Facial Exfoliant

A very effective facial (and body) exfoliant.

This mix of rice grains (used in Japan for cleansing and smoothing the skin) and baking soda, reknowned for its mildy abrasive cleansing properties, is particularly suitable for oily skin.

If you cannot obtain soap crystals they may be left out, but the scrub will not lather.

Ingredients

2T (30mls) baking soda
2T (30mls) ground rice (you can buy it ground or do it yourself in a small coffee grinder)
1t (5mls) soap crystals (optional)
1t (5mls) finely grated lemon peel

To make

All ingredients in this recipe are dry so they may be mixed together and stored for a fairly long time (baking soda is a natural preservative).

To use

The rough texture of this scrub means it will remove dead skin cells, leaving you with fresh and clean skin. Apply in small handfuls and vigorously rub into areas of the fave until the soap lathers up. Dry your face with a soft towel and gently apply moisturiser if required.

My notes:

My skin is dry to normal, and I found this formula fine. Used once a week you can be assured of silky smooth skin.

I did not use soap crystals and found it perfectly fine. I simply wet my fingers and pressed them into the mixture and gently rubbed it onto my skin.

Stored in a pretty jar, this feels a treat to use.

Source: Recipes for Natural Beauty; Katie Spiers

Facial Oil

Apothecary Shop, circa 1920's

For quite some time now I've been using facial oils in place of regular moisturisers, including my own recipe and also store-bought organic rosehip oil (Trilogy and Evolu).

In my own recipe I used a base of Jojoba and added the essential oils Neroli and Frankincense (which apparently Cleopatra used too). I've seen these essential oils often in other facial oils too including Rodin's Olio Lusso (has anyone tried this by the way?).

And in an old Gayelord Hauser book, I found this:

IMPROVING ON CLEOPATRA'S FORMULA

Here is a combination of the world's finest and richest polyunsaturated oils. No cosmetic externally applied can do more to make the skin softer and younger looking. It is amazing how dry, wrinkled skin will gratefully soak in this combination of pure and wax-free oils. Modern cosmetic houses already manufacture polyunsaturated combinations but it is so easy to make your own. Simply mix in a measuring cup the following clear, natural oils:

3T safflower oil
3T sesame oil
2T sunflower oil
2T avocado oil
2T peanut oil
1T olive oil
1T wheatgerm oil
5 drops of rose geranium or your favourite perfume.

Seven drops of this combination, applied to your face, will convince you of its efficacy and purity. Use it regularly on face and neck; and if your scalp is dry rub in a few drops there.

Sounds too good to be true!

I am going to try the above facial oil recipe but make a few subtle changes such as adding rosehip oil in place of peanut oil (which I'm avoiding while nursing). And perhaps adding jojoba, and essential oils Neroli and Frankincense.

I think the above recipe will give me an idea of the quantities to use though.

Yes, making my own facial oil and washing hair in bicarb is sure to be a money saver but I think the real appeal lies in the fact I can make everything myself and not rely on manufacturers (except for the raw ingredients, of course). Who said Capricorns were control freaks?!

Here in New Zealand Go Native looks to be a great source for making your own beauty products.

first shampoo wash

The day I was dreading - going to the hairdresser and getting my first shampoo wash in over three months. The smell of it was sweet and chemically and detergenty, and overall rather artificial. It did feel really soft afterward, but I noticed when it was dried it didn't have the same shine as it does when rinsing with ACV. And for the first time since starting the no-shampoo regime I was forced to use styling product! The next day I washed my hair with bicarb and found it (surprise surprise) much easier to style. But I won't be sharing any pictures here yet of my new haircut. You know how hairdressers get a little enthusiastic with the scissors? I asked for a long eye-brow skimming fringe (bangs), and so she cut it (higher than I would have liked), and then went on to chip into when it was dry. So, you guessed it, my fringe is shorter than I had hoped for. She even said 'you'll look like a little girl with a fringe' at the exact same time the scissors sliced off about 4 inches of hair. Way to go, Terri!

