Personal Care 101

This is my fourth entry in Personal Care 101.  To read about deodorant, click here.  To read about natural soap, click here.  To read about toothpaste, click here.

 

Today I will talk about facial care products, cleanser, moisturizer, eye makeup remover, and lip balm.

 

First I will tell you where I came from and where I’m headed.

 

I had acne issues as a teen, but not tremendously terrible.  I have had adult acne ever since.  I don’t know if this ever goes away.  It didn’t at 30, will it at 40 or 50?  But I can say that this past year has been the best ever.

 

I started wearing makeup at 14 and was taught to do the full routine, liquid foundation, concealer, powder to set, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, the whole nine yards.  Over the years I became quite skilled at camouflaging blemishes.  I’m sure this did not help the acne issue, but rather exacerbated it further.

 

Over the years I have tried every product under the sun and spent a load of money!  Mary Kay, DHC, Arbonne, Murad, Proactive, to name a few.  Some of them were awful–in addition to acne, my skin was VERY sensitive, some of these products would cause a rash.  Some of them did work for a while, though.  But it seemed it would last for so long and then maybe my skin became immune.  Plus it wasn’t easy to drop $60 to $80 each time I needed new products!  I dreamed of being able to buy whatever cheap cleanser was available at Walmart!

 

One day I hope to be able to go foundation-free.  I do some days, more so in the summer.  I now use Neutrogena Mineral powder makeup (which I’m sure isn’t as pure as some more expensive mineral makeups) and I think that has helped clear my skin a bit.  Also, when I started eating better, I noticed a change in my skin.  (Sugar and refined carbs cause inflammation.)

 

But I’ve been the most happy with this new product.  If I freaked you out with the baking soda for toothpaste, brace yourself–I use castor oil on my face!

 

This is called the Oil Cleansing Method.  The oil actually dissolves the oil that is clogging your pores!  People typically use a mixture of castor oil and olive oil or jojoba oil.  The ratios depend on your skin type.  My skin is VERY oily (although it has toned done since using this oil).  I use 3 parts of castor oil to 1 part jojoba oil.  I used olive oil when I first tried this.  I already have Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my kitchen (I hope you do, too!) and castor oil was only a few dollars at the store.  Even if you’re a skeptic, it won’t cost you much to give this a try!  You will find some great information here and here, and here.  The latter is where I got my info.

 

I thought it was just something that came with age, but my pores had become so large and my skin was becoming more dull and rough feeling.  Now my skin has a rosy glow and feels soft and smooth.  My pores have shrunk significantly!

 

I pour about a nickel sized portion of oil into my palm and then spread the oil on my face.  I massage it in for a minute, steam my face with a hot washcloth for a minute, then rub all the oil off, gently exfoliating with the cloth.  I then will put a drop of oil on my palm and pat my face and neck with it as a moisturizer.  That’s it!  I used to be quite addicted to toners that contained salicylic acid, but I don’t need them anymore!

 

I was already familiar with using oil as a moisturizer, since I had used DHC and their main moisturizer is pure olive oil.  If I ever get too much oil, I just pat it on my hands, elbows, anyplace that needs moisture.  My face never feels greasy, just soft.  In fact, it has helped balance my oil level.  Our skin will produce extra oil if we keep stripping it with harsh cleansers.  My face is still oily, but I can tell it is less so now.

 

I decided to try this oil as an eye-makeup remover.  I first get some tissue handy and then pour about a dime size amount in my palm.  I rub it on my lashes with my eyes closed.  Then pat it off with the tissue.  I don’t rub too hard, since the eye area is so fragile.  I am very happy with this.  It will vary depending on your mascara.  I don’t use waterproof mascara.  I am using a new mascara lately and sometimes I notice a little residue under my eyes, but I just take a Qtip, dipped in the oil, and wipe off the remaining residue.  It’s okay to leave it on your eyes, since it’s your moisturizer, too.  I just pat off any excess.

 

This oil makes a great lip balm.  Castor oil is the main ingredient in lip gloss anyway.  It is an oil that doesn’t soak in too quickly, keeping a nice shine.

 

I have even used it as a hand moisturizer and body lotion!  I think I should probably use a different ratio for that, though.

