Two Acupressure Mats worth €35*to be won

Gardening.ie have joined up with Shakti.ie and have two Acupressure Mats to win.

What are Acupressure Mats?

Acupressure Mats have thousands of tiny spikes on a soft cotton base that release endorphins in your body when you lie on them. They are a great way to relax and ease the muscles (especially after a hard day in the garden)

Are they just for Gardening?

The mats can be beneficial when you feel low in energy, experience high stress levels, suffer from insomnia, have muscular tension, lumbago, sciatica, migraine, digestive problems, and depression. Research also claims benefits for people with: Back and neck pain, sciatica, insomnia, digestive problems, poor circulation, fatigue and excess weight.

To be in with a chance of winning register or sign up to Gardening.ie now…
We have a new Business Section on the site so you can find suppliers.  And there’s also a forum and FREE Classified section.

*includes postage

Closing date: August 15th 2010

In an earlier post  I was mentioned  that traditionally springtime has budding gardeners across Ireland itching to get back into their flowerbeds and rockeries after a long winter break.  Doctors have warned that many gardeners overdo it and end up needing treatment for a host of injuries including gardeners’ back, weeder’s wrist and pruner’s neck, (yes, there is such a thing). It’s not just gardeners that need to relax and take it easy…we all do. 

I got hold of an acupressure Mat a few weeks ago to see if it helped my back…It did.  This might be becuase it’s based on the ‘Bed of Nails’ principle or might be the fact that I now take time out to relax and do nothing for nearly an hour a day.  Whatever the reasons I find myself in a better frame of mind…….and it’s an all natural alternative therapy. I like it much so that I have decided to sell them myself.

To get the new website  going I am offering a FREE mat to the lucky winner of the Free Prize Draw on the homepage of the  shakti.ie   website.  Please feel free to enter and good luck………..The closing date is the end of March 10

Cheers

Ian

Although not directly related to the environment, animal welfare and cosmetics testing is ethical issue that has been debated for years, and unfortunately still remains unsolved. Most people live in ignorant bliss that because this is an issue that is not regularly spoken about that it is no longer happening. This is completely untrue and in 2008 it was reported that animal testing in teh EU had increased by 50% since 2005. Although the list of companies no longer testing on animals is growing by the year, with increased commercialisation and large brands taking over production of most of our cosmetics and toiletries the prevalence of animals testing remains rife. (more…)

We all fret about lines and spots – but there’s an emerging anxiety about the health impact of what we put on our skin.  GreenMe has provided some top tips on how to go natural

The beauty industry is a billion dollar industry. They make billions selling products to us that are “supposed” to make us look younger, have better feeling and softer looking skin, hide our imperfections and flaws, and generally make us look like a supermodel. But what they are not telling us is that their products are full of chemicals that can very well do more harm to us than good. Who cares if you look a bit younger if you run the risk of getting skin cancer because the beauty products you were using contained carcinogenic chemicals?? These simple natural tips will help you green your beauty products

1. Simplify
Don’t be fooled by cosmetic advertising: countless creams, lotions, potions and cosmetics make promises they could never deliver on. (Trust us, all the fancy products in the world will never turn the tide of ageing.) Eye creams, for instance, rarely vary in formulation from your basic facial moisturiser. GreenMe recommends to keep it simple: All you need is a natural, basic cleanser, toner, moisturiser, and a chemical free sunscreen to keep your skin in tip-top shape. Everything else is just a waste of money and resources.

2. Make Sure “Natural” Is Really Natural
Toxic synthetic chemicals are the biggest issue in the beauty industry today, so it pays to get a keen eye when it comes to examining product labels. For example the words “natural” and “all-natural” are not regulated labeling terms and so are abused by cosmetic companies jumping on the green bandwagon.

3. From The Inside Out
Keep your skin healthy from the inside with a diet high in healthy natural oils, and use natural moisturisers that won’t block pores.

4. Kitchen Cupboard
Try making your own skin care products with simple ingredients like salt, sugar, oatmeal and olive oil. There are many wonderful books with recipes, or search online for them. Making your own means no packaging to dispose of.

5. Ask How The Company Values Stack Up
A skincare company is more than the sum of its products. What about its philosophy and values? Visiting a website is always enlightening; Ask the questions like does the company test on animals, for example? Or how committed is it to reducing its impact on the environment?

6. Choose Organic Beauty Products
Organic ingredients are those grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, which is healthier for the planet and healthier for our bodies. Better yet are botanicals grown using biodynamic farming methods, which go beyond organic by emphasising an even more holistic relationship between the soil, plants, and animals.

