DOING IT NATURAL

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  • Home Health Nursing In Nigeria 

    I was inspired by C.E Robinson a retired nurse practitioner and fellow blogger to write this post. Most people don’t know that home health care exists in Nigeria. Home health nursing just like in any other country is the care of patients in the comfort of their homes.

    Home care nursing is also known as Domiciliary care. Domiciliary care involves care of elderly and dementia patients, hospice care, post operative care, care of recuperating patients and those with disabilities etc in their homes.

    Although home care nursing is well established in developed countries like United States, United Kingdom and Canada etc, it is still a new and developing phenomenon in Nigeria.

    There are different home health agencies in Nigeria, though still few in number, are mostly located in Lagos, Nigeria.

    My perspectives

    • Professionalism: In Nigeria,some people view home care nurses as unprofessional because 75% or more of nurses in Nigeria work in an hospital and Nigerians have the mindset that nurses only work in hospital. Also, the fact that you work in a patient house sounds unacceptable to some.
    • Agency: Home care nursing also varies from agency to agency. In Nigeria, your shift might be 3 days on and 3 days off duty or 1 week on and 1 week off depending on the agency you are working with.
    • Emotional attachment: Working as a home care nurse you grow an emotional attachment to your patients because you get to see and spend time with them often unlike hospitals where patient get discharged early.

    • Patience: As a home care nurse in Nigeria, you have to be very patient because some patients and relatives can be so unappreciative no matter how hard you work. Some use abusive words and can even attempt to be physically aggressive. There also those who are uncooperative owing to the fact that you are caring for them in their house. There are appreciative and respectful ones though who appreciate every little deed you do.
    • Experience: Most time, the experience you get working as a home health in Nigeria isn’t as much as what you get working in an hospital.
    • Cost: Those that go for domiciliary care in Nigeria are usually well to do people who can afford the cost.
    • Companionship: Elderly patients often feel lonely, home health nurses provide companionship to such patients by interacting with them. They also give psychological, spiritual and emotional support more than other nurses.
    • Sense of humour: If you have a good sense of humour, it will help you in coping as a home health nurse. For me, instead of getting angry at what a patient said, I will just change it into a polite joke. 

      If you have an elderly person whose needs are beyond your capacity, I will suggest you get a home care nurse that will be responsible for him/her. It will also be nice if home health agencies are in all states in Nigeria.

       What is your opinion on Home Health Nursing? Please drop your comment in the comment section and share. Thanks for reading.

    • 9 Easy Natural Ways To Exfoliate Your Skin

      I recently wrote a post on  8 amazing benefits of exfoliating and I promised to write another post on how to exfoliate your skin.
      When choosing an exfoliant, it is better to go for exfoliants with all natural ingredients or use DIY recipes.Not only are the diy exfoliants cheaper but are also safer for the skin and you can easily get them in your kitchen.

      DIY Natural Scrubs

      • Sugar: Sugar contains glycolic acid which helps remove dead skin cells and improve cell regeneration. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with olive or coconut oil.This might be too harsh for your face.

      • Baking soda: This works as gentle exfoliant, it works best when mixed with honey and is also safe for the face.
      • Salt scrub: Salt is also a good exfoliant, combine 1/2 cup of salt with coconut or olive oil and massage it on your skin.
      • Coffee scrub: Caffeine in coffee can boost collagen production. Mix some ground coffee with olive oil and honey.

      • Lemon scrub: Lemon contains alpha hydroxyl acid which is a great exfoliator. Squeeze a lemon in a mix of sugar and honey and use it to scrub your skin.
      • Oatmeal: Oats is also a gentle exfoliant and very good for those with sensitive skin. It is my favourite especially whem mixed with honey. Grind some oatmeal and mix with honey to exfoliate your skin. You can also use the oat without grinding by mixing with warm water but it will make your bathroom messy.

      • Papaya: Papaya contains an enzyme called papain which helps get rid of dead skin cells. Mash some papaya and apply it over your body with a loofah.

      • Milk: Lactic acid in milk makes it a good exfoliant. Mix equal parts of milk and honey together and scrub your skin gently with it.
      • Honey: Honey has antibacterial properties, it can brighten skin, fades stretch mark etc. You can use it alone to exfoliate but is better to use with other exfoliator for effective results. 

