Since I have been writing about leather these past few, and Valentines Day is literally around the corner, and the shopping deadline for that special someone is too close for comfort, why not get them something in leather. That about narrows down your choices but still gives you a wide array of options, since leather is found in luxury pieces.LeatherUp.com seems to have a wide variety of genuine leather jackets and apparel him and her. Although I have never made a purchase from them, the Letterman Jacket they have made of wool and leather is a nice basic thoughtful gift I know my husband would appreciate.

If your budget is less than $20, you can always go for leather conditioners and treatments for people who have valuable leather goods. Check out any leather store at the mall and most of the leather protectors, treatments and conditioners are well less than $20 with tax included. But for the ultimate leather treat go for Zaino’s Leather in a Bottle , which to me, ths product is like a miracle in a bottle. It is the one true item that truly takes care of your leather, it’s smell doesn’t offend, its not harsh on the human nose or skin. Read why Zaino’s is the winner in being the true leather in a bottle here.

Another great gift idea is small leather goods like wallets, purses, cosmetic and toiletries bags, belts, gloves and hats. Use the internet wisely and keep an eye out for discounts, past seasons overstock or pay a visit to outlet malls for even deeper discounts. If you have military privileges, there are also great find at the Base Exchange. I know, my parents has been shopping great brands at discounts for years.

And for the eccentric, if you are the few who has a couple of more dollars to spare specialty stores like Coach, Dooney and Bourke, Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole, Hugo, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Fendi, Chanel and list goes on and on…there is nothing more satisfying than opening a fancy box with satin bows, to reveal fine tissue paper that unfold into a new clutch or pair of luxury shoes. The packaging all together guarantees the finest leather, oh swoon.

But for the environmentalist and vegans we have come a long way in creating faux leather. Keep in mind faux leather is not just for the people who cannot afford real leather. The purpose of this is to copy the rich fee of leather to have without killing or destroying anything that shouldn’t be so that the delicate balance of our earth and its resources aren’t outbalanced just because we’re vain.

Personally the best leather products are handmade and each shod be unique. The way the expensive brands hand make, hand cut and hand pick their leather to make a mass production of something there are artisans out there who do the same intricate work and detailing where no two items will even be alike. Check out Etsy.com for handcrafted leather and faux leather gifts of choice.

In the bowl combine the lemon, orange peels, flower petals in a bowl and  add a few drops of essential or aromatherapy oil. Place the bowl in the kitchen counter, breakfast nook, or by the sink.

The way I do it is I leave a slice of lemon in the sponge rack or the small container that holds my dish-washing sponge. I keep orange or lemon peels in the refrigerator beside the baking soda. In my bathroom and kitchen counter I place a bowl or lemon and orange peels mixed in with potpourri bought from Micheal’s and as the scent dissipates I refresh it by adding a couple of drops of aromatherapy oil in either jasmine, citrus, lavender or bergamot, because those scents are the ones that seem to go well with the mixture of potpourri flowers and  the lemon and orange zest.

You will need a 2 ounce spray bottle, 2 ounces of water, 5 drops of coconut oil or aloe vera oil, 1 ounce of chamomile tea and 1 vitamin E soft gel capsule broken in half to get the vitamin for your conditioner.

Coconut oil mixed with vanilla essential oil is more suitable for winter being that coconut ad vanilla is a warm scent combined. You can diffuse the coconut smell by adding a little bit of jasmine or citrus oil.

Aloe Vera is more suitable for spring and summer due to its’ light scent and you can enhance the smell by adding a few drops of bergamot, grapefruit, juniper essential oils.

Chamomile tea can be substituted by using green tea extract.

This mix is fully customizable and not expensive to make. I do suggest it’s best to make small batches so it always stays fresh and does not go rancid on you. Also making a small batch makes it travel size and convenient, that way you can have one in your car, at your desk, in the bathroom and by your night stand. It is also easier to play with the ingredients and due variations if you make a little at a time.

You can easily find your ingredients online or at vitamin shops. The squirt bottle is readily availability in different colors, sizes and shapes at stores like Wal-mart, Walgreen’s, K-Mart, Target.

You can customize the scent, even add exfoliants, or even make it odorless. You will need sodium hydroxide (lye), extra virgin olive oil. In a glass or aluminum bowl dissolve 40 grams or sodium hydroxide into 100 ml of water. In another bowl pour 400 ml or extra virgin olive oil and add the lye water into it and mix it. Pour the solution into a soap mold or box, cover and let it sit for a week undisturbed in a cool, dry, dark environment. And there you have your own home made soap.

