Natural Wart Remedies

No one wants to look at pictures of warts - so here's an image of ACV

A fan requested this one as her daughter has a wart and she wanted to know if the common home remedy of Apple Cider Vinegar would work.

This proved to be harder to research that I originally thought it would. There currently isn't any published research on this (note to researchers: Get on it!) and the results I found online were mixed. Interestingly enough though, so were the professional treatments, with many people saying after several treatments either with lasers, freezing, or acids, that their warts remained.

The thing about warts that makes them so hard to treat is that they are caused by HPV--yes the same thing that causes genital warts. However there are over 100 different strains of HPV, and being a virus it's not like antibiotics will work on it. On top of that, once you have that strain of HPV, much like the herpes virus, it remains with you forever. And much like herpes, it has a high sexual stigma, though not all strains are transmitted sexually.

So the warts might fade or go away, only to return later. You can get them cut out, but that is extremely painful and leaves scarring.

ACV aside, the list of other home remedies is long, ranging from duct tape, to the really weird ones like rubbing an onion/potato on it, and burying said veg in the garden at midnight over a full moon (I wish I was joking). However things like duct tape have actually been tested, and research is still out on that. There's a lot of conflicting studies on it, though it seems to work only slightly for children, and not at all for adults. The other thing to remember with warts, much like cold sores, is that they will go away on their own given time. How long that is depends on your body, though it seems children with warts tend to heal faster than adults do.

Personally, from the research I've done, it seems that apple cider vinegar may help. It may not always work though, so if that fails you're best bet would be to see a doctor (note that the options of doctors are as varied as the list of home remedies).

I'm filing this one under "Mixed Results" - not enough data is in for me to say this is true, but it's one of those things that wouldn't hurt to try.

DIY Sugar Wax Hair Remover

"Finally a Working Homemade Hair Removal Solution!" 

This is one of those ideas I debated on blogging about, but after asking fans over on our facebook page if they wanted more "it works but it's...ehhhh" posts, I decided to go ahead and share.

Sugar Wax. A long-time touted hair remover, and something you can easily make in your own kitchen. With a few simple ingredients you can be on your way to being hairless for a fraction of the cost of waxing kits you buy in the store. Right?

It's not that simple. I decided to test this out myself after reading a lot of mixed reviews on it. I found this YouTube video and decided to spend an evening testing it out.

The first batch didn't turn out. Neither did the second. Or the third. I told myself one more try, and then I was going to give up. Well wouldn't you know it, fourth time's a charm I guess, because this time to turned out like the video suggested it would.

So how well does it wax? Not as harshly as the store bought wax I normally use. Which was nice. I tested it out on my eyebrows, upper lip, and arm. It wasn't as easy to control, so my brows didn't turn out as cleanly as I like them, but the upper lip was nice (and it didn't make me break out, which most waxing does when I do my upper lip) I did have to apply and remove it many, many times to get most of the hair, unlike the one time application I do with other waxes. I have dark thick body hair though, so my fair haired followers might not have to apply it as much as I did.

I wrapped the leftovers in plastic wrap, and then went back a bit later to try it again. Unfortunately, it stuck something awful to the bag, and despite briefly microwaving it and trying to warm it with hot water, I could not get it off the plastic wrap. What I did manage to pull had changed in texture and consistency and was pretty much useless.

Personally, I'm sticking to commercial waxes (this is the one I normally use). At the end of the day, this was such a hassle, a mess, and countless hours in frustration that I just can't get into it. Does it work? If you can manage to get it the right consistency, yeah. But is it worth all the hassle? For me, the answer is no.

So has any of our fans tried this before? What were your results like?

Hydrogen Peroxide to Diagnose and Cure Ear Infections

"Amazing Ear Infection remedy. You'll know if there is an infection and treat it at the SAME TIME. Pinning and reading later need to check this out." 

I'm laid up on the sofa today with vertigo from an ear ache, so in the name of science I turned to pinterest to research home remedies (of course, by "science" I actually mean ridiculous home remedies I can test and research).

So, does putting a simple solution of hydrogen peroxide in your ear let you know if you have an infection, as well as treat said infection? NOPE. 

You see, hydrogen peroxide is just simply water with an extra oxygen molecule to it - H202. Now that's not to say it's the same as water, simply altering or adding various single molecules to things can change them drastically. But that's not the case with things like hydrogen peroxide. 

