Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Book review of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. When I first heard about this book, I went through my usual routine to access the book through my overdrive library account. I was delighted to find that the audio book was indeed available, except that I ended up being number 142 for ten copies. Ugh, a long wait indeed. I got impatient, because I was really looking forward to reading this book. Continue reading

Why Your Pet Needs An All Natural Soap Too

What's the first thing your dog or cat does after a bath? Mine lick themselves clean! Yep, all those chemicals used in pet cleaning products go straight into your pets mouth. Lovely huh? I must be honest, sometimes my dogs eat healthier than I, their bed is bigger than mine, relative to their body size, and they don't work half as hard as I do. Continue reading

Do You Really Need A Sunscreen?

If you look at any commercial sunscreens you will see a lot of disclaimers, including that sunscreen does not prevent cancer, and the best approach to protect skin is to avoid the sun by wearing appropriate clothing. That may all be true, but that is not always practical, and that is not the whole story. Here is the rest of the story. So, do you really need a sunscreen? The answer is: Continue reading

What If – Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions – by Randall Munroe

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions Despite my recent book reviews, I don't strictly read health related books, I read some for enjoyment as well, though usually the ones I recommend are based on facts, so I don't write reviews often on "silly" books. But sometimes you need a break, Continue reading

What It Takes to Bring A Quality Product to Market, From Development to Store Shelf

And why I don't share my formulas. I often get asked for my product formula recipes, and sometimes I get asked how long it takes me to develop one of my creams. The first question I cannot answer, for reasons explained below. The second question took me some time to really evaluate and figure out how long it actually does take me to develop my creams. You see, there's a difference between following a recipe in a cook book and making Continue reading

Understanding Oils & Fats For Health And Beauty

Why would you want to learn more about some of the ingredients that go into all natural personal care products? Why would you want to have more of a background about fatty acids and lipids in nutrition and every day life? Simple. Understanding the basics of the different types of fatty acids (oils and fats) will allow a person to make healthier choices in both their skin care and nutritional needs. Continue reading