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Monday, April 30, 2012

Instructions from the Master






Instructions from the Master
Ephesians 1:6-8 NIV

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.


Throughout the Bible is proclaimed the Forgiveness of Sin through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not a chapter does not speak of what Christ did on the behalf of mankind when He lay down His life so that we
may have life and life abundantly. In the reading of the Bible we find detailed instructions on how to live a Christ centered life apart from worldly influence.


For example: In reading the 24 Chapters of Luke The Lord speaks to us of everything from His instructions to the Disciples to His instructions to the Believers today. All awesome things for us to know and I encourage you to read these instructions.

In the reading the of the 5 Chapters of 1 John the Lord  speaks to us of Love and living in Truth. Which is what I would like us to focus on.
Let us read of that this morning.









~ 1 John 1 NIV ~

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

4 We write this to make our joy complete.


Walking in the light


5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.










~ 1 John 2 NIV ~

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.

4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.

8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.

11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

12 I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father.

14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.


Do Not Love the World:


15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For everything in the world– the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does– comes not from the Father but from the world.

17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.


Warning Against Antichrists:


18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.

22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist– he denies the Father and the Son.

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

25 And this is what he promised us– even eternal life.

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.

27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit– just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Children of God:


28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.











~ 1 John 3 NIV ~


1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.

6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.


Love one another:


11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence

20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God

22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us











~ 1 John 4 NIV ~

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.


God's Love and Ours:


7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.










~ 1 John 5 NIV ~


1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.

3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 This is the one who came by water and blood– Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

7 For there are three that testify:

8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

9 We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

15 And if we know that he hears us– whatever we ask– we know that we have what we asked of him.

16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.

17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true– even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

A Very Special Valentine's Date




~My Special Valentine For All Time~

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!" Thomas Hood

Many, many years ago now; back when I was a newly divorced single mother; the church that I was attending at the time had a Valentine's Day social for the adults. For the event each person (rather married or single) was required to bring a "date" with them to the party. I very much wanted to attend but was not currently dating anyone.

I am not sure exactly when the idea came to me as to whom I would take to the Valentine's Day event but once I had made up my mind then I began to make preparations with a zest in my spirit that I had not felt in a very long time.

I suppose that I spent most all of one week and part of another getting ready for the Big event. I went to a "formals" boutique in our community and bought a red gown with matching shoes and a red beaded handbag. I went to the hair dressers and had my hair cut, colored and curled and then I went to the nail salon and had a manicure and a pedicure. The last place that I went to was a costume shop and there I purchased a faux red velvet crown (in just a moment you will see why)

The day of the Big event I gave myself a facial to beat all facials, soaked in the tub in sweet oils until my skin was soft and silky smooth, ate a very light lunch because my nerves probably would have had me to throw up anything heavier and drank a few glasses of wine while I went through my beauty regime. Then it was time to get dressed and go.

I walked out of the house feeling like a million zillion bucks! I looked good, I felt good, I smelled good and most importantly I carried the faux velvet crown in my hand which gave me all of the confidence in the world!








The church was just across the street from where I lived so I didn't have very far to walk. I went in and made general chitchat with everyone there and more than a few people (impolitely I thought) ask me where my date was for the festivities to which I replied "Ohh, well you know, He'll be along in a minute".

So; then it came time to go into the banquet hall for our Valentine's meal. I walked over to the head of the table and picked up the napkin and crumpled it up a little bit and set it along side of the plate. According to Middle Eastern tradition (both in the past and the present) a crumpled napkin is the symbol for "I am coming back". Meaning don't remove my plate because I am not finished yet. Then I sat my red velvet crown down on top of the empty plate.

My pastor saw what I had done and he came over and in a low kind of whisper voice said something to the effect of it not being necessary (he thought the crown was for him!) but I was just as quick to assure him that it was not his crown- the crown belonged to my "date".

He reminded me- still in his lowered "I am not going to make a scene" voice that he generally sat at the head of the table for most all church social events. Being the pastor I am sure that he did and had every right to. But still I told him "Not tonight. Tonight you will not be sitting at the head of the table. Tonight my date sits here." (giving the arm of the chair a light pat) Then I went and took the place setting that had been designated for me at the table.

Well; the pastor not wanting to cause a scene in front of his congregation by insisting on sitting at what he thought was his place setting - sat down in the first chair on the right. Which caused everyone else to have to shift down one chair. For a moment it caused a little bit of a shuffle as everyone realigned their seating.

So; as it were, before the meal began the women were ask to stand up one at a time and introduce their "date" and then to tell what it was that each adored the most about their person.

Round and round it went until it became my turn to speak. The pastor (bless his heart) thought I had been stood up by my date and trying to save me from embarrassment was going to simply pass me over and called on the next woman at the table. But I held her arm to keep her from standing and when she got what I was doing I then stood up and said:

"I would like to present my date for this evening- actually He is my date for every evening, every night and every day. He is my love for all time and all times. Tonight on this very special Valentine's Day I finally have the opportunity to dress up for Him the way I have always wanted to and to go out as a couple. And I so appreciate each of you making this night possible for me. I don't have to tell any of you why I Love Him like I do because you already know Him and you already love Him ... just as I do.

Then I walked to the front of the table and stood behind the chair and said (by then I could hardly speak past the lump in my throat- as I am right now as I type this up)


"This is Jesus Christ and He is my date".







"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach." Elizabeth Barrett Browning


From that Valentine's Day forward rather I host a Valentine's party or attend a Valentine's party, or just simply spend the day/evening at home on Valentine's day -  Jesus Christ has always been my date for the event. He is my Valentine for All Time and I Love Him. Just as I know you do too.

I think sometimes we forget to what extent that Jesus was willing to go to just to prove His love for us. We forget how diligently He wooed us and courted us; always with the utmost gentleness and patience, until He finally captured our hearts.

Like an old married couple that has been in love for decades we settle down into a depth of warmth for our Beloved that may not be the all consuming desire that we had in the beginning of our courtship but so much more comforting and comfortable.

Through the years as we have grown together and learned about one another we have built a relationship that is binding and constant. It doesn't wax and wane in relation to our current circumstances but stays true and holds the course through fair weather and foul. Very much just like in the natural; we look forward to spending our twilight years together rocking on the porch, holding hands and pondering aloud what the future might hold for us.

We have found our one true love; our love of a lifetime, our Valentine for all time and it is good. We need nothing else but our Beloved. No need to look further. He is as perfect a love as it ever was or ever will be. How fortunate are we that He fell in love with us. Fortunate indeed!







"Love is the emblem of eternity: it confounds all notion of time: effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end."
Germaine De Stael









O, my luve's like a red red rose
That's newly sprung in June
O my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly played in tune



I love thee, I love thee,
'Tis all that I can say;
It is my vision in the night,
My dreaming in the day.



Through all eternity to thee
A joyful song I'll raise,
For oh! Eternity is too short
To utter all thy praise.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Queen Esther Beauty Part III.



Gram's HomeMade Goat Milk Soap

Materials:

Protective mask and gloves
Stirring wood spoons
Candy thermometer
Electric hand blender
Spatula
Large bowl
Plastic Pitcher
Soap molds- I use an old set of bread loaf pans
Cookie racks
Wax paper
* 12 ounces partially frozen goats' milk
3 ounces lye
4 1/4 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces coconut oil (not coconut milk)
12 ounces vegetable shortening- hard Crisco- not oils


* You can use fresh goat's milk, canned goat's milk or even powdered goat's milk (mixed with water according to directions) however the fresher the goat's milk the better quality of soap. Prior to making the soap- place the goat's milk in a bowl and set in the freezer until it is partially frozen- sort of like a slushy.
 



Making Soap

1. Wearing a protective mask and gloves, place milk into large bowl and very slowly add lye a little bit at a time. Stirring as you go until the mixture is smooth and without lumps. The lye will interact with the fat molecules in the milk and should bring the mixture to between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Never just dump in the entire lye or you will end up with a volcano effect- it's going to bubble up and go everywhere. Ditto on dumping the milk on top of the entire batch of lye. Not only is it dangerous but you'll be cleaning up the mess for hours and hours.


2. Melt the olive oil, coconut oil, and shortening together in one pot and bring to about 115 degrees. Use a candy thermometer or just gage that it's nice and hot without scorching or catching fire LOL

3. Add the oil mixture to the milk/lye mixture and use a hand blender to combine everything together until the mixture demonstrates "tracing" (drips from the blender leave a noticeable path in the mixture- kind of like how honey looks when spilt on the counter top). This will take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes.

