Why Your Skin Does NOT Need Fancy Designer Chemicals......KISS It!

Now I bet you just said to yourself...."Kiss what, Brittany?"

Kiss my elbow?

Kiss my ear?

Kiss my tookus?

Nah, nothing like that. By "KISS" I meant only....

" Keep It Simple, Silly!"

Skincare, Folks.....

Keep It Simple!

My lovely editor at Hat Trick Magazine asked me to write about some of these fancy designer chemicals she's so fond of. Yes, she loves the natural stuff too but no matter what I tell her...she goes back to trendy designer skincare full of 'acids'.

Guess what?? It's all bullhonkey.....

Seriously, if you feel the need to waste your money on this stuff, just save the effort of hauling your wrinkled carcass to the nearest designer cosmetics counter and send me your money instead.

I'm about to tell you something....

Those fancy acids do nothing for you but add to your problems in the long run. They actually make your skin even MORE sensitive! You can get the same and safer NATURAL results from crushing some fresh strawberries and grapefruit pulp and applying that to your face every other week....seriously!

Let me get REAL with you here.

Your skin is your body's largest organ, and virtually the only organ that you can watch. 

Personally I don't think I'd have too much entertainment out of watching something like my adorable pancreas...just sayin'.

Annoying and troublesome skin conditions like rashes, pimples, eczema, and illnesses like chicken pox or measles are attempts by the skin to clean itself out.  This is Nature's way in health: the body will try, must try, to clean itself of toxins, foreign chemicals and poisons. Nature eliminates wastes. You may not like it; it may not look romantic; it might even itch. However, the toxins must be expelled.  Since the skin is your largest organ, it will by nature want to do a lot of cleaning out. The more it does so, the more you needed it to.

 Simple, proper diet eliminates so many complaints. Whole foods, raw or lightly-cooked vegetables, grains and fruits, lean meats & fish and no chemically-doctored food will go a very long way to improving your skin in a short time. My personal beauty secret is to drink at least 2 litres of water per day with the juice of fresh lemons squeezed into it.

Unfortunately, many folks are inclined to and even encouraged to put creams, salves, ointments and other fancy designer-cum-medicated "remedies" on their skin to try and doctor those awful sin conditions. 

The dermatologist won't tell you any differently either because HE's getting kickbacks from the drug companies to prescribe this stuff to you. He WANTS you to age so he can keep selling you more and more services.

All he's doing is making short-term 'improvements' to your appearance by delaying what the body is trying to do...DETOX!

Let's "clear up" this skin medication question right here. First of all, there is no such thing as "worn-out skin."  Fortunately for us, skin is a magical and wonderful self-repairing, and virtually indestructible living thing.

Nature repairs and mends skin beautifully. When you cut yourself, you might disinfect the wound with iodine or some other preparation. But does the iodine re-knit the skin, make the new cells, or weave new tissue? No, Nature does. 

When a surgeon stitches up an incision or a wound she brings the skin together and holds it in place with sutures.  

But if Nature didn't re-unite the cells, what good would the stitches do?

Vitamin C and E seem to be most important for proper healing and maintenance of your skin.  Vitamin C is well-known to be essential to holding the cells together and encouraging their normal growth.  Show me a person with chronic skin problems and two times out of three I'll bet their diet is deficient in E or C.  

Your skin is a living, breathing, body-cleaning organ.  If you clog it up, you're in trouble.

 In the James Bond story Goldfinger people were painted gold. 

Remember that they died?

 Your skin MUST be free from pore-clogging crud!!

 That's why these designer UN-natural creams, ointments and salves are not doing any more than removing the symptoms of skin excretion and detoxing. 

In slowing down or blocking this excretion they are clogging the pores and of themselves adding to what has to be cleaned out. Why make the skin have to now excrete these added toxins on top of the old ones? It's like shaking the dirt out of your rugs... in the middle of the living room.

 

 If you don't use any of the countless patent skin treatments for beauty or disease, your skin will be that much better. Treating symptoms is just trying to fool Nature. Coating over the body's cleansing efforts does not make you or your skin well.  

