Archive for March, 2011

Stop Stressing!

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

It seems like there’s never enough time in the day to get things done. Lately I’ve found my friends and family stressing more than usual. It’s never healthy to frequently find yourself anxious, overwhelmed, and frustrated! Stress releases adrenaline and cortisol which can cause high blood pressure, speed up the aging process, and contribute to anxiety, depression, and even weight gain. While avoiding stress isnt always feasible, there are ways to counteract its negative effects.

Here are a few ways to effectively relieve stress:

*Breathe- The most important thing to do is take deep, slow, cleansing breaths. Conscious breathing will help relieve anxiety and release muscle tension.

*Stretch- Make sure to maintain good posture to prevent back and neck strain. Loosen up the muscles in your neck by letting your head fall forward, relaxing your shoulders, and slowly swinging your head side to side.

*Take a Bath- Light your favorite Scandle Candle and soak in warm water with a few scoops of Scandle’s Dead Sea Salt Soak & Scrub. I suggest a lavender candle like The Scandle Calming Blend known for its calming and relaxing properties.

*Indulge in a Massage- Let the wax from your Scandle Candle melt and use it as a lotion to massage and moisturize your skin. This will increase blood flow and oxygen to your tissues. A massage also releases endorphins for natural pain relief.

*Mindful meditation- Scan the various parts of your body progressively relaxing each muscle. It’s important not to let your mind wander and drift off. Concentration and focus is key.

What do you like to do to keep daily stresses from getting the best of you?

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Posted in Scandle Candle, Stress-Reducing Treatments | No Comments »

5 Inexpensive Ways to Conserve Resources in Your Home

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

With Earth Month only 2 days away, let’s get a head start on saving energy, conserving water, and cutting back on paper!

These changes aren’t drastic or difficult. By simply being mindful of our actions, we can save the planet and even save money!

Here are 5 easy ways:

*Unplug electronics and appliances when they are not in use- This is an easy way to both save energy and lower utility bills.

*Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs- These use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer!

*Check all faucets and pipes for leaks- Leaks can result in gallons of water lost a day.

*Use the dish washer for only full loads-Minimizing on pre-rinsing by soaking dishes will also conserve more water!

*Get your name off of mailing lists- Except for the Scandle e-newsletter of course! Unsubscribe to all magazines and catalogs you don’t read. Visit www.catalogchoice.org to do it in a matter of seconds!

What steps do you take to conserve resources in your home?

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Posted in Environment, Scandle Candle | No Comments »

Take a Hike!

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

As the weather gets warmer, let’s commit to spending more of our free time outdoors! I love hiking trails but being new to the area I hadn’t really ventured outside of taking a brisk walk around the apartment complex. It was definitely time to change up my routine. After some quick researching online, I was able to find a great trail that was just around the corner!

Here are some tips for finding a trail in your area:

* Locate a hiking website for your state- Visit the national site www.americanhikingsociety.org

* Search trails by your specific location.

* Narrow your search by rating the level of difficulty, enjoyability, solitude, distance, and elevation.

* Learn restrictions concerning hiking with pets.

*View photos and maps of the location.

The many benefits of hiking include losing excess pounds, preventing heart disease, decreasing high blood pressure, and relieving back pain. Its time to get outside and get active! Happy Hiking!

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Posted in Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Living, Scandle Candle | No Comments »

Energize Your Eyes: 6 Tips to Decrease Puffiness and Dark Circles

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Since summer is quickly approching, I was extremely excited when I scored a free training session at my gym. My trainer was very talkative and upbeat so in between sets we chatted it up about my exercise routine, diet, and even skin care!

Lately I’ve been experiencing fatigue and horrible dark circles underneath my eyes. She explained this can be the result of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep. By making minor changes in my diet and skin care routine, I have already seen a vast improvement. So before splurging on expensive eye creams and serums, explore the many natural and inexpensive ways to reduce under eye circles!

