Hey everyone,
You can look back on previous blogs to see the original blog I did on cuckes but wanted to reshare the toner I make cuz it really is fabulous:
1/2 cucumber w/ peel, chopped
3 tbsp witch hazel
2tbsp distilled water
blend water, cuckes and witch hazel. This time I added 1 drop of teatree oil for acne as both my girls are starting with small whiteheads. Put in airtight container and refrigerate. Shake before each use.
Today, I did a clay mask and used cucumber juice (from my juicer) to mix it up. 1 tsp clay, 2 tsp cucumber juice. Apply to neck and face in upward strokes. Keave on no more than 15 minutes.
Tomorrow I'll be making my own peel off mask. I've never done this before so I'll report the results. It's good to do a peel off once a week, especially the day after clay because clay pulls all the nasty stuff to the surface, peel off's grab it and take it with them when you peel.
Ok, I have a juicer I hardly ever use and it's silly. When I was in Chicago visiting a good friend of mine, her and herhubby took me and the kids to a wonderful, famous restaurant called Wishbone. They had this juice there that was incredible. I'm gonna warn you, it's all raw veggies so if you're not used to that, you may have a rumbly tummy til u do get used to it. Mine is rumbly right now. Ok, here's the recipe
1 beet
2 full sized carrots
1 cup spinach
1 apple
You don't have to peel the apple or carrots but please wash your veggies first. So all this goes in the juicer. It's pretty concentrated, so if you want to add a half cup of cold water, I would do that. Believe it or not, it's pretty damn good!!! Enjoy!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Va J-J trouble and Shampoo Build Up - alternative to chemicals
Ok, how do you like that title? Sheesh...but I didn't want to be obvious and write out YEAST infection..
I've heard since the beginning of time it seems, that yogurt helps with yeast infections. Well, I did a LOT of googling and found a lot of freaky geeks out there but then I found some sites I feel are trustworthy and I called a good friend of mine who knows just about everything alternative there is to know. Both the sites and the friend confirmed these three facts:
Now, I hardly ever get yeast infections. The yeast spores remain there and can remain dormant. The spores can reactivate by a number of different factors. A huge increase in sugar intake, vigorous love making (that would be me), antibiotics...there are a lot of different factors that can trigger yeast. It's naturally occurring and doesn't mean you're dirty or there is something wrong with you if you get one, you just want to make sure you take care of it.
The reason you need plain yogurt is that sugar is yeast's natural best friend. Where there is sugar and yeast, a party is sure to occur. The spores themselves can be eliminated with use of an anti-fungal such as monostat, etc. I don't like the chemicals in those medications, I'm putting what into my vagina? Now, sometimes you have to. If you have recurring yeast infections, please go see your doc. I mean...duh.
The good bacteria in plain yogurt helps fight yeast and yogurt can be used both internally and externally
I found this link rather helpful: Yogurt Facts
So, I started eating my yogurt - plain but I really wanted to know if it offered as much relief as I had heard it would by putting some up in my girl part. How to do this? First I took a tampon and dipped it in but that didn't seem like enough yogurt. Then I removed the pon itself and filled it with yogurt. the problem is that most of the push up thingees on tampons, are hollow...this was getting frustrating and I was making a mess...soooo, I googled. I love google, you can type any old weird ass saying and always get some kind of response so I googled yogurt and female vaginal applicators...BOOM, there was a link to an article and as crazy as it sounds, this worked for me: Put the yogurt in an ice cube tray. You fill each cube about 1/2 of the way. When they are frozen, just pop one up there. Now, the first time I did this it got so cold I could barely move. So when I put one in now, I insert it and then lay down, on my back right away. The relief is immediate. Immediate. It feels that good. I usually rub it around on the outside of the area that is affected too before inserting, again, instant relief. The pain and discomfort seem to come back after about 7 hours. You should do this twice a day for 10 days and your infection will be gone. That's the part I don't know about yet. But definitely put yogurt in your tummy if you don't want to try the yogurt.
It does get messy, you will need to use a pad, the thin ones don't really cut it, you'll need something a little bigger. I shower twice a day when I'm doing this (and when I have my period). I just rinse out my girl part like always, then soap'er up and rinse again. I do that twice. Me personally, i can't stand being dirty down there. I think we've all caught that lovely whiff of a woman whose menstruating and who doesn't bother to clean herself up...ick. I was lucky enough to get my period today. So when I went to the bathroom at lunch and saw what I saw..let's just say yogurt and blood; not good. But the articles all say to treat right through your period. CRAZY. But I will. I'll let you know my results in 10 days.
Now for scalp buildup. I had heard of this kind of buildup, it's usually from shampoos and hair products, but I'd never experienced it before. I know when I use moisturizing shampoos, my hair becomes rather stringee and weighed down and that's what I thought was meant by build up but no....my youngest showers and washes her hair everyday. She's very good about that, I don't even have to ask her but I was rubbing her head the other day and happened to have her head under my chin and I glanced down and saw...something. I pulled her hair "down" so I could get a good look at the scalp and there was this layer of...it looked honestly, like ear wax. It covers most of the top of her scalp. I scraped my fingernail along it, which gave her the creeps but also told me this is something definitely build uppy...my youngest, like I said, is extremely clean but doesn't always get things that require dexterity, such as rinsing out your hair really well. So, I need to get something not so heavy (the cheap shampoos, the two in one shampoo's and conditioners, I learned) are more likely to not rinse out well and cause build up of this sort). I find that suave is a good over the counter shampoo if you can get one that isn't tooooo loaded down with fake perfumes. They tend to be more drying on your hair and are very good for greasy haired people in general so I think I'll go with those but here's what you do for the buildup. You take a normal amount of shampoo and add to that 1 tbsp of baking soda, create a nice paste in your hands then scrub scalp. I'm planning on using a lot more than this because her scalp is pretty bad. I'm going to go to target and see if they have one of those old fashioned plastic scrub brushes, my mom used to use them on our finger and toenails but they weren't specifically for that...anyways if I find one, I'll tell you what they're called. So yeah, scrub with that mix, then rinse hair with one cup white vinegar, this may bubble but it's ok, it's what helps destabalize the build up. You should then rinse with warm water and apply conditioner to keep it from drying out. I'm going to do this to her twice in a row, then once weekly since she shampoo's everyday. Doing it tonight so I'll let you know how it work out!!
I've heard since the beginning of time it seems, that yogurt helps with yeast infections. Well, I did a LOT of googling and found a lot of freaky geeks out there but then I found some sites I feel are trustworthy and I called a good friend of mine who knows just about everything alternative there is to know. Both the sites and the friend confirmed these three facts:
- Yogurt will kill yeast but not the yeast spores that the infection begins from
- Yogurt can be inserted into the vagina or you can simply eat it
- Yogurt MUST be plain, no sugar whatsoever
Now, I hardly ever get yeast infections. The yeast spores remain there and can remain dormant. The spores can reactivate by a number of different factors. A huge increase in sugar intake, vigorous love making (that would be me), antibiotics...there are a lot of different factors that can trigger yeast. It's naturally occurring and doesn't mean you're dirty or there is something wrong with you if you get one, you just want to make sure you take care of it.
The reason you need plain yogurt is that sugar is yeast's natural best friend. Where there is sugar and yeast, a party is sure to occur. The spores themselves can be eliminated with use of an anti-fungal such as monostat, etc. I don't like the chemicals in those medications, I'm putting what into my vagina? Now, sometimes you have to. If you have recurring yeast infections, please go see your doc. I mean...duh.
