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~Gorgeous Hair:
Who wouldn’t envy mermaids their long, lush, radiantly lustrous hair? No wonder myth has it that sailors shipwrecked at the sight of lovely sea-maids combing their abundant tresses. Well, it turns out that mermaids know a secret that we mere mortals can use, and it’s not only good for promoting hair growth and beauty--although it certainly does that--but for giving better balance and health overall.
SIMPLE SOLUTION:
Herbalist Susun Weed shares her mermaid’s secret that will help anyone toward radiant health, greater energy and longevity--and fabulous hair! It’s all right here:
If you have ever eaten a piece of seaweed-wrapped sushi, you’ve been doing something very, very good for your hair: seaweed is the ally of choice for anyone who wants healthier tresses. But did you know that this magical stuff from the sea can be eaten like a snack, used in soups, stews, and other recipes, or simply sprinkled on cereals and other foods to help our bodies in many ways?
Seaweed has been a favorite food of seaside-dwelling people for millennia. It is abundantly rich in beneficial minerals and nutrients that our bodies crave. And it tastes delicious!
Consider these seaweed facts:
1. Seaweed helps the body prevent absorption of toxic chemicals, including radioactive waste and pollution. It is recommended for use during chemotherapy, or after excessive X-rays.
2. The optimum nutrition in seaweeds gives better immune function, and revitalizes the body in many ways, promoting heart health, better digestion, hormonal balance, nervous system strength, and much more. (“Of the fourteen elements essential to the proper metabolic functions of the human body, thirteen are known to be in Kelp,“ says Dr. J.W. Turentine, ASDA agricultural scientist.)
3. Seaweed promotes the growth of thicker, more lustrous hair. (Some people even claim it helps to regrow hair!) It also makes nails and teeth stronger, and helps skin to be smoother and more even-textured skin.
You can purchase seaweed from your local natural foods store, Asian specialty shops, online from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, or by mail from Ryan Drum, 1525 Danby Mountain Road, Danby, VT.
I've actually gotten a hair seaweed treatment @ a spa before peeps and its awesome-Plus i eat sushi hehe!!!!
~Hair Repair from sun n sea~
Summer sun is fun, but it can dry out and damage our hair. This wonderful formula helps restore manageability to your hair, making it healthy, smooth, and soft again.
It also works for those who use hot rollers, curling irons, and blow dryers
Solution:
Jojoba Conditioner
1 cup rose floral water
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
10 drops vitamin E oil
To make:
1. In the top of a double boiler, gently warm the rose water.
2. Once rose water is warm, add jojoba oil.
3. for damaged hair or extra conditioning, leave on for several minutes, perhaps while bathing.
4. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
5. Shampoo lightly and rinse again with cool water.
Yield: 1 treatment for long hair (cut recipe in half for short hair)
~Natural Hairspray~
A homemade alternative!
(author sayz)A friend told me about this recipe, and I’ve found it to be very impressive; it really holds hair well.
Light and Lemon Hair Spray 2 to 4 lemons Water
Slice the lemons and cover with water in a pan. Simmer for 1 hour, adding more water as it evaporates. Let cool, then strain. Pour the lemon liquid into a pump spray bottle. Makes 2 to 3 cups
Shelf Life: About 1 week refrigerated.
~For Gorgeous Skin(homemade)~
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milk n tomato juice cleanser:
Good tomatoes are an abundant source of vitamins A, B (including folic acid), and C; potassium and magnesium; and valuable antioxidants and trace elements. The high acid content in the recipe - lactic acid in the milk and fruit acid in the tomato - gives this cleansing lotion a gentle peeling action. Test on the inside arm or wrist for any possible allergic reactions before using on the face.
Ingredients: 1 medium very ripe tomato 5 fl. oz fresh whole milk bottled or spring water
Method:
Process the tomato, using a food processor or blender. Strain through a piece of muslin and discard the pulp. Add the tomato juice to an equal amount of milk. Store in a covered container or bottle in the refrigerator.
Apply to the face and neck, using cotton pads, once or twice a day. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse with bottled or spring water and pat dry.
