At Home Peppermint Facial

Peppermint is a mix between watermint and spearmint. This essential oil can help with indigestion, respiratory problems, headache, nausea, fever, stomach and bowel spasms, and pain. Peppermint oil contains numerous minerals and nutrients including manganese, iron, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium, and copper. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Peppermint dissolves excess oil and gives cool refreshing sensation to the skin. It cleans the pores and kills bacteria that cause acne.

Directions:
1- Use pure peppermint essential oil
2- Mix 1 tbsp milk, 1 drop of peppermint oil, 3 tsp distilled water, 2-3 tbsp kaolin to make a soft smooth paste
3- Apply the peppermint mask on your face
4- Relax and let the mask harden
5- After the mask is completely tightened, gently peel and rub off the mask

Apple Cider Vinegar Herbal Rinse

Did you know most hair products are strongly alkaline? Which basically means you have buildup from shampoos, conditioners, hair colors, and bleaches. So to help clean the build up an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse well help balance the pH level . The best part about the rinse will provide shinier hair!!

By infusing various herbs into the vinegar rinse, you can enhance different hair colors and condition hair at the same time.

Here are some recommended herbs to use with apple cider vinegar:

• For dark hair: Parsley, Rosemary, Sage
• For light hair: Chamomile, Flannel Mullein, Marigold
• For red hair: Henna
• For oily hair: Lavender, Thyme, Witch Hazel, Yarrow
• For dry hair: Marigold
• For brittle hair: Horsetail

To make your own herbal hair rinse natural hair care product:

1. Place 2 tablespoons of the dried herb (or herb mixture) into a muslin bag or tea ball and put in a warmed tea pot.
2. Pour 1 pint (500 ml) of boiling water over the herbs and infuse for 2 hours.
3. Allow the liquid to cool then pour it into a quart (1 liter) jar.
4. Add 1 pint (500 ml) of apple cider vinegar and mix well.

Use the rinse after shampooing. It is best to use it once or twice a week or as needed.

Save leftover pumpkin to purify your face

Honey Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask

1 teaspoon green tea, brewed
2 teaspoon pineapple, papaya or figs, diced
4 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
4 teaspoons cornmeal

 
Directions:
1. Steep green tea in boiling water. Set aside to cool.
2. In blender or food processor, puree pineapple and place in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, honey and aloe. Mix well.
3. Stir in jojoba oil, green tea and cornmeal.
4. Reserve remaining green tea for another use. Apply small amount of pumpkin mask to cheeks, forehead, chin and neck. Massage in circular motions gently buffing skin. Repeat. Apply more product as needed. Leave a thin layer of pumpkin mask on face and neck for 15-20 minutes.
5. Rinse with tepid or cool water and pat dry with soft towel. Follow with appropriate moisturizer.
6. Store remaining mask covered in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin puree has enzymes and antioxidants that offer results similar to gentle alpha-hydroxy action: It removes dead dull cells, while its beta-carotene-rich antioxidants nourish your skin. Coconut solids are a lovely natural moisturizer, and ground cinnamon is gently warming, stimulating and antibacterial.

1/2 cup pumpkin puree, preferably organic
1/2 cup solids from a can of coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Mix ingredients in a bowl. Apply generously to clean skin (standing or sitting on a towel, if you like), massaging gently to work well into the skin.

2. Allow to remain on for 10 minutes or so, then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

August 2011- Beat the HEAT

Seven tips to stay Coooooool

#1- Stay HYDRATED!! The best way to beat the heat is to stay hydrated with water. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and lots of sugar whereas these will cause an increase in dehydration.

#2- Eat less and eat more hydrating foods: In conjunction with staying hydrated, try foods that will hydrate you like watermelon and vegetables. Eating less will keep you hydrated. The bulky burger will make you feel sluggish and is harder to digest than a light salad.

#3- Block the Sun: Closing your curtains and blinds can reduce the amount of heat into your home by 45%. Another trick is hanging a damp sheet in your open window so when the breeze comes and cools by the evaporating water.

#4- Give your AC some TLC: Make sure you clean or replace your air filter once a month during the summer time. Also, get a thorough central air-conditioning check for leaks which can limit the efficiency by 15%. If it's not too humid out, place a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan and enjoy the breeze. (If the AC isn't cutting it as quick as you like, keep a spray bottle of water for a quick spritz!)

#5- Fan Strategically: If the day's heat is trapped inside your home, try a little ventilation at night or when the temperatures drops below 77. Try a window fan; face the blades outside to suck warm air out of the house and pull cooler air in.


#6- Run the fan and the AC simultaneously: Run #4 and #5 to your benefit. Use the AC at lower power and still feel cool if the fan is blowing over you. The science behind this trick: AC removes humidity from the air while the fan evaporates sweat from your body.

#7- Shut down life for a moment: Let your notebook and computer take a nap. Put them in sleep mode to reduce the energy bill and give off less heat.  Also, grill out to give your oven a break (and reduce more heat in your home). AND, shut the lights in your home (or change the light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs which produce 70% less heat)

July 2011 Tip

Green Grilling!! July is prime time month for grilling out with friends and family. Make sure you consciously are making good food and a better earth! Below are some alternatives to turn grilling sustainable.

1- Cool Fuel      If you usually: Use charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid.
      You could try: A gas grill, or hardwood lump charcoal started with a chimney device. This low-tech method gives off a LOT less CO2 and other chemicals, and it's a great use for old newspapers. Also, commercial charcoal briquettes are steeped with potentially cancer-causing chemicals, and burn at temperatures high enough to promote carcinogenic charring on food. Stick with natural hardwood lump charcoal that burns at lower temperatures.