Be careful when using sodium hydroxide as it can burn the skin, ruin dishes and if you pour it down the drain it can ruin your garbage disposal, even create a hole in your pvc  pipes, and is bad for the drain.

To add essential oils to the soap just add a couple of drops of your choice scent after you pour the lye water into the oil, at this point you can also add raw oats or rice as an exfoliant. Experiment with different scent combinations, I discovered lavender, tangerine, bergamot, and that has been my favorite combination since.

Also, aside from olive oil you can also use palm oil, coconut, castor, aloe vera oils.

I have written in an earlier article about using a hot face towel infused with essential oils (optional) as an at home DIY steam facial method. Well, here, we are going to get a little bit more daring.

In a pot boil some water. Add 2 drops of lavender essential oil, a bag of chamomile tea, 2 drops eucalyptus oil. (Note: You can use green tea, or other teas of your choice for aromatic purposes, same with the essential oils, you can use lavender to calm and relax, or jasmine, or citrus for an energy boost. Eucalyptus oil is optional as well, and it can be substituted by ½ a teaspoon of Vicks vapor rub, or peppermint oil.) This recipe is the one I like to make for myself.

First you will need to prep your skin by cleansing it properly. I like to use 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp Quaker oats, 1 tsp powdered milk or 2 tsp fresh milk, 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Blend all the ingredients together and apply it like a paste to your face. This will act like a clarifying face mask.

Rinse your face and then apply the mask, leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Rinse off and by now your pot should be boiling. You can do this two ways, you can carefully place your face above the pot just far enough to get some heat, or you can pour the mixture in a separate bowl and do the same thing. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF! After doing this for about 15-20 minutes you may apply some vitamin E from the capsules to your face, or your favorite moisturizer. Personally I like plain rose water on my face or cucumber toner or sea mineral water or simply Evian Mineral water face spray. Enjoy!

Cold weather can mean bad hair days. The cold can damage the hair by making it dry, and if you go out into the cold with your hair wet, the cold can make your hair brittle and cause breakage. During the cold season we are tempted to take hot showers, try to avoid these, as hot showers can also be drying to the hair. Since cold weather tends to make the hair brittle, avoid using ‘hot’ styling tools such as curling and flat irons. During the cold weather, it is recommended to wear a scarf or hat to cover your hair to protect it from the weather, condition daily, and if you can get away with it, do not wash your hair every day. Instead, use a dry shampoo. The most basic form of dry shampoo is baby powder, but there are other brands and types available in salons, beauty stores, department stores, or on the internet. Sally’s carry Batiste in an aerosol can. I find this the best one, it doesn’t leave too much white residue at the same time it smells pleasant and it’s affordable at about $4/can. Or if you have extra cash to spare Klorane dry shampoo also in an aerosol spray can is the next best thing to Batiste.

In the current times we live, almost everything is toxic for our health and well being that it’s almost unavoidable. These toxins come from the smog in the air to dirty tap water to harsh chemicals and preservatives in our daily shower in the form of soap and shampoo, even our bathroom cleaning supplies.

Spas are booming everywhere and so called spa products bought in drugstores, malls and salons are readily and easily available promising a piece of eternal youth. All these options available to us are great, but there’s a problem.

Not all products bought in ‘big box’ stores or salons, department store or drugstores are paraben or preservative free.  In fact 80% of those items purchased from these stores have some type of paraben. Parabens are chemical preservatives added to beauty products, cleanser to preserve their shelf life. While purchasing these brand name items puts a dent in our pockets, 90 percent of the time it isn’t good for us and just does more damage. Another problem is even though a visit to a day spa or resort can recharge us and detoxify us, we cannot go to these places as often as needed due to time and financial discrepancies. Here’s what you can do.

Make it a habit to drink lots of water; every time there is an urge to drink artificial or high fructose beverages like certain juices, soda and beer; discipline yourself to drink water instead. Or if water gets too plain create some spa water , this is definitely worth the preparation and is more refreshing and healthier than cool aide or soda pop.

Make over your diet by substituting fresh fruit and vegetables instead of bread, potatoes, chips or candy bars. Drink tea instead of coffee, fresh juice instead of soda and a glass of wine instead of beer. Quit smoking and exercise regularly even if it means as little as 15 minutes of cardio every day. As long as it is done consistently, it can make a very big difference, and you will feel an increase in stamina and you will feel more lively and active. Also, other exercise ideas, if you do not wish to do cardio or lift weights you can stretch, meditate, do yoga, Pilates, sign up for martial arts, kick boxing, dance, etc.