The good bacteria in plain yogurt helps fight yeast and yogurt can be used both internally and externally
I found this link rather helpful: Yogurt Facts
So, I started eating my yogurt - plain but I really wanted to know if it offered as much relief as I had heard it would by putting some up in my girl part. How to do this? First I took a tampon and dipped it in but that didn't seem like enough yogurt. Then I removed the pon itself and filled it with yogurt. the problem is that most of the push up thingees on tampons, are hollow...this was getting frustrating and I was making a mess...soooo, I googled. I love google, you can type any old weird ass saying and always get some kind of response so I googled yogurt and female vaginal applicators...BOOM, there was a link to an article and as crazy as it sounds, this worked for me: Put the yogurt in an ice cube tray. You fill each cube about 1/2 of the way. When they are frozen, just pop one up there. Now, the first time I did this it got so cold I could barely move. So when I put one in now, I insert it and then lay down, on my back right away. The relief is immediate. Immediate. It feels that good. I usually rub it around on the outside of the area that is affected too before inserting, again, instant relief. The pain and discomfort seem to come back after about 7 hours. You should do this twice a day for 10 days and your infection will be gone. That's the part I don't know about yet. But definitely put yogurt in your tummy if you don't want to try the yogurt.
It does get messy, you will need to use a pad, the thin ones don't really cut it, you'll need something a little bigger. I shower twice a day when I'm doing this (and when I have my period). I just rinse out my girl part like always, then soap'er up and rinse again. I do that twice. Me personally, i can't stand being dirty down there. I think we've all caught that lovely whiff of a woman whose menstruating and who doesn't bother to clean herself up...ick. I was lucky enough to get my period today. So when I went to the bathroom at lunch and saw what I saw..let's just say yogurt and blood; not good. But the articles all say to treat right through your period. CRAZY. But I will. I'll let you know my results in 10 days.
Now for scalp buildup. I had heard of this kind of buildup, it's usually from shampoos and hair products, but I'd never experienced it before. I know when I use moisturizing shampoos, my hair becomes rather stringee and weighed down and that's what I thought was meant by build up but no....my youngest showers and washes her hair everyday. She's very good about that, I don't even have to ask her but I was rubbing her head the other day and happened to have her head under my chin and I glanced down and saw...something. I pulled her hair "down" so I could get a good look at the scalp and there was this layer of...it looked honestly, like ear wax. It covers most of the top of her scalp. I scraped my fingernail along it, which gave her the creeps but also told me this is something definitely build uppy...my youngest, like I said, is extremely clean but doesn't always get things that require dexterity, such as rinsing out your hair really well. So, I need to get something not so heavy (the cheap shampoos, the two in one shampoo's and conditioners, I learned) are more likely to not rinse out well and cause build up of this sort). I find that suave is a good over the counter shampoo if you can get one that isn't tooooo loaded down with fake perfumes. They tend to be more drying on your hair and are very good for greasy haired people in general so I think I'll go with those but here's what you do for the buildup. You take a normal amount of shampoo and add to that 1 tbsp of baking soda, create a nice paste in your hands then scrub scalp. I'm planning on using a lot more than this because her scalp is pretty bad. I'm going to go to target and see if they have one of those old fashioned plastic scrub brushes, my mom used to use them on our finger and toenails but they weren't specifically for that...anyways if I find one, I'll tell you what they're called. So yeah, scrub with that mix, then rinse hair with one cup white vinegar, this may bubble but it's ok, it's what helps destabalize the build up. You should then rinse with warm water and apply conditioner to keep it from drying out. I'm going to do this to her twice in a row, then once weekly since she shampoo's everyday. Doing it tonight so I'll let you know how it work out!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Lotion Bars
Hey everyone,
A lot of people have asked me what lotion bars are...
At first glance, they look like a bar of soap. The ones I have made so far are made with pure cocoa butter, they smell like chocolate and are fabulous for the skin. It is what the name implies; a bar of lotion. Mine are made with cocoa butter, soy, olive and hemp oil, beeswax and a touch of shea butter. Both cocoa butter and shea butter are amazing for the skin, make it feel like silk and hemp...hemp is amazing stuff, will relieve almost any topical skin irritation.
Think of yourself as a silk nighty in which your lovers hands glide over you perfectly...smoothly.
Yeah, they feel that good on your skin.
You just take the bar and rub it over your body. The bar will soften up with your body heat. After rubbing it all over, I rub it in a bit with my hands. I'll warn you though, your skin will get addicted to them, lol.
I just came across a tub of deodorized cocoa butter, meaning the cocoa smell is not there...so I can make some lotion bars and add essential oils to them for scent...hit me up on my willows whimsy page, I put up a post asking for comments on what scents you'd like in a lotion bar...I'd love some feedback.
My lotion bars are $12.00 each and will last about a month with everyday use. As always, contact me if you're interested :)
Have a great day!
Denise
A lot of people have asked me what lotion bars are...
At first glance, they look like a bar of soap. The ones I have made so far are made with pure cocoa butter, they smell like chocolate and are fabulous for the skin. It is what the name implies; a bar of lotion. Mine are made with cocoa butter, soy, olive and hemp oil, beeswax and a touch of shea butter. Both cocoa butter and shea butter are amazing for the skin, make it feel like silk and hemp...hemp is amazing stuff, will relieve almost any topical skin irritation.
Think of yourself as a silk nighty in which your lovers hands glide over you perfectly...smoothly.
Yeah, they feel that good on your skin.
You just take the bar and rub it over your body. The bar will soften up with your body heat. After rubbing it all over, I rub it in a bit with my hands. I'll warn you though, your skin will get addicted to them, lol.
I just came across a tub of deodorized cocoa butter, meaning the cocoa smell is not there...so I can make some lotion bars and add essential oils to them for scent...hit me up on my willows whimsy page, I put up a post asking for comments on what scents you'd like in a lotion bar...I'd love some feedback.
My lotion bars are $12.00 each and will last about a month with everyday use. As always, contact me if you're interested :)
Have a great day!
Denise
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A couple things revisited
Ok, hey everyone,
So, the mask that I gave the recipe for the other day. The face mask for acne prone skin. I liked the way it made my skin feel but my face was beet red after.
So, I changed up the recipe a bit:
This makes a LOT of mask and I don't suggest using this one more than once a week so I would either make sure if you make the whole batch, that you're using it for someone else too or that you half the recipe.
As for the coconut sour cream hair mask that I blogged on, it's fabulous. I washed my hair last night and didn't even need to condition. I used the mask on my face.
As for the cucumber toner, I was off on that one too. Trying to remember all this is kind of nuts.
So, for the toner, one half cucumber chopped up, you don't have to peel it. Now, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and tell you that I prefer to run it through the juicer, that way you don't get chunks.
SO:
Hope this all helps, have fun, your skin will thank you!!!!!
So, the mask that I gave the recipe for the other day. The face mask for acne prone skin. I liked the way it made my skin feel but my face was beet red after.
So, I changed up the recipe a bit:
- 1/2 peeled cucumber
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 cup white vinegar
- 2 cups dry oatmeal
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup flour
This makes a LOT of mask and I don't suggest using this one more than once a week so I would either make sure if you make the whole batch, that you're using it for someone else too or that you half the recipe.
As for the coconut sour cream hair mask that I blogged on, it's fabulous. I washed my hair last night and didn't even need to condition. I used the mask on my face.
- one tsp sour cream
- one tsp coconut milk
As for the cucumber toner, I was off on that one too. Trying to remember all this is kind of nuts.
So, for the toner, one half cucumber chopped up, you don't have to peel it. Now, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and tell you that I prefer to run it through the juicer, that way you don't get chunks.
