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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Natural Skin Care Oils – What Natural Oils Are Best For Your Skin
Most of the companies in the cosmetics industry are not providing you with the natural skin care oils that you need in order to treat your skin effectively. These oils are all derivatives drawn from plants, and they contain a wealth of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that are necessary for the health of your skin. All natural essential oils are the best for your skin and without these compounds a product does not have much to offer. 
What most companies try to pass off as natural compounds are derivatives of a petroleum byproduct. In my mind anything that is unintentionally created by a man-made process is not really “natural”, and I am sure that others would agree with this. That is not important however, because the point is that these compounds offer nothing to your skin.
These pseudo natural skin care oils are known as mineral oil, and paraffin wax, and they are incapable of effectively penetrating your skin due to how dense they are. The substance that they are derived from is so incredibly dense that it regularly forces the repair of the industrial machinery on which it forms. A substance like this can only be broken down to a certain degree.
Mineral oil and paraffin wax are the result of a distillation process that skims the thinner oils out, but they are not as readily available to the skin as plant based oils are. These substances will remain near the surface of your skin, where the will form a dirt trapping film. They will interfere with your skin’s natural exfoliation process, clog your pores, and eventually cause your skin to become drier than it was before.
Plant derived natural skin care oils are very soothing to the skin, and they moisturize very effectively. These oils are able to penetrate deep down into the skin, because they contain properties that are very close to those of our own natural oil. The antioxidant properties that these components posses will even reduce your wrinkles due to their ability to repair the damage to skin molecules caused by free radicals.
One of the best natural skin care oils for reducing wrinkles is avocado oil, because it has actually been found to promote the growth of new collagen. It is compounds such as this that your skin needs, and not some compound that comes from crude oil.
About the Author:
Sharon McCarthy is a health enthusiast and a dedicated researcher of natural skin care products. Visit her website now http://healthy-skin-care.info and discover proven cutting edge skin care products that protect your skin and slow down the aging process.
Women put 515 chemicals on their faces
By James Mould
Some women are putting more than 500 different chemicals on their face when they apply their makeup, according to a new report which suggested that people could be placing themselves at risk.
Bionsen published the study, which claimed that typical women use 13 different products in their skin care regime and there are more than 20 different ingredients in them, some of those being chemical-based.
Charlotte Smith of Bionsen told the Sun: “The new ‘wonder treatments’ contain more chemicals to be able to achieve better results, which means that women are more at risk.”
Lipstick contains an average of 33 ingredients, with body lotions being made up of 32 and mascara 29, which could interest fans of natural skin care.
The Daily Telegraph recently reported on the rise and benefits of mineral makeup, which it said can feel nicer on and soothe the complexions of people who suffer from sensitive skin.
The Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract
Did you know that olive leaf extract and the leaves themselves have been used for a variety of medicinal purposes for thousands of years? It is one of the few medicines referred to in the Bible. It has been mentioned in medical texts from the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and other ancient cultures. But, why do we need it, today? We know that used alot in Turkey is well.
Alot of olive trees on the Bodrum Milas Highways and locals has a olive oil factories. Its very popular in Milas and surronding areas. Olive is the main business for farmers in Milas, Bodrum, Gemlik and many other places in Turkey. Pharmaceutical researchers and scientists from all branches of study have always looked at the medicinal activity of plants.
If the work was being done for a pharmaceutical company, an attempt would be made to change the naturally occurring molecular structure of the active components, in order to patent and synthesize them. Since we have a multitude of drugs available, many people wonder about the point of taking herbal remedies.
They aren’t covered by their health insurance policies. They are mostly recommended by alternative, not mainstream practitioners. So, what are they really good for?
Well, one example is in the area of antibiotics. The overuse of prescription antibiotics has led to the formation of stronger, more resistant bacteria. Oddly enough, these bacteria respond to natural antibacterial agents.
When it comes to skincare products, those containing olive leaf extract have natural antibacterial activity, which is beneficial for healing acne blemishes and reducing the risk of further breakouts. The oils, derived from the pits are beneficial, as well.