4. Using a spatula, fold the mixture to remove bubbles. Transfer to a pitcher and pour the mixture into wax paper lined soap molds. (The reason the pitcher is used is to keep air bubble out.)

* Again I use a set of old bread/loaf pans- but you can just as easily use paper milk or juice cartons- just be sure to rinse and dry well before using


5. After 24 hours, turn the soaps out of the molds onto cookie racks. Place in a dry location and allow to cure for 4- 6 weeks. (I personally use the top shelf of my linen closed to store my curing soap. It is dark, dry and I don't have to worry about something falling on it and ruining my hard work)

* If you have trouble peeling the wax paper from your soap simply put in the freezer for a few moments and it'll peel right away without problem.

* If you would like to cut the bars now you can or simply leave as is until curing process is complete and then cut. It's completely optional but I find it easier to cut into nice size square bars After it has cured- as the soap is firm to touch.

However if you would like to make soap balls or cut into shapes with a cookie cutter then it's best to do this now (before the curing process) while the soap is still somewhat pliable.

This is your basic no frills goat's milk soap!



If you would like scented soap- simply add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your choice of scent to the mixture during step #4

If you want a soap that is extra moisturizing add 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of Quaker oats to step #4

Let me say that you have to use lye if you want to make soap. There is simply no getting around it. Every single bar of soap that was ever made- rather home made or store bought has lye in it. Though it sounds scary to use it really isn't anymore so that it is scary to add bleach to your laundry. You are careful when you add bleach right? If it makes you feel any better about it then let me say that those bags of pretzels that you enjoy eating so much was fried using a lye mixture. Lye is completely harmless once it heats itself up.


This is my Grams recipe for soap making and she got it from her Mother and so forth all the way back to who knows when. Certainly back before electricity when they made soap in a kettle out in the yard over a wood fire.

Sadly, today it is getting harder and harder to find lye because freaking meth heads use lye to cook up their drugs. Most stores have pulled it from the shelves but it you tell the manager that you need a can of lye for soap making then he'll have you sign a paper of intention and sell you all you want. You have to have a photo ID by the way.

You can also order it from a company called Camden-Grey online but you have to also print out a release form and mail it in.

http://www.camdengrey.com/

If the very idea of handling lye absolutely just gives you the willies then there are companies out there that will do the mixing for you and ship it off through the mail. But, be warned- it's a little on the pricey side:


http://myworld.ebay.com/homesteaders6/
just look for "goat's milk rebatching soap base"
 


* Basically with rebatched base all you have to do is add 1-2 ounces of hot water to every pound of the base and cook on the stove until melted. Add in whatever you want for scent, pour in your mold and set to cure for three days and cut.

All in all it makes a good soap in small batches. It doesn't have a really long shelf life- like the "cook your own recipe" method I have given you above (which does have a shelf life of zillions of years) but it's good stuff.


Personally I have been making soap for so long that I don't even really think about the lye anymore. I am also a little on the lazy side. I would much rather make enough soap at one time to last all year than to make a batch every couple of months. But that's just me.

Whichever route you decide to take- it's important to have all of your soap making supplies in a special marked box that is used only for that purpose. For example I bought an old electric hand mixture, pots, wood spoons and spatulas at the flea market for mere pennies and this is what I use for soap making- over and over and over. When not in use I keep my box of soap making supplies out in the shed. That way I don't ever have to worry about someone grabbing up the soap mixer to whip up mashed potatoes. Ewww!








Let's talk about scents for a moment.


I think it probably goes without saying that everyone like a nice smell coming off a bar of soap when you are scrubbing away in the bath or shower. You can of course use any of the essential oils that are on the market which will make you soap smell lovely but I have found don't really hold up all that well over the long haul if used in a rebatched base. It's great if you are only going to be making small batches of soap and use them all within half a year. But not so much beyond that.

Essential oils tend to break down after a period of time and will actually begin to mildew in your soap. Which doesn't hurt anything and you can most certainly still use it but it really isn't very pretty to look at (all those strange black and purple flecks are kind of creepy but again do not hurt anything).

However; in the "cook your own" method that I have given you; essential oils will hold up essentially forever in the soap.

I am a great fan of "whatever I happen to have on hand" when I am soap making. I have used everything to scent my soap from the syrup left over after I ate all of the maraschino cherries out of the jar. I have used that last little sip of leftover orange juice that doesn't quite make a glass full to drink but is too much to just throw out. Pineapple juice left in the can after I made a pineapple upside down cake. Even a half a cup of cold black coffee leftover in the pot from breakfast has gone into my soap- which smelled surprisingly good and even more surprisingly turned out to be the perfect soap to use during the warmer months when your skin tends to be a little more oily that normal.

And of course (being a perfume'holic) I will always use that last little dibble left in the perfume bottle to scent my soap. Nothing nicer than having your skin already scented with your home made perfumed soap before applying the matching perfume.









What's growing in your yard?


Here in the South you don't have to wander very far to find something wonderful to add to your soap making. Magnolia trees, Gardenia, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Roses, Lavender, Rosemary are just a few. Prior to beginning my soap making ritual I wander around and see what is in bloom and then help myself to the petals. It doesn't take long before you have filled up a sack of petals to use in your soap making. Just be careful that you don't pick the blooms off of someone's prize rose bush lest you kick off the whole "hatfield & mccoy" thing all over again with your neighbor. That could be bad news.

Most people that have beautiful flowering trees or shrubs are more than willing to allow you to help yourself- especially if they end up being the recipient of a bar of your wonderful soap! Some can even be talked into saving the petals from their prize roses once the bloom is starting to go off. Don't be afraid to ask and don't be afraid to share your love of soap making. You could be starting a trend in your area! Wouldn't that be lovely?

The point is that whatever you want to try in your soap is fair game. If it smells good to your nose while it was still in the can or jar or bottle odds are that it will smell good in your soap. Don't be afraid to experiment.

So, there it is: Gram's homemade soap. Once you give it a try you'll never go back to that store bought junk.

Happy Soap Making!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Queen Esther Beauty Part II.





~ Beautiful ~ Inside and Out ~



Well; it goes without saying that long before one could just pop in their auto and travel down to the corner drug store armed with a fist full of cash to spend on ridiculously over priced products that did not work; women were rattling their pots and pans in the kitchen creating everything from home made hair spray to soap, nail repair cream to something marvelous to add to the water of that fantastic claw foot tub. Creating things that actually worked as they were intended, smelled divine and could generally be made from items you already had in the panty or growing in the yard.

Queen Esther was one of the strongest women in the Bible. Commanding armies, defeating nations and winning hearts all at the same time. She was a beauty and fearless and she didn't get her products from the drug store.

Let's use her as our example and see what other remedies have been passed down to us through the halls of time for our benefit. Shall we?










Sunburn Soothers

Sometimes, despite our best intentions and slathering ourselves with sunblock, we or someone we love gets a painful sunburn. Ouch! Not only can sunburn cause skin cancer, it can also prematurely age and damage our skin.

Here are the best natural remedies we know for healing painful, sunburned skin. Soothe your sunburn safely with these great ideas:


1.  Aloe Vera Gel

For sunburn there is nothing better than aloe vera gel; it is antibacterial and deeply healing for burns in part because of aloectin B, which stimulates the immune system. Aloe vera gel is so effective that it is used in hospitals for burn victims. It comes from the aloe vera plant, and many of us keep a plant in the kitchen and simply squeeze the gel from a freshly-cut leaf.

Just snip a leaf off an aloe vera plant (some of us keep them growing in the kitchen for just this purpose; it’s great for kitchen-accident burns, too) and spread the jellylike sap evenly over your burned areas. If you don’t have an aloe vera plant, buy the pure gel and use that instead.



2.   Sunburn Healing Bath

In a handkerchief tied with string or a muslin teabag, place the following:

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 cup whole milk powder
1 teaspoon tea leaves, green or black
3 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil


Run a tepid to cool bath and soak along with this bath bag. Use it as a compress to spread healing, cooling relief all over.



