Lifestyle Choices

The brushes you use, the sponges and absorbent cotton, and even your mirror and lighting are all-important in getting good results from your makeup products. You need to acquire a collection of them, keeping your tools immaculately clean and using them every time you put on

your makeup. It is always tempting to put on an eye shadow with your finger or to apply powder with a dirty puff, but the results are never good, and the makeup you put on that way doesn’t last as long as it should. Also, many of the little padded wands and brushes supplied with eye shadows and cheek colors look great in their compacts but won’t really do the job of applying colors properly. And once any applicator wand or brush is dirty, you will never get good, smooth application from it. (more…)

The behavioural treatment of obesity is based on changing daily habits and behaviours to reach the desired goal. The basic premise of behaviour therapy is to reward beneficial behaviours and discourage detrimental ones. However, state of the art behavioural treatment has a wider perspective and focuses on eating behaviours, social support, exercise, attitudes and nutrition. The aim is to modify the situations which promote eating and to evaluate the consequences of eating behaviour. Behaviour therapy involves specific processes which are aimed at modifying behaviour.

Self-monitoring

The client is asked to monitor when she eats, how much she eats and why she eats. This increases self-awareness so that eating cannot ‘just happen’, and enables her to evaluate her success and whether any changes have occurred. put their eating into context and to learn to say ‘I am not useless, the odd slip is inevitable and I will now return to my diet‘. This eradicates an ‘all or nothing response’ which can often result in the client abandoning the diet. (more…)

So far our main concern has been the importance of freshness in some of the foods we eat on a daily basis. But what about other invisible influences and procedures that contribute to the quality of what we select from the supermarket shelves? You may feel that you can soon enough tell if an apple is past its prime just by looking at it; what you can’t tell is whether it still has pesticide residues clinging to it - or whether it’s been irradiated.

With the ‘Green’ revolution meaning as much a change in environmental attitudes as the importance of including more salads in your daily fare, it’s not surprising there is increasing concern about how our fresh foods are produced, the extent to which chemicals (some of them deadly) are used, and the risk to our health these powerful agricultural weapons pose. The other major worry that has been added to the list of consumer concerns in recent years is the question of irradiation - who uses it and why, and how safe is it? (more…)

STRAWBERRY (Fragaria vesca)

Strawberry leaves make an excellent astringent wash and, used in the bath, are particularly good for oily skins. Brew up 250 ml (1 cup) leaves to 750 ml (3 cups) boiling water, stand, steep and cool. Use ripe, mashed fruit as a face pack — it is astringent and tightening. Combine with oats or mealiemeal as a cleansing and invigorating face pack for oily skin and coarse pores.

SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus)

Ground sunflower seeds make an excellent nutritious face pack. Grind 500 ml (2 cups) seeds and mix with milk for dry skins and yoghurt for oily skins, to form a paste. Apply to a clean, damp face and allow it to dry (I find 20 minutes is about the time needed — relax and read a book). Wash off with warm water. Use sunflower petals in hair rinses for blonde hair.

TANSY (Tanacetum vulgare)

Tansy is a cleanser — make a tea of 250 ml (1 cup) leaves to 750 ml (3 cups) boiling water, stand, steep for 20 minutes and strain. Dab onto pimples and use as a wash. Combine this herb with comfrey or chamomile flowers. (more…)

Many hormones affect mood. With the exception of female hormones, hormonal treatment is indicated only when there is disease of the gland secreting the hormone. In these uncommon cases the gland may be treated, by surgery for example, or the missing hormone may be replaced thyroxine given to a hypothyroid person removes depression. There is considerable controversy in medical circles about the use of female hormones. They have been used to prevent and treat post-natal depression, for premenstrual tension, and for menopausal depression. The clearest useful effects have been inthe prevention and treatment of pre-menstrual tension. (more…)

