Posts tagged ‘Summer’

April 27, 2012

Are Bubble Baths and Beach Babes Compatible?

Batty in her birthday balloon bubble bath
I am sure when you came across this title, you may have thought what? What does bubble baths and being a beach babe have to do with each other? .. and it’s not just the water! Read on and I’ll tell you more!

 

Summer is fast approaching, and there’s many girls are trying to get their bodies as well as their skin in tip top shape. They also want to feel sexier, and smell good because those are two more things that come to mind when one thinks of warm weather. At least I’ve been told! Although I love my dresses, pretty nails and glitter, in a lot of other ways, I’m a typical tomboy!

 

But, that wont stop me from helping out those of you who are looking some “beach ready” tips!

 

One thing that many may be using in their  quest for great skin, great smell and to feel sexier is bubble bath.  However if you want to rock a sexy swimsuit or hot bikini this summer, you might want to think twice about pouring [commercially made] bubble bath in your tub. Why? Because if the person or company making the bubble bath isn’t diligent, those  lovely scents and bursting bubbles can give you oh so not beach friendly yeast infections. Yes you heard right! Yeast infections!

 

How you ask?

Well one way that (poorly made) bubble baths cause yeast infections is that they irritate the delicate and sensitive vaginal tissues and the irritation is a perfect breeding ground for a fresh yeast infection.

Secondly, bubble baths can raise the amount of moisture that’s in the vaginal canal, which in turn causes yeast to breed to the point of a yeast infection.

 

Thirdly, you know that lovely scent that makes you feel like you are on a tropical island or other pretty idea? If the bubble bath fragrance isn’t natural, paraben free, or skin safe, it is likely to be poorly made, chemical laden fragrance that can make changes in your flora, and cause an infection.

Sodium lauryl sulfate, the stuff that makes the big pretty bubbles is another beach bummer chemical. 

I’ve actually written about SLS several times and for good reason. This chemical is known to further exacerbate the problem, and make the yeast infection harder to treat. But here is the kicker, these ingredients can cause CHRONIC (read long lasting hard to treat) yeast infections.
As you can see there is NOTHING sexy about commercially made bubble baths.  If you love a good soak in the tub as much as I do, stick with bath goodies that are made by someone who is highly knowledge AND cares about YOU more than making a quick buck. I make a 100 percent bikini and swimsuit friendly bubble bath that is free of all the nasty chemicals that can make you feel oh so less than sexy this season! The only kicker is that it will only be available as a made-to-order item soon! Pick it up before the limited amount of jars I do have made sell out! Here’s the link.

 

(pst, if they ARE sold out, check out the made-to-order section to order or contact me!)

April 9, 2012

How to Use Lavender from Your Skin Care Garden

I have been talking to you in the last couple of entries about using herbs from your skin care garden. Today I am going to be talking to you about one of the most common and yet those most fragrant herbs: Lavender!

This is one of the most commonly known herbs and one of the most versatile that I know.  If I were to just grow one skin care herb in my garden this would be it.  It is gentle enough for babies yet hardworking at the same time, and almost everyone likes it. And since you may have already planted some after reading the first part of this series, I will get on to how to use it. :D

One way that you can use it is by making lavender water.

Lavender water is great to have on hand for sunburned skin or when your skin is just feeling irritated in general. Lavender water will cool and soothe it.

To make it……

First you need about a cup of water, three tablespoon of dried lavender buds, a pot, and a 8-10 ounce glass bottle.  Now, I am sure the lavender that you just harvested is not dry yet, but if you read the previous post in this series, I talk to you about how to dry herbs. So what you do now, is bring the water to a boil, and then pour it over the dried lavender buds in a small sauce pan. Let it steep for five minutes or so, and then let it cool. Strain, bottle, and then refrigerate.  Splash on your skin anytime it needs to cool off.

Another way that you can use this lovely herb is coupled with oatmeal in a bath.

Lavender combined with oatmeal is great for skin that is dry and itchy or even bothered by rash.  Place two tablespoons of dried lavender and two tablespoons of oatmeal in a muslin bag or one of the handmade fabric bags you’ve received from an order at my online shop. Pull the drawstring on the bag tight, and place in a warm bath.

