Oil Cleansing Method

A week ago I wrote a post on Eco-Friendly Beauty Habits. A couple of our readers then commented that they use the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) to remove make-up and wash their face. Of course I was intrigued so I sat down and read about how a combination of Caster Oil and Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil, can be used to deep clean and moisturize your face every evening. I know, it doesn't make sense at first that oil, which we are usually trying to remove from our skin, could actually deep clean it. Well, you know I just had to try it out!

After reading the directions thoroughly, I ran to my local drug store to pick up some caster oil. You may already have this around your house. Then I reached into the kitchen cabinet for my trusty olive oil. Based on the recommendations in the OCM post, I prepared 25% caster oil and 75% olive oil. As I have aged my skin is a little dryer in spots, but I still have oil in the T-zone of my face. I just used a teaspoon of caster and three teaspoons of olive oil to keep it simple. You may require more or less caster oil as it does have a drying effect.

I should probably back up a minute here before I let you know how it all turned out. Lately my skin has been kind of a nightmare. I have been breaking out around my chin, clearly PMS related acne and then recently at my temples and hairline, I have developed a bunch of small bumps and little red pimples. The kind you could really go crazy picking at. I also just switched daily cleansers and spent a lot of money on a daily 'anti-aging' moisturizer. I am officially middle aged in May and thought that maybe I should try heading off those fine lines and wrinkles at the pass.

So anyway, I headed to the bathroom, pulled my hair back, started running the hot water and poured the oil mixture into the palm of my hand. I was somewhat worried that I could wake up the next day with even more blemishes. According to the OCM, you should warm the oil between your hands and then start spreading it over your face gently massaging it into your skin. I spent extra time around my nose, chin, temples and hair line. Gosh it felt good. No harsh particles rubbing on my face, no strong perfumy smells and I could feel the eye make-up and mascara melting away.

Once I was confident that all my make-up was removed and I had thoroughly cleansed, I began the rinsing process. I placed a steamy hot wash cloth over my face and just held it there until it cooled. I repeated this step 3 or 4 more times gently running it over my face and eye area to remove any leftover mascara and oil. Once done, my skin felt clean and moisturized. Since I tend to feel dry around my eyes, I added a dab of the oil mixture underneath them, gently smoothed it in and left it.

The next morning I was amazed. My skin still felt clean and my problem areas showed signs of clearing up. I noticed right away the some redness had subsided and that my skin didn't have the look and feel of irritation I had been experiencing.

The next concern...you are not supposed to wash your face in the morning. Since I go to the gym in the morning I just went and did my workout without touching my face then simply rinsed in it in the shower afterward. I did feel a little dry under my eyes again so I dabbed some more oil in that area, applied my make-up as usual and repeated the OCM that night.

Final observations, my skin was less oily looking during the day. I was clearly not over-drying it so it wasn't over-producing and it looked and felt even better on the second morning. I am a believer!

Of course I mentioned this to both Karla because I know she would want to try it too and my mom, who suffers from Rosacea and can't use many commercial cleansers and moisturizers due to their content. Curious to hear what everyone else thinks.

Next I am going purchase some Coconut Oil, also recommended by one of our readers, to use as a body moisturizer after showering. Once again, no chemicals, inexpensive and easy!

Check out VitaCost for great prices on Caster Oil, Sunflower Oil and Coconut Oil.

Happy cleansing!
- Shannan

Kicking My Sugar Addiction

If you have been following me on Twitter for the past week, you know that I have given up sugar for Lent. It started last Wednesday which makes today my 8th day avoiding foods with refined sugar and a high sugar content. I am eating fruit which does contain fructose, a naturally occuring sugar, but which also provides many health benefits/nutrients. So, no candy, ice cream, cookies, etc. (I don't drink soda, but if I did that too would be a big no-no.) I am proud to say it has not been as hard as I thought it would be. I am hoping to turn my Lent into Life. I figure that if I can kick sugar for 40 days, I should be over my cravings and have changed my mental need for a treat.

The following is the link to a post written by a 'web' friend of ours named Hanlie on her blog fertilehealthy. It contains a wealth of information on why we should all kick the sugar habit.

Sweet Lies, Bitter Truth

Wish me luck - Shannan

Calendula Officinalis

I had to laugh when I received my bag of Calendula Officinalis at coop. I opened up the bag to look at the herb and found some very familiar flowers. The other name name for Calendula is Marigold! Too funny! Those little orange/yellow flowers that we plant to keep the bunnies out of our garden also have some great medicinal properties! For this herb we are only interested in the flower petals. By the way, did you know that when a plant contains the term officinalis, it means it was part of the "official" Roman medicinal herb collection. This herb has definitely stood the test of time!

