Allergy season is upon us

AAHCHOOOOO!!

Well, it is that time of year where some of us start sniffling a bit more, sneezing a lot more and going through boxes of tissues like wild fire through trees. Many of us may feel as if we are trapped in a field of pollen, waking each morning tour cars coated with a sheath of glowing green pollen. Or for some,  it's like digging your face in cats tummy. AAHCHOOOOO!

So what are we to do? There are so many options out there, which do we chose, right. Here are some of the things we use in my house to reduce the affects of allergens.

Keep a dust free home - This is easier said then done but with some work daily on it, we can limit the amount of dust floating around. Also, we changed the air filter to our central air system and continue to clean it regularly for cleaner air in house.

Steam - I can't say enough about this. At night, I take a mist/steam shower with some of my J.R. Watkins Eucalyptus spray to clear out my air ways. Has really helped a great deal. I sleep better at  night for sure.

Local Honey/ Bee Pollen - The kids and I have been consuming more of the local honey in our smoothies and I have seen a difference in the amount of runny noses. I am a big believer in this. The key is using local honey so you build immunity to the local plants/pollen.

NOTE: If you are allergic to honey, I would skip this for sure. 

Echinacea tea - Drink this tea daily or when your feeling a bit under the weather to speed things along. I drink it at least once a week for maintenance and I haven't fallen sick yet. The brands I prefer are Traditional Medicinal or Yogi teas.

Over the counter medicines - Normally I don't go this route but I have moments when it calls for it. At least with the kids for sure. Zarbee's Naturals Cold or Mucus reducer is a brand I use for the kids. If they do catch a cold with cough, I still use it. However, I use Zarbee's Natural Mucus reducer Nighttime for when my 4 year old has difficulty getting to sleep.

NOTE: I like the fact that he can get to sleep with their nighttime relief but it seems to give him vivid dreams. So be aware that this may happen. 

As for the adults, my husband he uses Claritan D and Flonase. But his allergies were so bad this year that he had to seek further help. And since he refuses to eat the bee pollen or honey on a regular, I believe that is why he is worse off.

For me, I am just figuring out what it is I am actually allergic to since when I lived up North I never experienced allergies like this. All I have ever been allergic to before is Latex and Chocolate. Yes, I know. Valentine's day is lost on me.

See your Allergist - The best thing you can do is see an allergist and get tested to find out what it is that is making you feel so awful. If you are okay taking medications, they can help you with that for sure. Or at the least, let you know what it is you are allergic to in order to help you avoid those allergens. Example: If you know that you are allergic to grass and someone is cutting their lawn outside, don't go outside for a few hours, if you can avoid it. Or if the weather person reports that Dogwood is in high bloom, take your medications before heading out or don't go out. Simple right.

Lastly, when its really bad. We just don't go out. Keep windows closed and hang in doors. But that's not always possible. People have to works, kids have to go to school and so on. Life must go on even when your eyes are itching, nose running and throat aching.

Overall, you have many options out there to help you relieve symptoms of allergies. From simple home remedies to prescriptive medications. Be smart and educate yourself on your health. Talk to your doctor about possible natural remedies you can try before jumping in to prescriptive drugs. Maybe that's just me but I like to avoid pharmaceuticals whenever possible.

Hope this helps you. Let me know if you have a home remedy that helps you through allergy season or if you have tried any of the above with positive or negative outcomes. I would love to hear from you.

Please take a moment to comment, Like, Share and subscribe. Thanks so much for coming by.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

FOR YOUR SAFETY ALWAYS SPEAK TO A DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY SUPPLEMENTS, VITAMINS OR PRESCRIPTIONS.

Pregnancy and skin concerns

When your pregnant some things are a given.
1. You will gain at least a few more pounds i.e. baby weight, water retention / basic body fluids
2. You will be hormonally driven at times. i.e. Cry, laugh, scream or in some case all 3 at once.
3. Your skin will either react kindly or unkindly to the hormonal changes occurring. i.e. "The Glow", breakouts, Melasma, stretch marks etc.

Really, I could go on with a few more but these are the most common and why bore you or scare you with the other stuff. Since I focus on skin majority of the time, I will focus on point number three. Your skins response to being pregnant.

