All Natural Vegetable and Fruit Wash

There are a lot of vegetable washes out there, but did you know that you can make your own! It takes only three ingredients of which I’m sure you all have at home:

1. Water
2. Lemon
3. Vinegar

Instructions:

Step one: Uncover spray bottle.

Step two: Squeeze the lemon to extract the juice.

Step three: In a spray bottle, mix 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar

Step four: Pour in the lemon juice.

Recover spray bottle and mix all ingredients. You can now spray you fruits and vegetables with your natural wash.  Remember to, after spraying, leave on for 5 minutes then rince.

Enjoy!

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The Pros’ Guide to Pampering - Real Simple Magazine

From the Editors of Real Simple Magazine

Perhaps no month begs for the spa experience more than February. Before you grab your coat, here’s what top beauty experts do at home to look and feel better.

* Hair moisturizing mask: To get her hair looking soft and shiny, Ji Baek, owner of the Rescue Beauty Lounges in New York City, wets her head and applies a handful of hair mask cream that’s rich in shea butter, avocado and organic essential oils. Next, Baek wraps her hair in a plastic bag for 20 minutes (heat helps masks penetrate deeply into the hair shafts), then rinses.

* Pore-purifying facial: Los Angeles makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian loves to give her face a deep cleansing. Chang-Babaian takes a warm shower then uses an electric facial steamer (available at beauty-supply stores) to begin unclogging pores (putting your face over a pot of steaming water for five minutes will also work). She applies a purifying mask with marine clay to dislodge oil and debris.

* Tall drink for really dry skin: When her skin is feeling tight and moisture-sapped, Ashunta Sheriff, a New York City makeup artist, rubs a freshly cut lemon half over her complexion (the fruit’s natural acids remove flakes and smooth skin), then steams her skin over a pot of warm water. Next, Sheriff slathers her face and neck with extra-virgin organic coconut oil.

* Beneficial brush-up: Persephenie Lea, the Los Angeles-based creator of Persephenie Studio, a line of body-care goods and custom perfumes, dry-brushes her skin before her morning shower. “It helps increase circulation, sloughs away dead cells and makes my skin look healthier,” says Lea. Starting at the soles of her feet and working up, she uses a soft-bristled body brush and long, smooth strokes, taking care to avoid sensitive areas and broken skin.

* Hand and foot healer: When manicurist Elisa Ferri finds her feet feeling rough, she uses a coarse emery board to smooth them, then massages with a thick salve containing petrolatum and lanolin to hydrate skin. She slips on a pair of cotton socks and pads around the house while the product goes to work. When Ferri’s hands and cuticles are dry, she applies olive oil.

* Head-to-toe works: Teddi Cranford, a hairstylist for Bumble and Bumble in New York City, exfoliates with a scrub for the face and another for the body. Cranford then draws a bath and adds Epsom salts and a long pour of olive oil. While Cranford soaks, she combs a treatment through her hair.

* Sleep-inducing soak: Makeup artist Helen Macaulay slips into a steaming bath after a long day on her feet. She adds several drops of relaxing essential oils (available at health-food stores), like jasmine, rose and neroli. “After bathing, I slather my skin in sweet-almond oil,” she says.

Copyright 2010 Time Inc. REAL SIMPLE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used by permission.

Check out some of bluebasins bath & body’s natural skin care products:

• Facial Masks
• Facial Steams
• Facial Scrub
• Body Scrubs
• Foot Products
• Luscious Shea Butter Body Butter

Press Release: bluebasins bath & body is a Sponsor of DJ’s for Haiti Event

TORONTO, Ontario, 19 February, 2010 bluebasins bath & body, an online provider of all natural skin care products, is proud to announce today that it is one of the gift raffle sponsors for the Black Women and Women of African Descent (BWWAD) DJ’s for Haiti Event.

This event will be taking place today, Friday February 19, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St., Toronto, Ontario Canada, one block south of Spadina & College.

“The devastation which occurred in Haiti is heartbreaking,” says Makeda Paul, owner of <a href=” alt=”" />bluebasins bath & body, “so when BWWAD enquired whether we would be interested in becoming a sponsor of their DJ’s for Haiti event, we were very happy to oblige.” bluebasins bath & body’s sponsorship entails a gift basket filled with a variety of their natural skin care products which were created by hand, with all-natural ingredients.

“From our experience, we find that a high percentage of the funds raised by mainstream International Development efforts tend to be spent in admin costs in the countries of origin,” as quoted from BWWAD’s blog to which bluebasins agrees. “The money raised from the DJ’s for Haiti event will go directly to support Haitian women’s organizations including ENFOFANM, meaning it will go directly where it is most needed,” adds Paul.

“We are happy to participate in this endeavour to help with Haiti’s recovery,” Paul says, “and we are looking forward to the fundraiser.”