Many women say that their continued youthful appearances are due to the regular use of olive oil as a moisturizer.
Modern researchers have been able to isolate the active compounds and make them even more effective for reducing wrinkles, improving the skin’s moisture content and fading scars. So, it is possible to improve on what nature has done, without causing problems. When it comes to a supplement that you take orally, the best choice is an all natural olive leaf extract.
It can be used to speed recovery from colds and other infections. It may be beneficial for acne and skin diseases, in which inflammation is involved. Skincare products, on the other hand, must be properly formulated, or the oils will not penetrate.
They can cause greasiness, clog the pores and, in general, don’t feel nice. So, from a naturalist’s standpoint, it may seem that using well-designed skincare products is a “no-no”. But, as long as the manufacturer does not use artificial preservatives, added fragrances or artificial colors, you’re safe. We need olive leaf extract, today, because it works better than the plastic compounds created by petrochemical companies.
If taken orally, it supports immune system health. If applied topically, in the right form, it nourishes the skin’s cells and layers. Petrochemicals are not nourishing and they may contribute to our risk of cancer. Everyone’s risk increases with age, but there is reason to believe that exposure to petrochemicals, throughout a person’s life, greatly increases their risk.
So, avoid petrochemicals, including artificial preservatives and fragrance ingredients. Take some olive leaf extract or a multi-nutritional supplement that contains it and look for skincare products that contain the active compounds found in the oils.
You’ll feel better and look better, too.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/anti-aging-articles/the-benefits-of-olive-leaf-extract-1556407.html
Health Benefits Of Almonds
The almond is drupe belonging to species of Prunus belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. Almonds are scientifically classified as drupes, which have several health benefits.
Be it healthy cholesterol levels, almonds provide several health benefits that are not known to everyone.
Health Benefits of Almonds
Almonds have a vast number of health benefits and these beneficial properties are used via various forms like almond oil, almond paste or whole almonds. Here are all the health benefits of almonds that you should know about:
- Almonds contain monounsaturated fats and some polyunsaturated fats and hence they help to lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the bad cholesterol, while maintaining healthy high-density lipoproteins or good cholesterol levels.
- Almonds have great health benefits in terms of healthy skin. Almonds prevent premature appearance of wrinkles, black heads, pimples and dry skin as well. A regular massage with almond oil will help you to get a glowing and flawless complexion.
- Almond oil is also used to treat black circles around the eyes, since almond oil helps to re-vitalize the fatigues cells and improve the blood flow.
- Almond oil is extremely useful for treating all sorts of hair problems as well. Almond oil helps as a cure for treating hair-fall, dandruff and avoids untimely graying of hair as well.
- Almonds have an extremely high nutritive value since they contain copper, iron and vitamins and are hence used as a remedy for anemia.
- Almonds are also beneficial in treatment of constipation since they increase the fiber content of the foods as well.
- Almonds are also used in the pharmaceutical industry. Sweet almond oil is used as a carrier for injectable drugs, which deteriorate in water-based carriers.
- Almonds decrease the after-mail rises in blood sugar and are hence help in maintain a healthy blood sugar level.
- Almonds also have antioxidant properties and are hence very beneficial for the health.
- Almond oil is also considered as one of the most popular choice of massage oils, which rejuvenates the body and replenishes the skin. It is also known to relieve the stress.
- Babies who have lactose intolerance, can be given a mixture of powered almonds mixed with warm water, which provides as much if not more nutrition as milk.
- Almonds contain Alpha-tocopherol, which is a major source of Vitamin E and is hence really great for healthy hair and skin.
- Almonds also increase the blood flow to the vital organs and are also used as aphrodisiacs.
- Almonds provide nutrients that help to increase the bone mineral density, which helps to strengthen the skeletal system. Owing to this it can also be considered as a remedy to cope up with osteoporosis in the elderly.