 

Occasionally I’m lazy and I just wash my face with Kiss My Face soap, but I can tell the difference, it’s not as good as the oil cleansing.  And occasionally I will use bentonite clay (mixed with water) as a mask, but it’s hardly necessary.  I bought my bentonite clay, castor oil, and jojoba oil from Majestic Mountain Sage.  They also sell inexpensive bottles, if you need a container for your oil mixture (or you could find a bottle in the travel section of the grocery store).  Buy their small dropper bottle (I think they come in 1/2 oz. or 1 oz. sizes) and keep some oil handy in your purse, for your hands or lips!

 

Stay tuned next time, when I give details about hair care!

 

This post is part of the Real Food Wednesdays Blog Carnival, hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop.  Follow this link to find out more great natural alternatives for beauty!

Get To The Root

I have said it before and I will say it again–most of our health issues are rooted in our diets (and the diets of our mothers and grandmothers, certain things we were born with, were because of their diets, but most can be reversed).

 

I thought I had found the root of the dermatitis I was experiencing–stress, and I detailed that here.  But I removed sources of stress in my life and slowed things down and saw a little recovery, but not full.  Anytime something came up, EVEN just having to leave the house(!), I would experience a flare-up.  On top of a patch of dermatitis on my hand, I was also experiencing eczema and hives on most of the rest of my body.  Not fun!!!

 

Through all this, I have tried my best to put my trust in the Lord and NOT lean on my own understanding.  Sometimes this is difficult for me, since I have studied up on health so much!  I just had to get to the point where I turned it TOTALLY over to the Lord and didn’t worry or think about it anymore, including no more research.

 

I was constantly reminded of the verse that says, “God is not the author of confusion,” so anytime a solution came to my mind that brought anxiety, I knew it wasn’t from God.  I only followed leadings that brought peace.  (For instance, I had thoughts of trying the GAPS diet, where you eliminate all grains, all dairy, and all starchy vegetables and fruit, but that brought me great anxiety.  I think GAPS is wonderful, but it wasn’t the answer for me at this time.)

 

One day, I felt the need to research hives and adrenals glands and low and behold (!), I found information that matched what I had been experiencing, PLUS other issues, like the dizzy spells I detailed here, and low blood sugar issues, mentioned here, hay fever, and quite possible the irregular cycles I’ve always experienced.

 

So, it seems I WAS correct in saying that our diet is the root of our problems.  I was experiencing stress, but that was because my adrenal glands were fatigued and couldn’t handle the stress properly.  (When your adrenal glands are tired, everything stresses you out.)  I am now focusing on healing the adrenals and am seeing bigger recovery.  My hand is almost 100% clear and the rest of the skin issues are greatly diminished as well.  

 

Here are the articles that helped me so much:

Adrenals & Allergic Response (hives are an allergic response, as is eczema and dermatitis) by Dr. Thomas Cowan

Adrenal Fatigue & Your Diet by Dr. Marcelle Pick

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue (My craving for salt started years ago, I had no idea that was related to adrenals!)

 

This is part of the Real Food Wednesdays Blog Carnival hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop.  This week’s topic is Real Food Testimonials, check out the link to read many more inspiring stories of how diet has changed people’s lives!

Real Food Wednesday: Bone Broth

Cheeseslave is hosting a Real Food Wednesday Blog Carnival.  The theme this week is bone broth.

 

Bone broths are full of minerals that are vital for our health.  Plus they add flavor to our meals.  You can make soups, stews, and other things, like rice, with bone broth.

 

My recipe for chicken stock/broth is here.

 

When you have your homemade stock made, you can make these great recipes:

Braised Butternut Squash

Pasta with Butternut Squash

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

 

Be sure to visit this link to see what other recipes were entered in the carnival!

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

I love this soup because it is quick and easy to make, so delicious, and quite nutritious.  You will get plenty of fiber from the sweet potatoes, lentils, celery, and carrots, and plenty of minerals from the homemade chicken broth and celtic sea salt.

 

Now if you told me you had a delicious recipe for soup that called for curry and lentils, I would say, “No thanks!”, but I saw this in a magazine and decided to try it.  I have made this soup many times now because it is SO good!  I encourage you to give it a try.

   Curried Sweet Potato Soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup carrot, diced (about 1 carrot)

1/4 cup celery, diced (about 1 celery rib)

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 bay leaf

2 Tablespoons fat (you could use coconut oil, I typically use the chicken fat from my homemade broth)

1 1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled, cubed (usually 1 large sweet potato)

1 teaspoon curry powder

4 cups chicken broth (my recipe here)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz.)

