The Green Parent
Raising kids with conscience
7 Nov 2011
What’s the Alternative?
Natural health and skincare expert, Loraine Murry, answers our reader's health dilemmas. Here she shares her advice for a relaxing holiday season and offers tips for people who love the outdoors on protecting their skin during the winter months.
Q In my childhood Christmas was always a difficult time, and even now I have my own small children I still find it difficult to relax and enjoy this time of year. Can you suggest anything that might help me get less uptight about it?
A I sympathise, the festive season is a tough time for many people, not least because of the financial stretch. A full house and the constant catering puts us under pressure. Mix in alcohol, difficult relatives and cabin fever and it can be hard to avoid tensions.
To help you relax, to get a good night’s sleep and cope better with Christmas stresses, I recommend a long soak in Weleda’s Lavender Relaxing Bath Milk (£8.95 200ml) before bed, and follow with Lavender Body Oil (£9.95 100ml) to massage away muscular tension. Avena Sativa Comp Drops (£7.50 25ml) is also a helpful medicinal product for temporary relief of restlessness, edginess and occasional sleeplessness. Consider taking a tonic, to strengthen you holistically (including your immune system). Blackthorn Elixir (£9.50 200ml) is a great organic supplement to support health over the winter. Take it for alternate weeks in the build up to Christmas. It is suitable for pregnancy or when breast feeding.
Q How can I ‘weather proof’ myself during the winter? It is a demanding time of year for runners like myself but I prefer keeping fit outdoors to training in the gym.
A Winter proofing our skin for outdoor pursuits is a good idea. Weleda Skin Food (£8.50 75ml) is a great balm to nourish, repair and protect against harsh weather, or to replenish at the end of the day. It’s also great for hands. For pure protection, Weleda Baby Calendula Weather Protection Cream (£6.95 30ml) is great for adults too, to shield the face and soothe chapped upper lips and sore noses. Apply this 100% natural barrier before venturing out into the elements. I think of it as the natural, sustainable equivalent to petroleum jelly/vaseline. Weleda Lip Balm (£5.95 4.8g) is a ‘no nonsense’ formulation, free from synthetic colours and fragrances, that really does the job – great for sports such as cycling and running. All three products are family must-haves if you love the outdoors.
The beautiful image for this story shows a Lavender and Chamomile wreath from Tumalo Lavender.
Melissa Corkhill is the editor of The Green Parent magazine, mother of two and author of the book Green Parenting
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The Green Parent is the UK's leading green lifestyle and natural parenting magazine. A truly inspiring read, TGP is like nothing else on the newsstand, with insightful intelligent journalism covering topics from babywearing and attachment parenting to home-education and alternative medicine. Each issue features regular columns on Organic Gardening, Seasonal Food and Drink, Green Travel, Ethical Fashion and lots more.
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