Question:
> since you asked… http://www.melaleuca.com/nutr.html and scroll to the > hand creme section. It awsome.
Actually, the whole site is awesome. Starts out with some hooey about "fructose compounding" of minerals to make them more absorbable, complete with ball/stick "chemical structures" that are completely fictitious, scientifically. They also say little about the composition of their stuff, due to "pending patent protection" or some such thing.
Response:
since you asked… http://www.melaleuca.com/nutr.html and scroll to the hand creme section. It awsome. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I see in all the magazine articles and here online that so many > personal products (shampoo, handlotion, etc) contain dangerous > chemicals which are absorbed thru the skin. Okay, then WHAT should > I use to moisten my hands in Winter and where do I get it it? I > ask the same question about shampoo: what safe natural product > or preparation can I use as a shampoo? And, also what safe natural > handsoap? > Thanks, anyone for the suggestions!
Response:
> It does clog the pores, Howard. I don’t know about it being toxic.
Anything that’s not water-soluble has the potential to clog pores. My issue was with the claim to mineral oil being toxic when used topically.
Response:
Hi Just a note. MINERAL OIL** Comes from crude oil (petroleum) used in industry as metal cutting fluid. May suffocate the skin by forming an oil film. Bob HERBAL SHAMPOO: Put 2 tablespoons dried soapwort, 1 tablespoon chamomile flowers, and 2 teaspoons borax in a large jar or container made out of pottery or chinaware. Pour 2 1/2 cups of boiling water over the herb mixture and cover tightly. Let steep for several days. Shake the container every once in awhile. Strain, discarding the herbs. This will not be as soapy as commercial shampoo, but its cleansing qualities are undeniable. Add a few sprigs of lavender or lime blossoms before covering to give a natural delicate fragrance. Soapwort is nothing more than wild sweet william, so it is easy to grab a few handfuls to make the shampoo. YUCCA-ROOT SHAMPOO (ALSO CALLED SOAPWEED): Dig or purchase the yucca roots. Chop into small pieces and pulverize into a pulp (using a hammer or blender). When the substance has changed from white to pale amber, it is ready to use. You can dry for later use by spreading the material on a clean surface in the sun until all moisture has evaporated. The pulp[p should no longer feel sticky. When using this shampoo, make sure that your hands are free from grease, or the shampoo won’t lather. Place a small amount of the root in a cheesecloth bag. Wet and lather to wash hair. Leaves the hair shiny and silky. CHAMOMILE SHAMPOO: Make herbal infusion by pouring 4 cups boiling water over 5 tablespoons of chamomile flowers. Cover and steep 30 minutes. Strain and add 4 ounces castile soap flakes. Makes 1 quart of shampoo. This is the favorite shampoo around our house. You can purchase the castile soap flakes from any of the companies that sell herbs. It’s easy to make and easy on the hair. SOAPS: Place wood ashes in a pan of water and allow to soak overnight. Strain off the wood ashes and you have the lye water. Use it to make soap. BASIC SOAP: This recipe is for the basic soap. To make your lye solution, add 13 ounces of lye to 5 cups of cold water in your wide-mouth jar, stirring until your lye crystals are completely dissolved. Place jar in cold water to start bringing the temperature down to about 90-95 degrees. In an enamel pan, slowly melt 6 pounds of lard. Place that enamel container in cold water and bring that temperature down to 120-130 degrees. When temperatures for both solutions are right, slowly add the lye solution to the melted lard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring continuously for about 30 minutes. Add scented oil and pour into greased molds. Cool overnight. If you use just one container for a mold instead of individual molds, you need to cut the soap into bars the next morning. Remove the soap from the mold after several days. Age the soap for about 2 weeks before using. Remember that aging only improves your soap. MIRACLE SOAP: This recipe is great for dry skin. It’s called Miracle Soap because you can use it to wash your hair, too. This soap does not get hard fast, so don’t feel like you failed if it doesn’t harden quickly. The temperature is important for this recipe and so are the measurements and weights. You might fail if either is incorrect. Make sure you have an accurate scale to weigh your ingredients. If you don’t have one, you need to add one to your equipment list. This recipe makes about 