Welcome back! And welcome if you are new here xoxo
First and foremost, let me just start by saying I am not the health professional in any shape or form, I am not advising You to do or to buy anything I am mentioning here - and I won't be responsible for what You will do with this information. Consult with Your doctor or Your health practitioner before starting taking anything new. I am simply sharing what I use myself and what's working for me.
Now that we got boring-but-necessary disclaimer out of the way, shall we look into natural and holistic remedies I apply to support mine and my family’s health during the sickness season? Besides the obvious things like being outside, sports, healthy diet and such, we still get sick from time to time, because, well, there’s no barriers for bacteria and viruses to fly around? The remedies I am showing You here are tried and tested by me and my family for the last ten years or so, with the exception of OreganolP73, which I discovered about four years ago and won’t be without for as long as I will continue to live. Or god-forbid Big Pharma decides to outlaw like we have seen with so many natural remedies before.
For immune system support
Ginger. I take it in tea, with lemon and honey a couple of times a day. Some people also add Cayenne pepper and garlic, but that’s not for me. If you take this at the very beginning of the cold, there is a good chance you will nip the cold in the bud and not get sick at all? Put on your woolen socks and go to bed to sweat it all out. Organic and fresh is the best, but powder works too. Check iHerb.
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Garlic/ginger/turmeric paste – I use it in copious amounts in my cooking, doubling the doses if I am already sick. I have a post on it here.
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Organic Lemons – I don’t think I need to explain this 🙂
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Cold Season /Immunity and such teas in high quantities if I can. Check my tea collection on my iHerb page for more. I also count organic matcha tea as superfood and try to get it as much as my budget allows, as well as turmeric latte & mushroom latte – you can add all kinds of herbs and adaptogens to it. I am big on superfood drinks & always get something nice from Dutch Health Store & Live In The Light store.
Thieves/Organic defence/tea tree/lemon EOs in a diffuser. Or spray bottle. Also don’t forget to open a window. I do think Living Libations essential oils are the best on the planet, so I highly recommend getting at least one. I also use Pure Anada, Soil or Medicine Flower. You know when some companies are shouting that their brand is the only one therapeutic grade or the only one certified organic brand in the world? Not true! Whatever brand you will choose, make sure to do your homework first, you want to make sure the essential oils are organic (to make sure you are not using concentrated pesticides) and therapeutic or food grade (to make sure there are no harsh solvents/ chemicals in it). For years I used Esta Aroma Diffuser from NYR, but due to the high humidity and mold problems in the house I am now saving up have two nebulizing (waterless) diffusers from Living Libations.(review). I also make dilutions into roll ons to carry around.
Probiotics. Vital in my opinion, especially if you already have compromised immune system, leaky gut and digestive problems like I do. If you will take away just one thing from this post, please do yourself a favour and start taking care of yourself with daily probiotics. Look for as many different strains as possible and you want billions, not millions per capsule. This is one area where you can’t save, I am sorry, but cheap brands just won’t cut it – they will not be strong enough to make a difference or just won’t survive the acidity of the stomach fluid. Did you see the reports that GMO foods kill all the bacteria in our gut? This is non negotiable in my two cents, but you do you boo. If you are healthy and fit as a horse, eating organic only everything, you might not need them?
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Medicinal Mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps are supposed to stimulate the immune system in the long run. I swear by cordyceps, because that’s what I’ve seen working on my kids, reishi is new addition. It is so much more bitter that they won’t go near it, so I am taking it all on my own. I also recommend Shaman Shack Herbs and Na’avi Organics from Dutch Health Store – don’t you love their logo “The Best Or Nothing”? I die 🙂
Up vitamin C – lemon tea with honey, maybe take extra – I love Ener C, or get liposomal vitamin C. That is supposed to be miles better and highly absorbable, as it bypassed digestive system and goes straight to the cells, but I will admit I am yet to get it due to high cost. By the way, do research on optimum vitamins and mineral levels versus RDA and your life will be forever changed. Just check out DrAxe and nutritionist Patrick Holford books – when it comes to vitamin C, Patrick Holford recommends 3grams of it EVERY HOUR (as opposed to 50mg daily RDA) when you are sick! Mind blowing.
