Take a long bath with on of our bath melts:

Our Sensual essential oil synergy blend enhances your sensuality. If you have a hot date, take a bath with this, and your night will be even better. Your skin will be smooth all night. Great moisturizer!

Treat your feet:

Have beautiful feet with our creamy foot butter. This thick butter leaves your feet soft and supple all day long. Great for those with dry cracked heals. Best used after a shower or anytime in the day to keep dry heal syndrome away. Use as part of our Perfect Pedicure Routine.

Massage your face….whatever you want to treat yourself for this halloween.

bluebasins bath and body
Taking care of what you wear everyday!

Skin care products and cancer: What manufacturers don’t tell you

by Dr. Lorne Brandes

On a recent visit to a department store cosmetics counter, I was amazed at the number and variety of “rejuvenating” skin creams and lotions for sale — and not just for women!

“How much did all that cost?” I asked warily as the smiling clerk handed the Visa card back to my wife.

“If they help my skin look younger, it’s worth it,” was all she would say.

It now appears that her faith in the products she bought may have been misplaced: a new report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) warns that an ingredient in some skin creams may have serious long-term health consequences for women with, or at risk for, breast and uterine cancer. The offending substance? Estrogen!

The story began with an alert by an oncologist. He observed that… Read on.

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Here at bluebasins bath and body our skin care product ingredients are all natural. We only use what mother nature has provided for us to create our products. Check out our ingredient list.

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 C. buttermilk
• 4 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp red pepper

Directions:

• Add avocados, garlic and 1 cup of the buttermilk to blender or food processor.
• Blend until smooth.
• Add the rest of the buttermilk along with the lime juice, salt and pepper.
• Blend until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, you can add more buttermilk or a little cold water.
• Chill and serve.

Did you also know that avocado makes a great skin mask and buttermilk makes a great soap.

It’s time for a breast cancer reality check: Despite all the hype about obesity, toxic chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products may be the biggest cause. As everyone in America seems to know, even the National Football League, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Even if an average guy had not noticed the hundreds, if not thousands, of articles devoted to breast cancer in the last week or so, watching NFL football this past weekend would surely have cured him of his ignorance. Football fields all across the nation were adorned not only with “pink ribbon” logos, but players and officials were wearing a variety of pink wrist bands, shoes, and gloves to show the NFL’s support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The reason that a reality check is needed is that many of the articles seem to place the blame for breast cancer primarily on obesity, as if a major new discovery had been made. In fact, no such new discovery has been made about obesity alone being a causing agent for breast cancer, particularly breast cancer for pre-menopausal women.

Those studying breast cancer have long tried to place the blame for this unfortunate disease at the door of obesity. By doing so, they can blame the victims, even though the causes for obesity, at least to the extreme currently plaguing America, are neither well known nor understood. The most commonly repeated mantra in the health care community is that obesity is nearly completely self-imposed, despite growing evidence to the contrary. Environmental factors such as food and water toxins, cellular level food hypersensitivites, and even a virus are all routinely dismissed because it easier to blame the victims for the pollution which now makes it necessary for millions of Americans to choose to drink bottled water.

Read more…

The only clue is the lone plant growing a dozen feet high in front of a brown stucco building on Connecticut Route 66. This is witch hazel, hamamelis virginiana. It stands outside the business that has made the astringent distilled from the shrub’s ridged bark a household staple for generations.

View bluebasins bath & body’s witch hazel products.

Next time you’re making a cuppa, new research shows it might be wise to opt for a white tea if you want to reduce your risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or even just age-associated wrinkles. Researchers from Kingston University teamed up with Neal’s Yard Remedies to test the health properties of 21 plant and herb extracts. They discovered all of the plants tested had some potential benefits, but were intrigued to find white tea considerably outperformed all of them.

Professor Declan Naughton, from the School of Life Sciences at Kingston University in South West London, said the research showed white tea had anti-aging potential and high levels of anti-oxidants which could prevent cancer and heart disease. “We’ve carried out tests to identify plant extracts that protected the structural proteins of the skin, specifically elastin and collagen,” he explained. “Elastin supports the body’s natural elasticity which helps lungs, arteries, ligaments and skin to function. It also helps body tissue to repair when you suffer wounds and stops skin from sagging.” Collagen is a protein found in connective tissues in the body and is important for skin, strength and elasticity, he added.

