Change Your Period to Align With The Moon

This is way off topic to anything JOLI related however, it does fit in with the naturalness of life and being true to our self.

I've just finished reading a book called The Red Tent. It is about a tent the ladies go into when they're menstruating yet it is more than that. The content of the book is also about how women dealt with TOM (that 'time of the month'), what it meant in the eyes of society and what women got up to during that time. Primarily bonding, sharing life stories and passing on knowledge and family history down to the generations of women who joined them in The Red Tent.

Women having their period was seen as an amazing thing. They were revered for bleeding and not dying and for being able to bring forth life of not just females but also males. This was considered an important time of renewal in the cycle of life, and girls were pleased to reach womanhood and be able to bare children (for those that could). Though giving birth was perilous and deadly, which made it even more amazing that women could do this and survive.

One interesting point in the book is that ALL womens' period cycles lined up with the moon. They ovulated during full moon and menstruated during new moon (again fitting in with renewal and the cycle of the earth and tide). And they only bled for 3 days.

This would have been due to women being more in tune and aligned with nature back before life became about materialism and wealth and we started hiding away in dwellings surrounded by artificial light. We rarely see the moon or know it's cycle these days let alone being in tune with it.

I can't help but wonder if this misalignment plays a part in the premenstrual symptoms us ladies suffer throughout our menstruation years. According to metaphysics these symptoms stem from the sufferers inability to embrace their femaleness and womanly rites. This made me wonder if symptoms women get, such as sore breasts and cramping, during some periods stem from the fact that our bodies are out of alignment will the moon. Considering that I don't always have sore breasts and have never figured out why they're sore sometimes and not sore at other times, I'm wondering if, for example, my sore breasts are caused by my period being due during a full moon, at a time I should be ovulating?

So I'm going to try and test this theory by attempting to line my period up with the tides and the moon. My first step will be to spend time outside each night concentrating on the moon (if and when I can see it), to help me know when the moon is waxing and waning, to help me know at what stage my cycle should be at. It's perhaps a big ask and something that I may not have the know-how to achieve. Still, I shall give it a go and see how things pan out and of course I shall post updates and let you know how this experiment goes. 
  

Natural Skin Care Warning

I stumbled across this article in the newspaper and had to share it with you because it raises an interesting point.

In my 10 years experience as a natural skin care specialist I've learned a lot such as: the effects of essential oils & pregnancy, 'kills 99% of germs' isn't a good thing, and there is an increase in people presenting with sensitive skin.

It doesn't surprise me that someone presented with an allergic reaction to oats after using a product that contained oats because I've also learned we can build up critical mass to certain ingredients - and this differs from person to person.

One reason cosmetic conglomerates use petroleum and mineral oil based ingredients is because it is a cheap alternative to offer to those who have nut allergies, and therefore cannot use products that contain nut oils (i.e. almond, shea, walnut and hazlenut oils). There are other alternatives such as apricot and jojoba oil, both of which cost more to use.

One thing that concerned me about this article is it targets 'natural' skin care and products containing foods - which certainly maybe a concern for some, and ignores the elephant in the room. Which is far more people present with allergies and reactions to the ingredients in mainstream skin care. In fact it is quiet prevalent and common in today's society than ever before because of the amount of products we consume and the frequency in which we use them. Plus the vast amount of known 'skin irritation' causing ingredients in them.

By all means be mindful of anything that may give you an allergic reaction and STOP using any product (cleaning agent, hair dye, makeup, skin care, oils, grease etc) that cause a skin reaction such as urinary tract infection, psoriasis, eczema or contact dermatitis.

Find the products that are right for you but don't be scared to try natural skin care and see if it's a good fit.
  

Glycerin

naturally forming vegetable glycerin

Glycerin is naturally formed during the soap making process and can be animal or plant based. Hence animal or vegetable glycerin.

During commercial soap making processes the glycerin is removed from the soap and is sold in it's natural liquid form to manufacturers to be used in other products such as moisturisers.

