Natural Chemical Free Moisturizer for Beautiful Skin

A few days ago I was going to give ya'll a recipe for soft scrub.  That led to a very different post - all about Dr Bronner's Castille Soap.

You're still going to have to wait a bit for that soft scrub recipe because as I recounted in the last blog...it all began with a less expensive but yet effective way of caring for the skin on my face.  Our faces are fragile and give away our age - we cannot skimp on the care of our faces!!!

I use Dr. Bronner's for my cleanser straight from the bottle.  Just a dime size amount.  And I make my own moisturizer.  I spend about $1.00 a month to care for my face total compared to the $64.00 per month I used to spend and I have to admit that the results are actually better than anything I have used in the past. ...and I have used it ALL!!!  That $64.00 savings lets me wander and explore a bit more!

Some of my friends might be surprised to learn that I was actually a cosmetic counter salesperson for a very high end line of cosmetics in a department store.  I say surprised because I am far from a glamour girl these days.  I wear make-up on occassion and enjoy dressing up here and there.  But day to day, I'm a wash a go kinda gal.

About six months after I started my new skin-care routine with Dr. Bronner's and Coconut Oil, I found essential oils and fell in love.  Essential oils are volatile oils that absorb into our skin with amazing results!   I will caution that not ALL essential oils are created equal.  You can read more about that here, but that's not what this post is about.

I eventually found the exact right mixture for my face that has reduced the signs of wrinkles, protects from sun exposure, and all the clogged pores are a thing of the past!

Enjoy this free recipe for your own Naturally Beautiful Moisturizer:

For Printable Version, Click on Recipe

Dr Bronner's Castille Soap

I started to write a post with a recipe and realized that Dr Bronner's really is the foundation of so many recipes that I needed to let you know about this soap first!

I began my life with Dr Bronner's Castille Soap in an effort to find a cheaper alternative to skin care a few years go.

 Experience drives me.  I LOVE experiences.  Visiting new places, eating new foods (good or bad), making a fun craft, spending time with old friends, making new friends - they drive me - they give me life!!!

I was spending $65 a month on my face.  I was not happy about it at all.  There were other things I would prefer to do with $65 other than clean and moisturize my face.  However, my face was also important and I didn't want to ignore that either.

After doing a lot of research, I decided to go with Dr Bronner's Castille Soap as a cleanser.  A $10.99 bottle would last 2 years as a cleanser.  It is completely natural and many bloggers recommended it as an excellent cleanser!  (my moisturizer recipe will be next)

I sought out my first bottle of castille soap at our local grocery store - Sprouts.

I had to ask an employee for help.  She told me that it was good for the washing machine, dishwasher, dish soap, hand soap, body wash, and face wash.  I was pretty shocked that it was an all-in-one, but I was really only ready for one purpose - my face!

At that point, I stuck with using the soap only as a the face wash.  It took less than a dime size drop to soap up my entire face.  I was immediately in love - my face was clean and felt great!

It has done a fabulous job as a face wash.

But NOW...I use it EVERYWHERE!!!

It is my body wash.

Used in recipes for hand soap, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, soft scrub, and to wash my car, it has proven very effective.

Dr Bronner's Castille Soap is all natural, chemical free, wonderful goodness.

When I purchased my first bottle, I read the bottle which was full of crazy thoughts and sayings.  They still are and might cause some to be put off by the whole deal.  From what I've read, his real life resembled the craziness you find on the bottle.  He was a survivor of the Holocaust which shaped his life.   Although he, himself, might have had a few screws loose, his soap is all that and a bag of chips too.  You can read a bit about Dr Bronner with a simple google search.

There are other brands of castille soap that aren't filled with quite so much rhetoric on the bottle, but I definitely prefer Dr Bronner's to the other ones I have tried.

My name is Renee', and I am a sugar addict.

One of my favorite places to shop has been Sugar for the gummy twin cherries that are surrounded by other sugar goodness.

Here is a list of  reasons I love sugar...it could never be complete...

• sugar tastes good
• candy is delicious
• cookies are delicious
• brownies make me happy
• the salted carmel cake pops at Starbucks are amazing
• I like to see children happy - they are happy when given sugary treats
• I like to see my husband happy - he is happy when given sugary treats
• Circuses, parades, birthday parties, general parties, fairs, boardwalks, vacations - they all promote a sugary good time!!!!

Why do I know I should not like sugar (the processed kind)?

• diabetes 
• obesity
• mood crashes
• empty calories
• liver function
• metobolic function
• addictive nature

THE TIME HAS COME...to watch the documentary Fed Up, make new habits, and rid my life of its sugar addiction by saying good-bye.  I decided that on June 3rd, 2015, I would choose to start living wisely with regards to sugar - a new life - a life without processed, refined sugar.  

I spent the month prior preparing for THE day.  

