by Tara Mackey | Beauty, Blogroll, DIY, Green Beauty, Hair, Skincare
Any of you who know me know that I’m completely obsessed with all things DIY Beauty. If it’s cheaper, easier, and can be found in the grocery aisle – I’ve tried it! I am constantly on the hunt for Do-It-Yourself beauty tips and tricks that are 100% natural, easy, and way cheaper than the store-brought equivalent. Using one parts apple cider vinegar and water as a natural facial toner? Check. Lemon juice as an acne-fighting facial mask? Check. Manuka Honey for pretty much… everything? Check!
But I’ve found a new way to golden skin and happy hair! It’s the Jojoba Oil ( only $3!) from The Busy Bee Store over on Etsy – an all natural and organic skin-care go-to for all your natural skin and haircare needs!
Legend has it that the Native Americans used jojoba oil for a variety of purposes, ranging from hair conditioners, to skin lubricants to even making coffee-like beverages!
Though this botanical liquid extract is commonly referred to as “oil,” jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax ester that is very similar to the properties of human skin oil (sebum).
Translation: putting jojoba oil on your face, especially if you are prone to oily to combination skin, means that you can “trick” your human skin into producing less oil, thus reducing your face’s shiny appearance without extra layers of make-up that can further aggravate your sensitive skin.
In addition to helping your face with oil control, jojoba oil can also be used for your hair and the rest of the body!
What is it good for? Pretty much everything. You can use jojoba oil for the following skin and hair care needs:
- Massage oil
- Dried Cuticle Treatment
- A Shaving Prepper
- After-sun moisturizer
- Stretch mark treatment
- Sebum substitute
- As a way to remove hair product residue
- Cleanser
- Treating acne and cold sores
- Scalp and hair moisturizer
- Hair detangler
The zinc, B-vitamins, silica and copper in jojoba oil help the skin on your face stay supple and healthy.
One of my favorite ways to use it is as a Jojoba & Avocado Face Mask.
- I combine one half ripe Avocado with a teaspoon of the Jojoba Oil.
- Apply over the Face and Neck. Let sit for 10 mins.
- Wash it off with warm water!
Super easy & I’m really happy to share this organic skincare & haircare love with you!
I’ll let Michelle Phan tell you what to do with Jojoba Oil & your hair…. 😉
Thank you very much.
Love & Light
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An Exclusive Look Into … THE WAKE UP EP!
by Tara Mackey | Around the World, Beauty, Blogroll, DIY, Green Beauty, My Organic Life, My Photography, Skincare
What You’ll Need:
1. Cotton Balls
2. One Love Organics Brand New Day (or a Probiotic Capsule)
3. Cold, Plain Greek Yogurt
We all have long days after which we’d love to just wind down in a hot bath, cucumber slices over our eyes as some relaxing music plays in the background, a good, deep cleanser going to work on our pores, so that we just lay back and relax.
Well, now you can do so quickly & inexpensively, with ingredients from your own kitchen!
To make this mask, simply mix a tablespoon of One Love Organics Brand New Day, or split open the probiotic capsule and mix it into 3 or 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a small bowl or dish. Using a cotton ball, apply the mixture to your face in an even layer. Let the mask set for 10 minutes then rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a towel.
Note: If you do not have a probiotic capsule, or an organic exfoliant, this mask is still very effective even if it’s only Greek yogurt!
Also if you are lactose intolerant you might want to try a simple Ice Facial instead!
My skin feels so soft, fresh and silky after I do this mask. I always notice a major reduction in redness, smooth skin and no irritation after washing it off! It also relaxes me and puts me in a much better place to face the day (or night!) with an elevated mood!
Are you going to give this DIY a try?
If you have a personal beauty recipe that you’d like to see, or if you’ve tried any of my DIY tutorials, feel free to share!
Love & Light
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by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, DIY, My Organic Life, My Photography, Recipes
Kale is my new best friend. I grow a few heads of Kale in my garden: they’re hardy and wonderful, grow year round, and are easy to maintain.
In recent years, researchers have discovered that kale is rich in calcium, lutein, iron, beta-carotene, and Vitamins A, C, and K. A single serving of Kale provides 192 percent of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A, which can act as a preventative against lung diseases. Research in Australia found that a diet high in beta-carotene foods like kale can decrease the chances of skin cancer.
I created a very easy, simple recipe for Kale Chips, which are absolutely delicious! It’s a shame to me that they are selling these at stores for $8 a pop when they are SO easy to make at home! Not only that, I made two different kinds, and I’ll share them both with you! They flew off the plate!
Ingredients: 1 Bunch of Kale
Sea Salt
Olive/Grapeseed Oil
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Some people remove the ribs from the kale, but I like them and find them nutritious, personally.
Rub Olive Oil & Salt into Kale.
Zesty Recipe:
Add Cheese & Pepper
3. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food. Watch them disappear!
Enjoy! If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy my recipe for The Best Bay Tacos!
Have a Safe & Healthy weekend!
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by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Health, My Organic Life, Recipes
Red Bell Peppers
These anti-oxidant veggies are rich in Vitamins A, C, B6, folic acid and fiber. They also contain Lycopene, a known cancer-preventitive. Best raw, however, Lycopene, unlike other carotenes, does not diminish in effectiveness when cooked. Great in salads, on skewers, as a snack or on sandwiches. 🙂
Garlic
One of my favorite veggies, and perfect as a pest-control in the garden, I prefer garlic as a tea, but you can add it to just about anything in moderation! Garlic helps prevent plaque, lowers cholesterol and reduces inflammation.