You can see the glycerin forming on the soap (pictured). It is a natural hand made (melt and pour) soap and after unwrapping the soap and using it, natural glycerin began to form on the soap. It appears as small oily looking drops on the surface of the soap.

Have you ever noticed that the mainstream soaps you purchase don't have this natural forming glycerin.

Glycerin has the ability to attract moisture to your skin and is a great skin softening agent. Soaps containing glycerin (such as the above hand made soap) are more moisturising to use than soaps without.

Yet another reason why natural hand made soaps are a little more decadent to use.
  

New an Improved or ?

We often hear companies telling us a product is 'new and improved' and sometimes it's really not.

Take Mount Franklin bottled water for example. They came out with what they call a new crushable bottle. The point of this is, supposedly, so you can crunch the bottle up so it takes up less room in your recycle bin. Oh yay!

That's how they're selling it to us, the consumer, anyway.

The reality is more likely that they wanted to cut down on costs by reducing the amount of plastic used. Thinner plastic means less plastic means better bottom line. It would be nice to think they did it because they wanted to be environmentally friendly and produce less plastic, though I have my doubts about that altruistic motive.

The bottle, however, is an epic fail in my opinion. As soon as you touch the bottle it's crumpling so when you remove the lid you accidentally squash the bottle and water leaks out. Unless you're really careful which I'm not and nor are my children. Not only that, by the time we've finished the water the bottle is so dented and lopsided it's useless. You CANNOT reuse the bottle!

I'm not a fan of bottled water, for environmental reasons, yet if we've gone out somewhere as a family and we've forgotten our water bottles and the children are thirsty and there are no water fountains, we will purchase bottled water for them. We bring the bottles home for recycling.

I'm even less a fan of water bottles that cannot be refilled and reused (because we often keep refilled spares in the car). My trusty water bottle is an old bottled that I've had for years. The rapper is gone so the brand is irrelevant and I've decorated the bottled so everyone knows it's mine and not to through it out. I love that it has been turned into my personal water bottle and I love that the plastic is firm so that I can refill and reuse it and keep it for a long time.

As for the new Mount Franklin bending, dented, crumpling bottles. We refuse to purchase them because we know they're not new and improved. We know they are a dodgy thin version the company has created to save costs. We now purchase Cool Ridge, the commercial featuring the funny Aussie puppets, because we can reuse their bottles and keep them for ages.
  

Are You a Naturalist?

What is a naturalist? A naturalist is someone who tries to choose natural alternatives where ever possible. They not only choose natural skin care and makeup but also try to go chemical free in many other aspects of their lives. Such as organic fruit and vegies, environmental cleaning products, menstruation products, growing their own produce where possible.

There are many aspects of our lives that have the potential to be green, and I'd go so far as to say 'back to the olden days' when we were using green products because the chemicals we have today weren't around then.

When I was a little girl (and I'm still fairly young) my mum taught me to clean the bathroom using only a natural bar of soap and a flannel. That was it. There was no bleach or domestos or pineoclean (kills 99% of germs - as well as any good bacterial defenses your body has). Just a simple bar of soap.

We had fruit trees in our yard (that we didn't spray) and herbs, and our extended family also had fruit trees and we'd make bottled sauces and pickled fruits and vegetables. To this day many of my family members choose to live this way.

We weren't 100% green, we still wore clothes dyed with harmful chemicals, we still wore makeup though it was very minimal, and used menstrual pads (luxury taxable items if you can believe that - and one way to fight that is to go green and reusable

These days it seems harder to go green because chemicals are in everything we touch and it seems our governments aren't really interested in protecting us from them. So it's up to us to be the change we want to see in this world. It's up to us to do our part and make as many changes as we can. Not everyone can grown fruit trees for example (if they don't have the space), yet there are other ways, many ways, to support going green.

