Home is your safe haven. It’s the place where you go to escape all the clutter out in the real world, but how do you know that your home is the safest place from indoor allergens? There are simple things like mold, pets, and dust mites that could cause irritation or damage to your skin.
Keeping a clean home is more than just a cosmetic venture, it’s a health venture. You’d be surprised by what can cause skin break outs. For instance, mold is generally known for its respiratory mayhem, but it can also causes skin irritation like rashes. Even pets can bring about skin irritation with their dander and fur. Indoor allergens can cause eczema reactions, itchiness, and more rashes.
So, protecting your home from itself is an important option because it can affect everyone. Not only does a clean home look good, but it represents care and love. Therefore, stick to the basics: change your linens as often as necessary, wash and brush your pets, dust your home, and check your bathrooms, kitchens, and basements for mold.
The EE 411: Types of Indoor Allergens
Dust: This stuff is literally made of everything- name it, it’s in it– skin, insects, dandruff, soils, fibers, dirt, etc. This is certainly not the stuff you want on your skin.
Dust Mites: These are little creatures that eat the dust. Their droppings can trigger asthma and respiratory problems.
Mold: Grows in humid and moist areas and can also trigger skin irritations and respiratory problems.
Pet Dander: Composed of microscopic flakes of skin shed by animals with fur or feathers. It is part of dust and is the actual cause of the pet allergies.
Cockroaches: Also contribute to the dust and are nasty critters.
Now, clay is more than pottery making material. It’s a skin care regiment that helps create healthy, blemish-free skin. We bet you all didn’t know that, did you? Check it out–that stuff people put on their faces that makes them look like ghosts, bentonite clay, is an ingredient in some of those masks. The very clay we use in our Calming Spa Seaweed bar soaps.
Bentonite clay can appear as an off-white, powdery substance when it is alone. Its skin care purposes are to remove blemishes, wrinkles, lines, detoxify skin, treat itchy skin, and leave your body feeling refreshed. It also can help relieve skin infections like eczema. Bentonite clay is definitely worth giving a try.
It may not be the most exciting looking skin care ingredient but it is one of the most helpful. Imagine that calcium rich substance working its magic on your skin, returning it back to its smooth, milky texture one step at a time. Or if you’re looking to relieve your body of all its toxins, simply add a little bentonite clay in that warm bath and you’ve got yourself an instant detoxifying brew.
Oh, we almost forgot! Bentonite clay is actually good for your hair too. It can moisturize your hair while cleaning and removing any build up. It can also encourage hair growth and prevent hair loss leaving your hair silky and smooth. That’s a game changer for any clay—we see you googling bentonite clay and we approve!
The EE 411: Why we use it?
So, we have incorporated some bentonite clay into our Calming Spa Seaweed body bars, keeping your silky smooth skin in mind, helping to protect it from blemishes, spots, wrinkles and skin irritations. Also incorporated in calming spa seaweed is rosemary mint and seaweed, which both hold super great benefits for your skin.
Share with us: What else do you know about bentonite clay?
Acne is no subject to joke about, seriously, it’s anyone’s worse nightmare not just a teenager’s. There are various causes and types of acne and in order to prevent unnecessary acne, you must first know your skin. The easiest way to prevent “unnecessary acne” is to register what your skin is like: is it naturally oily or does it tend to be dry? Is it sensitive to certain products? These are questions you should know the answer to because many people can confuse acne with allergic reactions. An allergic reaction is what we like to call “unnecessary acne,” which means it isn’t acne but these reactions can come with all acne’s visible and sometimes uncomfortable affects.
Now that we have the easiest step out of the way, let’s delve further into defining acne. Acne is basically a pimple, spot, whitehead, blackhead, or cyst that can appear on common areas like backs, face, chest, shoulders, or neck. Acne forms when hair, oils and skin cells fuse together trapping and creating bacteria.
The causes of acne have to do with a variety of things like environment, genetics, hygiene, excess oil in the skin, greasy hair, stress and anxiety, hormones, a menstrual cycle, make-up, clogged pores and even pimple squeezing. The idea is to keep the germs and bacteria from spreading and keep your skin clear of too much oil, dirt and bacteria. So kids, this is why it’s important to wash your face every day!