Buy it fresh, bottled, minced or powdered, and add it to meat, vegetable or salad dishes.
Cranberries
A handful of Cranberries a day can save you a lot of agony! These tangy, tasty berries are known to protect against bladder infections by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall. In a similar way, cranberries also protect the stomach from ulcer-causing bacteria and protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, promoting GI health. Cranberries have also been shown to protect against cancer and heart disease.
Blueberries
Even if you have advanced kidney disease, blueberries are one of the few fruits that you can eat without worry. While blueberries may be relatively low in nutrients, they are very high in anti-oxidants, with 6,520 mcg of anti-oxidant compounds in a 100-g serving. By way of comparison, cooked broccoli has only 1,552 mcg in a 100-g serving. Anti-oxidant-rich foods don’t harm your kidneys. Rather, they help prevent cancer and other chronic diseases.
Olive Oil
One of my favorite super foods over all, Olives & Olive Oil are a great source of oleic acid, an anti-inflammatory fatty acid, and the monounsaturated fat in olive oil protects against oxidation. Olive oil is rich in ployphenols and antioxidant compounds that prevent inflammation and oxidation.
Studies show that populations that use large amounts of olive oil instead of other oils have lower rates of heart disease and cancer.
Buy virgin or extra virgin olive oil because they are higher in antioxidants. Use olive oil as a base in cooking, for dipping bread or for marinating veggies.
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by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, DIY, Health, My Organic Life, Recipes
As much as I love me some good tea companies (Yogi, you saved my life for years!), I have great (and cost-effective) fun experimenting with my own herbal remedies. In an era when responsibilities and obligations far outnumber hours in the day, it’s no wonder so many diseases are linked to stress. If you haven’t gotten around to establishing a peaceful power meditation or mantra throughout your day, the next best thing is to put something in your body to help you relax that has no adverse side effects. This is where miracle herbs like chamomile & valerian come in!
Chilled or hot, tea has the potential to soothe the mind, body and soul, and taking a “tea break” to reduce stress can have tremendous health benefits.
Tea contains naturally occurring antioxidants, called flavonoids. These antioxidants help the body combat stress and contribute to tea’s long list of health benefits.
I drink tea absolutely all day long to detox and cleanse my body. I love experimenting with different herbs to see what affects that they have on my wellness! It’s remarkable that you can make a tea to cure a headache, or to clear your sinuses, or to put you to sleep when nothing else will! Here is my recipe for a fast, home made, herbal DIY tea to help you relax! My suggestion is to try this one before bed time first, to see how it affects you. Most herbal teas that I’ve seen only have about a quarter of these ingredients, but I pretty much go big or go home. 🙂
Herbal Ingredients:
^^
Elderflower: Elderflower is an overall anti-inflammatory, working not only on the muscles, but on the sinuses, reducing risk of cold & bronchitis.
Boldo Leaves: Boldo leaves are used to treat bladder and urinary tract infections, gallbladder discomfort, gallstones, heartburn and indigestion, and stomach cramps. The herb works by encouraging the release of bile and dissolving fats and also by increasing intestinal transit time, giving the digestive tract more time to digest food. The ascaridole in boldo attacks intestinal worms.
^^
Chamomile: Chamomile’s popularity grew throughout the Middle Ages, when people turned to it as a remedy for numerous medical complaints including asthma, colic, fevers, inflammations, nausea, nervous complaints, children’s ailments, skin diseases and cancer. As a popular remedy, it may be thought of as the European counterpart of ginseng. Chamomile has been used for centuries in teas as a mild, relaxing sleep aid, treatment for fevers, colds, stomach ailments, and as an anti-inflammatory, to name only a few therapeutic uses. Extensive scientific research over the past 20 years has confirmed many of the traditional uses for the plant and established pharmacological mechanisms for the plant’s therapeutic activity, including antipeptic, antispasmodic, antipyretic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiallergenic activity.
^^
Passionflower: Passionflower has been used to treat anxiety for decades, and recently scientists have used it to help treat narcotic withdrawal. An extract of passion flower and hawthorn shows potential for treating shortness of breath and difficulty exercising in people with congestive heart failure.
^^
Anise: I happen to personally love the taste of Anise, and put it in a good deal of my teas. Anise is used for upset stomach, intestinal gas, “runny nose,” and as an expectorant to increase productive cough, as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and as an appetite stimulant. Women use anise to increase milk flow when nursing, start menstruation, treat menstrual discomfort or pain, ease childbirth, and increase sex drive. Men use anise to treat symptoms of “male menopause.” Other uses include treatment of seizures, nicotine dependence, trouble sleeping (insomnia), asthma, and constipation.
^^
Valerian: I have a whole post dedicated to Valerian here, but it’s my go-to herb for relaxation!
(Home Grown) Lavender: Lavender is one of my favorite things I have in the garden! I can’t get enough of the smell and I could drink Lavender tea all day long (and often do!) Lavender has been proven to help insomnia, anxiety, to ease stress, & uplift spirits. It’s used to treat depression, headaches, & upset stomach.
^^Scoop it all into a tea strainer.^^
^^Let it seep for 10 minutes while you find a good book. ^^
^^Enjoy yourself! ^^
Happy relaxing, everyone!
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DIY Valerian
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