Soap Teacher

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2014-10-07T14:54:00.000+01:00

OK so I did think that I would be able to keep up with this for at least a bit longer. I still have recipes to share and I still dabble with the beauty regime etc... however, life has a habit of taking over sometimes and I am one year in to a project that is looking like it will take ten to fifteen years to come to fruition. And I simply don't have the focus for the soap teacher anymore.

Sadly.

I might still run the occasional soap course should I get some serious requests from people who are prepared to navigate their way to my finca here in Spain.

But if you are at all interested in what I am doing in the real world, do pop over to Technobillies or Food from the Finca and check it out.

If you fancy an eco friendly holiday in deepest darkest Spain then contact me via the Technobillies website, or if you would like to come and help our project along by providing some voluntary work in return for bed and board then email me at jlegalloudec at googlemail dot com. We are always looking for volunteers for the olive and fig harvest.

Beauty in a Pill

2013-11-13T14:41:00.000+00:00

I was amazed to see an advert on tv for Pilfood. The ad was in Spanish and I didn't follow all of it but it looked like they were saying that the models fabulous hair was down to her taking a supplement. I couldn't let this pass without further investigation.

Most of us are aware that if we eat the correct vitamins and minerals in a healthy diet, our general appearance will improve. But now it seems that we can bypass the healthy diet and simply take a pill instead! If the advertising is to be believed.

It is so tempting isn't it? A shortcut to beautiful hair. It implies that everyone can have the hair of their dreams. There was a time in my life when I would have seriously considered buying such a thing. I am glad that it wasn't available, although if the publicity is to be believed, all the vitamins and minerals it contains were and have been available for many years.

A rather good article on the subject of supplements for beauty is available here.

I don't discount such a thing. I am not immune to the lure of promises made by advertising companies but I do urge caution. A balanced healthy diet is still the safest, surest route to looking your best. And for the penny pinchers among us (me included in this) the most economical too. Before you go out and spend all your money on supplements... do your research... especially since advice seems to be that results may not be noticed for several weeks or even months... and I add... if at all!

Update - Long Overdue

2013-08-27T20:42:00.000+01:00

It has been a really long time since I revisited my site.... and so much has changed. I thought it would be good to bring my readers up to speed - and my readership is increasing in spite of my not having updated it, so I promise to try and get a new post up more often.

Firstly: I no longer live in the UK. We moved to a farm in Extremadura, Western Spain where my husband and I grow figs and olives and are in the early stages of trying to get a permaculture food forest going. We also have a large number of wild flowers and medicinal plants growing here and we are totally organic. So yes, I am planning on making more soap and more toiletries and perhaps using the medicinal plants from the finca in a productive way.

We also have a yurt. And a tipee is about to go up as well as a bell tent so we are on track to have visitors soon.

The soap and toiletry making courses. Alas I gave this up when I left the UK but am now thinking that there will be a strong possibility of my doing something similar here in Spain - combined with a holiday perhaps or a walking or painting holiday (links coming soon to the best alternative holidays ever in this area) with an afternoon or day of messing around with soap. There are a number of possibilities.

I have not given up making soap or my own toiletries and hair products. If anything, this has become even more important here in Spain because we have an ecological septic tank and waste water disposal and cannot put any detergents or other 'nasties' down the drain. I shall be experimenting, especially with olive oil - we now have 150 olive trees and that's a lot of oil!

So please check back with me regularly and if you fancy reading about what we are doing take a look at Technobillies.

Hair Styling and Hairdressers!

2011-07-22T11:27:00.000+01:00

There is no doubt that hair styling is one area that changes so quickly it is almost impossible to keep up with the latest styles and trends without inflicting damage on the hair. It is altogether too easy to allow your hairdresser to do what she/he wants and end up looking decidedly unattractive, albeit in fashion. But with a little assertiveness it is also a time when a girl can be as individual as she wants. It's that word 'assertive'. How many of us go to the hairdresser with something in mind and come out feeling not at all happy, even more so since we often don't even tell the hairstylist what we really feel.

“Dorrie” is distressed because she is not clever at doing her hair, and asks me to suggest some means of dressing it. I think she will find the simple method now fashionable will suit her. Let her twist the back to form a projecting knob, and coil the remainder round this. A little practice will make it easy to do it well and becomingly. I don’t advise any attempt at elaboration. Home Chat, January 1897.

