propellergirl's Profile

At first I thought this was a bit of a ridiculous article but it has garnered so many interesting comments I have to throw a few of my own in the ring.

Lip balm: yup, canadian and with "nasal issues" too but using a Neti pot to clear the nasal passages REALLY helps copperwire. You should give it a try at least. I have a friend who suffered terrible allergies and started using the neti pot and has found that it has made her chronic allergies not as severe. Can't say it would do the same for you but it is worth a try. Inside the tip of my nose has been chronically sore for years and my recent use of one has really helped eliminate this issue for me.

foot cream/toner: Some times heavier creams like Glysomed used just general cream on the feet and working the stuff in helps when your dogs are really tired. And in the summer when you are in sandals more, one's feet can really dry out and crack. What I have found works better than any pumice stone on my feet is just the black drywall mesh they use to sand down drywall. If your feet are fresh out of the bath it is the best time to rub them down. My dad made me a very handy one with the meshy stuff wrapped around a wooden paint stick and affixed with flat topped thumbtacks! Having that long handle made doing the feet a dream which is especially helpful if you cant reach your feet for being pregnant or overweight or just plain stiff and not very mobile. A chunk of that mesh is really cheap.

Scrub: I make my own sugar scrub with olive oil (or whatever other carrier oil of your choice: almond, grapeseed...) and berry sugar (finer than regular sugar and not as coarse) plus with a few drops of essential oil if needed. I think it is a 2:1 ratio of oil to sugar - make it pasty and keep it in a jar. I get keratosis (fine dry like pimples on the skin that can bleed if you scratch them) and while I haven't eliminated them exfoliating with this and a loofah . Also I am moisturizing when I get out of the shower with plain olive oil when my skin is still damp. Here too you could add your favorite essential oil if you choose if you need a bit of scent. Lack of chemicals in all of this also a boon to the fact that it is just a great economical alternative. Also works great as an alternative to auto mechanics Fast-Orange hand cleaner as the oil and the sugar works in a similar fashion.

With curly hair too, I love the leave in conditioner to help define the curls and not leave myself all frizzed out so I confess to indulging in product to ameliorate this. Once however, I managed to get a whole bunch of oil-based paint in my hair and my the eight year old step daughter rubbed olive oil into my hair to get rid of it all. Overall the effect was much like a leave in conditioner and my hair was luscious for days afterward.

I wax my legs also and some waxing kits contain an oil called Azulene oil which is really great in preventing ingrown hairs...but so would a sugar scrub in the day or two following the waxing process. Some waxing products are better than others depending on the individual. I have tried a bunch and for me the Persian wax is the best for my skin.

Oh and that's a good idea username26!

You're welcome julip8! Though I like soy candles too, soy is one of the most genetically modified crops out there and anything helping Monsanto leaves a bitter, bitter taste in my mouth.

Yankee candles are paraffin. Paraffin is product of petro chemicals.

PartyLite candles started out as made from bayberry but they have gone away from that and it is all paraffin. Pacifica are also paraffin though the packaging is lovely.

Bee's gotta fly and they are making the wax naturally (though they are also really vulnerable to disease, virus bacteria etc.) Some I suppose would say they are enslaved but the cow makes milk too and to not milk it when the udder is full seems cruel to me. Beeswax doesn't even have to be burning and it smells lovely.

Yes, location is everything. It also helps to have pro-active harbour authorities and municipal governments who are open to allowing for live aboards in the first place. I also know there are live aboard communities in Oregon as well. Vancouver is surrounded by water and is absolutely anti-liveaboard and do as much as they can to make it all very cost-prohibitive.