Fall and winter are the harshest times of the year for our skin. During these seasons, the skin needs extra care to keep it moisturized. To help you keep your skin healthy and radiant through the holiday season, here are a few fall and winter organic skin care tips, to help you welcome the New Year feeling and looking good.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking lots of water will help you to hydrate your skin. When you go outside your home, it is advisable to bring a bottle of water, juice, or tea. Hot herbal tea can do wonders in the cold. Drinking these can help your skin maintain a healthy glow even during the coldest winter’s day.

2. Exfoliate dead skin cells away

A body and facial scrub can remove dead skin cells, keep your skin feeling fresh. You don’t need to buy expensive products for the job. There are various exfoliation recipes you can use at home using items you find in your kitchen.

3. Use Organic Moisturizers

After you exfoliate your skin, the next step is to moisturize it. There are various organic skin moisturizers that are made from natural ingredients. These contain none of the harsh chemical preservatives that might do more harm than good to your skin.

4. Don’t Forget to Wear Sunscreen

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean that you should not apply sunscreen when going out. Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or more. There are sunscreens on the market that are made out of organic ingredients. Some sunscreens also act as moisturizers, thus hitting two birds with one stone. A good sunscreen will protect your skin from the harsh environment.

5. Wear your Gloves

Remember, when your mom makes all the fuzz about wearing gloves during wintertime, you should consider her advise.  Don’t leave home in the cold without a pair of gloves. When buying gloves, look for those made out of hemp or other organic material. Gloves will help your hands stay warm and dry, and will protect your skin from the harsher affects of the elements.

6. Take an Organic Oil Bath

An organic oil bath can be relaxing, as well as hydrate your skin. A lavender bath relaxes and nourishes the skin, while calming the senses. A few drops of the oil in your bath water will do wonders for you after a tiring day at the office (or, in case of the Christmas Season, the mall).

7. Protect your Lips with Organic Lip Balm

Your lips will often get chapped during fall and winter.  This is not just because of the cold – our use of indoor heaters during cold weather is one cause of chapped lips.  The best way to avoid chapping is to use an organic lip balm. Always keep one in your pocket or purse.  Sometimes you won’t predict when you will need it.  Anyone who has suffered from chapped lips can tell you that lip balm is something one should never be without!

This post was first published on The Green Bean Blog. To continue reading, please visit Seven Fall and Winter Organic Skin Care Tips is a post from:

Toenails are such frequent targets of fungal infection, that this ailment is among the most common in the world. Because the fungus is more likely to grow in dark and damp places, feet and toenails are particularly susceptible.

Vinegar is often the home remedy most readily available to address this problem.

Vinegar contains natural properties that can both stave off and help cure toenail fungus. Many people choose this remedy over harsh chemicals or synthetic medicines.

Because both apple cider and white vinegar can aid in the eradication of fungal infections in the nail beds, either is acceptable for use as a home remedy. Not only is this remedy very cheap, but it is also among the most effective available.

Because vinegar is a safe, non-invasive treatment for toenail fungus, you don’t need any special training to apply it yourself.

Here is a basic outline of a common home remedy:

• Create a solution of one part vinegar and one part water.
• Soak your feet in this solution at least once daily, for 30 minutes, as well as alternate between cold and hot baths.
• Additionally, many people recommend that a person take three of these baths per day, at regular intervals.
• Because it causes a pH imbalance in the skin, toenail fungus can make skin more alkaline and thereby cause irritation of the cuticles and tissues.
• Toenail fungus should be treated immediately, since the infection can manifest itself as both itchiness and pain in the affected area.

The acidic properties of vinegar restore the pH balance of the skin, which allows the integumentary system to relieve the itchiness associated with the infection.

Many vinegar options are available today, which are relatively inexpensive at local groceries and markets. These include rice, malt, fruit, coconut, cane, balsamic, and apple cider varieties of vinegar.

The inflammation and pain that fungal infections cause has been shown to be reduced by the application of apple cider vinegar.  Hydrogen peroxide can also kill bacteria and viruses, when used in conjunction with a regular vinegar application.

An alternative to soaking your feet in a bath is to directly apply the vinegar on the base of the toenail, at least twice a day.  Just make sure that the vinegar will stay in place long enough to get the desired result.

A maximum of two drops of vinegar is suggested, for the remedy to be effective.

Toenail fungus can be effectively treated with vinegar. If you get infected, look to your kitchen cupboard first, for this simple but efficient solution for fungal problems.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you are ill you should consult a medical doctor.

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Ten Simple Steps to Greener Living

As awareness of the civilization’s impact on the environment increases, people are becoming more willing than ever before, to accept clean lifestyles. But some aren’t exactly sure where to begin.

One doesn’t have to start out with leaps and bounds.  Installing a full solar power system on one’s home or switching to a hybrid car would be great. But large steps require planning and financing.  Small steps can be taken right now.

In some cases, your choices might depend on several factors: where you live, the natural resources available to you, your lifestyle, and others. Therefore there is probably no “one-size-fits-all” solution to going green (or at least, greener).

But there are many simple things you can do to live a greener life, through your day-to-day activities, and most of these apply to just about anyone.