 Keeping drugs, artificial colors, preservatives, alcohols, artificial fragrances, and those foot-long chemical names off your skin can only help it.

 If Nature had wanted us to use lots of synthetics on our body, she would probably have put Triethanolamine, Carbomer-934, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Dimethicone, Sodium Myristate, Stearyl Alcohol, FD&C Red #4, Yellow #3 and other "beauty necessities" within easy reach for foraging and not had them coming out of labs infested with tumor-ridden lab animals.

Not a pretty picture is it? Guess what...you should see it in person.

No, Folks....your B-girl has not lost her mind.....She....I.....am SICK to death...to my eye teeth of being asked, told, cajoled and sweet-talked into supporting chemicals that I DO NOT and WOULD NOT use on my own face...never mind in my own products. It's not going to happen!

You have it from the horse's mouth.....

Take care of yourself INTERNALLY first......if you're going to use products on your skin....

Keep them simple

Keep them natural

and in turn you will....

Keep your beauty! 

It may lose me endorsements, writing jobs, or freebies from companies wanting me to review their products but guess what....

I will at least know I told you lovely folks the TRUTH!

Much Love,

Brittany

 

 Take my word for it or not, folks....43 years old TODAY and keeping it simple and real.

 

Star Spangled Sunburn Remedies

There is nothing fun about sunburn and most of us have had our share of them through the years. I remember when I was a teenager most of us looked forward to our first sunburn of the year as we could establish our 'tan base' for the summer.

In the 70's and 80's natural suntans were a very serious pursuit of most teenagers and 20-somethings. We'd mix a bottle of iodine in a bottle of baby oil and slather ourselves liberally, only to roast like the Sunday chicken in the hot Mississippi sun.

Luckily, most of us have left that particular pursuit behind us, choosing instead to go for a nice wash of color from some bronzing cream or a spray tan. Those that haven't are looking like your Granny's old leather handbag about now.

With the 4th of July celebrations, many of you will be spending lots of time outside indulging in picnics, barbecues, water sports, and family reunions. With this fun may come the very UN-fun sunburn.

Here are a few natural remedies that will help you get through the agony of overindulgence in the sun.

One common remedy for sunburn is yogurt. Smear yogurt on your skin as soon as it turns pink to help cool the skin, reestablish pH balance and promote faster healing. It is best to use plain unsweetened full-fat yogurt that contains few additives. Let it sit on your skin until it warms up and then rinse it off with tepid water. Apply as often as needed. Better still, use a paste made of barley, turmeric and yogurt in equal proportions. Apply it over the affected areas for sunburn relief and healing.

Another common item that can be used for sunburns is tea. Make a large pot of very strong tea, use a towel to soak up all the tea and then apply to the sunburn area. Alternately, use a large number of teabags and make a bathtub full of tea; soak in the bath when the temperature is tepid to barely warm. The tannins in tea help draw out the burn and heal the skin. You can also apply cold, used tea bags to sun-burned eyelids to relieve pain and swelling.

One superior good remedy for sunburn is to combine Aloe Vera, vitamin E oil, and cucumbers. Liquefy cucumbers in a blender and mix with Aloe Vera gel, and Vitamin E oil.

 

 

 

Finally, an age old remedy for sunburns mentioned in ancient texts is potato peels - and it appears to have science on its side. 

Doctors have found that in case of minor burns, potato peel bandages work better than conventional dressing. Potato peels provide moisture and they also have anti-bacterial properties that help in healing.

Whichever remedy you decide to use, please remember that using the proper amount of sunscreen and applying it often is the BEST remedy of all!!

Have a wonderful summer holiday and enjoy all that fabulous weather!

Much Love,

Brittany xx

As always, you know I love to give you easy fun recipes you can make at home. This month is no exception, I give you this wonderful homemade sunburn relief spray.

 

 

Lavender Aloe Cooling Sunburn Spray

2  fl oz Aloe Vera Juice

2 fl oz Distilled Water

9 drops of lavender oil
2 drops of peppermint oil
1 drop of spearmint oil

Directions:

Mix all, and spritz lightly over sunburned skin.