The gift basket holds items such as their:

• Rose, Calendula, Lavender Facial Steam
• Queen of Shea Butter Soap
• Hair Honey
• Seaweed, Chamomile, Green Tea & Herb Polishing Facial Scrub
• Toga Towel and
• Soap Pocket
  

About bluebasins bath & body

bluebasins bath & body’s natural skin care line offers a wide array of products, created by hand and with all-natural ingredients. Products include soaps, facial masks, body scrubs, bath melts, body butters and more. bluebasins helps consumers look after their skin to make it as healthy and naturally radiant as possible. They show consumers an alternatively natural way to take care of their skin.

Contact

Email: pr@bluebasins.com

Web: www.bluebasins.com

Twitter: bluebasins

How was your Valentine’s?

Refresh your face with this cucumber-yogurt mask

Yesterday I noticed that my facial skin did not look up to par. So I decided that I would use an old fashioned recipe I know with the base ingredient of cucumbers. Now even though I’ve know of the wonders of cucumbers, such as its cleaning and cleansing properties which helps your skin tremendously making it soft and supple, I’ve never really tried it till last night.

So here’s what I put in my mask:

Recipe:

1/4 seedless cucumber

2 tbls plain yogurt

1/2 tsp honey

Directions:

1. First cut two slices of cucumber and set aside. These will be used to rest on your closed eyelids.
2. Dice up the remainder of the cucumber and place in a food processor to blend. Blend till it becomes saucy like texture
3. Pour into a bowl and mix yogurt and honey completely.
4. Take some out of the bowl and smear gently on face, covering face completely.
5. Lie down and place the two cucumber slices on closed eyelids and rest for 20 minutes.
6. Rinse!.

When you rinse you will see how radiant your skin looks. While I rested, I played some soothing music to deepen my relaxation. Instead of water for my rinse, I used some cold chamomilemy tea to close my pores and extend my treatment. My face looked wonderful.

Try this recipe tonight and leave your comments!

Essential Oils for Pain Relief

By Shellie Enteen, BA, LMT

It is safe to say that a great number of clients come to massage seeking relief from muscle and joint pain. Many will also be suffering from stress and need to relax. Others may be athletic or high-powered performers who want pain relief without becoming tired or drowsy.
Essential oils can address all of these areas and add a pleasing fragrant dimension to your therapeutic work.

Source

The most famous essential oil for pain relief and relaxation is lavender (Lavandula officinalis, L angustifolia, L vera.) Distilled from the flowering tops, the best lavender oil comes from Bulgaria, France, England, Yugoslavia and Tasmania, though it can be grown all over the world. Lavender Vera is grown in higher altitudes, which produces more esters and a finer scent. Lavender has a long list of applications for skin; because of its anti-inflammatory and cell regenerating properties, it is one of the only essential oils that can be applied neat, or undiluted, to the skin.

Lavender is also antimicrobial, anti-infectious and antiseptic, making it effective in the treatment of wounds and as a frontline defense against respiratory infection. It is tonic to the cardiovascular and digestive systems, lowers blood pressure and helps thin the blood due to the presence of coumarins. Lavender is indicated for muscle spasm, sprain, strain, cramp, contracture and rheumatic pain. It is sedative to the central nervous system and relieves headache, nervous tension, and insomnia; it can also help balance mood swings. Spiritually, lavender is said to balance the physical, astral and etheric planes.

Because of lavender’s many therapeutic properties, if aromatherapists were stranded on a desert island with only one essential oil, many would hope it was lavender (it also takes the itch out of insect bites and helps heal sunburn!) But what other essential oils can be called in to use here in civilization? What should you use if your client does not want the deep relaxation or sleep-inducing effect of lavender, or if they have a tendency toward lowered metabolism or low blood pressure? What if they need to relax because they are about to take an exam, give a presentation or walk down the aisle? It’s a good idea to ask the client who indicates a need to relax what their stress is about and what life circumstances may be contributing to their pain cycle. This will help you select an essence that is most appropriate for their needs. Also keep in mind that when too much lavender is used it takes on the stimulating effect of a cup of espresso, so it is good for both you and your client to vary the relaxing, pain-relieving blend.

We’ll begin with an exploration of aromatherapy for pain and stress, and profile some other sedative oils. Space allows for a partial list of the properties; consult The Aromatherapy Practitioner Manual, Vols. I and II by Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay, and others for more information on each essence.

When you want slightly less sedation but powerful pain relief, there is another type of lavender, Lavandula latifolia, L. spica, or Spike Lavender. A hybrid of lavender officinalis and latifolia, Lavandin, Lavandula-super is less expensive and often used to adulterate true lavender but is still a powerful antispasmodic well-suited for muscular, respiratory and circulatory problems, and not as a sedative for the mind.

Moving away from the lavenders altogether, other pain relieving sedative oils are chamomile (Roman, Anthemis nobilis and German, Marticaria recutita), Clary sage (Salvia sclarea), helichrysum (H. angustifolium), sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana), sandalwood (Santalum album) and vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides).

Chamomile is a highly effective anti-inflammatory. It eases headache, neuralgia, dull muscle and low back pain, and TMJ syndrome. It relieves dysmenorrhea, PMS and stress that manifests as digestive symptoms.

