Karina's Notes - Preparing For Flu Season

Autumn is well and truly here and we hope you’re enjoying the Fall colours. With back to school underway, and a lot of media hype about flu season and h1n1, one of our focuses for this month is bringing clarity to the debate around antibacterial products and the value of simply washing your hands with soap and water.

Did you know that studies have shown that regular soap and water are just as effective in ridding yourself of bacteria as antibacterial soap? Even better, 100% natural soap is biodegradable and won’t harm the environment, whereas most antibacterial soaps contain a chemical pesticide called triclosan that doesn’t break down, continuing to kill algae and other beneficial flora when it goes down the drain and into the ecosystem.

The trick to effectively ridding yourself of germs on your hands lies in your hand-washing technique. Scrub for a good 20 seconds (try singing happy birthday twice while you’re lathering) making sure to get the backs of your hands, your wrists, and in between all of your fingers (don't forget to remove any rings). Teaching children how to wash their hands properly (and practicing it yourself) can do wonders in preventing the spread of infectious illness.

Wishing you happy scrubbing, and a healthy autumn season!
 

New Initiatives

This past spring we were talking to our employees and some of our customers about how they receive info about what is going on in Victoria. Overwhelmingly they mentioned various social media tools. The Victoria store is now on Facebook , Twitter and blogging about natural with Natural Matters!. Come and connect with us!

Recipe of the Month: Why not recycle that Jack-O-Lantern?

Pumpkin Pie Face Scrub

Pumpkin Pie Face Scrub: Pumpkin pulp is naturally soothing and moisturizing to the skin. It’s fun to get in the kitchen and make yummy 100% natural skin care products. If you don’t have time to get crafty in the kitchen you can still get the soothing benefits of pumpkin from our Pumpkin Patch Soap.

1/4 cup (60ml) pumpkin puree
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves (and/or allspice)
Dash of almond or jojoba or avocado oil (optional)
1 tbsp of your favourite honey (manuka if you have it)
1 tbsp of moist almond puree

Mix all the ingredients together by hand. Massage gently into face and forehead in a circular motion, let sit for 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. Spritz with our Neroli Toner to balance the pH level of your skin to leave it soft and dewy (ask for a sample next time you are in the store).

Pumpkin pulp is naturally soothing to the skin – which is why you will find it in our Pumpkin Patch Soap, formulated specially for those with eczema or contact dermatitis. October is the month where pumpkins are ubiquitous – why not recycle that Jack-O-Lantern into a soothing facial scrub?