Visit farmers markets (more and more are popping up) and purchase organic produce, purchase natural skin care, mineral makeup, wash your clothes before wearing them in green laundry soap, shop at opp shops - purchasing reusable clothing stops the manufacture of more clothes which helps reduce chemical dyes, sweat shops and wastage.

DITCH the big brands and big corporations who support the use of chemicals and have no intention of stopping, who don't support locally produced organic products, who don't have YOUR best interests and welfare at the heart of their existence.
  

JOLI Natural Skin Care reviews

Here's what others are saying about JOLI :-

I love the Heavenly Bath Milk. It is nice and soft, and gives your bath a lovely subtle scent. You don't need very much - I only use about half a lid full, and that's probably a bit too much! I like this bath milk better than a leading world-known brand (which I won't mention) readily available by mass-production in their stores and on-line store. Joli's is a far superior product, at an extremely reasonable price. Thanks Joli!

After using Fluffy Lime Eye Cream for 3 days I noticed a real difference to the hydration of my eye area, it's general plumpness and the unexpected bonus of lightening of dark under-eye circles that I have had for YEARS! The texture is lovely and I am very happy. Thanks! :)

Within one week of using Rich Cream Moisturiser my face was soooo soft - and I have dry flaky skin normally. I am loving it.

I have dry, very sensitive skin and I use this wonderful Rich Cream Moisturiser for everything - face, feet, legs, arms, hands, elbows! I love having a versatile natural product that I can quickly grab after my shower - saves time and works fabulously!

I have VERY sensitive skin and Facial & Body Wash is the first cleanser I have ever tried that I can use every day - love it!

I have dry flaky skin... yet I get so many blackheads on my chin (I know horrible!) every facewash that could get rid of the blackheads dried my skin even more and felt like it was burning (sensitive skin). Yet this Facial & Body Wash I can use daily, does not burn and leaves my skin hydrated and no blackheads. :) Yay

I believe Moisturising Lip Balm is the best, it does a great job, my chapped lips are gone, it is non greasy and long lasting. I just love it!

I love the strawberry flavour and my kids love watermelon Lip Balm. I feel safe being able to put these lip balms on my children's lips knowing there is no harmful chemicals or preservatives that could affect them.
  

NutriBullet Commercial

Anyone who watches TV will mostly likely have seen those NutriBullet infomercials on those numerous infomercial channels (the adds are shown on pretty much all channels these days).

The commercial begins with the narrator talking about how the US has become the most over fed yet under nourished nation on the planet - while showing images of overweight people.  The narrator goes on to say it comes down to one thing 'nutrient absorption'. "We need to increase the nutritional power of the foods we eat (images of fruit and vegetables are shown)... to dramatically change the way we look and feel".

An imagine of a man's before and after shots are shown. Images that I have seen on other weight loss commercials prior to the NutriBullet adds coming along.

This opening narrative is a gimmick to suck the viewer in because the truth is, yes we are under nourished but not because we're not extracting nutrients from our foods properly, but because we're not eating the right foods in the first place. It implies that only with the NutriBullet will be begin to get our proper nourishment and nutrient absorption and thus loose weight.

There is no talk of exercise to counteract the weight gain or a change of mindset which often accompanies those who are overweight. The commercial, with it's above image, implies that with the NutriBullet alone you'll be able to lose weight and get healthy because you'll be extracting nutrition from foods.

"Introducing the NutriBullet, the superfood nutrition extractor!!!... with the NutriBullet you can turn ordinary food into superfood!!!..." The add goes on to say that the ONLY way to get the nutrients from food is with the NutriBullet because up until now our bodies have been incapable of extracting nutrients from foods. Hence it's ridiculous link (above) to obesity... as if to say that we're only fat because we've never EVER been able to extract nutrients from our foods or turn our foods into super foods.

It goes on to say, "Open up foods' hidden nutrition on a cellular level..."

Laughable! Um... hang-on... that's what our teeth and our intestines are for right!

