Are Herbs Weeds or Treasures?

Many herbs have been introduced into Australia and because they are not native plants, they have often few competitors for resources such as water, soil nutrients and light and have few predators. Subsequently, these plants can grow and spread unchecked, endangering native vegetation and even various animal species such as birds and insects.

Weeds certainly can be a real threat to native flora, fauna, rain forests and even aquatic ecosystems. Recalcitrant herbs are targeted by the authorities for eradication or sprayed on an ongoing basis, in an attempt to control their spread and protect sensitive ecosystems.

You don''t need to go to exotic places like the rain forests to find medicinal plants, they usually grow right at your feed; on footpaths, roadsides, garbage dumps, even in your garden.

Given that most medicinal plants are weeds and because weeds grow as prolifically as they do, they are often easy to cultivate ? you will actually have more of a problem keeping them in a designated area, rather than a problem growing them.

Wildcrafted herbs are herbs gathered from the wild. The advantage of wildcrafted herbs is that these generally are very healthy and full of the desired medicinal properties. Wildcrafted herbs are usually native to an area and thus are not weeds. They often occur in clusters and grow in ''ideal'' conditions under which they can attain their full medicinal potential.

A problem with wildcrafting medicinal plants occurs where there is little or no control over the amount that can be harvested at any one time or by any one person, at least this is the case in Australia. This can decimate a local population of wild medicinal plants. Taking of any vegetation is illegal without authorisation in Australian National Parks and protected areas for this reason.

Some medicinal plants are actually becoming rare and endangered and the harvesting of these species should at the very least be regulated. Better still, organic farming of such herbs should be encouraged and promoted. This would provide struggling farmers with alternative cash crops during times when their primary sources of income are not performing well.

Weeds or Treasures - it really does not matter what you call them, the fact remains they are often very powerful medicinal plants that have the potential to address many of today''s major health problems and they have done so for thousands of years...

About The Author

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products'' natural skin care range is suitable for men and women and contains only pure, natural ingredients, formulated according to Naturopathic and Aromatherapy principles.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it''s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

© Copyright: Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2005', 111, 'Are Herbs Weeds or Treasures?, Beauty, Beauty articles, Beauty information, about Beauty, what is Beauty, Beauty Information', 'Are Herbs Weeds or Treasures? plus articles and information on Beauty

Wonderful Foaming Honey Foot Bath at Home

I imagine you can tell me at length about how tired your feet and legs get after your busy day. When''s the last time you got to treat yourself to a day at the spa? Even if you had the time, it''s not too often you can afford the $100 cost of a simple, relaxing, foot soak.

Doesn''t that sound nice? A relaxing foot soak at a spa. So I put together this simple recipe so you can have that soothing soak with ingredients you probably already have at home, and can whip up immediately.

***

Step 1. Create this wonderful foaming honey foot bath at home.

Here''s what you need:

1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Liquid Soap (I used dish soap)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil

The almond oil was the only things that sounded like it was tough to find, but my wife and I found it at the chain drugstore at the corner of our street. Just take a look in the beauty/cosmetic aisle.

Mix all these ingredients together in a bowl and its ready for your foot bath. Note: If you want to make this stuff in a large quantity to save for later, you can bump up all the ingredients to something like this:

½ cup Honey
½ cup Liquid Soap (I used dish soap)
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Sweet Almond Oil

Now you can save this in a bottle and save some time for next time.

Step 2. Find yourself a foot bath

These days you can get a fancy, space-age, foot bath for about $20. They promise they do all sorts of things like vibration, bubbles, and heat. I haven''t tried one myself, but for $20 that probably isn''t a bad experiment.

My wife however didn''t need one as she had me volunteer to provide all the scrubbing and massaging for her.

Wait! Hon, I don''t recall you ever offering me a foot bath?

So anything around the house that can submerse your feet just above the ankle is going to work here. We ended up using a disposable aluminum roasting pan.

Yes it was brand new and didn''t have roasted meat in it!

Step 3. Fill up your foot bath

Put your mixed up concoction from Step 1 into your foot bath and fill with warm water.

Please be real careful with the water temperature. Do this by triple checking the temperature of the water with your hands when it''s done. And if you are doing this for a spouse make sure you understand their taste in temperature.

