Say No to Harmful Chlorine!

It's pool season and your skin and hair may need a little extra TLC from all that chlorine exposure. Not only is this chemical drying, but is also known to be a powerful irritant. 

To diminish it's effects, make up a bottle of this simple, cheap neutralizer and spray all over your body and hair, wait a few seconds, rub all over and then rinse! 

Vitamin C powder can also be added directly into your favorite body wash or conditioner. 

Don't forget, our Body Butter makes a wonderful barrier BEFORE swimming to minimize the amount of chlorine absorbed into your body!

Bye-bye Blemishes

Although I am far removed from the season of having babies in the house, the products we formulate at Olive Baby are still front and center to my family’s skin care regime.  This is no more evident than when it comes to my daughter's ongoing struggles with teenage acne.  Nicely put - acne is the pits!  So, after consulting with Dr. Anna to discuss the ins and outs of teenage acne, my daughter, Hannah, is now well on our way to managing this less than fun part of being Sweet 16!

 

First and foremost, establishing a good cleansing routine is essential. Washing your face morning and night with a gentle, all natural cleanser is imperative to remove dirt and oil buildup from the face and body.  A gentle castile soap, such as our Olive Baby Body Wash, is non-irritating and highly effective in getting the job done! Once the face is clean and pat dry, be sure to follow up with a facial toner.  Surprisingly, our Olive Baby Bottom Cleaner is the ideal skin toner for your face – the witch hazel tones, the aloe and chamomile soothes irritated and inflamed skin (which includes the redness we see in acne).  A few pumps onto a clean cotton pad, and voila! Finally, in addition to the above routine, tea tree oil or castor oil can be applied topically to breakout areas. Dabbed on the face at night, these wonder-oils cleanse and heal acne lesions while you sleep.  

Once a consistent hygiene routine is established, it’s equally important to address dietary issues. Minimizing dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream), fried foods, refined sugars, trans-fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats, will go a long way in limiting breakouts. Other common acne triggers can include citrus, soy, tomato, chocolate, and gluten, so limiting these foods is also highly recommended. On the other end of the spectrum, foods 

to add to your diet to help minimize acne include foods high in zinc such as 

pumpkin seeds, beans, and whole-grain breads.

Finally, switching out your pillow case each night (flip it over, then the next day use a clean one) is a great way to avoid the oils and dirt being rubbed back into the pores. 

Before long, you’ll be sporting a fresh, clean, blemish free face! 

DIY Eczema Bath

Are you still feeling the effects of this past winter on your skin? 

Notice your sweet baby has red, irritated, dry skin? 

If so, look no further - this super-soothing

DIY Eczema Bath 

is just what Dr. Anna ordered!

Enjoy!

Marshmallow Root - Herbal Spotlight

It wasn't until I started studying Naturopathic Medicine that I realized Marshmallow was 

actually a plant, and not just the white fluffy thing we sandwich between

 two graham crackers when we go camping! The root of the Marshmallow plant 

(otherwise known as Althaea officinalis - stemming from the Greek root which means 'to heal') 

is what we use for medicinal purposes, and you find this ingredient showing up in many skin salves and balms as well as various cough syrups and lozenges. 

Marshmallow root holds many wonderful healing properties within it's barky interior. 

For you botany buffs, marshmallow root is known as a 'demulcent' herb which contains starch, mucilage, pectin, flavonoids and phenolic acid. 

Although the leaves can be eaten, it is the root that is used in cosmetics for it's skin softening ability, and in lozenges for soothing an irritated throat 

(from its mucilage, which forms a slippery barrier on the skin/mucosa).

When I was re-formulating our Skin-Saver (now Healing Balm) I knew I wanted to include Marshmallow root into the formula to create a better barrier, a satiny-slippery texture and create a balm that protects and heals irritated skin.

 I am really pleased with the end-result. Just last week I had the chance to use our new 

Healing Balm on my daughters heat rash, and even I was amazed that 

just overnight her hot swollen bum was remarkably improved. 

