Cleaning more naturally

Many people are "freaking out" trying to do things the more natural and organic way. It's not always as easy as it seems, but there are few simple things you can do at home. For starters you may clean your home with essential oils instead of chemical detergents. I love essential oils, and I love the scent throughout the house after I've cleaned with them. My favourites are Lavender, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oil. Essential oils are available at most, if not all, pharmacies. You may also get them from natural/organic markets. Some retailers and supermarkets also stock them. If you do not want to trade in your usual household detergents, you may add essential oils to your usual cleaning routine.

Note that many essential oils have different properties, but when it comes to cleaning, you want to use the anti-bacterial and anti-septic ones and add a few drops of other oils you like for scent.

When purchasing Ess. oils, they must be in dark, glass bottles: this filters out UV light. After opening and using it, make sure you close it properly and tightly, and store in a cool, dry place. Citrus ess. oils are most prone to oxidation. Also, ess. oils are flammable, so store them safely away from your oven and candle-light. You may refrigerate essential oils, but I prefer to store them in a box at the back of the bottom shelf either in the bathroom, or a wardrobe/closet.

Here are a few mixtures to try:

Floor Cleaner:

• add ¼ cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
• 10 drops lemon oil, lavender or eucalyptus
• 5 drops oregano oil, pine, spruce, tea tree or lemon, lavender or eucalyptus (whichever one you didn't use above)

Window cleaner:

• Mix 1 cup vinegar and water in spray bottle.
• Add 10-15 drops lemon essential oil.
• Shake and use.

Vinegar leaves windows shining. But nobody said your house needs to smell like vinegar. 

Fly Repelling Window Cleaner:

In summer, wipe down windows with a damp cloth containing fly-repelling essential oils such as lavender or lemongrass.

• For every 50 ml water, add 10 drops of lavender or lemongrass

Sounds much but you don't need much water to WIPE down your windows. 

Laundry:
Essential oils may be used to enhance the cleanliness and fragrance of your laundry. Dust mites live in your bedding and feed from the dead skin cells we constantly shed. I know it's unpleasant, I'm scratching my skin just thinking about it. Research has shown that eucalyptus oil kills dust mites. To achieve effective dust mite control, add 25 drops of eucalyptus to each washing machine load, or approximately 15ml to a bottle of liquid detergent.

You may also add several drops of essential oils to the rinse cycle, such as fir, spruce, juniper, lavender, cedarwood, wintergreen/birch, tea tree or rosewood.

Another thing you may do is make a mixture of 1 cup vodka and 20-30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and put it into a spray bottle. Spray your pillows and bedding a couple times per week. Use the spray on upholstery and carpets as well.

When hanging up bedding after it's been washed, hang it in the sun or tumble dry it. The heat may also kill micro-organisms, and the sun has sterilizing properties.

Stain Removal:

• Use a drop or two of lemon essential oil on stains.
• Let it stand and rub off with a clean cloth or throw into laundry cycle.

In the Dryer:

• Instead of using toxic and irritating softeners in the dryer, toss in a dampened washcloth with 10 drops of lavender, lemon, tea tree, bergamot, or other oils.
• While the oils will not reduce static cling, they will leave a lovely fragrance to the clothes.

Kitchens and bathrooms:

• Mix 2 drops rosemary, 4 drops lemon, 3 drops eucalyptus, and 4 drops lavender oil in warm (not hot) water in a spray bottle
• Shake well
• Shake again before using

Dishwashing Soap:

To add fragrance or to improve the antiseptic action of your liquid soap , add several drops of essential oils such as lavender, tea tree, fir, spruce, pine, lemon, bergamot, and/or orange.

Hot tubs and saunas:

• Use 3 drops (per person) of lavender, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme, lemon, or grapefruit to disinfect and freshen the water.
• For saunas, add several drops rosemary, thyme, pine, or lavender to a spray bottle with water and spray surfaces. This water can also be used to splash onto hot sauna stones.

Deodorizing kitchens and bathrooms, etc.

The kitchen and bathroom are often a source of odors and bacteria. The following mixtures may help to freshen, deodorize, and disinfect the air, work areas, cupboards, bathroom fixtures, sinks, tiles, woodwork, and carpets. These blends are safe for the family and for the environment. They will clean the air instead of masking the odors.

Always shake well and keep on shaking the bottle as you use these mixtures, as oils may separate from water. 

