Alarm awake another dayPut the body wash in playFocus, stretch to morning cleanseSquish the pump. Squirt away  Bubble lather aims to cleanGentle soothing grapefruit sheenPromising a glow skin shineIs danger lurking? Quite unseen? Ready now to face the day!Although quite polluted.Sad to say Our skin often feels it could use a little help. This typical morning cleansing ritual described above would not occur if you truly knew what you were doing. Body washes are in. They smell great. Affordable. Functional. What more should one ask for? How about asking for a cleanser that does not contain so…

When you whisper ‘marula’ in an elephant’s ear, watch him smile. It is true that they do love to eat the fruit of the marula tree, but does it really make them ‘tipsy’ as legend says?  Elephants that consume fermented marula fruit from the ground sometimes appear drunk. Perhaps the fruit does ferment in the stomach, turning to alcohol.  The elephant has always been admired. Aristotle once said ‘The elephant surpasses all others in wit and mind’. The elephant can identify languages, read our body talk, mourn their dead, mimic our voices. They can use tools to achieve a goal and their memory is…

The other evening, I asked my husband to humour me in mime. Intrigued to be on stage, he paused the TV news.  “Ok. What’s up?” he asked. “You are entering a store and are greeted by the sanitizing dispenser. What do you do?” He mimes pressing the pump, receiving the imaginary glop onto the palm of one hand, and then proceeds the cleansing hand dance, vigorously rubbing the palms together, round and round, over and up and down. He then sits back and grins with satisfaction, “I’m sanitized.” I smiled. " An almost perfect demo, but you forgot the most important parts. Your fingertips.” He…

“Amazon delivery!  Wahoo! My new shadow from ColourPop is here, Spiker.” Val chimes to her pet lab as he barks his approval. She then rips open the package and being smart and savvy, peruses the label. “OK. Label. Let’s see what you say. Everyone is telling me to READ YOU. So here goes.” Val scrunches her face as she skims the listing. The ingredients do not seem to be making much sense.   “OK. I’ll admit I do not understand the ingredients but, then, who does? “ Val explains to Spiker as she nuzzles his ears. “All my friends are using cool eyeshadows and stuff and they absolutely love it.  …

This is a reminder. Cold Water Power works. Repeat. Repeat. Take a cold Shower. When things get heated good advice is, ‘Take a cold shower and calm down.”  Cold water does reduce stress.  Cold water can prevent you from getting sick in a number of other ways too. At the start of Covid, I wrote Add Cold Showers to Your List . In case you shivered at the thought, please reconsider. Summer weather makes cold showers more desirable. But it is not easy. A healthy immune system is important. People who take cold showers will swear that they are healthier for it.  They may not like doing it, but…

Salmon, kale, eggs, tuna. All high in Retinol. Cheese. Liver, Cod, Squash. All high in retinol. Aka Vitamin A, an essential. When consuming fatty acids, we also consume the fat-soluble vitamins, like retinol. Our skin needs it. Today, with Covid precautions that dictate recommended products on the skin, we need all the help we can get. Since time began, oils containing natural retinol, have been rubbed into the skin to help soothe, moisturize and heal. Africans apply shea butter. Islanders: coconut. Inuit: whale fat, bear grease. Mediterranean’s love olive oil. Moroccans, argan. Australians,…

“Is This Product ‘Dermatologist Tested’?” An understandable query for one who is trying to make sure the product is ‘approved’ by people in the know. BUT, if the true nature of the question was really understood, there would be no question. Because both question and answer mean nothing. Seeing the term ‘dermatologist tested’ on a label or in advertising should actually reduce the product’s credibility. It is a marketing ploy to infer that the product has actually been tested properly by qualified people. Not always so. A company can ask a dermatologist to sample a particular product, one…

The jury is out. The world can’t decide. On masks: (views to date) The Czech Republic: masks mandatorySlovakia, Bosnia-Herzgovina, Morocco: masks mandatoryAustria: must wear a mask to enter a supermarketNew Zealand disagrees with masks and says personal hygiene is what is bestThe USA recommends simple cloth coverings.  We all know Trump said he would not wear one though. But as long as Americans come out and vote, he doesn't care.China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan: masks strongly encouraged. Hong Kong claims the spread of the virus was slowed because of the mask. Maybe? Maybe not…