Striving4Zen

While it’s not obvious (or pretty), scarring is actually our body’s healing mechanism for injured skin. Post-trauma, we produce more cells to stimulate re-growth of the affected area…which leads to new, excess tissue (read: scars).

Today’s technology has made scar removal more effective, but there are also helpful tools right in your kitchen. Try these natural remedies on old and new scars alike:

Cucumber: Putting cucumber juice on a scar can reduce its puffiness and eventually depth.

Honey: Naturally antiseptic, it will keep the area clean while softening and nourishing the skin (thanks to its abundant vitamin content).

Aloe: When applied, it can reduce the appearance of darkness and eventually fade the scar.

Olive oil: Just rub the oil into the scar consistently for a long period of time and you will eventually see an improvement in its appearance.

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Labels: aloe vera, healing with food, honey, natural therapy, olive oil, scars

According to the National Honey Board–as well as beauties throughout the ages–honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture, helping to prevent dry skin and dull, lifeless hair. In addition to drawing moisture into the skin, honey is also an antiseptic, which means it inhibits the growth of bacteria, making honey a good choice for all skin types.

In honor of National Honey Month:

Honey Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask
(Adapted from the National Honey Board)

1 teaspoon green tea, brewed
2 teaspoon pineapple, papaya or figs, diced
4 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
4 teaspoons cornmeal

1. Steep green tea in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

2. In blender or food processor, puree pineapple and place in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, honey and aloe. Mix well.

3. Stir in jojoba oil, green tea and cornmeal.

4. Reserve remaining green tea for another use. Apply small amount of pumpkin mask to cheeks, forehead, chin and neck. Massage in circular motions gently buffing skin. Repeat. Apply more product as needed. Leave a thin layer of pumpkin mask on face and neck for 15-20 minutes.

5. Rinse with tepid or cool water and pat dry with soft towel. Follow with appropriate moisturizer.

6. Store remaining mask covered in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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Labels: beauty, food for dry skin, Holistic Health, honey, mask, skin care

Lots of people aspire to have shiny hair. So what are 'regular' people like us supposed to do in order to obtain hair so shiny? And how can we do it without encouraging the production of harmful materials?

It's easier than you probably think. There are secrets to shiny hair in your house right now most likely. That means you can get the hair you want without spending any money and without contributing to the use of harmful chemicals and factories.

What you can do:

• If you have light hair, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to your hair and let it sit.


• If you have dark hair, do the same thing with apple vinegar.


• Regardless of your hair color, you can also run a teaspoon of honey through your hair when you are done washing it. Don't rinse this out! Let it sit and you’ll have shine all day long.


• If you've got eggs or mayonnaise around your house, start using them as deep conditioners. Work them into your hair, especially the ends, when you’re through with washing. Leave them in for 10 minutes or so before washing out.


• Make sure you eat a lot of Vitamin E-it makes your hair glisten! This means more nuts, wheat germ, and leafy vegetables.

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Labels: apple cider vinegar, DIY, eggs, hair, honey, shiny hair

Honey has many uses for helping the skin. Most recently, in fact, researchers from New Zealand found that burned skin covered with antibiotic ointment healed much more slowly than burned skin coated with honey. Honey not only soothes the pain of burned skin, but it also reduces inflammation and prevents further infection. Being that the burned skin covered with honey healed about four days faster than burned skin covered in antibiotic creams, bringing a small jar with you on that sunny vacation your planning may not be a bad idea.

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Labels: burns, DIY, honey, skin

Blend up this simple recipe for a deep hair conditioning treatment that will leave your hair soft and silky. The fats in the avocado and heavy cream are rich in emollients that quickly penetrate the hair, while the honey keeps your scalp’s moisture level at an optimum balance -- not too dry or too oily -- and acts as a natural antibacterial agent.

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon honey

Mix ingredients in a blender. Comb mixture through freshly washed hair. Wrap head in plastic (a grocery bag will do), and cover with a towel. Let sit for 15 minutes, and rinse well.

* Excerpted from Chick Living: Frugal and Fabulous, by Kris Koederitz Melcher.

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Labels: avocado, Chick Living, conditioner, DIY, hair-care, honey

Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and non-healing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic - honey - is making a comeback.
More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, Derma Sciences Inc., began selling the first honey-based dressing this fall after it was approved by the FDA.
Called Medihoney, it is made from a highly absorbent seaweed-based material, saturated with manuka honey, a particularly potent type that experts say kills germs and speeds healing. Manuka honey comes from hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand.

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Labels: antibiotics, honey, manuka honey, natural therapy

Honey has numerous beneficial properties, many of which I've reported on this site in the past. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of confusion when it comes to this natural sweetener.
What is honey good for? Well, it's been shown to provide natural support for a wide range of body structures and functions. For one thing, honey contains a number of good health-promoting antioxidants.
Vitamins found in honey include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-12, and biotin. Along with minerals and amino acids, honey also contains a number of live enzymes that help promote optimal health.
Honey is also known to help with occasional diarrhea and insomnia.
The Problem With the Majority of U.S. Honey
If you've read my book Sweet Deception, you're likely already familiar with the massive fraud going on with U.S. honey. As many VitalVotes readers have pointed out, much of the honey in the United States (perhaps up to two-thirds of the annual honey production) is made by force-feeding bees high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other sugars.
This is done so that the bees can produce honey year-round; however the end result is NOT pure honey, but rather a partial honey/HFCS mix.
Most honey sold is also pasteurized, which means that the beneficial enzymes have been damaged or killed off entirely.
So if you choose to use honey, either topically to soothe your skin or as a sweetener, make sure you are getting pure RAW honey. Perhaps the best way to do this is to find a local source for the raw honey, and then ask the beekeeper directly whether or not he or she supplements the bees' diet with HFCS.
If you are unable to find any reliable sources of raw honey, I recently found one I can recommend. I was also able to secure a supply for our store to make it more convenient for you. Pure Gold Raw Honey is an awesome alternative to table sugar.

Labels: health food, honey, Mercola, Vitamins