But what about those other factors that can’t really be controlled like stress, anxiety, menstrual cycles, or hormones? How do you prevent those? Those things may not be completely preventable but you can always try. Visit a professional and ask for the root causes of your acne. If it’s stress or anxiety, he/she may recommend something like meditation or some form of stress relief outlet.
For those of you who suffer from acne, keep your heads up! There can be a solution to relieving acne. Knowledge is power, do research, take notes, visit a professional prepared and work together to find a solution.
The EE 411: What are those and what’s the remedy?
WARNING: the content below can be kind of icky especially if you’re not into wanting to know what a whitehead is, etc.
As you all know, there are many different kinds of acne: Whiteheads- these are pimple-looking spots that have a white tip. They exist under the skin and are usually caused by clogged pores.
Blackheads– these are pimple-looking spots that appear black. They exist near the base of hair follicles and are caused by clogged pores, oil and a buildup of bacteria.
Cystic acne– these are pockets of fluid (I don’t think you want detail on “fluid”) that occurs within tissue and can appear anywhere on the body. They can ache and are similar to (but NOT) a blister. It can be caused by stress and sometimes infection.
Papules– these are little bumps that appear on the skin. They exist near the base of hair follicles and are caused by clogged pores, oil and a buildup of bacteria.
Pustules– these are red bumps that are white at the top because of pus buildup. They exist near the base of hair follicles and are caused by clogged pores, oil and a buildup of bacteria.
Nobules– these are nicely sized red bumps that are sensitive to touch and are embedded in skin. These are the ones you definitely don’t want to try popping. They exist near the base of hair follicles and are caused by clogged pores, oil, and a buildup of bacteria.
Cleanliness is only part of the treatment for taking care of acne; it is not the full solution. Over washing your face can cause just as many problems as not washing it enough. The best line of defense is gently removing any oil or make-up from your skin. Find products that are good for your skin and consult a professional, especially when all else fails.
The winter holidays are drawing near along with the wonderful decadence of pumpkin spice and, you guessed it, cinnamon! It’s like the scent of energy and nostalgia. Not only does it make a great aroma but it’s used to spice up the best desserts– apple pie, pumpkin pie, hot chocolate– you get the picture, right? But it’s more than just a fine scent and magical taste, it is also a spice that is good for your skin!
Take it from us, we know how it sounds when we say that a spice is good for your skin. We can hear you now, “I’m not a dessert!” But Cinnamon-bun, grated or in essential oils, cinnamon can bring out the best in your skin and banish the worst. For instance, cinnamon can dry acne and relieve an itchy scalp. No lie!
This is totally legit– cinnamon can treat eczema, exfoliate, and cleanse the scalp. Not bad for a spice that’s known for the holidays and apple pie. Following the premise of most spices, cinnamon is utilized to prevent bacteria from growing on food, so naturally it would be pretty good at being an antiseptic for your skin.
For those of you who are not so fond of cinnamon, we hoped we changed your mind. Cinnamon can exfoliate, alleviate, soften, and cleanse your skin– it seems like a win/win, if you ask us. As always, remember, know your skin. If you’re allergic to cinnamon, then perhaps try other natural means of keeping your skin healthy. If you don’t know if you’re allergic, please consult a professional– doing your own research reaps the best results.
The EE 411: Cinnamon – Chai La Tea
Since we’ve boosted cinnamon’s self-esteem, we bet you can see why we had to use it in our Chai La Tea bar soap. Cinnamon can bring out the best in your skin. Not to mention, cinnamon is one of the key ingredients used to make a better skin care product that helps protect and look after your skin! While you bathe with our Chai La Tea soap, take comfort in knowing that this bar is working to relieve your body of dead skin and is fighting bacteria.
Oh, and we almost forgot about our Coconut Chai lip balm! Here’s a really special perk about cinnamon– it can make your skin lush and plump. Need we say more?
Share with us: What do you think of cinnamon now? Did anything change?
Some of you Earth’s Enrichers know the secret of the hive and others, well, you have just unknowingly stumbled upon it. Honey is the holy grail of holy grails. We bet that some of you make tea and, instead of lumping sugar into it, use honey to bring out the sweetness. If you have not tried honey instead of sugar, we suggest you grab some green tea and try it– it couldn’t hurt.
