Monday, January 31, 2011

Revitalize your Dry, Damaged Hair

Our hair takes a lot of abuse.  We go into the hot sun, color it, blow dry it and put numerous products on it.  All of this puts a lot of strain on our hair, which leaves it dry and damaged.
There are products that guarantee that they will restore the luster an shine to your hair.  These products are often expensive too.  There are homemade options that work just as well, if not better than what you can buy at the store or salon.   I thought I'd share one of those options with you today.

Hair Soak
1 Cucumber
1 Egg
Olive Oil

Slice the cucumber.  Place it in a blender with the egg.  Fill half of your eggshell with olive oil and put that into the blender.  Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and place evenly on your hair.  Allow it to soak for 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly .  For best results do this treatment monthly.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Brighten your nails!

If you have dingy, or discolored nails.  Here is an recipe for your home that is simply amazing!

All you need is:
1 denture tablet
1 cup warm water
1-2 drops essential oil (optional)

If you're using essential oil you want to add this first.  Just place the oil on the tablet.  Put the warm water into small bowl and the denture tablet.  Soak your fingers for 10 minutes.  When you're done discard the solution.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

*** 15% OFF SALE ***

I'm proud to offer a Valentine's Day sale!.  Effective immediately until Valentine's Day take 15% when you enter the coupon code "Love15" at checkout.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Bruises and what to do about them

We all get bruises but there are some natural things we can do to shorten the length of time they stay on our skin.
It's happened, you've hurt yourself and you know you're going to get a bruise. First put a cold compress on the location.  A bag of frozen peas can work in a pinch.  If you can, elevate the area.  This is to reduce the amount of swelling.  From this point you have a few options.  You can rub some margarine, butter or crumble a boiled egg and rub onto the spot.  Vitamins E and K are also known to reduce the visibility of bruises.

If you frequently get bruises you may have a vitamin C deficiency and you need to examine your diet to ensure you're getting the recommended 60 mg per day.  If you are getting your daily value, it might be wise to speak with your doctor, as the bruising may be a sign of an immune system disorder.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A tip for today!

Here's a tip! If you're nervous and need to be in front of people, place a little petroleum jelly on the front of your teeth. This will keep your lips and lipstick from sticking.

Monday, January 24, 2011

What causes Sweaty, Smelly Feet?


What causes smelly feet?

We all know how smelly feet can clear out a room. Those with this problem are embarrassed by it and those who smell it are disgusted by it. So where does all that stink come from?! It all starts with sweat. If you don't sweat all the time your sweating is likely caused by wearing synthetic socks or shoes that are made with synthetic materials. If, however, you sweat all the time, it's believed that your problem originates from genetics.

Those who suffer can likely point out other members in their family who have the same problem. The inherited gene causes over stimulation in the sympathetic nervous system in the lumbar region. The scientific name for this is plantar hyperhidrosis.

Excessive sweating can also be signs of stress, anemia, overactive thyroid, leukemia, lymphoma, menopause, heart attack, or an infectious disease. If your feet started to sweat more when you began a new medication that is likely the cause and you can speak with your doctor about it.

Alright, so we know that the smell comes from sweat and we know what some major causes of sweating. So how does all that sweat make feet stink? The answer is that bacteria LOVES SWEAT! When we put our feet into our socks and shoes we create a dark moist environment. Everyone sweats on their feet but usually not enough to generate a problem. People who sweat excessively feed that bacteria with their sweat causing them to reproduce en mass. This bacteria is the actual manufacturer of that odor.

Fact: 

You have more than 250,000 sweat glands on your feet, and each foot is capable of producing more than a pint of sweat!!!


What can you do? 

If excessive sweating and odor has not been a part of most of your life then you should examine what is causing this now phenomenon. If it's stress, then you should do what you can to reduce that stress. If, however you're not under stress and this is something new you should speak with your doctor.

For those of you who've had to deal with this for as long as you remember, I'm sad to report that currently there is no cure. All that you can do is manage the symptoms. So I've compiled a list of things to help you reduce the smell and bacteria.

Wash: Yep, as simple as it sounds simply cleaning those feet can be a tremendous help. You can wash 2-3 times a day with a antibacterial soap. Make sure you wash them after any strenuous activity. Be sure to avoid over washing though. If your feet become dry, cracked or scaly reduce the amount of time you wash them.

Keep them dry: Use powder on your feet. The powder will not only absorb the moisture but will also block some of the sweat glands, reducing the amount of sweat. This will starve out the bacteria and reduce their numbers. You can also use a foot scrub containing salt, or simply use salt water. Soak your feet for 5-10 minutes and rinse them with plain water. Be sure that you dry your feet completely with a towel. If you'd like follow this up by adding an oil free moisturizer to your feet. It also works to use an antiperspirant on your feet.

Shoes: Your shoes play a major role in how much bacteria is on your feet, as well as how much they smell. If you can wear sandals or open sided shoes as much as possible. Don't wear the same shoes more than one day at a time. Give your shoes at least 24 hours to breathe and dry out. If you need to wear socks make sure they are made from natural fibers such as cotton or wool and change them several times a day. Any closed shoe should be well ventilated. Invest in some good odor eater inserts.

