Since the Industrial Revolution, and in particular in the last hundred years or so, our way of life has changed radically. Too radically even, in evolutionary terms. To be sure, we now live a longer and more comfortable life, but the massive changes introduced into our life do not come free. Modern medicine arguably may have prolonged our life, but degenerative diseases at an ever earlier age are on the increase, affecting the quality of this longer life span. We can travel anywhere and at any time, but the pollution this creates makes our air unbreathable: asthma rates have doubled in Europe in the last 10 years alone, and you're talking millions, not thousands. Synthetic detergents may have made home chores easier, but the chemicals they are made of are increasingly found to be carcinogenic. Cosmetic products are now cheaply available in every corner shop, but the innocent buyer does not even suspect that some of the most common ingredients used in these preparations are hazardous chemicals. And, touching lightly on nutrition, we can now eat fresh fruit from the tropics in a centrally heated flat in London in mid-Winter. It just doesn't make sense. And the list just goes on and on.

I am not advocating here that we go back to living in caves, wearing fur and cooking on the camp fire. What we can do though is pay slightly more attention to areas where we can make a difference. If we reduce the toxic load both on our body and on our environment, we’ll be the direct beneficiaries; and it doesn’t really take that much of an effort.

Look up the links below to find plenty of ideas for a more natural way of living in your medicine cabinet and on the dressing table.

Natural Cosmetics

Natural Remedies