Author: By Bindi

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Using Non Toxic Remedies for Cold Sores

Today, I felt that dreaded tingle,  the tingle that precedes a cold sore.  Within minutes,  it was a full blown creature and had taken over the bottom half of my lip. I was mortified!

I’ve dealt with cold sores on and off throughout my 20s. Thankfully they aren’t that common for me.  My last one was three years ago.  This also meant that I didn’t have cold sore medicine on hand. 

Abreva was my choice in the past. It never was a miracle cure,  but it did always feel like it was helping. My cold sores always last 1 week,  no matter what medicine I use.  Now that I’m focusing on a non-toxic life,  I want to see if I can move this buster along with non toxic remedies,  at home.  

Day 1 of Healing a Cold Sore the Natural Way At Home

I started my journey as many do,  a quick online search to see what essential oils would do the trick.  I am a big oil lover and like when I get to use my growing stash. 

Why Try Essential Oils For Cold Sores?

Essential oils are plant based and potent. This makes them a great ingredient for non toxic remedies. 

My search led me to this article which has a great breakdown of which oils are good and some recipes.  Ultimately, I used the resources I came across to experiment on my own. 

The first thing I tried was peppermint and thyme undiluted. I always dilute, but I was curious to see if this would speed it along. It burned right away.  I definitely would NOT recommend this route! 

I decided to make a roller bottle blend that I could use a cotton swab with.  It’s very important to avoid cross contamination when dealing with cold sores.  Here is the blend I made:

• 5 ml roller bottle

• 5 drops Peppermint 

• 2 drops Clove

• 3 drops Thyme

• Fractionated Coconut Oil

This blend was way more soothing and didn’t burn at all.  

As Day 1 nears its end,  I have come up with a plan for to combat this sucker. I will:

• Drink lots of water (at least 8 glasses)

• Use the roller blend 3-5 times a day

• have Emergen-C once a day along with elderberry gummies*

Healing is both topical and internal. I need to provide my body with the nutrients it needs to fight off this infection.  In the meantime,  I will destress and hopefully this sucker will be gone soon!

Stay tuned for more updates on how these non toxic remedies for cold sores fare. 

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How to Make Reusable Crochet Face Scrubbies in 10 Minutes

How to Make Reusable Crochet Face Scrubbies in 10 minutes (Beginner Friendly Crochet Pattern)

Reusable face scrubbies are a big trend these days. It makes sense to ditch disposable face wipes and cotton rounds that plug up our landfills and switch to the more economical eco-friendly makeup remover. Just look on Etsy, and you’ll see tons of options for homemade scrubbies. They’re much cheaper, last longer, and are easy to maintain with laundry or handwash. 

Over the past couple of years, I started to ditch commercial one-use products for more economical reusable ones. They’re better for the environment and your body. Recently, my obsession is face scrubbies. I love these things and have made loads of them. They exfoliate my skin so well and leaves it super soft. I noticed with patterns I came across that the scrubby tends to get too “holey” when it’s dampened in water. This makes it a little hard to wash your face when the stitches don’t hold up against face wash and water. Due to this, I experimented with making a pattern with two yarn strands and was pleasantly surprised by how sturdy and still soft they were!

If you’re like me and love DIY projects, you’ll enjoy these crochet face scrubbies. They work up very fast. I can have one done in less than 10 minutes. And, they’re super cheap, costing around 50 cents for one. These scrubbies are also sturdier due to the two yarn design, plus it gives the scrubbies a cool two-tone look! This crochet pattern is beginner-friendly. The only stitch you’ll need to know is half double-crochet.

If you’re super brand new to crocheting, I would recommend a crochet kit. The one I have comes with a good range of hook sizes, stitch markers, and weaving needles. And, it comes in a handy bag so you won’t lose anything!

You are welcome to sell any creations you make using this project. I would appreciate credit if you do so. Since these work up fast, they’d be great for craft fairs, bath spa gifts, and to sell online. You are not allowed to sell this crochet pattern as your own. 

Let’s get started!

Reusable Crochet Face Scrubbies Pattern

Materials: 

  • 2 skeins medium weight (4) 100% cotton yarn (I used I Love This Cotton yarn in White and Rosey)*
  • I-9 hook
  • Stitch marker
  • Needle to weave ends

*Feel free to experiment with different colors. You can also make the pattern in one color; just use 2 skeins of the same color. 

Size: 

The approximate finished diameter will be 3 inches. 

Stitches: 

  • Half Double Crochet (HDC): Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, and pull through loop. Yarn over and pull through all loops. 
  • Slip Stich (sl st): Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, and pull through a loop. 

Notes: 

  • Chain 1 at the start of rows does not count as a stitch. 
  • Always slip stitch into the first stitch of the row, not chain 1. 
  • Working with two strands of yarn can be a little difficult if it is your first time doing so. Make sure to keep your tension loose so you can easily insert hook into stitches. Keep skeins separate to keep yarn from getting tangled as you work. Always make sure you have both colors on your hook. 

Directions: 

Foundation Row: Chain 3 and sl st into chain one. This will create a circle. 

Row 1: Chain 1 (does not count as stitch).  9 HDC into the circle. Sl st. (9 stitches)

Row 2: Chain 1. **2 HDC in same stitch**. Repeat from * to * in the next 8 stitches. Sl st. (18 stitches)

Row 3: Chain 1. **1 HDC in the same stitch. 2 HDC in next stitch**. Repeat from ** to ** 5 more times. Sl st (27 stitches)

Finish off and weave in ends. 

And that’s all there is to it! If you make this pattern, be sure to comment below and tag @Paintingsbybindi in photos! I would love to see what you create. 

– ByBindi

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Hello world!

Hello and welcome to ByBindi, you’re go-to guide for everything arts and crafts, health and fitness, and nontoxic living. I’m an artist, writer, and overall positive person. I believe that we are in charge of happiness in our lives and this comes from fulfilling our mind, body, and soul. It may sound cliche, but it works. When you are mentally and physically fulfilled, everything else tends to fall in place. 

I’m a kid at heart and believe life should be fun! I’m creating this blog to put together tutorials, random musings, recipes, and advice that I have benefitted from. I’ve always wanted to start a blog and now seems like the perfect time. 

Join me on my journey to a joyful life!