5 Tips For Optimum Sensitive Skin Care

Have you got sensitive skin? Sensitive skin care is an issue for some of us, not for others. But for people with sensitive skin it can be a major issue.Problems for people with sensitive skin include redness, blotchiness, swelling, rashes, dry skin, tightness and general skin irritation. Sensitive skin can be a problem for those with different skin types, including those with oily skin.Here’s 5 things that you should be doing for optimum sensitive skin care.1. Have an allergy test. There are various allergies that cause skin problems and it always pays to see if you can work out a specific skin problem. If you can determine exactly what is causing the problem it may, (or may not), be possible to do something about it.2. Avoid big name skin care products. The big brand name skin care products are littered with ingredients that can cause those with sensitive skin types to have problems. Unfortunately the FDA doesn’t really regulate the ingredients put into skin care products and many of them contain ingredients that are suspected or known to cause cancer and other conditions, including causing skin problems.It’s ironic that many brands of anti aging and skin care products actually create skin problems, and other health problems. Your skin doesn’t like artificial chemicals, and many people will find the result is skin reactions of various types.One example for you to think about. There is a range of common chemicals caused parabens that are used widely in big brand name skin care products as preservatives. Parabens are listed in the cosmetic database as dangerous, two in particular as a high hazard of at least 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 – 10.Parabens could themselves be causing skin problems, and this is just one example. There are many many ingredients like this used in skin care products that may be causing otherwise healthy skin to become sensitive.3. And it’s exactly the same with cosmetics. Here’s an example. Recent tests showed lead in over 50% of the big brand name lipsticks including some brands that you may well be using now. Avoid big brand cosmetics.And an allergy test may well establish that you have an allergy to one or more of the ingredients in your cosmetics or skin care and anti aging products.For those requiring high quality sensitive skin care avoiding big brand cosmetics and skin care may well, of itself, be sufficient to reverse their skin problems.4. Use low irritant detergents when washing your clothes and other household items. Laundry detergents can also cause skin problems, for those with sensitive skin and also for those with normal healthy skin. For example if you wash your pillow cases and sheets in a laundry detergent that itself has allergens or skin irritants then spend 8 hours with your face lying on that pillow case that itself can cause problems.And avoid anything, including detergents, with fragrances. This includes cosmetics and skin care products. Fragrances, unfortunately, also have their problems. Fragrances are chemicals and can cause skin problems just like some of the other nasty, (and unregulated) ingredients in big name skin care and cosmetic products.5. Find some natural cosmetics and skin care and anti aging products to use.There are excellent natural cosmetics and skin care products available. They are made by small niche companies that are not household names. These companies have a commitment to making high quality skin care and anti aging products and cosmetics that are perfect for optimum sensitive skin care. Usually they are highly price competitive because these companies don’t spend up big on TV advertising.And usually the products will do what they say they will, contrary to those big brand name products that you see on the shelves of your department stores, which should be avoided.Their products are made with naturally occurring plant ingredients known to be safe and non allergenic, and these companies have as much commitment to safety as the quality of their products. And their skin care products for sensitive skin are perfect for those with skin issues.For people with sensitive skin good skin health is a serious issue. Apart from the unsightliness of the redness and dryness, the irritation and itching can drive you mad. Sensitive skin care is a big issue for those people.So if you experience serious skin problems there’s 5 things you can do to start reversing the problem. Do all these things and you may well find that the skin problems you are having just disappear. It isn’t guaranteed of course, but that’s the best place to start for optimum sensitive skin care.

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

What Are The Greatest Changes In Shopping In Your Lifetime

What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.

As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.

That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.

Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.

Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.

Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.

Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.

That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.

Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.

Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.

My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.

Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.

And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.

All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:

• Farm eggs

• Fresh vegetables

• Cow’s milk

• Freshly baked bread

• Coal for our open fires

Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.

Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.

Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.

Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.

My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.

The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.

Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.

Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.

People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.

In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.

Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.

• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.

• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.

• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.

On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.

Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.

We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.

Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.

My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.