I posted this weekend about starting to use the Oil Cleansing Method to clean my face.
That evening, I came across some not so bueno comments on another blog that said this method made them breakout with very painful acne that has taken them a couple months to clear up.
Yikes!
So, I have only used this method once to clean my face and frankly, I'm a little afraid of trying it again. I'm thinking I can deal with my tight, flaky skin after using soap much easier than painful acne.......
In case you want to read more, the comments I found were on a post on Crunchy Betty's blog about EVOO and how sometimes the labeling is fraudulent....Which I must say is a MUST read if you use EVOO. I learned alot and there is a link on the post on where you can check to see if the EVOO that you currently use really is what it is labeled as......crazy huh?
Here's the link:
http://www.crunchybetty.com/when-your-extra-virgin-olive-oil-isnt-so-wholesome
Monday, March 12, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Oil Cleansing Method
I've been reading a lot lately about the Oil Cleansing Method on some of my favorite blogs (Sortofcrunchy and Crunchy Betty). It's a method to clean your face with oil instead of soap. The idea is that "like dissolves like".....as in dirty facial oil is dissolved by cleansing oil and leaves your skin moisturized, instead of dry, like soap can.
I've been using natural, organic soap on my face now since about July last year and on the whole, its worked pretty well for me - I've always had oily skin...however, the last month or two I've noticed that my skin is a bit tight and itchy and sometimes flaky after it dries from washing my face.
So I decided to try this new method to see if it really works or just makes an oil slick of my face. :)
Here's the recipe I am using, in case you want to try too.
Oily skin: Use 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil. (Or measure out 2 tsp castor oil and 1 tsp carrier oil.) For the carrier oil i used EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) You can find castor oil at your local health food store, I found mine at Sprouts Farmers Market.
1. Take a bit of the oil mixture and rub it on your face - no need to take your makeup off prior to - it should take that off for you too. Rub it around - using upward strokes and let it soak in a bit.
2. Take a very warm, wet washcloth and lay it on your face a bit to open your pores, then slowly wipe all the oil off your face with the cloth.
That's it.
I was pleasantly surprised that my face didn't feel oily afterwards. It didn't feel tight and itchy afterwards either. Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a winner! :)
I've been using natural, organic soap on my face now since about July last year and on the whole, its worked pretty well for me - I've always had oily skin...however, the last month or two I've noticed that my skin is a bit tight and itchy and sometimes flaky after it dries from washing my face.
So I decided to try this new method to see if it really works or just makes an oil slick of my face. :)
Here's the recipe I am using, in case you want to try too.
Oily skin: Use 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil. (Or measure out 2 tsp castor oil and 1 tsp carrier oil.) For the carrier oil i used EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) You can find castor oil at your local health food store, I found mine at Sprouts Farmers Market.
1. Take a bit of the oil mixture and rub it on your face - no need to take your makeup off prior to - it should take that off for you too. Rub it around - using upward strokes and let it soak in a bit.
2. Take a very warm, wet washcloth and lay it on your face a bit to open your pores, then slowly wipe all the oil off your face with the cloth.
That's it.
I was pleasantly surprised that my face didn't feel oily afterwards. It didn't feel tight and itchy afterwards either. Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a winner! :)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Another Reason to say no to Soda, article by Dr. Oz on Real Age website
I've been avoiding drinking sodas for a while now, (I've had 1 or 2 every now and then, but that's it). This weekend we were having dinner with my parents and mom asked me if I wanted a coke. I hadn't had one in so long, I thought I would splurge. So I had one. Oh, it was awful....I couldn't drink it. It was like my tastebuds had changed totally - it tasted foreign to me, like some nasty acid. Was it just a bad coke. Not sure. But I do remember those 1 or 2 sodas that I have had, just didn't taste quite as good as I thought they should.
Fast forward to this AM, opening up my inbox, I came across this article. I am all the more motivated not drink sodas anymore after reading it.
I've pasted it below - but if you would like to read more at the website, the link is at the bottom of this post.
Just Say No to Soda
By Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD
Before you pop open a can of soda -- as refreshing as soda might sound -- think twice. While you may already know that both regular and diet drinks have been tied to obesity and high blood pressure; colas to bone loss; and full-sugar sodas to type 2 diabetes, lousy teeth (especially citrus sodas), and more, this next finding may come as a surprise. It turns out there's something in regular soda that's particularly bad for women. So, if you're female, listen up.
New research shows that just two cans a day make you more likely to add inches to your waist, get into blood sugar trouble, have soaring triglycerides, and develop heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes -- even if you don't gain a pound. Throw in kidney damage, too. It's also been tied to a soda habit. This isn't the first evidence of these links, but it's the first to spot how vulnerable women are. Why? That's as clear as muddy waters. Maybe it's because women burn fewer calories than guys, replace more healthy foods with useless fizzy stuff, or always eat sweets with soda. Or: something no one's figured out yet.