I speak from experience here. I got a little lazy, and didn''t judge the hotness of the water. Although my wife was a trooper and tried to go along anyways. I could tell from her grimace and refusal to dip more than like a toe into the water, that I made it too hot.

Step 4. Soak for 10 minutes

After I got the temperature of the water right, we soaked her feet for 10 minutes. There is all sorts of good stuff going on now during this soak.

The soap is obviously cleaning all sorts of impurities from your feet. I can''t even explain how many things the honey is doing. Here is a short list:

1) Apparently honey forms hydrogen peroxide which is a great anti bacterial agent. So there is goes cleansing your feet some more.

2) Honey contains antioxidants. Health news constantly revolves around us getting more antioxidants. So without me getting all biologist on us, I''ll just confirm that getting more antioxidants on our skin and in our diet is really super great!

3) Honey is also a terrific humectant. All that means is it makes a great moisturizer.

***

Just knowing about this foot bath, you can get started on your at-home foot spa. So take 15 minutes tonight and pamper yourself. Those feet are going to feel so soft, especially in a comfy pair of flip flops.

Another great way for women readers to treat their feet is to slide them into a pair of ultra-comfortable flip flops. Get a pair at http://www.yourflipflops.com.

Or if you''d like our FREE newletter with more articles about pampering your feet, send a blank email to mailto:flipflops@aweber.com', 111, 'Wonderful Foaming Honey Foot Bath at Home, Beauty, Beauty articles, Beauty information, about Beauty, what is Beauty, Beauty Information', 'Wonderful Foaming Honey Foot Bath at Home plus articles and information on Beauty

Does Your Watch Keep Time with Fashion or Function?

If you haven''t lived under a rock for the past few decades, then you surely know that Rolex stands for luxurious precision timekeeping, and you know that Timex is the premier name in inexpensive, reliable timekeeping. The vast area between the two, however, offers the widest selection of watches-in terms of function, fashion and price.

We''re all creatures of habit, and if one watch has served us well for years, it''s natural that we gravitate toward the same brand and design each time we purchase a new watch. If you''d like to adorn your wrist with a different type of watch, perhaps a Swiss-quartz or high-fashion watch, we offer you a cheat sheet below, to help you get up to speed quickly with the many offerings available today.

If you''ve always thought of a watch as a functional necessity, you might add a few fashionable watches to your collection of watches and bracelets. If you''ve always worn high-fashion watches, consider adding an elegant watch to your collection, perhaps one with a golden mesh band. Whatever your requirements for timekeeping and your sense of fashion, you''ll find a watch to suit your needs.

Impress Your Colleagues Watches

In the exclusive $5000-$2,000,000 range, you''ll find a variety of luxury watches with names that escape the average man or woman on the street, and you won''t find any of these online. Does Vacheron Constantin or Blancpain ring a bell?

Perception is everything, and a genuine Rolex brands you a person of discerning taste. If you live in New York City, you might be surprised to learn that you can buy a Rolex from a bona fide jeweler, most likely in the 10021 zip code. Forget all the hype about Rolex watches: people buy them for one reason. They are the most recognized status symbols in watches-everyone has heard of a Rolex, and a diamond and gold Rolex remains out of most everyone''s price range.

Rolex watches are the most popular, and ownership is not a requirement for popularity. It might surprise you to learn that Rolex watches are not THE most accurate. It is unlikely that they take a year to make, and their resale value is of little importance to their buyers. Ah, Madison Avenue strikes again. Still, a Rolex watch is a fine watch and an investment in time. Give me status; give me a Rolex.

Other fine high-end watches include Cartier and Omega.

Affordable Treats

If you''re a mere mortal with a penchant for arriving at your destination in style at the prescribed time (perhaps your job depends upon it), your idea of a good watch probably resides in the $100-500 range, and maybe even toward the lower end of that scale. You know the names Seiko, Swiss Army, Pulsar, and Citizen-just to name a few. The brands available in this price range offer a wide selection of choices ranging from simple and elegant leather bands, to mesh and link bands. You''ll find analog and digital displays, timers, calendar displays, water-resistance, etc. in this price range. In fact, this price range offers the widest variety in terms of elegance, precision time keeping, and fashion choices. You can select from a number of watches using Swiss-quartz movements in this price range.