6 easy ways to diminish bags and dark circles:

  • Take a daily multivitamin- My trainer suggested Nature’s Way Alive Womens Mulitvitamin. It has plenty of Vitamin C (helps strengthen blood vessels), Vitamin K (increases blood circulation), and Vitamin E (reduces puffiness and delays wrinkles).
  • Water- No surprise here! Squeezing in 8 glasses a day is a lot easier if you commit to chugging a glass as soon as you wake up and one right before you go to bed.
  • Sunscreen- Apply an SPF of at least 30 to prevent sun damage which can cause weakening and thinning of skin.
  • Restrict salt intake- Cut back on those fried salty foods. Excess salt can cause our bodies to retain water and increase puffiness.
  • Tea Bags- Soaking a Chamomile tea bag in hot water then dipping in cold water before applying to closed eyes is a quick remedy to reduce puffiness.
  • Rest- Last but not least get plenty of beauty sleep! Give your skin plenty of time to recover to diminish circles and achieve a natural glow.

Have any extra tips for reducing under eye circles? Be sure to let us know!

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Posted in Beauty Care & Treatments, Beauty Treatments, Chamomile, Minizmizing Dark Circles, Scandle Candle, Tea Treatments, Vitamin C, Vitamin e, Vitamins | No Comments »

Oatmeal…Not Just for Breakfast and Cookies

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Last night I looked like I had been in a fight with a bowl of oatmeal and the oatmeal won!

I have been suffering from dry skin patches on my face for the last few months. I typically have oily skin but all the extreme weather fluctuations here in Texas over the last few months has left it, unusually, parched. So as a last ditch effort to solve the problem before seeking the advice of a dermatologist, I tried and Oatmeal Mask. Although it looked hideous, I have to tell you that I’m glad I tried it because my skin is so much better today!

Oatmeal in skin care is used primarily for its skin calming, anti-inflammatory properties. Silicon and other minerals in oatmeal soothe the skin and can help relieve itching or inflammation. It contains both avenanthramides and beta-glucan. In addition to reducing irritation or inflammation, they can also help the skin to heal after sun exposure or other stresses.

How to use oatmeal in your skincare regimen:

  • Mix with water and use as a face and body scrub. Oatmeal is gentle enough for most sensitive skins.
  • Mix with yogurt, olive oil or aloe vera juice and use as a soothing mask.
  • Mix a paste with milk and lemon juice as a mask to reduce the appearance of large pores.
  • Apply oatmeal in whole milk to face to exfoliate skin and tighten pores.
  • Add to bath water to soothe skin.

What crazy food products have you used to achieve natural beauty? Brownie points if you post a picture of yourself wearing it!

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Posted in Beauty Care & Treatments, Beauty Treatments, Body Scrubs, Budget Friendly Beauty Treatments, Facials, Home Treatments, Inflammation, Minimizing the appearance of pores, Scandle Candle, Sensitive skin, Skin & Body Care/Treatments, Skin Care | No Comments »

Help Japan Blossom

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

You all may recall a post we did early on this month called “Cherry Blossoms - More Than Just A Pretty Flower.” The post discusses the health benefits of The Cherry Blossom Tea “Sakura Karigane.”

Second Harvest Japan is now reaching out to ask you to help Japan.
ALL Profits will go to support the people affected. In addition the Tokugawa Family is contributing $10,000.00 in matching funds to aid in this crisis.

Sakura Karigane may be purchased by clicking on the link below. You decide how much to pay!

100% of ALL PROFITS will go to the local Japanese Organization Second Harvest Japan who is on the ground and has been feeding those in need for more than 10 years. They understand the customs, the system and HOW to HELP. They will continue to provide resources long after the immediate crisis has past.

Arigato go zai Mashita!

Click Here to Help Japan Blossom!

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Posted in Cherry Blossom, News, Scandle Candle, Tea Treatments | No Comments »

Spring Skin Care Tips

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Well, it’s official…it’s been a week of temperatures above 70 degrees here in Texas and I’ve actually been running my air conditioner. Yup, Spring is here! Yay! Along with the warmer temps comes a need for some tweaks in your skin care regimen to ensure your skin looks its best.

Here are 4 easy tips:

1.) Keep the skin hydrated from the inside by drinking plenty of water, or other fluids. I recommend using a humidifier at night too!

2.) Watch what you eat. You’ve heard it before, but you are what you eat! Make sure to eat plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish. Stay away from wine, coffee, tea and fried foods that tend to dehydrate the skin.

3.) Choose cleansers that are gentle on the skin and contain no alcohol.

