Life at the Dead Sea

The fabled beauty that lies within the Dead Sea basin is not a secret - but the grand effectiveness of its healing powers are. Spanning from Jordan to the West Bank in Israel, the enchanting tea-colored seas and its deep, salty waters stand as a symbol of purity, health and vitality. The splendor of natural elements on the Jordanian side of the lake caused it to be dubbed long ago as “the most fertile spot in Judea." Thousands of years ago, the fruitful banks attracted the likes of King David and Herod the Great as a home for relaxation and reflection… after all the Byzantine Empire certainly caused a fair amount of stress – even for kings. The concentrated mud and salts were used by the Ancient Egyptians for mummification or preservation, (and as recent as fifteen minutes ago by me to exfoliate and restore my dull winter skin.) Today, this just may be the ideal place on earth for the upkeep of your health. From the low-allergen content of the air and the low atmospheric pressure, to the reduced glare of ultraviolet radiation and high mineral content in the water and earth (mud), the Dead Sea is widely studied among scientists, health nuts, spa-goers and travelers worldwide for the vitality that the waters provide. Why is a sea that rich with such powerful healers called “dead”? The high saline and mineral content make it impossible for aquatic sea life and plants to survive – allowing some of the purest water on earth to remain. The salt content ranges from 30%-35% (about 9%,) while the earth’s oceans average about 3%. Curative Benefits – Mud and salt extracted from the sea is one of the beauty industry’s most touted weapons to tighten and firm aging and damaged skin, removing impurities and toxins from tissues and cells while increasing circulation. After just one use, cellular regeneration and restoration begins, resulting in more radiant, healthy skin. Skin Softener – a natural exfoliant, Dead Sea Salts are soft and gentle and easily absorbed into the skin while washing away dead skin cells. Use circular movements (always - this increases circulation) and expect a light tingle. Eczema and Psoriasis – Reduced UV rays and substantial levels of sodium are powerful cures for these irritating skin conditions. While the term “pouring salt on a wound” carries a different and often negative connotation, this is opposite with sufferers of such skin disorders. As a long-time sufferer of eczema as a child, I can attest that salt from marine waters does cure the condition. In my case it happened in Hawaii – ending my 17-year bout with eczema (and inspiring my vegan bodycare brand, Hawaiian Skin.) The combination of salt water and Thalassotherapy for an extended period of time resulted in clear, happy skin – which I have had with ever since. Disinfectant – The waters provide natural cleansing properties, deeply penetrating dermal cells and eradicating hardened sebum. Sebum (a product of the Sebaceous gland,) is a naturally occurring fatty acid that secretes wax and oil, resulting in such skin conditions as acne, sebaceous cysts, hyperplasia, sebaceous adenoma & sebaceous gland carcinoma. Oh, you can also count on the minerals removing dirt, makeup residue and free radicals. Related therapies - There are many healing and wellness therapies that take advantage of unique environmental conditions, including: Climatotherapy: Use of environmental healing factors to benefit health including: humidity, barometric pressure, sunshine, climate, temperature, and atmospheric properties. Thalassotherapy: From the Greek word Thalassa meaning “ocean,” true Thalassotherapy includes incorporating all of the healthy marine elements by way of water exercise, ingestion of salty air, absorbing minerals through the pores, and eating healthily. True Thalassotherapy involves the medical use of seawater from all sensory facets - it is an experience of true and whole wellness. The Dead Sea (also called the "Salt Sea,") is facing considerable water level loss every year due to environmental factors in the region and global warming. So, keep it on your wander-radar, and enjoy the brilliant healing waters while you can.

Happy Whatever Religious Holiday You Celebrate in December

Courtesy of Bald Guy Greetings.

Health in Wandering

There are some of us that consider our passport not as a legal document, but as a prize possession – a passport to bliss. We are the world’s wanderlusters. In need of recharging after exhausting, endless days gazing blindly into a computer screen, some travel to lands afar seeking wellness at the hands of ancient healing masters. The artists carefully clean their camera lenses, artfully sharpen their charcoal pencils, grasp the Moleskine by its binding, and wander abroad to gather and re-inspire our imagination. Captivated by the mystery of culture shock, we file in with others in a place that shakes the core of our comfort zone. We prepare, we plan, we dream of each adventure.

There is a certain health that comes with the inherent desire to wander through the world’s mysterious lands. Travelers are secretly controlled by the hand of adventure, to us, it predicates normality. Travel is food, and food is fuel. We become mindful, our hearts gauge warmth, and we are reacquainted with our true selves.

