CARING FOR THE SKIN, NATURAL FACE MASKS

Having good skin doesn't have to cost a fortune, you do not have spend a lot of money of products and indeed many beauty products can be found in your food cupboards and fridge. Ideally these masks should be applied over gauze as it makes it a bit easier to clean up afterwards and its easier to use gauze with the help of a friend as you can lie down and relax whilst the friend applies. You can use your fingers to apply the products and professionally you would use a mask brush however any small paint brush or pastry brush would do, but for hygiene's sake keep it specifically for this purpose. The ingredients can be combined or applied to specific areas e.g. in combination skin apply avocado to dry cheeks and lemon juice to the Tzone across the nose etc. They should be applied for 5 to 10 minutes

If any of the ingredients like any other product you use on your skin feels uncomfortable and irritated, remove at once throughly with damp cotton wool and rinse well with cool water.

Natural Masks
Natural Masks must be prepared immediately before use, as they contain no preservatives a blender/food processor is best to mash up the ingredients failing this a fork and or sieve.

Avocado
Is nourishing for dry skin owing to the high oil content of the fruit, especially suitable for mature skin and rich in Vitamin B and E

Egg White
Has a tightening effect and especially suitable for crepey skin on the neck.

Egg Yolk
Rich in B6 and nourishing for dry skin.

Honey
Has a natural antibiotic effect, it is a highly effective emollient, softening and smoothing the skin.

Banana 
This fruit is a rich source of Potassium, and is an ideal emollient, good for sensitive skin.

Cucumber
This has a cooling and soothing effect yet can gently stimulate the skin.

Strawberry
Rich in Vitamin C, i.e. Ascorbic Acid, this restores the skin’s natural acid mantle and helps fight against ‘Free Radicals’ being an anti-oxidant.

Natural Yoghurt
Restores the skin’s natural acid mantle and has a cooling soothing effect.

Wheatgerm
Rich in Vitamin E, a natural anti-oxidant that fights against the effects of ‘Free Radicals’ therefore helps lessen the effects of ageing and aids healing.

Lemon Juice
This has a refining action on oily skin, tightening and refining the pores and restoring the skin’s pH balance, due to its acidic action.

Oatmeal
Especially good for dull sluggish skin, with a build up of dead skin cells, a highly effective exfoliant (removes dead skin cells) mix with water or the other ingredients to form a paste

Milk
Being slightly acidic aids and restores the natural acid mantle.

Kiwi Fruit
Rich in vitamin C restores the skin’s natural pH balance and fights against ‘Free Radicals’. Like Strawberries suitable for younger skins or Combination, especially the oily ‘T.zone’.

Apple 
A rich Humectant and ideal for dehydrated skin. (Humectants attract water. are natural moisturisers) and also a source of salicylic acid therefore aids desquamation. (removing dead skin cells)

Pear
Like apple a good humectant, but without the same amounts of salicylic acid.

Tea Bags
Have a cooling and tightening effect, due to the effects of the anti-oxidants, biflavanoids and caffeine, fight ‘Free Radicals’ and aid in the improvement in tired puffy eyes.

Teabags or Cucumber slices can be used over the eyes 

At the end of the treatment time, the gauze should be rolled up carefully and back as this makes its quicker and easier to remove. You should use damp cotton wool pads to remove the product, then follow with your usual toner and moisturiser

Astrid Brown (Author) › Visit Amazon's Astrid Brown Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more

HOW STRESS AGES THE SKIN

We all know how smoking,(with the effects of nicotine which is a vasoconstrictor) and the sun (Harmful UVA and UVB rays) damage the skin, along with a bad diet but are you aware of the damage stress does to our skin? To explain it's necessary to understand what happens in our body when we are stressed

THE SCIENCE BIT

Deep within the brain we have an area known as the Hypothalamus, its the home of our moods and emotions and a very primitive part of the brain. The Hypothalamus is also the area that maintains equilibrium in our bodies and it maintains and regulates every bit of our body's chemistry. It is the area that controls the Endocrine system, it forms part of the Autonomic Nervous System and part of the Limbic System. It is Hypothalmus  that is the key to managing stress and all its detrimental effects on our mind and body. It is directly through this area that the holistic therapy Aromatherapy works and is managed by other holistic therapies.