For the Fun of it

You''ll find everything from designer-of-the-moment watches to household names such as Swatch and Fossil in the below-$100 range. The Fossil collections feature casual and dress watches in a dizzying array of choices, and provide dependable service as well. Fossil offers a lot of bang for the buck-fashion, dependability, variety.

Starting at $40, Swatch offers the most in up-to-the-minute throwaway watch fashion. The company began late in the 20th century as a consortium of Swiss watchmakers and worldwide graphical designers with one goal: to resurrect the analog watch. Swatch has come a long way since those days, and one of their newer creations, the Skin Diamond watch, can set you back a cool $2000. Of course, you won''t run into yourself coming and going if you sport this new status symbol. The rest of us can settle with wearing our moods on our wrists.

And, last but certainly not least-depending on your current age-this category satisfies the Abercrombie-and-Fitch, Top 40 crowd with an assortment of watches from the king of the teen designers, Tommy Hilfiger himself.

Whatever your pleasure in marking time, find it, get it, own it, wear it. Mere mortals like us can browse and purchase the watches of our choice right here-onlin

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for brand name watches and watches in general. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.', 148, 'Does Your Watch Keep Time with Fashion or Function?, Fashion-Style, Fashion-Style articles, Fashion-Style information, about Fashion-Style, what is Fashion-Style, Fashion & Style Information', 'Does Your Watch Keep Time with Fashion or Function? plus articles and information on Fashion-Style

Are Hair Loss Treatments Just One Big Scam?

The hair loss industry is not one that inspires great confidence in most people. I have to admit this is perfectly understandable given the damage caused by the many rogues and charlatans who have abused the trust of far too many vulnerable people - people who have received worthless and even dangerous products or advice in exchange for their hard earned cash. The end result is the prevalance of a stigma that the industry is hard pressed to shake off.

But is this perception really justified nowadays? Are there no genuine treatments that sufferers can turn to in a bid to treat the ravages of premature hair loss? The simple answer is YES, there are several safe, affordable, accessible and effective hair loss treatments currently available. Some have even been approved by FDA for the treatment of hair loss conditions while others draw on natural remedies as the basis for commercially available products. Whether or not any of them are suitable for a given individual depends on a number of important factors.

First and foremost, every individual must determine the exact cause or causes of his or her hair loss. This may appear to be an over-simplistic statement but the truth is, most people undergoing a course of treatment for hair loss have proceeded on the basis of self-diagnosis. Given the fact that premature or excessive hair loss is often associated with underlying medical conditions, this is perhaps not the most sensible course of action.

My advice in all cases is to seek the guidance of a qualified medical practitioner because the consequences of not doing so may be serious in a small number of cases. Even where all the evidence points to the onset of hereditary male pattern baldness it would probably be best to seek advice, if only to rule out other factors.

Once the cause of hair loss has been properly diagnosed you will be in a position to choose a suitable form of treatment. This may range from the prescription of drugs aimed at balancing disrupted hormone levels to the topical application of minoxidil to reduce the symptoms of male pattern baldness.

Hair loss may be caused by many factors including changing hormone levels, illness, stress, overuse of strong chemicals, excessive traction, poor grooming practices, side effects of medical treatment, poor nutrition, weak immune system and the effects of aging. The good news is, all of these can be tackled with reasonable hope of success but only if you choose the right treatment.

The next article in this series will look closely at the various causes of excessive hair loss and outline suggested treatments that are both affordable and accessible. If you take only two things from this article, please take these suggestions on board:

1. Always seek the advice of your physician before undergoing a hair loss treatment regime.

2. Don''t despair, there''s often a simple explanation for excessive hair loss and even hereditary loss or male pattern-type baldness can be treated successfully for most people nowadays.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the www.myhairlossadvisor.com website that provides information and guidance to those suffering from premature hair loss.', 156, 'Are Hair Loss Treatments Just One Big Scam?, Hair-Loss, Hair-Loss articles, Hair-Loss information, about Hair-Loss, what is Hair-Loss, Hair Loss Information', 'Are Hair Loss Treatments Just One Big Scam? plus articles and information on Hair-Loss

Should You Make Your Own Beauty Products?

With the huge range of beauty products on the shelves, why do some people still make their own beauty products?