Most of us can attest that wandering foreign streets heals our physical bodies as well. Eating foods we cannot pronounce, with ingredients we have never heard of, invigorated from the flavors of the world. We meander for days through countryside’s and city streets, sleeping a little less, eating a little less, exercising a bit more – it is childlike. And after a hearty dose of travel, the summit draws near and we find ourselves standing before the world equipped with a pure sense of joy. It is the freest moment that we know, where we find our deepest health. And with a healthy mind, the rest tends to follow. For some of us, wandering is the very root of our livelihood – the equivalent of putting on our oxygen mask before helping others on a falling plane. This is when we feel alive, useful... purposeful. This is when we are following bliss.

Internal Beauty... and Ugly: Post Secret

Every week I log into PostSecret and take on emotional waves
that can be swapped for other like feelings on any other week....

I Empathize.

I Smile.

I Blink Them Back...

I Think.

...And then I spare a moment to consider the depth and fire within
that allows us to share our hidden goods with a world of cyber-strangers -
and how only some of use use it.

MediaSlingshot! A Free "Share with a Friend" Tool for Everybody

There is no shortage of share features on the web. The Tweetmeme code has become about the most important share tool on the web, giving users an opportunity to "retweet" pages to their Twitter network. Unfortunately, it is quickly becoming apparent that Twitter is like a forum where the default setting for each user is to ignore all other users. Moving On.

There are other sites where you can get a one click share code to share a site on say, BobrDobr, but really, I don't speak Greek. Again moving on.

The Free Internet "Share with a Friend" Tool for Everyone.

Between the countless websites that I work on and the endless hours I spend scouring the web and sharing info with my many networks, I recently found a share feature (still in beta) that I am actually excited about... because it addresses my needs as a blogger, as a webmaster and as an internet user. MediaSlingshot - the free internet "share with a friend" tool for everyone. Not only do I have twenty, free attractive icons to choose from that will suit a variety of different site designs, but the feature allows me to share by FaceBook and by email to up to five recipients. As a webmaster, I can have it personalized to suit my brands' message for only $8.95 per month. And one thing that all business owners can agree upon is that having users share your site, brand or message is the very lifeline of a successful company.

Like fashion, every fad comes full circle. It is yet to be seen if Twitter and other popular web-places are mere fads. With FaceBook growing to 350 Million users in three years - I would suspect that unless they decide to pummel users with ads and band invites like the now fledgling Myspace does - we can expect them to be a part of our web sharing for some time. So, for me, MediaSlingshot covers the two sharing forums I have complete faith in... email and FaceBook.

You can also join MediaSlingshot on FaceBook and follow them on Twitter!

Lastly, look in the top right corner of this page (>>>) and sling this site!

Month in Review | October 2009

It's been a difficult month... difficult to concentrate and even more tricky to sit still - like every October. October is my birthday month. But more importantly it is the end of the summer, the beginning of autumn equinox, the beginning of cool weather motivation, Halloween, football season, the World Series, Breast Cancer Awareness Month... We are not meant to be chained to our computer in such a riveting block of days. So, to repair of my lack of delivery over the last thirty or so days, I am recapping my month with a new section: Month in Review | October 2009


Book that's rocking my world: SWAY - The Irresistable Pull of Irrational Behavior.

Court: Not legal, not royal... racquetball! Yes, it's kind of eighties, but its making me sweat four nights a week and now that I am thirty I best keep my booty in shape.

iPhone app that has changed my musical life: Shazam. Push a couple of buttons and Shazam will actually hear the music that is playing where you are and most of the time will report back the artist, the album, and provide you a button to buy it. Seriously? I have been waiting my entire life for this app.

Greenfest! The year's ultimate tradeshow for the eco-aware. Pangea Organics (one of the festival sponsors) had samples, a lip-balm counting contest and much more... they give an impressive spiel - young, fun and modern. The country's best causes and enviro-interests were represented with flare. My favorite items included the Organic Wine Garden (which shockingly no wine company sponsored) and the The Revolution Rickshaw. Unfortunately, Worldwide Skin certified vegan body care only took part in spirit this year, but possibly next year. Find Greenfest in your area >>

Oenologist.com: Look for new profiles on Oenologist.com: Winemaker Mike Richmond, Profiled Sommeliers Emily Wines and Brad Ball, and Wine Makers from my beloved west, Melanie Krause (Cinder / Idaho) and Tom Thornhill (Parducci / CA). Much more to come!

WWS observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This cause is dear to my heart and I am honored that The Breast Cancer Action Org. has recognized Worldwide Skin as a brand committed to creating products that are free of cancer producing parabens and phthalates. My favorite color this month? Pink.

My birthday ruled, in case you were wondering.

The Ancient Art of Henna

The henna plant (lawsonia inermis) contains medicinal properties that are said to cool the body. For 5,000 years, henna has been an integral component of marking celebrations in ancient cultures. It is said that the elaborate markings of henna began in the African deserts. The medicinal plant was crushed into a paste and applied to the entire foot and hands to keep body temperature low. Tired of having bright red palms, the women would place one large dot in the center of the palms (providing the same effect) but offering a more attractive appearance.