3.   Lipton Tea Compress
Store used teabags in the fridge and apply as a cold compress to burned skin.



4.   Cucumbers Cooler

a) Thinly slice 3-5 cucumbers and place on a plate.

b) Lie face down in a comfortable position in a warm place. Have a friend place cucumber slices all over the back side of your body, so they are just touching but not overlapping. Use about half the total slices.

c) Rest quietly for 10 to 20 minutes to allow the cucumber slices and juice to penetrate your skin.

d) Remove the slices.

e). Turn over and apply the rest of the slices to your front side. Relax for 10 to 20 minutes. You may want to rinse off afterwards, but it is best not to shower for at least four hours, as the cucumber will continue to work on the skin during that time.



5.   Take a daily dose of Vitamin E

One of the antioxidants, vitamin E in the form of creams, ointments and oils can help heal sunburn damage and shorten its effects.



6.   Take a daily dose of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another powerful antioxidant, so increasing your intake while sunburned will help you heal.



7.   Black Tea Sunburn Soother

The tannins in cool black tea will help soothe a sunburn. Store used teabags in the fridge and apply as a cold compress to burned skin.


8.   Baking Soda Bath

Have a cool bath to which 1/2 a cup of baking soda has been added.


9.   Calendula Creams

Calendula is one of the most healing plants. The flowers are emollient, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiviral. They are immune system stimulants and rich in carotenoids. Look in your health food store for calendula creams and ointments.



10.   Sun Repair Formula:

If you want to repair the damage done to your skin by the sun– or help to protect it from further damage– this formula may do the trick. Sun exposure has been linked to sunburn, dry skin, flaky skin and premature aging. Any of these oil-and-botanical recipes mixed together or used seperately can nourish your skin and keep it soft, moist and young looking.

* The nutrients in each oil feed the skin externally and internally. Use equal amounts of all the ingredients, shake well and store in a cool place.

a)   Apricot Kernel Oil is nutrient rich and nourishes the skin in depth without leaving an oily feeling. It contains essential fatty acids, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and Vitamin E. The combination is very effective to keep your skin moist and supple.

b)   Carrot Seed Oil has many properties. In this particular recipe the vitamin A will help keep the skin tan and firm.

c)   Jojoba Oil has a composition very close to the sebum of the skin. It is an excellent external moisturizer, helps prevent dryness, and rejuvenates the skin through new cell growth.

d)   Calendula Flowers infused in Jojoba oil will help to prevent sunburn, and are healing while being gentle to the skin. (To infuse the flowers, add them to jojoba oil in a crock pot and heat on low heat for eight hours, then strain and use the oil)







Sea Salt Scrub:

Two simple ingredients - natural sea salt & warm olive oil - combine to create a spa-worthy beauty treat that naturally helps slough off dead skin cells. Excellent to keep a jar of this salt scrub in the shower.

1/4 c. Sea Salt
1/4 c. warmed Olive Oil


Stir both ingredients together. Massage onto body with hands or mitt using a light but firm pressure. Continue massaging, NOT RUBBING, until a rosy glow appears. Rinse with warm water. Towel dry.







Polished Feet:

There are lots of gagets out there that you can use to rub off those rough spots on your feet but I have found that fine grit sandpaper works just as good as any pumis stone. Just grab up a piece and go to work on those heels and the outside of the big toes- try not to get over zealous and rub clean down to the bone. You'll know that you've done enough when you can rub your finger over the areas and they feel smooth (though will still look cracked and in sorry shape)

Next you'll be wanting to grab one of those books you have been meaning to read coz you'll be soaking your feet for about 30 minutes in warm water and some Arm & Hammer baking soda.

If you have a foot soaker- good! you're ahead of the game... but two pots work just as well- or if you happened to save a couple of those wash basins they give you in the hospital.. if all else fails you can set on the edge of the bathtub and soak your feet (but it's hard on your back)

The water needs to rise above your ankles so let that be your guide for selecting what you will use for a foot soaker. Dump enough baking soda in the warm water to really cloud it up good. Soak for 30 minutes then rinse off with warm water.

Next you'll want to get a little of your cooking oil out of the pantry. I use Crisco but you might have a different type or even can of spray Pam. Lightly coat (you are not going to be frying a chicken here) your feet with the oil and rub in well- paying particular attention to those heels and ashy ankles; then slip on an old pair of socks that you should have already thrown away. Leave on overnight to absorb the oil.

The next morning your feet will look like you have been to the best of spas and you can go on and wear those cutesy sandals you paid way too much for.







Overnight Facial Mask:

Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Leave on your face overnight or, for a quick pick-me-up, just 15 minutes. Splash warm water on your face to rinse.
It helps to removes facial discolorations, because the lemon works as a bleaching agent.








Olive Oil

For centuries, Mediterranean beauties have relied on olive oil to help maintain good health, a fresh, dewy complexion, lustrous hair, and more. Now you can learn the secrets of olive oil that have made it such a favorite beauty aid for so many for so long.


1. Cuticles and nails:

If your cuticles are ragged and your nails brittle and dry, olive oil can help! Soak nails for 30 minutes in a small cup of olive oil.

2. Hands:

Smooth on a generous amount of olive oil before bed, put on white cotton gloves, and go to sleep. Your hands will be softer and smoother in the morning!

3. Lips:

To soothe and smoothe dry, chapped lips, dab on a little olive oil.

4. Hair treatment:

This helps repair split ends, heals dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky, and lustrous. Massage a few tablespoons of olive oil into scalp and hair. Cover hair with a plastic bathing cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more, then shampoo as usual.

5. Skin:

Massage a small amount of olive oil into skin whenever you need softening and moisturizing. Apply extra oil to rough or cracked areas.

6. Bath:

Add several tablespoons of olive oil to your bath, along with a few drops of your favorite essential oil, to soothe and nourish your skin.












Lovely Lavender


Lavender plants are sun loving and need well-drained soil. They can be planted almost any time, and even started indoors from seed. Plants may succumb to old age after ten years but are cheaply replaced.

Once I started searching, I was amazed at the different types available. One species, English lavender, has over forty named varieties. The blooms range from lavender-hued gray to a vibrant royal purple. There are also species with blooms in other colors: white, pink, and a yellow-green. The flowers themselves are small, sometimes bud-like but open and full on others, and they grow up the spiky stems. Foliage typically ranges from dusty green to silvery gray and a few species have bright chartreuse leaves.

Some lavender hugs the ground with a height of only six inches. Others become bushes more than four feet in height. There is a size to fit almost any landscaping need. If you're selecting lavender plants for a specific garden design, familiarize yourself with the many species and varieties and consult an expert if in doubt.

Lavender requires very little care unless you want a formal, sheared and shaped plant. Only my very old ones, the two that were in the front yard's meandering bed, have ever required any major clipping. The debris from the clip job went into a basket to be added to the woodstove - another way to enjoy the sweet summer smell of lavender during the dead of winter.

The lavender can be grown in a variety of North American climates. Time of bloom will depend on geographic location, type of lavender and current weather phenomena. In the mid-Atlantic region, where I live, it is possible to have plants in bloom from June until late September. They thrive in our hottest and most drought-ridden summers without watering, and live through our occasional harsh and icy winters. In a moderate Mediterranean climate such as San Francisco, it would be possible to have lavender in bloom every day of the year.

In the north, where winters are longer and more severe, lavender can be placed in pots and moved to a porch or other sheltered spot during the colder season. In the south, where summers last forever and it can be extremely hot, partial shade is recommended. Also, seek advice on specific varieties for your gardening zone.


If there is a sunny spot on the walkway to your house, that's an ideal place for a potted lavender or bush because its fragrance will surround you each time you arrive and leave. You'll get in the habit of running your fingers over its foliage to release the aroma as you pass. What could be better than a single plant that is decorative, aromatic and provides ingredients for many other projects?

                       

When I am an old lady I shall have a lavender bush
and sprinkle the blooms upon my sheets
and under my pillow;
steep it into tea
and press its spikes among the pages of my books.

~author unknown~

                       

QUICK-MAKE BATH BAG:

Use an old handkerchief or piece of thin cotton fabric, six to eight inches square. Place a fourth cup of dried lavender blooms in the center, gather the corners together and secure the bundle with a piece of twelve-inch ribbon, tie it in a knot. Tie the very ends of the ribbon together in bow or knot, to form a loop by which to hang the bag. Slip this over the bathtub faucet positioned so the water will run through it as the tub fills. It may be used for several baths, the lavender should then be replaced.










Homemade Orange Hair Spray

1 Large Orange
2 C Water
Optional: 1 oz. of Bay Rum

Quantity: 
Makes about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Orange Hair Spray.