Aloe-lluja!

Pure Aloe Vera Gel is something we use a LOT of here at Posh Brats HQ. We used to buy it by the 20 kilo weight.....used to. Very recently I discovered something that had me seeing red.

Like many of you, I used to buy Aloe Vera gel and totally expected it to be clear in colour or some pretty shade of blue or green. You know the kind, the stuff you buy in the drugstore in big economy bottles or tubes.

When I started using it in my products in place of plain water I was really pleased with myself. I thought I was seriously doing everything I possibly could to make sure my natural bath and beauty products were the BEST they could be.

As I mentioned, I was buying this stuff by the 20 kilo per container weight and it's EXPENSIVE!! This is what the "Pure" Aloe Vera gel I was buying looked like and let's just say the amount I was buying would leave me very little change out of £1000 every month.

I was told by my raw materials supplier of this that it was clear because it was "ultra pure" and organic with added Vitamin E to naturally preserve it. Okay, that made sense to me and this is a HUGE International supplier with branches in several countries so who was I to doubt?

As we in business are obliged to do from time to time, it came time for me to review my budget  when doing my accounts for the year to submit to my accountants. I sat there staring at the spreadsheet of figures for my raw materials and the number for my Aloe Vera "habit" was just painful.

I said to myself, I simply MUST find a way to bring this cost down without compromising quality. I had a word with a Swedish fellow Cosmetic Chemist friend of mine and asked him if he knew of another source or way to use this magical ingredient without raising my prices.

He said to me, "Don't you make your own?"
 Huh? Sure, I have an Aloe Vera plant on my windowsill at home and we use it for home purposes but it's not enough to supply me with endless kilos of raw gel.

He explained to me that making my own was not unlike making a simple emulsion...something we chemist do all the time. He gave me the formula for the gel and told me a reputable source to get my organic freeze-dried aloe from.

I was almost embarrassed that I wasn't aware of this really. I mean, he thought I was completely insane to be BUYING the gel and when I told him how much I'd spent this past fiscal year on Aloe Vera he laughed at me. I had spent literally 30x's MORE than I needed to at WHOLESALE cost.

I made my first batch of Aloe Gel according to his formula and THIS is what it looked like, you can see it sitting there in my mixer.

Now, you can imagine looking at this earthy green sludge that I immediately thought I did something wrong. I contacted my friend and he checked it all out for me and said, "No, this is exactly what it's supposed to look like. Furthermore, that is a beautiful batch!"

Wow, so THIS is the pure stuff?
He explained to me that within the cosmetics industry in order for Aloe Vera Gel to be labeled as "Pure" it needed only to contain 1% pure Aloe Vera. Furthermore, it is then further diluted with fillers to make it clear so it can then be recoloured to the stuff you see in your local drugstores.

Now imagine my fury when come to find out when I researched this 'pure' gel I had been using for years...it was pure alright...but it was a concentration of 1% aloe and the rest was.....water, a tiny amount of Vitamin E and glycerine!!!

Compared to the 10% concentration of my own mix which is what is needed to make 100%  Pure Aloe Vera Gel when reconstituting from pure freeze-dried form.

Suffice it to say....this was me (from my throne but minus my crown since it was Casual Friday)

I am proud to say that my operating budget has been greatly slashed, no prices had to be raised and our products are EVEN BETTER. I have 100% control over my Aloe Vera and for this control freak, that suits me just fine!!

Love and Light,

Brittany xx

As an added bonus, here is a recipe you can make at home by harvesting your own Aloe Vera plant or just use some pure Aloe (the kind from the health food store that is liquid).

 

Aloe Honey Body Scrub

• 2 C fine ground Sea Salt*
• 1 C Aloe Vera
• 2 Tablespoons pure raw Honey (Use an organic brand or Manuka honey)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown sugar
• 1 C Olive Oil

Mix together all the above ingredients. Apply mixture to damp skin. Gently massage, giving special attention to rough areas. Rinse well with warm water.
*Sea salt removes dry, flaky, dead skin. Do NOT use table salt, it is NOT the same thing!

