Devorah Naturals

Maintaining Healthy Skin through the Winter

2010-11-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Temperatures are dropping and static electricity is waiting to attack you. These harbingers of the approaching winter season prompt me to list some tips for maintaining your and your family’s healthy skin during the winter. Now is the time to start a winter skin regimen to ensure that your skin maintains its lovely, supple condition throughout the coming cold and dry months. Armed with the hints below along with an array of Devorah Naturals moisturizers, creams, balms and exfoliants you can do battle with ‘Old Man Winter’ and win.

1. Limit the amount of time spent in the shower or bath and use lukewarm water so the natural oils are not stripped from your skin.

2. Use a moisturizing soap for face and body. If your face is very dry, you might want to consider a facial cleanser that is cream based.

3. Apply moisturizers to damp skin immediately after you bathe. The oils in the lotions or creams will help hold moisture in to your skin.

4. Use facial moisturizers in the morning and before bed to maintain the health of your delicate facial skin. Use the same regimen for your neck and décolletage.

5. Use a lip balm, preferably unflavored as the flavor can encourage you to lick your lips which will cause more dryness. If your lips are already dry or peeling, exfoliate gently with a small amount of sugar in olive oil. Follow immediately with your lip balm.

6. Make sure you rub balm on children’s lips, cheeks, chin and forehead if they are going to play outside as this can help to prevent chapping from wind and snow. Reapply upon coming back into the house. This can be helpful for moms and dads too.

7. Adults, gently exfoliate your face and body once or twice a week. It will remove layers of dead skin cells which enables your moisturizer to sink into your skin faster.

8. Keep lotion on the sink and readily accessible to large and small hands alike. The moment ones hands are out of water, lotion should be applied. Lotion should be rubbed into the cuticles to help lessen problems with hang nails.

9. Keep lotion in the car and at the office as well. This comes in handy if you are in the habit of using hand sanitizer frequently to combat the germs from cold and flu season. Hand sanitizer may kill germs, but it is very drying.

10. Apply a heavier cream, butter or balm at night to hands, feet, elbows or any other problem areas. Cover with soft cotton gloves or socks.

11. Use a humidifier or boil water on a back burner of the stove (do not leave this unattended) to replace the moisture in the air.

12. Do not forget sunscreen for all members of the family if there will be prolonged exposure to the outdoors. UV rays penetrate cloud cover.

Winter is rough on skin and dry, chapped, flaky and dull skin can be very uncomfortable. Fortunately, with extra care your skin can look and feel healthy all winter long.

Avoid Insect Bites

2009-06-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's the time of year when mosquitoes, ticks and sand flies are abundant. It's much more comfortable for all of us if we can avoid getting bitten by these annoying insects. Aside from the fact that an insect bite can be incredibly uncomfortable, some of the insects carry disease, i.e. malaria, west nile disease, lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and leishmanaisis, etc. Practice bite avoidance by following some or all of the tips listed below to minimize the possibility.

For Mosquito Bite Prevention:

▪ Liberally apply a natural oil based insect repellent when you are going outside. They will stay on your skin longer and mosquitoes do not like oil. If your activity level is high, reapply every hour to hour and a half.
▪ Make sure you apply your bug repellent thoroughly, paying close attention to
the warmer parts of your body, i.e. neck, crook of elbows & wrists.
▪Wear long, loose clothing.
▪ Choose green, brown or white clothing. Do not wear red or pink or blue.
Mosquitoes and other insects love these colors.
▪ If possible, avoid being out at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are more active.
▪ Stay in the sun, mosquitoes prefer dark, damp areas.
▪ Eat garlic or take vitamin B-1. Avoid sugar.
▪ Mosquitoes can sense you more if your breathing is heavy or agitated. They are also attracted to sweat. If possible, stay cool and calm.
▪ Avoid perfumes and colognes.

For Tick Prevention:

▪ Use a bug repellent in the same manner you would do for the prevention of
mosquito bites.
▪ If walking through brush, meadows, leaf piles or forested areas, wear shoes,
socks, long pants tucked into your socks and wear light colors.
▪ Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks. Carefully remove any you find. It is important to remove a tick properly. Please make sure you call your Physician if you or anyone else in your family feels ill after tick removal.