 Since the Hypothalamus is the home of moods and emotions anything that affects these will influence the Hypothalamus, thus will have an effect on the body's equilibrium.

Now if we are stressed and modern stressors are not the same as those stressors we had as we were evolving as humans, they still have the same effect resulting in "the fight or flight response"

The Role of the Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls the endocrine system.
The Pituitary gland lies beneath the Hypothalamus and it is this that controls the other endocrine glands.
The Hypothalamus receives information about the Homeostasis (balance) of the body, this is achieved by two means:

The blood circulation i.e. temperature, blood glucose levels and hormone levels
The nervous system i.e. The Autonomic Nervous system i.e. the part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions e.g. breathing, heart rate etc. and mental and emotional states, our feelings: these influence ‘automatic responses’ e.g. ‘The fear, flight response’
The Hypothalamus responds to these changes by:

Secreting Hormones (chemical messengers) that regulate hormones to be released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary
The hypothalamus also directly releases hormones via the Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary , Vasopressin (ADH) and Oxytocin
And by stimulating a nerve response to the ‘Central Nervous System’ (Brain & spinal Cord)

SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE?

Moods/emotions affect the hypothalamus, the hypothalamus evokes a reaction on the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces Adrenocorticotropic hormone this in turn targets the adrenal glands causing them to secrete Cortisone, Cortisone in turn effects the kidneys causing a rise in blood pressure by causing changes in the amount of salt secreted, this hormone causes the body to retain salt. Now remember the Hypothalamus one of its jobs is to maintain the body's equilibrium, it detects a rise in salt levels in the blood so to keep balance it causes the body to retain fluid, it is this retained fluid that increases blood pressure. At the same time, the Hypothalamus being part of the Central Nervous System evokes what is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System this diverts blood away from the digestive system and to lesser important body structures such as the skin and concentrates the blood to the heart, lungs and muscles. Simultaneously this nervous response influences the adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin and Noradrenalin, it is these hormones that induces vasoconstriction (reduces the blood supply) to the skin and peripheral tissues, thus also raising blood pressure.

Now this is putting it simply there are a few other processes also going on to increase blood sugar to give the body fuel to either run off or fight, Corticotrophic hormones influence the pancreas to secrete glucagon this has the opposite effect as insulin.

When the stress is over the Parasympathetic Nervous reverses the process again it is the Hyptholamus that instigates this.

Obviously its much more complex than this and I have focused on a few key hormones as it the action of these hormones that affects our well-being, the ageing process and blood pressure.

The fight or flight response was not designed to last forever it was meant ti instigate an action to deal with an aggressor, be it a wild animal or in a fight with an attacker therein lies the problem modern stressors tends to be work, work colleagues etc. the stress becomes long acting, this kind of reaction is fine in the short term but very detrimental to the body in the long term.

Take Cortisone, it has a damaging effect on specialised cells within the dermis (the skin), fibroblasts, these cells produce collagen and elastin, it is collagen and elastin that gives our skin elasticity and support. Adrenalin reduces blood supply to the peripheral tissues, such as the skin and hair, therefore, these structures do not receive adequate nourishment from the blood. So the effect of long term stress affects the skin resulting in ageing of the skin.

We all have various stresses in our lives, we cannot avoid it but we can reduce the effect it has on us with various relaxation techniques such as meditation and other therapies, such as massage, aromatherapy and reflexology or any pastime, even walking, that helps us relax. I hear all the time from clients I haven't the time to have a massage etc but even five minutes of meditation will have beneficial effects on our health in general and not just skin ageing. You can use the most expensive skin creams (not always the best), give up smoking, keep out of the sun but if you're highly stressed and not addressing the situation your skin won't be the best it could be.

