(Goats) Milk: It Does A Body Good!

Capra aegagrus hircus "The Goat"

Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species in the world.  They have been used by humans for their milk, meat, skins and even hair trans-culturally for thousands of years.

Milking

Milking

A healthy female goat, also know as a "doe' or a "nanny" can produce on average 6-8 lbs of milk per day.  That is about 3-4 US quarts (2.83-3.78 liters) at the height of her production. 

What's All the Hype About Goats Milk?

Goats milk has been used since ancient times as a natural cleanser.  It is a superior moisturizer and has excellent emollient properties. The fat in Goats milk is naturally small and well emulsified, meaning the cream is suspended through out the milk instead of raising to the top as one sees in cows milk.  It has short strand protein (compared to cows) which makes it easily absorbed into the skin and hair follicles.  This greater absorption property of fat and protein helps leave the skin soft and supple.

Goats Milk

 The acidity of the human skin is maintained by what is commonly known as the acid mantle, a very thin film on the surface of the skin.  The acid mantle helps keep the skin healthy and acts as a barrier to external bombardment of pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.  Goats milk, and thus products derived from this precious liquid, exhibit pH that is closer to the natural pH of human skin.  When applied to the skin, the milks similar pH is not seen as invasive, reduces the surface tension of the dermal layers and allows for even greater absorption and moisturizing effects to take place.  This is of particular importance to people with sensitive or delicate skin. Alpha hydroxy acids are found with in goats milk as well.  This is a naturally exfoliating agent that penetrates the epidermis and upper dermis to achieve exfoliation (sloughing off of old skin cells).  Exfoliation stimulates the skin and healthy cells are regenerated.  The effect reduces visible aging leaving the skin smoother and and softer with overall lessening of fine wrinkles and skin discoloration.  Hydroxy acids are also used to improve scaling on sun damaged skin.  It also has proven a benefit to acne infected skin surfaces, and to people with eczema and psoriasis.   Goats milk also contains vitamin A (about 47% more than cows milk), several of the B vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12, vitamin E, calcium, as well as caprylic acid (anti-fungal) and capronic acids.  All of this naturally feeds the skin, delivering this host of nutrients to your awaiting cells.

Like Cleopatra...

It is said that Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, bathed in the milk of goats to maintain her beautifully smooth and glowing skin...

 There are many products on the market today that tout this natural  and luxurious ingredient.  They can be found at local farmers markets, in high end spas and boutiques, and through out the isles of your local grocers. We recommend checking out http://www.rechercheorganics.com for many more epicurean goats milk products.


TEST:
If you think that the soap you are using may be causing your dry skin, you can easily test it yourself! First, purchase pH testing strips.  Then, take your soap, add a small amount of water to the side and rub gently to create a small amount of lather.  Press the test strip into the lather and match the resulting color to the pH scale that comes with the strips.  Healthy skin maintains a pH in the range of about 4.5 to 6.0 on the pH scale.  The closer your soap is to this level, the more gentle and non stripping to your skin and its natural defense layers it will be.

What goats milk products are you familiar with and use? We would love to hear from you!

The Many Colors of Clay

The Age Old Use of Clay

The Many Colors of Clay

  

Clay has a long tradition of use, both internally and externally, throughout the world.  The color of the clay is determined by where it comes from, how deeply it was mined,  its composition and make up of minerals and active enzymes. External treatments of clay (reguardless of type) stimulate circulation of blood and lymph fluid, help remove dead skin cells, and help strengthen and tone connective tissue.

Kaolin Clay

Kaolin Clay is derrived from the Chinese word Kao-ling.  It is a soft and unsually white natural clay produced by the chemical weathering of aluminium silicate.  This clay is the most widely used clay in the cosmetic and beauty industry today. It is known as the mildest of all the clays and can be used on very sensitive skin types.  Kaolin Clay is often found in soaps, scrubs, poultices, deoderants, facial powders, masks,  and most dry and all wet cosmetics. Since it does not draw oil like some of the other clays, it is also very useful for people with naturally dry skin. In many parts of the world China White clay, yet another name for Kaolin, is colored pink-orange by iron oxide.  This is called Pink Kaolin Clay.  Still more mild than other clays, this Pink Kaolin is a little more detoxifying than it's partner White Kaolin Clay.

Pink Kaolin Clay

 Note: Pink Kaolin Clay can leave some natural pigments behind on the skin. Therefor it is best to use at night when the skin will naturally absorb some of the left behind pink residue. 

