Tea Tree Oil Zit Zapper

As great as coconut oil is for oh so many things, it's not perfect. For people with oil/acne prone skin, it can mean a nasty break out. After I used coconut oil to remove my eye makeup (and carelessly getting some on my cheek) I woke up to this bad boy:

Yikes! I used to be uber self-conscious about my enormous pores, but I don't even think about them anymore. I wouldn't mind finding a natural way to shrink them a bit... but that's another post for another day.

Forget the big pores. This angry zit is all I can see when I look in the mirror! So I applied a few drops of tea tree oil via Q-tip and this evil monster healed pretty quickly with no squeezing/picking/drying out/flaking. Day two was hard only because I REALLY wanted to pop this guy, but I refrained.

And today, day 3, I'm much more comfortable with this... and thrilled I didn't follow the same pattern of destroying my skin with drying agents and picking and squeezing.

Kinda just looks like one of my freckles! I can't believe how well tea tree oil worked to hasten the healing of this enormous zit!!

Think Before You Pink

A fellow crunchy nursing student recommended I watch the documentary Pink Ribbons, Inc.

I was so pissed by the time I was done watching it. I knew that Susan G Komen was an organization that I couldn't get behind. I participated in several Race for the Cures years ago and when I think about it I get pissed all over again. However I never put much thought in the pervasive "pink power" that has women buying pink flashlights and buckets of KFC.

As I transition into a greener, healthier lifestyle, I'm appalled by the pink shit storm I see everywhere. I pay attention to labels now more than ever and I'm outraged by the toxins in products that are made by companies that are so-called breast health supporters.

The companies pushing pink don't even have to give one penny to breast cancer anything. It's all a marketing bandwagon and it makes me want to puke.

I might piss people off with my ant-pink attitude, but that's OK. Maybe someone will set out to prove me wrong and learn for themselves that Revlon is up to no good.

THINK BEFORE YOU PINK

Using Coconut Oil to Treat Pink Eye

OMG! Didn't you know that pink eye means you have poop in your eye?!

I've actually heard people say this. Adults. Sigh.

I've worn contact lenses since the 5th grade. I like to camp and swim in lakes and ponds and I ain't afraid to get dirty. I let my dogs & cat snuggle up on my bed. I love having my hands in the dirt whether it's to repot my houseplants or help my parents in their garden.

I also happen to be a neat freak in many ways. I wash my hands a zillion times a day, I wash my sheets twice a week, I groom my dogs weekly, I sweep daily, and I leave my shoes at the door. That said, I've still had the occasional conjuctivitis.

I most certainly do NOT get poop in my eyes. Pink eye is just inflammation of the membrane that coves the whites of your eyes and your eyelids.... which can happen because you slept in your makeup, you have an allergy, you got dust in your eye, or you have a virus.... just to name a few reasons. Anyhoo ...I got sidetracked defending my hygiene.

I didn't want to run to the Pharmacy and get antibiotics every time my eyes got irritated, but I didn't want to wait to see if it was indeed a bacterial infection with all the crusty glory and photosensitivity to treat it. I wanted to address the issue as soon as I noticed my eye was a little irritated.

And guess what? One of my crunchy cure-alls came to the rescue. Whether my eye gets a little pink or I wake up with full blown yuck, I just create a cool compress with a dab of my trusty coconut oil (after removing and cleaning my contacts). I apply this 3x a day, wear my glasses, and skip the eye makeup. Not only is it soothing, my eyes clear up within a day or two. No more crusty eyelashes and no more expensive/poisonous eye drops. YAY!

According to nutritionist and trans fat researcher Mary G. Enig, PhD:

The lauric acid in coconut oil is used by the body to make the same disease-fighting fatty acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid they get from their mother's milk. The monoglyceride monolaurin is the substance that keeps infants from getting viral or bacterial or protozoal infections. Until just recently, this important benefit has been largely overlooked by the medical and nutrition community. 

Essential Oils

Before nursing school, I was a spa coordinator. I LOVED it. I had a nutty boss, but I never got stressed out. How is that possible? The essential oils, I tell you.

I miss the atmosphere of that place, so I often try to recreate it in my little loft apartment. The concrete floors and exposed brick are a far cry from the soft and inviting decor of the spa world, but I have my serenity Pandora station, candles, and essential oils to make up for it.

Recently I've been really interested in the use of essential oils in a more clinical setting. I did a science project in 4th grade where I tested the antibacterial properties of tea tree oil, so it really just made sense for me to kind of dig a little deeper into this idea that essential oils aren't just for massages and aromatherapy.