4.) Although you should do this year round, make sure you are using a facial moisturizer during the day that contains at least an SPF 30.

What do you do to keep your skin looking spring fresh and radiant?

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Posted in Scandle Candle, Spring Skin Care | No Comments »

Happy Post - St.Patrick’s Day! 5 Natural Hangover Remedies

Friday, March 18th, 2011

So hopefully, you aren’t feelin’ the after-effects of a night of St. Patty’s Day debauchery. While we certainly don’t promote alcohol abuse here at Scandle, we do realize that sometimes one can indulge in one too many green beers. As someone once said, “S**t happens!”;)

While I’m sure we all have our own tried-and-true hangover cures — ranging from greasy pizza with an Alka-Seltzer chaser to “the hair of the dog” in Bloody Mary form to sleep (and lots of it) — there are also numerous natural remedies. We’ve listed five of the best that will help get hangover sufferers back in tip-top shape (and since it’s Friday) to do it all over again tonight!:p

1. Bananas: Excessive alcohol intake can eliminate your body’s supply of potassium. Bananas fill you back up with this essential mineral quickly, safely and cheaply.

2. Water: Even though you’re filling your body with liquids, boozin’ is a surefire way to become uncomfortably dehydrated. So drink lots o’ water!

3. Fruit juice: Guzzling fructose- and glucose-heavy fruit juices, particularly freshly squeezed varieties, raises blood-sugar levels and replenishes your body with the essential vitamins depleted during drinking.

4. Honey: This potassium- and antioxidant-rich pantry staple boasts numerous hangover-helping qualities. We recommend some on some toast.

5. Soup: Filled with vitamins and nutrients and that familiar “feel-good” taste that warms the senses, eating rehydrating soup is beneficial when battling hangovers.

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Posted in Honey, Natural Remedies, Natural Treatments & Products, Natural/Fruit infused treatments, Scandle Candle | No Comments »

A Natural Solution to Stop Stretch Marks

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

Stretch marks…yuck! Just the sheer mention of them makes me cringe with disgust!

Stretch marks, which can occur during weight gain and pregnancy, has lead researchers to a seemingly ordinary source - extracts from the seeds of the saw palmetto tree.

Basically, stretch marks occur because of tension that causes skin fibroblasts, or cells in connective tissue, to contract. This alters the structure of those cells, preventing them from producing collagen or elastin like they’re supposed to. So those specific sites don’t stretch with the rest of the skin. Research has show that the extracts from the seeds of palm trees helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks by reducing that initial contraction caused by skin tension and promoting collagen and elastin production.

Unfortunately, the ingredient is meant to be applied topically when stretch marks first appear. So it’s not going to prevent them all together.

So do you think we’ll start seeing this ingredient appearing in body products that we buy at the store?

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Posted in Scandle Candle, Stretch Marks, palm tree | No Comments »

Springing Forward and Feeling Fatigued

Monday, March 14th, 2011

I don’t know about y’all but this Day Light Savings time thing is kickin’ my rear! Although I’m only getting an hour less sleep, why do I feel like I’ve been up all night?

According to sleep specialists, sleep problems triggered by Daylight Saving Time can occur for a week or two and are greater for morning larks and night owls. That’s because people who have irregular sleep patterns already have rhythms that are well off the norm. The problems are like the jet lag travelers experience after they’ve returned from a long trip — a fatigue that often is worse than the symptoms experienced getting there.

As many as 3 in every 10 Americans have sleep problems. Stress — both the so-called good kind that comes from planning a celebration, for example, and the bad kind triggered by job loss — also affects sleep loss.

Here are some tips to help with the time change and sleep troubles in general:

• Don’t eat or exercise within two hours of bedtime.

• If you need a daytime nap, limit it to 30 minutes.

• Before bed, take a warm bath; listen to soothing music; light your Calming Scandle Massage Candle; do light reading, but stay away from a page-turner that could keep you up.

• Avoid alcohol. It may help you get to sleep, but it truncates it.

• Use the bedroom for sleeping and intimacy, not TV watching, video games or Internet surfing.

What are some of the things you do to help yourself get some much needed shut-eye?

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Posted in Healthy Living, Scandle Candle, Sleep | No Comments »

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