Bentonite Clay

Bentonite Clay comes from thick layers of volcanic ash that once fallen back to earth absorb many micronutrients from the areas which it lies.  It has been used as a theraputic clay since at least 2500 B.C. People world wide have used this substance for internal therapies as well as detox for the external body. It is considered by some the most theraputic and healing of all of the clays. A good quality Bentonite Clay should be a grey/cream color.  Anything bordering white should be suspect to bleaching or high amounts of Kaolin Clay as an additive filler. The largest and most active deposits of Bentonite Clay in the world come from Montana and Wyoming, USA. 

French Green Clay

French Green Clay, as its name denotes comes from large deposits in France.  However this exquisite clay can also be found in Montana, Wyoming, parts of China and other depositis through out Europe.
French Green Clay has a cornucopia of valuable elements including montmorillonite, nine different and important mineral oxides, magnesium, calcium, potassium, dolomite, silica, maganese, phosporous, silicon, copper and selenium.  The beautiful green color owes it's nature to two very important factors. One is iron oxides and the second is decomposed plant material. Due to the decomposed plant material this clay should always be very green to green, never a dull grey. Unlike other clays were the key ingredients work in symbiosis with one another, many elements within the French Green Clay work on their own accord. Each element is responsible for working the outer skin layers in its own unique way.  This clay is highly absorbant and literally "drinks" the toxins from the skin.  It pulls vast amounts of toxic particualates and impurities (not to mention dust, oils, and make-up)  from the pores, while toning and bringing fresh blood to the damaged and healthy  skin cells alike.  This is a great revitalizer for the complexion, helping sustain that natural health-filled glow.

Rhassoul Clay

 This dynamic clay hails from Morocco.  The word Rhassoul is derrived from the Arabic word for washing "Rhassala".  This clay has many names including; Red Clay, Ghassoul Clay, and Oxide Clay, but most often will be titled Rhassoul. It has been used in it's country of origin for over 1400 years as soap, shampoo, and as a skin conditioner.  It is mined deep beneath the Atlas Mountains in Eastern Morocco and can only be extracted under very special conditions.  When first mined, this clay appears as a polished brown soap-like clay.  It is chunky and resembles a rock more than anything else. After extensive micronization (crushing) this product becomes silken smooth and of very tiny particulates. Rhassoul contains higher percentatges of silica and magnesium, potassium and calcium than other clays.  Rhassoul Clay combats dryness of skin, improves clarity and elasticity and has the ability to pull impurities and unclog pores even stubborn black heads.  This clay also works wonders with the hair.  It cleanses, removes impurities, and leaves the hair voluminous and ever so shiny.

Cambrian Blue Clay

This clay is the rarest and most ancient of all clays with deposits beginning in the earliest Paleozoic period of our history, about 542 million years ago.  Cambrian Blue Clay is imported from the salt lakes of Siberia.  There is only one company out of Russia that exports to anywhere else in the world.

 Its color comes from iron, zinc and algae and for all above mentioned reasons is considered the most valuable clay in the world. It is prized for its anti-agin and anti-wrinkle and blemish fighting properties.  It has an incredible ability to tighten and strengthen skin elasticity and tensile strength. This has been considered one of the most "aggressive" clays.  Meaning it pulls the greatest amounts of toxins from pores and hair folicles.  Yet it is gentile enough to use on most all skin types. 

Photo of Kaolin Mine early 1900's

Clay is quarry mined from deposits within the earth ranging from 100 feet to several thousand feet below the surface.  It is then brought to the surface and into the sun for the first time in ages, this removes excess water and makes it easier to work.  After this process of hauling it to the earths surface, it then begins the process of micornization.  It gets heavily ground with huge often hydraulic crushers and then finely pulverized with fine mesh equiptment.  After this process is complete, it is once again laid out into the sun for more dry time allowing the final amounts of moisture to evaporate.

                                                                FACE MASK RECIPE:
1) Take 1 TBS of liquid of choice add to small bowl
2) Add 2 TBS of clay (which clay is determined by skin type and effect desired)
3) Stir continously to avoid clumps. End result should be a smooth paste (add drop by drop of water
         small amounts of clay to achive desired consistancy.