For Sand Fly Bite Prevention:

▪ Liberally apply a natural bug repellent. If you are swimming, make sure you reapply each time you come out of the water.
▪ Avoid piles of seaweed when walking on the beach as sand flies feed on organic and decaying matter.
▪ Sand Flies are most active at dawn, dusk and when night falls. Protect yourself and your family properly during those times.
▪ If visiting wetlands, swamplands, creeks, and lakebeds, other favorite places of the sand fly, make sure you wear long sleeves and long pants. Tuck your pants into your socks. Spray your skin and your clothing with your bug repellent.

Please remember that if you have been bitten and you are having fevers, chills, excessive swelling or discoloration or any other unusual symptoms that you must see a Doctor. These insects can carry disease or you could have a topical or systemic allergic reaction.

Baby Skin

2009-06-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

Newborn skin is delicate -- and so is the baby's immune system. Chemicals, fragrances, and dyes in clothing, detergents, and baby products can cause newborn skin irritation, dryness, chafing, and rashes. However, there are measures you can take to protect your baby from these skin problems.

With newborn skin care ‘less is more’. Pediatricians advise that bathing babies too often, plus too much exposure to chemicals and other potential allergens, can set the stage for skin allergies later in life.

Especially in the early months, use baby products (never adult products) that are dye free, scent free and as pure as possible. Try to use toxin free, 100% organic baby skincare. Baby’s immune system is still developing. If you have a family history of skin problems, allergies, or asthma, it's especially important to protect your baby's immune system -- and protect baby from irritating allergens.

Wash baby's clothing before it's worn. Use only baby laundry detergents that are fragrance and dye-free. Wash baby clothes, bedding, and blankets separately from the family's laundry. Give everything an extra rinse.

Resist the urge to bathe your baby frequently. Too frequent bathing removes the natural oils that protect baby's skin. That leaves baby's skin vulnerable which could trigger a reaction to allergens and cause skin rashes or eczema.

Other than drool and dirty bottoms, newborns don't get very dirty. For the first month or so, a sponge bath two or three times a week will keep your baby safely clean. In between, simply clean baby’s mouth, neck and diaper area with a little water or baby soap. If you have a very roly-poly infant, make sure to wipe inside all of those little folds and creases and dry and powder well. Remember not to shake the powder shaker vigorously as powder can irritate nasal passages in both baby and you.

Once-a-week sponge baths (or even less) are best for newborns with darker skin tones (like African-American). These infants tend to have dryer skin and have a higher risk of skin problems such as eczema.

Baby Massage

2009-06-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Massaging your baby stimulates his/her central nervous system, which makes the brain release more serotonin, a chemical which produces a feeling of well being. It also depresses the production of cortisol which is secreted in response to stress. This gentle massage can help baby sleep better, soothe and calm a colicky baby and deepen the bonding experience between baby and parents. The skin to skin connection between parent and child provides a reassuring and loving experience for baby. What better way to enhance the developing relationship with your baby than to gently massage their little bodies while talking softly and maintaining eye contact. Talking to and smiling at your child while massaging him/her makes baby feel more secure and comfortable.

Here are some tips on massaging technique for babies:

Get all things you need ready before you start rubbing the oil on the baby's body. This includes, the baby massage oil, tissues, clean diapers and clothes. Make sure the room is warm and quiet.

Baby's skin is very soft, jewelry or long nails have the potential to scrape baby’s skin and accidentally hurt your child. So keep your fingernails short and set aside the jewelry you wear on your hands when you are massaging the baby. Spread a changing mat or a soft towel on a flat, safe surface and undress the baby. Put the baby down with his or her face up. At no time should you leave baby alone in an area where he might fall or suffer some other injury.

Place about one half teaspoon of oil at a time on your palms so they glide easily on the baby's body. You can apply more oil later as needed. Rub your hands together or blow your warm breath on them to make sure your palms are warm. Aromatherapy oils for adults are not suitable for the baby. Although some people think that a small amount of scent is all right for infants, it is best to be safe and use unscented products. If you feel the need for scent (remember, baby doesn’t care about scent), make sure that it is very light and only use lavender or chamomile essential oil scented products. No fragrance oils or aroma chemicals should be used on infant skin as they can contain ingredients that are toxic to baby and allergies or sensitization could become a problem.

