Toxic chemicals surround us and contribute to allergy issues, breathing problems, pollution of lakes and streams, and general overall health of our planet.  One contributor of these toxic chemicals is household cleaners.  Have you ever wanted to know what’s in the cleaner you are using?  That should be an easy thing to find out, right?  Read the ingredients label, right?  Wrong.

The ingredients label for most commercially available cleaning products does not contain a listing of what is actually in the product.  Thanks to Earthjustice, a  non-profit public interest law firm, some of this information is becoming available.  Actually, one of the Earthjustice lawyers recently came upon a law in the state of New York.  Since 1976, the state regulations authorizes the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to require disclosure of the chemical ingredients and health risks, in manufactured household products.  Read more about the New York Supreme Court Case here:  http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2010/environmental-and-health-groups-face-off-against-household-cleaner-giants-in-court.html

Some companies, the SC Johnson Company, makers of many household products, including some well-known products as “Pledge” and “Windex”, have created a web site with detailed information regarding product ingredients.  http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/

Another maker of household products, Simple Green, has filed a disclosure report:  http://www.earthjustice.org/library/legaldocs/simple-green-cleaning-products-report.pdf

Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Church and Dwight, and Reckitt-Bensicker have refused to disclose their ingredients. 

Baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and handcrafted liquid soaps make fantastic household cleaners!  http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naturalhomemagazine.com%2FLeafy-Greens%2FMake-Your-Own-Nontoxic-Natural-Cleaners.aspx&h=5bb26ae51b10d6206dd219cfe68791c8

But, if you find you just have to purchase a bottle of household cleaner from the grocery store shelf, please visit one of the previous listed links and consider a product from a company that is willing to reveal its ingredients listing.  

• Pressure on joints may be reduced
• Muscle tension may be reduced
• A calming, relaxing effect may be noticed
• Circulation may be increased
• Pores are opened, which allows the skin to hydrate and soften

Adding salts to your bath offers increased benefits.   I prefer Himalayan Pink, Dead Sea Salt and Epson Salt  (Magnesium Sulfate) in my bath.  Why?

Pink Himalayan salts contain 84 trace minerals and Dead Sea Salts contain 21 minerals.  These trace minerals, including magnesium, calcium, sulphur, bromide, iodine, sodium, zinc and potassium.  These minerals are needed for good health and are lost throughout the day by physical exercise, stress, and by improper nutrition.    Adding these minerals to a bath soak enhances the bath water for deeper detoxification and cleansing effects.  When the salinity, or salt content, is higher in the water used to soak, then the bacterial count on your skin is reduced.  Salts help to soften the bath water, which aids in softening the skin and easier shedding of dead skin cells; while the trace minerals provide nutrients to newly forming skin.  Epson Salts (Magnesium Sulfate), another mineral, is absorbed thru the skin and helps replenish magnesium, a natural stress reliever, in the body. 

So rather you are suffering from stress, sore muscles, tired feet, or just need a good nights sleep, treat yourself to a soothing, relaxing, detoxifying spa experience right at home and take a bath with bath salts!  

 Christmas is one of my favorite holidays.  The loving spirit that comes with Christmas is unmatched to other holidays.  But, for some, it is also a very depressing, or sad, time.

 Why is that?  Is it because it brings back memories that are rather forgotten?  Is it because they have no one to share the joy and spirit of Christmas?  Is it because they choose to look at Christmas as a time when they have to spend money?

 Some of us have had experiences that we would rather not resurrect.  Some have experienced abusive family members.  Some have experienced the loneliness and pain from a death of someone very close to us.  Some have known the loneliness of being separated from the ones we love due to war, divorce, abandonment, or various other ways that we alone had no control over.  These experiences are painful and when they happen near a holiday like Christmas, they can overshadow the pleasures of future Christmas times, if we allow that to happen.

 The pain, the sadness, the loneliness, are real.  But, they can be lessened with peace, love, and kindness!  This Christmas, try reaching out to others in a kind and generous way.  Bake some cookies or bread and take them to your neighbor that seldom has any visitors.  Volunteer at a local hospital, nursing home, church, or other civic community offering.  Visit a local church, or community group, that collects names of those in need.  Choose just one family, one child, or a whole slew of them, if you are so inclined!  When you are in the grocery, or other retail establishment, smile at other shoppers.  Smile at the checkout person, thank them, and wish them well – doesn’t cost a thing!  Go to your local dollar store, or other discount outlet.  Purchase some coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, or puzzles; donate these items to a local day care provider or Sunday school group.  Donate some kitty litter, paper goods, dog or cat food to your local animal shelter.  Give the gift of the season – share yourself, your love, your compassion, and your empathy!

