A blog dedicated to natural skin care, chemical facts, home made DIY recipes, product information & reviews and other interesting, healthy, good for you, tidbits. Enjoy!
I did the nakedness for a bit of a giggle and because its not something I would normally do. T'was awkward and scary but liberating :)
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I thought we might explore natural beauty and mental health. Are there certain mental health issues we see as ok and others we see as bad or ugly? When it comes to mental health does it make a person unattractive in societies eyes? For e.g. Emo's, sad gloomy people. They may be seen as unattractive because they're so negative to be around. What are your thoughts on this topic?
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Today I feel close to tears, very sad, very depressed. I wish the world would go away. Little things set me off and I struggle to hold back the tears. I want to stay in bed all day and forget about my life and my own private blackness. I hate feeling this way. I’ve got children to look after and work to do. I go about my day putting on my mummy face, interacting with my children, smiling, talking to them, and all the while wondering why I feel so sad, when will it go away and why don’t I feel good about my life? I’ve got gorgeous children, a wonderful man who is a great hands on dad and great provider, not to mention easy on the eye. I’ve got a roof over my head, my work, my hobbies, my art, supportive friends. I am aware I should feel thankful for my life and all its blessings. I am aware there are people out there who get up to a day far worse than mine. Yet this does not change my disposition. In fact I feel worse because I should be out there crusading for a better world instead of wallowing and hibernating.
There aren’t many people know I have MD/BP. From the outside I appear normal, well balanced, educated, smiling and friendly. All the while I feel antisocial and want to avoid people. I am constantly worried people will find out I’m sad so I don’t spend a lot of time with people. I don’t like making friends or having spontaneous visitors or phone calls because I cannot fake happiness on the really bad days. It is hard to explain to people why I’m suddenly shutting them out. It is easier not to let them in in the first place. I don’t like to leave the house when I’m depressed so we often run out of food when I’m down. I often won’t answer the phone for days, some times weeks. I don’t like doing any of the normal day to day things because when I’m badly depressed I cannot even motivate myself to do the dishes.
On my really bad days I don’t like spending time with my children and I feel bad about that. I get angry with them for wanting to be near me and can’t understand why they won’t or don’t leave me alone. I fear that the more time they spend with me the more they will see the emptiness and sadness in my eyes. I worry that it is a learned thing or that genetically I’ve passed it onto them. I worry that if they figure out I have MD they will be worried they have it too. I worry that one of my son’s has it and it’s because I gave it to him. I don’t want to burden them with it. So I shut them out… and feel guilty and sad for that too. I feel a lot of guilt - why can’t I pull myself out of it with all the positive thoughts about my family and life?
My man didn’t know about it when he met me. Very few people ever realise. At first he didn’t understand. He went through a time of wishing he didn’t get the ‘defective’ model because he doesn’t know how to make it work. Over time he has come to terms with my ups and downs. He tries his best to be understanding and he is great to have around when I’m down most times, because he takes care of everything (while I wallow in my sadness and emptiness).
If I’m lucky it will only be a day or three at the most. If I’m unlucky the mood can drag on for months, with a bit of UP time in between. If I’m extra lucky I will go a good few weeks or months before the down moods hit me again. I love the times when I feel happy. Life is good and I enjoy my family, I enjoy doing all the normal activities. I smile and enjoy life… until the next time a sad mood hits me.
Around the time my son was three he had what we thought was a chest infection. An 'Alex the seal' cough and fever. Hubby took him to the doctors, then phoned me saying he was coming home to collect me, that we needed to rush our son to the hospital because the 'chest infection' was actually an asthma attack. Even though asthma runs in my family I'd had no actual dealings with anyone with asthma. I had no idea he was having an asthma attack. I felt guilty then for not knowing and for not doing anything about it. At the hospital he was nebulized and after many hours was given the all clear to leave with us.
