There are so many tips and tricks out there on how to get rid of poison ivy, but I want to find something that really works. BUT I don't want to put bleach on my skin in order for it to "work".
We went to camp this weekend to celebrate Canada Day, and I ended up with two small patches of poison ivy on my face. Not the best situation, but my foundation is helping me deal with it :)
What causes poison ivy rashes
The plant, poison ivy, has an oil called urushiol in its leaves. When your skin comes in contact with the oil, it has a reaction that causes your skin to develop welts/blisters/rashes.
Even if you do NOT directly touch the plant, you can still get poison ivy. If you have a dog or a cat, they can pick up the poison ivy on their fur and transfer the oil to you.
Some basic tips when dealing with poison ivy:
Do NOT rub/scratch/touch the affected area. It will make the poison ivy spread even more!
Wash your hands and finger nails to prevent the urushiol oil from spreading
Some solutions I've found online:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt Water
Rubbing Alcohol
Baking Soda & Vinegar solution
Oatmeal
With all of these, it says to apply some to the affected area.
What the pharmacist says:
Our local pharmacist told us to apply dish soap to the affected area. Since dish soap is normally used to rid of oils on plates and utensils, it seems like a logical solution!
My current status:
So far, I've had this poison ivy rash for one day. I've tried the rubbing alcohol and it's definitely calmed down my itchiness. I'll do another update this week to let you know what works and what doesn't!
We were a little bit nervous when we first arrived in their studio (it's not everyday you get to go on the radio!), but we had a blast! They were so welcoming and friendly, too.
One last thing... There mayyyy be a video of Rich getting a Manitoulin Mud facial coming soon this week. And by "there may be a video" I mean there will be, and it's something you do not want to miss. We'll be sure to share it with you once we have our hands on it! :)
If you want to learn more about Manitoulin Mud, check out our website here: www.manitoulinmud.com
Brief Intro to Manitoulin Mud: a 100% natural face mask that Paityn & I developed (with some help from our family and friends - thanks guys!). Unlike most mud masks, it comes in powder form. We do that to avoid adding synthetic preservatives! :)
BOOST Women is a group in Sudbury for women in business. Paityn & I attended this month's gathering, and it was fantastic!
At BOOST, we met so many women who had never even heard of us before! We met Mary Anne from 105.3 EZ Rock who ended up asking if we'd join her on her morning radio show (we'll update you on that soon enough) :)
The founders, Shawna and Becky, are so welcoming and have put together such an amazing group of ladies. They're opening up a new chapter in Ottawa, ON... so, if you're in the area, make sure to check it out! Here's their website: http://boostwomen.ca/
Thanks again, Shawna and Becky, for hosting such a wonderful event!
I found a ton of beautiful dresses for spring in my recent online search. Here are just a few of the classy looks I discovered. Use them to inspire you this spring:
ModCloth.com
ModCloth has vintage and modern dresses that are usually in the $40-$60 range and are of average quality in their make. I've found so many beautiful dresses on this site!
From ModCloth
From ModCloth
From ModCloth
Le Chateau
Le Chateau always has classy, timeless looks available for every season. They tend to be on the pricier side, but you can usually count on higher quality design.
From Le Chateau
From Le Chateau
I'll have another post soon with more dresses.
Let me know what you think of these styles! Would you wear them? Which one is your favorite?
My family went to Florida in February for a vacation. It gave us all time to clear our heads (and our skin) and just relax.
In Celebration Town, FL
How can you not relax when it's so beautiful outside? Florida is such an amazing place. If you live there, you know it! You are some lucky ducks!
Recognize Patterns and Habits
While we were there, it got me thinking that very few people have this kind of opportunity. To just relax, and reflect on what your life is right now.
By reflecting, you give yourself the opportunity to recognize patterns in your life that are helping you or holding you back from being an AMAZING person (beauty on the inside).
On this vacation, I realized through reflection that my life was too stressful. I wasn't taking time for myself and was putting school work and work work ahead of my personal health. What helped me realize this was the 2 day detox I experienced once I finally let myself sleep until I was fully rested.
Eat Healthy, Eat Well
In addition to relaxing by the pool, we ate some really tasty food! We stayed in Vero Beach, so most of the seafood was super fresh and super delicious.
This is a whole other blog post on its own, but eating healthy is vital to staying healthy and naturally beautiful.