 Merry Christmas!  

http://site.herbalnatures.com/mineralhandout.pdf

Today is Veteran’s Day, the day set aside to honor our men and woman who have served, or are currently serving in our armed forces.  These men and women help to protect our freedoms and many have given all, their lives.  Let us not forget this day is something more than a day off from school or work.  Let’s remember their bravery, sacrifices, and dedication!   Thank you to all who serve, or have served!!

Here is a link to a slideshow that says it all:  http://www.cpmsglife.org/pres/vday.html

   

Considering we are entering the cold and flu season, remember, washing your hands with soap and water is one of the best ways we can protect ourselves from cold and flu germs! 

Use soap and water to wash your hands.  Forget anti-bacterial claims on products.  Even if they contain anti-bacterial ingredients, good old soap will remove dirt and germs from your hands!  And, anti-bacterials can be more harm than good because they can eliminate the good bacteria that our bodies need to fight off the bad bacteria.

Bar soaps should be placed in a soap dish that allows the soap to dry between washings.  This will keep your soap from becoming a mushy mess by swiming in water and also reduce bacteria from growing in the mush.  Liquid soaps are great for helping to eliminate the mush mess of bar soap and for only dispensing the amount of product needed per washing.   But soap, rather it be in liquid or bar form are both good for removing dirt and germs from the hands.

Encourage everyone in the household to wash their hands frequently, not just after they use the bathroom or before they eat.   We come in contact with all kinds of surfaces that may contain the cold and flu germs.  Some of these surfaces like phones, door handles, grocery carts, and even money, have been touched by several hands, not just our own.  

When we touch our face, eyes, ears, nose, or mouth, we transfer the germs from our hands to those parts of our body.  Naturally, our body is made to fight germs from invading us, but sometimes we can overpower our bodies with an overdose of cold and flu germs.  Proper hand washing, with good old soap and water,  can help tremendously in preventing the spread of these germs.

http://www.herbalnatures.com/nade.html

Thanks Jackie!

A stainless crock pot with a removable ceramic liner and 2 large stainless steel stock pots are my mainstays for the liquid soap making process. (Fig 1) 

Fiq 1 - Mainstay pots for liquid soap making

Using my favorite recipe, which has been carefully calculated for the proper amount of distilled water, lye (potassium hydroxide), and hard/soft oils I weigh out the distilled water and lye first.  Don’t be alarmed, all soap making requires a type of lye in order to produce soap, but the finished product does not contain any active lye. The lye is sprinkled over the water and allowed to dissolve while I measure out the hard/soft oils required and add the oils to the crock pot. The oils are heated to melt temperature and the lye water is added to the oils and mixed. 

The water/oil mixture will begin to “trace” and thicken. It will begin to look like what is often called vanilla pudding. The next stage the mixture will move into is what looks like applesauce and is commonly referred to as the “applesauce stage”.  As the mixture continues to cook, it will begin to look like you are making mashed potatoes. The final stage of the cooking process, which may take several hours, is what is referred to in the soaping world as the “Vaseline” stage because it actually resembles gooey Vaseline.

Figure 2 - the vaseline transparent stage

 

As the pots are heating, I measure out the dilution water and heat it separately. To the heated dilution water, I add Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) and vegetable glycerin, then mix until the heated water and HEC become a clear gel. This clear gel is added to the smaller stainless pot and the transparent soap paste is then added (Fig 2).  I choose to use HEC, which is a thickener widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, because each batch of liquid soap will consistently remain the same thickness, or viscosity.

Figure 2 - transparent soap paste in gel

The smaller stainless pot is covered and when the water inside the larger pot has heated to almost boiling, the heat is reduced or shut off under the larger pot. I check the inside pot regularly and give it a little stir now and then. The dilution phase will take several hours to complete.  When the soap paste has completely dissolved, (Fig 3) I will then add a preservative, and/or coloring, and scents.