Modern Wife

Category: Body

  • Safe Cosmetics

    This video, “The Story of Cosmetics,” is presented by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the same people who created the really eye-opening and much-recommended to watch, “The Story of Stuff.”

    I’ve been reading about toxic ingredients in cosmetics and body products since 1997 when I first read Dr. Hulda Clark‘s book, “The Cure For All Cancers.” Back then I was a toxic cocktail of body products, and it showed on my acne-ridden face. I was stuck on a vicious cycle of covering up my acne with toxic cosmetics, thus causing more breakouts to cover up. I had to go cold turkey, through herbal cleanses and zapping sessions, and endure the many months of my body detoxing from the abuse I had heaped upon it for years. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t instant. It took at least a year, if I remember correctly. There were many times when I questioned what I was doing, and was tempted to fall back to my old habits. Whenever my courage flagged, I read more and more books about the subject matter. Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care: Including A to Z Guide to Natural and Synthetic Chemicals in Cosmetics comes to mind, in addition to other titles by Hulda Clark.

    When my skin finally cleared, my mind cleared as well. I became well-versed in body product ingredients. I could quickly pick out ingredients to avoid: anything with the syllable prop in it, such as isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol, sodium laurel sulfate, anything with the syllable benz in it, such as benzoyl peroxide. These big ones alone are difficult to avoid. It doesn’t matter if the bottle says “All Natural” or “Organic” on it. Almost every product on the store shelf has at least one of these chemicals in it. They are petroleum-derived and toxic. Do Not Want.

    I became known among my family and friends as an all-natural girl. It’s tough when my mom proudly shows me a new body product she’s using with the words “All Natural” in big letters on the bottle, and then when I turn to read the label the first ingredient on it is propylene glycol. Why must I always be the bearer of bad news? Help me out here. Let’s all get educated on the ingredients of the products we rub on our selves and our children. Read those labels and learn to discern between a healthy product and a toxic one.

    The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has made it easier for us by compiling a list of companies who are committed to producing only products that are safe and nontoxic. See if your favorite products made the list. Let your dollars vote on the products that are safe and nontoxic to us and the environment. You and your family are worth the effort.

  • Potty Training

    Potty Training

    Before my baby was born I read about Elimination Communication, a method of detecting and responding to an infant’s elimination needs. It’s not as much “training” as it is becoming in tune with the natural timing of my baby’s body functions. Elimination Communication means teaching children how to eliminate properly right from the start. It’s the opposite of teaching babies to eliminate in their pants, then at a later age having to re-teach them that eliminating in their pants is bad.

    I didn’t launch full steam into EC. I understood the concepts but decided instead to use chlorine free diapers. I remember once holding my baby over the toilet when she was only two weeks old. It was my first try at EC, and I admit it was awkward for me, so I kept using the diapers as I got to know my baby’s signs.

    At around seven months my baby was able to sit upright in a chair, so I resumed the potty training. We set up a Baby Bjorn Toilet Trainer. First thing in the morning, I sat her on the potty and she went. Everytime I would see the “poopie face,” we sat her on the potty and she went. We still continued using diapers, but we sat her on the potty every chance we could get, all the while saying the word “potty” while she sat there.

    Another helpful habit is taking the baby to the bathroom with me whenever I had to go. I wanted her to see that she wasn’t the only one that needed to sit on the potty. I wanted to show her how it’s done.

    The word “potty” became one of the first words she learned how to say. I wanted to make sure she understood that whenever she said the word “potty” I would consistently take her to the toilet. At first she only asked to go potty when she had to take a poop. She was still urinating in her diaper up to about 18 months of age. However, doing away with the messy chore of cleaning diaper poop was a major step in the right direction. Perhaps the sticky gross sensation of pooping was much more noticeable when one has an absorbent diaper quickly soaking up urine.

    Come summertime, my 18 month old spent a lot of time in the inflatable pool in the backyard. We did not bother diapering her, and whenever we did try, she pulled them right off in the heat. Running around the backyard naked, she realized the correlation between the sensation in her bladder and the liquid coming out of her.

    From then on, my toddler consistently called “potty” whenever she had to urinate or defecate, whether we were at home or out and about. We have a potty set up in the car, with plastic bags and paper towels for easy disposal. She learned to sit on a grown-up-sized toilet at public restrooms, holding on to railings or toilet paper holders to steady her. Even in the middle of the night, my toddler wakes and calls “potty” and we take her. Sometimes she’s too groggy, but I can tell she needs to go when she gets restless turning around and around in bed, so I just go and take her to the toilet.

    When I started throwing out dry diapers, I realized she was ready for cotton panties. At 22 months of age, my daughter was fully potty trained. On her 2nd birthday, she went to the bathroom all by herself, closing the door to us and proud to do everything herself.

  • The Stay at Home Dad

    Stay at Home Dad Flash AnimationMy husband and I run our internet business from home, and are both able to raise our baby full time. My husband made this animation while I was still pregnant, and he was still only imagining his life as a full time father.

    Immediately after I gave birth, my husband began his diaper changing duty. While I was still in bed recovering from childbirth and breastfeeding our baby, my husband had to take care of both the baby and me. He was a wonderful caregiver, cooking soups for me and singing to the baby.

    (My husband got a little peek of this world when his best buddy was a Stay At Home Dad during the first few years of his daughter’s life. Unlike my husband, his best buddy was on his own while his wife went off to work. Just recently, he got a job out of the home after the daughter began pre-school.)

