aromatic shower

In place of those fancy aromatic shower heads, I sprinkle half to a dozen drops of pure essential oil on the shower floor and walls. The hot water and steam disperses the scent - pure bliss. I can change my oil each day if I fancy, or stick with my current favourite, Dolphin Clinic's Breath of Fresh Air blend.

Interview with Evelyn Lauder

I rather enjoyed this interview with Evelyn Lauder in the October issue of Harpers Bazaar. I love that she dyes her own hair at home (using four different colours of Clairol!). It's interesting hearing health and beauty advice from someone older than you. Far more helpful than seeing brands using teens to promote their wrinkle creams.

Neroli

Little old Neroli. I imagine people are more familiar with essential oils like lavendar, but neroli really is a little gem to be explored.

I read recently (possibly in UK Elle magazine) of a makeup artist who uses neroli oil for bringing a glow to makeup. If you, like I do, decant a little foundation onto the back of your hand then simply shake a drop in and mix it up. I wouldn't use any more than that, and with my foundation (Chanel Aqualumiere) it certainly couldn't handle more, but it is rather lovely. And neroli has a divine fragrance. It's from the citrus family (orange blossom to be precise) but to me it smells fresh, a little like soap and clean washing.

From this website "The name is said to have originated from the Italian princess, Anne-Marie de la Tremoille (Countess of Nerola) who used the oil as a perfume and to scent her bathwater and gloves. It is still an ingredient for making traditional smelling eau-de-cologne"

and..

"On the skin, neroli oil can help to regenerate skin cells and is a rejuvenating oil useful to prevent ugly scar tissue, promote a smoother skin, fighting stretch marks and broken capillaries."

I think beyond adding neroli oil to my foundation I will also be adding it to my facial oil mix, the latter which I use as I would a serum. You could also mix a drop into your night moisturiser.

When 'no-shampoo' isn't quite enough

Long time writing, I know...

Right now my hair is oiled up, and so is my face for that matter. Luckily my husband is away. Some things must be indulged in solo.

This week I have been seriously thinking about buying shampoo for the first time in two years (two years this May since going shampoo-free, excluding hairdresser visits). Quelle horreur! Now I think I may just need to introduce regular hair treatments into my no-shampoo regime. Hence the oiled hair. The face oil treatment is one I've just made, consisting of beeswax, shea butter, jojoba oil and olive oil. Based on my experience with shea butter, I think if this was used regularly my face would turn on me, but as an occasional facial treatment I'm positive it will be beneficial. I remember reading a quote from a dermatologist, saying that every now and then olive oil in place of your nightly moisturiser is beneficial. It gives your skin a nice break from the complexities of facial moisturiser, and is very rich.

One topic I've been meaning to blog about is the acupuncture facelift. It's in a book of mine, and it goes through the steps for tightening and lifting various parts of the face. It sounds so good, and apparently there are acupuncture facelift specialists who have been doing this for years. If you were to do it at home, it's a matter of being disciplined and going through the steps each day. I find the older I get, the less-disciplined I get in some areas, which is unfortunate as I'd really like to persevere with this. I'll try to find the time to post about it soon. Ish.

shea butter goodness

I embarked on this little project last week when I was interested in finding a natural body moisturiser that was more effective than most reasonably priced decent brands, not to mention better cost-wise. The outlay for the shea butter was my biggest spend (bought at Ceres, though I've since found somewhere cheaper to buy it - www.gonative.co.nz - so many good things here).

I made this recipe (a half batch) a few days ago, which I found here:

Homemade Shea Body Butter Recipe

2 cups of shea butter
3/4 cup olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil
2-3 drops jojoba oil
2-3 drops lavender oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch (for binding)
1/2 ounce Vanilla extract (if desired)

For this shea body butter recipe, start with melting shea butter. You can add it in an appropriate size saucepan and put over low heat. Wait till it melts and immediately remove from heat. Make sure you do not overheat or burn shea butter. To the liquid shea butter, infuse olive oil and allow to settle for about 30 minutes. Before it solidifies completely, add vitamin E oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, cornstarch and vanilla extract. Using a blender, whip concoction till it turns light and fluffy. Transfer shea body butter into an air tight container and keep in a cool place.

