The winter weather can take its toll on your skin causing dryness, itchiness, and skin dehydration. To ease your winter skin woes, here are some Top 5 tips:

1. Invest in good humidifiers

A humidifier is a  must-have home device during the winter months.  Humidifiers help to create the much needed moisture in your home that are loss due to your home heating and cold weather. So, put these little device around the house to improve moisture and humidity.

2. Have warm and short showers

A 30 minute steaming hot shower during winter is warm and tempting, but this can do more harm than good. Water dries out your skin, making it harder to retain moisture afterwards. Therefore, keep your shower time under 15 minutes. Remember to moisturise after a shower.

3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

Moisturise your face, your body,  your lips, hands and feet! Moisturizer acts as a protective barrier to prevent moisture loss from the skin as it dries. Moisturizer is best applied when the skin is damp (i.e after a shower).

Use richer and hydrating moisturizer during the winter months. Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is thick, rich and super concentrated, which gives a luxurious feel.  Good quality body butters contain antioxidants, beta carotene, Vitamin A, E and F, all of which are nourishing for the skin. Regular use can keep skin looking younger longer.

The best body butter is Shea, Cocoa and Mango (yum..).

View our Top picks of moisturizer for this winter months here.

4. Exfoliate your skin

The harsh winter weather causes more dead skin cells to accumulate than normal. Exfoliating 2-3 times a week with a natural gentle exfoliant leaves skin supple and makes it easier for your moisturizer to absorb into your skin.

You can easily whip up a honey and lemon sugar scrub from your kitchen cupboard. The recipe can be found here.

5. Use Sunscreen SPF30+

Because it is winter, it doesn’t mean the sun’s harmful UV rays aren’t going to have an impact on your skin. Make sure to NEVER leave the house without applying sunscreen with at least SPF 30. Remember to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside.

A good sunscreen has SPF 30,  and contain one active ingredient – Zinc Oxide - a mineral reflector found in nature to sits on your skin reflecting both UVA and UVB rays.  UVA rays (also known as the silent wrinkler) can do deeper level damage at the cell level, and can be responsible for skin ageing and wrinkling.

Anyway, my economical way to keep myself warm this winter is to cook. Yes, cooking, not only gives me the warm fuzzy feeling but it also can keep  me physically warm. The kitchen will be warm while cooking and then I can have a great home cooked meal! :) Ahh….double bliss.

If you are not a chef, grab a roast chicken or a hot pie or chicken soup from a
hot meal merchandisers and savour it at home. Drinking a warm broth is relaxing and stimulating. I seek warmth through my faithful organic Japanese green tea.

Of course there is a limit to what we can stomach in a day. So how do we keep ourself warm other time? You can choose to do something or nothing. The nothing bit is just to snuggle in bed the whole day but the drawback of this choice is you will feel sluggish and tired and that is not a pleasant feeling.

The more positive option is to exercise. 20 minutes of vigorous exercise can warm you up and keep you warm well after the exercise session. A warm nice shower is also a plus point and of course, how could we forget our favourite slippers, warm socks and maybe the hideous looking Snuggie? (May the power be with you…)

Anyway, keep warm this winter, and don’t forget to drink enough water and apply some sunscreen before heading out!

Having to calm down a colicky baby can be one of the hardest parts about being a parent. The baby seems to cry at all hours, and sometimes there’s no reason behind it. Try using these five different methods to calm your child down and get some peace and quiet.

Method 1: Baby Swings
Baby swings rock your child back and forth, giving them some soothing vibrations and rhythmic movement. These swings can easily calm down most children within a few minutes, and it frees your hands to do other things. Swings are better during the day, but you can easily use them at any time.

When buying a swing, make sure you get one that is correctly sized for your child. There are small ones and large ones. If you put a newborn in a bigger baby swing, then he or she might slump over.

Method 2: Remove from Room
Is there a lot of noise going on because of a lot of people in the house? Babies are easily overstimulated, and this leads to stress and crying. By removing the baby from the environment, he or she will often calm down after some nice rocking.

Method 3: Create Some Vibrations
This is similar to the baby swing. Children calm when there are vibrations, and there are a few ways of making them. First, turn on the clothes washer and dryer. These are often able to calm your child within a few minutes. If you want to go out, then take the baby for a car ride. The car’s vibrations will often be enough to put any baby to sleep.

Method 4: Bundle Up
People often think that babies like having a lot of room, but the opposite is true. Wombs are very compact, and babies are used to being packed in warm and tight settings. Cross the babies arms across his or her chest and pack the baby in tightly with a lightweight blanket.

Not only is this calming, but it usually helps babies sleep longer and better. Don’t pack the baby in too tightly, as this can cause him or her to suffocate.

Method 5: Change your Diet
This is especially true if you are breastfeeding. There are many irritating foods that can pass on through your breast milk that may cause the baby to inconsolable cry. Some foods include: coffee, most dairy products and onions. Talk to a doctor about this and see what other foods you should eliminate.

Also, if your baby happens to have an allergy to any foods, make sure you are not eating those foods and breastfeeding. This can also cause the baby to cry.

Conclusion
Calming down a colicky baby can be very hard and stressful. But, don’t lose your temper. If you stay calm and keep trying, then you will find something that can help calm your child. Just think about his or her needs and do what you can to make things easier for the baby.

About the Author

Tom Demers writes for Organic Baby Nook, an organic baby products guide for earth-conscious parents. Visit the official Organic Baby Nook site to read organic baby product reviews and articles.

Eating healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains will make you feel, well.. healthy!