7 pounds of soap. Ingredients needed are: 10 3/4 ounces of lye crystals 4 cups cold water 27 ounces coconut oil 34 ounces olive oil 24 ounces of vegetable shortening (NOT lard or butter or margarine) 1/2 ounce scented oil 1 wide-mouth jar 1 enamel or stainless steel pan 1 wooden spoon Measure 10 3/4 ounces of lye in a plastic container. Slowly and cautiously add the lye to 4 cups of cold water in the wide-mouth jar. Stir until lye crystals are completely dissolved. Place the jar in a shallow pan of cold water to start bringing the temperature down to between 95-98 degrees. The temperature cannot be hotter or colder for this recipe. Use the thermometer to continue taking the temperature until proper temperature is reached. This cooling process takes a little time, so place your shortening in the enamel pan and melt that. Add the olive oil and the coconut oil after you have melted the shortening. You may need to place this in cold water to bring the temperature to between 95-98 degrees. If either solution is too hot or too cold, you may have to heat it up or cool it down to proper temperatures. When both solutions are ready, slowly add the lye solution to the oils in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the mixture traces. This means that the spoon lifted from the soap mixture will be able to trace a design on the creamy soap. This design will stay visible for several seconds before disappearing. If you have stirred for about 30 minutes and the soap doesn’t trace well, it is still able to be used. It will just take a little more time to harden after you pour it into the molds. Before pouring into the molds, add the scented oils. Cover your molds with a folded blanket and place them on a level surface, sheltered from any drafts. Allow to set for 24 hours. Uncover and allow to set for another 24 hours. EASY HERBAL SOAP: Place 2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon verbana or lavender into 2 tablespoons warmed glycerin. Place in a warm area for several days. Strain and finely grate 12 tablespoons of unscented soap or soap flakes and melt in top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and add the scented glycerin to the melted soap. Add 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix well. Pour into greased molds. Allow to set until the soap is cool and hardened. Lotions: VIOLET LOTION: Place 1/2 cup of fresh violet leaves and 1/2 cup of violet flowers in a stainless steel pan. Cover the herbs with almond oil. Place the pan on very, very low heat and leave to steep for about 6 hours, covered. Strain off the flowers/leaves and add 1 ounce of melted beeswax to the almond oil. Stir until mixture is creamy. Test for firmness. If too stiff, add a little more almond oil. Pour into jars and use daily. SKIN MOISTURIZER: Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon glycerin. Smooth on face and let dry. Leave on for 5 minutes before removing. DRY SKIN LOTION: Put 1 tablespoon castor oil, 1/2 cup mineral oil, 1/2 tablespoon cod-liver oil and 2 tablespoons lecithin in the blender. Now prepare gelatin mix by dissolving 1 tablespoon gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Then add 3/4 boiling water to the gelatin and let sit until cool. Add 1/2 cup of this gelatin to the blender mix. Blend until thoroughly mixed. (keep the gelatin water you have left over. You will want to make other lotions with it.) This lotion is good for thick, rough, flaking and chapped skin. For skin that is wrinkled, add the juice of 1 or 2 leaves of an aloe vera plant and 1 PABA tablet (1,000 mg) to the blender mix. (If sensitive to PABA, omit it.) To clear the skin of freckles, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice. If desired, add scented oil to the mix. HAND LOTION: Melt 1 cup solid vegetable shortening, 2 tablespoons anhydrous lanolin, and 1/4 ounce of beeswax. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of olive oil or almond oil and 1/8 ounce of scented oil. Mix well and let cool. When the mixture has cooled and is solid, stir it well. If too stiff, add more oil. If too soft, add more melted beeswax. One way to test the texture is to place one tablespoon of the lotion in the refrigerator. After the mixture has cooled completely, check for thickness. Put in a jar and use daily. Caution: Please test for allergic reaction to lanolin. If you have allergic reactions to wearing wool, chances are you will have a reaction to the use of lanolin. If you are sensitive to the lanolin, leave that out of the recipe and substitute almond oil for the olive oil. Almond oil can be used in place of the lanolin. I hope that is enough to get you started. These recipes are from Jude Williams, M.H. Personally, I don’t condone the use of oils or lanolins on the skin as they clog pores and cause the dead layers of skin to impact in. Oils and lanolins also sit on the skin. I would definitely suggest finding a good buff that is natural. I personally use professional all-natural face and skin products which are transdermal– meaning they work on an inner-cellular level. Also please be reminded that proper diet and nutrition makes for healthy skin and hair! Kay — kay at http://www.herbcare.com or — slade at http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade
Response:
Hi Fidget…. I’m not sure about mineral oil being toxic to the body, but I do know that oils and lanolins should not be used on the skin. I did mention this at the end of my post on the different recipes. The recipes come from Jude Williams, M.H. I said I would advise using a good buff on the body regularly if anyone chose to use oils or lanolins. Oils and lanolin sit on the skin and clog pores–which is not healthy. All-natural transdermal skin and facial products work on an inner-cellular level which heal the skin and don’t clog the pores. I would like to have information on mineral oil being toxic, though. Do you have any? Kay — kay at http://www.herbcare.com or — slade at http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade
Response:
It does clog the pores, Howard. I don’t know about it being toxic. But, my daughter had a problem with recurrent UTI’S a number of years ago. Part of the problem was also constipation. The urologist had me give her 2 tablespoons of mineral oil every day to help this. She didn’t get sick from it, and she certainly went to the bathroom. The toilet has an oily film on it for quite a while. The reason she became constipated is because she wouldn’t go to the bathroom at all. She didn’t want to go to the doctor anymore because she always got an IV. Keep in mind this is how a 5 year old thinks–if I don’t tell anyone about it, it will go away. She had recurrent UTI’s and kidney infections for about a year and a half. She’s 10 now, and hasn’t had one again in 4 or 5 years. I’ve also had patients who were told to drink mineral oil by their doctors for constipation problems. It did work. I wonder if it would be similar to using castor oil, just not taste nearly as bad. I also would like information on it being toxic. I don’t use it anymore for my daughter–she doesn’t have a need to, and I would use herbs now anyhow. But, I do have some old patients who are still on it and I could inform them about it if it is indeed toxic and give them some alternative ideas. — Kay — kay at http://www.herbcare.com or — slade at http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade
+AD4- Maybe if you drink it. I can’t see it being toxic when applied +AD4-topically. Where’d you read this? +AD4-
Response:
> I have read that mineral oil is toxic to the body.
Maybe if you drink it. I can’t see it being toxic when applied topically. Where’d you read this?
Response:
>recipe for dry skin moisturizer. > Calls for mineral oil….I know this is the common >ingredient used in most commercial products but it is the >thing I don’t like to use on my skin. Wouldn’t olive oil >or refined olive oil be better. How could one eliminate the >smell of olive oil? >Don Nelson
Greetings, I use almond oil as a moisturizer (I live in a part of the country where the giant sucking sound is what the air makes when one steps out of the shower). It has a lighter, pleasanter smell than olive oil (although good olive oil, to me, is very nice) and not quite so thick. Most health food stores sell it. Folks who deal with aromatherapy tell me it’s the best oil next to jojoba. Good luck, C.L. Getz Please change "nospam" to "net" in e-mail address to reply.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->recipe for dry skin moisturizer. > Calls for mineral oil….I know this is the common >ingredient used in most commercial products but it is the >thing I don’t like to use on my skin. Wouldn’t olive oil >or refined olive oil be better. How could one eliminate the >smell of olive oil? >Don Nelson > Greetings, > I use almond oil as a moisturizer (I live in a part of the country where > the giant sucking sound is what the air makes when one steps out of the > shower). It has a lighter, pleasanter smell than olive oil (although > good olive oil, to me, is very nice) and not quite so thick. Most health > food stores sell it. Folks who deal with aromatherapy tell me it’s the > best oil next to jojoba. > Good luck, > C.L. Getz > Please change "nospam" to "net" in e-mail address to reply.