Diet: No I'm not telling you that you have to loose weight to make your feet to smelling. What I am saying is that certain foods are known to increase sweating and foot odor. If you discover a food that makes you sweat, simply reduce how much you eat of that thing. There are some foods you wouldn't suspect of causing foot odor. Here are a few: garlic, scallions, peppers and onions. The pigments that give these foods their strong flavors get absorbed into the blood stream and from there are removed from the body in the form of sweat.

Go to your Doctor: If you have an extreme case of sweating and nothing you've tried works you can talk to your doctor about it. There are several options and he/she can help you decide what is right for you. A doctor can prescribe an aluminum chloride solution, tap-water ionthophoresis (where a mild electrical current passes through your skin), injections similar to botox, or surgery.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Bath Tea Recipe

Place 1/2cup of your favorite herbs in an old nylon or cheesecloth and tie the end.  Boil 2 cups of water (on the stove) remove the water from the heat and place your herb bag into the water.  Cover the pan and allow the herbs to steep for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the herb bag from the water and drain the water remaining in the herbs into the infusion being careful not to burn yourself.  Throw away the herbs or place them in a compost.  Allow your 'tea' to cool.  You may use immediately or store in a decorative glass jar.  The shelf life will be 2-6 months when dry herbs are used.  To use simply add desired amount to your bath water.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Freshen your hair with Lemon!

Did you use too much hairspray?  Is your hair dull?  Try using lemon as your hairspray instead!

  • 1 lemon slice
  • 2 cups water
Put the lemon in the water and blend.  Filter out all of the lemon pieces and place water into a spray bottle.  Store in the refrigerator.

Use whenever you need to style or freshen your hair.  To lengthen shelf life add a little alcohol or rum.  If you don't like the smell of the lemon try using an orange instead. If you use the lemon spray continuously it will cause your hair to lighten.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

All Natural Decongestant Remedy

I hate using those medicines from the store that have ingredients that are impossible to even pronounce.  Well, if like me, you want something different, This is for you!  All you need is one onion and some honey.

Finely chop one onion.  Place the onion in a small bowl and cover with honey.  Cover the bowl with a tight seal.  Let it ferment 8 hours.  Remove and discard the onion and store the honey in a bottle or jar.  Use 1 Tbs in hot tea or water 3 times a day.

It's so wonderful you don't even realize you're treating your cold!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Alternative Fever Blister Treatments

While nothing can make a cold sore virus go away completely, here are some items to treat it's appearance.

Using a Q-tip dab on:

  •  Aloe vera gel
  •  Tooth Paste:  apply in a thin layer over the spot and alternate the treatment with rubbing alcohol.
  •  Listerine
  •  Garlic:  every 10 minutes rub half a clove over the spot
  •  Nail Polish Remover:  While this does give good results, do not overuse it.  Too much can cause skin damage


Make sure to keep your lips moisturized.  Never pick at the scab.  And, while it's not pretty, once you see blood on the spot the virus is again going into recession.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Exfoliating Tomato and Lemon Facial Mask

This recipe is great for gently exfoliating your face with items already have around you house!

Ingredients:
1 overripe tomato
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp instant oatmeal

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Apply to face,  after 20 minutes, rinse with warm water.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Valentine's Day is fast approching!

Love is in the air and peoples mind is turning towards romance and you're not sure what to get your sweetheart.  Well, I'll definitely try to ensure you have everything you need to wow your special someone for Valentine's day with a few new products from my store.

Decadent Chocolate Lover's Moisturizer is magnificent for any chocolate lover in your life.  It is intensely moisturizing and smells good enough to eat!

Rose Bath Salts are perfect for showing how much you care.  I encourage you to share the bath for this one.  The bath salts have the light floral scent of rose and an added bonus of having organic rose petals too.

So snuggle up to your sweetie, and tell them of your love!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Our beginning

There are main two reasons that I began Hiatus Bath & Body.  The first is that my youngest son and I have very sensitive skin.  It can be difficult to find products that can be used on our skin without causing a rash on one of us.  The things we were able to use cost a little more than I was wanting to pay.  I decided to try making our own.  I started with moisturizer.  After a little trial and error I was able to find a recipe that worked for us.  I found that I enjoyed making that so why not try other things.  Bath salts soon followed along with foot and body scrubs.   I'm constantly looking at the items I use around the house and wondering if I could make that item myself.  Sometimes the answer has been yes, sometimes a resounding no.  But I've enjoyed every minute.

The second reason is that I enjoy helping others to relax.  So many people go so fast in their daily lives that they get tired and burnt out.  It doesn't matter how old or young you are we all have things that come at us. Everyone needs to be able to take a break, but they often don't know how to do that.  My solution is a simple one, pamper yourself.  I've designed all of my products to aid in relaxation and relief of muscle tension.  I want to provide items that make a person feel as though they've taken a little vacation from all of those pressures and demands around them.

It's time to slow down a little before the pressure buries you.  Look for things that make you smile.  But above all, relax!



If you'd like to check out my store, you can find me at www.hiatusbathandbody.etsy.com