I remember going to the hairdresser in the 1970's to have my hair cut without any distinct idea of how I wanted my hair to look. I was given a magazine to look through and when I found a hair style that I liked I would point it out to the stylist. All artifice would be employed so that I left the hairdressers looking as close to the picture in the magazine as possible. No instruction was given on how to keep the style looking good myself and I would always try to go for as long as possible without washing it… difficult for me when the shampoo usually made me itch within a few short hours of my visit. In general those days are gone and most hairdressers are much more helpful and more knowledgeable about how to care for your hair. A visit to the hairdresser should be less about forcing your hair to assume 'the style' and more about discovering what is achievable given your own particular type of hair.

Choosing a hair style is extremely difficult and should not be a spur of the moment decision. Few of us can take scissors to our hair, hack away and come out with a short, perfectly attractive, albeit tousled look. Hair cutting and styling is an art and not every qualified hairdresser is an artist. With this in mind you should begin by looking at the shape of your face.

It can be very difficult to determine for yourself what shape your face is, even asking for help from a friend or doing the old trick of drawing around your reflection with lipstick can produce unhelpful results. But don’t worry there is a scientific approach.

Determining the shape of your face

A.C. – I think you very foolish indeed to worry about such a trifle! I may tell you, for your comfort, that many people would prefer to have a “round face” to a “very thin and rather long one.” To try rubbing your face, till you have made the skin tender and irritable and sore is one of the most foolish proceedings I ever heard of. Suppose you were to make your skin irritable and blotchy, that would not improve your appearance, would it? The people who make the remark to you that you are “fat” must be exceedingly ill-bred, and I should not mind their opinion at all. A great many people would much rather have a fat than a thin face, and I daresay as you grow older that you will think nothing more of the matter. Very probably the world at large would prefer your rounded face to the “long thin one” of your friend! Think no more about it, but be glad that you have good health, which is one of the greatest possessions, and one of the greatest beauties in the world! The Young Woman, October 1900

You will need a tape measure, a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Measure your face from side to side across the top of your cheekbones and write it down. Next measure your face from side to side across the widest part of your jawline. Then measure your forehead at its widest point from side to side and write this down. Finally measure from the tip of your chin to your hairline right across the middle of your face. Now look at the results on your paper.

Oval Face - Length equal to one and a half times width.

An oval face has a rounded hairline and is only slightly narrower at the jawline and temple. It is a very useful shape to have since almost any hair style looks good on this shaped face. Off the face styles are particularly attractive on an oval shaped face, showing the perfect balance and harmony of proportion that these lucky girls have. If you wear your hair down onto your face, especially with heavy styles, you will spoil this perfect symmetry. Wearing the hair too long will lengthen the face and make it appear oblong.

Round Face - Your face is as wide as it is long. This may vary a little but generally the measurement is close.

The widest point of this face is at the cheeks and ears, the hairline and jawline being very round in shape. Girls with a round face will benefit from slightly longer styles which can elongate the face slightly. Wearing the parting off centre and adding height at the crown will also suit. The hair can be swept back off the face or forward onto it. Layering on the top to give fullness and shaped close to the face beneath will also help make the face appear longer. Avoid centre partings and hairstyles that mimic the shape of the face.

Oblong - Longer than it is wide.

An oblong or rectangular face tends to have a high forehead and be the same width at the temples as below the cheek bones. This face shape suits short and medium length hair with wisps and fullness at the temples and cheeks to add width. Fringes can be worn as they will soften the length of the face. Avoid high hairstyles and very long hairstyles as these will simply make your face look even longer.

Heart - Narrow at jaw line, wide at cheekbones/and or forehead.

A heart shaped face is wide at the temples and narrows considerably towards the chin. The lucky girl who has a heart shaped face looks stunning with a bobbed or chin length style. She can wear her hair longer too but if she goes too short she needs to create fullness at the back to balance the narrowness of her chin. Avoid short full styles or the slicked back looks. Too much height on top will make you look top heavy.

Square - your face is about as wide as it is long.

A square face is recognisable by the strong square shape to forehead and chin. These girls need softness and rounded styles to round out those square edges. Wispy fringes and fullness on top are most becoming to this shaped face. Short and medium length haircuts are best. Long straight styles are to be avoided as they accentuate the angular chin and length of the face.