To Make: 

Chop up the Orange in a wooden bowl so that you don't lose any of the juice.  Add the chopped Orange to the water in the top of a double boiler.  Simmer (NOT BOIL) the mixture until the liquid has been reduced by half. Strain out all rinds and pulp and pour the liquid into a bottle that will fit a pump-type sprayer. Add a few teaspoons of cool water to thin the mixture if necessary

Tip:

A washed and rinsed Windex bottle will do for your spray container. 

To Use: 

Spray your hair with this mixture whenever necessary. Since it is gentle, with not alcohol or chemical additions, it can be used on children's hair too. 

* Should be made fresh every few days and kept in the fridge between uses.

Tip: 

* Each cup of the Orange Hair Spray can be preserved for up to three months by adding 1 oz. of Bay Rum. Shake bottle well before spraying and keep in the fridge between uses.







Herbal Bath

Combine together:

4 cups of dried lemon verbena
2 cups of dried thyme
1 cup of peppermint
1/2 cup of Epson salt


Mix together ingredients. Place 1/4 cup or so in cheese cloth or muslin, tie with string or rubberband and add to your bath and allow to drift about in the warm water. This has a great energizing scent.






Remedies For Facial Blemishes (Acne):

1. Cook oatmeal and apply on face for fifteen minutes, then rinse with cool water.

2. Apply equal amount of lemon juice and rose water with a cotton ball, leave for half an hour and rinse with cool water.
 
3. Make a masque of crushed avocado mixed with water. Apply paste to face once per week.

4. Eat a medium size radish daily to prevent pimples.


5. Drink a daily cup of rosemary tea to prevent pimples.

6. Soak a cotton ball in either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and apply on face.

7. Saturate lettuce leaves in water, use water to rinse face and acne.

8. Grind bay leaves and mix with water, apply on the acne with a cotton ball.

9. Clean your face and spritz spray with white wine morning or evening.


10. Add 2-3 teaspoons of dry basil to a cup of boiling water. Wait 15 minutes, cool slightly and apply the liquid with a cotton ball.







Body Blemishes:

* Run a warm bath. Add a liberal amount of the herb Rosemary and soak 15-30 minutes to reduce body acne.







Steam Facials:

1. Boil water in a pan, add some chamomile flowers; cool, cover your head with a towel and band over the pan for 5-10 minutes.

2. Softly rub your face with salt, Boil water in a pan and band over with a towel over your head or take a warm shower.


3. Clean your face, pour hot water into a bowl, and add chamomile, 2 drops of lavender oil or lemon and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover your head with a towel and band over the bowl for 5 minuets.

4. Boil water in a pan, add 2 teaspoons of dry rosemary, put a towel over your head and band over the pan for 10-15 minutes.


* After a steam treatment:


Take a cotton ball, apply a few drops of lemon juice and apply to face to close pores and lighten facial discolorations.







Herbal Acne Remedy

2 to 3 tsp. dried basil leaves (or green tea leaves)
1 C. boiling water
Small Glass Bottle


Steep basil (or green tea) leaves in water for 10 to 20 minutes. Cool, then pour into a small glass bottle. Apply daily to face with a white cotton ball. Lasts for up tp three months if sealed properly.







Hand Smoother:

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup oatmeal


Mix lemon juice, honey and oatmeal in a bowl until they form a moist paste. Work treatment into clean hands; cover with cotton gloves for 20 minutes. Rinse and follow with moisturizer.







Home-Made Fruity Lip Gloss
1 tsp. aloe vera gel,
1 tsp. petroleum jelly,
2-3 drops of flavored oil (your choice)

Mix aloe vera gel with petroleum jelly, then add flavored oil. Transfer to a small container. Now, you have a wonderful home made lip gloss!













Miracle Whip Facial Exfoliator

Yes, I am talking about the same Miracle Whip mayo your Aunt Mable uses in her macaroni salad. Apparently, women all over the US are using this salad dressing ingredient on their faces to remove dead flaky skin.

Miracle Whip (made by Kraft) Exfoliating Facial makes an amazing treatment for normalizing over-oily skin.

Here is how you apply this "miracle cream":

Make sure all your hair is pulled back from your face. Apply a thin layer of the Miracle Whip all over your face, up to the eyelashes and make sure to also put some on your neck. The "fumes" from the vinegar that is in the Miracle Whip may bother you so walk quickly around the house to try to escape them. LOL!

Leave on for 10 minutes, then massage gently. The dead skin cells on your face will roll off in rubbery little balls. Rinse your skin with tepid water, then cleanse as usual.

* I bought a small jar of Miracle Whip. I applied a slightly thicker layer than was recommended and the vinegar smell was unpleasantly strong but something you can live with for the few minutes it takes to do this treatment.

After a minute or two, the Miracle Whip 'melted' and my face was very shiny and oily (yuck!). After 10 minutes, I washed the Whip away and I couldn't believe the results. All the flaky dry skin was gone and my skin felt tight and smooth. Very strange but cool!







Filling In Your Eyebrows

Choose a pencil and powder in the correct shade. Women with fair complexions should use a blonde shade, those with olive tones should go tawny or brown, and those with with African-American skin should use
gray.


Brush brows downward with a dry, mascara-like wand. To define the arch, use the pencil to draw a line along the upper edge of the brow. Comb the brows upward and outward.

For added fullness, dust eye shadow into the hairs of the brow with a stiff, slanted brush. Dip the brush into a tiny amount of powder and use short, gentle strokes while applying.

If brows have been severely overtweezed, brush the hairs in the direction of the growth, and fill in any visible patches with powder. Avoid adding to the top or bottom of the brows.

Comb a clear brow gel (or hair gel works too) up through the brows to set hairs in place.








Cucumber Yogurt Facial Masks for Combination Skin:

Puree 1/2 peeled, sliced cucumber in a blender or food processor (or if all else fails use a fork and mash away) and add 1 tablespoon yogurt. Apply to face and let set about 20 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp wash cloth.







Cornmeal Hand Scrub:

Mix 1/4 cup corn meal with 3 Tbsp. milk. Heat over low heat until a paste forms. Add 1 drop of cooking oil. Let cool. Spread on hands, leave on for about 10 minutes, then gently scrub. Rinse.







Cooling Body Splashes

Basic Body Splash Method

2 ounces distilled water
20 drops essential oil of choice- eucalyptus, peppermint, or lavender


1. Find a glass bottle with a misting pump spray top (you can find old perfume bottles at garage sales or thrift shops– just be sure to wash them out very well– or you can buy new bottles online.)

2. Add the oil drop by drop to the water. Shake before every use. May be stored in the fridge for extra cooling!


Peppermint Water
2 ounces distilled water
20 drops essential oil of peppermint


Sensual Body Splash
2 ounces distilled water
10 drops essential oil of sandalwood
10 drops essential oil of ylang ylang








Unnatural Body Odor:

1. Drink one cup of tomato juice everyday for 1 week.
2. The following week, Drink 1 cup of the juice, every other day.
3. Thereafter drink one cup on the first day of each month.













Baking Soda Tips
Arm & Hammer- Where would we be without it?

Using Baking Soda for BEAUTY:

1. Zit Buster! Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to any breakouts. Let it sit overnight and wash off in the morning - it really works.

2. Facial Cleanser- Sprinkle some baking soda into your hands and use a bit of water to make a paste to clean your face with. It's a gentle scrub that will leave your skin feeling fantastic! (I leave a box in the bathroom for just this reason.)

3. Hair Build-Up Remover-  After a while you have build-up from shampoo. Next time you wash your hair, Use baking soda. the baking soda strips all build-up and leaves the hair soft and "really" clean.

4. In the Bath- Great for sensitive skin - sprinkle about a half cup of baking soda into lukewarm water while your bath water is running.

5. Once a Month Plaque Remover- I also use a baking soda tooth scrub once a month. It really cleans the plaque off your teeth.

6. Toothpaste- Again, make a thick paste and apply to your toothbrush and use as you would any other toothpaste. It's a great non-fluoride option.

7. Cold Sore Remedy- Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to cold sores at least two times a day.








Bad Breath:

1. Chew on a carnation flower for better breath smell.
2. Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar daily.
3. Brush your teeth with baking soda.
4. Gargle with parsley (or thyme) and water each night before bed. 
5. Salt water gargle kills bacteria. Spit out after a few minutes.