To be the best we can be, we need to take a holistic approach to our health for our spirit, mind and body all work together so don't neglect any one component of this as each influences the other i.e. a stressed mind is going to affect our physical body and the skin, the body's largest organ is sure to be affected.

copyright

Astrid Brown (Author) › Visit Amazon's Astrid Brown Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more

WHAT IS MEDIUMSHIP

The word 'medium' means a vessel, literally. Mediums have the ability to link with spirit and communicate with them. When the physical body dies, the mind lives on, it is our mind that is our soul, our spirit. The term 'ghosts' are not spirit at all, a ghost is akin to a tape recording the vibrations of that person, and generally the recording is deposited and left behind after a particularly traumatic event in that person's life whilst they were here on earth. The event was so traumatic as to have caused immense distress to that person, all the emotions, feelings and mental anguish made a mark on where these strong emotions were experienced. Generally the so called 'ghost' follows the same pattern, an anniversary of the sighting might be experienced on the same date year after year for example. It is impossible to communicate with a ghost as it is a 'recording' and not a spirit.

So the spirit is the mind energy of someone who was once alive at sometime on earth, and the only difference now is they don't have a physical body. We as humans on earth just now are spirit in a human body that is the only difference.

Mediumship is not something that can be acquired through attending a course like psychic ability, it is a gift given to us by the 'Godhead' to be utilised for the highest good for mankind.

Everything on earth and in 'heaven' has a vibration, an energy, mediums have the ability to 'tune in' to this vibration and interpret ate it; a bit like turning the tuning dial on a radio to locate a station. After all each radio station has its own wave length and by turning the tuning dial we locate another channel. We know that sound waves exist, we cannot see them, but we know they are there for when we turn on the TV or radio, they are responsible for enabling us to watch and listen to our favourite program. This is exactly what a medium is, we have been gifted this 'tuning dial' that is all.

So when someone passes over, I prefer this term to death, it is only the physical human body that perishes, the person's mind still exists, with all the personality and foibles that made that person who they are, their character. Mediums therefore have the ability to tune into each souls vibration and pick up messages for their loved ones they left behind when their physical body perished.

Mediums are also psychic as spiritual vibrations resonate at a higher frequency than that of the psychic so have the ability to work on both levels. A medium cannot conjure up spirit, The link between spirit and those on earth is love and that bond can never be broken and lives on for all eternity. So all the medium can do is to ask for those loved ones to come forward if they have any messages of love to gift for those they have left behind on earth.

Most of the work a medium does is to provide survival evidence. 'Survival' evidence is knowledge that cannot be gained by the medium themselves about the person they are giving a sitting to, it is generally only something that the sitter would know, and often can only be confirmed by another relative, proof that their loved ones in spirit exist. Mediums are not there to foretell the future, the loved ones in spirit may well give a little information purely as proof of survival and as long as it did not hinder any progress in life for the sitter. And remember if you didn't take advice from 'Grandad' when he was alive you don't have to now he's passed over, he still has exactly the same personality and character as he did when he was' here'.

So how do mediums communicate with spirit, we do this with our minds, to be totally honest I have had this ability for as long as I can remember, and truthfully I really don't know, but I have over the years been able to recognise various sensations, that alert me that spirit are around, sensations like differences in temperature, tingling etc.

Mediums communicate in different ways, sometimes through 'clairvoyance' which means clear seeing, where the medium actually sees the spirit, now this can be in one of two ways or even both, where the medium sees the spirit as if looking at someone in real life, in the physical, the spirit may even be transparent or in their minds eye, this is known as 'Mental Mediumship'. Personally myself I see spirit in both these ways.

In 'clairaudience', this means hearing, now this can be actually hearing a voice that you is not your own, or it can sound like your own, but its not your thoughts, and don't worry, I am quite sane lol!

In 'clairsentience', this is feeling, sensing, the spirit, in this the medium senses the emotions, mental state of the spirit, almost as if the spirit imposes their themselves over you.

Most mediums use one or two of these abilities, myself I combine all three, when I link with them, this enables me to experience all their emotions, see what they looked like and hear what they are saying.

Now as I've said everything in the universe has its own vibration, Earth having the lowest in spiritual terms. After Earth comes the Astral realm, it is on this realm that we travel when we dream, its not unusual to see friends etc, in dream state, after all they will be travelling this realm too at night lol. It is on this realm where lower Elementals reside, i.e. wood nymphs, nature spirits, elves and fairies amongst others, and as often as in the case spirit who are trapped unable to move on also reside in this vibration. this is the same vibration used in psychic work. There are several spiritual realms each having a different vibration, with the most Celestial where the realms of the Angels are.