- Aromatherapy also makes use of sweet almond oil, which is one of the essential oils in aromatherapy and is frequently used as carrier oil.
- Almond oil also possesses laxative properties and helps to produce soft stools and avoid any other problems of the digestive system.
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What skin care manufacturers don’t tell you
Here’s a great article by Dr. Lorne Brandes from Toronto’s CTV news station writing on the hidden ingredients manufacturers won’t tell you about. Results found that a lot of the rejuvenating creams have contained significant amounts (up to 0.61%) of estriol or estrone, two potent forms of estrogen!
Skin care products and cancer: What manufacturers don’t tell you
by Dr. Lorne Brandes
On a recent visit to a department store cosmetics counter, I was amazed at the number and variety of “rejuvenating” skin creams and lotions for sale — and not just for women!
“How much did all that cost?” I asked warily as the smiling clerk handed the Visa card back to my wife.
“If they help my skin look younger, it’s worth it,” was all she would say.
It now appears that her faith in the products she bought may have been misplaced: a new report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) warns that an ingredient in some skin creams may have serious long-term health consequences for women with, or at risk for, breast and uterine cancer. The offending substance? Estrogen!
The story began with an alert by an oncologist. He observed that… Read on.
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Here at bluebasins bath and body our skin care product ingredients are all natural. We only use what mother nature has provided for us to create our products. Check out our ingredient list.
Matthew McConaughey’s Avocado Soup
Yes ladies Matthew McConaughey makes avocado soup too! Here’s his receipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 avocados diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 C. buttermilk
- 4 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp red pepper
Directions:
- Add avocados, garlic and 1 cup of the buttermilk to blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add the rest of the buttermilk along with the lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Blend until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, you can add more buttermilk or a little cold water.
- Chill and serve.
Did you also know that avocado makes a great skin mask and buttermilk makes a great soap.
Breast cancer reality check: Toxic chemicals in cosmetics may be the biggest cause
by Mark Rubi
It’s time for a breast cancer reality check: Despite all the hype about obesity, toxic chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products may be the biggest cause. As everyone in America seems to know, even the National Football League, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Even if an average guy had not noticed the hundreds, if not thousands, of articles devoted to breast cancer in the last week or so, watching NFL football this past weekend would surely have cured him of his ignorance. Football fields all across the nation were adorned not only with “pink ribbon” logos, but players and officials were wearing a variety of pink wrist bands, shoes, and gloves to show the NFL’s support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The reason that a reality check is needed is that many of the articles seem to place the blame for breast cancer primarily on obesity, as if a major new discovery had been made. In fact, no such new discovery has been made about obesity alone being a causing agent for breast cancer, particularly breast cancer for pre-menopausal women.
Those studying breast cancer have long tried to place the blame for this unfortunate disease at the door of obesity. By doing so, they can blame the victims, even though the causes for obesity, at least to the extreme currently plaguing America, are neither well known nor understood. The most commonly repeated mantra in the health care community is that obesity is nearly completely self-imposed, despite growing evidence to the contrary. Environmental factors such as food and water toxins, cellular level food hypersensitivites, and even a virus are all routinely dismissed because it easier to blame the victims for the pollution which now makes it necessary for millions of Americans to choose to drink bottled water.
Witch hazel wards off their recession
EAST HAMPTON, Conn. – Nothing signals the presence of a venerable remedy in this quiet suburb 30 minutes southeast of Hartford. No garish signs, no proud slogans, no roadside stands proclaim the world-famous properties of the humble shrub that flourishes beyond the shores of Lake Pocotopaug.
The only clue is the lone plant growing a dozen feet high in front of a brown stucco building on Connecticut Route 66. This is witch hazel, hamamelis virginiana. It stands outside the business that has made the astringent distilled from the shrub’s ridged bark a household staple for generations.
Native Americans used witch hazel as a cure-all. So did the early European settlers. Your grandmother used it; a bottle of the clear, nut-scented liquid is probably still tucked away in the back of her medicine cabinet. And so, perhaps without your knowing it, have you: Witch hazel from East Hampton is an important ingredient in shampoos, mouthwashes, high-end facial toners, acne treatments, and eyewash, to name just a few items.