SO:
- 1/2 cucumber, chopped or juiced
- 2 tbsp distilled water
- 2 tbsp witch hazel
Hope this all helps, have fun, your skin will thank you!!!!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Kookoo for Coconuts
Good morning,
I got such fun response from my cucumber posting. Thank you. It's very humbling to know not only that people read these blogs but that they also try the things I suggest and let me know if they liked it or not. I want you to all know that if you try something and add something of your own or if you didn't like it, please feel free to email me and let me know. I'm planning on writing a book with all sorts of home product recipes and many of these will be included. I'm going to have to do a vanity publishing but the books will hopefully sell for $20.00 or less and I may even raffle some off or give them out as gifts to those of you who decide to hostess a party. I am not planning on this happening anytime soon but by end of December, I plan to submit it for editing and then will publish thereafter.
Ok, well I tried a new hair mask and I think of all I've done so far, this is my favorite. My hair is like silk today. My daughter couldn't keep from stroking it.
It's so simple it'll blow your mind. So, here's what I did. I bought a can of coconut milk. Coconut milk is thick and rich. I mixed a half cup coconut milk with a half cup sour cream. It smelled warm and sweet. I whisked these together and as usual, I worked well into my scalp all over and then worked my way down to the ends of my hair. Once it was fully saturated, I piled it on top of my head and wrapped it in seran wrap. I kept it in for an hour. Make sure, as always when you condition your hair, that you rinse really well. I would shampoo twice with this one, especially working into the scalp because I noticed this morning that I must've not scrubbed enough along the hairline under my neck in the back, it's a lil' greasy but no one can see that.
I had a chocolate spa day planned for myself but the truth of the matter is: you could use this on your face as well. Sour cream is incredibly moisturizing and takes any redness out of your face. I have mild rosacea and so I do a sour cream mask once a week. But I love, love, love the thickness of the coconut milk so I'll blend one teaspoon of the milk with 1 tsp of the sour cream. You just pull your hair back from your face and apply. This one you could leave on for an hour and it wouldn't hurt your skin. I'll probably put it on and then go about my many chores and then hop into the shower when it's time.
What is a chocolate spa? Well, let me tell you all about that. Chocolate is INCREDIBLE for your skin. It is super, power loaded with antioxidants. If you are allergic, please don't try this at home. The first thing I do is a mask, made out of ground espresso (coffee too is loaded with antioxidants), heaving whipping cream baking cocoa. When mixed together, this makes almost a mousse looking mixture. I put it on my entire face and neck. Yes, you will smell like coffee but it's just so wonderful. Whipping cream is incredibly moisturing and gentle on the skin. So I put that on. Next, I put two cups of chocolate milk in a full tub of water and I soak away for a bout a half hour. I drain the tub, stand up and wash my body with a wash I make that has cocoa in it. You can't believe how incredibly good this smells. I follow up with a walnut chocolate sugar scrub. The oil I use is Walnut oil. You just scoop some out and exfoliate away. Rinse well. I attempted my first cocoa butter lotion and it needs some work but I smeared it all over. I smelled like chocolate heaven and my skin, my skin is...I can't even describe it. My daughter put some more lotion on my back this morning and she said, "mommy, you don't even need this, your back is like something I want to wear"...this chocolate spa would be one that would be fun for lovers, nothing like rubbing chocolate all over each other, especially the scrub...
I may even try to make a coconut hand cream at some point, one that you would have to wear overnight with gloves on because I have a feeling that it would be magnificent!!!!
Happy coconut day everyone. Thanks for reading!!!!
Don't forget to check my Willow's Whimsy Page for deals, specials, etc. I am offering a chocolate spa mothers day basket for $40.00. See my page.
Willow's Whimsy
I got such fun response from my cucumber posting. Thank you. It's very humbling to know not only that people read these blogs but that they also try the things I suggest and let me know if they liked it or not. I want you to all know that if you try something and add something of your own or if you didn't like it, please feel free to email me and let me know. I'm planning on writing a book with all sorts of home product recipes and many of these will be included. I'm going to have to do a vanity publishing but the books will hopefully sell for $20.00 or less and I may even raffle some off or give them out as gifts to those of you who decide to hostess a party. I am not planning on this happening anytime soon but by end of December, I plan to submit it for editing and then will publish thereafter.
Ok, well I tried a new hair mask and I think of all I've done so far, this is my favorite. My hair is like silk today. My daughter couldn't keep from stroking it.
It's so simple it'll blow your mind. So, here's what I did. I bought a can of coconut milk. Coconut milk is thick and rich. I mixed a half cup coconut milk with a half cup sour cream. It smelled warm and sweet. I whisked these together and as usual, I worked well into my scalp all over and then worked my way down to the ends of my hair. Once it was fully saturated, I piled it on top of my head and wrapped it in seran wrap. I kept it in for an hour. Make sure, as always when you condition your hair, that you rinse really well. I would shampoo twice with this one, especially working into the scalp because I noticed this morning that I must've not scrubbed enough along the hairline under my neck in the back, it's a lil' greasy but no one can see that.
I had a chocolate spa day planned for myself but the truth of the matter is: you could use this on your face as well. Sour cream is incredibly moisturizing and takes any redness out of your face. I have mild rosacea and so I do a sour cream mask once a week. But I love, love, love the thickness of the coconut milk so I'll blend one teaspoon of the milk with 1 tsp of the sour cream. You just pull your hair back from your face and apply. This one you could leave on for an hour and it wouldn't hurt your skin. I'll probably put it on and then go about my many chores and then hop into the shower when it's time.
What is a chocolate spa? Well, let me tell you all about that. Chocolate is INCREDIBLE for your skin. It is super, power loaded with antioxidants. If you are allergic, please don't try this at home. The first thing I do is a mask, made out of ground espresso (coffee too is loaded with antioxidants), heaving whipping cream baking cocoa. When mixed together, this makes almost a mousse looking mixture. I put it on my entire face and neck. Yes, you will smell like coffee but it's just so wonderful. Whipping cream is incredibly moisturing and gentle on the skin. So I put that on. Next, I put two cups of chocolate milk in a full tub of water and I soak away for a bout a half hour. I drain the tub, stand up and wash my body with a wash I make that has cocoa in it. You can't believe how incredibly good this smells. I follow up with a walnut chocolate sugar scrub. The oil I use is Walnut oil. You just scoop some out and exfoliate away. Rinse well. I attempted my first cocoa butter lotion and it needs some work but I smeared it all over. I smelled like chocolate heaven and my skin, my skin is...I can't even describe it. My daughter put some more lotion on my back this morning and she said, "mommy, you don't even need this, your back is like something I want to wear"...this chocolate spa would be one that would be fun for lovers, nothing like rubbing chocolate all over each other, especially the scrub...
I may even try to make a coconut hand cream at some point, one that you would have to wear overnight with gloves on because I have a feeling that it would be magnificent!!!!
Happy coconut day everyone. Thanks for reading!!!!
Don't forget to check my Willow's Whimsy Page for deals, specials, etc. I am offering a chocolate spa mothers day basket for $40.00. See my page.
Willow's Whimsy
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Cucumber Love
Ha! Gotcha didn't I? I'm sick but...FUN!!!
Ok, well seriously, cucumbers are great in skin care. Why?
Cucumber Skincare "Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is a trace mineral that contributes to the strength of our connective tissue. Connective tissue is what holds our body together. Cucumbers are effective when used for various skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn. They also contain ascorbic and caffeic acids. These acids prevent water retention. That may explain why when cucumbers are applied topically they are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.
A very easy mask for all skin types, particularly acne prone skin.
All you need is;
I also add cucumber to some really basic masks. You can add it to yogurt with just a bit of honey and sweet almond oil for a moisturizing, refreshing mask.
Use it on your eyes when your doing a mask and just sit back and relax. It feels fabulous. Just cut two thick slices and put 'em on your eyes.
Cleopatra used to take cooled cucumber peel and rub it all over her skin, including her face.
I make a toner for my daughter that she loves!!