Effect: cleanses Skin types: oily, combination (but test first, see above), not recommended for sensitive skin Frequency of use: once or twice daily for 1 week Shelf life: 6 hours in refrigerator Preparation time: 5 minutes Treatment time: 10 minutes
~Skin Toner~
Solution:
Here is a wonderful fruit-and-vegetable-based formula for a skin toner, one that was decoded from an old Mayan text of beauty formulas by a Mexican archaeologist. The nourishing and skin softening ingredients in this toner are beyond compare. A good time to make this toner is when the harvest is bountiful . If you don’t own a juicer, borrow one and make large batches, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, and pop out a cube as needed. Cucumber juice could be made in a blender. You can also make just a week’s worth of this toner at a time.
Zazil Toner 1/4 cup cucumber juice (the same pH as the skin) 1/8 cup carrot juice (rich in vitamin A) 1/2 cup spearmint infusion (considered one of the best cosmetic herbs) 1/4 cup chamomile infusion (avoid if you are sensitive to ragweed) 1/2 cup lemon juice (an alpha hydroxy acid)
Make the cucumber juice and carrot juice. Make strong spearmint and chamomile teas, and let cool. Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and shake to blend. If you freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, just pop out a cube and rub it over your face, then put the cube in the refrigerator and use the toner over the next few days.
~Spa @ home- Steam Facial~
Shut out the world for a while and breathe deeply of this relaxing and hydrating herbal steam facial. Steam opens the skin's pores while deeply cleansing and rejuvinating all the skins layers. Using herbs in facial steams is a wonderful way to nourish your skin. All you need to make your own natural facial is a pot of water, a method of heating the water, and a towel. Therapeutic herbs can be infused in the water so that their healing benefits will become part of the steam and reach deep into your pores.
If you are traveling, instead of steaming your face with herb-infused water, you can use the hot-towel method. Saturate a towel with steaming hot water. Let cool enough to touch the skin, then wrap your clean face with it, and leave it on for two minutes or so.
Here are simple, seven-step directions to make your own facial steam:
How to Make Your Own Facial Steam:
1. Place a handful of herbs in a pot of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding water as needed.
2. Secure your hair back from your face.
3. Wash your face as usual.
4. Place the pot with the steaming water on a trivet or potholder on a table or countertop. Make a tent over your head with a towel, and hang your head over the steaming pot. Make sure not to lean close enough to the steam to scald yourself.
5. Keep your face in the steam tent for about 5 minutes.
6. Rinse your face with cool water.
7. Follow with an astringent (for example, witch hazel) to close the pores.
~Natural Manicure~
The fumes from the solvents in nail polish can be overwhelming, and they are not good for you.There are no environmentally safe nail polishes or nail polish removers on the market.Some still contain toluene (toxic) and formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a hormone disrupter.
Solution:
There are some toluene and formaldehyde-free varieties, but there are none without petroleum solvents of some sort. Petroleum solvents are long lasting in the environment, and they are stored in body fat and passed on in breast milk.For more about DBP, and for a list of DBP-free nail polishes, read the Environmental Working Group's report. Nails can be beautiful without polish. I once had my nails "done" in a natural way at a salon for a television show where my hands would be very visible. I’ve outlined, below, how it was done.
The Natural Manicure Steps 1-4 File, wash and soak nails, soften cuticles, clean and shape cuticles
File in one direction only, and always do this when your nails are dry. Wash your hands and soak in warm water or a fruit acid solution such as buttermilk or organic apple cider vinegar, before applying a cold-pressed fruit or nut oil into the cuticle area near the half-moon at the base of the nail. Use the blunt end of an orangewood manicure stick to gently push the cuticles back from the nails.
Step 5:
Sand and buff nails
Dry your hands completely. Sand and polish the top of each nail with a fine pumice-stone sand stick to remove any ridges. Do the same thing with a fine-grit block. Once the ridges are removed, smooth the top of the nail with a smoothing file and a buffing chamois. You'd be amazed at how shiny your nails will look following these steps, almost as if you were wearing a clear polish. You can choose a more natural, less-shiny matte finish if preferred, by not using the finest grade buffing files.
Steps 6
Moisturize
Massage your hands with a moisturizing cream or lotion
~Honey Bath~
If your skin is really dry, especially in the winter, and you are looking for an emollient bath, try this wonderful recipe.