I have read that mineral oil is toxic to the body. I’ve stopped using the stuff myself – and I can’t say that I’ve found an alternative method either. Fidget
Response:
recipe for dry skin moisturizer. Calls for mineral oil….I know this is the common ingredient used in most commercial products but it is the thing I don’t like to use on my skin. Wouldn’t olive oil or refined olive oil be better. How could one eliminate the smell of olive oil? Don Nelson
Response:
HERBAL SHAMPOO: Put 2 tablespoons dried soapwort, 1 tablespoon chamomile flowers, and 2 teaspoons borax in a large jar or container made out of pottery or chinaware. Pour 2 1/2 cups of boiling water over the herb mixture and cover tightly. Let steep for several days. Shake the container every once in awhile. Strain, discarding the herbs. This will not be as soapy as commercial shampoo, but its cleansing qualities are undeniable. Add a few sprigs of lavender or lime blossoms before covering to give a natural delicate fragrance. Soapwort is nothing more than wild sweet william, so it is easy to grab a few handfuls to make the shampoo. YUCCA-ROOT SHAMPOO (ALSO CALLED SOAPWEED): Dig or purchase the yucca roots. Chop into small pieces and pulverize into a pulp (using a hammer or blender). When the substance has changed from white to pale amber, it is ready to use. You can dry for later use by spreading the material on a clean surface in the sun until all moisture has evaporated. The pulp[p should no longer feel sticky. When using this shampoo, make sure that your hands are free from grease, or the shampoo won’t lather. Place a small amount of the root in a cheesecloth bag. Wet and lather to wash hair. Leaves the hair shiny and silky. CHAMOMILE SHAMPOO: Make herbal infusion by pouring 4 cups boiling water over 5 tablespoons of chamomile flowers. Cover and steep 30 minutes. Strain and add 4 ounces castile soap flakes. Makes 1 quart of shampoo. This is the favorite shampoo around our house. You can purchase the castile soap flakes from any of the companies that sell herbs. It’s easy to make and easy on the hair. SOAPS: Place wood ashes in a pan of water and allow to soak overnight. Strain off the wood ashes and you have the lye water. Use it to make soap. BASIC SOAP: This recipe is for the basic soap. To make your lye solution, add 13 ounces of lye to 5 cups of cold water in your wide-mouth jar, stirring until your lye crystals are completely dissolved. Place jar in cold water to start bringing the temperature down to about 90-95 degrees. In an enamel pan, slowly melt 6 pounds of lard. Place that enamel container in cold water and bring that temperature down to 120-130 degrees. When temperatures for both solutions are right, slowly add the lye solution to the melted lard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring continuously for about 30 minutes. Add scented oil and pour into greased molds. Cool overnight. If you use just one container for a mold instead of individual molds, you need to cut the soap into bars the next morning. Remove the soap from the mold after several days. Age the soap for about 2 weeks before using. Remember that aging only improves your soap. MIRACLE SOAP: This recipe is great for dry skin. It’s called Miracle Soap because you can use it to wash your hair, too. This soap does not get hard fast, so don’t feel like you failed if it doesn’t harden quickly. The temperature is important for this recipe and so are the measurements and weights. You might fail if either is incorrect. Make sure you have an accurate scale to weigh your ingredients. If you don’t have one, you need to add one to your equipment list. This recipe makes about 7 pounds of soap. Ingredients needed are: 10 3/4 ounces of lye crystals 4 cups cold water 27 ounces coconut oil 34 ounces olive oil 24 ounces of vegetable shortening (NOT lard or butter or margarine) 1/2 ounce scented oil 1 wide-mouth jar 1 enamel or stainless steel pan 1 wooden spoon Measure 10 3/4 ounces of lye in a plastic container. Slowly and cautiously add the lye to 4 cups of cold water in the wide-mouth jar. Stir until lye crystals are completely dissolved. Place the jar in a shallow pan of cold water to start bringing the temperature down to between 95-98 degrees. The temperature cannot be hotter or colder for this recipe. Use the thermometer to continue taking the