But why does it bubble when you add it to a cut? Because of a simple thing called catalase. Pretty much everything from fruits and veggies to human tissue contains this enzyme. When exposed to the peroxide, it causes the H202 to break up, and allows the extra oxygen molecule to free itself, causing the bubbles. Ta-DA! Even if you're ears are clean and free of infection, chances are good the peroxide will still bubble and foam, so that's really not a good way to test for an infection. Want to test this out? Pour a small amount in a glass and use it as a mouthwash, and enjoy as your mouth fills with bubbles! Just be careful not to choke or gag!

But how about the second claim? Will it at least treat an infection if you have one? Maybe, but it's not likely. Results are mixed as to if this works or not.  It's important to realize that there are various causes for ear infections, from viruses like those that cause colds, to allergies, not to mention bacterial infections which require antibiotics (peroxide is NOT recommended for killing bacteria, as it doesn't kill everything and can actually cause scar tissue to form, something you don't want in your ears). What it is quite good for though, is helping with ear wax removal - in fact ear wax drops are typically nothing more than mineral oil and peroxide. So all-in-all, you can put peroxide in your ears, but it's not going to let you know if you have an infection, and it's most likely not going to cure anything. It's not uncommon for a lot of earaches to only last a few days on their own, so if you find relief using this trick (or warmed oil, which is also a common ear ache treatment) then go for it. However if your ears aren't better after a few days then it's time to seek professional help. 

Good Idea Friday Marble Nail Polish

I had three different people ask me bout this pin this week, so I figured I would go ahead and test it out. We've all see the photos, the good and the bad. And since I've never, ever done this before, I thought it would be a perfect example of what it's like for first timers to give it a go (and why it often ends up a hot mess and failed pin for so many).

I'm here to tell you that, yes, it IS doable. But I'm also going to break it down and explain why, if you're anything like me, this is such a huge pain in the side, that there is no way in hell I would ever, ever do this again. If you're the kind of person who doesn't mind spending an hour on their nails, this is perfect for you. I on the other hand, usually do my nails in the evenings sitting on the couch while browsing pinterest, so needless to say I don't usually do anything overly difficult. 

So here's how the experiment broken down. I originally followed the pin to a T. 

The only thing missing here is the vaseline, which I don't own any, so I reached for my trusted and loved cuticle cream (shameless plug, but I love Orange Thyme products. I own probably a dozen of her lip balms and soaps and seriously, best stuff ever. She's not paying me to say this, I'm just a die hard fan. The Earl Grey lip balm is probably my most prized lip balm ever and I have to hide it so my husband doesn't steal it.)

I added the polish to the water, and noticed right away that the coral polish was creating a strange film on the water. Weird. Well it turns out that the water was slightly too warm, and the polish was a quick-set one, and it was literally hardening in the water. So I had to redo this batch.

And here's the results.

I assumed due to the pin that once it had mostly set up, that I could use something as simple as a toothpick to help separate the polish from my cuticle line, easily cleaning up what is on my fingers. Nope. Didn't work for me. What ended up happening was any sort of pulling, would cause the entire thing to stretch, and tear, making me have to redo everything. So that was a huge fail for me at least.

I then decided to see if using different polishes, different temperature of water, and different shape bowls would have any sort of effect. I tried polishes ranging from $2 Sinful colors, to $12 Julep polishes, and everything in between like OPI, Sally Hansen, Maybelline, Revlon, Zoya. I was curious if the brand mattered. As it turned out, nope! What DID matter was the pigmentation of the polish. Pigmentation can vary from polish to polish, even within the same brand.

I also found that you will get 2, MAYBE 3 good swipes of polish before you need to clear the bowl (I would just use a toothpick and scoot it over to the side) and start over. By the third pass, the polish was less swirly and more clumpy.

After a couple of fails, I found  the combination of polish that worked best for me: OPI in Incognito In Sausalito and Maybelline Color Show in Mint Mist.

After I had all my polish on, I waited. And waited. Once it had set up a bit, I got to cleaning up. Dozens of Q-tips, paper towels, acetone and 30+ minutes later, here are the results. (I also used a very tiny paint brush to better clean up my nail lines and cuticle, something I actually recommend doing after painting your nails anytime for that clean, professional look.)