Hypnotism and meditation are methods of focusing the mindso strongly on a bodily sensation, a visual object, a sound or a thought, that all other thoughts and worries temporarily “disappear”. In this state, you are more freely available and sensitive to a suggestion from another, a suggestion from yourself, your inner feelings, imagination and spirit.Such a “trance” state is associated with specific patterns of brain waves measured on an electroencephalogram, a machine which records electrical impulses from the scalp. Ten cycles per second (alpha waves) increase sensitivity without dampening reasoning power. This occurs in day-dreaming and in light hypnosis. Five cycles per second (theta waves) increase receptivity more, but block reasoning power. These waves occur in deeper hypnosis. (more…)

Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) is like banging a TV set when it does not work. However, the crudity of whamming a 100-volt electric shock through someone’s brain does not take away the fact that this technique has saved people’s lives when all else has failed. As with every new and seemingly successful physical treatment of mental ailments, such as tranquillizers and anti-depressants, ECT has a history of gross overuse. It has also been misused in some institutions as a form of control or punishment.

ECT produces a temporary epilepsy. It was started on the theory (later found to be untrue) that epilepsy and schizophrenia never co-exist. It was therefore used to treat schizophrenia but with no success beyond a significant placebo effect. However, the technique was also used on people in severe depressive states with incredible results. In a few weeks people who were expected to remain in hospital for months or even years were recovering from the blackest and whitest of depressions. (more…)

Lithium is a simple salt. As with many medicines, no-one really knows how it works. There are conflicting theories about its effects on brain amines.

Lithium has mostly been used as a prophylactic drug,protecting against recurrent mania, manic depression, and, to a lesser extent, recurrent depression. For some manic depressives, it has completely changed their lives, providing sustained relief from periodic suffering.

There is a famous case of a man who had a regular 48-hourcycle of mania/depression/mania/depression and so on. He was given lithium, and for two and a half years had no further years, without him knowing it, a placebo drug was exchangedmanic or depressive episodes. At the end of two and a half for the lithium, and his 48-hour cycle resumed. (more…)

Known as MAOIs, these drugs are also anti-depressants, but are used less frequently than tricyclics because they are generally less effective, have potentially worse side-effects and are more dangerous.

A comparison of 13 studies showed MAOIs to be more effective than placebo in eight. They are reckoned to come somewhere between placebo and tricyclic anti-depressants in terms of effectiveness, though they may be more effective in particular kinds of depression. (more…)

Drug interactions

Tricyclic anti-depressants potentiate the effects of the following drugs, which should therefore be taken with care:

Alcohol

l Barbiturates

• Other anti-depressants. Tricyclics must not be used within 14 days of using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)
• Local anaesthetics
• Some drugs used for high blood pressure, e.g. bethanidine
• Some drugs that dilate the bronchi of the lungs
• Drugs that dilate the pupils
• Drugs used for Parkinson’s disease
• Some drugs used to control vomiting.

If you are taking any of these drugs as well as tricyclics, ask your doctor if any dose adjustments are necessary. (more…)

MELONS (Cucurbitaceae family)

Most members of this family can be used to make face masks because of their tightening, cleansing and toning properties. The mashed pulp can be added to oatmeal or mealiemeal and made into a mask or poultice. Watermelon is particularly cleansing and freshening for oily skin. Honeydew and spanspek are good for normal to dry skins. Use melon slices as a compress for tired eyes.

MINTS (Mentha species)

Mints are stimulants and there is such a wide variety to choose from that you should easily find one that will please you. From spearmint to orange mint, chocolate mint to eau-de-Cologne mint, apple mint to ginger mint, there is a delicious fragrance for every taste. Combine mint with rosemary vinegar for a good dandruff treatment. Rub a strong mint tea — 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 500 ml (2 cups) boiling water — into the scalp daily to stimulate hair growth. Use this same tea in the bath to stimulate the circulation — you will find it reviving when you are over-tired. Pour boiling water over a bowl of mint leaves and use as a facial steam; it will cleanse and tone the skin and combat oiliness and open pores. Use the tea as a mouth wash, too, or dab onto tired, aching feet. Dip a compress into it and use it to treat a headache. (more…)

LAVENDER (Lavandula officinalis, L. spica)