When the medium links with spirit, he or she has the ability to raise their own vibration that bit higher, loved ones in spirit who are around us at a given time, whether it is to help their loved ones on earth or sometimes it is an anniversary of their passing, will have lowered their vibration and the medium is then able to pick up these vibrations and interpret ate them. Unfortunately for the medium, it is not so easy and difficult to maintain this link continuously, hence some information may be lost, complete names for example and sentences to explain: 'the fat black cat sat on the red mat', what the medium might hear because of the fluctuating vibration would be: 'the back sat on mat', hence some information is lost.

For some reason spirit sometimes work with a type of shorthand i.e. symbols, these symbols have to be and worked out by the medium for example to me, seeing a ring might mean a marriage or partnership, it might mean something differently entirely to another medium, we each have our own, it is a way of communicating at a fast vibrational level. When messages from spirit come in to the medium's mind the arrive very fast and to help the medium 'catch' and interpret ate these messages quickly the shorthand helps speed up the process.

One of the most accurate ways of obtaining information from spirit is by doing absent readings, here the sitter is not present and the medium can link in with the sitter either by thinking about them or by viewing a photograph, sometimes an example of handwriting is useful. In this method the medium will ask any spirit links to come forward with any messages for the sitter. This is a particularly accurate method, for the medium cannot read the sitter's body language or by careful questioning gleam any information from the sitter as they are absent, many mediums work best in this area and each medium will eventually find a method suitable for them.

I myself personally like to work with Tarot, this works on the psychic level first of all, and in doing his gives an insight to the sitter's past, present and future, for all that can be picked up from the sitter's auric field: and then I raise the vibration to link with spirit, to bring forward any messages from the spirit realms. With regard to the information from the tarot or any other Mantic tool (A mantic tool is any form of divination aid such as tarot, crystals, crystal ball, angel cards, tea leaves any sort of aid that helps aid the psychic to use as a tool to latch on to the unique vibration of the sitter. The hand of the sitter is a mantic tool in palm reading) nothing is written in stone, God and the Universe gave us 'Free will'

Before we incarnate as spirit in a human body, for that is what we are whilst on earth, we have some sort of basic plan in mind. We have a goal, a series of lessons we have chosen for ourselves to experience and learn, these lessons may be such as humility, compassion, kindness, sorrow, pain and suffering, for in experiencing these emotions and experiences, we develop empathy and understanding for our fellow humans on earth. Each time we go through these experiences, we become more spiritual and closer to God. But we are never left on our own to go through life's traumas, we have our friends and guides in spirit who give us support to undergo these tasks. Sometimes it feels as if we are all alone and this is because of guides have to stand back to let us experience pain and suffering, for only by undertaking these challenges we learn and grown strong. They never allow us to suffer so much that we cannot bear it, we have chosen these experiences for ourselves, so we are responsible for our own spiritual development. They are there to guide and support us in our 'School on earth'. Why is it we never remember what we planned before we came here? Well that is because if we knew what was before us would we want to; I think not!

Often we incarnate in the same soul groups, the soul is neither male nor female, and we choose which sex we will be to experience life and views from that perspective. Sometimes in that soul group we may be the father of the son who was the father in the last incarnation to experience life from both sides to gain empathy and understanding. We tend to incarnate in groups so that we learn from one another, and the power of this in action is that we are often drawn to particular people in our lives here. We are often drawn to these souls, on meeting these people we instantly feel a bond, not necessarily of physical attraction, but we feel some sort of unseen force bond at work, for we had planned this meeting before we came here, and we recognise one another on a subconscious level. Remember though it is up to us whether we choose whether to go through the experience, but generally if we delay the process, we will often have to relive these experiences at a later date or another life, for we know instinctively what is best for us. We choose to do this because we have a common goal we wish to grow closer to God and the Universe.

Spiritual love is the purest love of all, it has no conditions, it does not judge, it has no limits and never ends. It conquers all that is evil and bad in this world and removes all pain. Our common goal is to grow in spirit, and our loved ones in spirit are always there supporting and sending us their love. Mediumship is a gift bestowed upon us to help mankind in order that we can feel the touch of spirit from beyond, to support and teach us and keep us on our chosen path, our path to God.

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Astrid Brown (Author) › Visit Amazon's Astrid Brown Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more

"Homeopathy DOESN’T work" Only the ignorant would say this!