• 4 cups water
• 2 drops rosemary
• 4 drops lemon
• 3 drops Eucalyptus
• 4 drops lavender
• Shake well and put in a spray bottle

OR

• 4 cups water
• 5 drops pine
• 4 drops chamomile
• 4 drops tea tree, 4 drops lemongrass, or 4 drops clove

Basic Disinfectant/ Household cleaner:

Add your favorite antiseptic, anti-bacterial essential oils. Make sure it includes lemon.

• Spray bottle with water
• A squirt of natural soap (or dishwashing liquid)
• 5 drops each of lavender, lemon, and lemongrass
• Shake well

OR

Add a drop or two of eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, pine, juniper, thyme, or rosemary to a damp cloth and wipe down the surfaces.

Note: Use natural cleaning tools (natural sponge, mop) because essential oils can react with plastic.

Happy cleaning!

Miss B

Be Sun-Smart This Summer...

Many people know they HAVE TO wear sunscreen everyday. Many people do so. But not many people understand their sunscreen product and/or sunscreen in general. Below are few  things to consider before going to your local store and just grabbing whichever sun care product is on promotion.

There are many misconceptions about sunscreen. "The biggest misconception by far is that we all expect sunscreen to be non-toxic. Living in an outdoor-centric country we religiously apply sunscreen to prevent our skin from burning and to reduce the risk of the dreaded skin cancer. What we don't expect is to be applying something that has the potential to affect out health negatively, and even in some cases to be carcinogenic." Also, many people do not know the difference between UVA and UVB rays and how important it is to have high protection for UVA and not just UVB through the SPF. Because of this, most people buying sunscreen look only for SPF and believe the higher it is, the better. High SPF and no UVA protection is just inviting deep level damage to our skin. "I would rather wear no sunscreen at all and use other means of protection like clothing, that a sunscreen with only SPF protection, " says Susan Ingram, CEO of Natural Suncare CC.

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) only indicates protection from UVB. That's why it is believed if one wears sunscreen with an SPF rating (a numerical value), it will prevent one from burning. This is not necessarily correct. It's dependent on other factors, too. UVB (B for burn) is short-wave solar radiation and only affects your epidermis which houses melanin, therefore you tan, because your melanin production is stimulated. UVA (A for Ageing) is long-wave solar radiation so it penetrates deeper layers of the skin, affecting cell DNA. That's why it's called the "silent killer". Because it affects cell DNA, it can break down cell structures, causing premature ageing and may increase UVB's cancer-causing effects.It may also directly cause some skin cancers, including melanomas. Most of this damage occurs before the age of 18, even though the damage only becomes visible many years later.
The level of UVA protection is indicated by a star rating. Five stars indicates a high level of UVA protection, whereas 1 star would indicate a low level UVA protection. The FDA have proposed this to avoid confusion by identifying both UVA and UVB protection levels with numerical values, and believes consumers are familiar with star ratings.

Although you should protect yourself from the sun's rays, UVB is beneficial to the skin. "Sunshine is healthy. With the event of discovering just how important Vitamin D is in our lives, people are learning to embrace the sun's goodness. This is a new concept for many, but getting the balance right is important," advises Susan Ingram. "The trick is not to overdo it and get sun damaged skin."
UVB converts 7-dehydrocholesterol in the sebum (oil) on your skin into vitamin D which is essential to your skin. Vitamin D is an antioxidant and an anti-carcinogen. One only needs 10 minutes of sunlight/UVB radiation on unprotected (no sunscreen) skin such as on the face, hands, arms or back. This certainly does not permit one laying in the sun to "tan"  as UVB is also the primary cause of sunburn and non-melanoma skin cancer. Many people don't apply sunscreen to their entire body every day so many people get this exposure while going about their daily errands. 

You should wear sunscreen all-year round, as the sun shines everyday. Yes, everyday. Even when it's cloudy/raining, UV radiation (especially UVA as it's more constant at all hours throughout the year) penetrates the clouds, and still reaches us.

Sunscreen can be either a physical (also referred to as mineral sunscreen) or chemical protection. In terms of the physical protection, think of it like the windscreen of your car. The rain,wind,etc doesn't penetrate your car. A physical sunscreen reflects UV radiation. Physical sunscreens are said to be much better than chemical ones. Chemical sunscreens absorb radiation. It's not the best protection mechanism. Physical sunscreens often contain compounds of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Chemical sunscreens may contain Avobenzone and/or Oxybenzone among other ingredients I have to read over at least twice before I attempt pronouncing them. Take a minute to have a look at the ingredients when choosing your sunscreen.

