All this period talk made me go on my period :P I'm terrified of cups but I think I might purchase reusable pads I can wash. Tbh I'm still a little iffy about those too.
All this period talk made me go on my period :P I'm terrified of cups but I think I might purchase reusable pads I can wash. Tbh I'm still a little iffy about those too.
The SeaGlass Siren
I used cloth pads ages ago- they just didn't suit me. Too bulky, I'm just not a pads kind of gal. Any kind of pads.
Yulex never got back to me. Argh.
I'm not a huge fan of pads, but for days when all I need is a little spot control, I'd like to make my own thin cloth pads. I don't forsee any ick problems with those, because my siblings and I were raised in cloth diapers, so I've handle far more mess in those things than a little blood :P In an emergency, I've been known to use a folded-up sock :P
ARGH come on Yulex, WE WANT TO KNOOOOWWWW THINGS!!!
BWAHAHAHA I've never heard anyone call it Shark Week! I am totally going to use that now!Originally Posted by Miyu
Back on topic, I know this is on the haircare thread already, but coconut oil is great for hair. I have a big jar of organic coconut oil that I work into my hair before I go pool swimming. It helps prevent the hair from sucking up all the chlorine and makes it much easier to wash later.
"I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." Anaīs Nin
it's not done yet, but close.
I made a black top with a pink trim that is a perfect match!
can't wait to try it out in water.
Oh thanks for that tip! I must have missed it in the hair thread, I don't look at it as often.
The cup has a bit of a learning curve, but they're not scary at all. I'll never travel without one now.
I wonder if coconut oil in the pool is a potential allergen for people with coconut allergies? Hmm...
Yep, there's a learning curve with the cups, but it's not so bad - just stick with it and you'll be an expert in no time! I make sure to take mine whenever I travel, just in case I'm way off-schedule, and it's seriously saved me several times... >.<
Wow, what a gorgeous tail, Echidna!
Mermaid Galene (pronounced Guh-LEE-nee)
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Neptune's Keep makes music with fish. Fish have hidden depths!
You think?
Thanks!
I hope to make a video from the event, maybe I can get some swimming footage.
I've never swum in a neoprene tail before, I wonder how that works out.
Is there a link to a list of seashells to avoid buying? I've never bought shells before, since I always had a beach, but now I live in the middle of the desert. I already refuse to buy shells or corals at souvenir shops because I don't trust the source, and the only coral I'll ever consider using is small bits I've picked up myself, but I see real dried starfish at Michaels all the time. The problem is, I know they're sea biscuits, and they were becoming near extinct in the Fl Keyes last time I was there. I'd never buy the starfish, but it makes me wonder, are they just as irresponsible with the shells? Are there shells that are responsibly collected, and where would I get those?
I kinda want to know that as well. I never buy shells or starfish because my friends always go out of their way to buy them as gifts for me :| but I feel super guilty not knowing where they were sourced from.
The SeaGlass Siren
I have ordered from this website: http://www.sealifegifts.net/ . They have an environmental notice about not using any illegal/endangered species, and it looks like it's mostly by-product of seafood production.
I don't generally buy shells from the big-box stores... most of my shells are secondhand in one way or another - some were collected by myself, some from dinner, some as gifts, some bought/bartered for at thrift shops and boutiques.
Oh cool, thanks for the link! I think I'll probably stick to collecting my own shells or using fake ones. I'd rather have the excuse to collect my own anyway :P Any excuse to get to the beach that is 10 hours away from me!
Does anyone have any suggestions for paint products to use on a tail? I was thinking about putting black stripes on mine when I get it from growatail. I thought about acrylic but I want it to be safe in the water, for people and water life.
User formerly known as "Hinata Evans".
THE TIGER LILY MERMAID
We merfolk have, I think, a moral responsibility to bring these details to light via social media and our public interactions. ~ Mermaid Galene
Sadly, paint does flake off as you use your tail... The best way to prevent it would be to use a silicone "seal" layer on top of the paint, but I think even that would be compromised over time. There are many non-toxic paints usually used for painting tails, and that's the best we have right now - still not ideal for a critter to ingest, but at least not terribly toxic. You could "paint" with dye, but you DO NOT WANT to use the home-dye kinds (like RIT, etc.) because they never fully "set" like factory-strength dye (which you need special equipment to work with, I think, because it's pretty noxious before it cures). RIT-type dye is also generally toxic... and because it never fully "sets", it slowly washes out of the fabric over time (it doesn't really dye synthetics well anyways).
Yep, just one of the reasons I want a silicone tail over a painted tail - paint flakes and needs to be repaired, and leaves paint flakes in wildlife :P
Thanks Miyu! Hey you wouldn't know any of those non-toxic brands would you? Hmm I was also thinking about a coating over the paint with a thin layer of clear nail polish maybe diluted a bit - do you think that would help? I used it when I used to customize ponies from MLP, but I did use the original strength.
User formerly known as "Hinata Evans".
THE TIGER LILY MERMAID
We merfolk have, I think, a moral responsibility to bring these details to light via social media and our public interactions. ~ Mermaid Galene
No problem, this is one of my favorite topics of conversation
I don't know many of the brands off the top of my head, but I've also been up for almost 24 hours now LOL!I'm pretty sure all of the ones listed elsewhere on the boards are non-toxic, and any of the mers who do painted tails should have a few favorite brands they use (I know Morticia uses several kinds).
I wouldn't personally use nail polish, for several reasons: It's not really flexible structurally, so it'll flake off the fabric pretty fast as you swim/move/etc. Second, nail polish is probably more toxic to wildlife than the paints areAnd third, nail polish is not meant as a long-term top coat (it's meant to be removed from your nails in roughly a week), so it's not really formulated to withstand things like UV light, chlorine, general wear & tear. I used to use clear coat nail polish to seal my polymer clay creations, but after a few years the polish is severely degraded, leaving a sticky, tacky feeling to the pieces, and its poor resistance to UV light (even UV-resistant polishes are not designed for more than a week's wear really) led to it discoloring from a nice translucent-ish bone-white to an icky, nicotine-stain-ish yellow-green
I do know there is available small tubes of silicone for use in aquariums, food-grade equipment, etc. That may be a more economical option for coating the paint with an appropriately flexible/non-toxic material. I have one laying around here somewhere, I'll try to look up the brand for you after I wake up LOL. If you stretch the fabric out correctly while you're painting on the silicone, it should "infuse" itself into the fibers fairly well, according to some preliminary testing.
Thanks so much it's a wonderful idea - and what about sharpies? Pearly suggested it and I thought it was brilliant (another thread) how safe do you think it would be?
User formerly known as "Hinata Evans".
THE TIGER LILY MERMAID
We merfolk have, I think, a moral responsibility to bring these details to light via social media and our public interactions. ~ Mermaid Galene
I refer to it as 'the red tide coming in', lol. Also a fan of reusable cloth glad-rags. And I now have a teeny cup I can't use...gonna have to get the 'post childbirth' size now. Oh well.
I found a blog post reviewing all natural sunscreens, I'm super excited. I haven't been able to wear sunscreen in years, I break out in a terrible rash (It looks a lot like sunburn... So imagine how that was for me as a kid-"Oh, you're burning! More sunscreen!" = More burn, repeat again every two hours. Not fun)
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/20...blocks-work-2/
I'm currently thinking about getting the Badger Balm brand. Bonus: It says it's safe for coral reefs and other ecosystems.
Also known as Salina Tideglow
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