We mean it, it couldn’t hurt. A teaspoon of raw honey is equal to about 64 fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free calories– Honey, you’ve definitely got it! And get this, honey is more than a sweetener, it’s a preserver– an antibacterial, anti-fungal preserver. Buying a jar of honey seems like a good investment if you ask us. Not only does this precious substance have a great shelf life and offer a health-conscious alternative to sugar, it helps to preserve memories, create energy, suppress coughs, relieve allergies, and much more.
Studies have shown that honey can help boost memories, so having a spoonful every now and again could make you all the wiser. While preserving your memory, you can help suppress that little cough you may have and sleep better at night– multitasking the healthy way! Honey is the go-to-guy for everything– both in internal (as in allergies, coughing, sleep, and energy) and external (treating wounds, burns, sores, dandruff, and infections) health.
The EE 411: Honey – Rules of the Hive
After hearing about all the great secrets of the hive, are you surprised that we put honey in select products? It was one of the best ideas we’ve ever had. Honey Granola Bar Soap was designed to replenish your skin with a silky cleansing that removes dead skin. The point, ladies and gentlemen, is that it leaves your skin feeling soft, supple and replenished. If you don’t believe us yet, you can also try our Honey Vanilla Lip Balm. How much better can it get? The very same ingredients that you can eat together, Oatmeal and Honey, can be used to make your skin healthy. It’s a natural and healthy win and there is no secret in that!
As always, we encourage you to do your own research and learn what is best for your skin. Honey, although great for your skin, comes with its own set of precautions like all natural and organic things. Honey in its raw state can contain certain dirts and bacterias that aren’t harmful to us but can be rough on babies, so please wait at least a year until you try honey on your kiddos to suppress their coughs. That way they can build up enough immunity. Additionally, in some cases, using honey on your skin can feel a tad discomforting similar to a light stinging sensation. If that is the case, we suggest you stop using the honey and ask a dermatologist.
Another aspect is a honey allergy, which doesn’t happen all too often but if you find that you are allergic, it may be due to pollen found in the honey. Overuse of honey could also lead to the drying out of skin tissue, so be very stingy with how you use this golden substance– you don’t necessarily want the Midas touch. Last but certainly not least, if you’re an individual with diabetes you do not want to place any honey directly on your wounds because it may cause your glucose level to rise.
Always know yourself, and be prepared when trying out new things. If you have any concerns, call a professional and pick his/her brain just to be safe. I hope we provided you with some awesome info– until next time!
Share with us: What do you think of honey now? Did anything change?
Picture it– you’re walking around the grocery store and all of a sudden you get the urge for a green tea or fruit drink. You find the appropriate aisle and pick out a tasty beverage. As you study your selection to make sure it’s suitable to your taste-buds, you notice the bottle says your favorite flavor plus antioxidants– what are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are literally anti-oxidants, which refers to a process that prevents oxidative stress on the cells in your body or the breaking down of the electrons in cells. Oxidative stress can negatively affect cell structure leaving your body vulnerable to certain diseases.
To anti-oxidize is to get rid of oxidizing that causes cell damage by providing the free radicals (created by oxidizing) with natural or man-made electrons. Providing the free radicals with natural or man-made electrons keeps those free radicals from breaking down your body’s cells. So…in a nutshell, antioxidants protect your cells from damage and work to keep you healthy– neat, right?
For more information on this topic, check out this Healthy Living article (read more)
The EE 411: Healthy Living – Where Can You Find Antioxidants?
Natural Antioxidants can be found in the following teas, fruits, and vegetables:
We’ve finally done it! What did we do? We set up a store front for customers to come visit and buy! We guess you can say we’re officially open for business. So, here’s your chance to stop by and see what we’re all about. We are located at 2330 N. Howard St., Baltimore, MD 21218, and you can visit us Monday-Thursday, 9:00am to 4:00pm.
The best part about this is that you don’t have to wait for your order to be delivered. Order online, come in, and pick it up or just come on in and decide when you get here. No pressure—you can take your time and personally check out your options.