Because of that, Dickinson Brands Inc., the world’s largest producer of witch hazel, has quietly prospered here, in what is arguably the witch hazel capital of the world.
Owners and employees say they have avoided the layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts that have benighted so many companies. And in this season of shrinking sales and mounting losses, the privately owned company says it has experienced double-digit growth.
The challenge for Dickinson, which bottles and sells the astringent under the brand name Witch Hazel, is how to make the remedy relevant for today’s generations. “It’s become a part of Americana,’’ said Bryan Jackowitz, the company’s marketing director. “People say: ‘Oh yeah, yeah, I know Witch Hazel. My grandmother used it. What do I use it for?’ ’’
No one at the factory knows for sure the origins of the name of the plant, a shrub that grows in northern forests and is distinguishable by its yellow flowers, which bloom in late autumn, after most trees have shed their leaves. A popular version has it that “witch’’ is derived from an old English word, “wyche,’’ which means pliant or bendable. The word “hazel,’’ it is suggested, may have come from the use of twigs from the shrub as divining rods, the way twigs from the hazel plant once were used in England. Dickinson is hoping to tap into the increased demand for all-natural skin-care products. In recent years, it has phased out the word “astringent’’ from one of its two versions of Witch Hazel, the yellow-label one, which it now markets as “pore perfecting toner.’’ The more powerful blue-label Witch Hazel, for treatment of bites, scrapes, and irritation, is still sold as “100 percent natural astringent.’’Continued…
Raise Your Cup to White Tea
White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young
Next time you’re making a cuppa, new research shows it might be wise to opt for a white tea if you want to reduce your risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or even just age-associated wrinkles. Researchers from Kingston University teamed up with Neal’s Yard Remedies to test the health properties of 21 plant and herb extracts. They discovered all of the plants tested had some potential benefits, but were intrigued to find white tea considerably outperformed all of them.
Professor Declan Naughton, from the School of Life Sciences at Kingston University in South West London, said the research showed white tea had anti-aging potential and high levels of anti-oxidants which could prevent cancer and heart disease. “We’ve carried out tests to identify plant extracts that protected the structural proteins of the skin, specifically elastin and collagen,” he explained. “Elastin supports the body’s natural elasticity which helps lungs, arteries, ligaments and skin to function. It also helps body tissue to repair when you suffer wounds and stops skin from sagging.” Collagen is a protein found in connective tissues in the body and is important for skin, strength and elasticity, he added.
Results showed white tea prevented the activities of the enzymes which breakdown elastin and collagen which can lead to wrinkles that accompany aging. These enzymes, along with oxidants, are associated with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Naughton said: “These enzymes and oxidants are key components of normal body processes. However, in inflammatory conditions, suppressing the activities of these excess components has been the subject of decades of research. We were surprised to find such high activity for the white tea extracts in all five tests that were conducted.”
The researchers were blown away by exactly how well the white tea had performed. “We were testing very small amounts far less than you would find in a drink,” Professor Naughton, one of the country’s leading specialists on inflammation, said. “The early indicators are that white tea reduces the risk of inflammation which is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers as well as wrinkles.”
Eight of the other plants and herbs analyzed also helped protect against the breakdown of both elastin and collagen. After white tea, bladderwrack performed well followed by extracts of cleavers, rose, green tea, angelica, anise and pomegranate.
Dr Pauline Hili, Technical Director for Neal’s Yard Remedies, said: “We are really excited by this research as it helps us to remain innovative and at the cutting edge of natural skin care. Celebrating the plants used in the Neal’s Yard Remedies products and understanding their specific actions on the skin is what it is all about. The Kingston University research program helps us to create safe, highly effective and cutting-edge products so it’s an ideal partnership for us.”
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At bluebasins we’ve created a Green Tea Tree Oil soap. Have a look.