1/4 cup brown lentils

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt to taste (celtic is best), probably about 1/2 teaspoon

plain yogurt or sour cream to garnish (sour cream is the tastiest!)

 

Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add fat and onions.  While the onions saute, you can dice the carrots–add to the pan.  Then dice the celery and add to the pan.  Peel and dice the sweet potato and add to the pan.  Peel and mince the ginger root (I suppose in a pinch you could use ginger powder.  I just buy a small root, peel the entire thing and then slice and throw in the food processor.  Whatever is more than 1 tablespoon, I freeze for the next time I make this soup.).  Add the ginger, curry, and salt; saute 1 minute.

Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and lentils; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.  Optional:  At this point, I mash it a bit with the potato masher to break up the pieces of sweet potato a bit and thicken the soup slightly.

Off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and lemon juice.  Taste and adjust salt, if needed.  Serve with a garnish of sour cream and extra cilantro.

 

This recipe is part of Nourishing Soups and Stews Blog Carnival, hosted by The Nourishing Gourmet.  Check out the link to find many more great soup and stew recipes!

How to Afford Healthy Food

I am contributing to the Real Food Wednesdays Blog Carnival, hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

The theme this week is Real Food on a Budget.  You can go here to see all the other great tips.

My biggest way to save money on groceries, allowing me to spend more on real healthy food, is to only buy whole chickens, never parts, and cut them up.

The instructions below were part of my Money Matters article.  You can check it out to see lots more tips for saving money.

How to Cut a Chicken

 

 

 

 

Rinse the chicken and lay on cutting board.  I like to put some paper towels down to soak up juices.  Make sure your knife is sharp.  I like to start with the breast, so I have it breast up.  It’s easiest for me to have the legs facing away from me.

 

 

 

First cut in the middle of the breast.  You will encounter the breastbone (sternum); you will need to cut along side this bone.

 

Keep cutting down along side the breastbone and the rib bones.  I pull the knife toward me in long slicing motions; I don’t use sawing motions here.

 

You will not be cutting through any bone, if you encounter a bone, just cut around it.  There is a small ligament to separate the breast meat.  Then the breast meat just pulls easily away from the skin. 

 

 

Next I turn the chicken 90° so that the legs are to my right (I’m right-handed). Do the same on this side as the last, cutting on the other side of the breast bone and down along side the ribs.

 

Next, I grab the chicken by the wing and hold the wing up.

 

 

In this picture you will see that I am cutting the wing off of the chicken.  I cut with my knife (this time in sawing motions) under the wing pit, looking for the joint.  You won’t have to cut through bone; you should find the joint and cut right between the two bones.

 

 

Now that the wing is off, I lay it on the cutting board and cut off the tip at the joint.  Again, you won’t be cutting through bone, just between joints.  I save the tips for broth.

 

 

Now I have the remainder of the wing, I will hold it in my hand and pull the knife up between the joints.

 

 

Now you have two parts of the wings, the little drumstick and the other piece.

 

 

Next I flip the chicken over, breast side down.

 

 

Grab hold of the leg and bend it backwards to pop the joint out.

 

 

Now cut the leg off at the thigh along side the body.  You won’t cut through bone, you will see the thigh joint and just cut between the joint.

 

 

Now you have the leg and thigh piece.  Sometimes there is excess skin to cut off.  I leave the leg/thigh pieces together.  If you want your drumsticks separate from the thighs you can easily cut them apart at the joint.  Most recommend looking for the line of fat that runs under the skin between the leg and thigh, but that is never a guarantee for me.  Instead, I press with my thumb to feel the indentation of the joint, and then cut at that point.

 

 

Now I am left with the carcass, I will put this in a freezer bag along with the wing tips to save for chicken broth.  I freeze the breasts in separate bags, freeze the wings together in a bag, freeze the leg/thigh pieces together in a bag. Then we can pull out the breasts for such meals that call for boneless, skinless breasts, we can have a wing meal (like hot wings or teriyaki wings) when we have a couple of bags saved up, and we roast up the leg/thigh pieces in the oven or put them on the grill.  If I do a soup I will pull out some carcasses and cook up some broth and then just cook a whole chicken for the meat of the soup.

Also, I make my own chicken broth.  It is SO much better for you than store-bought and it will save you tons of money!!  I cannot remember the last time I had to buy store-bought broth.