7.Don’t fall for exotic trends
Every now and then, a bizarre new trend promises to be the magic bullet for all your skin care woes but ends up being a short fad that generally has negative effects either for you or the environment.

So while you’re shopping around for this or other natural products, remember how much of an investment you’re making

it’s true. But women love what they love. Try telling your nearest and dearest that the perfume she adores might be damaging her health. It’s a fact that “Perfume is composed of many of the same toxic chemicals found on the EPA’s and CERCLA’s hazardous waste lists: acetone, ethyl acetate, toluene, and ethanol, among others. Other extremely poisonous substances found in fragrances are musk ambrette, musk xylene and musk ketone. A 1991 study performed by the EPA, Identification of Polar Volatile Organic Compounds in Consumer Products and Common Microenvironments, found numerous chemicals commonly used in fragrance products, including, among others: acetone; benzaldehyde; benzyl acetate; benzyl alcohol; camphor; ethanol; ethyl acetate; limonene; linalool; methylene chloride, one or all of which, or in combination with one another, cause, when inhaled, “central nervous system disorders, dizziness, nausea, incoordination, slurred speech, drowsiness, irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, lungs and GI tract, kidney damage, headache, respiratory failure, ataxia, and fatigue, among other symptoms and illnesses.” Material Safety Data Sheets on each chemical confirm these findings.

The EPA identified and confirmed the following compounds found in these fragrance products: •ethanol •camphene •Beta-pinene •Beta-myrcene •benzaldehyde •limonene •benzyl alcohol •Beta-phenethyl alcohol •citronellal •camphor •benzyl acetate •estragole •Alpha-cedrene •Alpha-pinene •diethylene glycol mnoethyl ether •linalool •Alpha-terpineol •Beta-citronellol . Other compounds identified were: •acetone •t-butanol •ethyl acetate •toluene •3-octanone •cineole •2-ethyl-1-hexanol* •phenylacetaidehyde •terpinen-4-ol* •menthyl acetate.” (source reference Perfumes, Colognes, Pesticides, are they slowly killing you?)

Even armed with the facts you are unlikely to get a very warm reception when you share this information with the woman you love. Suggesting she try natural perfumes will spark a “patchouli”, “smelly hippy” war of words. Natural perfumes are usually more expensive than commercially made perfumes. Commercially made perfumes, even the more expensive designer types have very little actual natural components (though natural flowers are listed in their descriptions) and they are heavily laden with the dangerous chemicals listed above. “But they smell SO good though!” I hear you cry. Don’t despair. Gorgeous natural perfumes can be made at home very easily and well made naturals that are for sale are far from patchouli smelling “hippy oils” that most people imagine. Search for “Natural Perfumes” on Google and start there. Always email the company before you buy because some companies market themselves as natural but if you ask they will tell you that their perfumes do contain some chemicals.

You can make a wonderful homemade solid perfume with a few simple ingredients. Jasmine is a great one to start with because everyone loves it.

Combine 15 drops of natural jasmine grandiflorum concrete with 15 drops of orange blossom in a teaspoon of jojoba oil or refined coconut oil and leave it to infuse. Melt 1/2 teaspoon of natural beeswax in a small metal container and carefully add the scented oil. Allow to heat until the beeswax is liquid (low heat) and then pour into a pretty jar.

This perfume is not only 100% natural but jasmine and orange blossom are wonderful for balancing the emotions, for relieving stress and anxiety, curing headaches and easing depression.

Natural perfumes are better for the environment because the ingredients are biodegradable. Most of the production methods for extracting natural essences are still the same techniques they used hundreds of years ago. Solvents that are used in the extraction process are reused over and over and the waste plant material is used as food for the land. Bear in mind when purchasing raw materials or natural perfumes that it is always better to buy from an ethical company. Always drop a quick line to make sure that their perfumes are free from chemicals and that their materials are from ethically harvested sources.

While it’s a fact that some natural plant essences are made up of naturally ocurring chemicals, some that even appear on the “hazzardous list”, eg. Linalool, it is a fact that there will be the presence of another naturally occuring chemical that will often eliminate the negative effects. It is when we try to mimic nature by isolating a single chemical and copying it that we seem to run into problems. Nature has a way of creating balance that science is a long way from matching.

Once you start using natural perfumes you will find it hard to stand commercial chemical blends and you will soon find your nose becoming more fine tuned to what’s real and what’s fake.

