Thoughts From The Garden

Now that everything is once again green and flowers have bloomed all around us our spirits are naturally lifted! Feeling the warm sun on our face and skin provides us with a feeling of euphoria but even though we are getting much needed Vitamin D and an energy boost we must remember to protect our skin by using a sunscreen as well. I have always held the belief in the law of balances and this is just one example. I worked with a gal in the beauty industry many years ago who told me that the sun damage (aka :burn) that I had acquired with my "early 20's friends "would not show problematic now but in 20-30 years the outcome would be wrinkles. Of course at that time we did not fully realize the negative effects of unprotected skin and we were all striving for that dark golden tan. Genes do play a big part also and my 92 year old Mother is a good example. She is constantly shocking folks when they discover her age. She does not look a day past her early 70's and was always trying to keep us girls in the shade. She burned easily and had always protected her skin.

Also try to remember your hair and eyes as they both need to be shaded as well. Keep track of your tootsies as they will be getting a lot of exposure with us donning our summer sandals. Our natural peppermint foot cream not only cools tired , hot feet, but also keeps them looking nice and smelling nice as well. Peppermint is antibacterial & anti-fungal and paired with the emollient butters and oils it is a must have any time of the year.

Our natural herbal soaps offer extra emolliency to your skin and never leaves your skin feeling like a shrinking prune like the store bought types of bar soap. No detergents are added to ours and they last 2-3 times longer. We have a great peppermint that cools & uplifts after a hot day or night!

I always keep the shelf lined with my skin soother for sun-drenched skin and can tell folks it was tested on a group of lobster people while in Hawaii. they passed it down the hotel corridor from room to room after their first day baking in the hotter sun and all survived without a single blister and slept comfortably throughout the night. It contains witch hazel distillate which helps draw the heat as well as a touch of glycerin and peppermint to help cool & moisturize the skin. Added vitamin E helps restore balance. I also recommend it for folks experiencing hot flashes for it's instant cooling effect.

My extra light facial lotion is a must have for under makeup or just to add the moisture that is lost from the hotter sunlight. It contains ingredients nutritional to skin, is not oily, and does not clog pores so it is good for any age.

***"COOL DOWN" TIP: If I get overheated during the day I like to draw a cool bath and drop a bit of lavender essential oil into it. It brings the body temperature down and relaxes. If I have gotten too much sun it also cools and restores my skin.

I go out onto my back patio each morning with cup of java in hand to meet the world in a song of happiness thanks to the vast variety of feathered friends who have happily moved into my back yard oasis of trees. The coy have moved from their glass fish tank in the house to their new found freedom of the patio pond. I truly feel better during this time of year. Pulling weeds actually becomes a labor of love and better than any other therapy for me!