There’s one source of food that is often overlooked and yet contains an amazing array of health promoting nutrients our bodies need.

Wheat Germ

Try your best to incorporate whole grains and fiber in your diet because they will leave you feeling fuller longer. Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber that you can sprinkle over your cereal, soup, smoothies, add to salads or bread mix.

Wheat germ is also packed full of vitamins and minerals that benefit the body in a whole host of ways.

It is particularly rich in vitamin E which amongst other things helps keep the skin and hair looking healthy. Let’s face it, we need all the help we can get as we get older!

Other sources of nutrients that wheat germ provides include: B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, protein, zinc, potassium and selenium.

With so many health promoting nutrients, it is no wonder that this cheap and plentiful seed is gaining popularity amongst traditional medicine.

You can buy wheat germ in its raw state, toasted or as oil. All three products have their own advantages and are easy to add to your daily diet.

Health Benefits of Wheat Germ

The health benefits range from improved hair condition to treating some forms of cancer.

Wheat germ is a good source of omega 3 fatty acid – which is an ‘essential’ fatty acid we don’t consume enough of. It is called essential because the body cannot produce it itself and so we need to take it from the foods we eat.

Essential fatty acids in the diet have been shown to reduce heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. Unfortunately the Western diet is pretty devoid of essential fatty acids and explains why heart disease is still the leading cause of death.

Wheat Germ For Bodybuilding

For years now weight lifters and bodybuilders have been supplementing their diet with wheat germ.

It is particularly rich in protein and a great alternative to having to rely on meat sources. This is particularly beneficial for vegetarian bodybuilders.

It is also a much cheaper form of protein than most of these expensive supplement powders and does the same job – plus you get all the extra benefits that wheat germ has.

Adding Wheat Germ to Your Diet

Toasted wheat germ is particularly easy to add to foods and is a quick and convenient way to consume it.

Wheat germ oil can be added to smoothies or poured over salads or other cooked foods. The benefit of wheat germ oil is that it is absorbed more efficiently into the blood stream.

There are plenty of wheat germ recipes that you can try that makes it very easy to add this super food into your diet.

Whichever form of wheat germ you choose, making it a part of your daily diet can significantly improve your health. Try it!

Peter has a website dedicated to informing visitors of all the any health benefits of wheat germ. Visit his site:http://www.wheatgermbenefits.com to learn more.

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.

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.

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 online.

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

1. Combine the clay, aloe vera gel and water in a bowl and mix well.
2. Apply the paste to your face immediatiately, using gentle, upward strokes and avoiding the the areas around the eyes.
3. Let the mask sit on your skin for approximately 15 minutes or until it’s dry.
4. 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

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

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.
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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.

Nothing gives away your age like your hands. Our hands tend to age quicker and show their age more than most other parts of our bodies.

Why do hands age so fast? The skin on the backs of your hands has few oil glands so it shrivels and chaps easily uponexposure especially around the joints. Add to this the overall fragile structure of your handsand you can understand why the skin on our hands is especially vulnerable to aging.

Not only that, our hands are constantly exposed to the environment, the sun and sun damage, gravity, age, and daily abuse inflicted by us, not to mention neglect, again by us. So basically, our aging hands are self-inflicted to some degree.

Our hands do so much for us during the day, yet we seem to just forget about them when it comes to skin and body care.

Is it really possible to renew hands once they start the aging process? Yes, you can rejuvenate the skin somewhat, plump it up with product and prevent additional aging. The rule of thumb is to treat your hands like you do for your face.

You can however slow the aging process by protecting your skin with gloves and by using moisturizer and sunscreen all year round.

Here’s some useful tips to protect your hands from aging:

• Gloves. Get accustomed to using rubber gloves whenever you do housework or a little gardening.
• Soak hands in a bowl of warm water to which 1 tsp of corn starch has been added for 5 minutes daily after finishing the house-hold chores.
• Finger Massage. Using four fingers from the opposite hand, start at the top of the finger and knead your way down to the tip of each finger. Feels wonderfully relaxing.
• Hand Massage. To stimulate circulation, rub your palm over the back of the hand and repeat with other hand. This movement is very similar to washing your hands and not only stimulates circulation, it also warms the hands.
  Massage hands once a week with olive oil and a little table salt added to it.
• Nourishing Hand Cream. Keep your Hand Cream on the counter and get into the habit of applying the cream several times a day. And remember the nails. They can benefit too.
• Beauty Sleep. Before you go to bed, lavish on your hand cream and then put on a pair of cotton gloves. Hands will be incredibly soft by morning. For chapped hands in winters, wash with lukewarm water (before going to bed), apply milk-cream and put on a pair of gloves; wash hands the next morning.
• Exfoliate your hands once a week.
• Sunscreen. Remember that your hands is also exposed to sun damage. It is important to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before moving out in the sun.

Organic Passion products recommendations:

1. Miessence Nourishing Hand Cream – An ultra-rich and nourishing cream for dry, chapped hands with antioxidants that help protect the hands from environmental stress. Organic shea butter and phospholipids keep the hand soft, supple and smooth. Helps to refine the texture of the hands, and brings moisture to the skin. Absorbs quickly without leaving the skin greasy. Perfumed with divine organic rose essential oil. RRP – $19.25

2. Garnet Exfoliant - Polished alluvial garnet works effectively to clear congestion resulting from a build-up of dead, dry surface skin cells. The best scrub ever, with a fresh citrus blend of organic lemon, bergamot and orange. RRP – $32.35