Top Ten Contact Dermatitis Allergens Identified In Mayo Clinic Study


Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate) -- metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing
Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate) -- precious metal often found in jewelry
Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae) -- a fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin
Thimerosal -- a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and in vaccines
Neomycin sulfate -- a topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments, also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap and pet food
Fragrance mix -- a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products
Formaldehyde -- a preservative with multiple uses, e.g., in paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products and fabric finishes
Cobalt chloride -- metal found in medical products; hair dye; antiperspirant; objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools; and in cobalt blue pigment
Bacitracin -- a topical antibiotic
Quaternium 15 -- preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints and waxes

Crisco "hand lotion": Home Recipe Review

I'd read on various places online that Crisco shortening (yes, the stuff used in cookies) makes a decent hand-lotion, and even doctors at a particular hospital used to "hand it out" (??) to people to use as an alternative to hand lotion.

So... I decided to try it.

I put about 1/2 cup of Crisco into a plastic container with a lid. I added sweet orange essential oil and clove essential oil, and whipped it up. The first day the scent was "inconsistent." After a few days of settling it smelled a lot better. I used it on my legs yesterday after shaving. It made them very soft, and it smelled really good! The problem arose a few hours later when the EOs wore off and I smelled like... shortening.

Not a recipe I would recommend unless you just like baking *that* much.

Soy Candles

I tried my hand at making soy candles today. Soy candles are better than petroleum based ones because they burn cleanly and don't diffuse harmful oil and toxins into the environment (or your lungs). They burn 50% longer than usual candles, and supposedly carry the fragrance better.

The wax was on sale for $6.99 at the craft store. I got lead-free wicks. I melted the wax and poured it into some unused jars we had on hand. Using a meat thermometer I monitored the temperature. When the temp reached 125' I added essential oils as the package instructed. Then I put the wick in the center and tied the end of the wick to a pencil to hold it.

To one candle I added eucalyptus and rosemary. I'll use this one in the guest bathroom (where I take bubble baths) to help my breathing. (Eucalyptus is good for breathing.)

To another candle I added a lot of rose essential oil (in jojoba oil). This one hardly has any fragrance, despite putting in a lot. I'll put this one in our room anyway.

The the third candle I added sweet orange essential oil and a dash of lavender. This smells very good and is in the kitchen.

Overall impressions: It's nice to know that I'm burning good-for-everyone candles, but I feel limited in the fragrance dpt. The essential oils are expensive. I poured a lot of rose EO into the rose candle--and I don't feel like the scent was very strong. The orange EO is better, but not as strong as a usual store-bought candle. (And orange isn't my favorite smell...) The eucalyptus was very strong, however it smells like a medicine cabinet. I need to tinker more with soy candles to find a nice combination.

The husband has gone green!!!

A few weeks ago I kicked said husband out of the bedroom one Sunday morning in the wee hours because he was ranting about my "home-made" remedies (particularly vinegar). He slept in on the sofa. I have not heard a negative word since. LOL

This morning, while we were getting ready to go out, I reached over to wash my hands with the soap on the counter and he said, "Yo! Wait! You can't use that! It's not biodegradable!"

I blinked at him. "Huh?"

"You know, it's not green! The good soap is in the shower!" I giggled as I grabbed the "good soap" from the shower and giggled even more as I observed him throw the "tainted" soap away.
Then later we were grocery shopping together at WalMart. I got some boneless, skinless chicken breasts as he came around the corner. "Oh Andromada! Not those!! Only the green kind with no hormones and all organic-y and stuff!!" He put them back and grabbed the $6-for-3-pieces (ouch!) chicken. I hadn't gone that green yet, in contemplation of the purse, but hey! Go husband!!

Tomorrow we are making soy candles with essential oils. We have lots of candles, but don't use them because of the birds and the petroleum. I was going to order some online but there's the whole issue about "smelling" them first. I could get high off of candle smelling. Today in WalMart J wanted me to look at something and was going nutso b/c I was just walking down the aisle smelling all the candles... Anyway, yeah, we're gonna make our own so we can smell them first and make sure we like the scent combo. (We already have the jars and essential oils, now just need the wax and wicks! Hopefully it's on sale somewhere!)

Kitchen & Bathroom Cleaning: Store Brand & Home Recipe Review

First of all, the scent of vinegar is getting old very quickly. Poor J swore he'd do laundry for a week if I promised not to use vinegar in household cleaning anymore. Consequently, I've been trying to use some other recipes and products.

Wipex Natural Wipes: These are the organic version of the disposable kitchen wipes where you just pull one out and clean and you're done. I was very disappointed with them, to be honest. They were $4.49/cannister of 30, and came in three types: glass cleaner (lavendar and vinegar); all purpose (rosemary); and furniture polish (orange oil). The wipes are flimsy and don't go very far. They were somewhat dry--not moist enough to do much good. The glass cleaner one left a film on my stove and left spots on my bathroom mirror. I have half a mind to return them!