    Raising our child together, my husband and I have gotten even closer than we were before. Our child turns to either of us depending on her needs, and often enjoys having both of us shower her with affection. For our baby, family day is every day!

  • Zinc Oxide for Diaper Rash

    Zinc Oxide for Diaper Rash

    Along the lines of caring for our baby the best way we know how is the treatment of diaper rash. No matter how careful or diligent a parent one is, there is no avoiding an incident or two of baby developing diaper rash. Perhaps it’s an allergic reaction to something baby ate, or a soiled diaper unchanged while traveling. Early on when we were experimenting with different brands of disposable diapers, we discarded certain brands that irritated our baby’s bottom into a rash.

    At the same time that we were searching for better brands of diapers, we were also looking at diaper rash ointments. The most popular one is Desitin, an over the counter zinc oxide ointment that can be found at any local drug store. I read all the ingredients, and did not find the inactive ingredients very appealing, particularly the petroleum base. It seems counteractive to have a known allergen and skin irritant as the base of an ointment that’s supposed to treat a diaper rash.

    Luckily I found a product from the Self Health Resource Center, a company reputed to provide pure and petroleum-free products. It is labeled as Deodorant, but it is simply zinc oxide in powder form inside a plastic container. I just add water and shake it. Whatever cream winds up on the cap of the container, I dip my finger on and apply on my baby’s rash. It is so amazingly effective. Overnight, the rash is gone. If it’s a really bad rash, it peels the next day, then disappears shortly.

    It is also very cheap. I still haven’t finished the original container I bought in the very beginning, and my baby’s almost a year old. The zinc oxide cream dries up after a while, so I just keep adding water, shaking it and using what winds up on the cap.

    I wholeheartedly recommend the Deodorant Zinc Oxide for use as a diaper rash cream.

  • Chlorine-Free Baby Diapers

    Chlorine-Free Baby Diapers

    Long before our baby was born, the subject of diapers has plagued my husband and me. Our midwife suggested using cloth diapers. Cotton is breathable and comfortable against babies’ sensitive skin. Reusable diapers are environmentally responsible.

    The problem with cloth diapers lies in the cleaning process. The right way to do it would be to flush solids and handwash all diapers in the sink using castile or olive oil soap. Personally, I find it a very time consuming process for a work-at-home mom. Throwing soiled, even rinsed, diapers in the washing machine does not sound sanitary either. Laundry bleach is out of the question, considering all the reports we have read about the health hazards of this common household chemical.

    Our midwife suggested a diaper cleaning service that would pick up soiled diapers, and deliver clean ones. My husband and I discussed this option and found it unacceptable to have our child’s diapers mixed in with other babies’ diapers. To promote sanitation, diaper services use bleach when washing large amounts of diapers. Again, laundry bleach is a health hazard, and a menace to the environment.

    What my husband and I finally decided on were disposable diapers that claim to be chlorine-free. I tried four different brands:

    Seventh Generation is my favorite yet. This diaper is a light brown color, uses chlorine-free materials to absorb wetness and keeps my baby’s bottom dry through the night. Whenever I change her, I am really pleased with how dry her bum is, almost as if she had a layer of baby powder on her. Sometimes when the diaper is very full, I see some gel-like particles on her skin, but this happens very infrequently.

    Tender Care claims to be chlorine-free although the diaper itself is white. Perhaps they whiten their product with non-chlorine alternatives. The sticker is too sticky and removing it tears the whole plastic top apart. Definitely not for overnight use, this diaper needs to be changed diligently every two hours maximum.

    Tushies is another favorite. I like alternating this diaper with the Seventh Generation brand so that my baby’s bum doesn’t get chafed by the same shape of diaper all the time. This brand claims to be gel-free, no absorbent polymer which the Seventh Generation brand has. Tushies uses wood pulp whitened with chlorine-free hydrogen peroxide.

    I had ordered the four brands above from Amazon, but lucky for me, the brands I wound up liking best are available at my local health food store.

  • My Home Birth Story

    My Home Birth Story

    October 31 at 9 a.m. my water broke. My midwife, Kristen, came about an hour later to check on me. She suggested going on our daily walk, to help the baby descend lower and bring on the contractions.

    So hubby and I went to take a walk, which was the longest walk we’ve ever taken, because I was going so slow. Passing trick-or-treaters on our walk, we rescued a stray dog who almost got run over by a car. Jay whistled to the dog to keep it off the road, until the dog found his way home. We also ate some Mexican food and bought Knudsen’s Recharge, an energy drink that has real fruit juice instead of sugar, for the labor we were anticipating. At the grocery store the cashier asked when I was due, and nearly flipped out when I answered, “Tonight.”

    At home, we hung out and every 10 or so minutes I had contractions, which felt like severe menstrual cramps. We went to bed early, Jay massaged my lower back and buttocks everytime I had a contraction. I found it helped me to vocalize while I had a contraction. It helped me breathe through it, and it signaled my husband to massage me. I instructed him to massage my cheeks outward, to help me visualize my body opening up to let the baby out.

    By 2 in the morning on November 1, I began feeling more intense contractions, the kind that actually makes me feel like pushing. I fought the urge to push by breathing through it, moaning and vocalizing all the way. I told my husband to call the midwife NOW.

