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Have you ever walked into a high-end department store where *spa* items are sold and walked away because of the high price?

How many times have you seen an item you wanted, but when you tried to read the list of ingredients, which seemed to be in Latin/Greek, which you couldn't even pronounce, you put it back?

Granted, the packaging, containers and brand name were great. And, maybe you were drawn to this item because of the excellent marketing and the appeal of *If you want to be beautiful, thin, have the perfect home, perfect husband, children, family, etc, you have to have this product* advertising.

How many times have we purchased a *must have* product just to have it sit on a shelf for a couple of years before we threw it out in the trash?

Today, all of the major companies are into the *Natural* products. Recently, while Christmas shopping, I went into a mall where the first thing I saw was a wagon that had *Natural Products*.

When I read the ingredients, the first thing I noticed was Mineral Oil. Great product, but it is not natural. Mineral Oil is made from petrochemicals during the refining of oil and gasoline products.

Yet, how many times have we used this same product on ourselves or for our children, especially our babies? I*m not saying it doesn't work, but if you say your products are made using natural ingredients, why would you have a products made from petrochemicals?

What would you do if I were to tell you that you could have many of the same type of items by making them yourself, at home, without all the petrochemicals, which many commercial products contains.

Did you know that the shelves in your grocery store, health food store and your own kitchen contain many products that will help you and your family?

* Arthritis Rubs
* Facial masks
* Facial moisturizers
* Hair conditioners
* Hair colorants
* Bath & Body products
* Cold remedies
* Teas
* And more

Go on line, there are a lot of places where you can find simple recipes to make simple products. Your local library and/or bookstore are other great place to find ideas.

Did you know that:

* Honey is a great facial mask, tightens the pores as well as moisturizes.
* Honey is an excellent product to use on a cut or wound will not only act as an a bandage but also as an antibody. Honey was a staple of the ancient Egyptian doctors.
* Olive oil is an excellent product for both your skin (if you have dry skin) and your hair, giving it body and shine.
* Used tea bags will help relieve eye puffiness. Preparation H is another good product to get rid of puffiness under the eyes.

More ideas:

* Did you know that if you added capsicum (hot pepper) to olive oil, let them sit for a couple of days to blend, you have one of the best topical ointments for arthritis?
* A cup of peppermint tea is one of the best remedies for stomachaches and cramps. Used tea bags will help relieve eye puffiness
* Out of deodorant or toothpaste, try baking soda.
* Vinegar is no only an excellent product to clean windows but can also be used as a fabric softener.
* Got a cold? It's going to be with you for at least 7 to 10 days. Yes, you will feel miserable during that time, but your body is building immunities and with rest and plenty of fluids you will get over it. With the proper rest, diet and vitamins, your next one will not be as severe, that is, if you get a next one.

At one time in our history, we relied entirely on plant and natural items to restore and heal us. Mineral oil and petroleum jelly were not a part of our facial/body care.

These particular products were the *left over* from the manufacturing of oil and gasoline. Not natural, but good advertising has made us believe that it is the best products on planet earth..

Today, we have become accustomed to the *quick fix,* we want instant results. Don't like the way you look, go get plastic surgery, injections or liposuction.

Sometimes all we need is a helping hand, not a make over. Go to any drug or grocery store and you will find aisles of self-medication over the counter (OTC) products. But are they what we really need. Do we really need to run to the dermatologist every time we see (or think we see) a new wrinkle?

The best defense is offense. Read up, learn and see what you can do for you, yourself. Sometimes, the what we need is right under our noses, we just have to look and recognize it..

You know your skin better than the major companies. What is good for everyone may just be good advertising trying to get you to believe that one size fits everyone.

While in reality, one size fits not one!