Use smooth, gentle but firm strokes with your palm or fingers. Light circular movements on chest and stomach, stroking across the shoulders, downward movement on the arms and legs and upward movements on the back are the best. Do not put too much pressure on the baby's fragile body and avoid the spine area. Keep the baby engaged while massaging him or her by talking or singing to the infant. Eye contact with the baby ensures him or her of your undivided attention. A sudden break in contact of your hands may cause alarm to the baby, take care to be gentle while stopping the massage. Do not oil baby's palms or fingers as these little ones tend to put them in their mouths or eyes often and this may cause them irritation. Wrap the baby in a clean and warm towel after the massage and cuddle him or her.

Do not massage the baby just before or after feeding, or when the baby is ill. Do not wake the baby up for a massage. Avoid rashes, wounds or areas where the baby has got his injections or vaccines as it may hurt.

Enjoy this quiet, loving time with your baby.

Welcome to my sweet Grandson

2009-06-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Introducing Bohdi Gage Merrell, my new grandson. With his proud momma on the left and his big sister Kloe on the right.

Wintry View

2009-01-30T04:43:00.000-08:00

Watching the snowflakes, fat with moisture,

drifting, floating, spinning through the air.

Pristine whiteness changing to sparkling gems

as they dance in the golden light stream of

the street lamp. Settling into fluffy mounds of

lacy beauty.

Plastic Bags

2008-07-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

I just received a link from another member of Co-op America that I felt should be shared with all of you. It’s about the damage that our usage of plastic has wrought. http://tinyurl.com/6ghx85

I know; we have all been hearing about the evils of plastic bags and plastic in general ad nauseam. However, plastic bags have such an adverse impact on us and our environment that this message should be stated over and over again until we all take action. The time to reduce our usage of plastic bags is now. If everyone would at least cut back, it would make a huge difference. Please take a look at what this link has to show you. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand or a million or a billion words. Whatever it takes for each of us to reduce or eliminate our plastic bag usage.

Many of you know what needs to be done and are doing it, but many of you probably don’t even really think about it. After all, plastic bags and plastic wrap are so convenient to use and work so well, why change it? We can all have an impact on our environment for ourselves and for future generations. It is the choices we make now which determine whether or not that impact is negative or positive. I am hoping that after reading this and seeing the slideshow you will all opt for the positive. Use the scroll down bar on the right side of the screen to see all of the slides.

Here are a few hints to get you started on the road to change. As we have been seeing almost everywhere we go, most grocery stores now sell fabric bags to be used in place of plastic. They are just as handy as and certainly stronger than plastic. No more overloaded plastic bags stretching and breaking causing cans and bottles to roll all over. We can use waxed paper (preferably non-bleached) or cellulose bags to wrap sandwiches and other portable lunch or dinner items in. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in glass bowls, casserole dishes and canning jars. Many of these items come with lids that are airtight. But, if not, a double layer of waxed paper secured with a rubber band or placed under a non-airtight lid works well. One can also purchase elasticized covers for bowls. They are made of a heavy duty plastic, but they are washable and reusable. To store meats and other items in the freezer, freezer paper (butcher paper) works well. Use biodegradable bags for picking up dog waste. Please share any other hints you have with our readers. We can all learn from each other.

Remember that even one little change in your plastic bag usage can have a big impact. Never think that you cannot have an impact. We are all in this world together. Let’s all work together to make it a better and healthier place for all of its inhabitants.

Recalcitrant Springtime

2008-03-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to spring for quite sometime now. However, Mother Nature seems to have a different idea as to how quickly Spring will be arriving. Here in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, we have been having a rather strange mix of freezing cold frosty mornings and sunny but chilly afternoons. It has been too cold to do any work out in the garden, so I have been having fun formulating new products for all of you.

Some of the new items are now available on the Devorah Naturals website. One of my favorites is the lovely new Rosehip Facial Crème which is light and emollient. I think you will really like it and it's great for all skin types. Three new bar soaps are also available with lighter 'springy' type scents. They are Bergamot Sage Soap, a subtle flowery citrus with a warm, musky undertone, Orange Lemongrass Goat Milk Soap, a bright, sassy, mouth watering citrus and Lavender Marjoram Goat Milk Soap, a light herbaceous floral.

