Green Bloggers Digest

What's the Best Way to treat Nappy Rash?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:16 GMT

As a mom, your heart sinks when your baby has nappy rash. Your heart also ache when your baby is unsettled, especially when they pass wee that comes into contact with rash. Many babies with nappy rash do not sleep well, waking often due to pain.

Your baby's skin is very sensitive. Nappy rash is commonly caused when a baby's skin is exposed to wet or dirty nappy for too long. Most cases of nappy rash can be treated successfully at home.

Here are some tips to prevent and treat nappy rash:

Change your baby more frequently. Use a light dusting of Natural Powder after bathing Baby and at every nappy change time to assist in the absorption of excess moisture. For a natural organic baby powder, try using Miessence’s Baby Powder. It is a pure and natural edible grade cornstarch powder which is completely talc free and contains only pure essential oil of Organic Chamomile and Calendula to soothe and soften Baby’s skin and refresh the nappy area.
Check your baby’s diaper after he or she wakes up from sleeping as many babies will urinate after falling asleep.
Use disposable nappies, which absorb the urine quickly and leave the surface of the nappy (that is next to the skin) dry. If your baby has developed a diaper rash using disposables, consider using cloth diapers with a breathable wool or cotton cover to see if the rash improves. Many people believe that babies who wear cloth diapers get fewer diaper rashes because cloth diapers allow more air to pass over the skin thus keeping it drier.
Use only soaps made for babies and baby wipes that do not have alcohol in them ( Alcohol stings badly on damaged skin.)
Clean your baby’s bottom with plain water at nappy changes. If this does not clean the skin well enough, try sorbolene cream – a simple and soothing cream.
Apply barrier cream such as zinc and castor oil cream a few times a day, especially before long sleeps – or at every nappy change if baby’s bottom is slightly red. This is to keep wetness away from baby’s skin.
Make sure you change cloth nappies often and, whenever possible, do not put plastic pants over them.
Rinse thoroughly all washed nappies to remove traces of detergents and other chemicals. Then, if possible, dry them in a tumble drier – this makes them much softer than drying them in the sun.
If it is feasible, letting your baby go without a diaper during the day will allow a rash to heal faster.
Break open a 400 IU capsule of vitamin E and apply it directly to the diaper rash area. Vitamin E contains powerful antioxidants helping the skin to heal much quicker.

Remember to see your family doctor if your baby’s nappy rash looks severe, is hurting your baby or doesn’t clear up within a few days.

Homemade Green Clay Mask for Acne

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:16 GMT

We are spoiled with choices when comes to clay mask. There are many type of clays : white clay, red clay, green clay, pink clay and yellow clay. These exceptional quality clays have a multitude of purposes and each one carries substantial quantities of minerals for general skin health.

Did you know that Green Clay works best on acne skin? Green Clay is the most absorbing of clays, and it is generally used as a facial mask for tissue repair, drawing toxins from the skin and to normalise excessive secretions of oil or sweat. Green clay also firms, tones and refines the skin, promoting a smooth, supple, and clear complexion.

Green clay can be found at your local health food store or if you wish to purchase online, I recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. They stock all the various clays mentioned above.

To make your very own homemade green clay mask, you will need the following ingredients:

1 ounce green clay
3 tablespoons aloe vera gel
3- 1/2 teaspoons of water

Method

Combine the clay, aloe vera gel and water in a bowl and mix well.
Apply the paste to your face immediatiately, using gentle, upward strokes and avoiding the the areas around the eyes.
Let the mask sit on your skin for approximately 15 minutes or until it's dry.
Rinse off well with warm water before applying a toner and moisturizer.

The aloe vera gel in this mask provides strong healing properties, and due to its soothing nature it can calm blotches, rediness and swelling to the skin.

Alternatively, you can also make a Simple Yogurt and French Green Clay Mask.

The ingredients are

1 tablespoon of French Clay
2 tablespoon plain yogurt
2 tablespoons distilled water

Method

Mix together the yogurt and distilled water in a mixing bowl.
While stirring, slowly sprinkle in the french green clay
Apply the paste to your face immediately, using gentle, upward strokes and avoiding the the areas around the eyes.
Let the mask sit on your skin for approximately 15 minutes or until it's dry.
Rinse off well with warm water before applying a toner and moisturizer.

Alternatively, if time is an issue to make your homemade clay mask, then the next best remedy is to purchase the complete mixture online. I recommend the Purifying Mineral Mask from Miessence.

The Purifying Mineral Mask is specifically formulated for problem skin with natural green clay, organic echinacea, and witch hazel to tone and purify the skin. It also contains wonderful properties of organic lavender, lemon myrtle and tea trea. All this goodness in one mineral mask product for $33.45 .

Preserving and Storing the Organic Way

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:16 GMT

by Adrian Michaels

Since buying or growing organic produce tends to be a seasonal affair, you will want to be able to preserve your fruits and vegetables to use later in the year. There are several great food preservation methods that you can use to keep food for many months, all still retaining the organic standards you are looking for. The most common are canning, freezing and drying.