I am especially interested because I've taken care of countless patients with all kinds of so called superbugs (thank you antibiotic mania) and aside from gowning up head to toe every time you enter the hospital room like you're on your way to some chemical spill, I just don't see that we as a health care community are doing enough to address the issue. Yes, stopping the spread of the superbugs is paramount. But maybe we ought to be looking into destroying the little critters with something other than heavy duty poisons.

Not only can essential oils aid in healing, but they can benefit the staff. Talk to anyone who works in a hospital. The stress factor is off the charts.

I'm all for it! Going to hit up some peer reviewed data and learn more about this trend. Evidenced-based practice is the cornerstone of nursing, and I am off to find out what studies are out there about essential oils in the hospital setting.

Check out this list of hospitals that currently use essential oils:

Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Aurora Healthcare System, Foxpoint, WI
Banner Health, Mesa, AZ
Benedictine Hospital, NY
Beth Israel Complementary Care Center, NY, NY
Children’s Healthcare, Roseville, MN
The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY, NY
Elk Regional Health Hospital, PA
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, AK
Florida Hospital Medical Center, Orlando, FL
Goshen General Hospital, Goshen, IN
Heather Hill Hospital, Chardon, OH
Ingham Regional Medical Center, Landing, MI
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Oakland, CA
Manilaq Hospital, Kotzebue, AK
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY, NY
Mercy Holistic Health, Cincinnati, OH
Pinnacle Health, Harrisburg, PA
St. Barnabas Healthcare System, Toms River, NJ
St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, CT
St. John’s Riverside Medical Center, Yonkers, NY
St. Luke’s Medical Center, New Bedford, MA
Sentara Healthcare, Wilmington, DE
The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ
University of Michigan Hospital, MI
Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
Sharp Chula Vista, San Diego, CA
Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT

One Year Post-Injury

It's been a year since I injured my shoulder.

I dislocated my clavicle and fracture my scapula- a football injury. How did I manage this? I fell.

Well, technically I fainted. Dead weight meets concrete floor from a height of 5'8. Most people might end up with a bruise, but I managed to break a bone.

The soft tissue damage was by far the most painful part. I was petrified I'd have to have surgery and get behind a semester in school, but luckily with intensive PT I am good as new! I don't get sore or have trouble with it and I credit my physical therapists 100%.

I never want to be the person that allows an old injury to prevent exercise, so facing my shoulder disaster anniversary, I decided beast mode is officially ON.

Lift heavy, ladies.

Catching Fire- the Natural Deodorant Saga Continues...

Advice (I wish someone had shared with me) for anyone looking to make the switch to natural deodorant:

Do it in the winter- unless you are extremely lucky, this will be a trial and error undertaking.
Don't cake on gobs of the stuff- (esp if you use one with baking soda) I don't know if it was out of skepticism or habit, but I realized I was really loading up.
Buy before you DIY- self explanatory. I recommend etsy over commercially produced stuff like Tom's. You get to sample something made by someone with experience... before you make a huge mess in your kitchen.
For Pete's sake don't forget to wait at least an hour after shaving to apply- I'm so guilty of this, but it's terrible for your skin no matter how natural the product.


Here's my story:


My armpits are on fire!

I couldn't imagine this transition in the sweltering summer.

So I found a natural deodorant that I absolutely adore. You can find it & a bunch of other fantastic products at Hippie Chick Herbal Harmony on Etsy. This stuff smells amazing and I really am very happy with it.

Then, about two weeks in (which, for the record is the longest I've ever stuck with any natural deodorant) I started to notice that my armpits felt a little sore. I didn't see any redness, so I figured I was just going through an adjustment. Then I did a bonehead thing and applied the deodorant without waiting {at least an hour} after I shaved. Redness, bumps, pain.. eek.

I've never had heat rash, razor burn, or any other irritation on my pits. Lucky? No. I get it elsewhere. Ugh. So since this is new territory, I decided to stop shaving and stop the deodorant and do some research.

Turns out that I have a pH problem. Baking soda is incredibly alkaline, and that means irritation. So how do I get my pH back to normal? Distilled water and good ol' Apple Cider Vinegar (1 Tbsp to 1 Cup) twice a day.

And LET ME TELL YOU there ain't nothing in my life that has made me feel so crunchy. Smelling my vinegar-y musky pits these past few days has made me oh-so-grateful that I am on spring break. My, how different spring break for me for degree #2. Ten years ago I was partying in Hawaii.

Back to arm pits! I chose to take the full week off from any deodorant and just do the ACV routine. I'm also not shaving. So I smell ultra funky and I'm rockin the Chewbacca look.... needless to say I have no dates lined up this week.

At night I'm putting a bit of coconut oil on the irritated skin and it seems to be clearing up really well. Two more days and I'll get back to my beloved Perfect Pits in Lavender.