I am totally incensed by a flawed study and an article written by someone who is totally ignorant of how Holistic Medicine works

  ***see below

It really annoys me when holistic/complementary medicine is labelled as 'Alternative medicine' Homeopathy is NOT an alternative it is complementary to conventional medicine, it does have it's limitations and will not work if 'too much organic change' has occurred. The word 'disease' is self explanatory and means the body is not at ease, for in holistic medicine we believe disease begins firstly within the spirit. The word 'holistic' means 'mind, body and spirit' after all there is much more to us than simply a physical body. If you can catch disease before it causes too much organic i.e. physical, change you can cure it and it is on this aspect homeopathy works.

As for saying homeopathy has a placebo effect then why are there successful homeopathic vets? and how is it successful on babies and young children? neither of which have the capacity to understand placebos.

Of course if you pick up a bottle of homeopathic pills from your local branch of Boots likelihood they won't work for your ailment unless you have a good understanding of 'taking the case' and understanding the laws of cure and how this system of medicine works.

Homeopathy cannot and should not be compared to conventional science, it just doesn't work in this way as it is a vibrational medicine and works on the spirit i.e. the 'Aura'. It wasn't so long ago the aura was dismissed until it was proven by 'Kirlian photography and I personally believe one day people will understand scientifically how homeopathy works, just because it cannot explained scientifically at the moment we shouldn't dismiss homeopathy as 'Quackery'. There was a time when people believed the Earth was flat and called those who didn't as wrong so look at it with an open mind!

*************************************

Homeopathy is my first love when it comes to Holistic medicine as was the first Holistic therapy that took me on my journey first as a student, then practioner and then lecturer in this field. So when it comes to ailments this is the first place I look. The beauty of Homeopathy is that it is so safe and gentle with no side effects. As you read about individual medicines, you would notice that homeopathic medicines are multipurpose and each of them covers wide range of symptoms. Polycrests particularly cover lots of symptoms that belong to various diseases. That is why homeopathy is capable of effectively treating most of the diseases. The point to note is that when a medicine is selected for a particular set of symptoms, it is not necessary that the person would have or should have all the symptoms indicated under that medicine. At times even key symptoms would only be considered but generally overall picture of the symptoms is considered to make the selection giving special importance to key symptoms. This rule is applied particularly in chronic cases. In acute cases, the methodology is somewhat different. However, each practitioner has own ways of doing it and maintains his own list of medicines

*Origins of Homeopathy, the word “Homeopathy” is derived from two Greek words meaning “similar suffering”. History tells us that it was the Greek physician Hippocrates, who, in the fifth century, first wrote of the medical practice of treating like with like. So far as is known he was the first doctor to treat an illness with a substance that produces, in a healthy person, similar symptoms to those displayed by the person who is ill. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the principle “similia similibus curentur”, (let likes be cured by likes), was quoted by many physicians, including Paracelsus, often regarded as the ‘father’ of holistic medicine. Homeopathy is therefore not new but the form we know today is attributed to Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755 - 1843), a German Physician who in 1796 prove his "Law of similars". The basic principal  of homeopathy is "Let like be cured by like". There is no scientific proof as to how Homeopathy works and although individual trials have positive results, some researchers have suggested this is down to a placebo effect. However that argument falls down when it comes to work on animals and many vets use homeopathy on animals.

Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial dilution, the term used for this is called succession, (succession means shaken)  this is known as potentisation. For example  the original solution, known as a mother tincture and one example is a plant or herb, though homeopathic remedies are made from a variety of substances, and the herb is placed in a solution of alcohol. This is left to potenize  and the liquor strained off and this is known as 'Mother Tincture'. In the "C" system of potency or '100', one drop of this mother tincture is placed with 99 drops of alcohol and succussed and this makes '1C'. To make 2C, one drop of 1C is added to 99 drops of alcohol, succussed and this makes 2C and so on some remedies go on being diluted well into the millions e.g. 2M. The medicines are often given in tablet form, though they can be powders or even applied topically as in a cream. To make the tablets/powders a few drops of the appropriate remedy tincture is added to a bottled or phial of lactose tablets/powder and these pills are to be allowed to dissolve in a clean mouth, that is a mouth not tainted with strong flavours such as mint or coffee as they would neutralise the effect of the remedy as homeopathic medicines are very gentle and delicate. Generally 30 mins should have elapsed since eating etc.