I've actually been using this same concoction as a body moisturiser, a hair pomade, a facial treatment and a hand moisturiser! It's quite nice to put a bit on at night instead of my regular facial moisturiser. As it's mostly shea butter and olive oil it's very rich and nourishing. It could also be a pre-wash hair treatment too.

I'm not sure whether it's the cornstarch I added but it does feel ever so slightly gritty when I scoop a bit out of the jar though this disappears quickly. Whether this recipe even needs the cornstarch in it I'm not sure.

All in all I am quite pleased at my first attempt with shea butter, and with all its uses I've probably been enjoying it most as a hand cream and night facial treatment.

I think I will be trying this recipe next, which appears to be more scientific in its production and which I am guessing will produce a better result.

Oil-Cleansing Method

Posts are slow on this site but that doesn't mean things aren't happening! I am still religiously shampoo-free, and still loving it. I recall I started in May 09 so it's over a year now and I'm still very happy.

Lately I've been playing around with facial cleansers. It probably started when I ran out, and up until that point I'd been using Trilogy and then Sukin. All lovely ingredients within, but I just wanted something simple yet effective plus a product I wasn't really reliant on to go out and buy. The other day my sister said she is trying the oil cleansing method for cleansing her face.

Intrigued I read about it here on the advice of my dear sister, and then promptly went out and bought the castor oil to add to the extra virgin olive oil I had in the pantry. It's such a simple concept (like the baking soda/ apple cider vinegar wash for hair) yet after my first go at it I am really pleased, and intend on sticking with it. My skin is normal to slightly sensitive, so simple things are best for it. My sister swears it removes all makeup. I don't wear heavy eye makeup so can't attest to its powers there but have read it is effective. Castor oil is the purifying oil, which explains why I wasn't left with an oil slick on my skin. It felt moisturised and not at all oily.

You can read about the method here.

The author of the blog said she now eschews moisturiser, saying the oil cleanse itself is enough for her skin. Wow! And, as always, the added bonus is not having to spend money on expensive products with big claims and mysterious ingredients. Highly recommended.

And she also wrote about her thoughts on going shampoo-free here.

Best ever lipstick

I'm on to my second lipstick in the Chanel Aqualumiére range and I absolutely love the formulation. If, like me, you don't wear full on lipstick but favour lipstains (I used to get laughed at in my younger years for applying lipstick, wiping most of it off, then declaring 'I'm ready'!), then you might like this too.

My first colour was Amalfi (a vibrant peachy pink), and now I'm on to Porto Rodondo, which is more red. I think I will go back to Amalfi next time as it's so utterly wearable and lovely, though the red is fun for now. And it's a red you are not fully committed to due to it being a lip shine.

So good. I do love Chanel makeup.

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

Beauty Recipe | Hair Gloss Treatment

"This recipe for a nourishing and restorative hair mask has been passed through my family for three generations: whisk together a few tablespoons of olive oil, an egg yolk and a couple of splashes of rum. Apply the mixture to wet hair - it smells delicious, like cake mix - and wrap in a warm towel. Shampoo out ater 30 minutes to reveal hair with a rich, hydrated lustre."

Source: Olivia Chantecaille, cosmetics creative

Beauty Recipe | Miraculous Mask

Blend three tablespoons of oats in a coffee grinder and give it an antioxidant kick with 1/4 tsp of tumeric powder, 1/4 tsp of ginger powder and 1/4 tsp green tea powder. Drizzle in enough water to mak a thick paste and add 1/2 tsp flax seed oil. Apply the mixture to cleansed skin and leave for ten minutes, then buff off with a muslin cloth. It leaves skin radiant.

Source: Margo Marrone, founder of The Organic Pharmacy

on supplements

I'm really into supplements. I mean, really. My main memory of popping pills was when I was in my late teens and seriously into the gym and running. I'd not care to think how much I was spending then. These days I try to follow a simpler, and hopefully more effective, health regime.

I know this will probably bore some of you, but I really dig it. And to be perfectly honest, I do it for the outside as well as the inside.

Every day I have...