We don't need a device like this to 'break down' foods because our bodies are designed to break down and process foods on a cellular level already. Our bodies are an awesome machine unto themselves. We are not overfed and under nourished because the NutriBullet hasn't existed up til now and we've needed it all this time. We're overweight because we're eating an enormous amount of bad foods for the first time in decades. And because giant corporations are deciding what types of foods will be available to us such as, corn syrup, processed wheat, bleached rice and sugars in just about everything we eat!

Instead of being sucked in by this commercial we're better off purchasing natural, organic healthy foods and eating them in larger quantities than the junk food we have on offer.

Those who follow my blog are not very likely to buy into this type of gimmick (or are you?), still I'd love to hear your thoughts.
  

Natural Ways to Deal With BO

JOLI natural skin care's deodorant

Body odor. It is one of those things many of us dislike, on ourselves and others.

Certain things we do in our everyday lives affect our BO, how much we smell and how strong the smell can be, such as: eating lots of garlic, drinking lots of alcohol, smoking, not washing often, sweating more than usual.

Here are some natural ways to combat BO when you notice you've got it.

1) Drink lots of fresh water, with a dash of lemon or lime if you like, and green herbal teas (without caffeine). This will help flush out toxins and replenish your body with clean liquids.

2) Stop the intake of toxins such as sugary or fatty foods, caffeine and alcohol. These can have a stinky effect on our bodies; what goes in must come out one way or another.

3) Cleanse those smelly areas with toner to wash away bacteria that is causing the smell.

4) Apply a natural deodorant or body spray.

5) Repeat steps 1 - 4 until your BO isn't smelling as pongy.
  

P & G Product List

Proctor and Gamble (P&G) test on animals. To avoid buying into the pain and suffering of animals avoid these products.

Ace
Align
Ariel
Always
Anna Sui
Aussie
Bold
Bounce
Bounty
Braun
Camay
Cascade
Charmin
Cheer
Clearblue
Comet
Christina Aguilera Perfumes
Clairol Professional
CoverGirl
Crest
DDF
Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics
Dolce & Gabbana Fragrances
Dunhill Fragrances
Escada Fragrances
Fekkai
Fusion
Ghost

Dash

Dawn
Downy
Dreft Laundry
Duracell
Era
Eukanuba
Febreze
Gain
Iams
Joy
Gillette
Gucci Fragrances
HUGO BOSS Fragrances
Head & Shoulders
Herbal Essences
Ivory
Lacoste Fragrances
MACH3
Naomi Campbell

Natural Instincts Nice 'n Easy
Nioxin
Luvs
Metamucil
Mr. Clean
Olay
Old Spice
Oral-B
Pantene
Pert
Prestobarba/Blue
Puma
Pampers
Pepto-Bismol
Prilosec OTC
Puffs
Rejoice
SK-II
Safeguard
Scope
Scope4
Sebastian Professional
Secret
Swiffer
Tampax
Tide
Vicks
Venus
Vidal Sassoon
Wella

See Also: Who Tests on Animals

<Click here for products not tested on animals>

  

Fight Back Against Cancer

I've written an earlier article on reasons why I don't support cancer fundraising events - basically because the cancer foundations are NOT demanding companies stop using harmful chemicals in products, ingredients that are known to harm us.  Instead they blithely let these companies continue to use these known hazardous ingredients without even so much as altering the public to this injustice.

Companies that use known

hazardous ingredients in their

products

Here are some ways you can help the fight against cancer.

1) Stop using beauty products containing hazardous chemicals. I know women who don't want to know about this issue. They want to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it doesn't exist. Sadly it is women like this who keep funding those cosmetic companies into producing more bad ingredients. Stop buying into it and supporting these companies.  Instead support natural skin care companies.

2) Stop using beauty products that are tested on animals or that use chemicals / ingredients that ARE tested on animals. See the above hazardous chemical list and KNOW that if an ingredient is on that list, even if a company says they don't test on animals, that ingredient IS tested on animals. There are over 1000's chemicals in production in cosmetics alone as we speak.