Chamomile Herb

Natural essential oils are like the life blood of herb and flowers. They contain the chemical constituents and character of the plants they come from. The essence or essential oil is the etheric part of the plant and they have a therapeutic effect on the mind and the emotions as well as the physical body. Essential oils are soluble in alcohol, vegetable and nut oils and partly soluble in water. They have a consistency similar to water and are normally clear although some are colored amber or green. Essential oil mixed with water is often the simplest way to draw out the beneficial properties of the oils. Baths to which essential oils are added are recommended for various ailments and even simple foot baths have been proven to be beneficial. Essential oils can be absorbed into the body through the skin and they are capable of stimulating the body’s own natural healing systems.

You can benefit from using essential oils at home by taking baths, inhalations, and massages.

Baths

Essential oils will not fully dissolve in water the way bubble bath does and the essences themselves are very volatile. It is best practice to fill the bath first and get it to the right temperature before adding the essential oils, that way the effect of the oils vaporizing will have the best effect.

Never use more than a total of 15 drops per bath. Some essential oils such as cinnamon, lemon, peppermint and ginger can be irritating to skin and must be used with great care and never use more than 4 drops in a bath. Never apply essential oils directly to skin if undiluted.

Here are some baths you can try to obtain certain effects. The number of drops recommended are in parenthesis.

Sensual bath: Sandalwood (8), ylang-ylang (3), orange blossom (2), jasmine (2).

Refreshing bath: Lavender (5), Juniper (5), cypress (5), geranium (4), lemon (4), peppermint (4), bergamot (3).

Stimulating bath: Rosemary (5), juniper (5), hyssop (3), peppermint (3), basil (3).

Relaxing bath: Lavender (5), cypress (5), marjoram (4), chamomile (2), orange blossom (2), rose (2).

For certain conditions a combination of oils are required. Here the proportions are delicately balanced and should not be altered. The number of drops in the total bath are given in parenthesis.

For stress: Basil (2), geranium (4), and hyssop (2).

To induce sleep: Chamomile (2), lavender (5) and orange blossom (2).

To boost energy levels in the morning: Rosemary (5), juniper (5) and peppermint (2).

For winter chills: Juniper (3), black pepper (2), lavender (5).

For a serious hangover: Fennel (2), rosemary (2), and juniper (4).

Inhalations

Six to 12 drops combined in a bowl of off-the-boil water, throw a towel over your head and breathe in the steam.

For a head cold: Eucalyptus (6), peppermint (2) and basil (2).

For the ‘flu: Eucalyptus (4), camphor (3) and black pepper (2).

For bronchitis: Eucalyptus (4), orange bergamot (4) and sandalwood (4).

For asthma and bronchitis: Lavender (6), hyssop (3) and peppermint (3).

Please note these are not to be used in place of a doctors or specialist recommendations. Always see a health-care professional before you use home treatments if you are unwell.

Massages

Use 10 to 30 drops per oz of carrier oil. For carrier oil you can use a simple unscented vegetable oil, olive oil or a light coconut oil.

For aches and pains: Juniper (10), lavender (5) and rosemary (5) in 20ml carrier oil.

For rheumatic pain: Eucalyptus (7), camphor (7), and rosemary (7) in 15ml of carrier oil.

For relaxation: Geranium (10), lavender (5) and marjoram 94) in 25ml of carrier oil.

To arouse: Sandalwood: (7), bergamot (7), jasmine (3) and rose (3) in 25ml of carrier oil.

Skin

A carrier oil blend of 20ml of rosehip seed oil, 20ml of avocado oil, 20ml of jojoba oil and 20ml of hemp seed oil is an excellent carrier oil for facial blends.

To rejuvenate skin: Rose (10) and frankincense (10), in 25ml of the above carrier oil blend.

To balance skin: Chamomile (10) and Lavender (10), in 25ml of the above carrier oil blend.

If you are new to using essential oils get yourself a good book, make sure there is lots of safety information. Always remember that essential oils are the concentrated essence of the plant. Treat them with respect and always err on the side of caution. Less is more when you are using plant essences and incorrect use can lead to serious irritation and even a life long sensitization. Always store out of reach of children and consult an aromatherapy book before using on or near children and pregnant or lactating women. When purchasing essential oils buy from a reputable supplier. Fragrance oils are not the same as essential oils and may cause harm if used in place of the real thing. Keep in mind that some essential oils come from protected species, for example sandalwood, rosewood and agarwood. Check with the supplier that the oil has been legally traded before you purchase.

Reference for some of the above recipes: Vogue Natural health and Beauty by Bronwen Meridith. Published 1979, ISBN 0 7139 1182 4