Take 1/2 of a large cucumber and cut it up, peel and all. Put it in a blender with a 1/2 half cup distilled water and blend. Add to this, 2tbsp. witch hazel and then blend that. Keep it refrigerated and use once a day when you do your evening face cleansing. Follow up with a moisturizer. It feels great. My daughter LOVES it...
You can google cucumber skin care recipes to find even more ideas. I will, at some point, attempt a cucumber moisturizer for the face and let you know how it works out!!!!
Happy Cucumber Love!!!
Ok, well seriously, cucumbers are great in skin care. Why?
Cucumber Skincare "Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is a trace mineral that contributes to the strength of our connective tissue. Connective tissue is what holds our body together. Cucumbers are effective when used for various skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn. They also contain ascorbic and caffeic acids. These acids prevent water retention. That may explain why when cucumbers are applied topically they are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.
A very easy mask for all skin types, particularly acne prone skin.
All you need is;
- 1/2 peeled cucumber
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 2 cups dry oatmeal
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup flour
I also add cucumber to some really basic masks. You can add it to yogurt with just a bit of honey and sweet almond oil for a moisturizing, refreshing mask.
Use it on your eyes when your doing a mask and just sit back and relax. It feels fabulous. Just cut two thick slices and put 'em on your eyes.
Cleopatra used to take cooled cucumber peel and rub it all over her skin, including her face.
I make a toner for my daughter that she loves!!
Take 1/2 of a large cucumber and cut it up, peel and all. Put it in a blender with a 1/2 half cup distilled water and blend. Add to this, 2tbsp. witch hazel and then blend that. Keep it refrigerated and use once a day when you do your evening face cleansing. Follow up with a moisturizer. It feels great. My daughter LOVES it...
You can google cucumber skin care recipes to find even more ideas. I will, at some point, attempt a cucumber moisturizer for the face and let you know how it works out!!!!
Happy Cucumber Love!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover
Good morning!!!
I got a great recipe for eye make-up remover. It's not the best at mascara but if you use it, rinse, then use it again, it works pretty well and it's all natural and MUCH cheaper than buying at a cosmetics counter.
Are you ready for this?
Get a little plastic dispenser, you can get 'em at Target for like, a dollar. Fill it half way with olive oil and the other half with witch hazel. Shake vigorously as it will seperate quickly. Put a small bit on a cotton ball and remove your eye makeup. It's that simple :)
That's it. A bottle of witch hazel lasts forever, if you take the cost of a bottle of olive oil and a bottle of witch hazel and divide the cost up per bottle of eye makeup remover, my guess is that you'd save about $100.00 bucks in eye makeup remover.
It's all natural, doesn't sting your eyes and it's cheap.
So blend away!!!!
I got a great recipe for eye make-up remover. It's not the best at mascara but if you use it, rinse, then use it again, it works pretty well and it's all natural and MUCH cheaper than buying at a cosmetics counter.
Are you ready for this?
Get a little plastic dispenser, you can get 'em at Target for like, a dollar. Fill it half way with olive oil and the other half with witch hazel. Shake vigorously as it will seperate quickly. Put a small bit on a cotton ball and remove your eye makeup. It's that simple :)
That's it. A bottle of witch hazel lasts forever, if you take the cost of a bottle of olive oil and a bottle of witch hazel and divide the cost up per bottle of eye makeup remover, my guess is that you'd save about $100.00 bucks in eye makeup remover.
It's all natural, doesn't sting your eyes and it's cheap.
So blend away!!!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Face Pampering and a New Hair Mask
Hey everyone,
One that my girls love doing with me is anything facial...we love masks, toners, scrubs, you name it. They are both very enthusiastic about taking care of their skin and I promise them they'll be grateful when they're my age. I didn't always put as much emphasis on skin care as I do now and I'm lucky, I think I look pretty good, people rarely guess my age but even so, there's aging occurring, wrinkles, etc. But with a regular regimen that starts at puberty and is kept up, adding things to your regimen as you begin to get older, you can really preserve what you've got.
Hair masks are fabulous for your hair, bottom line. I add peppermint essential oil to almost every hair mask recipe I have because it makes your scalp tingle and it promotes blood flow to your scalp which is good for keeping it moisturized (I tend to get very dry and itchy in the winter) and a stimulated scalp can, in some cases, limit hair loss. Hair loss in most cases is hereditary so I'm not saying if you do this, you'll keep your hair but it can help with situational hair loss.
So, I've published a blog before about the avocado hair mask. That one is fabulous too, you can use an egg in any of these recipes. Egg is great for adding protein and bonding the hair so it doesn't split. But it adds a smell I don't care for and if you have coloring in your hair, I wouldn't use one unless the coloring is old and you are about to go get your hair done again, it's great in a pre-treatment hair mask.
So...
For the hair mask, you will need: One banana, 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 tbsp olive oil, 1/3 tbsp honey, one egg if you choose to use egg. If you want to use the peppermint essential oil, 1/4 tsp is more than enough to get the desired effect. Blend it all together!!!
You'll come out with a goop that looks like:
It smells so yummy. Start gooping it into the top of your head and then all over the scalp, working vigirously into your scalp. Once your scalp is saturated, start adding it to the rest of your hair, don't pile up on top of your head unless you have short hair. If it's long, work it in a little at a time until you get the bottom. Apply a generous amount to the tips as this is where breakage usually begins.
You can see we put our face masks on first but because it's OK to leave the hair mask in for up to an hour, I would usually do this first.
If you are just doing a hair mask, go ahead and hop in the shower when you're done and rinse, rinse, rinse and then shampoo, you can choose to condition if you want to but I've found you don't have to.
Ok, so the facial treatment. You can do any of these on their own and get great results but once a week, I like to do the full on. For each of these particular treatments, I don't do any of them more than once a week except for the exfoliation part, which I do twice a week. It's not good for your skin to exfoliate more than 2x per week unless you have MAJOR MONDO greasy skin. I'm talking the kind where you can press a tissue to your skin and it comes away greasy...
Ok, so first you want to steam your face. I bring a pot of water to a boil and then add two drops of teatree oil and 2 of lavendar.
This is very hot, so be careful. This isn't the kind of thing I'd do if little ones are underfoot. Wait til they take a nap or are asleep for the night. To many things could go wrong. Drape a towel over your head and let the steam do it's thing. You will get hot and it's OK to lift the towel to get some fresh, cool air if you need to. I do this for 5 minutes.
When you are done, pat your face dry. For an added extra, if you want, you can then put a clean face towel in the water, wear rubber gloves cuz the water will be HOT and then wring it out. Wait til it's bearable to touch with bare hands and put it on your face, the tea tree oil is fabulous for people prone to acne. Leave the towel on your face for up to 5 minutes.
Ok, next you want to exfoliate. Your skin will be primed for it, soft and pours open for all that heat. One tablespoon of honey, mixed with one tablespoon of brown sugar, any kind of sugar is really OK but brown sugar is softer and therefore more gentle on the skin. You mix this thoroughly and add a small amount to fingertips. GENTLY rub this in all over your face in circular motions.
Rinse off and your ready for your mask. I use green clay. You can order it from any online site specializing in this kind of thing but I recommend Mountain Rose Herbs
You can mix your clay with different home products depending on your skintype. If your skin is dry, I suggest whipped cream or milk. Whipped cream tends to be hard to mix in with the clay and will go on clumpy but does feel good. If you have greasy skin, I would just use water. For normal skin, you can use carrot juice. I love carrot juice and milk. My skin flucuates between dry and normal. I used a juicer to make the carrot juice. For one application, you would only need about 10 baby carrots and then add one tbsp of clay. Stir this together with a spoon.