3) Stop using chemical laden cleaning products, instead opt for companies that manufacture green cleaning products, such as: Nature Direct or Murchison Hume. Again there will be people who insist those chemical laden products work better, smell better, require less elbow grease. You have a choice. Reduce chemicals that cause cancer and put some hard yakka into your cleaning or not.

4) Purchase organic / chemical free produce even if it costs more. Do what it takes to reduce the amount of chemicals you and your family are exposed to, to reduce the amount of chemicals in use around the world today. Or grow as much produce, herbs, fruits etc as you can, or start a community garden that doesn't use pesticides.

5) Quit smoking. Not because smoking is bad for you - most smokers are addicted and find it hard to find a good enough reason to stop.  Do it because you want the chemicals involved in making cigarettes to stop being produced. Quit smoking so you can force companies into changing their action plans.

6) Use safe sunscreens (as approved by the Environmental Working Group - EWG). Apply sunscreen daily and wash off daily. Spend 10 minutes a day outside to build up your bodies natural defense against cancer, vitamin D.

7) Use green eco friendly washing liquid (such as soap nuts) or plain water with a few drops of essential oils. Wash new clothes before wearing them to reduce the amount of chemicals that will leach into your body when you where these new garments.

8) Don't purchase those cheap and nasty trinket toys and other gadgets that don't last very long. Don't purchase stuff you don't actually need. Hold on to gadgets that do last even if they're updated to the latest, fastest, betterest version. This adds to production of chemicals and the destruction of the earth.

NOTE: There is little point in you donating any funds towards cancer research / cure if you are NOT doing these things because you're only adding to the problem of over production of chemicals in every day life.

Think about that and let me know what other steps can we take to fight cancer?
  

The Lady Stripped Bare - by Tracey Spicer

Tracey Spicer, a respected and renown Australian journalist, did an inspirational TED talk about stripping women bare of their daily routines, encouraging us to take up the challenge.

Tracey talks about the things us females do and questions their necessity. Do we really need to wear nail polish, apply layers of makeup, shave our bodies, dye our hair, suck in wobbly bits (i.e. be ashamed of them), be professionally acceptable size 10, running, exercise to get inner thigh gap, get rid of bingo flaps, wash hair with SLS & condition (with with placenta extract and wonder why overly large breasts are more likely), lather on petroleum by-product otherwise know as moisturiser (but not JOLI's), cleanse, toner containing alcohol, serum, eye cream (parabens), cover in bronzing cream, straighten and style hair, foundation, concealer, blusher, eye shadow, eye liner, curler, mascara, lip liner and lip stick, lip gloss, shape wear to suck in mummy gut, wear fancy clothes (and we own many), remove face hair, high heels that ruin our posture...!

It seems we truly believe beauty is pain.

When you see the list above all put together like that you realise the extent in which we immerse ourselves in things to *change* about ourselves. We don't do all of these things all of the time individually, however, we do makeup a mass collective of those who do many of these things often.

Tracey talks about how much time we waste trying to fit unrealistic expectations about how we should look. She talks of increasing productivity in work and home, however I don't quite look at it like that, though it's a valid point. I think about how much time we're spending obsessing over it. How much effort we spend judging ourselves and others for all our imperfections.

We judge those who breast feed or don't, judge those who work or don't, judge those who have large breasts or don't, judge those who are thin or fat, those who get surgery and those who don't, those who have children, those who don't.

Tracey and I both agree it's an absurdity to get caught up in the lot of this.

After her TED talk aired, other women in the media (such as the ladies from Studio 10) discussed the topic and were of the opinion it would be impossible to turn the tide. They like  those things and don't really want to give them up. I agree, we do seem to enjoy some of these things (I paint my toe nails because they're I don't think they're attractive and want to cover them up), though our interest borders on compulsion when you think about it. Not all of them are fun, yet we do them anyway.