    Kristen arrived 2:15 a.m. She set up quickly in our bedroom, and called the other two midwives who will assist her. By that time I was on my hands and knees, the only position I felt comfortable in. Everytime I moaned with my contraction, I remembered the old creation myth about the goddess singing the world into creation, calling each creature by name in a song uniquely its own. The vibration of my voice in my belly helped me get through the pain. In between contractions, I felt delirious, almost like I was in deep dreamy sleep. (Thank you, endorphins!!!)

    By 4 a.m. I was getting tired, anxious, and worried that nothing was happening. Kristen and the other midwives kept me hydrated with Recharge and some water, kept encouraging me by saying I’m doing a good job. In between contractions, Kristen checked the baby’s heartbeat through her handheld Doppler, and also checked my cervix. When she felt that the cervix was fully dilated and out of the way, she instructed me to push.

    By then my arms were so tired of holding my body on all fours. I had pillows piled up in front of me, to rest my head in between contractions, but my arms and thighs were shaking in exhaustion. Kristen suggested I change position.

    I stood up, and in frustration, I cried, “Hold me” to Jay. We hugged, and as I got a contraction I found myself tiptoe-ing and hanging off Jay’s shoulder in one push. He took my weight and it felt really good. I felt the baby go even lower with the help of gravity. Jay and I had found our groove. We repeated this process every contraction. Later on Jay told me he could feel the baby kicking through my belly and onto his stomach as I hung my whole body weight off him – the three of us, father, mother and child moving to the rhythm of our own unique birthing dance. He said that before we labored, he was afraid he wouldn’t know what to do, that he might be in the way of the process, or worse, be like the stereotype “waiting room Dad.” When I hugged him he said he felt like a strong man, that he could support me, not just psychologically but in a very physical sense.

    As the baby got lower and lower, I kept crying, “It hurts!” My team encouraged me to keep pushing, make it hurt more, I wasn’t sure I could. I entertained fantasies of being magically transported to the hospital and being shot drugs to make the pain go away.

    Kristen brought me back to earth by saying that I was ready to deliver. She suggested I go back to my hands and knees. Jay got back to massaging me to open wide during the contractions. With the most painful pressure on my whole pelvic area, I delivered the head, and the baby got stuck right at the eyes. Jay stretched me wide open to help deliver the baby’s full head at the next contraction. Kristen then expertly repositioned the baby to deliver her shoulders and the rest of the body. At 5:27 a.m. November 1 Kristen placed my baby right underneath me and I looked into my baby’s face for the first time.

    It’s a girl! My beautiful baby girl!!!

    I hugged her and kissed her. She cried so loud and furiously! She also blew the fluid out of her own nose and mouth. She is so strong! Her APGARS is 9/10. She is 6 lbs 10 oz, 18 inches long.

    We were still connected through the umbilical cord, and the placenta was still inside me. I suddenly didn’t feel like I had any more strength to push the placenta out. The midwives encouraged me to breastfeed my baby immediately, to trigger one more contraction so I can deliver the placenta. My baby latched onto my breast immediately. She is so amazingly smart and knew what to do. Within minutes, I passed her on to my husband while I delivered the placenta. Once she was back in my arms, my husband cut the cord, and the midwives set to work inspecting the placenta to make sure there were no missing parts that could still be inside me.

    After that, the three midwives split up their afterbirth tasks. Shauna stayed with the baby to measure her weight, length, and reflexes. Kristen sat me in an herbal sitz bath and assisted me in a quick shower, while Colette made us all breakfast.

  • Midwifery Services vs. Obstetrics-Gynecology

    Midwifery Services vs. Obstetrics-Gynecology

    Soon after I found out that I was pregnant, I set out to find the health provider who will assist me throughout my pregnancy and deliver my baby. I knew I wanted to have my child at home. Although hospitals are equipped for any possible emergency, I worry about the stress of driving during labor and infection control in institutional settings. I wanted to be in the place where I’m most comfortable.

    Midwifery Services

    I started by requesting a list of midwives in my locale from the Midwives Alliance of North America. I called a few licensed professional midwives and conducted interviews over the phone.

    midwifery services at homeEach midwife is different. Some midwives conduct pre-natal visits in their homes or offices so that they can be in a central location in case any of their clients call for labor. Some midwives come to their clients’ homes all the way from pre- to post-natal visits. This situation was the most attractive to me, so I immediately filtered out the ones who were not willing to come to my home for all visits.

    HMO insurance does not cover midwifery services. PPO may reimburse part or all of the midwifery expenses. Most midwives charge on a sliding scale between $2800 to $5000 for comprehensive pre-natal visits, labor/delivery and post-partum visits. Each visit generally lasts for about an hour, consisting of monitoring urine, weight, blood pressure, pulse, baby’s heartbeat, palpation of the uterus, nutritional counseling and consultation regarding various issues that arise during pregnancy.

    Not all pregnancies qualify for a home birth. Hospital births are recommended in cases of gestational diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), Rh negative mom with a positive antibody screen, preterm premature rupture of membranes, multiple gestations (e.g. twins), breech presentation, active genital herpes, preeclampsia and preterm labor.

    Most midwives carry the following equipment, supplies and medication during home birth: oxygen, bag and mask for neonatal resuscitation, laryngoscope for neonatal resuscitation, IV therapy equipment, basic anti-hemorrhagic medication, suturing supplies (suture and lidocaine), fetoscope and hand-held Doppler, Rescu-Vac and/or DeLee catheter for deep suction of the newborn if necessary (as in the case with passage of meconium), urinary catheters, vitamin K for newborn blood clotting, and erythromycin ointment for newborn infection prophylaxis.

