The Lavender Pig

Whether for the holidays, a birthday, or just for the heck of it: a gift of health and beauty products is a great way to reward your female spouse.  Here are a few ideas sure to delight her:

~Handmade Soap - handcrafted soap comes in scintillating flavors and smell great during and after washing.

~Bath Salts - add exquisite scents to bath water and also provide the healing benefits of natural salinity.

~Skin Moisturizers - proven to promote healthy skin and also to help combat dryness and itching in colder winter months.

~Sensual Oils - though not a traditional health and beauty product, these are great for a relaxing massage administered by a loving husband.

Many of the household items that we use today are made from chemicals that may have harmful effects on our children and the environment. It is not healthy to use too many artificial products, especially if we are unsure on their long-term effects.

Natural products, such as handcrafted soap, are better than products that come off a factory assembly line. The manufacturers of these unique products use research and science to prove the effectiveness of their herbal-based products. For a cleaner and greener planet Earth, go natural!

Flu season is now upon us, and everyone is more concerned about staying germ-free. We’ve all heard the advice about washing your hands and properly covering your sneezes, but there are some other precautions that will help ensure your health through the chilly fall and winter months.

The soap you choose when washing your hands has a big impact on how sanitary your cleaning routine is. Bar soaps can sit in unclean and mildew-ridden holders, and who knows how many other people have rubbed their infected hands with them? Liquid soap is a more hygienic option and will prevent you from being contaminated. After you wash your hands, always you the towel to open the door, as the doorknobs are a cesspool of bacteria.

The people of Western Africa have long enjoyed the benefits of shea butter, and their secret to moist, luxurious skin has since been passed to the rest of the world. Shea butter is produced from an extraction of the large seeds of the wild shea tree. In its raw state, the butter is white or yellowish in color, and its texture and consistency are similar to that of real butter.

Handmade shea butter soap has actually been found to contain healing properties as well. It restructures the skin, treats eczema and dermatitis and even soothes sore, aching muscles. Shea butter soap can be made at some expense from home with the use of raw, unprocessed butter, but it’s also widely available online. It represents an all-natural alternative to the mass-produced soaps that can prove harsh and even detrimental to the skin.

Although most of the mainstream cosmetic products on the market today are perfectly safe, some of them contain harsh chemicals that can do more harm than good. Some soaps and moisturizing creams harbor so many ingredients that it’s difficult to determine their intended effects. That’s why so often it pays to keep things simple. All-natural cosmetics take all of the guesswork out of soap shopping.

Handmade goat milk soap is all-natural and loaded with beneficial antioxidants such as vitamin A and vitamin E. Goat milk soap also possesses age-defying properties thanks to its amino acid content. These amino acids can be utilized to revitalize damaged tissue and make you look significantly younger in time.

Washing your hands is a very important part of staying healthy. Especially with the recent outbreak of swine flu, it is an important part of discouraging the spread of germs, bacteria and viruses. There is a proper way to wash your hands in order to get rid of the most germs. First, wet your hands with clean, warm running water and apply hand soap. Rub hands together to make foam and scrub all surfaces, making sure to clean between fingers and under fingernails. Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds, or about the time it takes to sing the ABCs. Rinse hands well under running water, and then dry hands.

One of the best things to use for hand washing is foaming hand soap. The foam it creates helps loosen dirt and germs while you scrub your hands, meaning they’ll wash away when you rinse. And hand soap doesn’t have to be boring. It can be scented with nearly any scent so that your hands smell great after washing.

Well, it’s that time of year again.  The summer has faded away and it’s school time again.  This can be a very stressful time of year.  All the running around trying to get all the supplies needed before the first day.  Then the first day arrives and kaose begins.   

The first day has come and gone for us this week.  I have found that the best way to handle some of the stress is with Lavender.  Lavender body spray works wonders.  I spray it all around the house and even on myself.  Lavender has such relaxing and calming properties.  Not much else compares.  So sit back and relax with a little lavender tonight!

We are getting ready to go to the beach and I am gathering all the necessary stuff.  One of the main things to remember when spending the day in the sun is lip balm.  Lip balm not only tastes good but it provides sun screen and moisturizing.  Moisturizing is very important for your lips anytime of the year.

So on your next trip to the beach don’t forget your towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, flip flops, and lip balm.  Happy Summer!

Dry skin interferes with daily life in many overt ways. For example, no one likes to watch another person scratching their unsightly patches of dry skin. Scratching might relieve the irritation briefly, but it’s a short-lived solution at best. By stowing a bottle of skin lotion in a desk drawer at work, you can keep your skin healthy and comfortable all day long.

Shea butter’s natural moisturizing properties make it a sensible solution for dry skin. In fact, shea butter lotion does more than just resolve the cosmetic signs of skin irritation. A healthy dollop of lotion works to lessen the impact of eczema, acne scarring, and even burns. Dry skin is a common problem, and sufferers swear by shea butter to provide the relief they need.

I am sitting here in the hot Alabama heat watching my kids swim in the pool.  In the summer time moisturizing is the one of the last things on your mind, but it is very important.  The chlorine in the pool and the hot summer sun can be very drying. The moisturizing properties in handmade shea butter soaps and lotions can greatly benefit your skin.  So, don’t forget to moisturize!