Keratosis Pilaris "Chicken Skin"

So far I have been lucky in the sense that my face hasn't had to many breakouts or Melasma a.k.a. "The Pregnancy Mask." Yet, I am not exactly giving "The Glow" either. What I am dealing with is the makings of stretch Marks on my belly and Keratosis Pilaris (K.P.)  a.k.a. "Chicken Skin" on my upper arms. When I was pregnant the first time around I only developed a small amount of stretch marks on my hips and they are light. After I gave birth, some exfoliation and peels, I managed to keep them from getting worse. For the K.P. I used a topical cream, Urea, prescribed by my Dermatologist which helped a great deal.  However, now pregnant with TWINS!! I know, right. They have both returned with a vengeance. I'm stretching to maximum capacity and my arms are plagued with K.P.

With that said, I have taken a different approach this time. Since I can't use peels or Vitamin A capsules or even Urea, I exfoliate my arms regularly with either an Almond scrub or Baking Soda (1 tsp) and Honey  (1 Tbsp) mix. Any scrub will do really. You just want to be able to scrub away the dry skin that develops over the trapped hair follicle. Then you want to follow up with a moisturizer to keep it from getting rough and bumpy again. It won't go away completely but it helps minimize the appearance.

The added bonus is that the same lotion I use to moisturize my arms, I use on my belly for the stretch marks. Now for the stretch marks, I have accepted that I will have some more added to my war stories of motherhood. But it does help to moisturize and to do it often. I apply about 3-4 times a day, minimum. You could very gently exfoliate the belly with Baking soda and honey as well to try help the skin regenerate while it stretches but I am not sure how well that works. I have done it a few times but I wont know the real results until post-partum. Note: If you scrub to hard you could actually make it worse because skin is so delicate while pregnant. So not to hard. My hope is that they wont be super noticeable like the first time around. If so, I may consider Fraction Laser treatments for the stretch marks.

In any case, I want to share one of the recipes I use to make my own body lotion. Through my many web surfing searches for skin care recipes and books, I found this one. I regret, I don't remember where I found it but I am using it and I love it.

Here is the recipe:

Coconut Whipped Body Butter

What you need:

1 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)
a few drops of your favorite essential oils for fragrance (optional) I skip it. Pregnancy makes oders stronger for some. I'm one of the some. 

What to do:

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. (You do not have to melt the coconut oil first.)

2. Mix on high speed with a wire whisk for 6-7 minutes or until whipped into a light, airy consistency.

3. Spoon the whipped coconut oil body butter into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your house is so warm it melts the oil.

Tip: An electric hand mixer will work, I used my Kitchen Aid mixer. It whips it up like egg whites.

Note: Your whipped coconut oil should stay relatively soft, even at colder temperatures. I noticed mine beaded into a froth of tiny coconut oil pearls that melt right into my skin.
Also try, 1/2 cup Virgin Coconut oil with 1/2 cup Natural Shea butter for a thicker consistency.

You'll notice that it may become a bit liquid with sweat like beads. That is fine. The liquid oil will soak right into your skin and the beads will melt right in as well. Trust me, this is so great for the skin. It goes on feeling greasy but after your skin eats it up you'll be impressed. I do hope that you try it out and like it as much as I do. Either way, let me know.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Happy, Be Beautiful! 

Looking for ideas and products to review

Since I am now pregnant, I am cautious with which products I use that aren't otherwise considered to be "Natural". Recently, I posted about a Shea butter that I tried out and am still using. Now that I am on bed rest, I am wondering what products I can try that are actually in the house.

Placed on bed rest, they recommended that I occasionally drink Milk of Magnesia. Magnesium is known to reduce or prevent premature labor as well as help the body expel faster. Gross, I know but then I remembered reading something about Milk of Magnesia for oily skin in one of the natural skincare books I've read. After some research, I discovered that my pregnancy brain hasn't forgotten everything. I was correct in thinking that you could use Milk of Magnesia on your skin, not just as a stimulant/laxative. Yes, I know gross. It is useful for anyone with oily, acneic skin problems or seborrheic dermatitis.

*It is important to note that if you have an allergy to Magnesium this is not the skin care product for you.

