Homeopathy Remedies

Continuing our series on greening your personal care routine, here are some all natural ways to remove makeup.

Written by: RobinRaven • Edited by: Donna Cosmato, posted on Bright Hub

Wearing makeup is a daily ritual for many women. Taking it off at the end of the day can seem like the ultimate chore. Commercial eye make-up removers can leave the eyes burning or feeling dry. There are green, vegan companies like Aveda, Urban Decay and Arbonne that offer green make-up removers. However, it may be possible to save some money and simply go with natural makeup removers that you likely already have lying around your house. Although these products are natural, they are home remedies. As such, they have not been tested for safety and effectiveness around the eyes so you should consult with an expert or medical professional before using any of them on a consistent basis.

Baby Oil
Perhaps something you never would have considered placing near your eyes, baby oil is actually a gentle, effective eye makeup remover. It also works on other areas of the face, but use it sparingly. The oil isn’t always best for the entire face. When used for the eyes, it’s a must. Less is more when applying it. A few dabs of the oil on a cotton ball or facial tissue is perfect. Rub it over the eye area while your eyes are gently closed. Depending on how much make up was applied, you may have to repeat the process a couple of times.

Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil
Make a mixture of these two natural ingredients to get a powerful makeup remover that’s also gentle on the skin. You must use 100% aloe vera gel for the mixture. Mix 1 cup of aloe vera gel with 1/2 cup of jojoba oil. Apply with a cotton ball to effectively remove makeup from your face.

Organic Almond Oil
This oil has more widespread use in France. It can double as a make-up remover. It can be used and applied on eyes in the same manner as baby oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
While this will be a bit more greasy around the eyes than organic almond oil, some women claim that extra virgin olive oil is a fantastic eye makeup remover when nothing else is around. It’s gentle, but it’s not good to use on all parts of the face. Be careful not to get too much in your eye itself.

Almond Milk
Almond milk is a fantastic makeup remover for the entire face. Apply it to a cotton ball. Go over your face in circular motions until all of the makeup is off. Again, this may take a couple of tries if there is a lot of makeup on the skin.

Banana and Soy Milk
Mash up a single banana with a tablespoon of soy milk. Mash it together in a cup with a spoon. When it has an even consistency, place it all over the face with your hands. Leave it on the skin for ten minutes, then wash it off for the removal of your makeup. Rinse if any makeup remains. The process can be safely repeated ifr desired.

Lemon Juice and Rice Milk
Add 2 parts rice milk to 1 part lemon juice. Stir together. Apply this to the skin with a cotton ball or pad to remove makeup effectively from the face, but the eye are should be avoided. Lemon juice left on skin by itself is said to reduce freckles as well, but that’s an unproven theory. This is not for use on the eyes.

Oil Mixture
When you mix an equal amount of canola oil, castor oil and the aforementioned olive oil, a powerful makeup remover is created, one that’s still all-natural. Use it on the face and eyes. Because of the obvious oil in the mixture, this should be used sparingly. It is effective and especially great when you are in need of a quick fix to your usual routine.

Green Tea with Rice Milk
Green tea is full of antioxidants which can be absorbed when ingested, but it’s also good for your skin. Brew green tea and add 1/2 cup of rice milk to one cup of green tea. Mix it well. Let it cool. When it’s at room temperature, apply it liberally to the skin with cotton balls or pads to gently remove make up.

Cucumber
Peel a cucumber. Mash it into a paste, adding only a small bit of water. The cucumber has its own natural moisture. Once you’ve made the paste, apply it to your skin liberally to gently scrub away the makeup. The seeds help with exfoliation. Cucumbers have long been placed over the eyes of women needing a pick-me-up or to get rid of bags under the eyes. Using cucumber to remove makeup leaves the skin feeling very refreshed.

In Closing
These are home remedies that have worked for others, but every person is different. Make sure that you don’t have an allergy to a potential ingredient. Use caution and concern when placing anything near your eyes. Consult a doctor before using any new products.

Continuing our posts on eco-friendly cosmetics and greening our personal care routine, here is a great article on greening your Mascara.