Many cultures adorn themselves with jewellery and colourful clothing. Many cultures enjoy tattoos, piercings and other adornments, not all of them good (i.e. neck rings that weaken the neck muscles). I've often wondered how much of it is our own free will? How much of what we enjoy today is because we -  as women - choose it?

I only shaved my legs because at 18 some man told me I would have to start shaving them eventually (and my leg hair was nothing back then!).  Girls at school made fun of other girls with hairy legs and armpits. When I was older women and men made negative comments about how much pubic hair I had because I didn't shave it.  I wore makeup because blemishes were/are not pretty, nor were freckles. I've never had naturally long pretty nails or fabulous hair.  And we're told carrying extra weight is seen as unattractive - gotta be size 0.  And heaven forbid women get old!!

How much of how I view myself is really my view of myself without the influence of the media and my peers telling me how I should look and be?

How much of your view is your own and how much are you influenced by the media and peers into doing many of the things listed above?  How much of it is really a choice if you had the freedom to choose?

  

Nature Republic 92% Soothing Aloe Vera Gel

Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel 300ml

When you hear the title and the 92% Aloe Vera gel you'd be inclined to think this is quite a natural product.  In fact the name Nature Republic sounds as though they're natural.

Then you read the ingredients list and you realise it is fairly natural with some not so natural (some hazardous) ingredients, to act as preservatives and stabilisers

Ingredients:
Aloe barbadensis leaf extract (92%), alcohol, glyceryl polyacrylate [3], dipropylene glycol, butylene glycol, glycerin, propylene glycol, 1,2-mentha viridis (spearmint) extract, melissa officinalis extract, carbomer, peg-60 hydrogenated caster oil, triethanolamine [5], phenoxyethanol [4], water, parfum [8], disodium edta.

[numbers in boxes denote hazard rating from 1 to 10 - 10 being most hazardous]

You all know my thoughts on propylene glycol - if not read the article to give you a better understanding.  So while this product may appear natural because the label says so it is always important to read the labels and have a good understanding of what those ingredients are and mean.

However, it's always good to make small changes to products that are mostly natural. They're still better than hardly natural at all.

  

Eczema & Food Intolerance part 3

It has been around 4 weeks since we started the skin specialist's advice, using the products we were given (pictured).  Bath gel, moisturiser, low steroid base cream, steroid cream and antihistamine.

virtual chemist

I have to concede that my son's skin has never looked better.  He is so happy with his "new skin" (as he calls it) and I can see the relief and joy on his face.  It never occurred to me that he might also be frustrated and upset with his skin.  He has always been so amicable and quiet about it.

Hubby did the steroid cream for three days to get the flare up under control (then I hid the tube from him).  He also did the bleach in the bath which I hadn't known about (I've also hidden the bleach). We moisturise twice daily, morning and night, with the petroleum based moisturisers (hubby) and Soothing Salve (me- when hubby's not looking).  This stops his skin from drying out, keeps him moisturised and protects his skin from elements, sweat, wind etc.

my son's new skin ~ JOLI NSC

As you know I'm not a fan of petroleum based anything!  However we have the product here and hubby will know if I throw it out or hide it. When the products are finished we will move back to the Soothing Slave we were using on my son before the doctors intervention.

We are still sticking to a food safe eating regime for the most part mainly because he doesn't need all those additive/preservative filled foods.  Though we have noticed very little difference in his skin when he consumes a bad additive.  At most he's gotten one or two small spot rashes on his buttocks of all places.  What mostly makes a difference, food wise, is limiting his dairy intake.

Admittedly, we had never been diligent with the moisturising of his skin (too busy/lazy). As written in Part 1, I was moisturising with Soothing Salve which worked a treat, yet application was sporadic at best, while hubby was opting for constant use of the steroid cream (much to my agitation). Now that we are both ensuring he's moisturised often it's making a difference.

It is strange because we already used these types of products already, a safe bath liquid, daily moisturisation, hubby and his over excited use of steroid creams.

my son's new skin ~ JOLI NSC

The thing that is making the biggest difference however, is the antihistamine!!!