    Most midwives do not carry: pain medication including epidurals or narcotics, surgical equipment beyond that needed for basic suturing, forceps or vacuum, continuous fetal monitoring equipment, and blood for transfusions.

    Obstetrics-Gynecology

    I come from a medical family, so naturally my parents were very concerned about my decision to have my baby at home with the help of a midwife. As a compromise, I am also seeing a medical doctor, an obstetrician-gynecologist, in case of an emergency.

    Gone are the days when doctors made house calls, so obviously one must consider the trip to the doctor’s office for pre-natal visits and the ride to the hospital for labor/delivery when choosing an Ob-Gyn. I chose a doctor who practises very close to where I live, so I could avoid the freeway traffic or long drives during my pregnancy.

    HMO insurance generally require a copay for the first visit with the Ob-Gyn, then there is no more copay for the succeeding visits. Each visit is about 10 to 20 minutes long, consisting of monitoring urine, weight, blood pressure, pulse, baby’s heartbeat, palpation of the uterus and some consultation regarding various issues that arise during pregnancy.

    During the first visit, the Ob-Gyn may conduct a pap smear and prescribe a blood test. Often, pre-natal visits are attended by a nurse practitioner instead of the Ob-Gyn. There is hardly any consultation regarding nutrition. The most nutrition advice I have gotten from my doctor has been to eat small meals throughout the day instead of the regimented three square meals.

    As far as Ob-Gyn’s go, my doctor is better than most. She promises not to jump to C-sections, unless absolutely necessary. She also professes not to do episiotomies. There are less invasive techniques to preserving a woman’s perenium during childbirth. Episiotomies are not only extremely painful, it also takes a woman longer to heal than one who has not been subjected to it.

    Case by Case Comparison:
    Midwife vs. Obstetrician-Gynecologist

    Pre-natal Vitamins. The Ob-Gyn prescribed Natal Care Plus, which are large pink-colored pills that made me feel nauseous whenever I took them. I worried about the additives from the manufacturing process of these commercial pills. Later on I read in this article about Zinc, which states that Zinc supplements should not be taken with Iron and Calcium. So why are these three minerals together in prenatal vitamin pills?

    My midwife suggested that I make herbal tea for vitamin supplementation instead. She recommended: 1/4 cup nettles, 1/4 cup red raspberry leaves, 16 oz water combined in a glass jar. Cover and let it sit overnight. Sip this cold herbal infusion throughout the next day. Apparently nettles is rich in iron and calcium. Red raspberry leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, in addition to being a uterine tonic.

    The cold herbal infusion was difficult for me to get down. So I added honey and/or lemon to the tea, and refrigerated it to make it taste more like iced tea. Steeping it hot like regular tea also helps with the taste.

    Urinary Tract Infection. My first blood test revealed a bladder infection, so my Ob-Gyn immediately put me on Nitrofurantoin. Kudos to the doctor for her diagnosis. It made me really glad that I have a medical doctor overseeing my care. However I was hesitant to take antibiotics, knowing how much they can wreak havoc in my system.

    I consulted my midwife and she said that since I hadn’t been abusing antibiotics in any way pre-pregnancy (4 years earlier was the last time I’ve had any in my system) she was confident that this dose will take care of my problem quickly, without any concern for resistant bacteria. She also suggested:

    • Echinacea and Goldenseal – the kind that contains ONLY echinacea and goldenseal. Don’t take the chance with other herbal ingredients that could complicate things for pregnant women;
    • Vitamin C – no more than 500 mg a day;
    • Cranberry juice – contains substances that inhibit the growth of bacteria in the bladder. Remember to buy UNSWEETENED cranberry juice. Refined sugars foster the growth of bacteria, and will be defeating the whole purpose of drinking cranberry juice.
    • Water – drink 2 liters (equivalent to 64 oz. = 8 pint-size glasses) a day.

    When I consulted my nurse practitioner about my fears of complications arising from the use of antibiotics, such as yeast infections, the only recommendation she had was anti-fungal cream over the counter at the
    drug store. In comparison, my midwife had suggestions on how to prevent yeast infections through good nutrition (plain yogurt).

    Sciatica. In the case of sciatica, my midwife recommended the relatively invasive approach of acupuncture, while my doctor simply suggested taking a hot bath.

    Related Links:
    Baby Center
    Pregnancy Nutrition
    Pregnancy Myths
    Herbs for Pregnancy
    Herbs During Pregnancy
    Citizens for Midwifery
    Midwives Alliance of North America
    Midwife Info
    Midwifery Links
    Ob-Gyn Predicament
    Unassisted Childbirth
    Unhindered Childbirth

  • Recipes for Natural Cosmetics

    Recipes for Natural Cosmetics

    excerpt from The Cure For All Diseases
    © 1995 by Hulda Regehr Clark, Ph.D. N.D.

    Eye liner and Eyebrow Pencil

    Get a pure charcoal pencil (black only) at an art supply store. Try several on yourself (bring a small mirror) in the store to see what hardness suits you. You may need to wet it with water or a Vitamin E perle first. Don’t put any chemicals on your eyelids, since this penetrates into your eye. To check this out for yourself, close your eye tightly and then dab lemon juice on your eyelid. It will soon burn! Everything that is put on skin penetrates. Otherwise the nicotine patch and estrogen patch wouldn’t work. Not even soap belongs on your eyelids! Charcoal pencils are cheap. Get yourself half a dozen different kinds so you can do different things.