Did you know that lavender makes a lovely essential oil?

If you’ve ever used any handmade bath or beauty products with it you do! And while you can’t turn the lavender you harvested in you’re your yard into an essential oil without very special and expensive equipment, I can help you benefit from this healing essential oil.  I have harvested the healing power of lavender essential oil in my lavender swirl soap that will compliment and enhance anyway that you choose to use the lavender from your garden.

Happy gardening :)

lavender swirl soap

July 2, 2011

Video: Happy Canada Day Plus What You Need to Know About Sunscreen

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!

June 7, 2011

What You Need to Know About Sunscreen

The signs of summer have certainly shown themselves lately. Over the past few weeks I’ve been asked more times than I can count about natural sunscreen; mainly, “Do you make natural sunscreen or know where I can get a good natural sunscreen that isn’t gross?”

After a lot of consideration, a discussion the fan page, and mulling it over with a close friend, I’ve decided NOT to make natural sunscreen, at least not for sale. I’ll be making it for myself and my fiance, but I decided not to offer it for sale mostly because of the regulations AND my fear that with a natural sunscreen in hand some people will throw everything they know about being “sun safe” out the window. That scares me more than anything!
So if you can’t get a natural sunscreen from Batty’s Bath, what should you look for? Well, I’m going to answer that question by informing you on what to look for in a natural sunscreen and what to watch for (i.e. run away from)! There’s a few ingredients in “chemical” sunscreen, and sunscreens claiming to be “pure” or “natural” that you need to learn so you can steer clear of them! Let’s get started…
First up, the good guys…
When looking for a natural sunscreen look for ingredients that protect you from the sun by physically blocking & deflecting the sun’s UVA and UBA rays. These include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. One thing to note though when looking for sunscreen with either of these two natural ingredients is making sure that they are not used in nano form. What does nano form mean? Well Nanoparticles are very controversial right now. It refers to the size of the actual minerals and at the smallest size, they can penetrate the skin easily. Because of this, some experts are concerned about particles entering the body and accumulating in body tissue or getting into place they shouldn’t be (for example, your cells). So what do you need to now to avoid purchasing a product that could have nanoparticles? First you need to know that you want the particles to be larger than 100 nanoparticles. If the packaging or description doesn’t say, ask!
Next up, the bad guys…..
This is not one of those times when going after the “bad boy” isn’t as exciting as it was when you were teenager! In fact, playing around with these “bad boys” can have much more serious effects than a good cry over a tub of ice cream! This group of ingredients are found in chemical sunscreens and protect you from the sun by absorbing UV rays before they have a chance to damage your skin. When looking for this list of bad boys, check out any products with “SPF” on the label, especially if they don’t mention that it is a mineral or physical blocker that’s protecting you. So who are the bad boys? Without further ado, here’s how you’ll find them on an ingredients list: padimate-O (PABA), benzophenone (oxybenzone), homosalate, and octylmethoxycinnamate (octinoxate).
So what makes these ingredients so bad?
First, padimate-O (PABA) is a physical blocker (not a bad thing) but it is also a suspected carcinogen. Second, Oxybenzone (benzophenone) has shown endocrine disruption in animals, although the relevancy of this finding is debated as some experts claim that it doesn’t enter the human bloodstream in any meaningful way. Third, the remaining ingredients are suspected of messing with hormones. Yikes!
So why care about the effects of the sun in the first place?
According the Canadian Cancer Society, “Natural sunlight is important for good health. But too much exposure to the sun’s rays can cause skin cancer and eye problems. Being safe in the sun can go a long way in protecting yourself and your family. There is no safe way to get a tan. Tanning beds and sun lamps are not a safe alternative. The more you use tanning beds and sun lamps, the greater your risk of getting skin cancer.” – Canadian Cancer Society Website.
So we’re not talking about the difference between being pretty in pale, and being tremendously tanned, … we’re talking about keeping you safe from too much sun exposure that causes skin cancer! If you haven’t taken this seriously in the past, this is the year to start!
Hoping to see all you lovelies the same shade this summer as you were this winter ;)
February 25, 2011

Aww, Summer memories! :)

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