Results showed white tea prevented the activities of the enzymes which breakdown elastin and collagen which can lead to wrinkles that accompany aging. These enzymes, along with oxidants, are associated with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Naughton said: “These enzymes and oxidants are key components of normal body processes. However, in inflammatory conditions, suppressing the activities of these excess components has been the subject of decades of research. We were surprised to find such high activity for the white tea extracts in all five tests that were conducted.”

The researchers were blown away by exactly how well the white tea had performed. “We were testing very small amounts far less than you would find in a drink,” Professor Naughton, one of the country’s leading specialists on inflammation, said. “The early indicators are that white tea reduces the risk of inflammation which is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers as well as wrinkles.”

Eight of the other plants and herbs analyzed also helped protect against the breakdown of both elastin and collagen. After white tea, bladderwrack performed well followed by extracts of cleavers, rose, green tea, angelica, anise and pomegranate.

Dr Pauline Hili, Technical Director for Neal’s Yard Remedies, said: “We are really excited by this research as it helps us to remain innovative and at the cutting edge of natural skin care. Celebrating the plants used in the Neal’s Yard Remedies products and understanding their specific actions on the skin is what it is all about. The Kingston University research program helps us to create safe, highly effective and cutting-edge products so it’s an ideal partnership for us.”

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Source

At bluebasins we’ve created a Green Tea Tree Oil soap. Have a look.

This fabulous fruit, the papaya offers anti-oxidants, rich in essential fruit enzymes, large quantities of carotene, vitamin C and A. For skin care it has both preventative and restorative properties. Papaya is also an excellent aid to helping with skin disorders such as acne.

Papaya provides a “natural” face lift while brining about a wonderful, natural and rejuvenating glow to the skin

Papaya facial mask

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ripe papaya, skinned and seeded
• 1 beaten egg white
• 1 teaspoon of honey

Preparation:

Simply mix all the ingredients together. Carefully, so you don’t touch the eye area, apply the mask on the face and leave on for 20 minutes.Rinse well and pat dry.

To use: Easy. Simply cut thin slices and place them over your eyelids, then sit back and relax for a few minutes while it works it’s magic.

Another good vegetable secret which helps to lighten dark under eye circles are potatoes.  Wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply to eyes dark circles for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sleep well – a proper sleep pattern is one of the best ways to maintain good and healthy skin. A well rested person appears healthier.

Always use a sunscreen.

Clean face thoroughly – the face should be cleaned thoroughly since the skin of the face is usually oilier than the rest of the body. The pores of the face thus get clogged easily with dirt and cause pimples or acne. Cleaning the face regularly with a mild natural soap helps to prevent these conditions.

Moisturize often – especially if during pregnancy as it helps to keep moisturizing it often.

Women with oily skin could use a water-based moisturizer while those with dry skin can use an oil-based facial moisturizer. It is always necessary to follow a cleaning and moisturizing routine for healthy skin.

Get a facial massage/facial steam – facial and body massage with mild and fragrant oils may help to relax apart from increasing blood circulation to the area.

Drink plenty of water – the water balance in the body should be maintained. This also affects the tone of the skin. Water cleanses the skin and removes the toxins from the body.

Smile and remain happy – the age old belief that smiling exercises more muscles of the face than a frown may also help. Happiness increases the blood flow inside the body and, thus, reflects in the form of a healthy and glowing skin.

Check out all of bluebasins bath and body’s natural skin products.

With its different species and various uses, all could be beneficial to health as Lavender which is part of the Labiatae family, has long been used extensively in herbal medicine. The English lavender or Lavandula angustifolia highly yields an effective essential oil with a very sweet aroma. This extract may be utilized as an ointment, balm, fragrance, make up ingredient, tea, compress and many other significant applications. The essential oil that yields from French lavender or Lavandula dentata, has a higher content of ester which adds a stronger tinge to the scent. The Spanish lavender or Lavandula stoechas is not used in medicine; it is utilized mainly for landscaping purposes.