    You could also use a capsule of activated charcoal. Empty it into a saucer. Mix glycerin and water, half and half, and add it to the charcoal powder until you get the consistency you like. Use a brush for eyelashes; use a finger for eyebrows.

    Lipstick

    Beet root powder
    100% vegetable glycerin

    Combine 1 tsp. vegetable glycerin and 1 tsp. beet root powder in a saucer. Stir until perfectly smooth. Then add 1/2 tsp. of vitamin E oil. Snip open vitamin E capsules or buy vitamin E oil. Very thick olive oil can be substituted. Apply liberally with your finger or a lipstick brush. Do not purse or rub your lips together after application. To make the lipstick stay on longer, apply 1 layer of lipstick, then dab some cornstarch over the lips, then apply another layer of lipstick. Store in a small glass or plastic container in the refrigerator, tightly covered in a plastic bag.

    Face Powder

    Use cornstarch from the original box. You may also try arrow root starch or potato starch. Use your fingers or a tissue to apply because applicators can carry bacteria.

    Blush (face powder in a cake form)

    Add 50% glycerin to cornstarch in a saucer to make paste. Slowly add beet root powder to the desired color. Use part of a charcoal capsule to darken it, if desired. A drop of food grade alcohol will also darken it. To make 50% glycerin, add equal parts of glycerin and water. Try to make the consistency the same as your brand name product, and you can even put it back in your brand name container.

  • Recipes for Natural Body Products

    Recipes for Natural Body Products

    excerpt from The Cure For All Diseases
    © 1995 by Hulda Regehr Clark, Ph.D. N.D.

    “You can use just borax (like 20 Mule Team Borax TM) and washing soda (like Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda TM for all types of cleaning including your body, laundry, dishes and your house! You don’t need all of those products you see in commercials for each special task!

    Even if you have dry skin, difficult hair or some other unique requirement, just pure borax will satisfy these needs. A part of every skin problem is due to the toxic elements found in the soaps themselves. For instance aluminum is commonly added as a “skin moisturizer.” It does this by impregnating the skin and attracting water, giving the illusion of moist skin. In fact you simply have moist aluminum stuck in your skin which your immune system must remove. While borax won’t directly heal your skin or complexion, it does replace the agents that are causing damage, so that healing can occur.

    Borax Liquid Soap

    Empty 1 gallon jug

    1/8 cup borax powder

    Plastic funnel

    Funnel the borax into the jug, fill with cold tap water. Shake a few times. Let settle. In a few minutes you can pour off the clear part into dispenser bottles. This is the soap!

    Easier way: use any bottle, pour borax powder to a depth of a 1/2 inch or so. Add water. Shake. When you have used it down to the undissolved granules, add more water and shake again. Add more borax when the undissolved granules get low.

    Keep a dispenser by the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and shower. It does not contain aluminum as regular detergents and soaps do, and which probably contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. It does not contain PCBs as many commercial and health food varieties do. It does not contain cobalt (the blue or green granules) which causes heart disease and draws cancer parasites to the skin. Commercial detergents and non-soaps are simply not safe. Switch to homemade bar soap and borax for all your tasks! Borax inhibits the bacterial enzyme urease and is therefore antibacterial. It may even clear your skin of blemishes and stop your scalp from itching.

    For Laundry

    Borax (1/2 cup per load). It is the main ingredient of non-chlorine bleach and has excellent cleaning power without fading colors. Your regular laundry soap may contain PCBs, aluminum, cobalt and other chemicals. These get rubbed into your skin constantly as you wear your clothing. For bleaching (only do this occasionally) use original chlorine bleach (not “new improved” or “with special brighteners,” and so forth). Don’t use chlorine if there is an ill person in the house. For getting out stubborn dirt at collars, scrub with homemade
    bar soap first; for stains, try grain alcohol, vinegar, baking
    soda.”

    “Shampoo

    Borax liquid is ready to use as shampoo, too. It does not lather but goes right to work removing sweat and soil without stripping your color or natural oils. It inhibits scalp bacteria and stops flaking and itching. Hair gets squeaky clean so quick;ly (just a few squirts does it) that you might think nothing has happened! You will soon be accustomed to non-lathery soap. Rinse very thoroughly because you should leave your scalp slightly acidic. Take a pint container to the shower with you. Put 1/4 tsp. citric (not ascorbic) acid crystals in it. For long hair use a quart of rinse. Only citric acid is strong enough to get the borax out, lemon juice and vinegar are not. After shampooing, fill the container with water and rinse. Rinse your whole body, too, since citric acid is also anti-bacterial. All hair shampoo penetrates the eye lids and gets into the eyes although you do not feel it. It is important to use this natural rinse to neutralize the shampoo in your eyes. (Some people have stated that citric acid makes their hair curlier or reddens it. If this is undesirable, use only half as much citric acid.) Citric acid also conditions and gives body and sheen to hair.

    Hair Spray

    I don’t have a recipe that holds your hair as well as the bottle of chemicals you can buy at the store. Remarkably a little lemon juice (not from a bottle) has some holding power and no odor! Buy a 1 cup spray bottle. Squeeze part of a lemon, letting only the clear juice run into bottle. Fill with water. Keep it in the refrigerator. Make it fresh every week. Spraying with just plain water is nearly as good! For shinier hair, drop a bit of lemon peel into the bottle.