NB
*Some of the regulations published in a report by the CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa) Sunscreen Working Group regarding all sunscreen products sold in South Africa include:

• No product can claim or imply that it offers 100% protection from UV radiation. This means that the words: "block", "sunblock", "sunblocker", or "total protection" cannot appear anywhere on the packaging/labels. "Sunscreen" is the only correct terminology.
• No sunscreen product can make an "all-day", "extended-protection" or "once-a-day application" claim
• Products with an SPF of below 6 are not considered a sunscreen, and there is a capping at SPF50+, because the difference between an SPF80 and SPF60 is so small, it's considered misleading to consumers

*More sun safety tips:

• Properties of sunscreen (and cosmetic products in general) change over time, especially in heat, so it is important to buy a new sunscreen every year. Last year's sunscreen just isn't good enough.
• It's better to wear your swimsuit and apply an SPF20 or more than to be fully clothed in T-shirt material with no sunscreen. T-shirt material has an SPF of 3-6.
• The majority of sunscreens need a certain amount of time following application to be absorbed by the skin, so that an even spreading of UV filters can be achieved. That is why it's important to apply your sunscreen 20-30 minutes before being exposed to the sun. Read the directions for use of your preferred sunscreen for more guidance.
• Reapply, reapply. REAPPLY throughout the day, especially if you are outside, in direct sunlight.

You don't necessairly have to use different sunblocks for different parts of your body unless you have specific concerns. Many sunscreens on the market are for "face and body". I don't mind oilier sunblocks for my body because it's moisturizing and give's my skin a glow, but for my face, I prefer a less oily option.

I am currently using Sunumbra. It's a natural sunscreen with organic ingredients. It's not oily, so it's great to apply before makeup. It's definitely a good purchase, especially if you're (overly) concerned with ingredients. Sunumbra lists and explains in detail each and every ingredient in their product.

Other sunscreens I like for the face:

Environ's Antioxidant Sunscreen, RAD SPF 15

Saloncare Sunscreen SPF 20+

Miss B

*Published in October 2011 issue of Longevity Magazine

Collagen products

I popped into a salon earlier to buy products. I overheard one of the beauty therapists explain how a product works to a customer. This specific product was a collagen cream of sorts. She explained that this 'collagen cream' would "put lost collagen back into the skin to improve skins elasticity". Where do I start correcting this statement?!


Firstly, collagen is not PRIMARILY responsible for elasticity in the skin, that would be elastin. Sure collagen helps by improving/providing strength to fibres, and as with normal skin and body function, different systems/fibres/networks work together, but that statement was SO flawed.


The next, and more important, thing is that there is no way that a COSMETIC product can replace lost collagen. COSMETIC products don't penetrate the dermal layer of the skin which is where collagen is produced. NO cosmetic product can replace lost collagen. Products may stimulate collagen production, but they will not put collagen into your skin from the tube/bottle/jar. This is perhaps possible with cosmeceutical, pharmaceutical, and medical products, but as their names suggest, this needs to be recommended or prescribed by a medical professional, as these products affect the dermal layer of the skin which contains networks of blood capillaries.


Had the consultant or beauty therapist continued to elaborate on her statement or offer up an explanation on how that is possible and clarify this to her client, I would have not been so shocked and upset. But she did not. The client just accepted her word as truth. Even more upsetting. 


Beauty/Skincare therapists and consultants: As any qualified professional, you need to know your stuff. Know the products you're working with. If you're not 100% sure about something or forget, that's fine, but then tell your client and ask him/her for a minute to make sure. They'll appreciate it. Either keep a set of notes in your treatment room or in your bag, or consult with your manager or a fellow therapist rather than giving your client incorrect information. It's okay to be wrong and make mistakes, but if it can be avoided...AVOID it!


Clients and consumers: Don't be fooled by products that list collagen, marine collagen, and other types of collagen in it's ingredients. You'll often find that these collagen ingredients are further down the ingredients list which means that there is a small to VERY small percentage of this in the product as a whole, and even so, it may not penetrate your upper dermis. Ask questions. It is your right AND responsibility to ask questions. And if you're not sure, leave the product, do some research and/or consult another skin care therapist or dermatologist for advice.

Miss B

3 Talk

I'll be on Three Talk with Noeleen tomorrow, on SABC 3 at 16:40. The topic is "Are children growing up too fast?". I'll be talking about children as young as 6 years old going to spas and salons for beauty treatments. Is this acceptable? What are your thoughts on the matter?

Miss B