So there you have it. Yes, it's doable. No, it's not easy. What this experiment showed me, however, was that there were a few things that did help: highly pigmented polish, a shallow plate worked better than a bowl, tepid water worked better than warm, and you should only do 2, maybe 3 swipes before you reset the polish. Also, the clean up is KEY to getting this to look pinterest ready.

Have any of you tried this? Share your photos (the good and the bad!) and what methods worked best for you with us over on Facebook or Twitter. And if you have any pins you're curious, let us know!

All Natural Weed Killer

"{Weed Killer} 1 Gallon white vinegar 2 cups multi purpose epsom salt 1/4 cup regular blue dawn dish soap"

I've had a lot of people asking about this one, and even seen it debated on a few of the gardening forums I read. In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit that it was the siren's call of gardening that has kept me away from writing recently. If there is one thing I love, it's gardening. But as anyone with a yard or garden knows, weeds are a major hassle to deal with. You can get all sorts of sprays to treat them, from hiring a professional company to many kinds of pesticides sold at gardening and hardware stores. But what if you're looking for a more natural solution? There's always pulling, but some weeds are hard to remove that way, and if you're staring down a yard full of them, it could take way too long not to mention a back breaking job. 

So in today's post I compare two more natural methods up against a chemical weed killer spray I picked up at the hardware store.

I have a patch of weeds that I've been battling for years (in fact if anyone reading could identify them for me, let me know in the comments!) I even installed a weed cloth in the flower bed to try to combat them, but they've grown along the edge and out of the rocks of the bed where the sheet meets the sidewalk (though I wish at the time I knew about newspaper as a weed barrier, it would have saved a lot of hassle and money in the long run for me!) And to make sure these methods work on various other weeds, I also tested out on my embarrassingly bad curb strip, which is plagued with awful thorny weeds. 

So here are the contenders: Boiling water, vinegar/soap/epsom salt mix, and a commercial spray. 

I marked each section I was going to spray, and then I mixed up the solution - 2 cups vinegar, 1/4 epsom salt, and a bit of Dawn dish soap. All of these are on the list of "Cure Alls" that are common on sites like pinterest, so I was a bit skeptical. To make sure the water stays boiling, I poured it into a insulated carafe before bringing it outside.

Here are the weeds in their before state:

And 24 hours later: 

Boiling Water: 

As you can see, the boiling water had the most effect on the weeds. I made sure to pour it as close to the ground as I could. I've actually used this method before with GREAT success, and it's been my go to weed killer this summer. You do have to be careful when using it that you aren't killing the plants around it. I use a carafe with a small pour spout, so I have better control over where the water goes. 

I give it an A. It's both effective, easy to use, and about as cheap as you can get. What's not to love?

Vinegar/Epsom Salt/Soap Mix: 

Much to my surprise, the vinegar/epsom salt/soap mix actually did a pretty decent job! I made sure to soak the leaves as well as the base of the weeds, though the stems of the weeds are still green (compared to the dead stems from the boiling water). 

I would give this a B. I still prefer boiling water - it's easier to make, and I have no idea what this mixture is going to do to my soil, unlike boiling water (which really the only real risk is killing off the soil flora, something easily fixed by either leaving it alone or adding some fertilizer to it)

Chemical Spray: 

And the Ortho spray didn't do a single thing. I'm not even joking. I'm shocked. Utterly shocked. I followed instructions, I sprayed both the leaves and the soil. and they don't look even phased. I honestly have no idea why this didn't work even a bit, you'd expect after 24 hours that the leaves would at least start to curl like they do when they are sprayed with products like this. I give this a big F.

So there you have it.. set down the costly sprays and reach for an electric kettle. Test these out in your own yard or gardens and let me know how it works for you. And if you have any other natural weed killers you'd like me to test out, post them over on our facebook page or on twitter and let us know. 

Salt and Vinegar to Remove Rust

"Solution for rusty tools. Soak overnight in vinegar and salt for good as new!"

I have a problem with moisture in my studio, which means if my tools don't get put away properly, rust happens. I found a cache of bits and burs I had left in a jar tucked away on my bench, and they were a mess of rust. I realized this would give me a great chance of testing out a pin I found awhile back, suggesting that vinegar could easily remove rust. 