Recently our son woke in the middle of the night with his bad sounding cough and slight fever. He had been sick, a cold picked up at childcare, which left his immune system compromised allowing asthma to set in. It was the middle of the night, hubby was away, I was home alone with two children and didn't know what to do. Should I rush him to the hospital? How do I know if it's bad enough for that? I couldn't tell? I had given him his Ventolin which didn't seem to have helped much. We were out of his preventer medicine because the doctors hadn't wanted to renew his prescription - something to do with them not being certain he actually had asthma (a different doctor).
Filled with panic and indecision I riffled through my essential oil books and found a blend that helped alleviate asthma. I used the essential oil blend in an oil burner beside my sons bed and also made a chest rub with the same formula. I spent most of the night sitting by his side monitoring his breathing and looking for signs that he wasn't going to be ok and that it might be time to call an ambulance. By morning he was alive and well and his cough had settled down. For the next two days I continued to use his puffer and the essential oil chest rub and oil burner until his asthma subsided.
The essential oil blend I used that night:
4 drops of cypress,
4 drops of lavender and
2 drops of benzoin essential oils in an oil burner and in a chest rub - diluted in 10ml olive oil and applied to chest, back and a dabbed under his nose.
Another essential oil blend I've tried is: 4 drops frankincense, 3 drops chamomile and 3 drops benzoin essential oils.
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A note of warning: if your child is having an extreme asthma attack don't rely on this essential oil blend only. It won't cure asthma or stop a severe attack. Watch for signs and call and ambulance if necessary.
Not that type of racism. Rather let's discuss race, skin type and the moisturisers most suited to each race.
Asian skin
Asian = skin type: normal to dry, may have moderately sensitive skin, not often prone to breakouts.
* If you are of Asian descent the moisturiser most suited to this skin type is Rich Cream Moisturiser for both Men and Women. Rich Cream readily absorbs into this type of skin without sitting heavily on the surface. Helps to keep pores in excellent condition and aids is keeping pores minimalised (which can sometimes be a concern for this skin type). Deeply hydrating the skin and preventing that feeling of dry tight skin. Rich Cream is a long lasting moisturiser suitable for sensitive skin while being richly moisturising.
English skin
English (Scottish, English, Irish etc.) = skin type: pale with freckles, dry, in need of lots of hydration, usually very sensitive skin and not often prone to breakouts, though very prone to onset of wrinkles and fine lines.
* If you are of English decent, both young or mature, the moisturiser most suited to this skin type is Whipped Cream Moisturiser [vegan]. Whipped Cream is deeply hydrating, specially formulated to benefit very dry and/or mature skin and tackle fine lines and wrinkles. The essential oils within this cream are perfect for use on sensitive skin.
Mediterranean skin
Mediterranean = skin type: oily skin, highly prone to acne and breakouts. The beauty of this skin type is that it is less likely to show signs of ageing and will usually look younger for longer. The trick is to find a balance between hydrating the skin and not clogging the pores with a moisturiser that is too rich - thus potentially causing breakouts.
* If you are of Mediterranean decent (even if mixed race) the moisturiser most suited to this skin type is Light Moisturiser [vegan]. As the name suggests Light Moisturiser is light and delicate on the skin, readily absorbs into this skin type without being too rick or thick and won't clog pores. The essential oils and ingredients in this moisturiser also have pimple fighting properties and won't cause an over production of oil during the day. Light Moisturiser is also suitable for sensitive skin (you will find most of JOLI's products beneficial for sensitive skin) and combination skin.
Note: Use the above as a guide and reference point. You may be a blend of races and skin types. You might find a blend of moisturisers suitable for your needs
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'What a beautiful specimen of nature. Large and yet athletic enough to jump fences.
Barbra is aptly name after Barbra Streisand (now there's a beautiful woman and so talented).'
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We are often reminded that we need to slip, slop, slap while we’re also told how bad sunscreen is for us. Why are they so bad? Well, they contain some pretty dubious ingredients – ingredients deemed hazardous to our health. So while we may be protecting ourselves from melanoma [skin cancer], some ingredients in sunscreen may well be carcinogens themselves.
Let’s explore this.
Let’s have a look at some sunscreen lotions to get a better understanding of what is in them.
Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/8 Methicone: this ingredient is not safe for use on injured or damaged skin. PEG stands for propylene glycol, a carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that reduces the skin's natural moisture and aids in absorption of other chemicals.
Diazolidinyl Urea: excreted from urine and other bodily fluids. Diazolidinyl urea is an antimicrobial preservative that acts as a formaldehyde releaser in cosmetics and personal care products.
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate: acutely toxic by inhalation and should not be used in products that can be aerosolized or inhaled.
Octinoxate: estrogenic effects are noted in laboratory animals, as well as disruption of thyroid hormone and brain signalling.
Octisalate: a penetration enhancer, which can increase the amount of other ingredients passing through skin.
Oxybenzone: has high hazard rating by EWG. Produces excess reactive oxygen species that can interfere with cellular signalling, cause mutations, lead to cell death and may be implicated in cardiovascular disease.
Of course you can also see these ingredients listed in the product(s): propylene glycol, propylparaben, methylparaben (which means parabens – and parabens are NOT good).
What should you do?
1. Limit your time in the sun to 10-15 minutes a day - this is just enough time to absorb the all-important vitamin D, which strengthens bones and the immune system and is our bodies natural defense for reducing the risk of certain skin and other cancers. Let me say that again: getting 10mins of sun a day REDUCES your risk of getting cancers. Many of us avoid the sun completely which may attribute to the RISE in cancer rates.
2. Avoid the sun during 11am and 3pm.
3. Do NOT get sunburn. It goes without saying, this damages your skin and increases the risk of skin cancer.
4. Wear suitable protective clothing, such as a long sleeve cotton shirt, a hat and sun glasses (optional) when outside, and stick to the shade.
4. Hunt around for a safe sunscreen that does not contain dubious ingredients. One of the best ways to do this is by visiting the http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ website and typing in ‘sunscreen’ to see what brands and ratings come up. Once you’ve found a suitable sunscreen, don’t go spending long amounts of time in the sun - too much sun isn't good for us: it can cause sunstroke and dehydration for starters. Note: many sunscreen only protect against UVB rays, not UVA.
It is interesting to note that while the use of sunscreens is on the increase, the rate of skin cancers is not declining.
Some reason for this are:
the types of people who use sunscreens (such as freckled and fair skinned) could have an enhanced risk of skin cancer to begin with.
sunscreens only protect from UVB rays and not UVA.
people who use sunscreens stay out in the sun for hours thinking they’re protected and safe.
sunscreens are often not applied properly.
sunscreens block vitamin D being absorbed into the skin which protects us from certain cancers.
In line with our focus on “Natural Beauty” JOLI are running a photo competition for you to show us what you believe natural beauty is. The focus will be on real people, natural people, natural beauty.
How the comp will work:
·Submit one photo of your depiction of natural beauty via email to JOLI Natural Skin Care telling us why you think your photo represents natural / real beauty.
·The photo can be of you, your partner, your mum, dad, grandma etc.
·The photos cannot contain full uncovered frontal nudity or people in inappropriate poses.
·The competition will be run here on our JOLI blog spot.
·Photos will be uploaded to our JOLI blog spot where people will be able to vote* and comment on the photos they feel best represent natural beauty.
·To vote for a pic write [vote] at the beginning of your comment telling us WHY you're voting for that particular picture. You can also tick our "reaction" boxes [Feel Good - Interesting - Inspiring**] by way of showing support for a photo whether you vote on it or not. The [vote]s are how you vote and how we count the winning photo. Reactions are for showing your support.
·There will be one winner and that winner with receive $80 worth of JOLI products.
·Competition starts NOW and ends 1st June so you have plenty of time to submit your photos, place your votes and collect votes.
The main objective of this competition – aside from the prize – is to show people how truly beautiful we all are regardless of how society judges us and regardless of what the media portrays as beauty. To show everyone we are all gorgeous in our own way.
* JOLI will do as much as we can to keep voting even and promote all of your pictures for outside voters. Announcements will be made on Facebook to direct our fans to vote as well.
** Tick some other reactions boxes while you're here.
