Gardeners have long been aware that certain vegetables and herbs have protective qualities in the garden.  They seem to fend off harmful pests just by their proximity.  This interesting effect is particularly noticeable with food crops.  Vegetables can be protected from the most damaging pest threats by planting them close to specific types of vegetables or herbs.  This strategy, sometimes known as companion planting, is a very sensible way to enhance the health of individual plants and the garden as a whole.  Here are some tips for using companion planting to control pest insects. Before the gardening season begins, make a list of the items you want to grow.  Try to match them up with a protective plant or herb.  Then you can map out a garden that mingles different plants in a way that will reduce insect attacks.  Generally speaking, diversity in the garden helps reduce potential threats from all types of pests and disease.  That's why cultivating a wide variety of plants is so important to organic gardeners. Every garden should have onions growing in it, if only for the onion's general usefulness as a pest repellent.  Plant with cabbage, carrots, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes to help repel potato beetles, ...

You put on sunscreen because it is important for your skin's health, right?  In this day and age of skin cancer, most of us have been taught to wear sunscreen daily, especially on our faces, in all weather and all seasons.  Lately, however, some concerns have been raised regarding the safety of the sunscreen itself.  Just what's in that sunscreen, and is it safe? Cancer For years we have been told that exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause skin cancer.  Ironically, though, moderate sun exposure may actually prevent the development of certain types of cancer, and the chemicals in sunscreens may increase your risk of skin cancer. One of the concerns is that certain chemicals in sunscreens produce free radicals, and the formation of free radicals is strongly implicated in cancer.  Free radicals cause cellular damage, and cancer is, essentially, the proliferation of damaged cells. Chemicals of Concern * Titanium oxide is a reflective substance that is not absorbed by the skin, which is why it has historically been used alongside zinc oxide as a sunscreen.  However, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, titanium oxide may be a human carcinogen. * Nanoparticles are extremely small versions of chemicals like titanium ...

Today, it is not hard to find people talking about green living, but many people focus on conserving energy and while this is vital, it is just as important and maybe more so to conserve water.  People can live without electricity, but they cannot live without water.  Therefore, conserving water is living a green lifestyle.  You can do little things that make an impact on saving the planet from drying up. First, take inventory of your faucets in your home and your toilets, if you have a leaky faucet or toilet, the water is literally being wasted and it can also cost you more in water bills when you have a leaky faucet.  Most leaky faucets just need a simple washer to stop the leak entirely. Only run the washing machine when you have a full load.  When you wash small loads, you use more water than a full load does.  It also saves on electricity, so you are helping not only to conserve water, but you save on electricity costs. Take shorter showers.  Everyone knows how great it feels in the cold winters to take those long hot showers, but taking long showers is literally water down the drain.  Even if you ...

If you’ve been trying to treat your acne for a long time, you’ve probably already felt the pain in your wallet.   Acne can make you feel awful and can put a real dent in yourself esteem.  This is made even worse when you’re let down over and over again by yet another “miracle” product. You don’t need to spend a fortune to treat your acne.  In fact, many mainstream acne treatments make the problem worse and can even be harmful to your overall health. Instead try some natural options to help alleviate and even get rid of your acne once and for all. Here are our top tips: Healthy Diet: A healthy diet is the very best thing you can do for your acne.  Sugar is deadly for acne sufferers.  It has been proven to cause an inflammatory reaction in the skin which makes acne worse (or even helps it develop in the first instance).  Reduce or better yet remove all sugar from your diet and you will see a difference in your skin. In addition to getting rid of sugar, eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Opt for an array of colors so that you can get the most antioxidant power in ...

If you’re a parent, you’re probably already aware of how sensitive a baby’s skin can be.  While many baby products say they’re better for baby’s skin, they can still contain chemicals that can irritate your child making them uncomfortable and irritable. Natural skin care products contain fewer harsh chemicals and are more soothing for gentle cleansing and moisturizing. Natural skin care products have gotten a lot of attention in the past few years.  We are finally realizing that slathering ourselves in chemicals might not be the best idea.  And if those chemicals are harmful to adult skin imagine how harmful they may be for baby’s skin. With a little research you may be able to find some natural skin care product brands that are completely natural and appropriate for your baby.  However, if you don’t trust your baby’s sensitive skin to even natural store-bought products, then you can make your own skin care items. Here are a few quick tips and recipes to get you started put you can find plenty more on natural parenting websites. For a great dry skin remedy, use your food processor to grind up plain oatmeal into a fine powder.   Dissolve in a warm bath to moisturize your child’s skin ...