Having used up all of my white vinegar for egg dying, however (I mean really, what else were we going to do with dozens of eggs after our test of popular hard boiling methods?), I did have some apple cider vinegar on hand, and it has the same acidity level as white vinegar (5%) so I figured I'd go ahead and test this out. I bought a commercial rust remover just in case and decided to test them out side by side to see which comes out the winner. I was honestly a bit nervous about testing this out since these aren't cheap burs, and I know salt water is just about the worst thing you could introduce to your tools. 

They both smelled pretty bad honestly and my kids were complaining, so I had to keep them stored overnight in my studio. After 24 hours I checked on the bits to see how they were doing.. The commercial rust remover in the forefront there, was looking pretty murky and dark. The vinegar salt combo in the back, on the other hand, just looked dingy and oddly foamy. 

I washed them with a bit of dish soap and then patted dry with a paper towel.

Can you guess which is which? 

The burs with rust still on them were the ones who got the vinegar salt bath, the blackened, yet rust free, burs are the ones who got the chemical bath. 

Now I've since seen a few youtube videos on this, and it seems that yes, it does work, to a degree at least. You have to admit the bits do look less rusty compared to the before photo, but they aren't rust free. The videos recommend scrubbing the rusted item with a coarse bristle brush. However these bits are tiny. Something like this might be worth a shot on random tools you pick up at a yard sale, but when faced with delicate costly work tools (or burs and bits in this case) I'm going to reach for the chemical bath. Not only that, but scrubbing alone will remove the rust. So the vinegar might loosen the rust, but you still have to scrub - if that's the case, you might as well soak it in anything and go to town with a steel wool pad.

Though really, I'll work better at putting my tools away, so I hopefully won't have to test this out again any time soon.

Cinnamon Roll Crust

"How great is this? Just use store bought cinnamon roll dough in place of crust for your pies!"

A fan submitted this one and had the same concerns I did when reading this. If you've ever made cinnamon rolls before, even store bought ones often found in the chill case, they tend rise when baked. So either the rising roll crust is going to cause all the amazing pie filling to leak out the sides (and onto the oven floor) or it's going to remain a dense, chewy undercooked mess. 

Luckily I was able to track down the original source of the image, and wouldn't you know it? That's not what this is an image of. Over at Tablespoon, Stephanie shares a great recipe on how to make a pie with a faux cinnamon roll crust made of rolled up crust, spices and sugar. Since it's crust, it won't rise like the supermarket rolls will, so your pie filling will stay in place. You can read more of her recipes on her blog at Girl Versus Dough. 

So, is anyone game to try this? I'd try one with cinnamon rolls from the store, but I made a new years resolution not to set my oven on fire for this year. If you try ether examples though, let us know! Share photos or stories on our facebook and twitter. 

Crisco Candle Does Work, But Still Not the Best Idea

Ah, yes, the Crisco candle. I've had a lot of people send me this asking about it. Does it work? Yes, it does. It's also easy enough to make: just take a tub of crisco, use a stick or skewer to pierce a hole through the center, and insert a wick. I know, I usually do Good Idea Fridays, but this one is a mixed-results post; since it does work, I didn't feel it qualified as a bad idea, but there are some risks involved that I think everyone should be aware of. 

First off, the container the shortening comes in? It's a foil-lined cardboard tube. So, where as this can burn for something like 45 hours, as the pin suggests, I would never in a million years suggest doing that. If left to burn long enough, the melted oil of the crisco can make it's way into the paper, making it perfect fuel for fire. Also, as with all things like this, Crisco CAN catch fire (so can wax and other oils that are used in candles and oil lamps). Please, if you try this, DO NOT let it burn for too long. It's not something you just light and walk away from. 

The truth is, this is something I would only ever use in a last case scenario. There are much better options out there that would work better, but if you find yourself in a cabin in the woods in the middle of the night with no electricity and the batteries in your flashlight are about to go out, then something like this will work. But for everyday home use when the power goes out, anything from candles to a battery powered lantern would still be preferable. The truth is, with a bit of wick and pretty much any oils, you can make a candle or lantern out of anything from kerosene to tallow to paraffin or lard. But they all come with a high flammable risk, so be careful.