Lavender oil is an essential oil, derived from plants by the steam distillation of the flowers. Lavender is a native of the Mediterranean countries but the main source of Lavender is France. Its essential extract is used in aromatherapy for its antiseptic, healing, antispasmodic, bactericidal, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In World War I, this essential extract was used in hospitals to disinfect the surroundings. Prior to the Greeks and Romans discovered that lavender does not just give a delightful scent but that this flower’s oil was also found to be a perfect ingredient for so many home-making chores. It kills germs and can be used in a diffuser to purify the air and reduce the spread of colds and viruses. This is the safest essential oil to use for babies and children, but of course it should still be properly diluted with carrier oil such as Sweet Almond, Avocado or Grapeseed.

Lavender essential oil is excellent for the skin and adding its extract to soaps and bathwater gives off a fresh fragrance. It also helps repair skin problems while making the skin feel invigorated. With both antiseptic and sedative properties, this highly aromatic oil refreshes and tones the skin. Because of its soothing capabilities of the nerves and due to its high ester content, it is said to calm nervous heart complaints.

Lavender oil can be used topically to moisturize and revitalize the skin’s dermal layer as this flower’s extract is used for treating all sorts of skin disorders. Examples of these are blisters, acne, oily skin, boils, burns, cold sores, sunburn, wounds, psoriasis, and parasites such as lice. It is also used to counter the itching effect of insect bites and stings a traditional treatment of such skin disorders in Iran.

Other possible uses include acne, allergies, anxiety, asthma, athlete’s foot, bruises, burns, chicken pox, colic, colds, cuts, cystitis, depression, dermatitis, dysmenorrheal, earache, flatulence, flu, headache, hypertension, heal burns and wounds, insect repellent, insomnia, itching, labour pains, migraine, nervousness, oily skin, rheumatism, sensitive skin, scabies, scars, sores, sprains, strains, stress, stretch marks, sunburns, reduce cramps, vertigo and whooping cough. This flower also embraces the female health and as previously stated has a healing effect on the skin, which prevents scaring and balances the tone. To use Lavender in this manner a tea is created to alleviate ailments or dropped as an essential oil to heal burns and skin infections.

Lavender tea has a lot of uses for the body. Drinking lavender tea is an accepted remedy for headaches. It also soothes upset stomachs and eases up bowel movements. Cooled lavender tea is also an effective mouthwash as it doesn’t only leave a wonderful scent but also draw a smile on the face. To make a lavender tea, immerse two tablespoons of dried lavender flowers in one litre of hot water. This may also be applied to treat bruises or wounds. The warmth and the antiseptic qualities of the flower combine to help heal the wound. This can be done as a compress by dipping strips of dressing cloth or sanitized linen in the warm liquid until it can be applied on the bruised or wounded areas of the skin. Moreover, this flower’s extract could help ease the pain of sunburn and sunstroke.

Chest congestion can be treated with a warm lavender tea compress. By placing a warm compress of the tea on top of the chest, it could bring relief to the patient. It can also ease up breathing by inhaling the vapour of lavender. To do this, place the newly boiled lavender tea in a basin then cover it and the patients’ head with a bath towel allowing the patient to inhale the steam. This would make the patient absorb the scent to clear the airways from the nose to the lungs. Lavender oil is one of the most favorite essential oils not only because of its wonderful qualities but also because of its great smell. Its calming and relaxing scent helps to combat stress and anxiety and can also be used as an anti-depressant for treating apprehension and depression. Its aroma has a soothing effect on the physical and mental stability of a person, as it is also superb for helping with asthma and migraines.

This flower’s soothing properties are very well known for people who are stressed. Soaking in lavender scented bath is extremely comforting and rejuvenating. While cleansing and energizing the skin, the weariness of the day may just drift away. This flower is commonly used to facilitate sleep and relaxation in aromatherapy as it helps people sleep and be refreshed the next day shunning away the troubles of the past day.

Feel your tension and anxiety melt away with this soothing scent while its relaxing fragrance promotes a peaceful sleep. For a serene night’s sleep placing a bag of lavender buds under the pillow or a few drops of the essential oil on the pillow will create a soothing fragrance that can help calm anyone at the end of the day. A recommended relaxing and calming Lavender tea drink before bedtime can be made from steeping one teaspoon of lavender flower heads added to a cup of boiling water. These combined will help achieve a peaceful night’s sleep.

Lavender oil has been one of the most favorite essential oils not only or its breathtaking scent but also for its healing and flavorful properties.