Diamond - Widest at cheekbones, narrow forehead and jaw line of approximately equal widths.

A diamond shaped face is very dramatic indeed and the lucky girl who has this shaped face can pretty much please herself what style or length of hair she chooses. Beware though of accentuating the narrowness of your chin by styles that are cut too short. Do not hide this wonderful shape by putting too much hair onto the face.

Effective Hairdressing – Never pile your hair high on the head unless it be of faulty shape and needing such elaboration. A girl with a head of beautiful contour should always so dress her hair as to reveal its lovely lines and shape, for nothing sets off a pretty face so well as a suitably dressed head. Artistic and suitable hair-dressing should be carefully studied by every girl who wishes to make the best of, and improve, her appearance. Home Chat, December 1895.

Choosing a hairstylist

This is not as easy as it sounds. There are literally thousands of hairstylists to choose from and although most of them are well qualified and will proudly display their diplomas on the wall of the salon this is no guarantee of getting a good haircut.

A Girl’s experiences with a French Hairdresser

She was returning late one night from a house in Mayfair, when a man rushed from behind her and seized her black bag. He made off with it, and I think the disappointment must have been keen when he found only some hair-brushes and a wig which required re-curling. The Young Woman November 1900.

Ask your friends to tell you who cuts their hair, ask strangers, especially if you see someone with a fabulous hairstyle, they will be flattered that you noticed. Once you think you have found your hairstylist book a consultation, not an appointment. A consultation is usually free, during this visit you can discuss your hairstyle options with the stylist and talk about any concerns you have.

A Lady Artist in Hair

A young girl in New York created quite a sensation some time ago by the artistic manner in which she dressed her mistress’s tresses. She is now earning a considerable sum by attendance on ladies, her sole duty being the arrangement of locks and the artistic building of fashionable coiffures. She has a happy knack of blending the hair to suit the style of face and the curves of neck and head, the coiffure being treated differently with each change of dress. Home Chat, 1895.

It is important that you feel comfortable with the stylist and that you feel that he or she understands what you want, but also look for a stylist who is confident enough to tell you when you are being unreasonable. Remember very few women can have EVERY style. Look at the stylists own hair… is it well cared for? Is it over coloured, dry and lifeless? Take a look at the salon itself. Is it clean and neat and tidy? Are the magazines out of date? Are the hairstylists stuck in a rut or are they keeping up to date with all the modern cutting edge techniques? If they are young have they enough experience to temper their enthusiasm?

If like me you have allergies or prefer to use totally natural products you can discuss this with the stylist and if necessary look at the ingredients list on the products that they normally use. If you really want you can bring your own shampoo, don’t feel that you have to use the ‘salon special.’ It is the hair dressers cutting and styling skill that you really need… anyone can buy shampoo and conditioners.

Getting to know your stylist is important, making the stylist understand your needs and being sure that your stylist is happy to work with them is very important. Yes I know hair grows again but its not pleasant or easy to complain about a hairstyle that has gone wrong. But you must give your hairstylist feedback, both good and bad. If you like it, then say so and say why you like it, it will help the stylist get to know you and what you want for future visits. If you don’t like it then you need to try and be specific about why you don’t like it. Try not to be too critical, the stylist is only human and if you are not able to explain what you want, or she is not able to understand what you want then you are unlikely to have a happy outcome.

Do not be unreasonable and expect your stylist to be able to reproduce the same hair style every time you go. She/he may not remember exactly what was done on a previous visit and your hair changes regularly depending upon many things, not least of which is your health, your natural bodily cycle, hormone fluctuations and the weather! If you really love the hairstyle get your photograph taken immediately showing all sides and take it back with you the next time you go.

No one likes to complain, but you will soon run out of hairdressing salons to choose from if you simply leave without saying anything and try a new one the following month. If necessary you could rehearse what you might say if it looks like it is going awry. Think of suitable phrases that might be useful. Such as 'I usually put it like this' or ' I want it long enough to go behind my ears' or 'I prefer to have it a little softer looking, less formal, but we can work on that the next time I come'. Start out as you mean to go along with your hair stylist, you are in charge, you tell him/her what you want and take the relationship on from there. A little time and effort invested in building a good relationship with your stylist will repay you a thousand fold.

