The full moon can be the perfect time to take time for yourself and consider the things you want to change in your life. During full moon, it is not the time to make drastic changes in your life, but to plan and prepare yourself for future events, to reflect on previous experiences. Harness the energy of the full moon and use it to your best.
The moon as a signifier of emotion and the psyche plays a major role in Vedic astrology and it represents our psychological and emotional tendencies and patterns. As the Earth’s only natural satellite, it impacts on life: time, tides and light. No surprise, it might also affect us humans.
What to do during a full moon?
The full moon can be the perfect time to take time for yourself and recharge. Stick with me and I will share with you what you should and more importantly, what you shouldn’t do during a full moon.
Take time for meditation and self-care
There is no better time for meditating and bathing than during the full moon. Herbal bath with salt can have a therapeutic effect and help you to relax and cleanse your worries away. After bathing, do some meditation during full moon. Meditations calms, can on long term improve quality of life and concentration, and reduces the power of negative reactions to events. After meditating, you will feel more energetic and mindful.
Reflect on your life and plan
Every monthly full moon invites us to pause and to reflect on our lives. Ask yourself how you are feeling physically and mentally? Are there any changes you would like to make related to relationships, career or health? The full moon is the perfect time to look inward and prepare for the new moon cycle.
Declutter and clear your home
Clear your home of clutter and let go of the things that no longer serve you. Consider smudging your home – spiritual cleansing ritual to cleanse the negative energy in the air. During the smudging ceremony, plant resins and herbs are burned in a shell or a clay bowl while intentions and prayers are called forth. For centuries, Indigenous cultures have practiced smudging rituals to clear away negative energy, to invite peace and harmony for individuals or environments.
Fasting during a full moon
On the fasting day, no food is allowed, only drinking water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric beverages. If this kind of fasting is too hard for you, choose low-calorie foods during the fasting period. Especially important is to spend the whole day with a positive attitude that will promote spiritual development. Fasting have great benefits to our body as it can help control the acid content, enhances the endurance power and cleanses the digestive system.
Surround yourself with friends (avoid conflicts)
Take time for your family and friends. Playing boardgames, watching quality movies, long conversations – do whatever connects you and makes you happy. Avoid conflicts as during full moon we tend to overreact to the little stuff. Remember, use full moon energy to your advantage and not the opposite.
Express your creativity
Do you also feel that energy is more intense during a full moon? Harness energy and use it for your creativity. Painting, writing, baking, formulating would be a good way to express your creativity and use your energy. We, for example, love formulating during full moon, like this scalp oil for hair growth.
What not to do during a full moon
Avoid surgery and tooth extractions if possible
Tradition has it that if you have medical surgery or dental extractions during the moon’s waxing phase, it can result in more bleeding, slower healing, and more pain. However we should take this old saying with a pinch of salt.
Not the perfect time for business meetings
The full moon might not benefit businessmen and their meetings. At the conferences, avoid conflicts and think, think, think before you speak. We may easily seem distracted so it is not time for making any drastic decisions either.
Don’t do any rash decisions and avoid rushing
Avoid starting or closing projects during full moon, but take time to plan for the future. When the Moon is waning (from full to new Moon) it is time for business and material matters. The New Moon is the ideal time to begin product launches, start sales and marketing campaigns, and begin the production of new content.
Scientists continue to study how the small silvery-looking sphere orbiting 384,400 kilometres away can influence numerous psychological systems. Even though there is no absolute proof that the Moon affects human mental and physical health, we all have different experiences, and the effect of a full moon on a person is also difficult to research.
What about you? Do you suggest any full moon rituals? Let us know in the comments.
Autumn is here, the season of colorful leaves, rainy days and fresh vegetables and fruits that nature provides us. The temperatures are getting lower, days are shorter and it’s the perfect time to boost our immune system and prepare ourselves for cold days. A cup of tea during cold winter days warms you up and recharge your mind and body.
We love quality herbal tea, which warms up and has a beneficial effect on your health and well-being. In this post we cover some of the most well-known and effective herbs for tea blend for respiratory problems during cold season. We also share how we store our tea blends.
How to store tea blends
Quality of dried herbs can last much longer if you store them properly. First things first, you only store completely dry herbs. Make sure there is no moisture left after drying. Best option to store dried herbs is to keep them in airtight container, optionally you can also store them in glass jar where they last 1 year. Keep them out of direct sunlight in a cool and dry location. Be sure to label and date the containers.