She now specifically asks for it, insisting I apply it before she gets in her jammies! 

I love this sort of feedback from a child!

I have also included marshmallow root (but in powder form) into our new Baby Powder. 

I find that the addition of marshmallow roots allows the powder to create a sort of slippery barrier as it absorbs moisture - nothing gooey or slimy, just a satiny feel to the skin. 

It's this barrier that also imparts the soothing and healing properties of this plant into the powder.

I hope that you are as excited as I am about this amazing plant, and that you look for it the next time your skin (or throat, or gut) need a little TLC!

Bye-bye Nasty Coughs!

As promised yesterday, I want to share with you a simple DIY, all natural

cough syrup 

                                                         that you can make in a pinch!

Although I recommend many different homeopathic and herbal cough syrups for kids, 

this is one that is easy for parents to make and is economical. 

It's also one that I myself remember getting as a child growing up in Europe, 

as it was traditionally used by the older generations. 

Simply slice your onion, cover with a few spoons of sugar, shake the jar, 

and you should already have about a spoon of syrup, but it can take up to 6 hrs. to draw the liquid out. Trust me, the taste is actually quite pleasant! 

This syrup clears congestion and cough, and has anti-bacterial properties. 

Use as needed for your sick kids!

Be well! 

 

Natural Cold Remedy - Gingerbread Cookie Tea!

After a weekend with a coughing toddler, I thought I'd share with you a recipe for 

Gingerbread Cookie Tea. 

I recommend this tea for my patients who have children with 

runny noses, ear infections, sore throats or coughs. 

It has many wonderful healing properties, and it tastes great! 

To make this delicious and effective remedy, simply brew a 1 inch piece of 

ginger and a couple sticks of cinnamon in 2 cups boiling water for 10 min. 

Strain and add a spoonful of honey (to taste). 

Drink as needed for congestion and infection! 

Enjoy!

Olive Baby - Essential Oil Free!

Have you noticed that 

Olive Baby 

products don’t smell like babies, flowers or the great outdoors?

From day one,  I knew that I didn’t want to add fragrances to our

products and here are the reason why.

First off, many individuals, especially those with sensitivities, are irritated by fragrances.  

Secondly, the perfumes and essential oils in MOST baby products 

are not gentle enough to be put directly onto baby’s skin. 

I know, I know, we all want our babies to smell sweet and yummy – but at what cost? 

You've probably noticed that many (if not ALL) ‘natural’ baby products 

state that they do not add perfumes or fragrances, but they DO add essential oils. 

Are essential oils natural? Why, yes they are! 

The real question is, however, should babies have essential oils on their skin? 

Most often the answer is NO! 

In the early days of life, babies have very sensitive skin – remember, they've been 

protected for almost 10 months by their mothers amniotic fluid 

and the vernix (thick white coating) which covers their skin. 

Essential oils are irritants when applied directly to the skin, 

but when diluted into creams and oils, it often lessens the reaction.  

Not ALL babies will react. 

As a naturopath, and the formulator of Olive Baby products,  I prefer not to take that risk.

 I respect the medicinal properties of essential oils, but do not believe them to be completely safe for infants or those with irritated skin. 

I often see patients using essential oil based salves on their baby’s diaper rashes, and it often worsens the rash and skin irritation. In these situations, you don’t want to take any chances with irritants, even as natural as an essential oil. 

For these reasons, you won’t find essential oils in our baby skin care line. 

All you'll find is the use of olive oil infused with whole herbs.  

Any fragrance in our baby skin care products comes from the oils, beeswax, and herbs used!

I find this approach to be the safest and most effective for my patient, children, and our valued customers that use Olive Baby products!

Stubborn Cradle Cap

I just wanted to share this tip for treating really stubborn cases of cradle cap. Normally I just recommend applying Olive Baby Body Butter after bath time, but if the scalp is REALLY scaly I recommend putting a thin layer of olive oil all over the scalp and covering for 30 min. with an infant hat. Remove the hat and comb through with a fine-tooth comb. This REALLY works well!