Several years ago, I wrote an article called ‘A Love Story’. A revisit is timely. Summer fun. Vacation. Cottage country. Wherever there is sand, there lays the perfect partner for your feet.  A Love Story A beach. A riverbed. A desert. An ocean floor.Sand, sand and more sand. Those tiny gritty eroded rocks. Those small loose granular grains that can do absolute wonders for our feet. A perfect match. ‘Wriggle the sand between the toes.Rub the sand against the soles.’Luxuriate in nature’s natural exfoliant that helps soften the feet and remove the dry skin buildup. Exfoliation reduces aging. So…

Be armed. Pack your arsenal in a small cooler: Ice cubesEmu OilNeemCotton swabsApple Cider Vinegar or Baking SodaBlack TeaEssential oils: peppermint, lavender, lemongrass, tea tree All legal. Not too costly. No Chemicals. Safe for children and pets. And no danger to you or the environment. The goal is to master the mosquito attack.  ‘Be Prepared’ when you suspect the attack is imminent. ‘Be Prepared' for after, in case the enemy traverses the moat.  It is a challenge. I do not underestimate the dangers. The swelling, itching, scratching, bleeding, infections. The possibility of an illness.…

We need to rethink Titanium Dioxide It thickens, whitens, lubricates, and screens us from the sun. It is added to cosmetics, food, toothpastes, pharmaceuticals, food. Some peddle it. Some don’t. Is it safe? We do not know. The jury is out. When there is such indecision, I prefer to err on the side of caution.  By 2020 France is banning it as a food additive claiming links to obesity and diabetes. Health Canada says no, as the studies were only done on animals. We need to look at what it may be doing to us. Our children are more susceptible to the dangers as their immune systems are still…

Decision Fatigue  It's a real thing, and I am certain we all have it. Brains get tired. Decisions expend mental energy, reducing our ability to think straight. And since life is about choices, I wish I didn't have so many on a daily basis. I feel like an exceeding number of products are accumulating around me like an exponentially multiplying bacteria impeding my view on the rest of the world! Eggs alone. Organic, free run, free range, omega, cage-free, pasture-raised, humanly-raised, local, farmers-market, veggie-fed! Come on, seriously? Am I the only one who finds this overwhelming? It's…

Hopefully we are saying goodbye to ‘winter itch’ now that spring is here,but don’t put away the zinc yet.  Zinc is all season. Zinc works for ‘Winter Itch’. Windy. Cold. Dry. The Grey. Bitter. Dry. The  Damp. Frigid. Dry. Say goodbye to ‘dry’ weather. The lack of humidity should no longer play havoc on our skin. In winter, do you suffer itchy ear lobes, chin, chest, eyelids? Does your scalp drive you crazy? Or even worse, your BACK? Especially that no-reach zone? Do you find yourself rummaging for a back scratcher in the kitchen, the closet, the basement?  A spatula, spoon, hockey stick,…

CLUTTER Why do most of us have the tendency to hold onto clutter, only to buy more? Why is it so hard to get rid of things we don't use? We convince ourselves, "I may need it in the future", or "I'll get it fixed one day", or "It holds sentimental value"... or we just couldn't be bothered to discard it, so we shove it somewhere... until it piles up around us. Junk drawers. Cupboards. Full. Garages. Full. Some of us even rent storage bins to hold even more stuff! We really don't need it all and this hoarding habit actually contributes to stress!! Spring is a wonderful opportunity to purge, to…

WANTED DIMETHICONE aka: SILICONE Wanted For: Possible Environmental pollutant, Endocrine disrupterProbable Locations: Skin care products: creams, lotions, hair and nail care, deodorants, make-up, breast implantsAliases: silicone, dimethicone, methicone, phenyl trimethicone, cyclomethicone, dimethiconol, dimethicone copolyol.Suspected Peers and Cohorts: petroleum, mineral oil, lanolinDescription: liquid, to gel, to hard plastic. Generally undetectable as it is in combination with other ingredients.Reward for discovery: Possibly healthier skin and cleaner environment Beware of Dimethicone in ‘…

Most people associate patchouli with a 'hippy scent' or 'the smell of the sixties' to cover up body odour or the scent of pot. I myself fell into this stereotype prior to doing this research, but I have recently taken a new perspective on this decadent essential oil. It is actually used for a wide variety of benefits. And when I say 'wide', I mean the full spectrum. The paradox of patchouli is that it is both calming and uplifting simultaneously! How can an aromatherapy be used to both ground and lift? Read on! Patchouli essential oil is derived from a large evergreen perennial and is a…