Doesn't that look yummy? OK, so put it on your face. I just put it on with my fingertips in a downward motion, adding more as needed and creating a nice smooth layer. I apply to the bottom of my chin and my neck too. Anything you do for your face, you should do for your neck...some schools of thought say apply it in upward strokes but I prefer down. Now, here's the trick, DON'T keep a clay mask on for more than 20 minutes. By it's nature, it sucks stuff to the surface to be washed away when you rinse. This includes your faces natural oils. Once a week this is fine but not for prolonged periods of time. You want some of it remain. The clay will harden, put a warm, moist washcloth over the clay and let it soften. Then rinse and rinse and rinse. It's kind of messy but cleans up nicely. Try not to scrub it off, not good for your skin at this point, especially if you are over 35. Then...moisturize. I use my the facial serum bars I created for my business but go ahead and use whatever you know to work for you...
Beauty??? LMAO...but it leads there, I promise!!
Hope you enjoyed this one. BIG thanks to my lovely girls for helping me out, for participating in the pampering and for being enthusiastic, good sports through the whole thing.
If you want green clay and don't want to purchase in bulk amounts, I'd be happy to sell you a couple application's worth for about $5.00 or so and if you are interested in my facial serum bars, hit me up and I'll tell you all about them. They sell for $7.00 a bar and are the size of an ice cube. My first one lasted for 2 months and that's using it morning and evening.
If you want to try this on your own and have any questions, hit me up, I'd be more than happy to walk you through the process...
Happy Beauty!!!
Denise
One that my girls love doing with me is anything facial...we love masks, toners, scrubs, you name it. They are both very enthusiastic about taking care of their skin and I promise them they'll be grateful when they're my age. I didn't always put as much emphasis on skin care as I do now and I'm lucky, I think I look pretty good, people rarely guess my age but even so, there's aging occurring, wrinkles, etc. But with a regular regimen that starts at puberty and is kept up, adding things to your regimen as you begin to get older, you can really preserve what you've got.
Hair masks are fabulous for your hair, bottom line. I add peppermint essential oil to almost every hair mask recipe I have because it makes your scalp tingle and it promotes blood flow to your scalp which is good for keeping it moisturized (I tend to get very dry and itchy in the winter) and a stimulated scalp can, in some cases, limit hair loss. Hair loss in most cases is hereditary so I'm not saying if you do this, you'll keep your hair but it can help with situational hair loss.
So, I've published a blog before about the avocado hair mask. That one is fabulous too, you can use an egg in any of these recipes. Egg is great for adding protein and bonding the hair so it doesn't split. But it adds a smell I don't care for and if you have coloring in your hair, I wouldn't use one unless the coloring is old and you are about to go get your hair done again, it's great in a pre-treatment hair mask.
So...
For the hair mask, you will need: One banana, 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 tbsp olive oil, 1/3 tbsp honey, one egg if you choose to use egg. If you want to use the peppermint essential oil, 1/4 tsp is more than enough to get the desired effect. Blend it all together!!!
You can see we put our face masks on first but because it's OK to leave the hair mask in for up to an hour, I would usually do this first.
If you are just doing a hair mask, go ahead and hop in the shower when you're done and rinse, rinse, rinse and then shampoo, you can choose to condition if you want to but I've found you don't have to.
Ok, so the facial treatment. You can do any of these on their own and get great results but once a week, I like to do the full on. For each of these particular treatments, I don't do any of them more than once a week except for the exfoliation part, which I do twice a week. It's not good for your skin to exfoliate more than 2x per week unless you have MAJOR MONDO greasy skin. I'm talking the kind where you can press a tissue to your skin and it comes away greasy...
Ok, so first you want to steam your face. I bring a pot of water to a boil and then add two drops of teatree oil and 2 of lavendar.
You can mix your clay with different home products depending on your skintype. If your skin is dry, I suggest whipped cream or milk. Whipped cream tends to be hard to mix in with the clay and will go on clumpy but does feel good. If you have greasy skin, I would just use water. For normal skin, you can use carrot juice. I love carrot juice and milk. My skin flucuates between dry and normal. I used a juicer to make the carrot juice. For one application, you would only need about 10 baby carrots and then add one tbsp of clay. Stir this together with a spoon.
Hope you enjoyed this one. BIG thanks to my lovely girls for helping me out, for participating in the pampering and for being enthusiastic, good sports through the whole thing.
If you want green clay and don't want to purchase in bulk amounts, I'd be happy to sell you a couple application's worth for about $5.00 or so and if you are interested in my facial serum bars, hit me up and I'll tell you all about them. They sell for $7.00 a bar and are the size of an ice cube. My first one lasted for 2 months and that's using it morning and evening.
If you want to try this on your own and have any questions, hit me up, I'd be more than happy to walk you through the process...
Happy Beauty!!!
Denise
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Take good care of those piggies
Hola. So...I'm a shoe whore, everyone who knows me, knows this about me. I'm a bitty thing, 5 ft, 1 in. and although I like being a shorty, I do enjoy my heels. The nice thing about being short, is that you can wear 5 inch heels and odds are, you're still gonna be shorter than the guy you're with.
So, why the diatribe about heels? Well, I have a new pair on today :) and they show my toesies...
I try to take good care of my feet, they get me where I'm going on a daily basis, ya know? So, what do I do to take care of them? I pamper them.
One of the products I use on a daily basis is one of my own creation called Piggy Peace. It's more of a gel but it's made with peppermint, sweet birch and tea tree essential oils. I rub a bit on everyday when I get home from work and it tingles, feels so fresh. The tea tree is a natural anti-fungal and deodorant, the peppermint has anti-viral and deodorant qualities as well as the sweet birch and it smells fabulous.
Once a week, I take off my nailpolish, I soak my feet in hot water to soften up the skin and cuticles and scrub 'em with this thingee to remove dead skin. I get it at Walmart for like 3 bucks, it looks like a hand held cheese grater but you scrub the bottom of your feet with it and it keeps 'em soft and pretty. I push back the cuticles, etc. Then after they dry, I slather them completly with the Piggy Peace and I put some socks on and I sleep in 'em all night long. I wake up with feet that feel like silk. Then I put on a fresh coat of nailpolish and I'm good to go. It's very helpful to let your nails "breath" and give them some time free of nailpolish. Always use a basecoat first to avoid yellowing of the nails.
If you moisturize after your shower or bath each day (please tell me you moisturize), always include your whole foot in the ritual too. Keeps 'em pretty all week.
If you're interested in trying my Piggy Peace, shoot me an email - I'll post this on my willow's whimsy page so you can email me or comment here. It's $12.00 a jar and it's fabulous :)
So, why the diatribe about heels? Well, I have a new pair on today :) and they show my toesies...
I try to take good care of my feet, they get me where I'm going on a daily basis, ya know? So, what do I do to take care of them? I pamper them.
One of the products I use on a daily basis is one of my own creation called Piggy Peace. It's more of a gel but it's made with peppermint, sweet birch and tea tree essential oils. I rub a bit on everyday when I get home from work and it tingles, feels so fresh. The tea tree is a natural anti-fungal and deodorant, the peppermint has anti-viral and deodorant qualities as well as the sweet birch and it smells fabulous.
Once a week, I take off my nailpolish, I soak my feet in hot water to soften up the skin and cuticles and scrub 'em with this thingee to remove dead skin. I get it at Walmart for like 3 bucks, it looks like a hand held cheese grater but you scrub the bottom of your feet with it and it keeps 'em soft and pretty. I push back the cuticles, etc. Then after they dry, I slather them completly with the Piggy Peace and I put some socks on and I sleep in 'em all night long. I wake up with feet that feel like silk. Then I put on a fresh coat of nailpolish and I'm good to go. It's very helpful to let your nails "breath" and give them some time free of nailpolish. Always use a basecoat first to avoid yellowing of the nails.
If you moisturize after your shower or bath each day (please tell me you moisturize), always include your whole foot in the ritual too. Keeps 'em pretty all week.