Written by: Marina Hanes • Edited by: Niki Fears, Posted on Bright Hub

Mascara is a girl’s best friend, because it makes your eyes get noticed. However, many mascaras contain chemicals and are even tested on animals. Instead of continuing to use unsafe mascara, you can follow these eco-friendly mascara tips and find a quality, natural mascara that meets your needs.

Magic Eyelash Wands
The bigger the eyelashes, the better, right? Well, have you ever thought about the chemicals that might be seeping into your eyes from the mascara? Or how would you feel if you knew that your favorite mascara was tested on innocent bunnies? Mascara is an essential item to have in a girl’s makeup bag, but you don’t have to risk your health or the environment simply to have skyscraper lashes.

Natural Mascara
There are so many mascara brands fighting for your attention. Some have tiny bristle wands while others have fuller ones, but almost every one promises longer, thicker and flake free lashes. While these may be the results you want from high quality mascara, you don’t have to settle for the chemicals, inhumane product development or wasteful packaging.

When purchasing natural mascara, make sure the product doesn’t contain the following ingredients: synthetic dyes and fragrances, petro-chemicals, parabens, sulfates and phthalates. Anything that goes near your eye should be free of chemicals.

Foolproof Removal
Removing waterproof mascara from your eyelashes can be frustrating and challenging, but it’s beneficial to completely rid your lashes of makeup to prevent an invasion of eyelash bugs (Demodex Folliculorum), which live on all of our eyelashes but can cause problems such as eye infections, thin eyelashes and belpharitis.

If you use eye makeup remover and cotton balls every day, you need to give a more efficient and less wasteful option a try. Plus, rubbing too hard with a cotton ball can make your skin raw and even encourage wrinkles. Instead, use straight olive oil. Cover your eyelashes with the olive oil and hold your fingers over your lashes or use a washcloth. This will give the olive oil time to break up the mascara, which should easily slide off of your lashes. Next, you will need to use your facial cleanser to clear away any left over mascara.

Long, full lashes are the perfect accessories to any outfit, so try these eco-friendly options, which can give you the same look in a safer way!

Try some herbs to maintain the health of your brain! A great article from Thrifty & Green.

Consuming Some Herbs regularly may Prevent Dementia

What is Dementia?
Dementia is a debilitating and incurable disease. However, recent studies show that regularly consuming certain herbs may help slow down or even prevent its onslaught.

People with dementia don’t just forget a friend’s name, but much of their shared history. It becomes difficult to interact with other people, think abstractly, solve problems, speak, write and even comprehend words. This chronic, progressive condition can eventually erode the ability to perform tasks as basic as getting dressed in the morning.

There are more than 60 types of dementia. The most common type is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which afflicts more than 35 million people worldwide. Parkinson’s disease, which impairs muscle control, is another well-known type.

Non-Traditional Treatments
Worldwide, traditional healers prize selected herbs for sustaining mental function. So far, the research on herbs to enhance memory remains preliminary. As with pharmaceuticals, no herb has yet been proven to cure dementia or to prevent it from developing. Nevertheless, some experts are optimistic about particular herbs.

One such expert is Con Stough, Ph.D., a professor of neuropsychology at the Brain Sciences Institute at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. Stough pointed out that, while pharmaceuticals tend to have a single action, herbs can have numerous, often synergistic actions. Because AD and other dementias have multiple causes, this herbal multitasking is important.

The herb best supported by research is ginkgo, said neuropsychopharmacologist Jerry Cott, Ph.D. In a recent trial of people with dementia, 240 mg a day of ginkgo improved memory and attention. It also relieved some of the depression, anxiety and agitation that can complicate the disease. Furthermore, a couple of studies suggest ginkgo perks up mental function in people with mild age-related memory impairment.

Can ginkgo prevent this disease? That much is still unclear. Preliminary results are now available from a much-awaited French trial called the GuidAge Study, in which 2,854 elderly people with memory problems (but no dementia) took either 120 mg of a ginkgo extract or a placebo twice a day for five years. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of progression to dementia. However, among the people who took their ginkgo as directed for at least four years, the development of dementia was cut in half.