If it just so happens that we are a little out of your geographical reach, you can find us in Whole Foods, David’s Natural Market, and Dawson’s Markets. Although in those locations you won’t get to meet us, you can still personally check out our items. Not to mention, you can always order online and receive it at your home—whichever is most convenient for you. 🙂
The EE 411: Let us Re-introduce Ourselves (USDA Organic Skin Care)
Just in case we have any new-comers, let us introduce who we are. We are a USDA Certified Organic and all-natural skin care company. We care about all facets of health that benefit you, our Earth’s Enrichers! So, if we hear of anything that benefits your health, we will personally do our research and let you know about it. And if it has anything to do with skin care, we are already on top of it!
Our motto is Enriched by Earth, Deserved by Everyone, which means we want to provide you with what you may need to look after your health whether it is skin care, mental, or physical health. We ask that you know yourself and do what is best for you—stay up to date on skin and health care by doing your own research too.
We’re here to provide you with top of the line skin care necessities because you deserve it—we’re looking forward to meeting you!
It seems like summer has brought along a few unwanted guests—it is the season of bugs. The bees, the flies, and mosquitos are at their best so let us get you some useful tools to stay ahead of the game. No one likes unwanted pests invading their home, car, or personal space so pay close attention.
Public Enemy #1: Bees and Wasps
Bees and wasps are two totally different species with very different agendas. Wasps seem to have no purpose and are the meanest things in the world—their objective is to protect their territory and once seen should be dealt with immediately. Bees have a tendency to keep to themselves and want to produce honey, others have a ridiculous obsession with wood and those are called wood carpenter bees.
When dealing with carpenter bees there is the brave way and the cautious way. If you have a house with a wooden frame, a carpenter bee may be drawn to it. These bees oddly hoover around the area in which they are interested. They have all black bottoms without yellow. Like all bees and wasps, they are inactive at night, so the cautious way to deal with them is to spray citrus scents around the areas you have seen them hovering. Then block any area you have seen as a possible entryway.
Alternatively, if you are just fed up and having a bad day, they make good targets for badminton and tennis rackets—of course, this is the brave way. Their hovering habit makes them good and easy targets, lay a heavy firm swat on them to take ‘em out. Just so you know, we do not recommend you do that because the repercussions are a good stinging. We recommend that you use the citrus spray and block off all entrances to the frame of your house.
Citrus spray also works well on bumblebees and wasps—it only works as a blockade not an instant killer. Spraying the bees or wasps directly will only make it mad so do not do it! Spraying early in the morning around your house should keep them from wanting to come near. In addition, cogging any area you believe they are entering. We strongly recommend calling a professional to deal with them if natural repellants do not help.
Public Enemy #2: Mosquitoes
Remember, when dealing with mosquitoes, lemongrass does the trick to help keep them away because of the citronella. Most bugs cannot stand anything citrus or citronella based. Using our lemongrass body balm will help fight off the bugs and keep them away—sweet right!
Public Enemy #3: Flies
Flies are one of the most disgusting creatures on earth and the best way to deal with them is keeping the area of your house clean, garbage-free, and feces-free. Second, plants like lavender and mint tend to fend them off. So a little mint oil and lavender candles burning around the house are a nice and comfortable way to keep them at bay. Oddly enough, flies hate vodka. If you happen to have some lying around you can fill a sponge with it, place it in a bag, and hang it or place it strategically around your home but out of the reach of children. If vodka is not the route for you then lemongrass and cloves also repel flies.
The EE 411: Safety First
When it comes to these nuisances, there are simple things we can do to make life with them easy. Trying some of these natural methods may make a big difference when summer comes around. Please do not put yourself in harm’s way or at any risk. If it is something you cannot handle, call a professional and use safety precautions until then. Especially if you are allergic to some of these pests and many of these critters can be dangerous aside from allergens. Always keep your health and safety in mind!
You all know we at EE have your health in mind all the time, right? Our motto is Our Ingredients Make All the Difference! What You Put on Your Body Is Just As Important As What You Put in Your Body! So, when we say we are making African Black Soap (ABS), we are really making it with you in mind.
Once we heard of the amazing properties of ABS, we decide it was high time to make an EE specialty for our Earth’s Enrichers. How do you like that? The great thing about African Black Soap is that it can be used on the face and the body—it is good for removing impurities from the skin.
ABS can be made with different types of ingredients, so we have given it the EE touch! What sets our African Black Soap apart from others is that ours has Tea Tree oil in it which is good at clearing up various skin infections such as acne. Also, when using our African Black Soap, it will not dry out your skin while deeply cleansing it. Check out it out:
Why are Cocoa Pods (Beans) are cool for your skin? – Heals wounds and clears bacteria from the skin – Protect the skin from UV damage like roughness and redness – Enhances elasticity and hydration
How is Plantain Skin Super? – Soothes bug bits and stings – Heals scrapes and cuts – Relieves eczema and sunburn – Reduces chances of scarring
Why is Tea Tree Oil omnipotent in skin care? – Helps prevent infections – Adds a protective covering to the skin – Acts as a strong antibacterial that stunts fungus growth
Ha, we figure that would make you happy. Remember, as we always say, make sure you know your skin and research before you try something new. This helps you avoid any unnecessary discomfort when you are trying to do what’s best for you. Also, our fellow EEers stay cool out there—it’s warm! ^-^
The EE 411: African Black Soap
Have you ever heard of African Black Soap? How about Anago Soap, or Ose Dudu, or Alata Simena? These are all basically the same concepts with varying ingredients. It is a soap with origins hailing from Africa in countries like Ghana. The soap’s signature is its black hue, and some recipes contain natural ingredients like palm ash, cocoa pods, shea butter, tamarind extract, plantain, palm leaves, etc.
Its growing popularity is not only due to its earthly ingredients, but its practical health benefits. It is famous for its soothing of eczema, razor bumps, blemishes, and dark spots. It can be used on your body or hair. It can also be used to relieve skin rashes, dry skin, body odors, or scalp irritation. Depending on the way it’s made, African Black Soap can be packed with Iron, Vitamin A & E, UV protection. We encourage you to do research on African Black Soap because it is not always made with the same ingredients; that way, you can see what you think will work best for you.
Share with Us: What else do you know about African Black Soap (learn more…)?
Spring is finally settling in place and summer is about to follow. Besides all of the diets and physical activity, what are you doing to prepare your skin for the summer? Yea, that’s what we thought—not many people know that preparing your skin for summer is an actual thing. There are certain steps that you might want to take in order to protect your skin from the upcoming heat and sun.
A total body cleansing, this means cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing. Getting a head start on clearing acne or skin irritations before the heat and sweat irritate it is a great way to prepare for the summer. Not only are you clearing your skin for a great natural even tan but you are one step closer to smoother healthier skin.
After working on clearing your skin from acne, exfoliating your winter skin will also help smooth it out and make it glow. As you all know, exfoliation is when you scrub with a bathing tool that is a little rougher than a washcloth which can scrub off the dead skin lingering behind. Doing this can prevent random bits of embarrassing flaking that can happen throughout the day.
Moisturizing will restore the moisture that the exfoliating could take away to get rid of the dry skin. It helps bring out your skin’s natural glow and reduce dry flaking. Also during your moisturizing process, try to incorporate natural organic products that contain sun protection. This way your skin is getting all the nutrients it needs and protection from the sun’s UV rays.
There are other ways to get your skin ready for the summer but these are the basic and affordable first steps. The next step is getting those winter toes ready for sandals and flip-flops—a perfect excuse for a pedicure and manicure! If you have been saving all winter, treat yourself to a spa/makeover treatment. Remember; know your skin so that you do not over-do or under-do cleansing, exfoliation, or moisturizing. This way you will be one step ahead of the sun.
The EE 411:
Other ways to prepare your skin for the summer:
Hydration- removing sodas from your diet and drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin clear and readies you for the heat.
If you live in large city/industrial/or dusty area, keep wipes or hand sanitizer with you to relieve your skin of dirt that can irritate or clog pores.
Given that the weather patterns have been little weird, make sure you pay attention to the temperature and dress appropriately.
We were serious about a run to the spa or a home mani and pedi! It helps for when you do want to wear those sandals.