Vitamin D – turns out this sunshine vitamin is crucial for us, it is not only a vitamin but also a hormone needed for more than 300 body functions daily! Again, the optimal dose is far more than recommended daily allowance told to us. Research for Yourself and You will be blown away. It is said to work better with K2, so I go for Better You brand – it is a pleasant tasting spray, absorbed straight into the mouth. Perfect for kids, who won’t take tablets, perfect for me, with impaired liver.
Zinc – this is something that is new to me, as I haven’t taken it separately up until last year maybe. Since I learned of it’s ability to fight viruses, I stocked up on Solgar Flavo Zinc, but it tastes chalky and upsets my stomach. I am open to suggestions for good brands.
Elderberry. Proved to both protect and support your immune system and fight whatever is attacking you, shortening illness by four days! Four days people! So whether you gather it yourself & make it into syrups, get dried berries to make it into teas & syrups, get Sambucol or other brand’s good stuff, just make sure to get it into you. I stock up on Sambucol. There are other good brands out there too. Get gummies for the kids, they love them!
Manuka honey. If you haven’t heard of it, Manuka Honey is the most unique and powerful form of honey on the planet. It’s exclusive to New Zealand, created by bees who pollinate the Manuka Bush. But what makes Manuka that much better than your average honey? It’s all in the nutrient composition. Manuka honey is known as ‘active’ honey; it has natural antibacterial qualities and proven health benefits. It’s made by bees foraging from the New Zealand Manuka (tea tree) bush. Look for the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) rating on the jar – the higher the rating, the greater the antibacterial activity. Scientists say it can help ease ulcers and an upset stomach, prevent gum disease, boost your immunity by fighting bacterial infections, and ease skin conditions. Raw honey has a multitude of beneficial nutrients: Amino acids, B-Vitamins, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Zinc to be exact. But in Manuka honey, the density of these nutrients is over four times greater than your average honey, so your body is getting a powerful dose of enzymes that fight inflammation and bacteria and boost your immune system.
For the skin, a good UMF rating means your skin will receive incredible benefits - the anti-inflammatory quality of Manuka honey is proven to improve skin texture and tone. But that's for another post :) See here for my 12 DIY Masks with manuka honey.
If you don’t want to shell out for manuka honey, please feel free to use raw local honey (preferably organic) as your next best bet. Just please do your research on different types of honeys first and then decide. Honey in the teddy shaped plastic jar? Not the best thing for your skin, as it is not only heat treated, it is mixed honey too. Meaning it is only slightly better than sugar, and it is not what you want at all.
Epsom salt/ Magnesium salt bath. Sweat. Go to bed and wrap up. You will rise like a new person.
Garlic. Organic. Crush and leave for 10 mins to activate allicin.
Also don’t forget frequent hand washes and cleaning all the germy surfaces, including door handles. Don’t use those nasty antibacterial soaps, they are so full of harmful chemicals that smarter countries are banning them already. If you are a germophobe, add a few drops of tea tree oil into your natural hand soap, it will do the trick. If you use antibacterial gel, use Green People organic hand sanitiser. Or go full Gwyneth and use Colloidal Silver instead.
Homeopathic remedies. I myself use Oscillococcinum & Coryzalia by Boiron but you might try different ones, as the thing with homeopathic remedies is that there are no “general recommendations” what works for me might not work for you. If l have a cold (if you know yourself well enough, you know the difference. For me aching bones is a surefire way to tell the difference) I take the latter two, if I know it is a flu (or if I don’t get better after 3 days) I take Oscillococcinum, and maybe combine it with Oreganol if I am sick for more than 4-5 days and I am not getting better.
Lots of rest and sleep if you can? I know I am guilty of not slowing down because of the flu/cold, because like many of us women I tend to feel that I still have to take care of everyone and everything, but the truth is that by doing so you (I) are only prolonging the time of disease! So tell everyone to share the chores for a few days and get that deserved rest! Just think of what men do when they get sick? At the first sigh of unwell they are dying, not lifting a finger and demanding all kind of stuff every five minutes, right? Totally double standards! Shall we do the same?