The herb bacopa is also gaining a reputation as a brain aid. Stough, who has done much of the research on bacopa, said the herb has several anti-Alzheimer’s actions. “There is a growing consensus indicating that bacopa and particularly CDRI08 [a special standardized extract] improve memory and cognition in non-AD patients.”

In the largest study, 107 healthy adults took either a placebo or a bacopa extract (two 150-mg tablets a day) for three months. Those who faithfully took the herb performed significantly better on memory tests. A 12-week study of healthy adults showed bacopa improved learning and memory and reduced anxiety.

Historically used to enhance vitality, Asian ginseng and American ginseng benefit the brain. Both species are adaptogens, substances that mitigate stress overload. Chronic stress can atrophy brain areas involved in memory.

Alexander Panossian, Ph.D., head of research and development at the Swedish Herbal Institute, has published numerous articles on adaptogens. He believes both that stress overload is a risk factor for dementia and that “adaptogens might be very beneficial in preventing dementia.”

While research has yet to prove that theory, two preliminary studies found that Asian ginseng, as an add-on to drug treatment, improved cognitive function in people with AD. Both Asian and American ginseng have been shown to boost memory in healthy people, as well.

Another promising adaptogen is rhodiola. Recent research by Panossian and others shows rhodiola improves symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, and reduces mental fatigue.

Rhodiola hasn’t yet been studied in people with dementia. Nevertheless, Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia Gerbarg, M.D., authors of The Rhodiola Revolution, found that rhodiola can enhance memory and cognitive function in their patients, including those with age-related memory decline and mild dementia.

Curcumin, which comes from the curry spice turmeric, is an isolated plant chemical that inhibits formation of beta-amyloid (a misfolded protein that accumulates in the brains of those with AD) and improves its clearance from the body. Studies investigating the potential benefits to AD have just begun.

Everyday Solutions
Chemically speaking, curcumin is a polyphenol, a type of chemical that may protect against certain effects of aging. Other polyphenol-rich plants Drink a cup of Green Tea a Day include red grapes, berries, pomegranates, green tea, chocolate, and coffee. Berries are rich with a neuroprotective polyphenol called anthocyanins, which can help prevent the development of Parkinson’s disease. Grape polyphenols reduce production of beta-amyloid and protect the brain cells from its toxic effects. Lab experiments also show green tea polyphenols protect against beta-amyloid-induced nerve toxicity. People who drink green tea have a reduced risk of dementia, including AD and Parkinson’s.

Research has yet to prove that changing one’s lifestyle reduces the risk of dementia. However, several strategies have at least preliminary support:

Diet matters. Whereas diets high in saturated fat increase dementia risk, those replete with vegetables and fish lower it. The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and olive oil, seems to protect against AD and slow the rate of age-related cognitive decline.

Stay active. In a new study of 120 older adults, an aerobic training program increased the size of the hippocampus (a brain region that shrinks some with advancing age and more dramatically in AD) and improved spatial memory.

Use it or lose it. Spending more time on intellectual activities is associated with a reduced probability of AD. Some research shows that memory exercises and less-structured intellectual pursuits can yield benefits for healthy adults and those beginning to lose their mental edge.

The best bets to maintain brain health are to eat a plant-based diet rich in berries, red grapes and curried food, drink green tea, regularly exercise, take time to relax, and keep learning. Should herbs be taken to ward off dementia? Research hasn’t completely answered that question. In the meantime, Dr. Jerry Cott is taking his daily dose of bacopa and ginkgo.

Excerpted from The Herb Companion, a national magazine devoted to growing, cooking and healing with herbs. To read more articles from The Herb Companion magazine, please visit www.HerbCompanion.com Copyright 2011 by Ogden Publications Inc.

Here’s a very informative article written by: Stephanie Michael on BrightHub.

If you’re trying to green your life you’ve probably looked into ways to save water, save energy, and recycle trash but have you looked in your medicine cabinet? Personal care items like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup and nearly everything else can sometimes contain harmful, unnatural ingredients.

