New Year's Detox

This is how I spent my New Year's Eve. Eliminating my body of the toxins that I gorged myself on during the holiday festivities. I slathered my hair in coconut oil and tucked it up under a cheap plastic cap. I must say my hair hasn't look this luxurious since before I started coloring my hair! 

I ran a bath as hot as I could stand it (which for me is pretty darn hot). Add two cups of Epsom salt, 1 cup dead sea salts, 1/2 cup baking soda (if you have hard water) or you can just use 2 cups of Epsom salt to dissolve into the water. After you turn off the water and the salts are dissolved, but before you submerge into the water add a couple drops of essential oils. I used lavender for its calming qualities and lemon for its detoxifying effects. I have a lovely recipe for making a bath salts with basil and balsam fir essential oils for a deep detox but seeing as how I didn't have them on hand, I used what I had available. This part is most crucial, take a biiiiiiig and by big I mean SUPER HUGE glass of water with you and drink it while soaking. This will pull nastiness out of your body so use this time to put goodies back in. Plus it'll keep you from getting light headed when you get out. Set the timer on your phone for 20 minutes and relax. 

After the timer goes off resist temptation to soak a bit longer and stand up slowly. Dig some coconut oil out of the jar and slather it on while your pores are open and ready to absorb the moisture. Shower off under a cool stream of water to seal the oil into your pores. Resist the urge to suds up. Most soaps and shower gels are loaded with chemicals and as the call it "yucky stuff". Simply shower off in cool water and towel dry. 

My skin was so soft and all glowy and pink. I'm resolving to do this at least once a week!

The Big Book

I'm so very excited to share with you today a little prize I bought for myself Tuesday evening when I popped into Good Earth in pursuit of something to help Lily clear up some sort of poison something or other. The doc told her dad that the rash on her step-sister wasn't poison IVY, but it's poison vine of some kind.

So there I was, upstairs, in the apothecary's shop (my favorite part of the store. I have a secret desire to work up there and learn all the ends and outs of the various herbs and natural healing elements) asking the dude behind the counter for their reference book...again. It's all beat up and dog-eared and well used and oh-so-loved. Every time I'm in there and flip through it's pages I just wanna slip it into my bag and sneak off down the stairs with it. It looks so old that I just assumed like most things I inquire about it is no longer available.

EUREKA! It was on the shelf. New and current editions. Slightly more than I usually spend on anything for myself, but I really wanted this. Typically I am over whelmed with Buyer's Remorse every time I spend money on myself but this time... Baby, I am just STOKED! It gives herbal and traditional suggestions. Eastern and Western alternatives. It's arranged alphabetically according to ailment for quick reference. Anybody need some homeopathic reference material regarding everything from acne to yeast infections or various herbs and minerals hit me up. You can use my book anytime.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a licensed physician or pharmacist. I recommend seeking medical professional help in all cases. I do not offer advise or treatments of any kind and personally seek the advice of my physician before taking any and all herbal supplements. This is a method passed down generationally from my mother's side and I just happen to prefer it to Western Medicine. Please Please PLEASE do NOT say under any circumstances "Rachel Said to do...." I'm just a girl who loves me some natural products. 

Homeopathic Bug Spray

Sometime back, I started developing a serious conscience about the chemicals we immerse ourselves in during our day to day lives. Cleaning products jumped out at me with their lists of unpronounceable "ingredients".  So began my love affair with essential oils and homemade cleaning products and skin care potions. When I made this bug spray (much to the scoffing of Lily and B's screams for 100% DEET -the man has serious bug issues) I was also bombarded with numerous requests for the recipe if it actually worked! SUCCESS!!! Belle came home from camp with ONE bite. In fact, we all used it the weekend we picked her up and went camping and were bite free (: 

Recipe is as follows minus all the nasty neurological issues caused by extended use of commercial bug sprays. Plus, it smells good. Kind of like a woodsy perfume.

Homeopathic Bug Spray Recipe

Witch Hazel

Distilled Water

Essential Oils: Tea Tree, Lavender, Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus

I make my spray directly in the bottle I'm going to be using. These are just small spritzer bottles I picked up for .99 in the travel section at Target. Fill half way with witch hazel and the rest of the way with distilled water. It's important that it's DISTILLED water and not tap or spring or drinking. Distilled water has been boiled to remove the minerals and chemicals found in common tap water and has not had fluoride added as in drinking water. The condensation from the steam is collected and this is what is bottled. It's the lack of these minerals and chemicals that allow the essential oils to be the most effective. Essential oils should be used with caution as too much can be toxic. However, I think it's condensed version I make that has a higher potency in this bug spray. I use 5 drops of each oil per spritzer bottle. I buy my essential oils at The Good Earth in Broadripple. They have a good assortment for good prices. However, if I can't find what I'm looking for (their selection is surprisingly limited) I go to Whole Foods. I have a few friends who buy theirs online, but I'm an instant gratification shopper. I want my stuff  NOW! If anyone has a link to a site with great prices please leave a comment. I'm always up for change in the sake of a good deal. Otherwise, shake and be bite free :)

** I do have one more oil that I myself have not yet added to my current mixture but I will! It's called Pennyroyal. I discovered it from a soap maker at the Farmer's Market Downtown. I bought his woodsman's soap while talking to him about a soap for my dog to help repeal fleas and tics. He had several "pet" soaps, but said I could use the Woodsman's Soap on the dog as well as us. (I bought it for our camping trips because my spray is not for tics. Repeat. NOT A TIC REPELLENT) However, adding pennyroyal deepens the hatred of skeeters and adds tics to the list. If adding pennyroyal oil simply use the 5 drop standard. WARNING: DO NOT USE PENNYROYAL IF PREGNANT OR NURSING!