I had to have a group photo taken today. I was not very happy about it. I declined the personal one. Its for a board that shows all the volunteers and other places they volunteer as well. So I went ahead and took the group shot even though I will never be able to look at it.

Among other things, I’m unhappy with my skin.

And I didn’t have enough money to get a facial or even buy a product at the local drug store. While a product called “Yes to Carrots” looks interesting and is something I’d like to try, $14.99 is just too rich for my blood this week.  I’ve managed to be broke with a week to go before my next check, again. I have some emergency money. And I don’t “NEED” anything, including a facial. So being broke is not such a big deal. Until its time to take a picture. I’m also very unhappy with the fading of my hair color. But again, not much to be done. I can, however, get the individual photo taken later. Thank you, Curtis.

So what’s to do? Well, there are home facials, that you can make yourself with food stuffs. Too bad for me I didn’t think of that in time for the photos. So I’ve looked up online many recipes. I’ll compile them here. I’ll give as much credit as I can to where they came from, but I think most are just the same basic recipes that have been around for a long time. Maybe they have tweeked the proportions. They are all probably worth a try, you never know what will work for you.

For the face:
 
Honey:  Place a warm washrag on your face for ten minutes to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores. Use once a week.

Avocado:  Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck . Leave on for 20 minutes and gently rinse off.

Lemon Juice : I remember reading in a book, about seven years ago, that lemon juice was a good astringent and also a good bleaching agent for the skin. I was very interested because I hate my freckles. It also said the same about pineapple juice and if I’m remembering right, all citrus fruits were supposed to do the same. But I wont swear to that, just the lemon and pineapple juices I remember were listed for sure.  I never got around to trying it too much, life caught up and I just didn’t have the time or energy before I moved and forgot all about it. Until now. I think that recipe was lemon juice and yogurt. But I googled and found this : “ Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Leave on your face overnight or, for a quick pick-me-up, just 15 minutes. Splash warm water on your face to rinse.”  from healthrecipes.com

Also from healthrecipes.com:  Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Mud dries excess sebum while the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel tones.

Oatmeal is a good exfoliation agent. Just be sure to grind it up to fine flour consistency. Usually I’ve seen it mixed with olive oil or yogurt or honey even. You could pick the one you like best and go for it.

Raw potato for the under eye circles is something I’ve seen listed a few times. And of course the cold tea bags. Those have never really worked for me. Might be time to try the good old potato.

Still at the healthrecipes.com site I found this oily skin mask recipe, and it sounded interesting :  Mix 1 tsp. brewer’s yeast with enough natural yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 - 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water, then cool water and blot dry.  I’ve never seen yeast listed in a facial recipe before.

For Hair :

The ones I can name off the top of my head (  :D ):

Olive oil for conditioning, and also mayo.
Vinegar for shine and build up.
Egg for washing and conditioning.
Baking soda for washing.

I really like the healthrecipes.com and this is one I hadn’t seen before that I plan on trying:

Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10 -15 minutes, rinse out.  I like avocado but usually cant use it all up before it goes bad. I figure between the hair and face recipes ill have enough left to make a mashed avo sandwich as well. Or so I hope.  Not bad for the $2 it costs for an avocado these days.

My favorite body scrub that I haven’t done in many years was/is sugar mixed with oil, olive if you are feeling rich (most of us are NOT ) or mineral if you aren’t (this would be our category). I used baby oil. Something thicker would be nice, but I cant afford much more. That made a very nice scrub though. Most recipes say salt. I haven’t tried salt. I also haven’t tried it mixed in with body wash instead of oil, that was just suggested to me by Arin, of Free Credit Fixes. That probably smells really really good. So thats what I’ll be trying next.  I’m assuming it will also work for dry skin on the feet as well, making for a very nice home pedicure. 

I don’t think we should all run out and buy some exotic ingredients we don’t normally buy, but with so many things to choose from, I’m sure we can all find at least one combo that will work for us, that we have on hand and is cheap and that will make us and our skin feel pampered. A lit scented candle, a bubble bath, some soft music and a facial is maybe just the thing when you have to have a group photo taken and you at least want to feel your best, if not look it.

There’s snow on the mountain tops where I live already. Its getting too cold to wear sandals and I need a sweater. The dark will soon do me in. Its winter and these are all normal things, and for me and many people like me, so is the depression that will set in soon. The winter blues.