A beloved herb, lavender is one of the most well-used herbs in cosmetics. Make a strong lavender oil by infusing flowers and leaves in a good oil, eg sweet oil, and use as a rub for aching muscles, or in the bath for softening the skin. Lavender vinegar can be brushed and rubbed into the hair to stimulate hair growth and, rubbed onto the temples, will soothe fatigue and headaches. Have a bunch of lavender leaves and flowers at the bedside and touch and bruise them from time to time — the fragrance will help you sleep. Lavender tea — 60 ml (¹/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water — relieves exhaustion and will help you unwind. This same brew is an excellent face wash and a stronger brew can be rubbed into the hair — 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water — to stimulate hair growth. Dab it onto pimples and acne, or use as a gargle to freshen the mouth. You can splash it on as an aftershave lotion or use it in bath oils, vinegars, soaps and perfumes.

LEMON (Citrus limon)

Lemon is an aromatic astringent and is used in many ways. Add the fresh peel to your bath to soften the skin, and the juice to the rinsing water after you have shampooed your hair. Use diluted juice as a rinse for oily skin, as a face wash and as a freshener. Dig your nails into a squeezed lemon to strengthen and cleanse them. Rub a halved, squeezed lemon over rough heels and elbows. Drink lemon juice in hot water or herb teas daily to keep the skin clear. Dab the juice onto spots and blemishes. (more…)

ELDER (Sambucus nigra)

Flowers, leaves, stems and roots of the elder can all be used medicinally. For cosmetics, though, the flowers are usually used. They are gently astringent and they soothe and soften the skin. Make a tea or wash by pouring 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water over 500 ml (2 cups) flowers. Stand, steep, cool and strain. Keep what you don’t use at once in the refrigerator. The leaves make an excellent tea — take equal quantities of water and leaves and boil them up together for 5 minutes, then cool and strain — which can be used to soothe sunburned skin, or give relief from mosquito bites. Diluted, it can be used in the bath and to bleach freckles. Add flowers to night creams and steep in sweet oil for massage.

EUCALYPTUS (Eucalyptus globulus)

The leaves of the gum tree make a good bath additive and, if you can find it, the leaves of the lemon scented gum tree are especially beautiful. Add it to creams, oils and vinegars for a wonderful lemon fragrance. An oil made by steeping the leaves in either maize or almond oil makes a soothing rub for aching muscles. A steam for opening and cleansing pores can also be made by pouring a litre (4 cups) boiling water over a bowl packed with leaves. Use a towel tent and inhale — it clears the nose and sinuses too. (more…)

BERGAMOT (Monarda didyma)

A strong tea made of flowers and leaves — 500 ml (2 cups) herb to 1-1,5 litres (4-6 cups) boiling water — can be splashed onto the face as an astringent or used as a rinse for strengthening the hair. Taken as a tea, 60 ml (¹/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water, it tones and stimulates the digestive organs. It is known as a cure-all health herb.

BORAGE (Borago officinalis)

Borage tea, 60 ml (1/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water, can be used as a wash for sores, scratches and spots. Taken internally, it is a wonderful cleanser and helps the body produce its own cortisone. It can be used as an eyewash and as a compress — dip cotton-wool into the tea and apply to the temples for stress and tension headaches.

CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis)

Flowers can be made into a strong tea (125 ml (¹/2 cup) petals to 375 ml (1¹/2 cups) boiling water) and used for skin blemishes, for baby’s bath, as a wash for nappy rash, sunburn, and cradle cap. A poultice can be used for sores, bites and spots as it is both soothing and healing. (more…)

ALMOND (Prunus communis, P. amygdalus, P. dulcis)

Shelled almonds, ground into a meal and mixed with a herb infusion such as rosemary or sage, make an excellent mild bleaching face pack. They have a deep cleansing and toning effect.

Almond oil is non-drying and has superb emollient or softening properties; it also combines well with creams and, in lotions, with other ingredients. Can be used as a deep cleansing oil.

ALOE (Aloe vera, A. arborescens)

Most aloes can be used directly on the skin for burns. The juice can be included in various lotions and shampoos for its healing, soothing properties make it appealing. The juice of some aloes has a deep yellow colour which stains the skin, so use the clear fleshy leaves of Aloe vera to be on the safe side.