Homeopathy works on an energy/vibrational level and treats the whole person i.e. holistically and not just a specific disease or symptom but takes into account of how the patient is feeling mentally, emotionally as well as physically. The homeopath taking the case will want to know, if the weather affects the condition in anyway, does food for example does eating cold food make the patient feel worse or better and taking a case history a patient can expect an hour long consultation as the homeopath is looking for the correct remedy to match the homeopathic drug picture. The homoeopath, views the symptoms as a direct manifestation of the body’s attempt to heal itself therefore a substance is given capable of producing similar symptoms if given to a well person. Homeopathy does not treat diseases but, rather, individuals with specific symptom pictures.

Homeopathy do not have side effects as they work in a totally different way from orthodox medicine however if a remedy is not quite right the patient could end up proving a remedy, where symptoms may show up but no harm will come to the patient. Occasionally, on first taking a Homeopathic medicine, the symptoms become worse. This is one of the "Laws of Cure" and called an ‘aggravation’, and should be regarded as a good sign as it shows that the remedy is working you should stop taking the remedy until the aggravation has passed and only resume if necessary. Aggravations are most common with skin disorders, as the body “throws out” the disease. Higher potencies work at a much deeper level. Occasionally patients may exhibit symptoms of conditions suffered prior to condition under treatment, or their symptoms may manifest in other parts of the body. For this reason only trained homoeopaths should prescribe high potencies because only they can properly monitor such situations. Other users should limit themselves to the 6th and 30th potencies. When you think about how homeopathic medicines are made in effect it can be quite difficult to ascertain how they do work for when the remedies are succussed theres no actually remedy in the solution especially when it comes down to the very high potencies. There are different theories to how this may be one is that the liquor used in making the remedies retains a memory or the original substances and this is transmuted in an energy.

The "Laws of Cure" from a more important organ to a lesser one i.e. an internal organ to external like the skin, from above down i.e. from pains in the abdomen the pain travels down the legs to the feet then out of the body. And ailments in reverse order, symptoms from old ailments may manifest themselves before leaving the body. You will feel better in yourself, even though you are still suffering from the ailment and the aggravation, where the ailment worsens before getting better.

***  I refer to the article from the Daily Mail below

 

Homeopathy DOESN’T work: New video reveals the flawed science of claims 

• In recent years numerous studies have revealed major flaws in principles
• Extreme dilution can mean none of the active ingredient is left in solution
• There has been no repeatable evidence to support claims of effectiveness
• A recent review of 200 studies concluded it is no better than a placebo

Homeopathic remedies have been used for roughly 200 years as an alternative method to curing ailments – but that doesn’t mean they work.

In recent years, scientists have conducted numerous analyses to determine the effectiveness of homeopathics, all revealing major flaws within the fundamental principles.

Homeopathic remedies are no more effective than placebos, a video from the American Chemical Society explains, and are not only a waste of money, but could be putting your health at risk. 

Homeopathic remedies have been used for roughly 200 years as an alternative method to curing ailments – but that doesn’t mean they actually work. In recent years, scientists have conducted numerous analyses to determine the effectiveness of homeopathics, all revealing major flaws within the fundamental principles

This type of alternative medicine represents a distinct category; not all natural or herbal remedies are considered homeopathic.

The term was first coined in 1807 by a German doctor named Samuel Hahnemann, the Reactions video explains, and focuses on three principles: like cures like (the most famous), dilution, and ‘water remembers.’

Hahnemann believed that medicine in his time was doing more harm than good, so he began to conduct experiments on volunteers and himself.

One such experiment included eating the bark of a cinchona tree, which was then used as a treatment for malaria.

Scientists have since found that this bark contains quinine, an antimalarial drug.

After eating some of the bark, Hahnemann experienced symptoms which he likened to those of malaria, spawning the first principle ‘like cures like.’

The doctor thought that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them.

After eating some of the bark, Hahnemann experienced symptoms which he likened to those of malaria, spawning the first principle ‘like cures like.’ The doctor thought that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them

THE FLAWED SCIENCE OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Homeopathy was built around three principles: 'like cures like,' dilution, and 'water remembers.'