    Homemade Soap

    A small plastic dishpan, about 10″ x 12″

    A glass or enamel 2-quart saucepan

    1 can of lye (sodium hydroxide), 12 ounces

    3 pounds of lard (BHT and BHA are ok here)

    Plastic gloves

    Water

    • Pour 3 cups of very cold water (refrigerate water overnight first) into the 2-quart saucepan.
    • Slowly and carefully add the lye, a little bit at a time, stirring it with a wooden or plastic utensil. (Use plastic gloves for this; test them for holes first.) Do not breathe the vapor or lean over the container or have children nearby. Above all use no metal. The mixture will get very hot. In olden days, a sassafras branch was used to stir. imparting a fragrance and insect deterrent for mosquitos, lice, fleas, ticks.
    • Let cool at least one hour in a safe place. Meanwhile, the unwrapped lard should be warming up to room temperature in the plastic dishpan.
    • Slowly and carefully, pour the lye solution into the dishpan with the lard. The lard will melt. Mix thoroughly, at least 15 minutes, until it looks like thick pudding.
    • Let it set until the next morning; then cut it into bars. It will get harder after a few days. Then package.

    If you wish to make soap based on olive oil, use about 48 ounces. It may need to harden for a week.

    Liquid Soap

    Make chips from your homemade soap cake. Add enough hot water to dissolve. Add citric acid to balance the pH (7 to 8). If you do not, this soap may be too harsh for your skin.

    Skin Sanitizer

    Make up a 5 to 10% solution of food grade alcohol. Food grade alcohols are grain (ethyl) alcohol or vodka. Find a suitable dispenser bottle. Mark it with a pen at about one tenth of the way up from the bottom. Pour 95% grain alcohol (190 proof) to this mark (for the 50% grain alcohol or vodka make your mark one fifth of the way up). Add water to the top. Keep shut. You may add a chip of lemon peel for fragrance.

    Use this for general sanitizing purposes: bathroom fixtures, knobs, handles, canes, walkers, and for personal cleanliness (but use chlorine bleach for the toilet bowl once a week). Always clean up after a bowel movement with wet toilet paper. This is not clean enough, though. Follow with a stronger damp paper towel. This is still not clean enough; use a final damp paper towel with skin sanitizer added. After washing hands, sanitize them too, pouring a bit on one palm and put finger tips of the other hand in it, scratch to get under nails, repeat on other hand. Rinse with water.

    Do not use this recipe, nor keep any bottles of alcohol
    in the house of a recovering alcoholic.

    Deodorant

    Your sweat is odorless. It is the entrenched bacteria feeding on it that makes smells. You can never completely rid yourself of these bacteria, although they may temporarily be gone after zapping. The stratagy is to control their numbers. Here are several deodorants to try. Find one that works best for you:

    Vitamin C water. Mix 1/4 tsp. to a pint of water and dab it on. Then dab on cornstarch.

    Citric acid water. Mix 1/4 tsp. to a pint of water and dab it on. Then dab on cornstarch.

    Only a few drops of these acids under each armpit are necessary. If these acids burn the skin, dilute them more. Never apply anything to skin that has just been shaved!

    Corn starch. Many people need only this. Dab it on.

    Use only unpolluted cornstarch.

    Baking soda has been deleted as a deodorant because benzene was found in some boxes.

    Lemon juice. This acid is not as strong, use what you need.

    Pure alcohol (never rubbing alcohol). The food grade alcohols are grain alcohol and vodka. Dab a bit under each arm and/or on your shirt or blouse, then dab on cornstarch. If the alcohol burns, dilute it with water. Be very careful not to leave the bottle where a child or alcoholic person could find it. Pour it into a different bottle!

    Pure zinc oxide. You may ask your pharmacist to order this for you. She or he may wish to make it up for you too, but do not let them add anything else to it. It should be about 1 part zinc oxide powder to 3 parts water. It does not dissolve. Just shake it up to use it. After you get it home, you can add cornstarch to it to give it a creamy texture. Heat 3 tsp. cornstarch in 1 cup of water, to boiling, until dissolved and clear. Cool and add some to the zinc oxide mixture (about equal parts). Store unused starch mixture in the refrigerator. Only make up enough for a month.

    Alcohol and zinc oxide. This is the most powerful deodorant. Apply alcohol first, then the zinc oxide, then dab on cornstarch.

    Remember that you need to sweat! Sweating excretes toxic substances, especially from the upper body. Don’t use deodorant on weekends. Go to the sink and wipe clean the armpits like our grandparents did. Often, just plain cornstarch is enough! These homemade deodorants are not as powerful as the commercial varieties – this is to your advantage.

    Brushing Teeth

    Buy a new toothbrush. Your old one is soaked with toxins from your old toothpaste. Use only water or chemically pure baking soda if you have any metal fillings. Put a pinch in a glass, add water to dissolve it. Use food-grade hydrogen peroxide if you have only plastic fillings. Dilute it from 35% to 17 1/2 % by adding water (equal parts). Store hydrogen peroxide only in polyethylene or the original plastic bottle. Use 4 or 5 drops on your toothbrush. It should fizz nicely as oxygen is produced in your mouth. Your teeth will whiten noticeably in 6 months. Before brushing teeth, floss with 4 or 2 pound monofilament fish line. Double it and twist for extra strength. Rinse before use. Floss and brush only once a day. If this leaves you uncomfortable, brush the extra times with plain water and a second “water-only” toothbrush. Make sure that nothing solid, like powder, is on your toothbrush; it will scour the enamel and give you sensitive teeth, especially as you get older and the enamel softens. Salt is corrosive – don’t use it for brushing metal teeth. Plain water is just as good.