What’s in your bathroom and on your body?
We are all trying to do our part to help the ailing planet by greening the way we live. It’s easy to forget that the personal cosmetics we use on a daily basis contribute to the pollution in the brown water, or waste water, that gets sent to treatment plants and sometimes released into our streams and waterways. Those trace ingredients are then being absorbed by the skin everyday. Trying to replace everything at once can be stressful and expensive. Instead try finding key products in your home, the ones you use most, and replace those. Lets look at some of the most commonly used personal care products and what kind of alternatives you have.

Shampoos and Conditioners
It’s important to have clean hair, and for most of us its important to have soft and shiny hair. The great news about using green shampoos and conditioners is that the natural ingredients wash quickly from your hair leaving little to no chemical residues. This means your hair is free to shine and bounce, since it isn’t weighed down by all that gunk. I’ve found and tried a lot of brands and have success with a few brands: John Masters Organics gentle Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing shampoo and Hair Reconstructor is great for my hair. I do a lot of damage with my straight iron and love the silky feeling I get after washing but at $26 I find it to be a little expensive for everyday use. At $9 a bottle Alba Organics Gardenia Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner gives me similar results for a much better price. If you cant find what your looking for in your local stores, then try Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s or look online. I’ve found a lot of great sites that sometimes have specials for free shipping.

Body Washes and Lotions
Similarly to wanting clean shiny hair we all want clean and supple skin. Organic body wash is a little harder to find than organic body soap but as long as its full of natural ingredients it’s ideal. Something I didn’t realize until I switched to organic body wash is that the chemicals in my “moisturizing” body wash were actually drying out my skin which is why I needed such heavy duty moisturizer. Now that I’m using more natural products, I find I need much less lotion after. One of my favorite brands is Avalon organics. They make about 6 different kinds of great smelling body wash. At about $11 a bottle it’s priced in about the mid range of what I could find in stores and online. Avalon organics also makes moisturizers and I’m currently enjoying their lemon hand and body lotion. Considering our skin absorbs these products, sometimes before our eyes, I like to know that I’m not willingly putting any foreign chemicals into my body.

Deodorants
Deodorant is something that is applied to your skin liberally and daily. It keeps us dry and keeps odors at bay. For women who shave under their arms, the deodorant is usually applied to more sensitive and possibly broken skin. Have you ever stopped to try and read the unintelligible ingredients in your favorite brand? Many new studies are showing that the chemicals seeping through your skin from the deodorant may lead to hormonal imbalances, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s. One of the most commonly found ingredients is Aluminum Chloride which is an additive used to stop perspiration. No one wants to be sweaty but the body perspires in order to keep you from overheating and in order to release toxins. Ive found that spray deodorants usually work best and that antiperspirants do not exist outside of a chem lab. My favorite so far has been Weleda’s citrus deodorant spray, which is $12. If you’re willing to spend a little extra I have heard nothing but great things about Dr. Hauschka’s deodorants which are about $23 but have been recommended for super active lifestyles.

Small steps=Big change
Making small changes to your personal beauty routine every few weeks will eventually lead to a complete green overhaul in the bathroom. You’ll feel better knowing you are contributing less to an industry thats poisoning its customers and you can also feel better knowing your putting less potentially harmful ingredients into your body.

Sources:
Why makeup can be bad for you, http://themedicalsanctuary.com.au/articles/cms/15/why-make-up-can-be-bad-for-you
Cancer Causing Chemicals in Personal Care Products, http://www.healthy-communications.com/5cancercausingchemicals.html

It’s that time of the year for comfort foods…and one of the best is good old-fashioned, homemade soup! Makes you feel good, whether you are healthy or ill, plus it makes the house smell scrumptious! I challenge you to make a pot of soup from scratch! Read this great article from Seeds of Health and then tell me what your favorite homemade soup is!

Soup Up Your Health by D Laurent

In our hectic modern urban lives we’ve forgotten so many excellent traditional techniques for making highly nutritious and wonderfully delicious foods and so cheaply too. This knowledge was passed down over many generations and must once have seemed like such obvious common sense to those who held it and yet for the modern urbanite that knowledge has vanished in the mists of time to be replaced with TV dinners, microwavable chips and all the delights of fast food living.

