORLD!! She’s been wearing a corset, 24 hours a day, for over 20 years. At least she waited until after she had kids. Her husband loves her tiny waist and is an osteopath. There are other videos of her, showing before and after x-rays of her body. Yikes

Only the very upper class could achieve a true hour class figure. The rest of the folks had to toil away to survive. The more confining that the clothes were, the higher in class was the Lady, and certainly the less chores that she had to do.
Here is a video about the average Josie, and how she would lace up her own corset-no servants to help. The average woman who did wear a corset, wore them much looser.

That’s it for the corset. The next installment is about hoop skirts and bustles. Including how they attempted to sit down, not only on a chair, but to do their daily doody (sorry). Who needs a dog to destroy the house when you’re wearing  a HUGE skirt! Ha!
Added feature!
Fun slide show of French postcards with women wearing corsets and being scandalous!!!

Green Topics-Create A Change

  Green Topics-Create A Change

Well here I am again talking about food.  Mainly-our poisoned food. I have a passion about this subject, and I think people need to become aware of what is happening. This is one thing that we can change and have control over. WHAT WE EAT. This country is in big trouble, and I think we all feel helpless to do something to make it better. The POWERS that be are in charge, and they are in charge of our food. Why? Take a guess…….profit? Money the root of all evil.

In my other Green blogs about GMO products and sewer sludge, there is a lot of information. Here’s MORE. I just watched a video by Robyn O’Brien, 2011. She tells a story of her family, and a horrible experience with one of her children and a food allergy. She speaks about her journey of learning what is going on in the food industry, and how it’s affecting Americans, herself, and her family.
Her big questions were– why were the incidences of food allergies, cancers, and sickness when she was growing up-so low-compared to today? Yes —why?

I’ll give some information from her video, in case you don’t want to watch this highly informative video for 18 minutes. Well worth it!

Food allergies are much more prevalent today than in the past. From 1997-2002 allergies to peanuts have doubled. 1 out 17 babies under age 3 has a food allergy. The Center For Dis-ease Control said there has been a 265% increase in the rate of hospitalizations that are related to food allergy reactions. They also say-”A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to a certain food that the body reacts to as harmful.” An estimated 4% to 6% of U.S. children of children under age 18 have food allergies. Is there something foreign in the food? Why is this?

Milk is the most common food allergy in the U.S. The USDA says that in the 1990’s, new proteins were engineered into our food supply, to maximize profits of the food industry. No human trials were conducted to see if these genetically engineered proteins were safe. The argument was “well they haven’t been proved dangerous.” I guess there was no proof either way.

Well all this genetically modified everything-like grain-fed to cows-cows get sick-ovarian cysts, lameness, skin disorders-which called for…Ta Da

guess….antibiotics. The cows are sick from GMO’s and add to that antibiotics….hmmm….yummy to the tummy.

In Robin’s video, she mentions that in the late 1990′s, corns DNA was genetically engineered to release it’s own pesticide as it grows. The Environmental Protection Agency–GET THIS!!!–listed corn as a pestiside. Yummy!!  Just think of all the corn products out there AND the corn fed to animals. I eat organic so I don’t have to worry about this disgusting thing the powers that be have inflicted upon us. We’re probably injured already at this point since this has been going on for over 15 years. A poor baby in the womb hardly stands a chance.

The rest of the world wasn’t as ignorant and adoring of the government that supposedly protects us. Ha! Canada, the UK, Japan, and New Zealand banned this frigging crap, which was introduced into the US in 1994. These countries are also WAYYYYYY ahead of us by implementing complementary alternative medicine, preventative medicine, and the like.

The US relies on allopathic medicine to cure a country with the HIGHEST cancer rate in ALL the world. US??????  Imagine-the greatest country in the world. The American Cancer Society has said that someone that moves to the United States increases their cancer risk 4 fold. My God!! They also say that 1 in 10 breast cancers are genetic, and 9 in 10 are from the environment.

1 in 4 people don’t know what gmo’s are. That’s why I keep writing about this. The statistics about getting cancer for the Baby Boomers is astounding. The US spends more money on healthcare than any other country in the world. I feel that is because we are being poisoned for profit, and the populace is uneducated.

Our Food-Quote From Seeds Of Deception

“Even though evidence of this apparent fraud at the FDA was presented at a Washington, D.C. press conference in 1999 with major media in attendance, the media didn’t alert the public.  In fact, most Americans know so little about this subject, that only about 1 in 4 consumers even know if they’ve ever eaten a GM food in their lives, even though the vast majority of processed foods contain derivatives from the four major GM crops: soy, corn, cottonseed and canola.”

The Pros & Con of Genetically Modified Seeds

“Earlier this month, Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, admitted that its genetically engineered “Bt” (bacillus thuringiensis) cotton seed wasn’t all that farmers in India had hoped.”

Farmers sue Monsanto over GMO seeds-Quote From grist.org

“The case, Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto, was filed in federal district court in Manhattan and assigned to Judge Naomi Buchwald.  Plaintiffs in the suit represent a broad array of family farmers, small businesses and organizations from within the organic agriculture community who are increasingly threatened by genetically modified seed contamination despite using their best efforts to avoid it.  The plaintiff organizations have over 270,000 members, including thousands of certified organic family farmers.

“This case asks whether Monsanto has the right to sue organic farmers for patent infringement if Monsanto’s transgenic seed should land on their property,” said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT’s Executive Director and Lecturer of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. “It seems quite perverse that an organic farmer contaminated by transgenic seed could be accused of patent infringement, but Monsanto has made such accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers for patent infringement, so we had to act to protect the interests of our clients.”

The false claims of GMOs

An article to read if you like. There is a lot of information out there.

Global Competition

The US has gotten itself in a bind. You all know that most of our manufacturing has gone overseas. A sad situation. To add to that, we can’t even compete in the food business. None of the countries that have more education and money, are willing to compromise their health for US food products. The third world countries can’t afford or don’t even have access to US food products. I’ve heard there are a few US companies producing food that is not contaminated (a sideline to their tainted products that Americans eat and accept), and selling these products to other countries.

All in all-WE have the power to change what food we choose to eat and therefore maybe the process. I’m trying to spread the word. Yes-GOOD food is more expensive at this moment in time. A bit of prevention and we all will need less healthcare and the expenses that go with it, and lead a happier life.

Sorry for doom and gloom. This is one subject that an individual has control over. Signing off. Eat right.

Ali O.

                                                            

 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……….