Liquids:
   1) Purified water: the simplest and most strait forward of liquids to use (use cooled).
   2) Green Tea: the added benefits of green tea antioxidants. May help ease the formation of fine    
        lines and wrinkles. (use cooled).
   3) Whole Milk: used to soothe irritated and dry skin

Essential Oils:
   The addition of essential oils such as lavender can be highly beneficial.  Add 1-2 drops of pure 
   essential oil if desired.  Know the benefits of each oil you choose to add, and always stay clear of
   citrus scents due to their phototoxic nature.

Captivated by Coconut Oil

 

Cocos nucifera; Coconut Palm

Early Spanish explorers deemed this tree, and more specific the nuts growing on this tree, cocos meaning "monkey face" because of the three indentations or eyes on the hairy brown inner shell of the fruit. Nucifera means "nut bearing".  So the name of this delightful tree is "nut bearing monkey face", which we have come to know as the coconut palm. This tree has been used by different cultures trans-globally since the beginning of time.  It has been used multi-culturally as food, medicine and as external treatments for the skin, hair, and nails.

Making Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil can be made through a "dry" or "wet" process. Dry processing requires the meat to be removed from the shell and dried using sunlight, fire (smoke), or by kiln.  This creates the Copra, or dried meat (kernel) of the coconut. The copra is then taken and grated, ground and boiled to release the oil from the fiber. The wet process includes using the raw coconut rather than dried copra.  The protein in the coconut creates an emulsion of oil and water. The difficulty lies in then extracting the oil from water. This is often done by prolonged boiling (as seen above) which can heat damage and discolor the end product.  Modern techniques include the use of centrifuges to force separation of oil and water, leaving the oil unharmed and true to its natural white color. 

Removing Husk of Coconuts

 Proper harvesting of the coconuts is vital to the efficiency of the oil making process.  Coconuts should be harvested in between 2 and 20 months of age.  This leads to the greatest amount of oil yield from the kernel.  Harvest before or after this age gap produces less quantity with inferior properties.

Coconut and Coconut Oil  in Liquid State

Pure Coconut Oil in Solid State

Not only is the coconut high in fiber but it is also rich in multiple vitamins and micro nutrients.  It is classified as a "functional food" because it provides numerous health benefits beyond its visible nutritional content. This fruit has been used by every culture along the equatorial band that Cocos nucifera is found.  The Pacific Islanders have considered it a "cure all" and deemed this palm "The Tree of Life".  It has a wide variety of traditional uses including but not limited to: abscesses, asthma, baldness, bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, constipation, coughing, dropsy, dysentery, earaches, fever, flue, gingivitis, gonorrhea, painful menstruation, jaundice, kidney stones, lice, malnutrition, nausea, rashes, scabies, scurvy, skin infections, sore throat, swelling, syphilis, toothaches, tumors, typhoid, ulcers, upset stomach, weakness and wounds.

Coconut oil has proven an ageless remedy for hair, skin and nails. Women (and men), since the dawn of time have been using this precious oil to lavish on their external bodies. The oil consists mainly of medium chain triglycerides which are of the perfect molecular structure to be absorbed by the scalp, hair follicles and dermal layer of skin.  This gives the follicles and cell structures nutritiously rich moisture to take in and absorb.  This oil carries an array of natural nutrition for the hair.  It helps in healthy growth and provides a shiny complexion for all hair types.  It is highly effective in reducing protein loss from chemically treated and damaged hair. Coconut oil contains a vast amount of Lauric acid, a fat which has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.  These properties destroy candida and other infectious viruses thus protecting the follicles from damage through free radicals which in turn  prevents hair loss in men and women alike. This Lauric acid also benefits the skin if used to help heal wounds of the flesh.  Coconut oil has been touted to be highly effective in speeding up the healing process of bruises and is very beneficial in the repair of damaged tissue. It is used frequently in treating various skin problems including acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. It has been shown to reduce and further prevent wrinkles, sagging skin, and ages spots.  All of this in an oil that is also solid when in temperatures below 74 degrees. 

A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE...

Face Mask: 
Add a little bit of honey (also a natural antibacterial) to coconut oil and apply to face.  Leave the mask on for 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Deep Conditioner: 
An ancient Ayuvedic tradition: Warm coconut oil and apply to scalp and hair.  Wait for 15 minutes and then rinse.  This simple task will leave your hair lustrous, strong and healthy.  The women of India have done this multiple times per week with beautiful success.  After this deep conditioning treatment there is no need to use other conditioning substances.

As always we would love your input and to know your experience with this wonderful oil. Please post all questions and comments below.