Wondering what to drink instead? Switch to water (or caffeinated water), seltzer with fruit, hot/iced tea, or coffee, which is giving tea real competition as the world's number one health drink. Check out this cherry-mint spritzer and tea buyer's guide from EatingWell.
http://www.realage.com/food/soda-are-a-couple-of-cans-a-day-okay?eid=1010659605&memberid=2923499
Fast forward to this AM, opening up my inbox, I came across this article. I am all the more motivated not drink sodas anymore after reading it.
I've pasted it below - but if you would like to read more at the website, the link is at the bottom of this post.
Just Say No to Soda
By Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD
Before you pop open a can of soda -- as refreshing as soda might sound -- think twice. While you may already know that both regular and diet drinks have been tied to obesity and high blood pressure; colas to bone loss; and full-sugar sodas to type 2 diabetes, lousy teeth (especially citrus sodas), and more, this next finding may come as a surprise. It turns out there's something in regular soda that's particularly bad for women. So, if you're female, listen up.
New research shows that just two cans a day make you more likely to add inches to your waist, get into blood sugar trouble, have soaring triglycerides, and develop heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes -- even if you don't gain a pound. Throw in kidney damage, too. It's also been tied to a soda habit. This isn't the first evidence of these links, but it's the first to spot how vulnerable women are. Why? That's as clear as muddy waters. Maybe it's because women burn fewer calories than guys, replace more healthy foods with useless fizzy stuff, or always eat sweets with soda. Or: something no one's figured out yet.
Wondering what to drink instead? Switch to water (or caffeinated water), seltzer with fruit, hot/iced tea, or coffee, which is giving tea real competition as the world's number one health drink. Check out this cherry-mint spritzer and tea buyer's guide from EatingWell.
http://www.realage.com/food/soda-are-a-couple-of-cans-a-day-okay?eid=1010659605&memberid=2923499
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Recent Article about Soda - Not Good News....
Just came across an article on the Washington Post Social Reader. Copied and pasted the article for your convenience below. A must read if you drink SODA....
3 Surprising Reasons to Give Up Soda
You already know it's not good for you, but these three facts could help you quit soda—cold turkey.
By Leah Zerbe
Topics: obesity, household chemicals
Soda—it's actually grosser than you thought.
By now, it's probably fair to say that most Americans know soda isn't a health-promoting drink. Over the years, the carbonated beverage has been blamed for the obesity epidemic and rising healthcare costs. Some public health experts have even called for a soda tax to help deter people from drinking so much of it. While love handles and diabetes are obvious problems associated with soda, drinking the sweet carbonated beverages harbors hidden threats, too.
1. It causes invisible fat buildup around your organs.
In the latest bad news for the soda industry, Danish researchers discovered that drinking non-diet soda leads to dramatic increases in dangerous hidden fats. In the study, researchers asked participants to drink either soda sweetened with 50 percent glucose and 50 fructose (table sugar, the soda sweetener of choice in Denmark), milk containing the same amount of calories as the regular soda, diet cola, or water every day for six months.
While total fat mass remained the same across all beverage-consuming groups, researchers say dramatic increases in fats that are hard to detect with the naked eye occurred. Those who drank the regular cola experienced a 132 to 142 percent increase in liver fat, a 117 to 221 percent jump in skeletal fat, and about a 30 percent increase in both triglyceride blood fats and other organ fat. The regular soda-drinking group also experienced an 11 percent increase in cholesterol, compared to the people who drank beverages.
In America, many sodas are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup that has been shown to cause even worse fat buildup. Avoid turning to diet soda as a healthy alternative. Artificial sweeteners and food dyes have been linked to brain cell damage and hyperactivity; people who drink diet soda are also more prone to developing diabetes.
2. Some contain toxic flame retardants.
Some popular soda brands, including Mountain Dew, use a toxic flame retardant chemical ingredient to keep the artificial flavoring from separating from the rest of the liquid. Brominated vegetable oil, also sometimes listed as BVO on soda and sports drink, can cause bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions and memory loss, as well as nerve disorders.
3. You're taking part in the biggest science experiment on the planet.
Many soda brands on the market in America today are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a heart-harming man-made compound derived mainly from genetically engineered (GE) corn. GE technology was only introduced into our food chain in the 1990s. We don't know the long-term health impacts of their use because the corporations that developed the crops never had to test to make sure it's safe over the long term. Other independent scientists are finding that GE crops are linked to digestive tract damage, accelerated aging, and even infertility.
Published on January 17th, 2012
Last updated on January 23rd, 2012
3 Surprising Reasons to Give Up Soda
You already know it's not good for you, but these three facts could help you quit soda—cold turkey.
By Leah Zerbe
Topics: obesity, household chemicals
Soda—it's actually grosser than you thought.
By now, it's probably fair to say that most Americans know soda isn't a health-promoting drink. Over the years, the carbonated beverage has been blamed for the obesity epidemic and rising healthcare costs. Some public health experts have even called for a soda tax to help deter people from drinking so much of it. While love handles and diabetes are obvious problems associated with soda, drinking the sweet carbonated beverages harbors hidden threats, too.
1. It causes invisible fat buildup around your organs.
In the latest bad news for the soda industry, Danish researchers discovered that drinking non-diet soda leads to dramatic increases in dangerous hidden fats. In the study, researchers asked participants to drink either soda sweetened with 50 percent glucose and 50 fructose (table sugar, the soda sweetener of choice in Denmark), milk containing the same amount of calories as the regular soda, diet cola, or water every day for six months.