Everyone gets down sometimes. And these tips can be useful to everyone. Whether they are just down or flat out depressed. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder; the winter blues) is characterized by excessive sleeping or eating with weight gain for the last two seasons. It effects up to 5% of the population. Somewhere between 60% and 90% of those with SAD are women. The cause of SAD is still unknown, but seems to be the lack of light. In many northern countries where they do not get sunlight for months on end the suicide rate is the highest in the world. While winter depression is the most common form of SAD there seems to be a summer depression as well, occurring during the summer months and trigger by the intense light and/or heat.  We’ll get to summer SAD next may. ****If your symptoms are excessive or severe please see a doctor right away. These are just suggestions and tips but DO NOT replace good medical care and treatment by a professional.****

So what can we do about this? Depending on the severity of your depression there are many things that can be done, and most at low or no cost.
The first is getting more light. Get as much natural light as you can during the day, every day. Take every opportunity that comes your way to be in the daylight. Have your eyes open and face the light, even through a window. Don’t stare at the sun, that’s not helpful. But do face the light as often as you can. I cannot stress that enough. If its possible go out into the sunlight, get some fresh air and go for a walk. But at least get some sunlight, even from inside, every single day.
Some people still do not get enough and require light therapy. If extra sunlight is not enough for you DONOT hesitate to see a doctor about light therapy or even medication. Winter depression can be very mild or very, very severe. It should always be taken seriously.

Next is sleep. Its very important to keep to a good sleep pattern for so many reasons, but if you are suffering any kind of depression this becomes even more important. For myself it may well be a matter of life and death, I am so sensitive to both daylight and sleep. I have to regulate my exposure to both. Both too little and too much are bad for me. This may also be the case for you.

Vitamin D. Strong sunlight on your skin triggers the production of vitamin D. Depending on where you live, you aren’t going to get enough, even if you do spend enough time in the sun. The rays are just not strong enough at this time of year to trigger your body to produce it. Getting extra D isn’t such a bad idea. An extra glass of milk or two probably won’t hurt. Alternative milks are also fortified with D, not just cows milk. I like almond milk myself. I don’t know how much extra would be optimal for you. That’s something for you to discuss with your doctor. From WebMD:

Vitamin D supplementation, shown in recent studies to help lower risk of certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and other conditions, may also relieve depression, according to new research.

Canadian researchers say the benefit of supplementation may come in creating stores of this vital vitamin in the bloodstream to carry people through the dreary months of winter, when a lack of sunlight may lead to or worsen mood disorders—most notably seasonal affective disorder, the aptly acronymed SAD that affects some 11 million Americans.

Exercise is always mentioned in relation to helping treat just about everything. And depression is no different. Exercise outside in the sunlight if at all possible, and if not, then do so in front of a window. Face the light if you can. I realize that some people are too shy to exercise in front of an open window. I am one of them. I’m trying to get over that. But for me, this is just not realistic at the moment. If its not for you, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just accept that this is where you are right now, the exercise is still good and worth it, and try to get your extra sunlight at other times. Walking is an excellent form of exercise and is easy enough for almost everyone. Even if you just go out to the side walk, turn left (or right) and walk five minutes, then turn around and walk five minutes back. That’s a start. And its something you can do today. 

Fresh air. My apartments always get so stuffy and stale smelling. Not so bad since I quit smoking, but still stale. Some fresh air is always nice. When its too cold to open a window a short walk outside will sometimes do me. And of course I live across from two bakeries and a bagel shop. Not so helpful, those. But the fresh air is always nice.

For me, music is a great stimulant. Its third on my list of things I need to be healthy everyday. Sleep, light, and sound. I don’t like the tv, so music feels that stimulation gap nicely for me. I don’t know that this will work for you. For you the tv may be what you need to help you out. However, I find that external stimulation is a big thing for me. Light and sound.

I read a tip somewhere in the depression articles that it may be helpful to put your bedroom lights, if you can, on a timer set to go on half an hour before the alarm in order to help stimulate your body to wake up. I’m seriously considering trying this. And also, switching to the brighter “full spectrum” bulbs. I have some of those. I don’t know if they help or not, but the light is different and a bit better than regular bulbs. Its worth a try, and they aren’t too much more than the regular bulbs.

Proper nutrition is also a must-have for everyone. But when you are sick, its even more important. And one of the most important things you can do to prevent other illnesses. If cooking isn’t your thing, try a crock pot. They are pretty much a dump-cook-eat process. If its time, try cooking ahead when you have the time and freezing for when you don’t have the time. You might even want to trade with a single friend, or couple even, so you aren’t eating the same things so often. Cooking in bulk, like buying in bulk, is more effective. But who wants to eat chili for dinner four days a week for three weeks? Trade off with friends. You cook a big batch of something and they do too, then share it out.

How do you know if any of these things help? Try keeping a feelings diary. Each day record what you did, how long you did it, and how you felt before during and after. After a few weeks you should have an idea what works for you. And what doesn’t as well.

Remember, every little bit you can do helps you. Do what you can, and don’t beat yourself up for what you can’t do right now. You’ll get there. Life is not an all or nothing, win or lose game. Don’t try and play it like it is. Hopefully at least one of these will be helpful to you. And if it turns out none are, well, knowing that is also helpful. You can never have too much information about yourself.

Some useful links:

What is light therapy?

Vitamin D benifits

More on depression