If you're interested in trying my Piggy Peace, shoot me an email - I'll post this on my willow's whimsy page so you can email me or comment here. It's $12.00 a jar and it's fabulous :)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sour Cream luxury
Hey everyone,
I whipped together a mask last week based on a whole bunch of other things I usually do...and it was so amazing, I had to tell you about it.
Very simple:
1 tsp: olive oil music
1 tsp: honey
1 tsp: sour cream
Stir it all together and put it on a clean face. It was so gentle and my skin was smooth and soft when I took it off. It felt great.
Enjoy!!!
I whipped together a mask last week based on a whole bunch of other things I usually do...and it was so amazing, I had to tell you about it.
Very simple:
1 tsp: olive oil music
1 tsp: honey
1 tsp: sour cream
Stir it all together and put it on a clean face. It was so gentle and my skin was smooth and soft when I took it off. It felt great.
Enjoy!!!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Multi-layered masks
Hi everyone,
Well, I couldn't sleep so I decided to treat myself to a mask I read about in one of my books. Now, I did some extras too as usual but here's what I did.
I washed my face: I wrote down the recipe in one of my prior blogs.
Then I boilded water, put it in a bowl with two drops of frankincense and 2 drops of rose otto. I draped a towel over my head and steamed my face for 5 minutes. I then submerged the towel and wrung it out. You will need to wear rubber gloves for this because the water will still be hot, hot, hot. Then I layed down and put the towel over my face for about 1 minute as the towel cools down relatively quickly. I didn't rinse my face. Then I took one tbsp of honey and stirred in 1tsp of sugar, regular sugar because it's finer and not to abrasive. I've said it before and I'll reiterate now: DO NOT EXFOLIATE ANY PART OF YOUR BODY MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK. True, exfoliation gets rid of dead skin but it also removes your skins natural oils. Natural oil is a GOOD thing.
Ok, then with a baster, I put a layer of plain yogurt on my entire face and neck and let it dry.
Next I blended one avocado and one mango together and with the baster applied a layer of this to my face and neck and let it dry.
Then, with my juicer, I made some carrot juice to which I added green clay and stirred it up. I applied this liberally to face and neck and let it dry.
When it dried completely, I rinsed it off in the shower, less messy this way and odds are you'll be washing your hair and body so you won't get it all over everything.
After my shower, I patted my face dry. Another tip, don't rub your skin dry, pat it.
I then applied my facial serum bar and my skin feels so great.
It's a bit extravagant of a mask but man did it feel good. Tonight, I do my moisturizing mask and I think I'm going to add my oils right to the rest of the avocado and mango mash. I added a bit of vitamin e to it so it won't spoil.
I am in love with the way my face looks and feels...
Happy Masking everyone!!
Well, I couldn't sleep so I decided to treat myself to a mask I read about in one of my books. Now, I did some extras too as usual but here's what I did.
I washed my face: I wrote down the recipe in one of my prior blogs.
Then I boilded water, put it in a bowl with two drops of frankincense and 2 drops of rose otto. I draped a towel over my head and steamed my face for 5 minutes. I then submerged the towel and wrung it out. You will need to wear rubber gloves for this because the water will still be hot, hot, hot. Then I layed down and put the towel over my face for about 1 minute as the towel cools down relatively quickly. I didn't rinse my face. Then I took one tbsp of honey and stirred in 1tsp of sugar, regular sugar because it's finer and not to abrasive. I've said it before and I'll reiterate now: DO NOT EXFOLIATE ANY PART OF YOUR BODY MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK. True, exfoliation gets rid of dead skin but it also removes your skins natural oils. Natural oil is a GOOD thing.
Ok, then with a baster, I put a layer of plain yogurt on my entire face and neck and let it dry.
Next I blended one avocado and one mango together and with the baster applied a layer of this to my face and neck and let it dry.
Then, with my juicer, I made some carrot juice to which I added green clay and stirred it up. I applied this liberally to face and neck and let it dry.
When it dried completely, I rinsed it off in the shower, less messy this way and odds are you'll be washing your hair and body so you won't get it all over everything.
After my shower, I patted my face dry. Another tip, don't rub your skin dry, pat it.
I then applied my facial serum bar and my skin feels so great.
It's a bit extravagant of a mask but man did it feel good. Tonight, I do my moisturizing mask and I think I'm going to add my oils right to the rest of the avocado and mango mash. I added a bit of vitamin e to it so it won't spoil.
I am in love with the way my face looks and feels...
Happy Masking everyone!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
We Never Change
That title is a misnomer because I know and you know and hopefully, we all know, we can and do change. We have to, to fight change is to fight God, ourselves, everyone and everything. Change you see, is inevitable. I am not who I am 20 years ago and for that, I am grateful. But I fought much of it and it was a painful process. But I listened to Coldplay on the way in and this beautiful song played. Listen to it if you will...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq51hX9SbvM. The lyrics and the visuals in this are so pretty.
How lovely.
Parachutes
I highly recommend you listen to as much as them as possible. I'm going to take a day off this summer and just lay by the pool and listen to thier beautiful music. I hope they tour again, I want so badly to see them. I'm making music a priorty again, it brings me joy unimaginable.
What's going through my mind today? This winter has sucked and I got an email from someone yesterday speaking of perspective. This person means a lot to me. I've known him since I was a baby in AA and I went through a lot of pain in my early years there. Some, much, brought on by myself but he was a part of that...not the pain but my beginnings so to speak and I fucked up my beginnings but still I look back on that time fondly now.
There are many parts of being a witch and there's to much to go into here although I decided that's where I'm going to in the next couple weeks. Some explanations, some definitions of my belief and spirituality. For anyone interested in the basics, I have a number of books to suggest.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Includes Author's Book of Shadows), Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Llewellyn's Practical Magick Series)
. This is very basic and your beliefs will change, grow and expand. If you would've told me when I first read these books that I would eventually move beyond wicca and become a heathen, I would've laughed at you, maybe even been scared. Heathen is a term that was vilified by the Christians when they took over. A heathen is simply someone who came from the heath as many of the early Vikings and Scandanavians did. We'll get more into that as we pass through all of this. I know I said I'd do a series on meditation but it's going to require more reading, more experimentation.
Right now, I'm listening to Courtney Love with Hole. Miss World, you want some lyrics -shit:
I am the girl you know, can't look you in the eye
I am the girl you know, I lie and lie and lie
I am the girl you want, can't look you in the eye
I am the girl you know, I lie and lie and lie
I'm Miss World, somebody kill me
Kill me pills, no one cares, my friends, my friends
I'm Miss Workd, Watch me break, Watch me burn
No one is listening, my friends yeah
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I die in it
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I die in it
Kill girls watch when I eat ether
Suck me under, maybe forever my friends
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I die in it
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I cry in it
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I cry in it
I make my bed, I die in it, I lie in it my friend
I am the girl you know can't look you in the eye
Miss World
That was me. I still love that song but I don't feel bad when I listen to it anymore. You know what song I love, it expresses such joy and how I see myself now. It's by a band called the innocence mission.
The song is so amazingly beautiful that I got the whole CD. Turns out their christian. You wouldn't necessarily guess it from the music or lyrics but something told me they are and it turns out, yup, they are. They are not witnessing on this CD though, had that been the case, the CD would've gone in the trash. Here are the lyrics.
Bright As Yellow
Do yourself a favor, listen to them...the CD glow is amazing, light and lilting and pretty...floating music.
I'm bright as yellow today, I'm flower scarlet
. The sun is shining, bitter winds blow but spring is just around the corner, there are stirrings deep in the earth that we cannot feel but my heart feels it.
I am Spring today. Happy Imbolc to all my lovely pagans out there and to those who do not follow the ancient ways, I wish you a Happy Imbolc as well. At one time, long ago, we all were witches, witches with different talents, different specialties but we worshiped the Lord and Lady in all their aspects. We were attuned with the Mother, who gives us life and sustains us.