I started making my own skin care products years ago. I got a book about natural skin care. You can actually make masks out of mashed fruit. They are really messy though, but back then, I was really broke. Could not afford to spend on good skin care so I made do with what I could get.

I mashed watermelon and put in on my face. My face felt really clean, but there was a bit of a rash after that. I also read that papaya was used in spas for back exfoliating masks. In fact, the enzymes in papayas and pineapples are often used to exfoliate the skin. These can be rather harsh though, so I never tried that on my face.

One thing led to another. I moved on to make my own creams. I went through a period of time where every body lotion I tried from the stores, from the cheap ones to the $20 ones, made my skin itch. That prompted me to make my own body cream.

The cream recipes I found were mainly for cold cream. These were really heavy, oil based stuff. I wanted something lighter. A water based lotion.

A cream is basically droplets of water suspended in oil, kept in that state by an emulsifier. For my creams, I used beeswax as an emulsifier.

I experimented in the kitchen. After plenty of failed experiments. I finally came up with lotion in a texture I simply loved.

A lotion is made of droplets of oil suspended in water, kept together by an emulsifier. I used lecithin for my lotion. Here are some of the lotions I made.

By varying the water based part, using rosewater or tea instead of plain water, you can make all sorts of lotions. Likewise, you can play around with the oil part of the formula, with various infused oils, or a few drops of different essential oils, to change the lotion or cream. You can make tailor your beauty products to your personal tastes, and needs.

I had lots of fun with that. My skin loved these home made creams when they were fresh.

I even made a batch tailored specially for a cousin, using ingredients that she loves.

Yet, I have since stopped making them.

Why?

Laziness is the main reason. Lack of time is another reason.

So much care must go into making the lotions which don''t keep. For me, even if I keep the lotions refrigerated, 2 days after making the lotion, if I use it on my face, my skin breaks out. 3 days later, if I use it on my body, my skin itches.

Preservatives are put in commercial skin care products to prevent these from spoiling. Without preservatives, bacteria, mould and all these nasty things multiply rapidly, spoiling the entire batch, causing nasty reactions on the skin. These home made beauty products don''t have preservatives. That meant that I had to make new batches of skincare almost everyday.

Also, care must be taken to ensure all the equipment is sterile so the final product is safe to use. Carelessness could introduce lots of nasty germs into the beauty products you make. The water and oil component must be heated to the same temperature and drops of one are added to the other while mixing thoroughly or the batch might separate.

It is so much more convenient to buy beauty products from brands that agree with my skin condition, than to make them from scratch. That is what I have been doing lately. Plus the reknown skincare lines are way better than what I can make. I mean, with their R & D budgets, they can afford to do plenty of research on creating the most effective beauty products for virtually any beauty need.

At the end of the day, whether you make your beauty products or buy them off the shelf, it is a matter of your personal preference.

The writer is the writer of the articles in Beauty from A Woman''s Heart.', 111, 'Should You Make Your Own Beauty Products?, Beauty, Beauty articles, Beauty information, about Beauty, what is Beauty, Beauty Information', 'Should You Make Your Own Beauty Products? plus articles and information on Beauty

Natural Skin Care Products - Why Natural Ingredients Work Best on Skin

Natural skin care products seem to be on the rise recently. Go to your local drugstore and you''ll see evidence of this.

"Natural Skin Care" seems to be quite a buzzword lately, and with good reason - many natural skin care ingredients actually outperform their man-made counterparts. As with any other natural beauty product, unfortunately the adage "you get what you pay for" applies almost two-fold here.

If you''re spending very little, odds are you are getting a watered down or poorly manufactured version of the primary natural ingredient you are looking to receive skin repair benefits from. Natural skin products must contain a high enough concentration and quality of the essential nutrients, vitamins or compounds they advertise in order to have any effect at all in most cases.

So, to give you an idea of what to look for, here is a summary of a few of the most potent natural skin care products. Some can actually be taken as an oral skin health supplement, while all of them come in topical application form. They are all absolutely the most powerful skin mending agents available today. You won''t believe the difference these can make in your skin tone, clarity, firmness, and reduction of lines and wrinkles. It is nothing short of amazing that these powerful compounds are found in nature and have such profound healing properties.