Avocado Facial for Dry Skin:

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer.
Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture.
Massage into the face and neck.
Leave on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off.








Apple Facial Mask for Oily Skin Recipe:

1 medium size apple (grated)
5 tablespoons of honey
Mix the grated apple and mix with honey to make a mask.
Smooth over skin then let sit for 10 minutes, rinse off with cool water.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Beauty of Esther





~ The History of Esther ~


478 B.C. - Esther, born Hadassah, was the wife of Xerxes the Great and the Shahbanu of the Persian Empire. She was Persia's first Jewish queen and heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther which is named after her. As a result of Esther's intervention and influence, Jews lived in the Persian Empire for 2400 years thereafter.

Esther's husband Xerxes (Ahasuerus) followed in the footsteps of Cyrus the Great, in showing mercy to the Jews of Persia. According to the Biblical Book of Esther King Xerxes of Persia held a one hundred and eighty-day feast in Susa to display the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.

The King ordered his queen Vashti to appear before him and his guests wearing her crown, to show off her beauty. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Furious at her refusal to obey, the King asked his wise men and the seven princes of Persia for advice, according to the law; they advised the King to search for a new queen.

The King followed this advice, then began searching for a new queen by means of a beauty contest. Beautiful young women were gathered to the palace from every province. Esther was advanced for this role by Mordecai, her cousin and guardian.

For 12 months each woman underwent beauty treatments in the harem, after which she would go to the King. She was given anything she wanted to take with her from the harem to the King's palace. King Xerxes chose Esther to be his wife and queen.

The name “Esther” comes from the Persian word: "star".












~ Beauty Basics Part I ~

Beautiful You Check List 

Taking  a good look on our health condition~ our body tells us how it is functioning~ eyes, nails, tongue...

Clues About Fingernail color and texture can reflect a wide range of medical conditions

A Guide to Health via Your Fingernails:

White nails - Possible Liver problems or`Lung problems

Yellowish nails with a slight blush at the base - Possible Diabetes

Half-white, half-pink nails - Possible Kidney problems

Red nail beds - Possible Heart problems

Pale or white nail beds - Possible Anemia/Blood problems

Pitting or rippling of the nail surface - Possible Psoriasis or inflammatory problems

"Clubbing," a painless increase in tissue around the ends of the fingers, or inversion of the nail - Possible Lung problems

Irregular red lines at the base of the nail fold - Possible Lupus/connective tissue problems

Dark lines beneath the nail - Possible interior skin problems




~ Necessities ~Find time for yourself

Schedule time away from your job, your partner and your children. Use this opportunity to tune in to what you want and need. Don't feel that you're being selfish; you have a responsibility to yourself to take care of your needs.

Buy time
The next time you're asked to do something, don't answer right away. Say, "Let me think about it" or "I have to take care of something right now. I'll call you back and let you know." This will give you time to evaluate the situation and decide if it's something you truly want to do.

Practice saying "No."
For many women, saying "No" doesn't come naturally. But practice makes perfect, so start now! You can try it in the mirror, or even walk around the house saying it. Get used to hearing yourself say the word, and then you'll be ready to use it with other people!

Finding yourself is not about what you add to your life, it's about what you take away. Once you have created your "Absolute Yes List," the top priorities in your life, it becomes easier to identify those things that you'll need to let go. Although it may feel uncomfortable to think about saying no, it's important to remember that each time you say yes to someone or something else, you say no to you and your priorities. If saying no is difficult (especially to family members), then make sure you speak to your partner for support before and after you decline a request.

Your self-care is always a valid excuse to say no. Don't over-explain or defend your decision. Be graceful and honest. You might say something like: "I'm sorry, but it's just not possible for me to do that," or, "I'll have to decline but thank you anyway." As you practice saying no, it will get easier. Start now.

For one week, keep track of how many times you say yes to something that is not on your Absolute Yes List. At the end of the week, tally up the number…surprised? Awareness is the first step to realigning your decisions and priorities.

Make a list of five things you'd like to say no to. Start by thinking about these and then move into saying no.




Food From God


A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over! 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm a Swell to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries: looks just like them too. 

Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.




Vitamin K (Menadine)
named for the Danish word for bloodclotting-Koagulation.


It is important in the production of the clotting agent prothrombin and in the conversion of glucose to glycogen (the form of sugar stored in the body for use as fuel.)

Vitamin K is produced in the intestines of normal, healthy people.  It is important for normal function of the liver and needs bile to be utilized.

Positive Effects:
Promotes proper blood clotting
Reduces hemorrhaging
Used in treatment of coronary rhrombosis

Natural Sources -
fish, kelp, soybeans, and oil, safflower oil, egg yolks, alfalfa, leafy green vegetables, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, yogurt, corn, strawberries, wheat bran and germ, cauliflower, carrots, peas, cow's milk.


Cinnamon
is the dried inner bark of an evergreen tree that is harvested during the rainy season when the bark is most flexible and easiest to work with.

A wild cinnamon tree can grow to 65 feet (20 meters) high, but trees used for harvesting are pruned down at about 2 years of age to produce an abundance of finer bark-yielding growth called, tillering. Once the tree reaches 3 years of age it's harvested twice yearly following each rainy season.

At harvest time the shoots are cut and the leaves and twigs are removed with the rough outer bark. The shoots are then beaten to soften the tissues of the inner bark and make it easier to peel away in a complete strip. Once peeled, the bark is placed in overlapping, extended layers then rolled to form long canes or quills that are sun-dried. As the quills dry, the bark curls and becomes paper-like.

Cinnamon was one of the principal ingredients used in the manufacture of the precious ointments of "holy oil" which Moses commnded to use in the Tabernacle for anointing the sacred vesels and the person of the officiating priests. (Exodus 30:23).

Cinnamon is a powerful antiseptic that kills many decay and disease-causing bacteria.  It's leaf juice has strong activity against the germs that cause tuberculois.

Its flavour is due to an aromatic essential oil which makes up 0.5% to 1% of its composition. This oil is prepared by roughly pounding the bark, macerating it in seawater, and then quickly distilling the whole. It is of a golden yellow colour, with the characteristic odour of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste.




Home Remedies For Bad Breath:

1. Chew on a carnation flower for better breath smell.
2. Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar daily.
3. Brush your teeth with baking soda.
4. Gargle with parsley (or thyme) and water each night before bed. 
5. Salt water gargle kills bacteria. Spit out after a few minutes.

Home Remedies For Unnatural Body Odor:

Drink one cup of tomato juice everyday for 1 week.
The following week, Drink 1 cup of the juice, every other day.
Thereafter drink one cup on the first day of each month.


STRAWBERRY!
Find out the secrets of strawberry, right here:

1. Quickest Strawberry Scrub Ever
Strawberry's main skin-pleasing ingredient is alpha-hydroxy acid, a great little substance that helps us slough off dead skin cells so that new, youthful skin is revealed. Here's a ridiculously easy way to get some of strawberry's benefits in a New York minute: just cut a berry in half, rub it over your face, and let it sit there for a few minutes, then rinse. Instantly softer, smoother skin!

2. Sweet Strawberry and Cream Mask
This recipe is so delicious- with berries, cream, and honey--that you might be tempted to eat it instead of putting on your face, but give it a try. It will leave your skin so soft and beautiful: strawberries and cream mask.

3. Strawberry Foot Scrub
Feet can use a little help in summer, when sandals expose rough dead skin for all to see. This easy scrub helps slough it all away:

INGREDIENTS
8 strawberries
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons kosher salt
Mix ingredients into a paste, massage well into feet, then rinse and dry.

4. Puffy Eye Remedy
Just place a few strawberry slices under your eyes and relax for 10 minutes, then remove the slices and moisturize.

5. Berry Good Acne Remedy
Many of us older women are learning the hard way that you don't have to be a teen to have acne! But whatever your age, if you get occasional blemishes, this formula is for you:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sour cream
Mash well to combine, then apply this mixture to your face and allow to stay for 10 minutes or so. Rinse thoroughly.

6. Strawberry Mask for Oily Skin
Mix equal parts fresh strawberries and plain unsweetened yogurt, mashing to combine. Apply to face, allowing to stay on for around 10 minutes, Rinse.

7. Strawberry Tooth-Whitener
Simply rub crushed fresh strawberry pulp directly on your teeth to clean and gently remove stains.

