Looking to save money on facials and other spa treatments?

A day at the spa is a fun way to pamper your body and make your skin glow, but it can be an expensive proposition. The good news is you can create some of the same effects by just opening your cupboards or reaching into your vegetable crisper.

Homemade beauty remedies are nothing new and a lot of the same things that are good for the inside of your body are also great for your skin.

Of course, that also means that any food that you're not supposed to eat shouldn't be used on your skin either, because it will absorb into your body and could cause an allergic reaction. Even if you don't think you have any allergies, it's always best to test any new product (even homemade ones) on a small area of skin and wait 24 hours to see if you have any redness or irritation.

Donna Wood Eaton, owner of Cedar Spring Herb Farm in Harwich since 1982, has a Chartered Herbalist degree from Dominion Herbal College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She makes a full line of facial and body care products that are registered with the Safe Cosmetics Compact (www.safecosmetics.org) in which company owners pledge to avoid harmful substances and to fully identify everything in their beauty products. She teaches classes in gardening, herbalism and how to make your own natural products.

We asked her advice for the best food or garden ingredients to use to create skin-care products. Honey was at the top of her list.

Source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090729/LIFE/907290303/-1/NEWSMAP

Looking to save money on facials and other spa treatments?

A day at the spa is a fun way to pamper your body and make your skin glow, but it can be an expensive proposition. The good news is you can create some of the same effects by just opening your cupboards or reaching into your vegetable crisper.

Homemade beauty remedies are nothing new and a lot of the same things that are good for the inside of your body are also great for your skin.

Of course, that also means that any food that you're not supposed to eat shouldn't be used on your skin either, because it will absorb into your body and could cause an allergic reaction. Even if you don't think you have any allergies, it's always best to test any new product (even homemade ones) on a small area of skin and wait 24 hours to see if you have any redness or irritation.

Donna Wood Eaton, owner of Cedar Spring Herb Farm in Harwich since 1982, has a Chartered Herbalist degree from Dominion Herbal College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She makes a full line of facial and body care products that are registered with the Safe Cosmetics Compact (www.safecosmetics.org) in which company owners pledge to avoid harmful substances and to fully identify everything in their beauty products. She teaches classes in gardening, herbalism and how to make your own natural products.

We asked her advice for the best food or garden ingredients to use to create skin-care products. Honey was at the top of her list.

Source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090729/LIFE/907290303/-1/NEWSMAP

Pure honey and its' benefits

Starting on July 14, 2009, honey produced, sold or processed in Florida must be all natural. Florida has become the first state in the nation to prohibit additives, chemicals or adulterants from being added to sweetener.

According to Florida's Agriculture Commissioner, Charles H. Bronson, " We want to assure consumers that the product they are buying is pure. Too often in the pas, honey has been cut with water or sugar and sometimes even contaminated with insecticides or antibiotics. In the future, when you're paying for honey in Florida, pure honey is what you will get."

All natural honey has been a beauty product since the days of Cleopatra and is still used today in both hair and skin care products. Honey is a natural humectant, which means it has the ability to maintain softness, suppleness and elasticity. As skin ages, or as it is exposed to environmental stresses and chemical agents, it loses its' ability to retain water, it becomes dry and appears wrinkled. Honey's natural hydrating properties make it idea for use in moisturizing products and is suitable for sensitive skin products.

Studies have also revealed that honey has significant natural antioxidant properties too. Antioxidants play a role in protecting the skin from the damage of UV rays and aiding the skin in rejuvenation. Prolonged exposure to the sun's UV radiation can cause skin damage, premature aging and even skin cancer.

More is here: http://www.examiner.com/x-7157-Miami-Health-and-Beauty-Examiner~y2009m7d13-Pure-honey-and-its-benefits