temperature until proper temperature is reached. This cooling process takes a little time, so place your shortening in the enamel pan and melt that. Add the olive oil and the coconut oil after you have melted the shortening. You may need to place this in cold water to bring the temperature to between 95-98 degrees. If either solution is too hot or too cold, you may have to heat it up or cool it down to proper temperatures. When both solutions are ready, slowly add the lye solution to the oils in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the mixture traces. This means that the spoon lifted from the soap mixture will be able to trace a design on the creamy soap. This design will stay visible for several seconds before disappearing. If you have stirred for about 30 minutes and the soap doesn’t trace well, it is still able to be used. It will just take a little more time to harden after you pour it into the molds. Before pouring into the molds, add the scented oils. Cover your molds with a folded blanket and place them on a level surface, sheltered from any drafts. Allow to set for 24 hours. Uncover and allow to set for another 24 hours. EASY HERBAL SOAP: Place 2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon verbana or lavender into 2 tablespoons warmed glycerin. Place in a warm area for several days. Strain and finely grate 12 tablespoons of unscented soap or soap flakes and melt in top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and add the scented glycerin to the melted soap. Add 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix well. Pour into greased molds. Allow to set until the soap is cool and hardened. Lotions: VIOLET LOTION: Place 1/2 cup of fresh violet leaves and 1/2 cup of violet flowers in a stainless steel pan. Cover the herbs with almond oil. Place the pan on very, very low heat and leave to steep for about 6 hours, covered. Strain off the flowers/leaves and add 1 ounce of melted beeswax to the almond oil. Stir until mixture is creamy. Test for firmness. If too stiff, add a little more almond oil. Pour into jars and use daily. SKIN MOISTURIZER: Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon glycerin. Smooth on face and let dry. Leave on for 5 minutes before removing. DRY SKIN LOTION: Put 1 tablespoon castor oil, 1/2 cup mineral oil, 1/2 tablespoon cod-liver oil and 2 tablespoons lecithin in the blender. Now prepare gelatin mix by dissolving 1 tablespoon gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Then add 3/4 boiling water to the gelatin and let sit until cool. Add 1/2 cup of this gelatin to the blender mix. Blend until thoroughly mixed. (keep the gelatin water you have left over. You will want to make other lotions with it.) This lotion is good for thick, rough, flaking and chapped skin. For skin that is wrinkled, add the juice of 1 or 2 leaves of an aloe vera plant and 1 PABA tablet (1,000 mg) to the blender mix. (If sensitive to PABA, omit it.) To clear the skin of freckles, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice. If desired, add scented oil to the mix. HAND LOTION: Melt 1 cup solid vegetable shortening, 2 tablespoons anhydrous lanolin, and 1/4 ounce of beeswax. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of olive oil or almond oil and 1/8 ounce of scented oil. Mix well and let cool. When the mixture has cooled and is solid, stir it well. If too stiff, add more oil. If too soft, add more melted beeswax. One way to test the texture is to place one tablespoon of the lotion in the refrigerator. After the mixture has cooled completely, check for thickness. Put in a jar and use daily. Caution: Please test for allergic reaction to lanolin. If you have allergic reactions to wearing wool, chances are you will have a reaction to the use of lanolin. If you are sensitive to the lanolin, leave that out of the recipe and substitute almond oil for the olive oil. Almond oil can be used in place of the lanolin. I hope that is enough to get you started. These recipes are from Jude Williams, M.H. Personally, I don’t condone the use of oils or lanolins on the skin as they clog pores and cause the dead layers of skin to impact in. Oils and lanolins also sit on the skin. I would definitely suggest finding a good buff that is natural. I personally use professional all-natural face and skin products which are transdermal– meaning they work on an inner-cellular level. Also please be reminded that proper diet and nutrition makes for healthy skin and hair! Kay — kay at http://www.herbcare.com or — slade at http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade
Response:
I’m interested Kay – yes, please do post! Fidget – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have recipes for these things which you could make yourself. If you are interested in doing it that way, let me know and I will post them here. Otherwise, there are some health food stores that carry all-natural personal products. > Kay > — kay at http://www.herbcare.com > or > — slade at http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade > +AD4-I see in all the magazine articles and here online that so many > +AD4-personal products (shampoo, handlotion, etc) contain dangerous > +AD4-chemicals which are absorbed thru the skin. Okay, then WHAT should > +AD4-I use to moisten my hands in Winter and where do I get it it? I > +AD4-ask the same question about shampoo: what safe natural product > +AD4-or preparation can I use as a shampoo? And, also what safe natural > +AD4-handsoap? > +AD4- > +AD4-Thanks, anyone for the suggestions+ACE-
Response:
Hi Mike. Check out this information and then check out one of the only companies in the world to offer you a choice. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/971110/10cosm.htm Bob Tyndall Purveyor of Health & Beauty Products, to make you look and feel better http://www.ultranet.ca/neways
:I see in all the magazine articles and here online that so many :personal products (shampoo, handlotion, etc) contain dangerous :chemicals which are absorbed thru the skin. Okay, then WHAT should :I use to moisten my hands in Winter and where do I get it it? I :ask the same question about shampoo: what safe natural product 
r preparation can I use as a shampoo? And, also what safe natural :handsoap? : :Thanks, anyone for the suggestions! :
Response:
Mike, Try a soy shortening to keep hands soft and supple in winter. If you don’t like that idea put it into another container. For a shampoo you can try using a chamomile (for light hair) or Rosemary (dark ) hair rinse. I make natural soaps if you want any information I sell them at local health food stores, and I can do mail order. The soap is make with pure ingredients, vegetarian and are environmentally friendly. I can answer any questions if you have any about it. I started to make my own soap because I myself had similar concerns, I didn’t want junk on my son’s skin. Demetria – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I see in all the magazine articles and here online that so many > personal products (shampoo, handlotion, etc) contain dangerous > chemicals which are absorbed thru the skin. Okay, then WHAT should > I use to moisten my hands in Winter and where do I get it it? I > ask the same question about shampoo: what safe natural product > or preparation can I use as a shampoo? And, also what safe natural > handsoap? > Thanks, anyone for the suggestions!
Response:
I see in all the magazine articles and here online that so many personal products (shampoo, handlotion, etc) contain dangerous chemicals which are absorbed thru the skin. Okay, then WHAT should I use to moisten my hands in Winter and where do I get it it? I ask the same question about shampoo: what safe natural product or preparation can I use as a shampoo? And, also what safe natural handsoap? Thanks, anyone for the suggestions!
Response:
I have recipes for these things which you could make yourself. If you are interested in doing it that way, let me know and I will post them here. Otherwise, there are some health food stores that carry all-natural personal products. Kay — kay at http://www.herbcare.com or — slade at http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade
+AD4-I see in all the magazine articles and here online that so many +AD4-personal products (shampoo, handlotion, etc) contain dangerous +AD4-chemicals which are absorbed thru the skin. Okay, then WHAT should +AD4-I use to moisten my hands in Winter and where do I get it it? I +AD4-ask the same question about shampoo: what safe natural product +AD4-or preparation can I use as a shampoo? And, also what safe natural +AD4-handsoap? +AD4- +AD4-Thanks, anyone for the suggestions+ACE-
Response: