Welcome to My World – ‘Tis the Season to Discuss Mistletoe, Tea & Skin Care
Hello World! It is the time of year so I thought I’d share some interesting info about mistletoe… 
I didn’t know this until I researched it online. Just remember that you have to be careful with Mistletoe. Please read the entire article if you are interested……
Health & Beauty Benefits of Mistletoe 
Mistletoe’s silvery green foliage & white pearl-like berries make it an elegant & popular choice for yuletide decorations. But mistletoe can be much more than a simple addition to festive holiday decors. Mistletoe also has a wide variety of health & beauty benefits. In fact, ancient people were so impressed with its versatility that mistletoe became interwoven into legends, myths, & even religious beliefs.
So, what exactly is mistletoe? Mistletoe is a pretty, flowering parasitic plant. It obtains nutrition by living on & parasitizing other plants. Mistletoe grows on high tree branches or trunks of other trees, where it sends roots into the host. The sticky, white mistletoe berries find new hosts primarily by birds spreading the seeds from tree to tree, but gardeners can also use berries to propagate their own mistletoe plant.
There are 2 main types of mistletoe: European & American. The mistletoe that is commonly used for yuletide decorating is Phoradendron flavescens, the native North American variety. The European Mistletoe variety, however, is one of the most commonly prescribed substances (in various preparations) in international out-patient cancer clinics. It commonly grows on older apple, oak, pine, or elm trees.
Health Benefits 
Could mistletoe help kiss cancer goodbye? Maybe.
Mistletoe tea has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for a variety of conditions such as seizures, headaches, menstrual cramps, & to aid in fertility. Today, mistletoe has been the focus of numerous studies around the world suggesting that it could be used to treat various types of cancer. (Results of these studies have been widely mixed.) While some studies have shown mistletoe extract ineffective at reducing tumor size or preventing the spread of cancer, other results show promising hope for cancer patients. Mistletoe extract has been shown to have killed cancer cells while also protecting the DNA in white blood cells, including those that have been exposed to powerful chemotherapy drugs. It has the potential to play a vital role as an alternative therapy for sufferers of colon cancer. Mistletoe can also help to minimize the side effect of chemotherapy treatments, thus improving the patient’s quality of life.
The shoots & berries are made into extracts that can be taken orally or by injection. Less common ways to take mistletoe are by mouth, intravenously, or injected directly into the tumor. Mistletoe extract injections are available as an alternative cancer treatment in Europe, with a doctor’s prescription. Whereas, here in the U.S., mistletoe injections are only available in clinical trials.
***It’s important to note that any variety of mistletoe is poisonous in its natural, unprocessed form. Fresh mistletoe can cause serious health implications such as vomiting, seizures, or even death. European mistletoe is the variety that is typically used for medicinal preparations, while the American species is considered a decoration only– it is unsafe for any type of consumption.***
Beauty Benefits 
Mistletoe can also be used in a DIY beauty regimen.
Mistletoe has both an anti-inflammatory & anti-aging properties, plus it has been shown to boost our immune system. This not only makes it perfect for dry winter skin, but also as a year-round skin protectant. The antioxidants in mistletoe fight the signs of aging by protecting the skin against oxidative aging caused by free radicals. Since mistletoe can heal damaged skin, regenerate new skin cells, & even unclog pores, it makes the ideal facial toner or renewing lip scrub. & if that wasn’t enough, some proponents believe mistletoe can strengthen hair follicles & promote healthy new hair growth!
Mistletoe is fairly easy to come by. You can purchase mistletoe extract at your local vitamin store for about $15, or you can prepare your own using a few sprigs of fresh mistletoe. Be aware, although mistletoe is completely safe for topical use, only use the leaves in DIY beauty products. *Discard the berries*. They are toxic & should always be kept away from children and animals. 
(These Berries are TOXIC!)
I found this to be interesting. I have not tried this on myself & please remember to be very careful around Kids & Pets if you plan on trying this.
If you are a Tea Drinker, Please check out Tea Box by clicking on the link on the right. They have a wide variety of teas for you to pick from.
___________________________________________
If you want clinically proven anti-aging skin cream, please click on the link on the right for Trufora. Here is a bit about the founder of the company.
founder of Trufora – Sara Sweeney 
I spent over a decade launching some of the best known skincare & prescription dermatology brands & became increasingly frustrated with the quality of the products available . I knew I could give women like me a new, & much better option to take care of our skin. I pay very close attention to the quality of ingredients that I eat, so why wouldn’t I want to do the same for the ingredients that go on my skin? I wasn’t the only woman who felt like this, as when I told my friends that I was going to create a skincare line that wouldn’t irritate the skin, or contain potentially harmful ingredients or ingredients tested on animals & that would actually deliver visible results – they unanimously told me that this was exactly what they wanted!
Many women think that choosing “organic” or “natural” products is enough, & then come to find out that many of the ingredients used actually contain hidden toxins, cause irritation, or don’t deliver any visible changes to the skin. I knew that I could create an effective, Dermatologist grade skincare line using only the purest, safest & most effective ingredients – a skincare line that women would love using as the quality of the ingredients would make our products feel so different on the skin than anything else we have tried before. That’s why I started Truth Aesthetics, LLC & how Trufora was born.