ANISE (Pimpinella anisum)

The seed of anise smells a little like licorice. A brew of crushed seeds and boiling water is used cosmetically in facial steams to open and medicate the pores. The same brew (250 ml (1 cup) seeds to 1-1¹/2 litres (4-6 cups) boiling water) is excellent for rinsing the hair and enhancing its colour; at the same time it cleanses the pores of the scalp. (more…)

PROBLEM SKIN: PIMPLES, SPOTS, ACNE

The most important aspect of skin care is diet. Drink lots of water, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and avoid fatty, fried foods, chocolate and refined sugars, flours, carbonated drinks, coffee, peanuts and iodised salt. Fresh salads daily, with lots of green, chlorophyll-rich ingredients in it, are essential.

There are certain herbs known as depuratives, which cleanse the system by purifying the blood, and this in turn helps ensure a clear skin. Borage and watercress are two depuratives, lemons and oranges are another two. Four common weeds which make excellent blood cleansers are plantain, chickweed, sow’s thistle and dandelion. The young leaves of these weeds can be finely chopped and added to salads. Also effective are infusions, which can be drunk or used as a wash. Lavender, calendula petals, sage, borage leaves and flowers, and dandelion leaves can all be used — 60 ml (1/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water. (more…)

In making up the simple recipes used in this book there are various methods of preparing herbs for use in lotions and creams. The methods listed below will help you to get started.

Decoction

A decoction of herb usually means the boiling up of the herb, and it is usually prepared by using roots, stems, bark and berries, ie the hard parts of plants. The herb or part of the herb is boiled for about 15 minutes and then allowed to cool. The resulting liquid is drawn off and used and the herb is discarded.

Infusion

When you pour boiling water over a herb (fresh or dried) and leave it to stand for about 15 minutes, this is known as an infusion. The same method is used to make herbal tea, and the strained ‘tea’ is the part used. The herb is discarded. (more…)

During winter, the relative humidity of the air declines and there are cold, drying winds. Central heating systems keep us warm but dry out the air, splitting wood furniture and doors which have lasted unharmed in the homes of our hardier ancestors. The skin loses its moisture and contracts until it splits apart just as the bottom of a recently drained lake will lose its shiny muddy surface and split into a pattern of small pieces. The earliest changes are just an accentuation of the fine surface lines but with further damage, cracks extend deeper into the skin and the surface is scaly. The skin looks and feels rough and may be itchy and sore. When the splits penetrate into living layers of skin they are extremely painful as anyone who has accidentally cut their finger-tip knows. Further damage causes more redness and swelling until the skin is weeping, completing the picture of hand eczema. (more…)

Broken veins

Broken veins are just visible skin blood vessels which are not really broken but just standing out more obviously because they are permanently dilated. They are usually the result of years spent out of doors and are typically seen on the face of farmers and sailors or those with pale skin who live in unsuitable sunny climates. Sometimes the incautious use of powerful steroid creams will cause these blood vessels to appear or make them much worse, or they can accompany skin diseases such as rosacea. When there are just a few they can be destroyed using an electric needle, but when they are so numerous that the whole cheek is redder than normal, it is not so easy. You may find that green foundation creams are useful as a background because the combination of green and red softens the colour and makes the usual foundation cream and powder more efficient. (more…)

Dry skin

If you have naturally dry skin then the more soap and water you use the drier it will become. You may find that the milder soaps produced as ‘baby soaps‘ leave your skin feeling more comfortable because these products contain added amounts of grease which is left behind on the skin. Superfatted soaps are also designed with this effect in mind. It may be more sensible just to use less soap or use it less frequently than to search for particular products for dry skin. You should always use a moisturising cream immediately after washing so that additional drying does not take place. You could even use the moisturiser as a cleanser and this will clean the skin and leave it looking smooth and feeling soft. All these preparations hydrate the outer layer of skin and prevent further water loss by covering it with a thin layer of grease. (more…)