Antiseptic Thyme

2011-07-11T15:54:00.000+01:00

The thyme on the allotment was fabulous this year so just as it was about to come into bloom I picked a large handful and soaked it in sunflower oil. I covered the bowl with clingfilm and left it for several weeks...

In fact I left it until my other half got quite shirty about it hanging around the kitchen - he assumed it was for something to eat... mmm... not sure what recipe that would be. But he's well used to me dreaming up not only lotions and potions but interesting food recipes too!

Finally I sorted myself out and found the time to do something with it. I decided on a first aid balm because thyme is a wonderful antiseptic (and because I had no balm left in the cupboard). In fact I have a recipe for curing duck breasts in salt and thyme which clearly states that you cannot leave the thyme out because of it's antibacterial properties.

I strained the oil - for every 50ml you need 4gm of beeswax. Look how green the sunflower oil has gone, it smelled interesting too... very much as you would expect an antiseptic lotion to smell.

I then melted the beeswax until just a small lump remained unmelted and I took it off the heat and swirled it around until totally liquid. This beeswax was sent to me by a lady in Ireland who had won an award for the purity of her bees wax. It's very pale in colour and has the most delicate honey-like smell. You could use a more yellow bees wax if you want, the result will be the same, but of course the colour might be different. Then I added the strained oil and mixed it well.

Nothing else was required. No essential oils, nothing. Though you could add eo's if you want, I simply felt it was unnecessary.

I stirred it as it was cooling, speeding up the process by resting the pan in a large bowl of cold water. It was soon like a gloopy soup.

I then scraped it into a jar and gave it a good tap on the work surface to ensure no air pockets were trapped in the mixture.

I left it without the lid on until quite cold - you can get condensation inside the jar if you seal it up while still warm. Then I popped on the lid and put it in the first aid cupboard, where it didn't stay very long, a walk through the weeds at the allotment produced a nasty bite on my foot - not sure which/what insect did that but the thyme ointment took the itch away instantly and ensured that it wouldn't get infected. It's very satisfying using your own antiseptic balm.

Is Being Beautiful Really Important?

2011-06-03T10:37:00.000+01:00

In some parts of the world today, physical ugliness has almost totally disappeared.

In some affluent Western societies a child could grow up never having seen anyone with any kind of extraordinary feature such as a large nose or even sticky out ears. Fairly low-level disfigurements such as facial warts or acne scarring are also now on the decrease. Unless you live in an underdeveloped country you could go your whole life without ever seeing serious ugliness in the flesh. This must be, on the whole, to the good. But does it condition us into only seeing the superficial? I worry that if society as a whole elevates youth and beauty to the highest height we are in danger of becoming ageist and shallow. Or perhaps I should say MORE ageist and shallow since this trend is already well under way.

One would think that today, when a girl can earn her own living and need never resort to the patronage of of a husband to support her, her appearance would be less of a concern. As we know, this is not the case. Beyond having healthy skin and hair women still want to look as attractive as possible. Only nowadays we declare that we are doing it for ourselves (because we are worth it!)

I am old enough, and confident enough to recognise that my main reason for trying to improve my appearance is for the sake of others and how they may regard me. If I were the last person left on earth I would not care about how I looked. My looks are important to me, but I have established where I draw the line. For example I will splash out occasionally on a very expensive item of clothing which I believe flatters my shape but I will not go as far as liposuction or breast enhancement, even though both procedures would probably flatter my shape more than a well cut dress. These are personal decisions and if you have never thought about just how important your looks are to you and where you draw your own line, then it is time that you did.

A woman I once knew was so concerned about her looks that she would not answer the door unless she had her make up on, in fact she did not even like her husband to see her without her makeup. At night she removed her makeup and then retired to bed in the dark and rising before her husband awoke in the morning she would appear at the breakfast table looking as she always did – beautiful. She will be much older now and although we have lost touch, I daresay her routine is very much the same - but perhaps takes a little longer to accomplish, lol!

If you are truly indifferent to the way you look then spending time in front of the mirror or visiting the beauty parlour may be considered a total waste of time. If your appearance is very important to you, but you don’t have the time or money to devote to your looks, you may feel very frustrated and unhappy. Beauty (being defined as each one of us looking our very very best) can be achieved on fairly small sums of money, but ALWAYS needs a certain amount of time. Your first step is to determine your priorities, how important your looks are to you and how far you are prepared to go to maintain them.

We each have natural features that we consider to be nice, and equally, features that we dislike. Look at yourself in the mirror and decide which are yours. Write them down in two lists. This is mine from a little while ago to give you an idea of what I mean:

Features I like: Nice Big Green Eyes with long lashes. Good cheekbones. Full lips. Very long hair. No split ends.

Features I don’t like: Grey streaked hair. Wild fuzzy hair. Small forehead. Acne scarred skin. Large pores.

I know that someone who has written on her list that she doesn’t like her tiny eyes with short stubby lashes will envy me my nice big green eyes with long lashes. Likewise if she has rich auburn hair that gently curls on her list I will be turning green. Whatever features you have put on your list you can be sure someone is envious of you. This is putting your appearance into perspective.

Be honest with the list, don’t worry you can rip it up when you are finished, you don’t have to keep it or show it to anyone, although it can be interesting to look back at it from time to time (this list is already out of date for me and writing this is a reminder that I should do it again).

The list will give you an insight into what features you want people to notice and which you would prefer that they didn’t. It will also give you a starting point for improving those features that you really dislike. For example, I listed my grey streaked hair as the first of my features that I dislike. I really dislike the grey colour so I decided to do something about it. I accepted the fact that I did not wish to use commercial dyes because my hair is too fragile to cope with the damage that they cause, so I began to investigate natural plant dyes. Using the plant dyes takes several hours but it was important to me and so I made the time to do it. I also made extra time both morning and night to apply conditioning oils to my hair – this has helped with calming down the fuzziness. Of course it is not perfect and it needs daily attention but it is natural, long (a feature that is important to me) and if I have a special event to attend it will take styling with heat and using gels etc… without falling out and without too much damage or breakage – provided I don’t do it too often!

I decided that I couldn’t do much about my small forehead – although changing hairstyle can do wonders for changing the appearance of your face – it turned out that I wasn’t so concerned about it as I was the greyness of my hair or the condition of my skin, so I concentrated next on my large pores. A daily wash with Rhassoul mud has done wonders for improving the texture and tone of my skin along with a weekly hydrating mask for my dry cheeks and neck. If I do nothing else in the way of a beauty regime than concentrating on these two areas, my hair and my open pores, has gone a long way to correcting the features that upset me most about my appearance.

Next you need to promote your good features. If, like me, you like the shape and contour of your eyes then you want people to notice them. If you need to wear glasses you would be best to choose a nice open style that lets everyone see your eyes more clearly, or go for contact lenses if you can wear them. I have recently started to use a little oil on the area around my eyes because I am getting older and I don’t want to compromise what I consider my best feature, but I don’t want to get rid of the little lines that I see forming, I actually like them, they give my eyes expression and character that I think suits me.

I remember an occasion when my husband and I were going to a very fancy ball. I had asked a hairdresser to come to the house to do my hair in a very elaborate style. The hairdresser took ages and ages to get my hair right and although I had showered and put on my underwear I still had to do my makeup and put on my dress. With the taxi driver threatening to leave because he had another booking the hairdresser pinned the last curl in place and I dashed upstairs to put on my make up and my dress. I realised that I wouldn’t have time to do my usual fancy occasion makeup and decided to simply do my eyes. It took me barely two minutes to apply eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara. I finished with a quick sweep of blusher on my cheekbones and then stepped into my dress and shoes. I put my lipstick and lip brush into my purse ready to apply in the car.

I had a brilliant time at the ball and later when I saw the photographs I was very pleased that my makeup looked every bit as good as on the occasions that I had taken half an hour over it. No one would have guessed that I had done it all in record breaking time and I realised that by concentrating on just one or two areas (my hair and my eyes) I had not only saved myself time, I had also drawn everyone’s attention away from my flaws and the areas that I hadn’t had time to fix.

Most of us will already have a skin care and makeup routine that covers normal work days, house days and special events. By doing your list of features you like and dislike you may find that you have been focussing on the right places all along or you could discover that in fact you don’t need to spend so much time on certain things as on others.

In the normal course of events very few of us have time for pampering every day, but once a week becomes more of a possibility with at least once a month being the minimum that you can get away with – dependent upon your own individual circumstances, age, condition etc.

On a daily basis many little beauty jobs can be done while doing other things… a routine manicure, pedicure or face mask while watching tv in the evening for example. Keeping your beauty products all together in a box or basket that can be brought easily into the sitting room means that you can accomplish all sorts of things while engaging in conversation, listening to music or watching the television. However, if you live with someone who harbours illusions about you then you may wish to keep these jobs for the bathroom or for when your partner is out.

…She admitted that there might be some excuse for young girls to curl and frizzle their hair, for they naturally wished to make themselves attractive in the eyes of men – “which was all girls seemed to care about nowadays” – but after marriage no woman should think of using curlers. Girls, she stated, might seclude themselves from sight till the process of crimping and curling was accomplished, but she could not help feeling deep compassion for the man who was obliged to see his wife in all the hideousness of hard-bunched hair. Home Notes, Sept 7, 1895.

Feet!

2011-05-23T10:50:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the long delay in getting the promised 'foot care' post online. Needless to say, with two allotments and the garden to boot, time is very limited at this time of year.... and if you could see the state of my feet you would wonder why I bother to post this at all! So, it is a timely reminder to myself as well... that you really should take more care of your feet.

Pedicure

Because we often neglect them, and because they take a lot of hard wear and tear, it is true to say that many of us have particularly ugly feet. You can be honest with yourself, look at your naked feet and decide, are they pretty or not? If you decide the latter then it is very important to follow a foot care routine for at least 3 months in order to bring your feet up to the healthiest condition possible. Even if you decided that your feet are pretty, in order to keep them that way a foot care routine is important.

Wash your feet carefully when in the shower or bath (daily foot washing is important, twice daily if you suffer from athletes foot or any other foot maladies. At least once a week soak the feet in a warm bath and use a pumice stone to remove dry dead skin on your heels. Do not scrub overly at hard skin, it has taken a long time to build up and will not disappear after only one or two soakings, this will take time to remedy. There are no shortcuts, you are in this for the long haul! You can buy some pretty powerful creams to remove this dry skin however they also take diligence in application on a daily basis and if you stop using them the dry skin returns fairly quickly - one winter will show your feet to be the same as before, so it is wise to get into a footcare habit and simply stick to it.
Occasionally you may prefer to use a sugar scrub on your feet. This will moisturise and help remove loose flaky skin cells. Once a month it is a good idea to use a foot mask. This is exactly the same as using a face mask only you will choose ingredients for very dry skin. Pop the feet in a plastic bag and put them up for 20 minutes while you watch tv or catch up on some light reading.
Rinse off the foot mask with warm water and dry the feet very carefully. Pay particular attention to the area between the toes.
Now moisturise the feet with a rich cream or oil. Or ask a partner or friend to do it for you, a foot massage can be very relaxing. Raw Shea Butter is excellent for this purpose and if used at bedtime will work its magic during the night while you sleep. It isn’t necessary however to buy a special cream or lotion for the feet, any vegetable oil such as olive, sunflower or rapeseed will work almost as well – you may need a couple of applications before bed to achieve the same results. A pair of light cotton socks can be worn to bed to save the sheets getting oily!

Sugar Scrub for Feet

A quantity of dark brown sugar (about a handfull will do)
Vegetable oil to moisten (just enough to make the sugar like wettish sand)
4 or 5 drops of peppermint essential oil (or find a different blend to your liking - look up the essential oil links on this site for some suggestions)

Mix these ingredients together and leave covered in a bowl for a few hours to allow the essential oils to infuse properly. Then massage the mixture onto wet feet paying particular attention to your heels and any areas of dry skin. Take your time to do this (it is better to be sat on the edge of the bath with your feet in the bath or in the shower). Finally, rinse your feet with warm water and pat them dry. Follow with a good moisturiser or a moisturising foot mask.

Foot Mask Recipe

20g Clay (Argiletz, Dead Sea Mud or Rhassoul)

1 tablespoon Jojoba Oil

Enough warm water to mix to a paste

A few drops of essential oil of your choice

To Vary

1 egg yolk and a tablespoon of honey

A handful of organic oats

Mix the oil into the clay and then add enough water to make a paste. Add any extra ingredients if desired and mix well. Apply to damp previously soaked feet, pay particular attention to areas of dry skin. Leave for 20 minutes and then rinse.

