Are you interested in using more natural products to replace chemicals in your life?
So are we.
In fact, to that end we have created a line of skin care balms with all natural ingredients. Most are infused with essential oils for a variety of uses.
Below is an unsolicited but used with permission, customer testimonial about our Tea Tree Oil balm.
“I was cooking a salad dressing that contained oil in the microwave. When I opened it, the dressing exploded and splashed on my face. I immediately thought of my little jar of Five Feline Farm Tea Tree Oil balm and slathered it on the burn.
I called a family member who took me to the emergency room. At my followup appointment with my regular doctor, he told me the burn was healing beautifully. I told him what I did with the balm and he said that helped with my healing so much that I probably will not have a scar!”
—B. C.
We love to hear these kinds of testimonials about our products. We think our balms are pretty fantastic, but it is great to hear when someone else thinks so too.
Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil distilled from the leaves of the Tea Tree which is native to Australia. The aboriginal people have used it for hundreds of years to treat minor skin conditions. It is reported to have antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. People use it for nail fungus, insect bites or stings, dandruff and other skin irritations. It is typically used in a carrier oil or as we do in a beeswax based balm.
We make two different formulas of our skin balms; each named after cats who have lived on the farm. Both have straightforward simple ingredients (beeswax, sweet almond oil and Vitamin E oil) in addition to an essential oil.
Phantom Balm is created with a higher proportion of beeswax to almond oil resulting in a more solid product that requires a small paddle to remove from the jar. Reine Balm is a bit softer with a lower beeswax to almond oil ratio.
Both are available at our Farmer’s Market booths and our on line Mercantile.
Disclaimer: this information is not medical advice and we do not have medical degrees. You should consult your medical professional about any and all medical treatment.
It is that time of year when fresh food straight from the garden abounds, although the unusual amount of rain has delayed some of our crops.
Listen in as we talk about what we are harvesting, using and storing. In particular we review a recent dish with small gourmet potatoes and garlic as well as using fresh herbs.
Be sure to check out our social media where you will find almost daily reports on the Farm. We are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Until next time….
Honeybee stings happen. Being prepared with a quick treatment will reduce pain, itch and swelling.
This is something we hear all the time. There is allergic and then there’s ALLERGIC. Be sure to know the difference in a localized allergic reaction and an allergy to bee venom that causes a systemic involvement of your airway.
An allergic reaction will cause localized swelling, warmth and itching around the sting. This will last 2 or 3 days and cause relatively minor discomfort. The amount of swelling will vary from person to person, but can be treated with home remedies.
A systemic allergic reaction is quite a different matter. This type of full body involvement may cause a person’s airway to swell and impede the ability to breathe. Anyone who has this type of reaction to a bee sting must receive immediate medical treatment. Home remedies are not for you. You likely already carry an Epi-pen (a portable means of injecting epinephrine in an emergency) and for use immediately after a sting. This is a serious medical emergency and should be treated in an emergency room even after the use of an Epi-pen.
Here’s what we do for the occasional bee sting.
First, don’t panic. This will alarm the other bees and you may end up being stung more than once. Walk away from the hive and remove the stinger. Your goal is to scrape the stinger out against the direction of the sting. When the bee leaves her stinger in you, there is a small bulb of venom at the end of the stinger. Place the edge of a credit card (in a pinch you could use the edge of your hive tool) between the venom bulb and the insertion point of the stinger. Scrape toward the bulb end of the stinger with a firm flick of the card. This should remove the stinger from your skin and stop the flow of venom. It is beneficial to do this as quickly as possible after being stung.
After removing the stinger, apply an ice pack to the affected area. This will help reduce swelling and offer immediate relief. We also add a smear of honey to the affected area. Honey has antiseptic properties and seems to reduce the itch. You can take an antihistamine such as Benadryl if necessary.
Remember honeybees will rarely sting while foraging away from the hive. They are focused on gathering pollen and nectar with no concern about much else. Foraging bees are not in a position to defend the hive or the queen. Unless aggravated, squeezed or stepped on, they are not likely to sting.
For more information about avoiding stings in the first place, check out this blog post on the Mother Earth News website: How To Not Get Stung
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