Who is Denise today?
I'm flower scarlet, flower gold
I'm bright as yellow
I'm a witch
I AM LOVE
Share that love, feel warmth today, close your imagine the stirrings of the seeds, the preparation of the soil for growth and then look inside your being and feel those stirrings there...
Blessed Be!!
How lovely.
Parachutes
I highly recommend you listen to as much as them as possible. I'm going to take a day off this summer and just lay by the pool and listen to thier beautiful music. I hope they tour again, I want so badly to see them. I'm making music a priorty again, it brings me joy unimaginable.
What's going through my mind today? This winter has sucked and I got an email from someone yesterday speaking of perspective. This person means a lot to me. I've known him since I was a baby in AA and I went through a lot of pain in my early years there. Some, much, brought on by myself but he was a part of that...not the pain but my beginnings so to speak and I fucked up my beginnings but still I look back on that time fondly now.
There are many parts of being a witch and there's to much to go into here although I decided that's where I'm going to in the next couple weeks. Some explanations, some definitions of my belief and spirituality. For anyone interested in the basics, I have a number of books to suggest.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Includes Author's Book of Shadows), Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Llewellyn's Practical Magick Series)
. This is very basic and your beliefs will change, grow and expand. If you would've told me when I first read these books that I would eventually move beyond wicca and become a heathen, I would've laughed at you, maybe even been scared. Heathen is a term that was vilified by the Christians when they took over. A heathen is simply someone who came from the heath as many of the early Vikings and Scandanavians did. We'll get more into that as we pass through all of this. I know I said I'd do a series on meditation but it's going to require more reading, more experimentation. Right now, I'm listening to Courtney Love with Hole. Miss World, you want some lyrics -shit:
I am the girl you know, can't look you in the eye
I am the girl you know, I lie and lie and lie
I am the girl you want, can't look you in the eye
I am the girl you know, I lie and lie and lie
I'm Miss World, somebody kill me
Kill me pills, no one cares, my friends, my friends
I'm Miss Workd, Watch me break, Watch me burn
No one is listening, my friends yeah
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I die in it
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I die in it
Kill girls watch when I eat ether
Suck me under, maybe forever my friends
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I die in it
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I cry in it
I make my bed, I lie in it, I make my bed, I cry in it
I make my bed, I die in it, I lie in it my friend
I am the girl you know can't look you in the eye
Miss World
That was me. I still love that song but I don't feel bad when I listen to it anymore. You know what song I love, it expresses such joy and how I see myself now. It's by a band called the innocence mission.
The song is so amazingly beautiful that I got the whole CD. Turns out their christian. You wouldn't necessarily guess it from the music or lyrics but something told me they are and it turns out, yup, they are. They are not witnessing on this CD though, had that been the case, the CD would've gone in the trash. Here are the lyrics.And you live your life with your arms stretched out.
Eye to eye when speaking.
Enter rooms with great joy shouts,
Happy to be meeting.
And bright,
Bright,
Bright, bright as yellow,
Warm as yellow.
And I do not want to be a rose.
I do not wish to be pale pink,
But flower scarlet, flower gold.
And have no thorns to distance me,
But be bright,
Bright,
Bright, bright as yellow,
Warm as yellow.
Even if I'm shouting, even if I'm shouting here
Inside.
Even if I'm shouting, do you see that I'm wanting,
That I want to be so so
Bright,
Bright,
Bright, bright as yellow,
Warm as yellow.
Eye to eye when speaking.
Enter rooms with great joy shouts,
Happy to be meeting.
And bright,
Bright,
Bright, bright as yellow,
Warm as yellow.
And I do not want to be a rose.
I do not wish to be pale pink,
But flower scarlet, flower gold.
And have no thorns to distance me,
But be bright,
Bright,
Bright, bright as yellow,
Warm as yellow.
Even if I'm shouting, even if I'm shouting here
Inside.
Even if I'm shouting, do you see that I'm wanting,
That I want to be so so
Bright,
Bright,
Bright, bright as yellow,
Warm as yellow.
Bright As Yellow
Do yourself a favor, listen to them...the CD glow is amazing, light and lilting and pretty...floating music.
I'm bright as yellow today, I'm flower scarlet
. The sun is shining, bitter winds blow but spring is just around the corner, there are stirrings deep in the earth that we cannot feel but my heart feels it. I am Spring today. Happy Imbolc to all my lovely pagans out there and to those who do not follow the ancient ways, I wish you a Happy Imbolc as well. At one time, long ago, we all were witches, witches with different talents, different specialties but we worshiped the Lord and Lady in all their aspects. We were attuned with the Mother, who gives us life and sustains us.
Who is Denise today?
I'm flower scarlet, flower gold
I'm bright as yellow
I'm a witch
I AM LOVE
Share that love, feel warmth today, close your imagine the stirrings of the seeds, the preparation of the soil for growth and then look inside your being and feel those stirrings there...
Blessed Be!!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Facial Serum Bars
I just made up a recipe for facial serum bars which I will feature at my next party. What are facial serum bars?
They are in many ways similar to a lotion bar. I use sesame oil as a base. Sesame oil is stinky stuff, although I don't mind the smell. It is also a natural sun screen, NOT a sun block, but a sun screen, it helps to deflect harmful rays.
I made it with sesame oil (the darker, the better sun protection) - 1/4 c, 1/8 c beeswax, 1 tsp avocado butter and then I added one drop of each of the following essential oils:
1/4 c sesame oil
1/8 c beeswax
1 tsp avocado butter
1 tsp vitamin e oil
Francincense
Myrr
Clary Sage
Lavendar
Sandalwood
Rosewood
Spikenard
Rose
Patchouli
These are all used in anti-aging products. You cannot by substitutes, it has to be the actual essential oils.
Oils you should NOT use are phototoxic oils. This means with exposure to the sun, they can actually do more harm then good, they produce a super sensitivity:
These are: Angelica Root
Bergamot
Cumin
Ginger
Lemon
Lime
Lovage
Mandarin
Orange
Verbena
Ok so heat the oil, beeswax, vitamin e. Once wax is melted and liquid looks clear, turn off heat and let set for 3 minutes, then add essential oils...stir. Pour into ice cube trays (should make enough for four squares in the tray. Freeze to harden quicker faster. Turn tray over and bars will fall out. Put on face as moisturizer in A.M and use at night before moisturizing.
Works great, let me tell you!!!
They are in many ways similar to a lotion bar. I use sesame oil as a base. Sesame oil is stinky stuff, although I don't mind the smell. It is also a natural sun screen, NOT a sun block, but a sun screen, it helps to deflect harmful rays.
I made it with sesame oil (the darker, the better sun protection) - 1/4 c, 1/8 c beeswax, 1 tsp avocado butter and then I added one drop of each of the following essential oils:
1/4 c sesame oil
1/8 c beeswax
1 tsp avocado butter
1 tsp vitamin e oil
Francincense
Myrr
Clary Sage
Lavendar
Sandalwood
Rosewood
Spikenard
Rose
Patchouli
These are all used in anti-aging products. You cannot by substitutes, it has to be the actual essential oils.
Oils you should NOT use are phototoxic oils. This means with exposure to the sun, they can actually do more harm then good, they produce a super sensitivity:
These are: Angelica Root
Bergamot
Cumin
Ginger
Lemon
Lime
Lovage
Mandarin
Orange
Verbena
Ok so heat the oil, beeswax, vitamin e. Once wax is melted and liquid looks clear, turn off heat and let set for 3 minutes, then add essential oils...stir. Pour into ice cube trays (should make enough for four squares in the tray. Freeze to harden quicker faster. Turn tray over and bars will fall out. Put on face as moisturizer in A.M and use at night before moisturizing.