Try to get enough ‘quality’ sleep. Having 4 hours of R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) sleep is better than 8 hours of interrupted sleep. R.E.M. sleep is deep sleep; normally it takes about 20-40 minutes for a person to be in this state after closing their eyes. Within the 4 hours if it is uninterrupted and the person falls into the deep sleep state in between, they will feel more energized and refreshed than a person that has been tossing and turning or waking up in between an 8 hour sleep.

Instead of taking O.T.C. over the counter medication to cure a simple headache, backache or soreness from strain or stress try using holistic and natural remedies. Instead of purchasing commercial grade toothpaste, soap, lotion, shampoo etc; make your own products with fresh ingredients at home.

In just one day of healthy eating, sleeping, drinking, and using more natural products, a difference will surely be felt. And staying on this lifestyle consistently will ensure better overall health and wellbeing naturally. If change can be felt in one dose, what more if you keep up at it?

Because “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  By Henry de Bracton.

Signs and symptoms of your body breaking down because of daily habits and environmental degradation are fatigue, backaches, soreness, headaches, obesity, fluctuating weight, skin blemishes, excessive hair loss, digestive problems, frequency in getting coughs and colds, severity and lengthy healing processes, chapped lips, dry skin, bad breath, insomnia, and stress.

This article is for information purposes and not meant to substitute the care and advice of your primary health care provider or health professionals.

Amla is a type of fruit. In Ayurveda practices this is one of the major components used in various treatments. We are just going to talk about what it can do for the hair. Amla powder is available online and can be bought by the pound on Amazon, or eBay. There are a handful of wellness websites that sell this as well. I found it safer and easier to buy from eBay.

Amla is good for the hair because it cleanses the hair like your best clarifying shampoo, but amla does this naturally. I personally have tried amla powder and I swear by it for dandruff, and when I want to add extra body to my hair. The process is a little messy and it leaves residue all over your tub or shower but is easily rinsed off and is safe for the drains. Another habit you should get used to while using amla is covering your pillow with a towel after using amla, so it doesn’t stain your pillow case.

To prepare the hair paste, in a bowl mix ½ cup water and 1 cup amla. When you’ve reached a pasty consistency just use your hands and apply it evenly all over your scalp. It will tingle and feel cold, and this is normal.  Don’t forget to drape a towel over your shoulders. After application leave it in the hair till it dries up, this can range between 15 to 30 minutes.  Rinse off, and try to get all the residue out, you may use your regular shampoo to help with the cleansing. Realistically it could take a couple of washing before all the residue is gone from your hair, but this is safe. With regular use, amla can strengthen hair follicles, stopping excessive shedding, help maintain a healthy scalp, and help delay the graying of hair.

Amla is also available in oil form that is also used for the hair. In powder form, the paste created can also be used as a face mask, and it is said to help with blemishes and even out skin tone.

This is the exact brand I use, and it is available for less than $10 over the internet, 1 box will take you a long way.

Hot oil treatment: replaced with coconut oil.

Coconut oil is very abundant in tropical countries; it can safely be purchased over the internet, or grocery stores or supermarkets. These easy access places carry the food grade coconut oil that is safe for our hair. Use this by heating ½ cup of coconut oil in a small pan or pot. Drape a towel over your shoulders to avoid staining your clothes. Massage the warm oil into the scalp. Wrap your hair in a towel for 60 minutes or overnight while you sleep and rinse off with your normal shampoo.

Regular use of coconut oil will help keep the hair soft, strong, shiny, and keep the scalp healthy by helping with maintaining healthy pH balance.

WARNING: be careful not to burn yourself! And do not microwave the oil!

If wine can prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems by helping clearing the blood vessels; and if wine added in a healthy diet can make it easier to lose weight to be more physically fit, then there shouldn’t be a reason why not to add wine to your daily lives. If an apple a day can keep the doctor away and wine can do the same thing in some aspects of our health, then why not make sure when we buy those red delicious apples, we also include a bottle of red wine for to enjoy during week.

While wine is alcohol, it should be taken in moderation, or the purpose of using it to benefit our health would be defeated. Always drink responsibly and be wary of any health conditions that could cause harm to you if you drink wine.

Most of us enjoy an alcoholic beverage after lunch or dinner, to calm the nerves, help with digestion, to relax, to unwind. Red wine in particular, is rich in the antioxidant polyphenols, flavonoids, nonflavonoids and bioflavonoid; these are responsible for healthy arteries by helping keeping them clear. A glass of red wine has just as much antioxidants as 10 glasses of orange juice, but wine should not be a substitute for eating your fruits and vegetables.