The best herbs for winter tea blends
Chamomile
Chamomile is widely thought to help relax and may improve quality of sleep. Inhaling steam with chamomile can relieve some of the symptoms of respiratory problems (similar like thyme) and has antispasmodic effect, meaning it can help to reduce coughing. Chamomile tea is also suitable for women as it can help reduce menstrual pain (nettle tea also help with menstrual cramps).
Ginger
Ginger tea has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and helps with lowering body temperature and reducing fever. To increase the antibacterial effects add a dash of cinnamon or a slice of lemon.
Peppermint
Probably one of the most common problems during winter are respiratory infections. Drinking peppermint tea helps alleviate some types of upper respiratory problems. Inhaling steam with peppermint essential oil can ease nasal congestion from colds and other respiratory problems. More over, it helps reduce menstrual pain and has antibacterial properties. Menthol in peppermint is an effective decongestant and soothing agent for sore throat.
Rose hip
Rose hips is loaded with vitamin C in comparison to other herbs. Vitamin C helps support a healthy immune system and protects the body from infections. Rosehip tea helps remove impurities and toxins from the digestive system, may reduce pain, support heart health and boost immunity. Besides, it is a delicious ingredient in tea blends with its peculiar aroma.
Thyme
When it comes to flu, cough and respiratory issues, I usually go for thyme tea. It helps alleviate cough, disinfects, prevents bacterial infection, lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity. Thyme is natural cough remedy, its essential oil can also be used for inhaling steam as well as thyme syrup to help alleviate respiratory problems.
Sage
Sage promotes oral health and it is one of the most popular herbs in dentistry. It can ease the pain, inflammation, and bad breath and has antibacterial and wound-healing properties. Sage tea is recommended if you have tooth pain or sore throat, due to its antibacterial activity. Warning, sage contains thujone, which is toxic in high doses. For this reason avoid drinking large amounts of sage tea.
Additives to make tea taste better
When it comes to additives for tea blends, there are various choices such as dried fruits, nuts, dried citrus zest, sweeteners etc. Combine desired ingeedients and make your favorite tea blend from ginger, lemon zest, maple syrup or something more fruity if you prefer fruit teas. Play with ingredients and make sure to measure how much of each ingredient you put in tea blend to get the same taste again when you make the tea blend again.
We love rosehip, thyme and chamomile in a cup of tea. Let us know which are your favorite teas during cold days.
We spend a lot of time and energy in skin care on the face, body and feet. Cracked skin and hard heels are a common problem, especially in the summer, when it’s the season of sandals, open shoes and flip-flops and we all want to make our feet and nails beautiful. Are you wondering how to make your heels soft and soften the dry skin on your feet? You have two choices – either prepare the product yourself from the ingredients or choose a product that contains effective ingredients and active ingredients that will be the right choice for your problem.
Has it ever happened to you that you bought a cosmetic product that promised soft skin, cooling effect on legs, but when you applied it you didn’t feel the difference or the effectiveness was minimal? We understand you completely, for this reason my sister and I have been preparing our own products from natural ingredients that are effective and we only choose the the best for ourselves!😊 If we buy a product, we always read the declaration and the list of ingredients, and if we can get percentages of the specific ingredient, that’s even better! To moisturize the dry, cracked skin on the feet, in our foot cream we used essential oils with cooling effect. The main active ingredients we used are lactic acid, salicylic acid, provitamin B5, vitamin E and allantoin.
What should a cream for dry feet and cracked heels contain?
A good foot cream needs moisturizers, humectants, occlusives and ingredients that have a keratolytic effect. There are several ingredients from different manufacturers as well as products that contain different ingredients. Emollients help with a damaged skin barrier, i.e. vegetable oils, butters, ceramides, cholesterol and squalene. Occlusives inhibit the evaporation of water, which is the source of problems with dry and cracked skin on the feet. We used almond oil, which absorbs well and is suitable for all skin types, and shea butter, which nourishes and softens the skin and helps the cream spread better.
With acid peeling to renewed skin The heart of the cream are the acids. Formulating with acids can be challenging, but it pays off, as they have a strong effect on the skin (each type of acid has its own task). For example, lactic acid has a moisturizing effect on the skin, maintains the pH of the skin and has an exfoliating effect if it is used in sufficient concentration and at a sufficiently acidic pH. In this way, the dead, old, rough skin on the heels is exfoliated and renewed. Acid peeling differs from mechanical peeling, as acids don’t give the feeling of immediate peeling and yet they have a stronger long-term effect. Peeling with sea salt will have an effect, but its action will not be as effective as with acid peeling. Salicylic acid is also very common in a quality foot cream as it penetrates in the skin deeper than alpha-hydroxy acids. At a low pH, it has a keratolytic effect and accelerates the removal of dead cells on the epidermis. Studies have shown that corns are successfully removed with a 30% concentration (such concentrated solutions can only be prescribed by a dermatologist). Salicylic acid is not safe for use in children under 3 years of age due to the possibility of poisoning (salicism).
Oil is not enough, you also need moisturizers and vitamins
A rich moisturizer for your feet requires more than just the oil phase. Moisturizers increase the water content of the skin and help to restore the normal function of the lipid barrier. You can choose from a variety such as honey, glycerol, allantoin, hyaluronic acid, etc. We both used glycerol and allantoin in our formulation for foot cream, they both moisturize and allantoin soothes irritated skin. A common ingredient in foot creams to moisturize and soften the skin is also urea. If you have ever injured your skin or burned yourself, your healing cream most likely contained panthenol or provitamin B5, as it is a common ingredient in wound healing creams and children’s cosmetics. It helps restore the skin even after sunbathing, has an anti-inflammatory effect, improves wound healing and restores damaged skin. It will make the skin of your feet soft and more elastic. Vitamin E smooths the surface of the skin, increases the hydration of the stratum corneum, inhibits inflammation and promotes skin renewal and wound healing.
Essential oils for a feeling of freshness on the feet
A whole range of essential oils is available for foot cream. It is recommended that they have an antimicrobial effect, cool and stimulate blood circulation. In our foot cream we use peppermint essential oil, which has an analgesic effect and activates the accumulated lymph, and camphor essential oil, which is known for its antiseptic properties, but also has an analeptic effect (stimulates the central nervous system) and stimulates blood circulation. It is also used in sports cosmetics and in the production of repellents. Camphor also pleasantly cools and thus refreshes tired legs. It is especially suitable for people who work a lot in a standing position or they are on their feet a lot. If you are struggling with foot fungus, tea tree essential oil will be the right choice, as it is a natural remedy against bacterial, viral and fungal skin infections, the disadvantage of this is its strong smell. You can replace it with essential oil of lemongrass, which has a strong antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory effect, and at the same time it also smells nice on the product.
For a better effect, apply the foot cream before going to bed, preferably after showering, when the skin is still moist. Then put on socks or use a bag and go to bed. During sleep, the skin will have enough time to absorb the ingredients, and in the morning your feet will be soft and a shade lighter.
Which foot cream do you use? Are you excited about an ingredient that we didn’t mention? Share with me in a comment below.
Kako izbrati dobro kremo za utrujena stopala in razpokane pete
Dekleta veliko časa in energije vložimo v nego kože na obrazu, telesu in stopalom. Velikokrat so razpokana koža in trde pete trn v peti še posebej v poletnem obdobju, času nošenja sandal, odprte obutve in japonk, ko si vse želimo urejena stopala in nohtke. Se sprašuješ, kako doseči, da bodo tvoje pete mehke in da boš omilila suho kožo na nogah? Lahko si izdelek sama pripraviš iz sestavin ali pa izbereš izdelek, ki vsebuje učinkovite sestavine ter aktive, ki bodo prava izbira za tvoj problem.
Se ti je že kdaj zgodilo, da si si kupila kozmetični izdelek, ki je obljubljal mehko kožo, ohladitev utrujenih nog, ob nanosu pa nisi čutila razlike ali pa je bila učinkovitost minimalna. Te popolnoma razumeva, iz tega razloga si s sestro že nekaj časa sami pripravljava izdelke iz sestavin, ki so efektivne in pri tem ne varčujeva, saj želiva zase najboljše! 😊 V kolikor izdelek kupiva, pa obvezno prebereva deklaracijo in seznam s sestavinami, če piše tudi vsebnost slednjih v odstotkih pa je super!
Za vlaženje suhe, razpokane kože na stopalih uporabljava eterična olja, ki hkrati tudi hladijo. Glavne aktivne sestavine, ki sva jih uporabile so mlečna kislina, salicilna kislina, provitamin B5, vitamin E in alantoin.
Kaj mora vsebovati krema za suho kožo na stopalih in razpokane pete?
Dobra krema za stopala potrebuje vlažilce, humektante, okluzive ter sestavine, ki imajo keratolitično delovanje. Obstaja več sestavin različnih proizvajalcev kot tudi izdelkov, ki vsebujejo različne sestavine. Emolienti pomagajo pri porišeni kožni barieri, to so rastlinska olja, masla, ceramidi, holesterol in skvalen. Okluzivi zavirajo izhlapevanje vode, ki je vir težav suhe ter razpokane kože na stopalih. Midve sva izbrali mandljevo olje, ki se lepo vpije in je primerno za vse tipe kože ter karite maslo, ki kožo nahrani in zmehča ter pomaga do lepše mazljivosti kreme.
S kislinskim pilingom do obnovljene kože
Srce kreme so kisline. Formuliranje s kislinami je zahtevno, ampak se obrestuje, saj imajo močan učinek na kožo (vsak tip kisline ima svojo nalogo). Tako npr. mlečna kislina na kožo deluje vlažilno, vzdržuje pH kože ter deluje luščilno, če jo uporabimo v zadostni koncentraciji in pri dovolj kislem pH. Na tak način se odmrla stara, hrapava koža na petah odlušči in obnovi. Kislinski piling se od mehanskega razlikuje po tem, da nima občutka takojšnjega luščenja in ima močnejše delovanje na daljši rok. Piling z morsko soljo bo imel učinek, ampak njegovo delovanje ne bo tako učinkovito kot s kislinskim pilingom.
Salicilna kislina prodira v kožo globlje od alfa-hidroksi kislin. Pri majhnem pH deluje keratolizno in pospeši odstranjevanje odmrlih celic na povrhnjici. Kot zanimivost, študije so pokazale, da se s 30-odsotno koncentracijo uspešno odstranijo kurja očesa (tako koncentrirane raztopine lahko prepiše samo dermatolog). Salicilna kislina ni varna za uporabo pri otrocih, mlajših od 3 let zaradi možnosti zastrupitve (salicizem).
Ni dovolj le olje, potrebujete tudi vlažilce in vitamine
Za izdatno vlažilno kremo za vaša stopala potrebujete več kot le oljno fazo. Vlažilci povečajo vsebnost vode v koži in pomagajo vzpostaviti normalno funkcio lipidne bariere. Izbirate lahko med različnimi, kot so med, glicerol, alantoin, hialuronska kislina, itn. Midve sva v recepturi uporabili glicerol in alantoin, slednji poleg vlaženja pomirja razdraženo kožo. Pogosta sestavina v kremah za stopala za vlaženje in mehčanje kože je urea.
Če ste si kdaj poškodovali kožo ali se opekli, je vaša zdravilna krema najverjetneje vseboval pantenol ali provitamin B5, saj je pogosta sestavina v kremah za celjenje ran ter v otroški kozmetiki. Pomaga obnavljati kožo tudi po sončenju, deluje protivnetno, pospešuje celjenje ran ter obnavlja poškodovano kožo. Poskrbel bo, da bo koža vaših stopalih mehka in elastična. Vitamin E gladi površino kože, povečuje navlaženost rožene plasti, zavira vnetja ter spodbuja obnovo koe in celjenje ran.
Eterična olja za občutek svežine na nogah
Za kremo za stopala je na voljo cela paleta eteričnih olj. Priporočljivo je, da imajo protimikrobno delovanje, hladijo in spodbujajo prekrvitev. V recepturo sva dodali eterično olje poprove mete, ki ima protibolečinsko delovanje in aktivira nakopičeno limfo ter eterično olje kafre, ki je znano po antiseptičnih lastnostih, ima pa tudi analeptičen učinek (spodbuja osrednji živčni sistem) in spodbuja prekrvitev. Uporabljajo jo tudi v športni kozmetiki in pri proizvodnji repelentov. Kafra tudi prijetno hladi in tako osveži utrujene noge. Zlasti je primerna za ljudi, ki dosti delajo s stoječem položaju oz. so veliko na nogah.Če se spopadate z glivicami na nogah bo eterično olje čajevca prava izbira, saj je naravno sredstvo proti bakterijskim, virusnim in glivičnim okužbam kože, slabost je njegov močan vonj. Lahko ga nadomestite z eteričnim oljem limonske trave, ki ima močno antibakterjisko, protiglivično in protivnetno delovanje, hkrati pa tudi lepo odišavi izdelek.
Kremo za stopala za boljši učinek nanesite pred spanjem, najbolje po tuširanju, ko je koža še vedno navlažena. Nato si nadenite nogavice ali pa uporabite vrečko in se odpravite v posteljo. Med spanjem bo imela koža dovolj časa, da vpije sestavine, zjutraj pa bodo vaša stopala mehka in za odtenek lažja.
Katero kremo za noge pa ti uporabljaš? Ali si navdušena nad kakšno sestavino, ki je midve nisva omenili? Deli z name v komentarju spodaj.
2 Natureholics 