Calendula contains many nutrients, but is especially high in the following:

• Minerals: Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and Sodium.


• Vitamins: A, C, E, and Co-Enzyme Q10.

Natural Healing

• The biggest thing I want to emphasize is that Calendula causes cells to heal. Whether you use this herb as a tea, tincture, salve, wound dressing, etc, it will start the healing process in the cells it contacts.


• Calendula is great for normalizing body temperature


• Calendula helps regulate the menstrual cycle and stop cramps.


• As a topical wound dressing Calendula heals helps to heal and soothe sores, burns, and wounds. This is a great treatment for an infected wounds, rashes (including diaper rash), and sunburn. It has antiseptic and antibiotic properties.


• Calendula tea can be used as a nasal wash for sinus problems. It is a great tea to make and use in your netty pot.


• Calendula oil placed in the ear and left overnight can help alleviate earaches.

Ways to use

• Use a few petals in a smoothie or salad.


• Make a tea or standard infusion. You can drink the tea or apply it to a soft cloth or absorbent pad to apply directly to a wound.


• Make a standard decoction.


• Make a tincture.


• This herb also makes an awesome healing salve. I am going to experiment with one soon and I will share the recipe and results with you when it's complete. I'm waiting for some warmer weather so I can macerate the herbs in sunlight.

For those of you who live near me, I have tons of this herb and would love to share! If you are looking for a good source, try Mountain Rose Herbs or Frontier. Another option is to grow some organically this summer, harvest and dry it.

Karla

"And may we ever have gratitude in our hearts that the great Creator in all his glory has placed the herbs in the field for our healing." Dr. Edward Bach

Veggie of the Month - Tomatoes

I will never forget the day about 3 1/2 years ago (my girls were 1 1/2) and we were invited to a birthday party for one of my friend's kids. Everyone was milling around munching on all kinds of party treats and my kids were sitting at the kitchen island eating all of the grape tomatoes out of the veggie tray. I was proud, but definitely surprised. They have been snacking on them ever since...

Tomatoes, though actually a fruit, are commonly considered and prepared as a vegetable since they don't posses the sweet taste of most fruits. Instead, they have a subtle sweetness along with a slightly bitter and acidic taste. Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamins c, a and k and the phytonutrient lycopene.

Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. The antioxidant function of lycopene and its abilty to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage has been linked in human research to the protection of DNA inside of white blood cells. In addition, lycopene' antioxidant quality has been shown to contribute to the prevention of heart disease.

The lycopene in tomatoes has been know to be helpful in reducing the risk of prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer and heart disease. Tomatoes have also been credited with improving cholesterol profiles, reducing blood-clotting tendencies, as a natural anti-inflammatory, maintaing good bone health, reducing stress and helping against colon cancer, diabetes and migraines.

And if that isn't enough good news regarding tomatoes, when eaten along with broccoli additional cancer-fighting effects have been recognized. In fact, this combination of vegetables eaten together have been shown to greatly outperform other diets in lab testing.

When choosing tomatoes and tomato products choose organic. Organic ketchup delivers three times as much of the cancer-fighting carotenoid, lycopene, as non-organic brands. Lycopene has been shown to protect not only against prostate, but breast, pancreatic and intestinal cancers especially when consumed with fat-rich foods like avocado, olive oil or nuts. This is because carotenoids are fat-soluble so they are absorbe into the body along with fats. Holy guacamole!

When choosing your tomatoes:

- Make sure they are a deep rich color. This is not only a sign of a delicious tasting tomato, but deep color also indicates a greater supply of of the health-promoting phytonutrient red pigment, lycopene.

- Tomatoes should be well shaped and smooth skinned with no wrinkles, cracks, bruises or soft spots.

- Choose canned tomatoes produced in the United States as many foriegn countries do not have as strict standard for lead content in containers. This is important with tomatoes due to their acidic nature and abilty to cause corrosion.

- Store tomatoes at room temperature as they are sensitive to cold and it will impede their ripening process.

As usual, for the most health benefits, use whole tomatoes whenever possible. Some tomatoes products such as tomato paste is processed without the skin, a significant source of those great carotenoids.

So what do you think about some whole wheat pasta smothered in tomato sauce with a side of broccoli for dinner? Sounds good to me!

- Shannan

Source: For a more in depth look at the health benefits of tomatoes visit The World's Healthiest Foods.

Eat Well Guide

My friend Michelle just introduced me to a great website called the Eat Well Guide. I spent this morning looking it over well and decided that it was definitely worthy of a complete post. This is a great tool and I would love to see the word get out so that more vendors and consumers could find each other.

The site has many great features, but let me tell you about a few...