The practice was spawned about 200 years ago, and modern reviews of homeopathy studies have concluded that it is only as effective as a sugar pill – a placebo.

The first principle, like cures like, suggests that if a particular substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them.

This goes hand in hand with the second principle, in which the active ingredient is diluted to extreme amounts, based on a scale that increases by factors of 100.

But, recent studies have shown that ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial,’ the video explains. 

The third principle of homeopathy claims that ‘water remembers,’ which goes to say that the water can ‘remember’ what has been dissolved in it, passing it along to the patient.

There has been no repeatable evidence of this found to date, though. 

The video cites a review from the US National Institute of Health which said that the key concepts of homeopathy are ‘inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.’ 

So, the remedy uses just a tiny amount of the active ingredient.

To explain why homeopathic remedies are problematic, the video points to the example of coffea cruda, an extremely diluted form of unroasted coffee beans used to treat sleeplessness.

This can be made by putting one drop of the coffee bean extract in a vial containing nine drops of water, and then taking a drop from that vial and putting it in another containing nine drops of water.

The process is then repeated sixty times.

The video points to the example of coffea cruda. This can be made by putting one drop of the coffee bean extract in a vial containing nine drops of water, and then taking a drop from that vial and putting it in another containing nine drops of water. The process is then repeated sixty times

Based on Hahnemann’s work, homeopathic remedies use a dilution scale that increases by factors of 100, which is denoted with a ‘C.’ But as the video explains, ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial’

Based on Hahnemann’s work, homeopathic remedies use a dilution scale that increases by factors of 100, which is denoted with a ‘C.’

But as the video explains, ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial.’

That means that by the 60th vial, there isn’t any coffee extract left in the solution at all.

The third principle of homeopathy claims that ‘water remembers,’ which goes to say that the water can ‘remember’ what has been dissolved in it, passing it along to the patient.

But, no repeatable evidence of this has been found to date.

According to the video, all of the foundational principles of the practice are ‘bunk,’ citing a review from the US National Institute of Health which said that the key concepts of homeopathy are ‘inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.’

This type of alternative medicine is not evaluated by the FDA.

And, a 2015 report from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council looked at the results of roughly 200 studies on the effectiveness of homeopathy.

Through this, they determined that these are no better than a sugar pill, and are not proven effective for any health condition.

This means that some patients could be skipping necessary care and putting their lives at risk.

The video points to the example of a homeopathic asthma inhaler; an untreated asthma attack can be fatal, and a patient turning to this type of remedy is essentially using a placebo.

For less severe medical uses, they say it is at best a harmless waste of money. 

Astrid Brown (Author)

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THE DANGERS LURKING IN MAKEUP BAGS

When I trained as a beauty therapist we were very aware of the dangers of cross infection and I still practice the hygiene techniques I learned then. Make up is one of those mediums that can be rife with micro-organisms, thriving in a makeup bag in the corner of a handbag. Dirty makeup brushes are a real bug bear of mine, you wouldn't leave your hair unwashed for weeks even months, yet many women are happy to use filthy brushes on their eyes and face and they wonder why their skin breaks out. It's essential you have at least more than one set of brushes so they can be washed with a mild shampoo and allowed to air dry and at the very least every week. Cosmetics should never be shared unless you use a technique where products are scraped with a clean spatula onto a clean palette and applied from that. I personally don't use the brush provided in mascara but use a disposable one every time and I never double dip (disposable brushes and applicators are cheap). And you would be amazed (I'm not) at the dirty makeup bags many women use that have never been washed for months even years. Next time you go shopping and you're buying new makeup, never put the tester eye shadows anywhere near your eyes or any of those testers on your face, think of all the fingers that have been there before you. Use the back of your hand and your finger pads as a substitute for lips to test lipsticks, take some sachets of wipes with you to clean up afterwards.

When you think of it you wouldn't put used dirty cutlery back in the drawer or used plates back in the cupboard without washing! so why do the same with brushes and applicators

One of the best places to buy good quality makeup brushes is here 

CLICK HERE

The article below is from the Daily Mail

 

How your make-up bag could wreck your health: One in five women hoard cosmetics for years - risking urine infections and meningitis

• 25% women hoard mascara for a year - 9 months past its use-by-date
• And 20% keep cleanser for 12 months - twice as long as recommended
• Study: Old cosmetics harbour bacteria including life-threatening meningitis
• Women admit carrying things like cat biscuits and KY jelly in make-up bags

A fifth of women hoard their make-up for more than five years, risking blood poisoning, urine infections and gastroenteritis, a survey has found.