Canning
Canning is a bit of a misnomer since you are really storing your food in glass jars rather than cans. You can can things like pickles and tomatoes (high acidity) foods in just a boiling water bath but for all other foods, you will need to invest in a pressure canner. Food is packed into proper canning jars, made by Ball or Mason (not old jam jars) and heated under pressure long enough to kill any bacteria. When they are removed from the canner and cooled, a vacuum is created which seals down the lids.

This is how many past generations preserved their foods and though it takes more work than these other methods, the sealed jars can be stored anywhere once finished. Your food retains much of its nutrients but the texture will be softer since everything you can gets a good cooking in the canner.

Freezing
Freezing is the simplest method here but does require the ongoing use of your freezer to keep everything nicely frozen. This can be a problem if your home is subject to power outages. Some vegetables can just be cleaned up and frozen just as-is but you will get better preservation if you blanch most first. That's a quick bath is boiling hot water to stop the natural enzyme actions that would degrade your food, even in the freezer. When thawed, your food will be the closest to fresh of most preservation methods.

For large gardens, you may need to invest in a second chest freezer if you want to use this method to preserve most of your harvest.

Drying
Drying is not ideal for all your fruits and veggies but it can be a great option to use as part of your overall preservation plan. Like canning, you can stored your finished foods without any special conditions (unlike freezing). All you need is a dehydrator, which isn't much more than a small heater with a fan. Most commercial dehydrators will hold several trays of sliced food and have them thoroughly dry in an afternoon or overnight. For large harvests, you will want a large unit or even build your own drying racks.

Food that is dried for preservation needs to be completely dry or it can become moldy while in storage. Depending on the type of food, that can be tough and leathery or even dry enough to snap when bent. The food will shrink quite a bit once dehydrated making for better storage. The downside is that the consistency of the food once it's rehydrated isn't as good as the other methods.

None of these methods involving using artificial or chemical preservatives, making them perfect for the organic shopper or gardener.

About the Author
Adrian Michaels loves organic food and is a writer for Organic Food Lovers, a site for people with a passion for food that's organic.
Visit Organic updates to have fresh organic news delivered to your inbox:
http://www.organicupdates.com/

Why Babies get Nappy Rash?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:16 GMT

Nappy rash is common and can happen no matter how careful you are about looking after your baby’s bottom. Some babies may have very sensitive skin and rashes on other parts of their bodies. Some babies only get nappy rashes when they have a cold or some other viral illness. Others may have infections, such as thrush, which make the rash worse. Almost all children who wear nappies will get nappy rash at some stage.

Common causes of nappy rash include:

Sensitive skin
A trigger factor or ‘agent’.

Sensitive skin
Babies who have rashes on other parts of their bodies, such as cradle cap or eczema (on the face or under the chin), are more likely to get nappy rash. This tendency is often inherited.

Trigger factors or ‘agents’
Some things can trigger nappy rash, including:

Ammonia – chemicals in urine may be changed into ammonia, which ‘burns’ the skin.
Thrush (candida) – thrush exists in faeces (poo) normally but the levels rise sometimes without obvious causes. This can occur when a baby needs antibiotics for another infection. Thrush can make a nappy rash much redder and more painful.
Chemical exposure – chemicals in nappy-soaking solutions, laundry detergents and fabric softeners can irritate the skin of very sensitive babies. Some baby wipes may cause irritation if they contain alcohol. Some scented soaps or baby lotions can also irritate the skin of some babies.
Plastic pants – these may keep the baby’s clothes clean and dry, but they prevent airflow. Because the clothes do not get wet, a baby may be left in a wet or dirty nappy for a long time and this keeps the baby’s skin wet.
Friction or rubbing – rough nappies can rub and chafe at the baby’s sensitive skin.

If you baby has sensitive skin or is having nappy rash due to chemical exposure, it is highly recommended to use natural baby product that are free from nasty chemicals.

Why Do We Need Collagen for Youthful Skin?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:16 GMT

Collagen has been the “buzz” word in the skin care industry. They're often advertised as an anti-aging solution. At a glance, this makes sense because collagen is a type of fibrous protein that connects and supports bodily tissues.

Known as the glue that holds the body together, collagen works hand-in-hand with elastin to give body tissues form and provides firmness and strength.

Naturally, the production of collagen diminishes as we age, thus leading to wrinkles. As such, collagen is an important substance for those looking for ways to fight the visible effects fo aging on the skin.

While collagen can deliver benefits to skin, collagen creams are not as effective as what manufacturers have claimed. Collagen creams does not have the ability to rebuild or replace lost collagen.

The only sources of collagens are animal skins. The molescules are too large to be absorbed by the skin's cells. Although collagen creams cannot penetrate the skin to build new fibers, they are highly effective moisturizers for dry skin.

If a collagen boost is what you are after, you need to saught for products that contains Vitamin C, soy, or retinol. These are agents that have been shown clinically to boost collagen production.