8. Strawberry Hair Conditioner
If you want glossy, silky hair, this one's for you:

INGREDIENTS
8 fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Mash ingredients thoroughly and massage into damp hair. Cover with a shower cap and a warm towel. Allow to stay on hair for at least 10 minutes, then shampoo as usual.




Basic Bath Salt Recipe Base

Materials:
Bottle or Jar (baby food jars are great!)
Epsom Salts
Food Coloring
Perfume or Essential Oil

Instructions:
Combine the desired amount of Epsom salts (enough to fit in your bottle or jar) with food coloring. Mix well so color is even. Add your purfume or essential oil and mix again. Spread the mixture out on a sheet of wax paper to dry for a couple of hours and then put it in the bottle or jar.
While the salts can be used right away, the purfume or esential oil will blend better with the salt if it is allowed to set in the jar for a few weeks.



Seaside Bath Salts
1 1/2 c. Table Salt
1 c. Kosher Salt
1 c. powdered milk
a few drops of blue food coloring
a few drops of essential oil (any scent that reminds you of the seaside).

Combine all of the above in a large bowl and stir well to mix all of the ingredients and distribute the food coloring evenly. If any clumping occurs, use a fork or large spoon to crush.



Dream Time Bath Salts
2 cup kosher salt
2 cup baking soda
5 drops lavender scented oil
handful of lavender buds

Combine all of the above ingredients and stir well. The liquid in this recipe might contribute to clumps forming, so simply break apart with the help of a fork.



Christmas Bath Salts
3 cups epsom salts
1 1/2 cup kosher salt
6 drops peppermint oil
2-3 drops red and green food coloring

Divide the epson salts into three 1 cup amounts and place in plastic bags. Add peppermint oil to two bags, leaving one unscented. Add green food coloring to one bag and stir until well distributed. Add red food coloring to second bag and mix well. By now you should have three bags of salts in green, red and white. With a spoon, start with the red salts and fill your decorative bottle until a nice layer is visible... an inch or two depending on size of bottle. Add second layer of white salts this time and finish off with a third layer of green.


Rainbow Fruity Bath Salts
3 quarts of Epsom salts or course sea salts
3 envelopes unflavored unsweetened Kool-Aid powder (one each of three different colors)
3-4 drops of scented Essential Oils which compliment the flavors of Kool-Aid you have chosen (Orange oil with orange Kool-Aid, Lavender Oil with Grape Kool-Aid, Peppermint Oil with strawberry Kool-Aid, etc)
Mix one envelope of Kool-aid to 1 quart salts in three separate bowls.  Add 3-4 drops of essential oils to each of the three bowls, in a scent which coordinates with the color.  Alternate colored layers in a glass or plastic container.  To use, add 1/2 to 1 cup salts per bath.  No, the Kool-Aid will NOT stain your skin or tub, as it will be in fairly small concentrations, but, your white towels are another matter!  Careful!


* Grapefruit Sugar Scrub
1-1/2 cups white table sugar
8 drops grapefruit essential oil
2 drops red food coloring (optional)

Place sugar into a large bowl and stir to break up any clumps. Add the essential oil.  Add one or two drops of red food coloring if you'd like it pink! Mix very well to make sure the color is evenly dispersed. Mix well and the pour into clean container. To use, stand in the tub or shower and massage the sugar scrub onto your skin from head to toe. Rinse.  Inhale. Smile.



~ Hair Treatments ~

Lavender/Rosemary Hair Oil
1 oz. oil of Rosemary
1/8 oz. oil of Lavender

Quantity:
Enough for about 6 months of use.

To Make: 
Simply mix the two oils together and store in the dark or in a small amber or light-proof bottle.

To Use: 
Put a few drops of the oil on your palm, brush your palm against your hairbrush and then brush your hair.


Cucumber Hair Drench
1 egg
1 eggshell's worth of olive oil
1 quarter of a peeled cucumber
Blend the egg, olive oil and peeled cucumber. Spread evenly through your hair, leave on for 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinse. For the best results year-round, continue this treatment monthly.


Rosemary Honey Hair Conditioner
The extremes of heat and cold we endure throughout winter can make even the greatest of hair look and feel like straw. This nourishing conditioner blends honey for shine; olive oil for moisture and essential oil of rosemary to stimulate hair growth.

1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup warmed Olive oil (2T for normal to oily hair)
4 drops of essential oil of Rosemary

Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a clean plastic bottle with a tight fitting stopper or lid.
Apply a small amount at a time to slightly dampened hair. Massage scalp and work mixture through hair until completely coated. Cover hair with a warm towel (towel can be heated in a microwave or dryer) or shower cap; leave on to nourish and condition for 30 minutes. Remove towel or shower cap; shampoo lightly and rinse with cool water. Dry as normal and enjoy shinier, softer and healthier hair the natural way.


Protein Hair Treatment Recipe
1 ounce soy sauce
1 cup warm water

After you shampoo, pour this over your hair. Leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse out.



Super Body Hair Treatment Recipe
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon stale beer

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Comb or brush into your hair.
Cover your hair with a plaster shower cap or wrap with a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with a thick terrycloth towel. Leave this hair treatment on for 30 minutes, then rinse in warm water. Shampoo your hair as usual.

Tip: 
Proper Hair Brushing: Every day, rain or shine, men and women should thoroughly brush the hair.  Brushing dislodges dirt and distributes the natural hair oils.  Bend at the waist (this increases circulation to the scalp) and massage the scalp with fingertips.  Then brush hair starting at the nape of the neck with long easy strokes from nape to ends. Follow each of the brush strokes with your other hand to eliminate static electricity. Brush about 100 strokes in this upside down position. This is guaranteed to give new life to your hair.




Old Home Remedies...


Home Remedies For Backaches:
1. Massage your back with mint or almond oil then apply a heating pad where the back hurts to help absorb the oil.
2. Take a warm bath and sit in for a while relaxing.
3. Put dry rice in a cloth, warm in the microwave and apply on the back for a few minutes.
4. Rock the pelvis from side to side and front to back.
5. Eat nuts daily.



Home Remedies For Arteriosclerosis(hardening of the arteries):

1. Grate one lemon peel, saturate in warm water over night. Take one teaspoon 3 times a day with meal. Can also eat added to food or plain.
2. Drink carrot juice daily.
3. Mix equal amount of honey and lemon juice and swallow 1 teaspoon before bed time.
4. Blanch parsley in a cup of water and drink daily.
5. Squeeze an onion and drink 1 teaspoon of the juice daily.
6. Eat spinach everyday.


Home Remedies For Bee Sting:

1. Apply honey immediately after being stung by a bee.
2. Cut a tomato in half; apply the inner side on the sting for a few minutes.
3. Put vinegar on the sting.
4. Apply mud on the sting.
5. Smear a egg yolk on the sting. (for relief of pain and make the sting disappear).



Home Remedies For Bladder Inflammation:

1. Drink 1 glass of cranberry juice a day.
2. Drink radish juice to help with the bladder inflammation.
3. Drink watermelon juice.
4. Steam asparagus and drink the water.
5. Drink fresh onion juice.
6. To increase urine, eat a lot of parsley.
7. To increase urine, eat a uncooked potato with no salt.
8. Eat a lot of celery.
9. Eat grapefruits to help with the inflammation
10. Boil parsley in water, strain and drink the water.
11. Drink 2-3 glasses of pomegranate juice.



Home Remedies For Bronchitis:

1. Warm castor oil. Spread on the chest and cover with a dry towel for the night.
2. Mix mustard powder and equal amount of flour and water. Smear on the chest area and cover with a towel for the night. May also make a poultice bag of this and simply lay (or tie) the bag to your chest.
3. Drink fresh cabbage juice everyday.
4. Pour a cup of boiling water into a cup with grind/ cut horseradish root, wait 5 minutes and drink. Repeat 3 times a day.
5. Put half a teaspoon of licorice root (or one black piece of licorice candy) in a cup of hot water, wait 10 minutes, strain and drink. Repeat 3 times daily.



Home Remedies For Age (Brown) Spots:

1. Apply fresh Aloe Vera on the brown spots and rub.
2. Mix onion juice with vinegar (1:2 teaspoons), and apply on the brown spots.
3. Mix 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of orange juice; soak a cotton ball and apply on spots.
4. Apply some lemon juice on the brown spots.
5. Blanch scented geranium leaves in boiling water, strain, cool and apply.
6. Mix 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of grind oatmeal and 3-4 drops of lemon juice. Apply on the brown spots, leave for 10 minutes and wash off. Keeps in Refrig. for one week.
7. Apply watermelon peel on the brown spot.
8. Cut horseradish and saturate the pieces in warm milk, Cool and apply on the brown spots.