Works great, let me tell you!!!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Oatmeal Seaweed Facial Cleanser
Hey there.
I tried a new cleanser that I really, really like. I've been reading up on seaweed and how good it is for you. Here's the recipe I made up and I love, love, love it.
Grind up 1/2 cup of oatmeal in a blender
Add 1/2 cup of soy milk
Add 1 tsp seaweed (I used kelp)
Add 1 tbsp honey
2tbsp liquid cleanser (Castille fragrance free)
Add 1 tsp vitamin E oil
If you're going for wrinkle control, add 1 drop frankincense and 1 drop rosewood essential oil
Blend together
Store in any container
The seaweed does add a kind of odor to the mix but it feels great on my skin.
I refrigerate this and wash once in the morning and once in the evening. In the evening, I use it with a facial brush to make sure I get all my make up off...
I wish I could market this but really...it'll only last for about two weeks at a time and the cost wouldn't justify the means so this is something that you can do for yourself with a few base purchases.
I order from mountain rose herbs. www.mountainroseherbs.com. They are fabulous, not to expensive and high grade essential oils...
Have fun!!!
I tried a new cleanser that I really, really like. I've been reading up on seaweed and how good it is for you. Here's the recipe I made up and I love, love, love it.
Grind up 1/2 cup of oatmeal in a blender
Add 1/2 cup of soy milk
Add 1 tsp seaweed (I used kelp)
Add 1 tbsp honey
2tbsp liquid cleanser (Castille fragrance free)
Add 1 tsp vitamin E oil
If you're going for wrinkle control, add 1 drop frankincense and 1 drop rosewood essential oil
Blend together
Store in any container
The seaweed does add a kind of odor to the mix but it feels great on my skin.
I refrigerate this and wash once in the morning and once in the evening. In the evening, I use it with a facial brush to make sure I get all my make up off...
I wish I could market this but really...it'll only last for about two weeks at a time and the cost wouldn't justify the means so this is something that you can do for yourself with a few base purchases.
I order from mountain rose herbs. www.mountainroseherbs.com. They are fabulous, not to expensive and high grade essential oils...
Have fun!!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Natural Cleansers
So, we covered a lot on masks for your face but what about cleansers? Well, the list could go on and on. Much depends on your skin type. I have dry skin so there's a lot I can use that people with oily skin shouldn't use.
This particular recipe is one I found in a book on homemade products and as I've found with many of the recipes I search for, I have to tweak it to work for me. I've attached a link to one of the books I use. EcoBeauty: Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs for You and Your Friends. I have many by this author. But like I said, you have to be brave enough to play around and change things up.
In my previous blog, I said that I don't like to use citrus fruits on my face and that's still the case as a general rule. Lemon, in particular, can do some really, really good things...it's a natural bleach and can aid in removing age spots and freckles...however, it also causes a sensitivity to the sun. In other words, it works in reverse of an SPF.
That said, I don't use it in anything that is going to stay on my face for long and I don't use it in lotions during the summer months when the sun is at it's strongest. In the winter, most of my skin is covered anyways and it's an excellent natural antidepressant so go ahead and use it then but like I said, not as moisturizer on your face. I do however, use it in my cleanser for the bleaching affects. I rinse my cleanser off and follow up with a natural moisturizer that has spf in it (yes, you can make your own!!) we'll get there but I'll focus on cleansers for the next week or so...
So...the one I use goes like so:
1 cup ground oatmeal (you can buy regular oatmeal and put it in a blender)
After you've blended the oatmeal, add to the blender:
1/2 c soy milk
2 tbsp liquid soap (I use castille's unscented)
1tbsp honey
1 tsp vitamin E oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
Blend well. Because of the soy milk, you will need to keep this in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to two weeks and should be more than enough for that amount of time.
I only cleanse my face once each evening. Although oatmeal is an exfoliant, it's "soft" enough, especially when ground and blended with all the other ingredients, to use everyday.
Follow up with a moisturizer
In the morning, I usually just rinse my face with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water. I pat dry and add moisturizer, make up, whatever.
This is a very gentle cleanser, I really like it!!
This particular recipe is one I found in a book on homemade products and as I've found with many of the recipes I search for, I have to tweak it to work for me. I've attached a link to one of the books I use. EcoBeauty: Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs for You and Your Friends. I have many by this author. But like I said, you have to be brave enough to play around and change things up.
In my previous blog, I said that I don't like to use citrus fruits on my face and that's still the case as a general rule. Lemon, in particular, can do some really, really good things...it's a natural bleach and can aid in removing age spots and freckles...however, it also causes a sensitivity to the sun. In other words, it works in reverse of an SPF.
That said, I don't use it in anything that is going to stay on my face for long and I don't use it in lotions during the summer months when the sun is at it's strongest. In the winter, most of my skin is covered anyways and it's an excellent natural antidepressant so go ahead and use it then but like I said, not as moisturizer on your face. I do however, use it in my cleanser for the bleaching affects. I rinse my cleanser off and follow up with a natural moisturizer that has spf in it (yes, you can make your own!!) we'll get there but I'll focus on cleansers for the next week or so...
So...the one I use goes like so:
1 cup ground oatmeal (you can buy regular oatmeal and put it in a blender)
After you've blended the oatmeal, add to the blender:
1/2 c soy milk
2 tbsp liquid soap (I use castille's unscented)
1tbsp honey
1 tsp vitamin E oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
Blend well. Because of the soy milk, you will need to keep this in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to two weeks and should be more than enough for that amount of time.
I only cleanse my face once each evening. Although oatmeal is an exfoliant, it's "soft" enough, especially when ground and blended with all the other ingredients, to use everyday.
Follow up with a moisturizer
In the morning, I usually just rinse my face with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water. I pat dry and add moisturizer, make up, whatever.
This is a very gentle cleanser, I really like it!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Fruit masks
Hello hello,
Fruit is a wonderful product for your skin but...you do have to be careful and choosy about which ones to use.
I find peach, strawberry, mango and papaya to be the best. Citrus is OK too but only once in awhile as they truely can irritate your skin and make problems such as eczema and rosacea worse.
Avocado is fabulous for your skin too.
Ok, so basically, you can do any number of things...you'll want to blend the fruit to get a nice, smooth consistency but to this you can add any of the following: yogurt, honey, egg whites, just blend it all together and apply to your face.
One thing that is really great for your skin but that I would only do once every two weeks or so, is to apply a blended fruit to your skin, let it dry, then overlap it with a clay and yogurt mask. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
People often times ask me where I get my products. There are a few sites that have my complete trust but most of my products come from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can order clay from them there.
So that's all I think I'm going to do on masks. I'm almost out of my facial moisturizer (good old oil of olay) and feel it's time to try some of my own so I'll be experimenting with that and letting you know the results.
Peace
Fruit is a wonderful product for your skin but...you do have to be careful and choosy about which ones to use.
I find peach, strawberry, mango and papaya to be the best. Citrus is OK too but only once in awhile as they truely can irritate your skin and make problems such as eczema and rosacea worse.
Avocado is fabulous for your skin too.
Ok, so basically, you can do any number of things...you'll want to blend the fruit to get a nice, smooth consistency but to this you can add any of the following: yogurt, honey, egg whites, just blend it all together and apply to your face.
One thing that is really great for your skin but that I would only do once every two weeks or so, is to apply a blended fruit to your skin, let it dry, then overlap it with a clay and yogurt mask. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
People often times ask me where I get my products. There are a few sites that have my complete trust but most of my products come from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can order clay from them there.
So that's all I think I'm going to do on masks. I'm almost out of my facial moisturizer (good old oil of olay) and feel it's time to try some of my own so I'll be experimenting with that and letting you know the results.
Peace
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