While total fat mass remained the same across all beverage-consuming groups, researchers say dramatic increases in fats that are hard to detect with the naked eye occurred. Those who drank the regular cola experienced a 132 to 142 percent increase in liver fat, a 117 to 221 percent jump in skeletal fat, and about a 30 percent increase in both triglyceride blood fats and other organ fat. The regular soda-drinking group also experienced an 11 percent increase in cholesterol, compared to the people who drank beverages.
In America, many sodas are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup that has been shown to cause even worse fat buildup. Avoid turning to diet soda as a healthy alternative. Artificial sweeteners and food dyes have been linked to brain cell damage and hyperactivity; people who drink diet soda are also more prone to developing diabetes.
2. Some contain toxic flame retardants.
Some popular soda brands, including Mountain Dew, use a toxic flame retardant chemical ingredient to keep the artificial flavoring from separating from the rest of the liquid. Brominated vegetable oil, also sometimes listed as BVO on soda and sports drink, can cause bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions and memory loss, as well as nerve disorders.
3. You're taking part in the biggest science experiment on the planet.
Many soda brands on the market in America today are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a heart-harming man-made compound derived mainly from genetically engineered (GE) corn. GE technology was only introduced into our food chain in the 1990s. We don't know the long-term health impacts of their use because the corporations that developed the crops never had to test to make sure it's safe over the long term. Other independent scientists are finding that GE crops are linked to digestive tract damage, accelerated aging, and even infertility.
Published on January 17th, 2012
Last updated on January 23rd, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Cookware Update
I've been a little delinquent in my posting. Its just a busy time of year for me. So, the enamel coated cast iron pan worked well, until we did a little drastic temperature change on it. i.e. cooking eggs on the stove top, then taking pan to sink and running cold water in pan....uh, oh......all the enamel started chipping off the cast iron in the middle of the skillet.....DARN it!!!!!!!
so that poor pan has been retired...i think it lasted about a month. We immediately were on the hunt for another skillet with nonstick properties that was a safer alternative to the teflon coated pans. We found a ceramic coated skillet at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It was twice the price of the enamel coated cast iron skilled but i am proud to say, it has worked GREAT for us! and it has been very durable, even in the most extreme temperatures!
Here is the link to the skillet on Bed Bath & Beyond's website:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=127833
so that poor pan has been retired...i think it lasted about a month. We immediately were on the hunt for another skillet with nonstick properties that was a safer alternative to the teflon coated pans. We found a ceramic coated skillet at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It was twice the price of the enamel coated cast iron skilled but i am proud to say, it has worked GREAT for us! and it has been very durable, even in the most extreme temperatures!
Here is the link to the skillet on Bed Bath & Beyond's website:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=127833
Try this Mascara for Free - well, free after mail in rebate anyway :)
So, I just posted about the new organic mascara I found and have been using for a while.
This weekend, I discovered another version of the mascara, which is even better! And for a limited time, you can try it for free - with a mail-in rebate of course. I found it at my local ULTA Beauty store.
On the package there was a sticker that said "Try Me Free". Here's your chance to go organic ladies for minimal $$$$ if you don't mind the extra work of mailing in a rebate.
Enjoy - this is my new fave.
This weekend, I discovered another version of the mascara, which is even better! And for a limited time, you can try it for free - with a mail-in rebate of course. I found it at my local ULTA Beauty store.
On the package there was a sticker that said "Try Me Free". Here's your chance to go organic ladies for minimal $$$$ if you don't mind the extra work of mailing in a rebate.
Enjoy - this is my new fave.
Mascara Update
So, my last update on mascara was pretty hopeful. I was using the Coastal Classic Creations mascara - $25 a bottle. not too cost effective. Using the mascara brush from one of my favorite maybelline brands helped alot but the mascara just didn't perform very well long-term for me.
I happened across an "organic" mascara at my local HEB grocery store made by Physician's Formula. I figured I'd give it a shot, and at $8 a bottle that was much more reasonable and it was easily accessible and didn't have to be purchased and shipped over the internet.
so fast forward a month or so. I've been using the Organic Wear mascara and its pretty good.
it still is not as good as my old toxic mascaras, but its good enough that i can live with it. it plumps my lashes up pretty good. its not waterproof, but is easy to take off in the evenings with whatever soap i wash my face with - so i don't have to have a separate cleaning solution. I'm all about simplicity :)
and the price is right!
I happened across an "organic" mascara at my local HEB grocery store made by Physician's Formula. I figured I'd give it a shot, and at $8 a bottle that was much more reasonable and it was easily accessible and didn't have to be purchased and shipped over the internet.
so fast forward a month or so. I've been using the Organic Wear mascara and its pretty good.
it still is not as good as my old toxic mascaras, but its good enough that i can live with it. it plumps my lashes up pretty good. its not waterproof, but is easy to take off in the evenings with whatever soap i wash my face with - so i don't have to have a separate cleaning solution. I'm all about simplicity :)
and the price is right!
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