Essential Oils Sprays To Clean The Air
Opening the windows is one of the ways to clean the air, but essential oils packed sprays also helps. Be cautious not to overdo it and never spray directly onto someone. I love and use Saint Come (sadly production stopped due to Covid) , there’s also ViroGuard by Medicine Flower, but suggestions and recommendations are welcome! You can also DIY it with “five thieves” type of essential oils. If you want a post on that, be sure to let me know and I will be happy to do it for you.
during sickness
OreganolP73 – I have already written about this here and here, but basically it is nature’s miracle – it is a natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal stuff that is amazingly also antioxidant! Too good to be true? Well, in this case it is not, and if you only will take one thing out of this post, this is it! Not easy to find in the stores, you might have to get online.
You can also try Grapefruit Seed Extract, and Olive Leaf Extract as other forms of natural antibiotics. Both extracts taste vile, not going to lie, so maybe look into capsules?
Linden tea. This helps to break a sweat faster. Add honey (manuka is best, but any natural honey will do). Don’t add to boiling hot tea as not to kill those healing nutrients.
Camomile tea these two go hand in hand, their main job is to make you sweat and thus get rid of disease faster.
More rest. More sleep.
Pick and choose any remedies mentioned above. Garlic & fire cider might be awesome but hard to swallow, so maybe up lemon tea and manuka?
for cough
For coughs, my best bet is used to be NYR Thyme Syrup (because Brexit), so now I getNin Jiom Pei Pa Koa – Sore Throat Syrup – funny name, alright, but it is Chinese herbs & honey cough syrup from iHerb. There are loads of homemade remedies out there too, but I haven’t been successful with them. If you have tried and tested recipe, please let me know in the comments? Also I’ve just read that fresh pineapple juice should be better than anything for cough, has anyone tried it?
For sore throats, try Himalayan salt gargles. Maybe adding some thyme and or Oreganol.
What are your tips and tricks, would you share with me? I am always willing to learn new natural things 🙂 The more natural remedies we will know, the better for all of us.
That’s all for now. Please like and share this or any of my other posts on social media, it really helps to get the green beauty word out – and you will forever have my gratitude!
Lots of Love,
Renata.
Enjoy my content? A tip into my PayPal Tip Jar - will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.
Resources - books, naturopathic doctors and websites. I highly encourage You to do your own research too.
Welcome back! And welcome if you are new here xoxo
Want to know what natural and holistic dental products I use? You are in the right place. Just had a check up, no new cavities! All thanks for Living Libations, DrThungs, Theraneem, Revitin & few more 🙂
Umm, I apologise in advance, this post is gonna be a bit different from my usual Love Lula Beauty Box posts where I would not only list ingredients but also my opinions of everything, as well as previous month boxes. Reason being is that I have too many plates to spin at the moment, work/life balance isn’t really in my favour right now, and as a result my health suffered. That’s the story in a nutshell, normal service resuming in August 🙂 Not wanting to disappoint my readers, I am still doing a post, but shorter version of it.
Worth 48£ this box had two products from NATOrigin – Mascara and Eyeliner, both black (£15.95+£7.95). Mascara was too natural looking for my short lashes, so I gave it away, but the pencil is in use. Next we had AyumiIntensive Hair Conditioning Treatment (£8.99 – 150ml) which I like, I am impressed with a lot of Ayumi products I have tried to far, see this post here. FoM London featured Anti-Pollution Hydra Plump Serum (sample size) which is ultra-light, absorbs quickly and is fragrance free. Madara’s Weightless Sun Milk SPF20 sachet sample was a final addition that month.