In Moroccan villages, henna was historically applied to provide “Baraka,” a barrier which guarded from “the Evil Eye,” which was believed to bring misfortune to the village. In Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia, henna has many purposes stemming from ritual, religion and preservation of tradition.

Current Uses
One of the most famous practices still occurs in Morocco. The “Night of Henna,” is a familial ceremony to prepare the bride for consummation. It is intended to offer the bride the womanly wisdom of both her mother, and her husband’s mother. The ceremony marks the transition of daughter in her father’s house, to wife in her husband’s house.

Depicted in ancient art, you will see henna decoration on queens and goddesses as well as depicted celebrations and ceremonies such as animal sacrifice, circumcision, and marriage. Henna has been used for thousands of years to tell thousands of stories.

Click here to read more Beauty Trade Secrets - Worldwide Beauty Rituals.

Inside Traditional Moroccan Hammam's

What it is:

Once a week, Moroccans gather at communal bath houses to engage in a traditional full-body cleansing. A Hammam (or public bath), is a time-honored cleansing ritual practiced Eastern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East.

Traditional Hammam services begin with relaxation in a large steam room to open the pores. Then you are covered with a coat of olive oil product which is followed by the “gommage,” another name for a full-body exfoliation. A heavy clay mask follows to release impurities followed with cold cloth mask removal to close pores. To complete the cleansing, you are given a full body massage.

Sounds luxurious? It could be. A Hammam service at a spa will provide a luxurious experience. So if you are a germ-a-phobe, ultra sensitive to modesty or sanitation, spend a bit extra and take it to the spa.

Otherwise, the traditional communal bath houses that are frequented by locals provide an authentic experience. You will be surrounded by dead skin cells flowing across the floor, strangers scrubbing themselves in their skivvies, etc. The ceilings are pierced with small holes to allow in natural light, the walls permeate with steam from a wooded fire, the floors are crawling with gossiping locals, screaming children, and people lined upon the walls. Do not expect a serene experience. But once you make it through - the skin you will leave in will be the softest skin of your adult life.

Where it is:

Common in all neighborhoods of Marrakech, Morocco, these bath houses may be difficult for westerners to find because they are labeled in Arabic. Look for squalls of people entering a public house with bathing tools.

Dress:

These bathhouses are not usually attended in the nude (with the exception of children) - undergarments are typically worn. As in keeping with the modesty of that region, skimpy under-things are frowned upon. Women always cover wet hair upon leaving.

Sanitation:

It is likely that your exfoliation will not be performed with new (or even sanitized) exfoliating glove, so either bring your own or go to a spa that performs the authentic service with sanitary accoutrements. Stop by the souk, pick up a small rinsing dish, “black soap,” a kiis (exfoliating glove,) and a mat to sit on. This is a full bathing experience, so bring your other products and grooming supplies.

Cost: About $10:00

Cautions:

Be prepared to exercise respect and mindfulness to their actions while you partake in their ritual.

• Know when to rinse. Watch those around you.
• Brace yourself for the exfoliation, this is a heavy duty scrub that you have likely never experienced.
• Watch the water flow before choosing an area to seat – you could possibly land yourself in the direct flow of drainage.
• Taking more than two buckets of water in considered greedy.
• If you splash those around you with cold water, prepare to get a mouthful.

To read more about Worldwide Beauty Rituals, visit Beauty Trade Secrets on Hawaiian Skin.

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What is this screenshot? It is called an igGadget or "Google Gadget" ... the subject? Beauty Trade Secrets. Why do you care what a gadget is? I will get back to all of that in a moment.

The reason I am posting this is because we are offering a terrific opportunity for health and beauty writers to reach hundred of thousands of people every day with your approved article, as well as secure a home for said article on Hawaiian Skin's Beauty Trade Secrets and the Worldwide Skin Article Page if appropriate. And your article won't just be posted, but hyperlinked back to your site. So if you have a great story about beauty, health, fashion, exercise, ingredients, "green" issues, or other related topics, submit your article (in a word DOC) by emailing info@worldwideskin.com. Place the words: Article Submission in the subject line. If you have coinciding images, please include them as an attachment.

The gadget is for users who have a Personalized Google Homepage. You just click some buttons, arrange your page, and every day you can have refreshed content - from quotes, to articles to great products. Whether you want a homepage or not, you do want your article to reach active users every day. And we want to populate our sites with quality articles... a win-win-win! Upon approving your article, it will be submitted to the Beauty Trade Secret gadget circulating in savvy cyber-world while you enjoy yet another publication of your fantastic article!

Worldwide Skin Products Now Listed on GreenPeople.org!

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