Home Remedies For Minor Burns:

1. Apply honey on the burn and cover with a bandage.
2. Put egg whites on the burn.
3. Cut an onion and apply immediately on the burn.
4. Put some mustared on the burn.
5. Apply some dish washing detergent on the spot, immediately after getting burned.




Home Remedies For Canker Sores (Mouth Ulcer)

Drink non sweetened chamomile tea all day and dont eat any solid food but tea for 2-6 days.
Drink unpasteurized goats' milk.
Eat 3 kiwis a day.
Apply Aloe Vera juice as a mouth rinse.
Saturate coriander leaves in water, strain and use as a mouth wash.
Brush you teeth with backing soda, or apply baking soda on the ulcer.
Put horseradish on the ulcer.
Mix cinnamon with water and gurgle.
Smear carob honey on the ulcer.
Wash the mouth with salty water
Drink tomato juice or eat tomatoes.
Apply raw onion on the ulcer.
Drink and gurgle barley tea.
Rinse your mouth with plum juice for 2-3 minutes



Home Remedies For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Massage the hurt spot with mint oil or lavender oil.
When working on a computer use a wrist rest
For carpal tunnel syndrome: put your hand in warm water for 30 minutes, can add lavender oil to the water.
Splint your wrist through the night.



Home Remedies For Cholesterol:

Eat a lot of oatmeal every day.
To reduce cholesterol levels: Boil 10 pieces of cinnamon sticks (2.5cm each) in 5 teacups of water. Add a tablespoon of honey and drink hot.
Eat honey to reduce cholesterol level
Eat 1-2 apples daily.
Blanch lemon grass and drink several times a day.
Mix 1 tablespoon of Hilba (Yemenite herb) in water and drink every day.
Drink 1/2 glass of red wine every day before bed time.
Eat one cup of walnuts everyday.



Home Remedies For Cold And Flu

1 spoon Lemon juice.
1 flat spoon of honey.
1 spoon of brandy.  (mix the three together)
Drink one tablespoon 3 times a day to help the flu.
Put 1 tablespoon of cut/ powder root, pour hot water into the cup, wait for 5 minutes and drink, repeat 3 times daily.
Make green onion soup.
Mix one teaspoon of cayenne to 1 cup of boiling water. Take one teaspoon from the mixture and mix with a cup of water; drink when needed.
Pour 1 cup of boiling water to 1 teaspoon of Marjoram, wait for 5-10 minutes and drink. Repeat 3 times daily.
Blanch salvia/ lemon grass, add honey, wait 3 minutes and drink.
Put cupping glasses on the shoulders and smear arrack on the chest; Drink tea with brandy and cover up.
Cook 1 cup of water to 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds on low heat for 5 minuets. Cool and drink to help the cold.
Drink herbal tea with cinnamon.
Pour a cup of boiling water into a cup with grind/ cut horseradish root, wait 5 minutes and drink. Repeat 3 times a day.
Blanch half a teaspoon of ginger with half a teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of boiling water; add honey, wait 3 minutes and drink.
When you catch a cold: drink granny's chicken soup.
Lie in bed and drink tea, let your body do the rest.
Cut an onion into small pieces, pour honey on the pieces, and leave for a few hours. Swallow one spoon every 4 hours.
Boil 1 cup of water, add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, cook for 5 minutes, cool and drink.




Home Remedies For Constipation:

Eat a lot of plum's spread.
Constipation treatment: eat apples.
Drink carrot juice.
Eat 1/2 a cup of sunflower seeds everyday.
Drink every morning on an empty stomach, warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and half a lemon juice.
Blanch a teaspoon of thyme in a cup of warm water, add honey, and wait for 3 minutes then drink.
Eat potatoes daily to help with the constipation.
Saturate plums (or dates) with warm water before you go to bed; drink the water in the morning and eat the plums if you want to.
Take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every morning (on an empty stomach) with a glass of water.
Mix 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salt to 1/2 a glass of water and drink right a way (bitter but amazing).
Constipation treatment: eat cooked red beet.
Drink a lot of water, 2 liters a day at least.
Eat a lot of green vegetables, especially lettuce and parsley.
 Swallow 2 tablespoons of olive oil on an empty stomach every morning.
Eat: green cabbage (might make you gassy), plums, fig, Do Not eat white bread!
Eat a lot of bran and oatmeal.
Eat honey everyday.
Eat 1 banana everyday.
Eat horseradish.
Chop chick peas (hummus) and eat.
Drink 2 cups of warm water first thing every morning on an empty stomach.
Mix dried figs with plum's concentration, add half a teaspoon of paraffin oil, 1 cup of borsch, honey and lemon and drink.
Grain tomatoes and eat, also drink tomato juice.
Grain potatoes and drink the liquid to relieve the Constipation




Home Remedies For Corns / Warts:

Rub the inside of a banana peel on warts - 
Pick a fig leaf or a ficus leaf, squeeze and apply the liquid on the blister.
Soak a cloth with apple cider vinegar and tie around the foot; leave for 24 hours.
Slice garlic clove into big slices, put the slice on the wart and cover with a plaster/ bandage. The next day, smear Dead Sea mud on the wart and cover with a bandage. Then garlic the following day and so on until it's gone.
Apply some of the fig's white liquid on the wart.
Smear castor oil on the wart.
Put banana leaves on the wart and bandage. Repeat every night before you go to bed.
Mix 50gr of turmeric to 3 teaspoons of olive oil, smear on the wart (colors the skin). 
Apply 1-2 essential lemon oil drops on a q-tip and put on the corn (do not put on skin).
Mix apple cider vinegar to crushed onion, apply on and around the wart and bandage




Home Remedies For Cough

Mix: 1/2 a cup of boiling milk and 1/2 a cup of cold soda. Drink slowly.
Warm a cup of milk and add 1 spoon of honey, then drink (can also add butter).
Cough treatment: boil 5 garlic cloves in 2 cups of water; take the cloves out and drink up the warm water.
Make an eggnog: Mix an uncooked egg yolk with a tablespoon of sugar, add hot milk and drink.
Eat fresh and dried apricots.
Drink grapefruit juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey.
Smear olive oil on the chest to help with the cough.
Mix half a cup of boiling milk with half a cup of cold carbonated water, drink immediately in small sips.
Drink a lot of herbal tea: Thyme/ Salvia/ Hyssop/ Fennel/ Eucalyptus/ peppermint.
Pour 1 cup of boiling water on 1 teaspoon of Marjoram, wait for 5-10 minutes and drink. Repeat 3 times daily.
Blanch 50gm of thyme leaves in one liter of water, cover the head with a towel, band over and breathe the steam.
Cook 100gm of grind ginger root in 1 liter of sweet wine, strain and drink 3 tablespoons daily to reduce the coughs.
Put fennel oil in a burner and bread the fumes to relax the cough.
Saturate almonds in water overnight, peel, grind, add some butter and sugar. Eat 1-2 tablespoons several times a day.
 Mix equal amount of honey and lemon grass juice then drink to reduce the coughs.
Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with some drops of brandy.
Grind 1 tablespoon of dried Ruta Graveolens and 3 tablespoons of dried rosemary leaves, mix with a teaspoon of honey and eat one tablespoon every morning (don't use if you're pregnant).
Squeeze basil leaves add equal amount of honey, stir and drink.
Russian med: Boil some water with 2 garlic cloves, 1 table spoon of oregano. Pour into a cup add 1 tablespoon of honey and drink.
Grind a big onion put into a jar with honey, mix well and close the jar. Drink 1 tablespoon from the juice, twice a day to help the cough.
Eat pears, very good for phlegm.
Blanch 1 teaspoon of rosemary leaves with 1 teaspoon peppermint leaves, 1 teaspoon of honey and some lemon juice. Drink several times a day.
Drink herbal tea with cinnamon to stop the coughing.
Boil water and add salt, breath the steam after the water cools a little.
Make green onion soup.
Put 2 tablespoons of peach leaves and add boiling water. Wait 10 minutes and drink 3 times daily.
Chop fresh leaves of loquat; boil a few minutes in water. Drink several times a day. Can also add sugar or honey.
Saturate slices of oranges in wine overnight. Cook in the morning until the slices are very soft. Eat several times a day. Also very good for phlegm.
Blanch 1-2 teaspoons of oregano in water for 10 minutes and drink.
Drink a cup of tea with a cinnamon stick.
Romanian med: Mix 1 cup of soda water to 1 cup of milk and drink.