On a Daily Basis
If your next vacation is a ways away, think of ways to have "mini-vacations" on a daily basis. This can include meditation or just taking a few deep breaths everyday. It's important for your inner and outer beauty.
What About You?
What do vacations help you with? I use them for reflection and revitalization. What do you use them for?
If you're looking for a 100% natural face mask that only requires ONE ingredient... you're in luck.
What do I need?
1 Grapefruit
1 Small Bowl/Container
1 Grater (optional)
How do I make it?
1. Cut the grapefruit into quarters
2. Squeeze 1/4 of the grapefruit into your small bowl/container
3. Zest the grapefruit skin using the grater so that you have about 1 teaspoon of zested grapefruit skin
4. Put the zest into the container with the grapefruit juice
5. Stir with a spoon
And it's ready to use!
But how do I use it?
1. Use a small cotton pad and soak it in your grapefruit concoction (you can use your fingers or a face cloth if you have no cotton pads available).
2. Apply your DIY mask all over your face (avoiding the eyes), massaging it to let the zest exfoliate lightly
3. Leave the mask on for about 15 minutes - let it dry on your face
4. After 15 minutes, wash off the mask with lukewarm water
How did you come up with this?
I was eating a grapefruit not too long ago and thought "hey, if this is so good for me when I eat it, I wonder how good it is when I put it on my face". This might seem like a strange thing to wonder, but it's my job :)
After doing a little bit of research, it was quite obvious to me that I'd been missing out.
The Big Revelation on Grapefruit: GRAPEFRUIT IS AMAZING FOR YOUR SKIN!
It's an antiseptic. People who have oily skin usually find that their skin becomes less oily after using a grapefruit toner or cleanser.
Let me know what you think of this DIY mask! Does it work for you? Will you try it out?
I saw the Dove Beauty Sketches video last night and had some... feelings... about it.
If you haven't seen the video yet, take a look:
Immediately after watching, I felt empowered.
But then, a blog post popped up in my news feed written by my friend. I wanted to share it with all of you because it's a very different look on where this self-hate comes from.
Her blog post is included below:
Amidst all the senseless terror, confusion, and hurt surrounding the Boston Marathon yesterday, it was extremely comforting to come home to see a beautiful video with a heartwarming message. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out the Dove Real Beauty Sketches here.
This video has a great premise. Ask any woman to name 5 things she hates about her looks and she'd probably ask: "just 5?" Ask her to name 5 things she loves,
and I bet she'll come short after 2.
This is a problem. In a culture where our self-worth is measured by
how beautiful we are, how sexy men perceive us to be, and how we compare to other women, if only 4% of women see themselves as beautiful,
then does that mean only 4% consider themselves to hold any value?
These Real Beauty Sketches are attempting to change that. Dove seemingly wants us to understand that we have a skewed perception of ourselves;
we are actually much more beautiful than we perceive. If we learn to develop a positive self-image, then we will be infinitely more happy, carefree,
and valuable.
However, I struggle to stand behind this campaign.
These "Real Beauty Sketches" are only reinforcing an emphasis on
aesthetics and "beauty." If the women in these videos can learn
to see themselves as pretty, then they will be happy. How is this a positive message?
At one point in the campaign, Florence says that our perception of our beauty:
"impacts the choices that we make, it impacts the friends that we make, the jobs
we apply for, how we treat our children; it impacts everything.
It couldn't be more critical to your happiness."
She then says that she has some work to do on herself (regarding self-image).
This message completely misconstrues the issue.
The problem here isn't that women have a negative self-image, but
that the norms and expectations in our culture perpetuate these
impossible stereotypes. We are consistently being told that if
you aren't "pretty" enough, then you have no value. This Dove campaign
is only further exacerbating the problem. I would have liked to see a much different ending to this video. The woman should not be told that she is wrong for not perceiving herself as beautiful, but instead that society is wrong for placing emphasis on "beauty" in the first place.
Self-actualization and value shouldn't come from aesthetics; it should come from our accomplishments and the quality of our character.
Think about it.
Don't blame yourself for self-hate, and don't think it's entirely your fault. While you have the capacity to make a change in the way you view yourself, there may be forces working against you. Stay strong and remember that there are people surrounding you that love you and think that you are beautiful - inside and out. They may be people you pass by on the street, or they may be people you know intimately. To really solve this issue, change needs to start from the ground up. Change needs to start with media that portray women in an unrealistic way everyday. I personally appreciate Dove for at least bringing some awareness to this issue.