How it works:

To understand why it works, I think we should look at the active ingredient in this case Magnesium. Some contain Zinc as well which is also great on the skin. It is important to mention that you want to use a sugar free, flavor free Milk of Magnesia. Flavored brands have added mineral oils that can be contradictory for someone trying to manage oily skin. Magnesium is great for detoxification of the body so theoretically, it would work well for the skin. And that is just what it does. It absorbs all the excess oil from the skin and dries out pustules (pimples) much like a clay mask would do, drawing out all the impurities while also calming skin. Great on sensitive skin because you don't have to rub as hard to get the mask off, therefor not aggravating the skin. Suggested use of this mask is no more than one to two times a week as you do not want to over dry your skin.

D.I.Y. Milk of Magnesium Mask:

1. Shake bottle to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed together.
2. Pour about 1 tbs of Milk of Magnesia into a small container.
3. Apply to face (chest, back, upper arms) with a cotton pad or a facial brush.
4. Leave on for 20 minutes and remove using lukewarm water and a soft washcloth.
5. Follow up with a oil free moisturizer.

*This mask is only recommend for oily/acneic skin. Do NOT use if you have dry skin. Do NOT use if you are allergic to Magnesium or Zinc.

Surfing the web, I seen that some people use it as a skin toner or a make up primer. If you suffer from oily skin or acne, it is worth trying so long as you place a very light amount on. It is chalky and leaves a white film. As a toner, you can rinse gently after a minute. For make up use, I would suggest you use an extremely light amount using your finger or cotton ball.

A reminder that I have not used this mask. I do not suffer from oily skin as my skin tends to be on the drier side. I only have read about it. I will do my best to try it tonight on my mom and update with her comments. Reminder, I'm on bed rest with limited mobility, so it may not happen tonight. If you try this out, please share your thoughts.

I'll do my best to try more products out, find more ideas or suggestions for all that are reading. Feedback and ideas are always welcome.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Happy, Be Beautiful!

Oatmeal Fig and Papaya Mask

Here is a great mask that is super easy to make that you can make very quickly to heal dry skin, itchy skin and minor acne breakouts.

Cooked Oatmeal

Oatmeal is extremely soothing to the skin, a natural anti-inflammatory. Highly recommended for dry skin, rashed skin to soothe and exfoliate. Great for all skin types. I use it often in a warm bath for my son to keep his skin soft and refreshed.

Ripe Figs

Figs have been used both topically and as a diet supplement due to their high vitamin and fiber content. Figs also have natural Alpha-hydroxy acid properties to help refresh and brighten the skin. Fig fruit contains very high levels of phytochemicals that help fight cancer and filter UV rays, thus protecting the skin. Figs are rich in oils in both the skin and the seeds and they have some mild antioxidant properties, which of course helps reverse damage in the skin.

Papaya Seeds

The seeds of Papaya are believed to have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. It contains papain which promotes skin renewal and cell turnover. Papaya benefits skin as it is rich in vitamin A, E and C and anti-oxidants which moisturize the skin and clears it from dirt and dark spots. Papaya can be used as facial scrub for skin brightening and moisturizing or as a face mask to treat acne.

This mask is not only great for your skin but it smells so good too.


Oatmeal Fig and Papaya Mask

1/2 cup Oatmeal (cooked and cooled)
2 small Figs (crushed)
2 Tbsp Papaya Seed (Fresh)

Blend well with fork or food processor (two pulses). Brush on to clean, toned skin. Let sit for 20 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water. Use a skin toner to rebalance skin and remove excess mask. Use eye serums followed by your favorite moisturizer.

Any unused mask can be refrigerated and used again with in a week. Or you can add a cup of brown sugar and use as a body scrub.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

EJ

Link to You Tube video host that helps

As a professional, I am constantly looking for new ideas to tell my clients, friends and family. I often use YouTube as a way of finding information from other professionals who post videos. Something I myself need to start working on. NOTE TO SELF: GET TO IT!

Any ways, while trolling through YouTube, I found a simple video on a Strawberry Yogurt mask. The young lady hosting, Jennisse, really caught my attention. Very bubbly! Because of her personality, I decided to check out more of her videos. She has a great page and I wanted to share her YouTube link, JennisseMakeup, with you. This way you can watch her video tutorials on skin care and make up.

She is fun to watch and the tutorials are easy to follow. You're welcome!

Have a great day all!

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!