Happiness is Contagious!!

You know that old saying 'Misery loves company'? Sadly that is very true.  Think about it, when you're miserable there are always people out there that will join right in on the pity party and "happily" lay down their own line of funk.

Then it becomes like two old people comparing illnesses and becomes a virtual pissing contest of who has been more badly done to by the Universe.
Ya know what? I was right there, front and centre, joining in on these pity parties. Hell, truth be told, I was the last person leaving the party long after everyone else had found their happy place again.

Something happened to me several weeks ago.....

I woke up and DID something about my constant state of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was FED UP of my own bellyaching and griping about how awful my life was.

I can only imagine how my family and friends felt!
I was sick all the time, depressed all the time, angry all the time.....
I was probably one rude comment away from digging body shaped holes in my back yard.

Then one night I was sitting by myself and just contemplating the state of my life. WHY was I so miserable when every day so many people were writing me beautiful letters, sending me anonymous gifts, and telling me how much they wish they were me.....merely because of what I do for a living.

I closed my eyes and began a quiet conversation with the Universe and begged for guidance on getting my life back on track.
For years my Momma had been telling me she missed who I used to be. I cynically thought that person was dead....too many things had happened, too many scars were on my heart and my soul....that girl was long gone.

I asked the Universe to guide my steps, guide my heart, guide my hands.

That night I decided to wind down from my day by loading up Netflix and watching a movie. The husband was upstairs having a soak (his own method for dealing with his miseries). On my suggested movies list was a film called 'The Secret'. It sounded interesting so I waited for it to load and about 5 minutes into this film a deep shudder ran through my body.

It was like an electricity and goosebumps came up on my arms. I paused the film and yelled up to my husband. He came down a few minutes later and I asked him to watch this film with me. He looked at me strangely because for years our nights have consisted of both of us on our respective laptops barely exchanging 10 words.......once our son went to bed we just did NOT communicate unless it was to sling negativity in one another's direction.

To his credit he quietly just sat beside me on the sofa and I restarted the film. As we watched this it was like all time had stopped around us. Tears were flowing freely down my face and I peeked over at him and he looked quite emotional as well. When it ended we excitedly discussed it and decided right then and there we would BOTH put this into action in our lives that very night! What was this magic secret you ask?

Quite simple: We create our own reality! Everything in the Universe is made up of energy and the Universe does not differentiate between bad energy and good energy...it's all energy...however....
Whatever we put into the Universe, we get back.
The Law of Attraction!

We talked for hours about what we could change, and the plans we had for setting our minds and live straight. We talked for longer than we'd talked for years and it wasn't in anger....THAT alone was the first miracle.

The changes we put into place started the very NEXT DAY! I tell you with all honesty, every single day has shown us another blessing, another positivity, another healing.

I've encouraged so many people to watch that film or read the book 'The Secret'. There's a lot of positive and negative information out there about it. Many people will tell you it's all hooey.....but if you sit down with an open mind and just sincerely apply that simple law to your own life.....
WOW!!!

The crazy thing about it all that it is Magic 101. As many of you know, I'm a witch by religion.....a Pagan if you prefer. This is all stuff I already knew but I was only embracing the negative side of things because that's all I was putting out there.

The one positive thing I had going in all this was my craft....my business...my work. It's where I was happy, where I felt alive and at peace.
That has changed! EVERY aspect of my life makes me happy now because I have learnt to be thankful and grateful for ALL the blessings I was ignoring.

Because of this, *I* have changed.
Because I have changed my life has changed.
People are now asking me what my secret is to all this new found happiness, positivity and peace I have.

The old miserable me would have kept it in like a miser.
The new me shares it profusely because I know that sharing happiness and positivity breeds happiness and positivity. It's Contagious!!!

I love my new life and I am so thankful for everything and every one in it!! If you do nothing else for yourself this year......
Please do this one thing. Embrace it with all your heart and watch the dreams in your own life come glaringly into reality!!

All My Love,

Brittany xxx

PS: This is NOT a paid endorsement, nor did I even get a free copy of this book/film. It's just my own personal experience.