As I had often suspected, though couldn't pin point why, his eczema seemed allergy related and the antihistamine is containing that allergic reaction.  For example when he had the spot rash on his bottom he was given antihistamine for three nights in a row (then we stop) and his rash settled down.  I did also apply JOLI's aloe vera gel to the rash.  Bleach kills off the bacteria on the surface of the skin which helps kill the germs causing the rash... aloe vera gel does the same thing naturally.

After years and years of trying to get our son's eczema under control it turns out that working together to moisturise him regularly, morning and night, and giving him antihistamine when his eczema flares up (which is less and less these days) has made all the difference.

UPDATE: months later we rarely need to give our son antihistamine, those other creams have run out except for Elidel which we rarely use and it's back to keeping his skin moisturised with good old trusty Soothing Salve, twice a day, and baths with natural products. He rarely has flareups these days and he is still happy in his 'new skin'.

[You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here]
  

Eczema & Food Intolerance part 2

We began our food elimination diet around the 17th Nov 2014.  This meant cutting out many foods with additives and preservatives, artificial colours and flavours - as per the Fed Up app.

JOLI - eczema flare up (about 2 months in)

Two weeks into we had moments of it looking like the elimination diet was making a difference then moments of flare ups.  Some flare ups coincided with an accidental intake of the wrong foods (i.e. strawberries and mangos which are high in salicylates and a chocolate he ate without asking). Other flares ups happened when he'd been eating clean for a week or two. One flare up (pictured) occurred when we had a stinking hot day, he got sweaty and boom! Major flare up.

JOLI - eczema flare up (about 2 months in)

It has always been the case that most flare ups happen after our son has gotten hot and sweaty, which is many days at school and all that running around.  His rash is confined to only where his clothes are and does not occur in the crooks of his arms or knees. Since school holidays began he's spent most of his time running around shirtless which is certainly helping soothe his eczema.  I found that applying aloe vera gel really helps too.

JOLI - eczema appearing to ease after liberal application

of aloe vera gel

We took him to the skin care specialist for his allergy testing, only she took one look at him and decided he didn't need allergy testing because eczema is pure genetics, he needed an action plan. He was prescribed two creams, one low steroidal that he's to use for 3 days then we stop, the other non steroidal that we're to continue using on him daily.  He was given a (non natural - though surprisingly not laden with bad chems) body wash, moisturiser and QV lotions (paraffinum based) and told to take antihistamine medicine daily.  She also suggested adding a dash of bleach to his bath as this kills off the bacteria around the eczema thus helping it heal (same as what aloe does).  This is the third time I've heard the bleach suggestion and I personally know of others who have tried it much to the improvement of their children's skin.  Still, I am reluctant to try it because bleach triggers asthma.
She at least told hubby I'm doing well trying to eliminate chemicals from my son's skin care products.

As soon as hubby heard the 'good' news (i.e. the doctor agreeing with him), our son doesn't need to eliminate additives and preservatives from his diet, he was wrapped.  When shopping he wanted to load the trolley with a number of additive filled foods.  I was at least able to talk him into holding off on adding bad foods to our son's diet.

JOLI - eczema appearing to ease after liberal application

of aloe vera gel

Now we're trying the plan the dermatologist has implemented for two weeks (aside from the bleach) and we're going to see what effect that has on our son's eczema.  Mean while he'll return to school where most of his flare ups occur, and he'll be eating the occasional 'bad' food because the doctor told hubby he can.

It feels like a game of chess where we make certain moves to try and improve the flare ups and wait to make the next move, waiting for that elusive check-mate.

[Part 1 and Part 3]

  

Lemon Cordial Recipe

Aside from my passion for natural skin care with out the chemicals / nasties, and my passion for cleaning products that don't harm my family or the environment, I also enjoy making foods from scratch.

There is something wonderful that comes from the creation of food and even better when I know what's in it, no preservatives and additives, because I made it myself.