 

There was some very intentional prepartion that needed to take place.  For one, I ate all the delicacies I would "miss" in the future.  I took time out of a very busy month to make personal visits to locations that would miss me in the future.  One such time, I gathered the troops (the family), loaded up the chariot (a 2007 Honda Odyssey), drove miles away (7 to be exact), and entered the lab (a bakery). 

I sauntered into the smell of baking goodness to my favorite confectionery, Kneaders.  As I stared at the display counters, my mouth watered at the sites of the deliciousness placed before my eyes. 
I planned carefully what dessert would be my last Kneaders dessert based on the choices of each and every one of my team members.  I may have altered their decision making based on the needs of my taste buds that fine Thursday, May 28th where I had the task to taste each of the 6 members of my families, sweet, delicious delicacies all in the name of preparation.

Another item on the to do list - research alternatives...I DO intend to enjoy desserts in life - just not processed, sugary desserts.  I did research to learn what sweeteners I WILL continue to

use or add into my life - honey, maple syrup, and a bit of stevia.  There are a lot of alternative sweeteners....honey, molasses, maple syrup, stevia, agave, brown sugar, turbinado, yellow packets, blue packets, etc.  Brown sugar is just processed white sugar in disguise; that's out!  All of the chemically laiden artificial sweeteners don't match up to my attempt to live a whole foods, chemical free life; they're out.  Agave is "natural" but is more concentrated than high fructose corn syrup, so the way our body processes it is actually not optimal either; that's out.  The research on raw honey has boggled my mind.  Across the board, all agree, there are amazing benefits of raw honey.  Even the Bible mentions the need for honey in our lives.  Honey will most certainly remain a sweetener in my household.  Maple syrup is a great sweetener with a low glycemic index.  Maple syrup stays!  Stevia is a non-calorie, plant based sweetener with mixed reviews in the research I have done.  I am not anti-stevia and it will have a place in my life.  Molasses is also a good alternative, but quite frankly, it's nasty without processed sugar along with it (which is what brown sugar is).  It's not out...but not one I would choose either.

In order to make this a positive change in my life, I also need to know WHY I chose to do this.  If I keep the why close to my heart, I will stick with a no sugar life. 

My first why is spiritual - it first started as a part of a fast I was planning.  As the time came nearer, I realized that it wasn't just for "a time" but that it would be for all time.  When I crave and desire the sugar, I will remember the sacrifice of Jesus.  This why really came out of a desire for a healthier life which is a continual process.  I want to keep up with my future grandkids - that means that today I have to prepare for that time. Understanding why sugar is not good for my body is important.  Years ago I gave up caffeine for health reasons and years later, I am better off because of it.  I believe that when sugar is out of my life, I will have a clearer head, more sustained energy, less fat, and a healthier functioning immune system.  The reminder of the benefits I will receive help me to push through the hard of no sugar!

I look forward to making new things.  I have been collecting recipes that don't replace my bad habits with new bad habits but with delicious foods that will have other benefits as well.  It is so fun to learn new things.

Here is one recipe I am anxious to try...

Check out the link below the recipe to read about how many amazing health benefits there are when you eat this jello too!

Real Food Blueberry Jello Recipe

Posted By Robin Konie On May 18, 2015 @ 1:00 am

Real Food Blueberry Jello Recipe

 
Ingredients

• 3 cups blueberries
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably organic grade B)
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp gelatin (preferably grass fed)

Directions

1. Pour water and blueberries into a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Use an immersion blender to mash the blueberries and water.
3. Strain the mixture and put back in the pot.
4. Add syrup and lemon juice.
5. Add 3 Tbsp gelatin and mix well with the immersion blender.
6. Pour into a pan or jello mold.
7. Let cool.
8. Place in fridge for 2 hours.
9. Enjoy!

---

Article printed from Thank Your Body: http://www.thankyourbody.com
URL to article: http://www.thankyourbody.com/blueberry-jello-recipe/

Living Wisely is a continual process.  As we grow and learn, we gain wisdom.  Open your mind, learn, read, discern - never stop!  May you be inspired to make a positive change in your life too!

gave is indeed "natural"., and has those small benefits. BUT: it also contains even more concentrated fructose, than high-fructose-corn-syrup. Look it up.
FRUCTOSE goes straight to fat storage--a liability for the obese and for most diabetics. 
Yes, fructose "hits" slower than glucose--because it is going into long-term storage.
Better options for weight loss and blood sugar balancing would be Stevia, Monk Fruit, and yes, even molasses or a small amount of raw honey. 

resources for more information:

http://www.livescience.com/39601-stevia-facts-safety.html

http://www.organicauthority.com/Superfood-Sweetener-Maple-Syrup-Low-Glycemic

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/02/13591/quantity-sugar-food-supply-linked-diabetes-rates

http://www.oprah.com/health/Sugar-Substitutes-Healthy-Natural-Sweeteners/2 (notice the comments for information on Agave)

http://authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad/