A Year of Natural Health & Beauty Tip #31: Steam Your Skin with Chamomile

Image by Gepsimos via Wikimedia Commons

To view all tips so far, click here or simply scroll to the top of the screen and click on 52 Tips.

Herbal steaming can turn your everyday skin care routine into something magnificent. Steaming improves circulation, softens rough skin, helps to clear pores, plumps your skin, and gives a wonderful glow. You can follow a simple steaming with a spritz of cool water or toner and be on your way…or you can give yourself a complete facial, following up with a scrub, mask, and toner.

Best of all, steaming is free. And if you want an extra boost to your skin care, you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen!

Adding chamomile to your facial steam helps your muscles to relax, and it soothes your skin. It also disinfects your skin, making this an ideal steam addition for blemished or irritated complexions. The scent of chamomile calms the mind and nerves, making this a wonderful way to end the day—or a great rejuvenator before a big date!

Stuff to Know:

• Spot test any products or ingredients before using any homemade products on your face, head, or body, especially if you have sensitive skin or are prone to irritation and/or allergies.
• Keep your face several inches away from the source of the steam so you don’t steam-burn your skin.
• Do not steam for longer than 10 minutes.

How to steam your skin with chamomile

Ingredients:

• 1–2 quarts of water
• 2 chamomile tea bags OR 1/4 cup dried chamomile

To Use:

1. Remove all makeup first. Tie your hair back away from your face. You might also want to protect your hair with a shower cap or towel.
2. Bring the water to a boil on the stove.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the tea or dried flowers and stir gently.
4. Move the pot to a table or other space where you can sit comfortably for 5–10 minutes.
5. Close your eyes and place your face above the steam.
6. Optional: drape a towel over your head to enclose your face in the steam.
7. Inhale deeply the scent of chamomile and allow yourself to relax.
8. Steam your skin for up to 10 minutes.
9. Dip your fingertips in cool water and splash lightly on your face, or spritz your face with lavender or rose mist.
10. Pat your face dry. Do not rub. Apply moisturizer as necessary.
11. For a complete facial, follow the steaming with a gentle scrub (try my Homemade Salt Scrub or Lemon & Sugar Scrub). Then apply a face mask (try my Yogurt & Honey Mask or Egg White & Lemon Mask). Finally, apply toner (try my Green Tea Toner). Apply moisturizer as needed.

Do you steam your skin as part of your regular skin care routine?

A Year of Natural Health & Beauty Tip #30: Exercise and Massage Your Hands

To view all tips so far, click here or simply scroll to the top of the screen and click on 52 Tips.

Your hands are exposed to the world more than any other part of your skin except your face. With sun damage, water damage, wind damage, dryness and cuts from handling paper, painful hangnails, reduced collagen due to age, and reduced flexibility due to lack of exercise, your hands can take a beating every day.

If you spend much of the day typing, crafting, or giving massages, be sure to take several breaks throughout the day to rest and rejuvenate your overworked hands!

While the 18th-century method of sleeping with your hands tied above your head might not be practical (unless you’re acting out a scene from Fifty Shades of Grey), you can still take some time every day to focus on keeping your hands nurtured.

A short daily “workout” and massage will increase circulation to your hands, while strengthening them and improving flexibility.

Stuff to Know:

• Painful fingers, palms, joints, blisters, and other hand problems can be the result of underlying health issues. If you have concerns about the health of your hands and fingers, please see a podiatrist or other foot care professional.

How to exercise and massage your hands:

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Raise your arms above your head. Stiffen your hands and keep them stiff as you swing your arms in large, windmill circles forward 20 times, then backward 20 times.
2. Extend your arms so they are parallel with your shoulders. Let your hands dangle loosely as you shake them for 30 seconds.
3. Sit or stand comfortably with your elbows resting on a table and your forearms vertical.
4. Clench your fists. Then, open your hands, fan your fingers, and reach your fingertips backward as far as possible. Repeat 7 times.
5. Slather on a generous coating of lotion or oil.
6. Clasp your left hand with your right. Place your right thumb in the palm of your left hand, with the fingers of your right hand against the back of your left hand.
7. Using deep but gentle circular motions, massage your left palm, knuckles, and each finger.
8. Apply more lotion, then change hands and repeat.

Do you treat your hands gently, or are you often rough on them?

Perfect Guacamole (Vegan, GF, Raw)

Perfect Guacamole

To see all recipes, scroll to the top and click on Recipes or just click here!

Summertime in California is the season for guacamole…and for everybody’s close-to-the-heart recipe for their very own “perfect” guacamole!

There are SO many ways to make guac, and so many are delicious.

There are also so many people (ahem, guilty) who swear their guac recipe is the finest, the ultimate, the ONLY ONE you’ll ever need.

Some people like to add tomatoes, onion, salsa, cilantro…or even (of course) bacon. My take is that the star of the guacamole is the avocado and anything that detracts from the star lessens its performance. I want avocado, plain and simple. Well, just dressed up a teeny, weensy bit.

The trick is to make it smooth, brisk, and salty…but not too much of those qualities. I know, some of you like your guac chunky. But trust me, once you’ve tried a hand mixer, you might never go back to potato-masher-ing your avocados. The hand mixer is the secret sauce here; the limes and salt are just frosting on your avocado cake.

What’s YOUR version of perfect guacamole? I’d love to know, even though I’ll never make it

Perfect Guacamole (Vegan, Raw)

Ingredients

• 5 medium ripe avocados
• 2 limes
• sea salt

Steps

1. Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits, and squish the fruit from the peel into a bowl.
2. Juice the limes into the avocado mash.
3. Add a bunch of sea salt.
4. Use a hand blender to process until smooth. Add more salt as desired.
5. Serve with tortilla chips or Mary’s Gone Crackers; spread on a flaxseed wrap or add to a collard wrap; serve with fish tacos; spoon out and eat on its own; the possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Adjust the recipe as necessary for your needs and tastes. You can determine the nutritional content of your final product using Recipe Calculator.

Do you have a favorite guacamole recipe you’d like to share?

A Year of Natural Health & Beauty Tip #29: Give Yourself a Foot Massage

To view all tips so far, click here or simply scroll to the top of the screen and click on 52 Tips.

Sometimes, nothing beats a foot massage. But paying for one isn’t always practical, and it’s not always easy to bribe your partner into rubbing your feet—even harder if you don’t have a partner! Fortunately, it’s easy, relaxing, and free to give yourself a foot massage.

Foot massage stimulates blood circulation, which has a positive effect on your overall wellbeing. The practice of reflexology even assigns a different organ to a different part of your foot—stimulating that area is said to improve the health and function of the respective organ!

Rubbing your feet can be a wonderful way to wake up in the morning, or to relax at the end of the day. If you’re at the beach, you can use the sand for exfoliation, then rinse your feet in the sea!

No matter where or when you give yourself a foot massage, your body, mind, and spirit will thank you for it.

You can do this massage with or without lotion or oil. If your feet are extremely dry, it can be nice to apply a rich lotion or oil while giving yourself a foot massage before bed; slip on a pair of socks to let the lotion soak in overnight.

Stuff to Know:

• Painful calluses, corns, bunions, and other foot problems can be the result of ill-fitting shoes or health issues. If you have concerns about the health of your feet, please see a podiatrist or other foot care professional.

How to give yourself a foot massage:

1. Sit comfortably wherever you like—chair, bed, floor, grass, beach, etc.
2. Rotate both of your ankles inward and outward a few times.
3. Optional: rub some lotion or oil between your hands.
4. Grasp the sole of one foot with both hands. Place your thumbs against the heel and gradually work your way toward the toes, pressing gently along the sole of your foot.
5. Place your thumbs on top of the foot next to the ankle and press your thumbs forward to the toes.
6. Gently rotate and pull each individual toe.
7. Massage the spaces between the toes.
8. One at a time, hold each toe with your thumb and index finger and apply firm pressure to three spots: the cuticle, the knuckle, and the base of the toe.
9. Make a fist and massage the sole of your foot with your knuckles.
10. Rub the top of your foot from the inner ankle to the big toe, using a circular motion with the flat of your hand. Repeat, moving from the outer ankle to your baby toe.
11. Point and flex your foot a few times.
12. Repeat steps 3–10 with the other foot.

Do you give yourself foot treatments?

A Year of Natural Health & Beauty Tip #28: “Palm” Your Tired Eyes

Image by Cantus via Wikimedia Commons

To view all tips so far, click here or simply scroll to the top of the screen and click on 52 Tips.

If you gaze at a screen all day—computer, smartphone, tablet, or TV—or if you spend hours reading print material, you are probably familiar with eye fatigue. When your eyes get tired and your vision is compromised, you can fall victim to headaches, migraines, and irritability—even nausea and dizziness!

Taking screen breaks is crucial and will help keep your eyes fresh and your outlook bright.

An old practice called “palming” can help to rejuvenate and invigorate tired eyes. You can practice it any time throughout your day, as long as you have a comfortable spot where you can rest your elbows. When your vision is clear and bright, your view of the world will change for the better!

Stuff to Know:

• Make sure your hands are clean and free of debris, grease, and other residue.
• Be extraordinarily gentle!

How to palm your eyes:

1. Sit comfortably at your desk or at a table. You can also sit in an armchair in which your elbows will be supported.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Cup your hands and place your palms over your eyes, without touching your eyelids.
4. Take several slow, deep breaths. As you relax, the grey you “see” with your closed eyes will gradually become a rich, velvety black.
5. Stay with the black for a few deep breaths.
6. Gently remove your hands. Open your eyes and blink rapidly several times as you adjust to the light again. Your eyes and vision should be refreshed and renewed!

Do you give your eyes a rest during long periods of reading or screen time?