Plato's Popular Quotes (Meaningful Misquotes Quote #2)

Ah yes, this quote. I'll be frank, I'm not usually one for inspirational quotes, but this is one of the few I honestly really like. I've seen a lot of quotes on Pinterest that are attributed to Plato, and a friend was asking about another quote which sent me searching. Turns out a lot of Plato's quotes that you see on Pinterest aren't actually Plato's... go figure.

Over at Quote Investigator, O'Toole looks at the history of this quote. Turns out the first record of it was in 1897, and was penned by a man named John Watson who published under the name of Ian Maclaren:

“IAN MACLAREN,” along with other celebrities, was asked to send a Christmas message to an influential religious weekly in England. He responded by sending the short but striking sentence: “Be pitiful, for every man is fighting a hard battle.” No message is more needed in our days of stress and storm, of selfish striving and merciless competition.

I'm sure we've all seen this one as well on Pinterest and on Facebook.

But at Honey and Locusts, John actually traces down the original text from Plato:

“Laws are made to instruct the good, and in the hope that there may be no need of them; also to control the bad, whose hardness of heart will not be hindered from crime.” [Book IX]

Which when broken into layman's terms sounds kinda like the quote we've all seen, but knowing how Plato thought seems to actually push the quote into a different direction. As John says in his post about the Plato quotes:

"While it’s true that Plato did say something vaguely similar in, I think the paraphrase misrepresents what Plato was really saying. The “good” need the law, both for instruction in what is right, and for the restraining of the “bad'"

So there you go. I'm sure there are probably dozens, if not hundreds of quotes on the internet that are miscredited, this is merely one of many. But if you're interested in reading more of Plato's work, you can either download a free copy over at Archive.org or buy it on Amazon.

Alka Seltzer to Cure Urinary Tract Infections

This is one of those ideas that I'm sure we've all seen on pinterest, it's combined with a lot of other pretty bad ideas so I figured I would focus on them one at a time and explain why this is a really bad idea.  I can not stress enough that this is a bad and potentially dangerous idea. I hate dragging myself into the doctor's office and paying co-pays and prescription fees and the whole 9-yards over something like an UTI, and I'm all for home remedies for things like your basic cold or flu or second degree burns (my oven is out to get me I swear).  But certain conditions are nothing to play around with, and UTIs are one of them.

The idea behind this is that Alka Seltzer is alkaline in nature, so it will help balance out the pH of your urine, eliminating the infection. But it also contains aspirin or other pain relievers, so whether it actually helps with the infection or not, what it definitely does is help with the symptoms. So in a day or 2 of taking it you may feel better, but the infection may persist. This can be extremely dangerous because UTIs that are left untreated can move into your kidneys, causing kidney infections which are far more painful and difficult to treat and can lead to kidney failure.

Some doctors say alkaline can help with UTIs, whereas others say more acidic things (such as cranberry juice) can help. But the truth is that the pain relieving properties of Alka-Seltzer is going to mask any pain or discomfort that the UTI is causing, so it's going to be a lot harder to gauge if you're cured, or just no longer in pain. If you really want to give it a try before you can get into your doctor's, dissolving some baking soda in water would give you the same pH level changes as Alka-Seltzer would. The thing to remember is that it isn't just one strain of bacteria that causes UTIs, it's a dozen different kinds. One strain my respond better to acid, another to base. On top of that, your own personal pH level may even affect what works and doesn't, if it's going to work at all.

If you're looking for a home remedy, You can always try unsweetened pure cranberry juice, and up your water intake. There have been studies done on cranberry juice and though the studies are mixed, it does hold some weight to actually working, unlike Alka-Seltzer. Though if it lasts more than a few days, I can't stress enough the importance of seeing a doctor for UTIs. The longer you let it go the more likely it is going to move into your kidneys, and that is something no one wants to mess with.

Good Idea Friday - How To Open A Bottle Of Wine With A Shoe

"Open a Bottle of Wine with Your Shoe Maybe the most useful thing anyone needs to know, ever."

This is a trick I found on pinterest a while back that I was really excited to try. I watched the original video posted, and it looked easy. But if it's so easy why isn't this a common party trick? So I decided to test it out myself and film the results: 

I decided to skip the idea of hitting it on a wall because A: I didn't want to damage my walls and B: I figured this is best used when away from home and without a corkscrew handy, so chances are you won't have a wall to hit. Despite hitting it on various things, my husband was unable to get the cork to even budge slightly.  However once it was opened, and recorked, we tried again with far easier success.