Worth whopping 101£!!! Yes really – no kidding. Really worth subscribing, don’t you think so? The box featured Dafna’s Personal Skincare Summer Heroes Set in a nice cotton pouch – I will make sure to take this on my holidays (first in four years, overtired me can’t wait!) to test. Next was Madara is their Plum Plum Lip Perfection Balm (15ml – £10) – I like it, seems super moisturising with a delicious fruity scent. Next we got Kathleen Natural Refreshing & Lightening Cleansing Lotion (150ml – £29.50 – I am yet to try this, so let me come back to you on this. I have been impressed with what I have tried from this brand so far though. Next we got 10ml of Skin Alchemist’s Apothecary Sesenne Facial Elixir (10ml – £30), which has 26 skin loving oils in it. What a box, right?
So, all in all it was a great box, I say well done Love Lula! I believe this time UK box and the international box were the same (sometimes they substitute other products for the ones they can’t send internationally, like nail polishes, perfumes, etc..) Where else you would get that good of a value at the budget price you pay for? Exactly! What I like about Love Lula box is that you are guaranteed to get at least two or three full size products each month, the sample sizes are almost always deluxe samples, like travel sizes. In nearly two years I am getting this box, I’ve seen sample sachets less than five times, I swear. Are you interested yet? Check out here. Want to see what was in previous boxes as well as plenty of reviews on all kinds of products from Love Lula? See this FB album All Things Love Lula here.
Please like and share my posts on social media, it really helps to get the green beauty word out – and you will forever have my gratitude!
That’s all my lovelies, thanks for reading! See You here next Tuesday if not sooner. Please allow me some time to rest, get my health together and I will come back to you with reviews/ thoughts on all of these products xo
Lots of Love,
Renata.
Enjoy my content? A tip into my PayPal Tip Jar - will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.
Welcome back! And welcome if you are new here xoxo
How are all of You, I hope You are great? Today is the day I will share my early summer 2019 favourites in collaboration with the ever fabulous fellow green beauty blogger Laura Bruj. You should go and check her out (I will leave all the links at the end of this post) and you will be glad you did – she is US green beauty blogger who is making waves into the right direction, she focuses on all things plastic free, sustainable, natural and as much waste free as possible, and is not afraid to call out greenwashing brands. You just got to love her for it. But wait, there is more – she is also a Youtuber (again, find the link at the end of this post) and she is so good with make up that she is making me all jel – a green beauty chameleon for sure. You just have to scroll her IG page to see for herself.
Let’s see my current favourites now and go see Laura’s favourites straight after? Done deal 🙂
Welcome back! And welcome if you are new here xoxo
Hope you are all well? Today I will be reviewing the new natural SPF kid on the block – step forward Evolve Climate Veil Tinted SPF20 In Light – Medium*. If you want to know my thoughts on it, you are in the right place, let’s get started! Find more reviews at the end of this post.
Welcome back! And welcome if you are new here xoxo
*GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED.
Now, if you follow me for at least a couple of months, you might remember me ordering Joy roller in my Love Lula blogger order back in February here, and putting all of the products into my Pinterest wishlist here – and guess what? The Universe has a strange ways of working, but I am happy to say that Amy reached out to me not too long after and asked if I would like some more products to try. Not only that, but she offered to pick the products for me by dowsing (don’t ask me, she is the expert). I was like “does one legged duck swim in circles? Yes please!”
So long story short, Amy picked the products she thought I need at this time based on my energy field – and boy, did she get it right! I am not an expert when it comes to all things aura/ energy field / flower and gemstone essences/ aura sprays, etc, but I am a believer – I think there’s not only our physical body, but also spiritual one and it is just as important to take care of both. It took me a very long time to realize this, but let’s leave it for another time and come back to the wonderful Nature’s Wish products. Let me just say that while all these products you see here were sent to me, I have full intentions to repurchase them with my own money. Not only that, I am sharing them with you – yep, there will be a mini giveaway at the end of this review, and this time it is international!
A bit about the brand and it’s founder:
Nature’s Wish is an award winning wellbeing and skincare company, offering a range of high quality products that are rich in vitamins, essential oils, flower and crystal essences. Each product is handmade in small batches to retain the quality and integrity of the essences.