Children love cordial yet standard cordials are so choc full of preservatives and additives I don't dare give it to my children for fear of what I'm putting in to their precious bodies.

JOLI - lemon cordial in empty wine bottles

So I make my own lemon cordial for us to enjoy. It is super delicious!!

You need:
3 letres of boiling warter
30g tartaric acid
30g citric acid
30g epsom salts
1 1/2kg caster sugar
12 lemons

Zest and juice the lemons.  In a large saucepan combine water, lemon juice, lemon zest, acids, epsom salts and sugar.  Stir over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved.  Strain into sterilised glass bottles while hot.  [I use empty wine bottles - though be careful not to mistake them for actual bottles of wine.]  When cool store in refrigerator until ready to use.  You can also freeze the bottles.  To serve mix a splash of cordial with ice-water.  Perfect for hot Australian days.

  

Eczema & Food Intolerance part 1

Eczema and asthma run in my family, kindly handed down through genetics.  My brother has asthma and I had eczema as a little girl.  I've since outgrown eczema however it is something I've passed on to my children, unfortunately.  All my children have had eczema at some point during their lives.  With the first it was nothing severe, just a little bit of eczema here or there, after using mainstream bath products or hives and heat related flare ups.

With my youngest child, however, it's been plaguing him on and off since he was born and his eczema has been far more severe than the others, plus he gets asthma as well; when he's sick.  While I've been able to reduce his flair ups by using natural skin care and Soothing Salve, these products don't cure it.  I feel frustrated and silly because as a skin care specialist I should be able to fix him, although eczema and dermatitis (plus acne) are best dealt with by a specialist who deals with specifically with these conditions.

Over the years I've tried to implemented a number of different things such as washing new clothes before he wears them, using non-fragrance washing powder, purchasing natural fiber clothing, cutting down his diary intake to practically nothing.  Mostly he uses steroid based creams (much to my disapproval) to reduce major flair ups and Salve to relive his itchiness and stop him from scratching.  Nothing is really working as well as I want it to and it doesn't help that hubby hasn't really been backing my choices.  He's been using chemical filled washing powders because he insists they work better and he gives our son lots of additive filled foods.  We've talked about it at length, yet it's one of those situations where one person saying it (me) doesn't make it fact.

Enter stage left: my friend who is a food-intolerance-expert.  She had a conversation with me in front of hubby about how food could be playing a major part in our son's flair ups and how the two of us need to work together to try and eliminate as much chemicals as possible.  Hubby heard her and listened and now we're trying to work together to see if we can get better results.

• We've visited the Fedup website and learned as much information as possible about the types of additives we should be avoiding and which foods contain those additives.
• We've been changing and washing his sheets more often because he could be allergic to dust-mites.
• We've stopped using certain laundry liquids and powders.  Soap nuts are a good alternative.
• Bathing him regularly, at least every 2 days, with only natural products in the water. Nothing too rich as his skin is too sensitive.
• Applying soothing salve more regularly to stop the itch and aloe vera gel to heal the wounds.
• Stopped using steroid based creams as this thins and damages his skin.
• Booked him in for allergy testing to see what things he's allergic to. 

JOLI - eczema and hive flare ups (about 2 weeks in)

We've been at it for over a month so far and the results are up and down.  Early on into the new plan my son came out with what looked like hives, some kind of skin reaction. This could be his body reacting to having the preservatives and additives taken away.  It could be a reaction to no longer using steroid based creams. It could also be what happens as his body flushes out the toxins already built up in his system.

JOLI - eczema and hive flare ups (about 2 weeks in)

There are moments when his skin begins to clear up then something will make it flare up again, like getting hot and sweaty.  I have moments when I think it's working then moments when I think avoiding the food additives isn't making much of a difference.  Of course it's hard to avoid them all together in the beginning because we're still learning what affects him and what doesn't.

I shall keep you posted as we progress. See Part 2 and Part 3 here.