Clary sage (not to be confused with sage, Salvia officinalis) is considered mildly intoxicating and euphoric, and should be used in small quantities and preferably not before an evening of cocktails, as it augments the effects of alcohol. Apart from this, the ability of Clary sage to relieve spasm, muscle ache and cramping makes it extremely useful in massage. It is a digestive aid and can be blended effectively with chamomile for tension and discomfort due to PMS and dysmennorhea.

Along with lavender, Clary sage is one of the essences chosen to ease labor. It is also associated with dreams and increased inner vision.

Helichrysum has a long history as anointing oil, but well deserves an honored place in therapeutic massage. With many of the properties of lavender, helichrysum is also indicated for bruising and burns, depression, shock and phobia, and is helpful in detoxification from drugs and nicotine. Helichrysum is said to improve the flow along the meridians and to increase spiritual awareness.

Sweet marjoram is highly sedative. It relieves pain, stiffness, sprain, spasm, neuromuscular contractions and is indicated for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhea and migraine. It has a powerful effect on the mind and emotions, relieving deep trauma, grief and heartache.

Sandalwood, well known in Ayurvedic treatment and as incense, also relieves muscle spasm and is helpful in treating sciatica and lymph congestion. It is tonic in the cardiovascular and digestive systems and relieves depression, insomnia, obsession, grief and aggression. Sandalwood opens the mind to spiritual connection and grounds this awareness in the material world.

Vetiver is interesting because it relieves arthritis, muscle ache, pain, sprain and stiffness, but increases venous circulation to help detoxification of tissues. It is said to balance the central nervous system and is grounding and revitalizing, while relieving insomnia, tension and depression.

Apart from lavender, all of the sedative essences listed are pretty potent and require few drops in a blend. The flower essences: rose, jasmine, neroli and ylang ylang, relieve anxiety and have properties that induce relaxation and pain relief.

The citrus oils: sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine and Mandarin, reduce tension and instill courage and optimism. Flower and citrus oils blend well with the other sedative oils and add their own dimensions to the therapeutic experience.

If you have a great pain relief or relaxing blend and want to share it, please contact me. In the next Aromatic Message, we’ll look at some of the less sedative and stimulating oils for pain relief.

Source

An Apple a Day to Keep the Wrinkles Away?

Can Apple Extracts Give You Younger, Smoother Skin?

by Dr. Jessica Wu

Did you know that apples are good for more than eating? It turns out that an apple a day may help keep the wrinkles away. According to Swiss researchers, an extract from a rare apple found in a remote part of Switzerland has been shown to have potential anti-aging benefits. This variety of apple, called Uttwiler Spatlauber, was cultivated in the 18th century, long before the appearance of crispers and modern farming techniques. It was a popular fruit back then because it could be stored for a long period of time without spoiling. Some of these apple trees are still being grown in Switzerland, and researchers believe that the fruit’s longevity and resistance to spoiling result from the apple tree’s unusually long-living stem cells.

Recently, scientists have shown that an extract containing plant stem cells from the leaves of this apple tree could stimulate the production of human stem cells. In another study, subjects who applied a cream containing the apple extract saw an 8 percent reduction in their crow’s-feet after two weeks, and a 15 percent reduction after four weeks. While these initial studies are promising, I’m waiting to see more research before recommending skin creams containing this ingredient.

Apples also contain a compound called malic acid, which is related to glycolic acid. Malic and glycolic acids are alpha hydroxy acids, which help “unglue” dead skin cells and loosen clogged pores. This is why alpha hydroxy acids are popular in acne treatments. Malic acid tends to be less irritating than glycolic acid, so it may be a better option if you have sensitive skin. Malic acid has been popular in Asia for years; you can find it in M2 Skin Refinish serum, which contains both malic and mandelic acid, another alpha hydroxy acid that’s derived from bitter almonds (m2skincare.com).

Gifts that Bloom - Aromatherapy Lavender Garden Kit

We saw this online and thought what a wonderful gift idea!  It’s from a company called Gifts that Blooms.

Aromatherapy Lavender Garden

Create a warm and invigorating scent throughout your home with the lavender plant aroma from this complete Aromatherapy Garden. Carefully selected rich, aromatic lavender seeds. These flowers are rich in essential oils, which can be used to make potpourri and cosmetics. Complete Garden Kit includes easy grow seeds, enriched soil & nutrient mix and a leak-proof growing container. Just add water and sunlight to enjoy.

Grow a miniature garden inside these 3.75″ tall x 3″ diameter cardboard growing containers. Everything is included inside: leak-proof liner cup, enriched nutrient soil mix, and premium seeds. Simply Open the Lid - Pour Out the Contents - and Add Water and Sunlight, to create your own lovely miniature garden.

These complete garden kits can be started indoors during all four seasons. Available in various attractive designs. Makes a wonderfully unique gift, and perfect addition to any gift basket

Happy New Year!!

We are excited to reconnect with current clients as well as form relationships with new ones.  We look forward to sharing bluebasins’ 2010 happenings with you.  Keep up-to-date with us through our mailing list, twitter and facebook.

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