Back in my teens this would have been such a drama for me, but now I know it'll all change within 2-4 weeks. I do think hair grows faster by not using regular shampoo and conditioner, if only for the vigorous massage required with the no-poo method.

I remember, back in my late teens, getting my hair cut from long to very short and the depressive slump that followed. I couldn't believe the difference in the way I was treated. Before, men would hold the door for me. With short hair, they were pushing ahead of me. I felt invisible. Again, I was an emotionally-charged teen and this probably all sounds melodramatic, but it was real for me then.

Apart from my 'little' fringe, the rest of the haircut is really nice and maybe in a few weeks I'll have the haircut I was hoping for. Damn that gorgeous French lady I met at a (children's) party last week, with her bouncy brunette fringe brushing over her big doe eyes. I think I was listening to what she was saying...

So in place of a picture of me, here's a picture of the gorgeous Anne Hathaway with perfect brunette bangs.

no-poo for curly hair

I've received a couple of questions about the no-poo method for curly hair. My hair is (obviously) straight to slightly wavy, so I can't give first hand experience though there are many sites out there hosted by curly-haired girls. One method is washing hair with water only, followed by an ACV rinse.

With all no-poo methods you must massage your scalp properly (using fingertips, not fingernails, massaging thoroughly around the crown, temples, etc for about a minute). I think because regular shampoo lathers up so much we tend not to massage properly as the nasty sodium lauryl sulphate* does the work for us (*SLS is essentially a harsh, stripping detergent). In massaging properly, you may find you can ditch any cleansing products altogether (bicarb, etc) and just finish with an ACV rinse. I have read that this method can be successful for curly hair.

Here are a couple of links for curly hair. I am quite interested now to try the water only wash on my hair, and I'll report back.

Hair Update

I'm still excited about this no-poo hair regime, even after 3.5 months. I'm thrilled actually. Something I thought of this morning while massaging away with the baking soda is that my hair is a lot more predictable, behaviour-wise, than when using regular shampoos and conditioners. Often I would wash and dry my hair and it wouldn't behave like it did the previous wash. This caused great frustration when I was getting ready to go out in the evening (like that ever happens now). My hair in these photos was lightly styled in the morning, but not brushed prior to the photos. When it is brushed it goes rather silky. But I like it a bit tousled and messed up. The natural shine you get from just using ACV is amazing too. It beats serums hands down. Serums build up anyway, and can leave hair looking lank.

The only other product I use is a bit of Jojoba oil on the mid-lengths to ends. I tried coconut oil but didn't like it - for one, it solidifies when cool and this made my hair look a bit icky. The jojoba oil, as I've mentioned before, is closest to hair sebum and works really well for me.

I am still using just apple cider vinegar, rather than honey ACV - the latter made my hair a bit heavier. Nice every now and then for conditioning but on a regular basis - washing my hair 2-3 times per week - the ACV is light and works best.

My pallid complexion in these shots has something to do with Audrey waking me up every 45-90 minutes throughout the night - nasty! Two coffees have perked me up, and I managed a small smile for the camera so can't be doing too badly (yet, wait until evening comes).

If you are considering going no-poo, I totally recommend you give it a go. If you don't like it (and often it comes down to working out the best ratio of bicarb/ACV) then you can always revert back to your usual products.

The no-poo method is a nice money saver though, quite the bonus on top of healthy hair. So far, no turning back for me.

Recipes

I found some interesting health recipes in a recent Vogue UK magazine that I hope to try over the coming months. If anyone tries them, I'd love to hear what you think - whether you looked like Daria W after, whether the recipe stunk, whether you'd try it again, whether you found a better way of doing it, etc? I'll post each recipe separately for that reason, and there'll be a link on the sidebar so you'll be able to easily locate them too.

Beauty Recipe | DIY Hairspray

"Dissolve a tsp of sugar with a teaspoon of salt in hot water, then pour into a plastic spray bottle. When cool distribute through the hair whenever you want a sexy tousled look with great hold."

Source: Zoe Irwin, creative director of Hari's hairdressers