I've since watched a couple more videos on youtube of people trying this, and it seems those who did succeed were hitting the bottle for quite some time before it started to budge. So I'm going to go ahead and say this will work, but it would be easier all around if you opened the bottle, recorked it, and then did the tree/wall method like we showed. 

So has anyone tried this yet? What were your results? Do you have any other tricks and tips to opening a bottle without a corkscrew? 

Whole Egg Compost

"Fill pot with 2" of soil then place one uncracked raw egg in the pot. As it decomposes, it will serve as a natural fertilizer."

This is a pin that made me do a double take. You see, eggshells are honestly a great compost addition so it's easy to think maybe by tossing in the whole egg, it can work just as well. However, there's a handful of problems that can come up when you just toss a whole egg into compost, let alone in a pot you're planting in. 

Not only do whole eggs attract pests like raccoons, mice, rats and skunks, inviting them to dig up whatever you planted in order to get to the egg, but the egg will go bad before it starts to decompose. Quite a few people have mentioned how when they tossed a whole, uncracked eggs into their compost a few of them over time basically exploded. And that is one smell I wouldn't wish on anyone. Thoughts are mixed on if you should even add whole eggs to your compost pile; those who do it recommend either cracking and stirring it into the compost pile or burying it very deeply so pests can't get to it. That's not an easy solution however when we're talking about pots. 

All in all I'd say this is a bad idea. It's best just to stick with compost or if you feel the need to add eggs, use the shells only to be on the safe side. 

Using a Banana To fix a broken CD

"Use a banana to fix a CD/DVD!"

A fan on our facebook page requested we look into ways to fix CDs. She had seen there was a pin out there for toothpaste, and I had one already saved that said banana, so I figured I'd tackle both of them in one post. So, can common household items fix your CDs? Yes, but.. some are better than others. 

Sketch of a disc : Make Use Of

It comes down to how CDs are made. You can see a lovely sketch made there to the right. They are all just plastic discs with aluminium backings, which allows the laser of the reader to bounce back and read the pits and notches engraved on the CD, very similar to how old records work. When a disc gets scratched, it's the protective plastic coating that was scratched. Rubbing a banana on it (some have also suggested car wax, peanut butter, banana peels, etc.) fills those scratches in temporally, allowing the disc to hopefully play right. But it's not a permanent fix, and really the idea of keeping a disc around that has banana goo stuck in the scratches is kind of weird. 

But what about toothpaste and the like? That is a definite YES actually. Because toothpaste is abrasive, it acts as a buffing compound that helps smooth out the top layer of plastic on the disc. This makes the scratches less noticeable by the laser, ensuring the disc can be read better. It has to be our tried-and-trusted old fashion high grit toothpaste, not the modern gel styles, but it does appear to work. So I'd keep the bananas in the kitchen and just grab your toothpaste instead. 

Before grabbing every ruined disc in your house though, I'd highly suggest reading this great write up over at "Make Use Of", where he goes more in depth about how this works and why (and also gives some great pointers if you're wanting to try it yourself).

Not post-related but I wanted to take the time to let you guys know I'm now on twitter too, so make sure to follow us at @dontpinthat

Baking Soda Microdermabrasion Scrub

"DIY Microdermabrasion - mix 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water into a paste and apply in a circular motion and rinse" 

Ah, this. This is one of those pins that inspired this blog to begin with, so I should probably do a formal post about it. We've all seen it, a lot of us have probably tried it. So why is this a bad idea?

Because it's the gold pants of the beauty world. Let me explain  This is a not-the-worst-idea-but-I-still-can't-call-it-good-idea idea.  Maybe if you're young with oily skin, and by some off chance it doesn't make you break out. So this will work on about .001% of people. Like how very few people can wear gold pants and look not ridiculous in them. For the rest of us: set down the baking soda and step away from the pants, because it's a bad idea.

I actually had a hard time even finding a photo  
of someone looking good in gold pants!