Solution:
One of the first things to do is to find the right vegetable oil or nut oil that works for your skin. Try out three or four; you will instantly feel which ones are best for you. For my forty-something skin I found apricot kernel oil to be the most soothing and emollient. Great oils for dry skin include apricot kernel oil, avocado oil (this oil is very lush and rich, and is especially good for old, dry skin, but a little goes a long way), almond oil, flax seed oil, and jojoba oil. (Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax.)
Basic Emollient Bath Recipe All of the ingredients asked for in this recipe are found in most health food stores.
1 to 2 ounces apricot kernel, avocado, almond, flax seed, or jojoba oil 1 ounce pure vegetable glycerin 2 ounces aloe vera gel A few drops pure essential oil of your choice. Add the ingredients to the tub while it is filling. Makes about 1/4 cup, enough for 1 bath.
Basic Honey Bath Recipe Herbalists have touted honey for centuries because it helps skin retain moisture and is thereby rejuvenating and softening.
2 tablespoons honey 1 cup very hot water A few drops pure essential oil, if desired Dissolve the honey in the water. Add essential oil, if desired. Pour the mixture into the bath water. Makes 1 cup, enough for one bath.
~Milk Bath~(my fav)
Modern laboratories now know why milk works such wonders for skin: the lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxy acid, a natural material that dissolves the glue that holds dead skin cells together. Milk can cleanse the skin down to its deepest layers.
This secret beauty formula couldn't be simpler. Add 2 to 4 cups of fresh milk or buttermilk to the bathwater as the tub is filling. Soak for a good 20 minutes. Gently rub your skin with a washcloth or loofa to slough off the dead skin. Rinse your body thoroughly after soaking.
Caution: Very hot baths are not good for those with high blood pressure, and they can be draining for anyone. Skip this bath if you are allergic to milk or are lactose intolerant.
~Salt Glow~
This recipe is far too easy for the remarkable benefits it gives. Again, it is the simple gifts of life that are often the best. Salt glow is one of my favorite exfoliating treatments. It leaves the skin feeling silky soft and renewed, relaxed but refreshed.
Solution:
Similar recipes are a favorite treatment at many famous and expensive spas. But it's so wonderfully simple, inexpensive, and easy to do that you should try it at home. It's nicest to do it outside where you can rinse off the salt and not worry about getting it everywhere. For best storage, place in a cool area.
2 cups fine sea salt 4 cups grapeseed, apricot or almond oil 20-30 drops essential oil of choice
1. Place salt in a widemouthed jar and cover with grapeseed, apricot, or almond oil. Scent with essential oil.
2. To use, dampen your entire body. Using either your hands or a loofah mit, vigorously but gently massage the salt and oil mixture into the skin. Begin at the feet and work upward in a circular motion. Be careful to avoid any scratched or wounded areas. When you have massaged the entire body, rinse with warm water. Finish with a dry-towel rub.
Peeps i love this! i had it done @ a SPA its amazing!
~WATER WATER AND MORE WATER~
Since our bodies are about 70 percent water, it makes sense that 70 percent of the food we eat should be high in water content. This is simply a matter of common sense. People who eat foods with high water content will not need to drink as much water. The living water from the food they eat will perform the function of carrying nutrients to the cells while also cleaning them. In fact, living water is a far superior way of keeping the body hydrated and cleansed so it may carry out its living functions with as little energy expenditure as possible.
What is living water? How do you achieve this diet?
All the vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and other nutrients that the human body needs to maintain itself can be found in fruits and vegetables.
The nature of all fruits and vegetables is to have a high content of living water. This living water contains nutrients that are specially processed by plants from soils, the atmosphere, and the cosmos. How the plants of Earth perform this feat of transforming ordinary water into water filled with energy from the universe remains somewhat of a mystery.
However, most of the world’s nutritionists, doctors, and scientists are now believers in the age-old wisdom of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. These people, along with many of the world’s governments and health agencies, are now recommending a diet of foods with high water content. More and more people today are buying and eating high-water-content fruits and vegetables that contain the living water necessary for a long and healthy life. As reported by researcher Alexander Leaf in National Geographic (1973 edition), most long lived people ate a diet of approximately 70 percent fresh fruits and vegetables.