      Things you will need

      1. Loofah, soft brittle brush or exfoliating gloves.
      2. Exfoliating agent preferably natural scrubs such as oatmeal, sugar, honey, coffee etc
      3. Moisturizer
      4. Warm water
      5. Cold water

      Steps of exfoliating

      1. Take a warm shower, this will open your skin pores so that the exfoliating products can work effectively.
      2. Apply the exfoliating agent on your loofah or exfoliating gloves
      3. Spread or slather the scrub all over your body working from your chest to your legs gently in a circular motion if you are using a shower and from your legs to your chest if using a bath tub.
      4. Don’t forget your back, you can use a brush with handle to scrub if you can’t have full access to it.
      5. Apply a gentler exfoliant on your face and neck, avoiding your eye area and lips because of their thin skin layer or scrub gently. Also, use your palms to exfoliate your face, using loofah or brush can be too harsh for your face.
      6. Rinse your face and body with cold water to close your pores back.
      7. Follow up with a moisturizer immediately after towel drying your body.

          How do you exfoliate? What diy recipes do you use? Thanks for reading.

        1. 8 Amazing Benefits of Exfoliating.

          8 Amazing Benefits of Exfoliating.

          Most of us skip this important and expedient part of our skincare routine.Exfoliating shouldn’t be circumscript to the face but should be done all over the body.

          Exfoliation is the process of removing dead or dry skin cells from the skin. It has loads of benefit for our skin appearance and also helps with some skin conditions. 

          Dead skin cells should be exfoliated once or twice a week preferably with natural or home remedies for a beautiful smooth skin. With regular exfoliation, you seldomly need to wear makeup everyday and you feel more comfortable without worrying about dark spots, acne etc.

          Benefits of exfoliating.

          • Even skin tone: Hyperpigmentation makes a part of the skin appear darker than other parts. Exfoliating regularly, can remove all dark spots giving you an overall even skin tone.
          • Glowing skin: Exfoliation increase blood circulation to the skin making it look healthy and glowing..

          • Reduce clogged pores: Pores are the small opening in the skin, they can get clogged with oil, dirt and dead skin cells. You can reduce the clogged pores through exfoliation.
          • Removes blemishes and acne: Regular exfoliation can get rid of blemishes and acne on your face giving you a flawless skin.
          • Reduce wrinkles: Wrinkles which can also be as a result of dead skin cells can also be reduced with exfoliation.
          • Helps with dry skin: People with dry skin often get flakes on their skin, this can be easily removed by exfoliating.

          • Better shaving and prevent razor bumps: Exfoliating before shaving gives you a better shave and reduce risk of razor bumps.
          • Absorption: Skincare products get easily absorbed on the skin and works better with regular exfoliation.

            After exfoliating, use a natural moisturized such as shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil etc. Also do not expose your skin for long to sun rays after exfoliating for 24 hours. 

            I will soon write a post on how to exfoliate and best natural products for exfoliating. Thanks for reading and please share.

            Do you exfoliate? Do you know any other benefits of exfoliating? Pleae drop your comments in the comment box. Thanks.

          1. Beauty Benefits of Aloe Vera for Hair and Skin.

            Aloe vera plant is a very common plant and is largely cultivated in countries with drier climates. It is found in most skin and hair products. It is also use in some homes for beautification.


            Benefits to skin and hair

            • Moisturizing: Aloe vera gel can keep your skin moisturized all day long. Just apply some aloe vera gel all over your body.
            • Clears acne: Applying aloe vera gel on acne can help clear up the skin and also fades acne scars.
            • Relieves dandruff: White flaky scales and itchy scalp which are characteristics of dandruff can be greatly reduced with aloe vera gel. Rub some aloe vera gel on your scalp.

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            •  Fades stretch marks: Stretch marks can be annoying and tough to deal with, you can reduce the marks with aloe vera gel.
            • Hair growth: Hair loss whether thinning edges, hair breakage can be minimized by using aloe vera gel. Aloe vera is very effective for hair growth.
            • Aging: Aloe vera contains vitamins that can slow down aging process, reduce wrinkles and freckles. Make a facial mask of aloe vera gel, honey and oatmeal and rinse off after 30 minutes.
            • Minimize Sunburn: If you are experiencing sunburn as a result of overexposure to sun rays, using aloe vera gel on the affected part can greatly reduce the sun burns.
            • Fades dark spots and lighten blemishes: You can also use aloe vera gel as a toner, it helps fade dark spots and lighten blemishes.
            • Soothe burns: The cooling effect of aloe vera can help soothe burns.

            • Gives soft and shiny hair: : Aloe vera can also be use to condition hair, add to your deep conditioner to get maximum conditioning and shine.
            • Aids wound healing.
            • Psoriasis

            Do you use aloe vera on your skin and hair? Do you know any other beauty benefits of aloe vera? Please drop your comments and share. Thanks so much for reading.