1.)DMAE or Dimethylaminoethanol

This natural compound, found naturally in the skin of fish (especially wild salmon)is known for providing excellent collagen support to the outermost layers of skin (the most important since this is what shows on the surface!). The results are tighter, firmer skin and a great reduction in fine lines and wrinkles. It also is known for helping to reduce age spots (liver spots), and is a well known memory and concentration enhancer.

2.)Alpha Lipoic Acid

This natural acid is a very potent antioxidant that eliminates free radicals, one of the primary factors in the aging of skin and breakdown of skin elasticity. When applied externally and taken internally as a skin supplement, it can dramatically improve skin''s appearance within a matter of just a few weeks.

3.)Vitamin C

Well, Vitamin C truly is the miracle cure vitamin! Topical Vitamin C protects the skin from sun damage, and even helps reverse the effects of photodamage (sun damage) on the skin. It protects from sun damage(in conjunction with a sunscreen of course), by neutralizing free radicals. Vitamin C is actually the only antioxidant that is proven to increase the production and synthesis of collagen. Vitamin C is an absolute must-have in your skin care regimen regardless of your skin type.

4.)Retinol

Retinol is a natural form of vitamin A. It helps the skin regenerate and rejuvenate in a healthy manner and is especially effective on sensitive skin since it does not cause redness or peeling.

Using a combination of these four very effective natural skin care products, you can''t help but see a noticeable difference in your skin. Don''t be surprised if you suddenly start receiving complements like "have you been on vacation?", or "wow - what are you using on your skin?". This stuff is that good. Give it a few weeks, you''ll see a huge improvement.

Who says we have to accept dull, wrinkled, broken out or uneven skin? You will never go back to a normal skin care routine once you''ve found the right natural skin care products!

Danna Schneider is the founder of http://www.herbal-therapeutics.com/herbal-skin-care-products.html, dedicated to the latest and most effective herbal and natural remedies including the latest in natural skin care technology.', 111, 'Natural Skin Care Products - Why Natural Ingredients Work Best on Skin, Beauty, Beauty articles, Beauty information, about Beauty, what is Beauty, Beauty Information', 'Natural Skin Care Products - Why Natural Ingredients Work Best on Skin plus articles and information on Beauty

Benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid Creams

Alpha Lipoic Acid (or ALA) has received a great deal of attention recently as more and more individuals are learning about its numerous benefits. Although Alpha Lipoic Acid comes in various forms, creams are often the most easy and effective way of applying ALA.

A high quality Alpha Lipoic Acid cream can act as an effective antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory daily skin cream, as ALA has been shown to be one of nature''s most advanced and powerfully effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances. It has also been shown to be especially useful in reducing fine lines and wrinkles, treating enlarged pores, bringing a healthy glow to dull, pallid skin, and reducing the appearance of under-eye bags/puffiness and blemish scars. Furthermore, when ALA is combined with substances like 100% pure, fresh Aloe Vera, Green Tea Extract, and Vitamins A& E, the benefits of an Alpha Lipoic Acid cream can be limitless.

Why does Alpha Lipoic Acid work so well? Well, ALA is considered to be a super antioxidant that is both water- and fat-soluble. As a result, ALA can penetrate any part of a cell that needs protection, and it plays an integral role in quelling inflammation, which is the condition that precedes lines and wrinkles. Quite simply, it truly acts as a wonderfully beneficial anti aging skin care product!

However, do not confuse Alpha Lipoic Acid with Alpha Hydroxy Acid. Alpha Hydroxy Acid (or AHA) is an entirely different substance with altogether different benefits. Furthermore, do not be afraid of the term "Acid" in Alpha Lipoic Acid creams. When using a high quality, reputable Alpha Lipoic Acid cream, your skin should not experience any kind of a burning sensation, unlike what the term suggests!

For more information on Alpha Lipoic Acid Cream, you can visit http://www.sensationalskin.net/.

Paige Hallett is a skin care product consultant at Sensational Skin, and holds a Masters Degree in Business from Pepperdine University. For more information on Alpha Lipoic Acid cream, please visit http://www.sensationalskin.net/', 111, 'Benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid Creams, Beauty, Beauty articles, Beauty information, about Beauty, what is Beauty, Beauty Information', 'Benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid Creams plus articles and information on Beauty');