    For Dentures

    Use salt water. It kills all germs and is inexpensive. Salt water plus grain alcohol or food-grade hydrogen peroxide makes a good denture-soak.

    Mouthwash

    A few drops of food-grade hydrogen peroxide added to a little water in a glass should be enough to make your mouth foam and cleanse. Don’t use hydrogen peroxide, though, if you have metal fillings, because they react. Don’t use regular drug store variety hydrogen peroxide because it contains toxic additives. Health food store varieties contain solvents from the bottling process. Never purchase hydrogen peroxide in a bottle with a metal cap.

    For persons with metal tooth fillings, use chemically pure baking soda or just plain hot water. A healthy mouth has no odor! You shouldn’t need a mouthwash! If you have breath odor, search for a hidden tooth infection or cavitation.

    Contact Lens Solution

    A scant cup of cold tap water brought to a boil in a glass saucepan. After adding 1/4 tsp. aluminum-free salt and boiling again, pour into a sterile canning jar. Refrigerate. Freeze some of it.

    Lip Soother

    For dry burning lips. Heat 1 level tsp. sodium alginate plus 1 cup water until dissolved. After cooling, pour it into a small bottle to carry in your purse or pocket (refrigerate the remainder). Dab it on whenever needed. If the consistency isn’t right for you, add water and boil it down further. You can make a better lip soother by adding lysine from a crushed tablet, vitamin C powder, and a vitamin E capsule to the alginate mix. If you have a persistent problem with chapped lips, try going off citrus juice.

    Foot Powder

    Use a mixture of cornstarch and zinc oxide poured into a salt shaker with a lid. Add long rice grains to fight humidity. You may also try arrow root or potato starch. If you don’t have zinc oxide use plain cornstarch.

    Skin Healer Moisturizer Lotion

    1 tsp. sodium alginate

    1 cup water

    Make the base first by heating these together in a covered, non-metal pan until completely dissolved. Use low heat – it will take over an hour. Use a wooden spoon handle to stir. Set aside. Then make the following mixture.

    1/4 tsp. vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (You may crush tablets)

    1/4 tsp. lysine (crush tablets)

    2 tbs. pure vegetable glycerin

    2 vitamin E capsules (400 units or more,)

    1 tsp. apricot kernel oil (olive oil will do)

    1 tbs. lemon juice from a lemon or 1/4 tsp. citric acid (this is optional)

    1 cup water

    Heat the water to steaming in a non-metal pan. Add vitamin C and lysine first and then everything else. Pour into a pint jar and shake to mix. Then add the sodium alginate base to the desired thickness (about equal amounts) and shake. Pour some into a small bottle to use as a lip soother. Pour some into a larger bottle to dispense on skin. Store remainder in refrigerator.

    Other Skin Healers
    Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid, not the same as citric acid). Put a large pinch into the palm of your hand. With your other hand pick up a few drops of water from the faucet. Rub hands together until all the powder is dissolved and dispense. It may sting briefly. Do this at bedtime, especially for cracked , chapped hands. Include lips if you need it.

    Vitamin E oil.Vitamin E oil from Now Foods was not polluted at the time of this writing, but for the future it would be safer to rely on capsules. Snip open a capsule and rub into skin.

    50% Glycerin. Dilute 100% vegetable glycerin with an equal amount of water. This is useful as an after-shave lotion.

    Vitamin C liquid. Mix 1/4 tsp. vitamin C powder in one pint water (crushed tablets will do). This is useful as an after shave lotion and general skin treatment.

    Apricot Kernel Oil. This is a very light oil, useful as an after-shave lotion and general skin treatment.

    Cornstarch. Use on rashes, fungus, moist or irritated areas and to prevent chafe.

    Combining several ones of these makes them more effective.

    Dry skin has several causes: too much water contact, too much soap contact (switch to borax), low body temperature, not enough fat in the diet, or parasites.

    Massage Oil

    Use olive oil. It comes in very light to heavy textures. Pick the right one for your purpose. Alginate mixtures can be used instead of, or added to, oil. Starch solutions are good, too.

    Sunscreen Lotion
    Purchase PABA in 500 mg tablet form. Dissolve 1 tablet in grain alcohol or vodka. Grind the tablet first by putting it in a plastic bag and rolling over it with a glass jar. It will not completely dissolve even if you use a tablespoon of the alcohol. Pour the whole mixture into a 4 ounce bottle of homemade skin softener. Be careful not to get the lotion into your eyes when applying it. A better solution is to wear a hat or stay out of the sun. Remember to take PABA as a supplement, too (500 mg, one a day).

    Nose Salve
    (When the inside of the nose is dry, cracked and bleeding.)

    Pour 1/2 tsp. pure vegetable glycerin into a bottle cap. Add 1/2 tsp. of water.

    Applicator: use a plastic coffee stirrer or straw; cut a slit in the end to catch some cotton wool salvaged from a vitamin bottle and twist (cotton swabs, cotton balls and wooden toothpicks are sterilized with mercury which in turn is polluted with thalium). Dip it into the glycerin mixture and apply inside the nose with a rotating motion. Do each nostril with a new applicator.

    Quick Corn Starch Skin Softener

    4 tsp. corn starch

    1 cup water

    Boil starch and water until clear, about one minute.