Some 25 per cent of those polled admitted to keeping their mascara for up to one year, despite warnings by health and beauty experts to replace it every three months.

And 20 per cent said they keep their cleanser for at least one year — twice as long as recommended.

Almost 10 per cent use lipsticks more than three years old – two years beyond its expiration date.

The poll comes after a study by London Metropolitan University found old cosmetics contain unsafe levels of potentially lethal bacteria.

A fifth of women hoard their make-up for more than five years, a survey has found. The poll comes after a study found old cosmetics are rife with bacteria that can cause blood poisonin and gastroenteritis

After testing five products including a blusher, foundation and lip gloss, researchers discovered enterococcus faecalis bacteria – one of the mains cause of meningitis.

Other potentially-deadly bacteria found included eubacterium, which causes bacterial vaginosis and aeromonas, one of the causes of gastroenteritis and wound infections.

Researchers also discovered staphlyoccocus epidermidis, a nasty bug which is resistant to antibiotics as well as propionibacterium, one of the main causes of acne and other skin conditions.

Moreover, the tests revealed enterobacter, which causes urinary and respiratory tract infections.

And while the new survey, carried out by beauty company LiB Group, highlighted the health risks of keeping make-up past its sell by date, having a professional makeover fared little better.

DEADLY BUGS FOUND IN OLD COSMETICS

Out of date cosmetics contain a plethora of disease-causing bacteria, a study found.

Researchers from the London Metropolitan University tested five products including a blusher, foundation and lip gloss for bugs. 

They found a range of deadly bacteria, including:

Eubacterium – which causes bacterial vaginosis

Aeromonas – one of the causes of gastroenteritis and wound infections

Staphlyoccocus epidermidis - a nasty bug which is resistant to antibiotics and is deadly for people in hospital or who have catheters or surgical implants.

Propionibacterium - one of the main causes for acne and other skin conditions

Enterobacter – causes urinary and respiratory tract infections mainly in hospitalised patients with compromised immune systems. 

Source: London Metropolitan University

Some 7 per cent of those questioned said their makeover experience was 'horrendous', with one woman contracting viral conjunctivitis afterwards.

This to a detached retina - which can cause blindness.

Another likened her new look to 'Malibu Barbie' adding “there was a lot of pink” and a third claimed she ended up looking like a 'jaundiced drag queen'.

An over-enthusiastic makeover with an eyebrow pencil by one in-store beautician led to one woman questioned to observe 'my eyebrows were made to look like the Nike logo'.  

Katie Tillard, Chief Operating Officer for LiB Group said: 'We all have one or two unusual items in our beauty collection but it’s clear from this research that lots of women also keep stuff they just don’t use.

'We advise that women should listen to their friends when it comes to the latest beauty recommendations, and should try sample sizes so that if you don’t end up liking it, you’ll be saving on space in your make-up bag and money in your wallet,' said Ms Tillard.

The poll also revealed the most unusual items women keep in their make-up bags, including horse shampoo, KY jelly 'to use as hair gel', a screwdriver and cat biscuits.

Other peculiar objects included  guitar plectrums, pubic hair dye and a hamster grooming brush.

The research questioned 5,000 women across the UK about their beauty habits.

One woman said: 'I use cat biscuits to distract my cat whilst I try to do make-up. He likes to play with the brushes,'

Another confessed to keeping a tube of haemorrhoid cream handy — to rub on the bags under her eyes. 

The survey suggested women’s habits are evolving when it comes to shopping for cosmetics, with over half (51 per cent) questioned saying they also now use the internet to purchase beauty products.

Old cosmetics contained a range of deadly bacteria, a London Metropolitan University study found. This included bacteria that causes meningitis - a life-threatening disease

In total six different types of bacteria were found on the five types of everyday high-street cosmetics that were tested. Mascara that was four months out of date carried enerobacter - which can trigger urinary and respiratory tract infections

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