• LSA (linseed, sunflower and almond mix) - I used to buy this, but after a bad batch and the inconvenience of realising I'd run out at breakfast time I decided to make my own. It's much cheaper and it tastes so much fresher. The ratio I use is 1C linseed(flaxseed), 2/3C sunflower seeds, 1/3C almonds. I found my redundant coffee grinder produced an even, find grind. Store it in the fridge.
• Brewers yeast - a tablespoon six times a day, or 2 tablespoons three times a day. You do the math. I read in Adelle Davis's book that it is great for maintaining breastmilk supply. I think it works too. Brewers yeast also contains b vitamins, iron and other trace minerals. I love this!
• Lecithin - a good source of fatty acids, and also great for warding off mastisis in breastfeeding mothers. Thanks to those lovely people (Angie, Kelly, Sara, to name a few) who told me of this (via comments on lucyandi) when I was ailing with mastitis a few months back.
• Calcium/magnesium tablets - I find the calcium is great for me for nursing, and when I don't have the magnesium I get twitchy. Not good. Nursing does take it out of you, not to mention looking after kids.
• High potency vitamin/mineral supplement (the formulation varies when I am nursing)
• Vitamin C Powder

Some of you are probably thinking 'can't food provide all the nutrients you need?' It should, but it doesn't from what I have read (and felt). The soils are not the same as they used to be, manufacturing methods probably aren't helping to retain the nutrients, and we lead busy lives often not taking the time to make good food at home.

I think me being so interested in this is the influence of my mother's diet. She has a little box of 'potions' she takes each day. During Audrey's pregnancy I felt quite ill for a couple of weeks - my iron and blood pressure were both really low. My mother said during her pregnancies her iron count was perfect (which amazes me considering how demanding, nutrient-wise, pregnancy can be). Even her doctor was surprised, yet dissed her when she told him she ate 'dried apricots, nuts, etc'. Typical back-ward thinking doctor!

I used to drink chlorophyll years ago but haven't yet gotten back into that. It's dubbed 'liquid greens' and is, among many other things, a potent purifier.

Anyway, a waffly introduction into this diet of mine. I'll also post as sidelinks my favourite books and sources on nutrition too, which I will keep updated.

mirror mirror on the wall....

I've realised that there is only so much I can post about the state of my hair on this no-shampoo adventure of mine (surely you agree too), so now plan on writing about other health and beauty-related topics too. I'll be back soon...

ACV sans honey

Just a quickie update. I ran out of honey apple cider vinegar, and as the two remaining bottles at the shop looked a bit motley I decided to go with straight apple cider vinegar. In hindsight I think the honey was adding a faint stickiness/heaviness to my hair, and as a result of using the apple cider vinegar my hair feels a lot lighter. I would still use the HAVC occasionally but not for all washes. I know some people only use the rinse every other wash but I feel my hair is still too dry for that still. On the subject of dryness, my ends don't have that parched feeling as they did when using shampoo. So either my hair is repairing, or the new wash is not as drying. Whatever the reason, great!

Must get that Mason Pearson brush. I haven't been religious with the morning and nightly brushing, which I should be doing to distribute the natural oils. Tut tut.

hair & skin

Still so far, so good. You get great shine with the bicarb/ACV method so my serums sit lonely and neglected in the bathroom cupboard. Ditto for the bodifying products and irritating attempts to put body into the roots such as the old 'comb-teasing'.

A few weeks back I even did a coffee rinse for my brown hair. Brendan saw me, and said I should still be back living in my ramshackle cottage in the country. I was raking out used coffee grinds from our machine for this. I won't do it again though as it didn't leave it in as good a condition. I have yet to do a beer rinse in place of the ACV but will report if and when I do this.

I'm also using my own facial cleanser now, this formula made from glycerine, rosehip oil and tea tree oil (a great antifungal/antibacterial). I can't recall if I added anything else, so will have to start again when I make the next batch. I basically looked at the ingredients in my last cleaner (Trilogy) and read a bit and came up with this. And it actually seems to make my skin look better than before.

But my daily drink of HACV in water could be doing that too (1T:1C). I highly recommend this and used to do it all the time when I was younger (along with taking brewers yeast and lecithin and countless other potions and tablets) but forgot until a friend started doing it. It really does seem to purify and clear my skin.

I have also yet to do any natural hair masks, but am keen to try banana and also avocado. And perhaps a hot oil treatment.