    Cornstarch Skin Softener
    1 tsp. lysine powder or 8 tablets, 500 mg each
    1 tsp. vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) or 8 tablets, 500 mg each
    3 tsp. cornstarch
    vitamin E, 1 capsule 400 mg
    1/4 tsp. apricot kernel oil (optional)
    1 cup water

    Boil starch and water until clear, about one minute. Add other ingredients and stir until dissolved. Cool. Pour into dispenser bottles. Keep refrigerated when not in use. apply after washing dishes and after showering.

    After Shaves

    Vitamin C. 1/4 tsp. vitamin C powder dissolved in 1 pint of water

    Apricot Kernel Oil.

    Vegetable glycerin. Equal parts glycerin and water or to suit your need.

    Baby Wipes

    Cut paper towels in quarters and stack in a closable plastic box. Run tap water over them, drain the excess. Add 1 tsp. grain alcohol and/or borax liquid on top. Close. Put a dab of the Quick Cornstarch Softener recipe on top of each wipe as you use it.

    People Wipes

    1/4 tsp. powdered lysine (you may crush tablets)
    1/4 tsp. Vitamin C powder (you may crush tablets)
    1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
    1 cup water

    Prepare wipes by cutting paper towels in quarters. Use white, unfragranced towels that are strong enough to hold up for this use. Fold each piece in quarters again and stack in a plastic zippered baggy. Pour the fluid mixture over the stack and zip. Store a bag full in the freezer to take on car trips. If you want to keep them a month or more, add 1 tbs. grain alcohol or vodka to this recipe.

    For bathroom use, dampen a roll of paper towels under the cold tap first. Then pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture over the towel roll around the middle. Store in plastic shopping bag or stand in plastic waste basket.”

  • Aromatherapy for Seduction

    Aromatherapy for Seduction

    Angelica is a warm and musky, herbaceous scent that is very grounding. Avoid use in pregnancy.

    Black Pepper is a hot and spicy piquant scent that warms and stimulates. It should be used sparingly because it is easily overpowering. It may also irritate sensitive skin.

    Cardamom is a warm, sweet and spicy scent with a hint of eucalyptus. It is stimulating and head-clearing, but should be used sparingly because it is easily overpowering.

    Cedar Wood is an ancient camphor. It is a sweet soothing antidepressant with a woody undertone. It was said to have been used in the Egyptian embalming process. Avoid use in pregnancy. May irritate skin in high concentrations.

    Cinnamon is a warm and spicy stimulant. Grown in the Far East, East Indies and China, it is one of the oldest spices known – used by the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and even mentioned in the Old Testament. It could irritate sensitive skin if used in baths and massage oils. Use in very low concentrations.

    Clary Sage is an uplifting relaxant. It smells sweetly herbaceous and floral. Used by the ancient Egyptians to cure women of infertility, these dried leaves were considered sacred in those days. The Chinese have also used it medicinally for centuries. Use sparingly, and should be avoided by pregnant women and anyone who suffers from epilepsy.

    Cloves are a warm and stimulating sweet-spicy-bitter scent. It is easily overpowering so use sparingly.

    Coriander is a sweet and spicy, slightly musky scent. It is a warm, uplifting stimulant that effects light-heartedness.

    Ginger is a warm, peppery and spicy stimulant.

    Jasmine is my personal favorite. I have jasmine vines growing on the north and south fences around my home. It is warm with musky undertones. Aside from being an antidepressant, it is also known as the fragrance of sacred love. It is an ancient favorite of the Arabs, Indians and Chinese. It was introduced from Persia to Europe in the sixteenth century.

    Neroli is a soothing and uplifting antidepressant. It has a sweet floral scent with bitter undertones. Neroli is better known as the orange blossom, white blossoms of the bitter orange tree which originated in China, but also grows in Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, the United States, Italy and southern France. In 1680, Anna Maria Orsini, Princess of Nerola, was said to have brought the fragrance to fashion among the Italian aristocracy.

    Nutmeg is a warm and spicy stimulant. Use sparingly because it is easily overpowering.

    Patchouli is a rich and earthy relaxant. It is warm and stimulating, one of India’s most favorite perfumes. The oil is extracted from the dried and fermented leaves of the small patchouli shrub.

    Rosemary is a sharp and fresh stimulant. This small shrub, at most three feet high, with gray-green leaves and pale blue-white flowers, was first favored by the Egyptians. Before long, though, its popularity grew with the Greeks and Romans, who believed it symbolized love and death. Use in low concentration, as excessive doses may bring about epileptic convulsions. Do not use if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure.

    Roses have long been the valentine flowers of choice. Cleopatra was said to have carpeted her bedroom in rose petals to aid her seduction of Mark Antony. In Roman times, it was used in garlands, baths, and often in ostentatious public displays. Although it is a sweet and mellow antidepressant, it has a tendency to be heady. It is not advisable to use it as a bath or massage oil when you are pregnant.

    Sandalwood is an ancient sensual scent that soothes. It is warm, woody, soft, and sweet. It is an antidepressant that mellows with age. The evergreen sandalwood tree grows to a height of up to 30 feet in China, Indonesia, and East India. It is from the roughly chipped and powdered wood that the fragrant balsamic oils are derived. Many temples in India were built with this wood.

    Vetiver is an ancient rich and earthy scent. It is warm and soothing.

    Ylang Ylang is another personal favorite. It is intensely sweet, like jasmine. An antidepressant, with a tendency to get heady. It is a tropical tree native to Indonesia and the Philippines. The ylang-ylang tree reaches a height of 60 feet and produces yellow flowers that used to be mixed with coconut oil to perfume and condition the body and hair.