Why? Well you see, skin has a natural pH to it. If you see a dermatologist it's one of the first things they will address. If your skin's pH is off,  chances are you're fighting dryness or oily skin and breakouts. Normal range is around 4.5-6.5 which mean it's a bit on the acidic side - which is good. Its good to maintain a healthy low level of acidity to fight off bacteria and other things. Baking soda, as we all know from chem class, is a base, meaning it helps neutralize acid. Baking soda's pH is around 7.5, meaning it can help lower the acidity of your skin if you use it, which is something you most likely don't want.

On top of that, baking soda is really really good at drying your skin out. Something you might not be too worried about when you're 19, but if you're up there in age, trust me, you worry about it. I've seen the same baking soda scrub idea also pinned with the suggestion of using coconut oil in place of water (again with the coconut oil!) but having tried it myself I can assure you - it will still leave your skin feeling very dry and tight, and greasy for the first hour or so. And smelling a bit like a good stir fry.

I've read a few suggestions saying to use the base pH of baking soda to help with oil production, but unfortunately for a lot of people it will have opposite effect  You see, often times your skin is oily because it's too dry. Yes, I know, that sounds crazy. But listen: your skin needs a balance of pH and oil to it. If your skin is dry from ether the products you're using, washing too much, sun, cold, living in a dry climate, etc., your skin goes into over drive. It starts producing more oil to better protect itself. And here's where a lot of people make the mistake of reaching for a deep cleansing oil-removing soap or scrub. So you just dried your skin out even more, causing your skin to produce MORE oil. You see the cycle. So the first thing you need to do if you have oily skin is to pamper and baby your skin with gentle cream based cleanser and a gentle moisturizer to see if that helps.

So there you have it. Baking soda works, kind of, but it also dries your skin and screws up your pH balance, which can cause breakouts and dry and/or oily skin. For every person you meet who swears by this, chances are you'll find a dozen more who had issues when they tried it. All in all, it's a bad idea.

Good Idea Friday - Refilling your Wallflowers

"Do it yourself refills for any plug-in air freshener. Less expensive and better for your health!"

This idea was submitted to me by at least three different people last week, so it's clearly a hot item over at Pinterest at the moment. But is it a good idea? Bad idea? Honestly - it's a little of both. Not bad enough to put as a bad idea, but flawed enough it's not the best of ideas. Here's why. 

Wallflowers - the ever popular home scent item from Bath and Body Works, are heavy in things like VOC and chemically made scents. Anyone wanting a more natural home will understand why plugging something like that into your outlets to scent the home isn't really all that good. But what about a more natural alternative? As the pin states just use natural oils! 

My first thought when I saw this was that it was fairly sound - simply replacing the artificial scents with natural oils would work. But after spending a bit of time researching I'm not so sure anymore. Over at My Daily Bread, she brings up a lot of good points - mainly that what makes natural oils so nice is also why they aren't commonly used in items like this. Exposure to high heat, air and light will cause the oils to break down. Not to mention the sheer COST that it would take to refill these - essential oils are very costly depending on the scent you're going for. I've seen on other blogs where they recommend mixing it with various other oils and alcohol, but that starts to get in possibly dangerous territory since this is eventually being heated by an outlet, and could pose a fire risk. Different oils have different heat rates at which they can combust, so unless you know the oil you're using is safe to use in this manner it's probably best not to. I'd imagine a light scented oil with a high smoke point would be the safest as they handle heat the best, something like canola (475°F) or safflower oil (510°F) tend to have a high smoke point and are easily accessible.

But that all aside - does this work? Yes, I believe it would. I don't have those in my house to personally test out, but I've read enough blogs and articles about it to make me think this would work. The downside being of course is it's far more costly and not going to be as powerful scented as the artificial ones. 

So what can you do if you want a more natural way to scent your house without having to spend $15 every time you need to refill one plug in? Easy. Long ago, before they had even came up with plug ins, it was fairly common for people to have metal or ceramic rings that they would set on a lamp's light bulb and then fill with oils. Once heated by the lamp, the scent would be released. Why is this better? Because you're only using a small amount of oil at a time, so it doesn't have time to fade or go rancid, and comes with a far lower chance of fire. You can also change the scents easily on a whim. The rings are sold at a lot of different places and tend to run about $5 a piece, so it's also cheaper than the whole wallflower set up is. 

So what do you think? Good idea or bad idea? Any of our fans going to try this for us and report back?