2- Crowd Control     If you usually: Send out paper invites and/or tell people to just show up.
     You could try: Sending out an online e-vite, and asking people to RSVP. Create a shopping list to feed the exact number of people you're expecting. You'll save cash while you're minimizing waste.3- So Appealing     If you usually: Toss veggie peels, corn husks, etc. in the trash.
     You could try: Composting them. It's easier than you think, it's great for your garden, and it's an easy way to get your kids involved in saving their planet. Visit  epa.gov/compost  or your community garden to learn how you can turn kitchen and yard scraps into earth-first fertilizer, while reducing the 24 percent of the bulk they'd make in the nation's landfills.

4- Can You Dig It?     If you usually: Buy pre-packaged, chemically treated vegetables.
     You could try: Buying them loose, visiting a local farmers market or co-op, or growing your own. You could even use that compost you've been making! If you do go the pre-packaged route, gently scrub the outsides with a little bit of baking soda and water to remove any preservatives or pesticides. Visit  localharvest.org  to find out what's growing near you.

5- Deep Dish     If you usually: Use plastic utensils, and paper or plastic plates -- which then get tossed out and don't break down.
     You could try: Using metal utensils and ceramic plates and taking your guests up on their offer to wash them in the sink. Also consider exploring various brands of bamboo and corn-based biodegradable utensils (we love  Biocorp's offerings) and recycled fiber paper plates like Chinet's Casuals.

6- What's Your Line?     If you usually: Use a disposable plastic tablecloth and paper napkins.
     You could try: Using a cloth tablecloth, blanket or sheet, and cloth napkins or wash cloths. Toss them in the washer on the cold setting with the rest of the linens and an eco-friendly detergent, and line dry. It might be a little extra work, but you'll have the most stylish cook-out in town!

7- In The Drink     If you usually: Serve individual cans and bottles of juice, tea and soft drinks, and then throw out the containers.
     You could try: Recycling any cans or bottles, making pitchers of drinks, or buying family-size bottles (which you then recycle). If you're toting a cooler, bring fruit juice ice cubes or frozen fruit to use as non-diluting drink chillers.

8- This Little Light of Mine     If you usually: Light the backyard with electric lights or tiki torches.
     You could try: Using solar lights, lower-impact stearin candles, or bug-deterring soy wax candles. Less CO2 output now means more nights under the clear, starry skies for generations to come.

9- Clean Up Your Act     If you usually: Rely on harsh cleaners to scrub the grill, containers and utensils.
     You could try: Scraping the grill while it's still hot so it's clean for next time. Pre-grilling, clean the grate with baking soda paste and a wire brush. A cleaner surface makes for safer, tastier food.

June 2011 Tip of the Month

After Sun Relief Gel #1
2 Tbsp. Aloe Vera gel (or roughly the amount extracted from one fresh leaf)
2 Tbsp. brewed Chamomile Tea or Green Tea
3 drops lavender essential oil

Mix lavender, tea and aloe in a clean glass bowl.  Apply with fingers directly on sunburned or mildly irritated skin. Use all of the relief gel because it cannot be stored for later.

Beach Sand Foot Scrub
2 Tablespoons Canola oil
2 Tablespoons dry beach sand
3-5 drops rosemary oil (do not use if pregnant)

The next time you decide to spend the day at the beach, take advantage of the "on location foot treatment."  Brazilians, particularly, are known for scrubbing their entire bodies, particularly the feet, deep into the sand while they relax on the beach. 

When going to the beach, take a small vial of ingredients with you:  2 tablespoons of canola oil (suntan oil works well too), and a small vial of rosemary oil -- or premix and take one vial.

Once at the beach, use an empty container (a soda cup is fine) to mix the ingredients to form a paste.  Massage sand scrub onto your feet and elbows. Rinse off in the foamy waves, pat dry with your beach towel.

Bay Rum Aftershave

1/2 cup vodka
2 Tbs Jamaican rum
2 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick
zest from a small orange

Mix together all the ingredients and place into a clean jar with a tight fitting lid. Place the jar in a dark, cool place for 2 weeks. After two weeks, strain liquid through several layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Discard solids. Use by splashing on the face after shaving.

May's Tip of the Month

Flowers are beautiful but the pollen they emit just gets everywhere. If you're like most people you'll be snneezing constantly. Well, below we have some remedies to clear your sinus congestion.

Tomato Tea

Ingredients:
Add 1 cup tomato juice
1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
1/2 tsp of hot sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
and a pinch or two of celery salt for flavor.

Heat ingredients and drink hot.

Eucalyptus steam inhalation is recommended by some alternative practitioners for relieving nasal congestion and sinus congestion, usually from colds and flu. It can be done two to four times a day to relieve symptoms. If you're not able to do this, a steamy shower, vaporizer, or facial sauna is an alternative.

Eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus globulus) is an essential oil which can be found in many health food stores and online. It should not be confused with camphor oil. Eucalyptus oil should not be ingested, applied directly to the skin, or used in excess of suggested amounts.

Ingredients

Kettle

Water

Eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus globulus)

Sheet or large towel

Large bowl or container

Instructions

1.    Fill the kettle and bring the water to a boil.

2.    Place the bowl on a stable surface, such as a table.

3.    Turn the kettle off and carefully pour approximately four to six cups of water into the bowl.

4.    Add two to three drops of eucalyptus oil to the water.

5.    With your head at approximately arm's length away, cover your head with the towel. Don't bring your face too close to the water.

6.    Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Continue for 10 minutes.

7.    If you start to feel overheated or uncomfortable, remove the sheet.