Feb 20, 2009

The Chocolaty Spa Day at home

My friend said she tried the mask already and she loved it. She loves chocolate too of course. :)

Chocolate Spa Treatments



By Janice Cox (of The Herb Companion Magazine)
Here’s some surprising news: Chocolate is good for your skin! Many of us grew up with the concept that chocolate causes blemishes. Instead, scientists now have discovered that chocolate can contain more antioxidants per cup than red wine or green tea. In fact, certain compounds in chocolate even help smooth the skin and decrease its sensitivity to the sun. Chocolate is good for your skin because of its high content of cocoa butter, which is a natural skin softener and conditioner. It is also an antioxidant, which means it prevents free radical damage to your skin and protects its natural elasticity. To receive the full benefit, choose commercial products or recipes with chocolate, cocoa and cocoa butter as the main ingredients. Also, dark chocolate seems to be much more effective than milk chocolate or white chocolate (which many argue is not really chocolate). Chocolate is considered dark if it contains at least 35 percent cocoa. In skin care, chocolate, cocoa and cocoa butter are all excellent moisturizers. Chocolate also contains caffeine which can stimulate your circulation and give your skin a healthy glow when used in a massage cream or body scrub. The scent of chocolate releases serotonin, the same hormone that we experience when falling in love and for many people promotes happy feelings and reduces stress. So next time you have a craving for something sweet, enjoy a bit of chocolate with the bonus of better skin and a better mood. Here are some cocoa-based recipes to create at home.
Chocolate from the Ground Up Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree. This tree is native to Central America and Mexico and dates back to 1100 b.c. The Mesoamerican people used the seeds to make beverages. The seeds are dried, cleaned and roasted to produce cacao nibs, which are ground and processed into two different substances: cocoa and cocoa butter. Chocolate as we know it combines these two components, along with other ingredients such as sugar, milk, and sometimes herbs and spices.

MOCHA FACIAL MASK
Makes 4 ounces, enough for 1 application
Facial masks are a great way to deep cleanse your skin so that it will work more efficiently. Plus, clean skin holds more moisture and looks brighter. The milk and espresso contain natural food acids that help rid your skin of surface debris and dead skin cells, while the chocolate or cocoa powder helps condition and soothe your complexion. Use weekly to wake up a dull complexion!
• 4 tablespoons finely ground espresso or coffee
•4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons whole milk

1. Mix together all ingredients until you have a smooth paste. 2. Spread over a clean face and neck, avoiding the eye and mouth area. 3. Let sit for 15 minutes and rinse well with warm water.

Chocolate Walnut Body Polish
Makes 8 ounces Exfoliate weekly with a body scrub for healthy, glowing skin. This rich recipe, full of natural nut oils, will gently scrub and soften the skin all over your body. In a pretty jar with a big bow, it also makes a wonderful gift. You can find walnut oil at the grocery store in the cooking oil section. You also might want to experiment with other natural nut oils, such as almond and macadamia
. • ½ cup raw sugar
• ¼ cup walnut oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1. Stir together all ingredients until well mixed.
2. Standing in the shower or tub, massage into damp skin, rinse well and pat dry HOT COCOA BATH
Makes 16 ounces, enough for 1 bath Milk baths are classic beauty basics. They are effective because the lactic acid in milk helps soften and soothe the skin. Chocolate milk is equally effective; combined with the power of honey, this yummy bath will refresh your skin. Be extra decadent and sip a cup of cocoa while bathing. It is especially relaxing in the evening before going to bed.

• 2 cups chocolate milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
 • 2 tablespoons mild liquid soap

1. Stir together all ingredients.
2. Pour under the running water as you fill your tub.
3. Bathe and relax for 15 to 20 minutes

Chocolate Lip Balm Cocoa Butter Cuticle Cream Cocoa Mint Foot Scrub Chocolate Massage Butter
Janice Cox is the author of Natural Beauty at Home, Natural Beauty for All Seasons and Natural Beauty from the Garden, all published by Henry Holt and Company (New York). For more recipes and ideas, visit her at www.HerbCompanion.com/Contributors.
FULL ARTICLE LINK

Feb 8, 2009

Don't Throw The Styrofoam Away, It's Easy to Recycle

First I should mention that after two weeks, my headaches are gone. Whew! I was starting to get worried there. Now for the main event. Styrofoam. I hate it. We get a lot of things in the mail at home and at my office. At home I tend to reuse the packaging for shipping my own things but once in awhile (say after Xmas) we have a surplus of packing peanuts and possibly some styrofoam blocks from different new appliances, etc... At work the boxes have been piling up because I won't throw the styrofoam away and I know I will need those boxes sooner or later. Well my boss was getting sick of looking at them and I could tell the mess was on his nerves.
So I go on freecycle (and craigslist in the FREE section) for my local area, and post an OFFER to anyone in need of styrofoam blocks and/or peanuts. The thing is, I know that if I wanted to, a lot of shipping stores (like UPS, or Kinkos) will take your peanuts off your hands if you bring them by. Just call them first, usually if there's nothing wrong with them you can just give them to them. But the styrofoam blocks were a problem. I had all these because we recently ordered a new copier and microwave. Beyond that my boss received several bottles of wine packed with styrofoam. Now I keep those little styrofoam (or the now widely used cardboard) bottle-shaped packaging that they make to ship wine with because I know those are handy for sending wine and/or canned goods (really anything bottle/jar shaped). But the rest of those things I probably will not use unless I start making pottery or something like that. Within day I get a response that someone would like to take these off my hands through the freecyle. They picked them up on Friday and voila! Recycled.
Now for the old copier and old microwave I need to get rid of. I won't throw this away either. Too many things that could be reused or repaired in these things. Also who knows what kind of toxic stuff is in these things? I am not putting them in the local landfill so it can seep into our ground water and never biodegrade. We have several used appliance centers that will take your old appliances, repair them and resell them for a low price. Some of these places take your things for free and some charge a small fee for taking certain things (around 15- 20 cents a lb). So I have the hubby load them into my car and I take them to a local appliance recycle center that has recently opened. The copier is OLD and I am pretty sure no one will find another practical use for it, but the microwave could be repaired (the breaker went off it redering it unworkable).
SO there you have it. Not much work, other people want this stuff! And especially your old computer monitors which can contain lead or mercury.
So make sure next time you have to get rid of an old fridge, have too many styrofoam peanuts or want to buy another appliance for a good price, you check these options out and save the planet while you're at it.
- 2.63 Million tons of e-waste was generated in the U.S. in 2005. 2.3 million tons of this e-waste (over 87%) ended up in landfills or incinerators.
 - There's more gold in 1 metric ton of recycled computers than in 17 tons of gold ore.
- It takes 530 lbs of fossil fuels, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water manufacture one computer.
- 40% of LEAD found in landfills comes from consumer electronics.
Office Depot has an electronic recycle program. Call them for details. Also you can ship to these locations: Costco Trade-In and Recycle Program 866-339-4101 Collective Good Organization (cell phones only) www.collectivegood.com 303-339-4101 Hewlett-Packard Recycling Services 800-340-2445 www.hp.com/recycle/ IBM Asset Recovery Solutions 888-746-7426 WEBSITE Interconnection Mail-In Recycling 866-621-1068 interconnection.org/give_mail.html