Inspired by the profound effects that flower essences can have on a persons wellbeing, Amy Murphy-Watts founded Nature’s Wish in Hampshire in 2010. She is passionate about flower essences and their remarkable ability to be absorbed into your energetic system, as such she only uses natural and organic ingredients. Amy is a trained Bach flower practitioner and through her extensive learning and experience she now makes all her own flower essences. She places a lot of love, care and hard work into what she does and considers flower essences to hold a key part in helping to rebalance our own vibrational energy. Each of her combination essences have a particular purpose.
Combining the essences into sprays and beauty products enables you to get the benefits of the essences in many ways, Amy blends them into Face Oils, Roller Balls, Energy Sprays, Lip Balms and Body Oils. All the flower essences are made from plants grown in Amy’s garden or gathered on local walks in Hampshire, thus preserving the highest quality distinct imprint of the flowers. None of the products contain any chemicals, petroleum, palm oil, parabens or additives and is never tested on animals.
Stay tuned and let’s look at each of the products individually, shall we?
NATURE’S WISH PEACE ENERGY SPRAY
This wonderful product is probably my favourite from the whole lot – don’t ask me how it works, but it has the ability to silence my monkey brain within seconds! It is a blend of floral waters, essential oils, flower, crystal and environmental essences to cleanse and revitalise your natural energy field.
BENEFITS: A soothing blend to help calm when you are feeling overwhelmed or under pressure. Provides grounding and protection allowing you to feel strong and safe, enabling your aura energy to have a sense of inner peace. FLOWER ESSENCES: The Peace blend of Angel’s Trumpet, Daisy and Walnut. ESSENTIAL OILS: Palmarosa, Rose Otto and Grapefruit. FLORAL WATER: Rose Bulgarian.
I always have this within reach and am spraying it multiple times per day – and I make sure to take it with me to work on the weekends too. It comes in the 100ml glass bottle and I hope it never runs out!
Ingredients: Rose Floral Water Palmarosa Rose Grapefruit Angel's Trumpet flower essence in Brandy and Water Daisy flower essence in Brandy and Water Walnut flower essence in Brandy and Water
TRANQUILITY BATH & BODY MASSAGE OIL
The description says it is a luxurious combination of natural and organic oils that are rich in vitamins, essential oils, flower essences and crystal essences.
BENEFITS: A relaxing blend to provide a feeling of calm in times of stress. Helps to centre and rebalance the mind and body. Aids connection of thoughts and information with patience and sensitivity. FLOWER ESSENCES: The Tranquility blend of Daisy, Impatiens, Lavender and Walnut. ESSENTIAL OILS: Neroli, Mandarin and Rose Otto.
This product is also very enjoyable to use and I don’t want to run out of it too! I find 100ml bottle gives me around 10 full body applications – and I am very generous when applying body oils, I am obsessed with them for the last year or so! I wish the scent was a bit stronger, but I appreciate that is is all natural and natural essential oils do not give you that in-your-face aroma some of you might want. I have to say I am yet to use it as a bath oil, I don’t want to waste it, so I keep using it as a body oil.
Ingredients: Grape Seed Oil Thistle Org Avocado Org Sunflower Oil Org Castor Oil Org Vitamin E Neroli Rose Mandarin Daisy flower essence in olive oil Impatiens flower essence in olive oil Lavender flower essence in olive oil Walnut flower essence in olive oil
Nature’s Wish Tranquility ESSENCE
Now, at this point I should probably tell you that all of the Nature’s Wish products are available on Love Lula* (sadly no more) except for the essences (this link above will take you directly to their website. No affiliation or sponsorship, purely for your convenience) As far as essences go, I haven’t tried too much, so I don’t have an extensive experience with them. I also didn’t know what I was going to get, so I wasn’t able to go and look up the product beforehand and get some preconceived thoughts about it, so when I did get the product, I decided to take the essence without looking at the description and to see where it goes. I have to say I was taken by surprise – my normal state of stress-head was instantly mellowed when I took this product, and the problems that seemed huge before definitely did seem on a lesser and more manageable degree. So this made me a believer – this is something you have to experience for yourself as flower and crystal essences are still outcast as the “witchy” “hippy” stuff, sadly so. This Tranquility essence is a mix of a few flower essences and is designed to help us ground back to the earth, bring calm to work the situation out, feel patient and connect with the inner self. It is also a great enabler in meditation.