1. Learn more about sustainable living

This is the first and most important step in going green. You should read up on the subject of environmentalism, and how your personal carbon footprint can affect global pollution levels. There are plenty of resources available online, and you can visit your local library for books on related topics.

2. Save energy

The most effective way to cut down on your carbon emissions is to conserve on energy in your home. Install energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, turn off the lights when they aren’t in use, ensure your house is properly insulated and windows are properly sealed, and keep your energy consumption to a minimum. You will save energy and money at the same time.

3. Conserve water

Every drop of tap water you use consumes energy – for transport, filtering, and purification. It might just be water, but a lot of fossil fuel is consumed in processing it. In some places, water itself is scarce. You can turn the tap off while brushing your teeth, switch to more efficient washers and dryers, and collect rain water for use in your garden.

4. Use less fuel for transport

If a hybrid car is not an option at the moment, you can take other steps; walking or biking to work, or whenever you have to travel a short distance. If your work place is too far for a daily bicycle commute, consider using mass transit. You can carpool with a friend or coworker if that works. For long trips, consider the fuel efficiency of your different options.

5. Eat greener food

Eating is one thing everyone has in common. But did you know that eating the type of food can make an impact in the environment? The food industry contributes substantial carbon emissions in the process of shipping their products around the world. When you eat seasonal, local, and organic food, you help to conserve the environment – as well as improve your own health.

6. Buy smart

Instead of buying brand new wooden furniture for your home, you can search for good used furniture online, or even visit garage sales to find what you’re looking for. Think before making a purchase, no matter how big or small it is. Buying grocery items in bulk can save money and conserve on energy and packing materials. Also, be sure to buy high-quality products that will last for a long time and not just wind up in a landfill a year from now.

7. Shop Online

Shopping online is another good way to conserve on fuel. When you receive a purchase by post, the amount of fuel used to ship that purchase is no where near the amount of fuel you would have used to drive to a store and buy it offline. Furthermore, you can also save a considerable amount of time and money by shopping online, and many online stores offer free shipping.

8. Proper waste management

Years ago, many considered waste management to be the main environmental issue of concern. As long as you reduced, reused, and recycled, you were a friend of the environment. Things are not that simple these days, but waste conservation is still a big part of living green. It takes a lot of energy to process and dispose of waste, whether it’s recycled or dumped in a landfill. So conserving on waste is important, even if you do recycle. You should also compost your biodegradable waste materials.

9. Wear the right clothing

Your choice of clothing can make a big impact on the environment. One of the most heavily sprayed crops across the globe is cotton. Chemicals which are used as insecticides harm the environment, and harm people’s health. Fortunately, there are other alternative fabrics available in the market; such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and flax. Try to find and purchase clothing that uses these natural and nontoxic materials. Wearing such clothing is also better for your health.

10. Avoid toxins and chemicals

If you look carefully at many of the products you use every day, such as cleaning and personal care products, you might be quite surprised at the harmful chemicals they are made from. Use products made from natural and nontoxic ingredients.

They aren’t hard to find – even Amazon has an entire section dedicated to green products. This section is called Amazon Green and it includes many household, personal care, home improvement, office, clothing, and grocery items. By shopping at Amazon Green you can find nontoxic and environmentally friendly products more easily, while also saving money and conserving resources by doing your shopping online.

This post was first published on The Green Bean Blog. To continue reading, please visit How to Go Green in Your Day-to-Day Life is a post from:

This video will teach you some of the little known (or advertised) dangers of common personal care products we use, the toxins they contain, and the consequences they can have. Better yet, you’ll see some great ideas for healthy and nontoxic alternatives.

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Good news! Tom’s of Maine has now added a 24-hour, long-lasting deodorant in recycled/recyclable packaging to their line. They have sold all-natural deodorant free of aluminum, parabens and PG for decades, but now Tom’s commitment to sustainability extends even to the packaging.

To begin with, the plastic is made of 40-70% recycled materials from industrial waste sources. And the whole container is made from one type of plastic, polypropylene, so that the shell, cap, and screw can be recycled together. Most other deodorant containers make the shell cap and screw of different plastics, making recycling the products very difficult. As it is made of fully recyclable number 5 plastic, it is a little more difficult to recycle in some areas.

Gimme 5 Drop Off Bins

However, the Gimme 5 program allows you to drop the container at your local Whole Foods or to mail it in for recycling. So the packaging goes easily from recycled to fully recyclable.

The deodorant itself, like all Tom’s of Maine deodorants, is 100% natural, vegetable-based, never tested on animals, and proven to stop the growth of odor-causing bacteria. However, this last fact has been a bit dispute. As the deodorant does not contain the aluminum used by other deodorants to inhibit sweating, it makes no claims to being an anti-perspirant, but more than one person has complained that it isn’t much of a deodorant either. However, for around $3.99, it is definitely worth a try, especially when you know it won’t cost the environment much either.

Those of you aware of the toxic chemicals and additives in most personal care products were probably already aware of Tom’s of Maine. They have been making all natural personal care products for almost 40 years and have demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility and environmental sustainability all along the way. Visit their site to see the full line of products and the full lists of ingredients, which specify both the purpose and source of those ingredients.

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