If you go to the home page, you are immediately given a search page. You can enter your zip, city & state, or keyword and do a search. I searched my zipcode for the default 20 miles and the site presented me with local wineries, caterers, farmer's markets, stores, butchers, farmers, restaurants, etc. that meet their criteria To meet their criteria the vendor must be sustainable and organic. Check out their FAQ page for more information on what meets their criteria. This is a great starting point for those just starting to look for organic food or for those trying to put a coop together. After you do your search, you can click on areas of interest and save them into your own notebook to reference later.

Another really cool feature is their Plan a Trip feature. I entered the city I live in and and another city about an hour away and the site listed every listing along the way. You can set it to search specifically for restaurants if you wanted to find a place to eat, for stores to drop into, or for farms to check out. How fun! There are also Local Guides for large metropolitan areas so for instance I can just print off the Phoenix guide next year if we travel out that way.

As I was looking through my local places, I noticed that an organic flour mill that I am familiar with wasn't listed. There is a Suggest Listing tab to suggest local places to add. This is a nice feature to help them round out their site and get local vendors more exposure.

The site also has a blog titled The Green Fork which has a variety of newsy posts about what is going on in the world of organic food. They also feature farms and vendors from across the country. I found it very interesting and look forward to reading more about what is going on around the country.

There are many more neat features and things to discover on this site and I highly recommend taking a few minutes and finding out the awesome resources right in your back yard.

Karla

Eco-Friendly Beauty Habits

Over the past few days I have run across some natural, eco-friendly beauty tips to share. Most of these things are simple and can be incorporated into your beauty routine today.

1. Use a washcloth. Single-use synthetic cleaning pads or cloths may be handy but they also clog landfills. Consider removing makeup with a washcloth made from natural fibers such as bamboo. Plus, the textile taken from the pulp of bamboo grass is naturally resistant to bacteria - good for your face and your laundry pile.

2. Hold off on the H2O. Conserve water by exfoliating before you get under the spray. Some days, swap your favorite scrub for a natural-fiber-bristle brush, sweeping skin in short upward strokes.

3. Oil up. Post shower, pat damp skin with an organic oil such as almond or avocado to lock in moisture. Unlike lotion, oil penetrates skin almost instantly and you can be sure it doesn't contain an alphabet soup of chemicals like most commercial lotions.

4. Air dry. To save energy and cut down on the carbon dioxide created by your blow dryer, soak up excess water with a towel and let hair air dry almost completely before turning on the dryer. FYI, it would take two trees 10 years to absorb the carbon dioxide created from blow drying for 10 minutes a day for just one year.

5. Recycle. Check your bathroom waste basket before throwing out cardboard packaging, shampoo bottles, or glass perfume vials. We all make a habit of recycling in the kitchen so just make sure the bathroom recycling makes it to the bin, not the trash bag.

6. Rethink your razor. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 2 billion disposable razors wind up in landfills every year. To minimize waste, choose a razor that allows you to change the blades instead of tossing a plastic, non-biodegradable razor in the trash. Better yet, invest in an electric razor.


7. Make it yourself. One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to go green is to create your own beauty products. And in many cases, you'll find all the ingredients you need right in your own refrigerator or cupboard. Karla and I look forward to experimenting with and passing along lots of great 'beauty recipes' in the near future.

And speaking of making it yourself, here is one natural beauty remedy I tried today. It not only saves money, but will also save on excessive packaging and waste. Instead of buying teeth whitening strips, try the following homemade tooth whitener. I have to say I thought I noticed a small difference in color after one treatment and my teeth had that smooth, straight from the dentist feeling which tells me that no matter what, it got my teeth really clean!

Homemade Tooth Whitener

2 teaspoons Baking soda
2 teaspoons Hydrogen peroxide

Mix until it forms a runny paste. Brush your teeth with this solution and let it sit on your teeth for 2 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then brush your teeth with regular toothpaste to rid your mouth of the peroxide solution.

You shouldn't brush with this treatment more than once per week.

Note: If you have open sores, cavities, gingivitis or other gum diseases, this may make your gums appear white for a short time. It may not be the right whitener for your teeth if they are very sensitive.

- Shannan

Sources: Self Magazine, Quality Health, A Good Clean Life

And The Winner is...

It's like presenting at the Oscars! :)

It's time to announce the winner of Living A Whole Life's first giveaway. All the names went into a hat and Karla's daughter L. picked a name. That winner is....

ELLEN SCHNAKENBERG

Whoo Hoo! Way to go Ellen

Ellen, send us your address and let us know what colors you would like your decorative straws. You can email us at hhnnmail@gmail.com.

Thanks to everyone for your participation and for the great comments and ideas for future posts. We can't wait to get started writing about some of your areas of interest!

Karla and Shannan