Home-Recipe Wipes Alternative: I have a large package of unscented, organic baby wipes (count: 230). I divided them into baggies and added a few drops of essential oil to each one. They are less-flimsy, and moister. When they feel a bit dry I just add 1/8 C water to the baggie. They smell wonderful and are infinitely less-expensive than Wipex. (230 count for $4.99, and a few drops of essential oil for each.) This is one of my favorite home-recipe ideas... I have one baggie in each bathroom, one in the kitchen, and one in the parrot room. So easy to keep everything wiped down!

Earth Friendly Product's Ultra Dishmate: The bottle states, "Contains no phosphates dyes or perfumes, but is made of natural coconut, almond, and cherry oils." I got the almond scent and it's wonderful. I use it as a general cleaner everywhere--bathroom, parrot room, kitchen, floors, patio furniture, dishes, cages... Pour some in a bucket, fill with hot water, and I 'm good to go! My only complaint with it is on the parrot stuff, I just don't feel like it removes the bacteria-odor very well. The almond scent is so lovely however and the kitchen and bathroom smell very fresh and fragrant when I'm done. I think the cost was about $3.49 and it has lasted a full month with frequent general use.

Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds: I bought this b/c I ran out of Dishmate and wanted to try something new--something that would hopefully work well in the parrot room as well. It was $9.95 for a bottle, but this is ultra-concentrated so it's supposed to go a long way. It is cruelty free and seems very environmentally conscious. It has no added dyes or fragrances, but contains a mild scent from added fir and pine essential oils. I've been using it for a few weeks now and still like it a lot. The pine smell is very subtle, but reminds me of log cabin living. It seems to be a bit stronger-acting than the Ultra Dishmate. It also seems to be a better deodorizer than the Ultra Dishmate.

Vinegar: Vinegar is amazing. Vinegar smells awful. I only use it for a few things now: laundry (doesn't smell), drains, and carpet stains. It's amazing on all three. It's about $1.49 at Wal-Mart/gallon, so this is a great addition to my cleaning kit. Oh, to be noted--it does NOT clean algae off of the patio.

Baking Soda: Another super home-recipe ingredient, baking soda is almost a staple here. When it comes to kitchens and bathrooms, I use it to clean the sinks, the toilet, and the bathtub. I also add it to my pail with the dishsoap for wiping down the counters and washing the floor. It works very well in these capacities.

Ethanol Alcohol: I have a spray bottle with 3/4 ethanol and 1/4 water. This works great as a glass-cleaner substitute and doesn't smell like vinegar. I use it on the stove and the mirrors!

Eating right: Organic & Cost-Effective

One of the best changes we've made in all of this "going green" has been cooking for the week on the weekends.

Time: 1 hour Yield: 20 microwaveable meals

Ingredients (for 2 people):
2 turkey legs
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
12 chicken legs
5 boxes of Far East couscous / rice pilaf (our favs are wild mushroom, garlic & parmesean, mediterranean, and pine nut)
20 entree-size plastic dishes with lids (15 for $3.99 at Wal-Mart)
Marinade (garlic, lemon juice, white wine, salt, herbs)
Grill--outdoor or counter-top



Optional:
1 bag frozen, organic spinach
1 bag frozen, organic mushrooms
1 bag frozen, organic asparagus
1 bag frozen, organic peas



What WE do is place all of the chicken in a large, 1-gallon baggie. We add about 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup white wine, 2 tblsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, and I add rosemary, basil, chives, oregano, and marjoram from the garden. We marinate it for 45 mins, turning on the grill to heat up for the last 15 mins. (What YOU may want to do is buy three marinades from the grocery store, divide the chicken into three baggies, and marinade them separately... We don't much care about variety.)

Then we grill the chicken (I have no idea how long this takes--J is in charge).

I set out all 20 (actually 15 for us--work provides my food) entree dishes. Cook first box of couscous (takes 5 mins to boil, 5 mins to sit). Add to boiling water (before adding rice/couscous) a handful of the spinach, mushrooms, and/or asparagus--whatever suits your fancy. Add couscous & seasoning... Divide the couscous into four dishes. Rinse pot, cook next box of couscous, divide into four dishes, etc.

Divide the chicken 1 breast or thigh/dish or 2 legs/dish. Stick in the freezer... and you're done! When you're ready to eat, pull it out, remove tape if necessary, stick in microwave for 6 mins.


Tada! Healthy, low fat, preservative-free meal! Total cost about $1.50/meal.

All of this takes maybe 1 hour on the weekend.