Ingredients /Essences:Daisy: Helps to bring together scattered thoughts and information. It creates clarity and a calm mind. Enables us to connect our thoughts and information into a coherent patter. Very good as an aid with study to help focus the mind.
Impatiens: For impatient and impulsive people. For those who like working their way, at their speed and are often critical of others who don't. Sudden temper outbursts, impatiens, irritability. By taking impatiens it brings a calmer nature, more patient and sensitive to others.
Lavender: For those who over stretch themselves emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. Helps us to connect to our higher self, bringing spirituality into everyday life. It brings clarity, enabling us to hear our inner guidance. It relaxes those who over stimulate themselves. It also helps to protect those who absorb too much spiritual energy which can often result in difficulties in the head, neck and shoulders
Walnut: For those who find it difficult to adapt to change. Very useful for major-life changes, teething, puberty, pregnancy, divorce, moving home or school, changing job, bereavement etc. For those who feel affected by other's influences and personality. It is also a good grounding essence and an all round protector.
NATURE’S WISH JOY ROLLER BALL
Roller balls are a mix of different essences and essential oils in some type of carrier oil. They are convenient to carry around and apply on the pulse points as needed, you are meant to inhale them after application. The smell is faint but pleasant (again, this is not a perfume) and I find if used regularly, this centers my thoughts and makes me less stressed, so I guess you can say it gives me some joy if you will.
Ingredients:
Flower Essences: Angel's Trumpet, Willow, Sweet Pea
Crystal Essences: Rose Quartz
Essential Oils: Bergamot, Lemon, Rose Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang
Breakdown of what each of the ingredient and what it does:
Essential Oils:
Bergamot: Psychologically Bergamot has soothing, balancing and reviving qualities. It is a sunny essential oil, connected to the heart chakra, helping to relieve sadness, depression and grief.
The Bergamot we use is Bergapten-free – so less likely to be phototoxic and less likely to be a skin sensitiser.
Lemon: Lemon is uplifting, refreshing, reviving and stimulant. It helps to bring clarity to the mind and prevent emotional outbursts. As well as clearing the mind it can help to open the heart.
Rose Geranium: It helps to gently uplift and balance. It creates a feeling of security by helping to calm anxiety and bring about a sense of balance. Good to steady out moody swings.
Roman Chamomile: This is a deeply calming and balancing essential oil. It helps to create a feeling of relaxation.
Ylang Ylang: This is a very pleasant smelling oil with a delicate fragrance. It works as an antidepressant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic and aphrodisiac.
Flower Essences:
Sweet Pea: For grounding in over crowded places, families or situations. To bring our thoughts back to the here and now, for those who escape to fantasy. Helps us to form connections with home and communities, for anti-social behaviour. To create a sense of belonging and connection with others. Good for those moving around.
Angels Trumpet: Heralding and welcoming in the angels. To break down inhibitions and self doubt. Good for those on spiritual journeys to connect to inner self and the angels. To feel inner peace, balance and calm. A beautiful essence.
Willow: For resentment and bitterness. For those blaming others and feeling hard done by ‘poor me’. Helps us to take responsibility and not blame others. Allows us to be more open and less resentful.
Crystal Essences:
Rose Quartz: Helps to release emotional stress, and helps with emotional problems such as negative self-image.
And now for the (mini) giveaway, the part you have been waiting for! If you want to win Nature’s Wish roller ball in Joy, all you have to do is to leave me a comment here – anything you want to say, simple “want” will do 🙂
The giveaway is open worldwide for one week, closing date is May 16 2019 and the winner will be live drawn in my Insta stories on 17 May.
That’s all for now, see you here next Tuesday 🙂
Lots of Love,
Renata.
Enjoy my content? A tip into my PayPal Tip Jar - will get You my eternal gratitude and more awesome green beauty reviews Your way! I weed out all the greenwashing products so You won't have to.