Bathroon Cleaning

2008-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to be afraid of bathroom germs. After all, we deposit bodily excretions in the toilet (the gentlemen of our acquaintance probably sprinkle a bit on the floor too). We brush our germy teeth and spit into the wash basin. We shed dead skin cells plus the accumulated dirt and grime of the day onto the floor of our shower where it then flows down into the dark and dank drain. The moist humid air created from shower usage gathers on the ceiling and in the crevices of our bathroom tile making a perfect home for mildew and mold. It's no wonder we view the bathroom as a large and disgusting bacteria or fungus, reaching out to grab us with imagined germy tentacles. So, armed with a battalion of incredibly toxic cleaners we do battle on a daily basis to slay the demon bacteria. The problem is that while we are busy killing bacteria and fungus, we are also creating a toxic environment for ourselves and our families. The solution then, is to find a safer way to keep the bathroom space clean and fresh. The baking soda and salt mixture that I mentioned in my previous posting is wonderful to scrub tubs, sinks and toilets. Salt has long been known to be a natural antiseptic and disinfectant. Remember gargling with salt for a sore throat or after oral surgery? If you have non-porcelain sinks and / or tubs, a paste of borax (found in the laundry section) and baking soda with a little spritz of vegetable based soap will do a great job of cleaning. Distilled white vinegar in water with a few drops of one or more of the known antibacterial essential oils (tea tree, lavender, thyme and rosemary) is good to spray on toilet seats and door handles. To clean your drains, pour a cup or two of vinegar down them once or twice a week. If they seem a bit sluggish, pour some baking soda down the drain and follow with vinegar. A lot of fizzling will occur and some gunky looking stuff might bubble out. Follow with very hot water 10 minutes later. Then scrub your sink with your baking soda / salt mixture. For mildew and other fungal growth, try hydrogen peroxide, a paste of water and borax or washing soda (also available in the laundry aisle) or 100 proof alcohol. Remember to wear rubber gloves you have designated only for bathroom cleaning. Even though these ingredients are environmentally sound, they can still irritate your skin if exposed over any length of time.

Springtime Haiku

2008-03-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Gentle rain falling
Children dance arms stretched upwards
Greeting spring with joy

Spring is Coming

2008-03-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Despite the vagaries of the weather recently, it is apparent that spring is ‘around the corner’. Even when it’s freezing cold and the sky is spitting snow and sleet, the moist earthy scent that is a harbinger of spring drifts through the air filling my soul with the joy and hope of renewal. I lust for greenery, for the small tender shoots of newborn plants, the pale yellow green buds on shrubs and trees. I pour over gardening catalogues and websites. I daydream about my vegetable and herb gardens, about digging in the moist, fertile soil and planting my tender little seedlings.

I think about hanging my laundry out to dry in the sun. I imagine taking the corners of my white sheets, shaking them and watching them billow out, floating on the air in pristine and sparkling white glory, carrying the scent of the outdoors.

I open windows to rid the house of the stale air of wintertime and freeze myself with the too cold air. I look around the house and realize that she is due for her spring cleaning. It’s time to eliminate the excess accumulation in closets and drawers. It’s time to open her up and shake out the dust and dirt tracked in during the wintertime.

Housecleaning is a somewhat thankless job and I hate it. There are so many other things more interesting to do than cleaning. But even I will say that there is something almost magical about your home when it is clean top to bottom. It is welcoming when you walk in the door and it looks like company is coming, while the natural scents of herbs and flowers drift around you. So, I do a big spring cleaning and then try to maintain a semblance of that throughout the rest of the year.

I use cleaning supplies that I make myself from nontoxic substances that are readily available at the grocery store. If I am going to all the trouble to actually clean my house, I don’t want to fill it with toxins. How can I smell the lavender sachets made with the oil from lavender flowers in my drawers and closets if I have fragrance oils and objectionable chemicals polluting my personal space?

A simple example is what I use to scour my kitchen sinks with everyday.

½ cup baking soda
½ cup extra fine salt (popcorn salt)
A few drops of essential oil of choice, if desired
(tea tree, lavender, peppermint, orange, etc.)

Place the mixture in a shaker jar (I purchased a metal parmesan cheese shaker from the hardware store). Squirt a little liquid castile soap on the sponge, sprinkle the powder into the sink and scrub.

It makes my sink sparkly clean. This works on pots and pans, wooden cutting boards and bathroom fixtures as well.

Try it you might like it. It’s healthier for you, your family and the environment. I will add a few more recipes for you to try over the next few days.