The most fundamental of these traditions is the making of soup. Soup is surely the queen of foods. Wonderfully comforting and nourishing, soup is our balm, it fortifies the body, soothes sore throats, clears clogged airways, fights off colds, builds strong bones, and has even been rumoured to improve your love life! Its reputation as a health giving elixir is so well known that chicken soup is often called Jewish penicillin. The Chinese have been treating illnesses with soups for centuries. In the UK beef tea has an ancient reputation for healing and who could deny the Russians their borscht?

Stock

The foundation for all good soups is a good stock. Stock or broth is made by slowly simmering the bones, flesh and skins of animals or fish with vegetables like onions and carrots. Stocks are extremely nutritious; the slow simmering extracts the minerals of bone, marrow and vegetables as electrolytes, a form that is easy to assimilate.

Gelatine is an important constituent of stock. Gelatine is highly digestible; it contains amino acids like arginine and glycine and can increase the amino acid composition of other protein sources, like meat or eggs. It is beneficial for muscle growth and metabolism, for building and maintaining cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue, as well as promoting healthy skin and hair. Beyond its nutritional value, gelatine acts as a unique digestive aid. When added to a meal, gelatine rapidly absorbs digestive juices promoting even digestion of the stomach content and preventing a build up of too much acid.

Healing Soups

Of course stock itself has been used as a broth for the very ill for centuries. It’s nutritious and easy to digest and ensures that the invalid has plenty of fluids and minerals without adding any unnecessary strain on the system that digesting heavier foods might cause. There are many recipes for healing soups around the world but two of my favourites are chicken soup and tomato soup.

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is a favourite healing soup all over the world. It has often been called Jewish penicillin and scientists have spent time and money examining the actions of chicken soup on colds and flu. It’s no surprise that they’ve found evidence of the way chicken soup combats the symptoms of a cold. Dr Stephen Rennard, a US pulmonary specialist, tested various chicken soups, from a traditional, home made soup, to a number of commercial varieties, in the laboratory. He found that the soups had anti-inflammatory properties that helped sore throats and helped stop the movement of neutrophils (white blood cells that encourage the flow of mucus that accumulates in the lungs and nose). So grandmother was right all along!

Tomato Soup

Our family favourite for colds was tomato soup. Of course it helps to come from a tomato growing region – Guernsey tomatos are the best in the world. Made with a base of chicken stock, mother added tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil or oregano, all home grown. The soup was rich, thick and savoury. It’s still one of my favourite soups today. And what a glorious soup it is too. A wonderful sight as it comes to the table with a sprinkling of fresh oregano over the top, looking like chips of emerald against the ruby colour of the tomatoes. Truly, it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth.

Not Just a Pretty Face

Around the world there are so many recipes for healing soups, they may not have been subjected to scientific scrutiny the way chicken soup has but they have long traditions as healing foods. Lentil soups, pea and ham soups, coconut and fish soups, curried soups, onion soup, miso soup, the list is endless. You only have to look at the ingredients in soups to find out why they work. Let’s take tomato soup as an example. We’ve already discussed the health giving properties of the stock so lets look at the other ingredients.

The tomatoes in my mother’s soup are full of lycopene and vitamin C, both are antioxidants. Onions and garlic are very common ingredients in soup and are well known for their anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects. Onions contain quercetin, a formidable antioxidant with wide-ranging activity. Studies show that quercetin is anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Garlic is very active against bacteria, so active that the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria. It helps lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, reduce atherosclerotic buildup, is active against yeasts, prevents cancer, removes heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body, has anti-oxidant properties and is a source of selenium. The primary ingredients in Oregano, thymol and carvacrol (which are also found in thyme), help loosen phlegm in the lungs and relieve spasms in the bronchial passages. Many commercial cough remedies, including cough drops and skin rubs such as Vicks VapoRub, contain thymol.  No wonder it did us good!

Soups are not just delicious. They are comforting and warming in the winter and cooling and refreshing in the summer. They are a thing of beauty to behold and a joy to the taste buds, and they are also good for you. Concentrated nutrition in a bowl, what more could you want?