Home Remedies For Cracked Lips:

Smear olive oil on lips (do not put Vaseline on lips it will make them more dry).
Rub melted unsalted butter on the cracked lips.
Apply some table salt on your lips, peel, wipe and apply some olive oil on the lips.
Apply some Aloe Vera gel on the cracked lips.
Smear honey on the lips.
Mix 1 tablespoon of Vaseline to the same amount of butter; then put 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sugar and apply on the cracked lips.
Apply some fresh orange juice drops on the afflicted area of the lips (might sting).
Apply some cocoa butter on the cracked lips.
Smear some Vitimin E oil caplets on the chapped lip
Slice a cucumber and rub the chapped lips with a slice.
Dip a wet toothbrush in baking soda and gently scrub the cracked lips
Apply some hand/body lotion on the chapped lips




Home Remedies For Cramps:

Drink a hot cup of coffee or tea right after you get the cramp, try to sit and relax for a few minutes.
Drain some pickle juice and drink 1 cup.
Suck on a lollypop or peppermint candy.
For muscular cramps: Massage the muscle that is opposite to the muscle that is cramping. Example if you have a cramp in the lower thigh, massage the upper part of the thigh muscle.
Take a Heating pad or a water bottle with very hot water. Place on the place where it hurts and leave it until the pain is gone.
Take a very hot bath, can also add a cup of camomile tea into the water.






Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

I always knew that soaking in a tub full of hot water with a few cups of Epsom Salts was good for relaxing muscles and drawing toxins from the body, but I could never figure out why. And it wasn't until I spent some time at the Epsom Salt Industry Council web site that I learned that epsom salts— made of the mineral magnesium sulfate— are also a sedative for the nervous system.

When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more.

Relaxing and sedative bath:
Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom salt.

Face cleaner:
To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Homemade skin mask:
Apply the mask to damp skin. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of non-fat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. For normal to dry skin, mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt.

Foot soak:
Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.

Skin exfoliator:
Massage handfuls of epsom salt over your wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up towards the face. Have a bath to rinse.

Remove excess oil from hair:
Epsom salt soaks up excess oil from hair. Add 9 tablespoons of epsom salt to 1/2 cup of oily hair shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is dry; rinse with cold water. Pour lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse.

Remove hairspray buildup:
Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup epsom salt. Combine, cover and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal.

Hair volumizer:
Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and epsom salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

Soak sprains and bruises:
Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak.

Splinter remover:
Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.





Dry Skin-Controlling Paste
To naturally-moisturize dry skin.

You will need:
Egg yolk
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Procedure:
Make a creamy paste with egg yolk, olive oil and lemon juice by mixing all these ingredients together. Mix well and apply it on neck and face. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes and wash with water. Repeat this remedy as often as needed.



Oily Skin Controlling Cream
To extensively remove oily skin that may cause pimples.

You will need:
Oatmeal
Egg white

Procedure:
Mix the egg white with oatmeal enough to create a creamy paste. Mix thoroughly and apply to face and neck liberally. Leave the mixture for 20 minutes and wash with clean water. Do this as often as needed.


All Natural Exfoliating Cream
To help even-tone skin and remove dead skin cells and renewing them into a natural glow.

You will need:
1 tablespoon of barley powder
½ lime juice
1 tablespoon honey

Procedure:
Mix 1 table spoon of barley with 1/2 teaspoon of lime. Mix thoroughly and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix it well until it appears creamy. Apply the mixture on the face and neck and leave it for about 20 minutes. Rinse face and neck with lukewarm water. Repeat this process daily and achieve a good result.






Homemade Natural Baby Skin Care Recipes

When baby has sensitive skin, things like perfumes and petroleum just make it worse. So, you know you want natural baby skin care but you don't know where to start? Here are some ideas for you.

Olive oil can be used on baby's dry skin. It's been known to help diaper rash as well.

Use 100% pure cornstarch instead of perfumed baby powders. It's better for baby's lungs and skin, and easier on your wallet as well.

Oatmeal bath for kids.
Grind 1 cup of plain oatmeal in a food processor or coffee grinder until it turns into a powder. Add it to running water and stir with your hand to get the oatmeal powder to dissolve in the bath water.  Relives itching due to chicken pox, poison oak, diaper rash etc. Also good for dry skin.

Diaper Rash Cream
Combine 1 tsp mineral oil with 1 tsp cornstarch until it forms a paste. Add 2 tsp zinc oxide ointment and 2 tsp antibiotic ointment.

Hand Sanitizer
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1/4 cup grain alcohol
10 drops fragrance oil
1 drop food coloring
Combine ingredients and shake. Store in a spray pump bottle

Kids Hair Detangler
Add a small amount of conditioner to water and pour it into a spray bottle


Tooth Paste
1 cup baking soda
1/3 cup salt
3 teaspoons glycerin
Peppermint oil to taste (or any other flavor).
Combine baking soda and salt. Add the glycerin and mix well. Add a few drops of peppermint oil. For fun, you can add a few drops of food coloring.




Home Remedy For Diaper Rash
To get rid of diaper rash, try one of these diaper rash cures:


* Wash the affected area with soap and warm water and pat dry or allow it to air dry (during the warm months).
* An oatmeal bath will help to curre the diaper rash. Pour one cup of oatmeal in the bathe water and let your baby soak for ten minutes or more while you make sure the rash is cleansed.
* Allow you baby to go without a diaper for 30 minutes or more everyday.
* Apply a coating of organic vegetable oil or olive oil.
* Tea bags appled to the area - or put directly in the diaper - will make the rash will make it go away practically over night. This is one of the diaper rash quick cures and keep in mind the tea bage will cause a temporary brown stain on the skin.
* A severe diaper rash remedy is scorched flour. Put some flour in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet and let it turn a beige color and sprinkle some in at each diaper change.



Homemade Herbal Baby Oil for Bath, Body & Massage

Herbal baby oil is easy to make, and nice to have on hand to use on delicate baby skin anytime of the year. 

Supplies to Have Ready:
Clean Dry Jars-recycle your Glass Jars or use Canning/Mason jars
Organic Chamomile Flower and Calendula Flower
Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Fill your jar half full with a combination of the chamomile & calendula.
Fill the rest of the jar with the Olive Oil, leaving about a one-inch space at the top.
If using a metal lid, place a piece of plastic wrap over the opening of the jar, then cap.
Label, date and store in a cupboard or pantry for 6-8 weeks. Shake gently daily or occasionally.
At the end of 6-8 weeks, use cheesecloth to strain the oil and discard the herbs.  Be sure that the oil is free from all tiny herbal particles, this may indicate several strainings.
  
To Use:
Warm a small amount of oil in your hands before applying to baby's skin. Use to heal, comfort, soothe & heal bottoms and to moisturize & condition skin.

Summary:
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil attracts external moisture while still allowing for normal skin functions to take place. It is mild, gentle, healing and superior for baby's tender skin.
 
Calendula has been used by Physicians to treat minor infections and skin irritations; it is extremely gentle.

Chamomile is confirmed by research to be useful in treating minor skin conditions, it is known to calm and is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.

Store baby oil in a cabinet, closet or cupboard outside of the bathroom.
Take care not to get water inside the bottle, as this beautiful, natural & healing oil contains no preservative.



Natural Herbal Healing Wipes

1 1/2 - 2 cups distilled water
1/4 cup Aloe Vera gel
1 TBS Calendula oil
2 tsp. Baby Shampoo
2-3 drops tea tree oil
2-3 drops lavender oil
Mix solution together and repeat the steps for the "basic" baby wipes.


Baby Wipes
Mix 1/4 cup of baby or olive oil with 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup baby shampoo. Cut a roll of paper towels in half. Remove the cardboard center. Place it in an old baby wipes container and pour the oil/soap mixture over the wipes. Use like regular wipes.



Natural Diaper Pail Odor Eliminator

1 cup of (white only) vinegar per two gallons of water.
Wash the diaper pail to neutralize the odors and to also neutralize the urine in cloth diapers.