Toe Nails

If you have ugly feet you may prefer to keep your nails as natural as possible so as not to draw too much attention to them. Careful choice of summer shoes or style of sandals can go a long way to disguising unattractive feet. Take the opportunity to try on lots of different styles, even ones that you normally wouldn’t want to wear. Always look in a mirror rather than straight down at your feet to ascertain the full affect.

If your toenails are especially thick you may wish to soak the feet BEFORE cutting and filing them, however if it is easier, you may cut and trim the nails first and soak the feet afterwards. The choice is yours. To avoid problems with in-growing nails always cut straight across the nail. The length of nail you leave is again your choice but for comfort when wearing shoes and socks the nail shouldn’t extend beyond the end of the toes. File any rough edges left by the scissors or clippers.

Rub a little nail oil (recipe below) onto the surface of your nail and allow it to soak in for a few minutes. Gently push the cuticle down to expose as much nail as is comfortable. The surface of the nails can be polished in exactly the same way as the nails on the hand. Buff them up vigorously for a few minutes and try on your sandals and look in the mirror. If you decide that you would prefer a higher shine on your toes then you could apply some nail lacquer. Clear nail varnish is pretty without drawing too much attention to the feet. Or a French manicure, where the ends of the nails are coated with a white varnish, can give a ‘natural’ look.

Nail Repair Oil

50% Jojoba oil

50% Avocado oil

A few drops of Essential oils of Carrot seed and Lavender

Combine the oils together in a bottle and apply frequently to strengthen and condition the nails. Carrot seed essential oil is expensive but it is possible to get an olive or sunflower oil that has been macerated with carrot, this could be used instead.

If you do apply a coloured varnish remember to remove it after two days and allow your toenails to breathe for at least a day before re-applying. This is very important, nails that have been painted for too long a time are inclined to turn yellow.

Having fish eat the dead skin from your feet seems to be all the rage at the moment. It is expensive and I think it must be effective or it wouldn't be so popular, however, I have no direct experience of it so I cannot say for sure - I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has had a go of this novel approach to footcare. I suspect that afterwards you would still have to continue with a routine in order to keep your feet clear of dead skin so you are still back to square one really.

A Railway Incident

(Home Notes February 1895)

She sat beside me in the train,

Her eyes were shut, her face was fair,

Her lips were red as cherries ripe,

Of soft brown colour was her hair.

Her face a look of sadness wore,

I spied a tear upon her cheek.

Alas! I, too, was sad at heart,

And so resolved to speak.

“Fair maid”, I said, “I, like to thee,

Am suffering from an aching heart,

My sympathy I’d gladly give,

Then pray thy secret woes impart”.

“I thank you kindly, sir,” she said,

“I am enduring pain, tis true,

But tis no trouble with my heart,

It’s only that my boots are new!”

More Bicarbonate of Soda

2011-05-03T11:33:00.000+01:00

Now that the better weather is beginning and we are considering sandals (well I am) it may almost be too late to start worrying about the look of your feet and toes (if you do want to begin a foot care regime check back regularly because my next post is about footcare). But if you suffer from Athletes foot then using bicarb as a powder on your feet and between your toes after your shower (dry carefully first of course - even to the point of using a hair dryer on your toes for a few minutes) can be helpful. As with all natural solutions it can take several weeks of daily application of bicarb to clear up a bad bout of athletes foot. You should continue the treatment (daily) for several weeks after the affliction appears to have gone, this will help prevent re-infection. After this a once a week treatment may be sufficient.

Sunburn - to relieve the pain of sun or wind burn. dissolve 100g of bicarbonate of soda in a tepid bath and soak for about fifteen minutes. Pat the skin dry and apply an after sun cream.

Bath Bombs - These are very popular nowadays and so easy to make at home - well I say easy, but I have often had problems with getting them to set but if they do crumble it's just as nice to put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin into dust - fizzy dust sprinkled onto the bath works just the same as the bath bomb.

Ingredients: 4oz bicarbonate of soda, 2oz citric acid, 1 tsp sunflower oil, approximately 10 drops essential oil. (some other recipes call for dried flowers or lavender buds etc... I hate bits floating in my bath so I leave these out). A mould - plastic cups or silicone cup cake moulds will work. I do not like to colour my bath bombs, preferring them natural, but any cosmetic grade colourant will work (most suppliers will advise you on which are the best - but remember when it comes to colour, less is more). You could even give a little vegetable colourant a try just be aware that it could make your mixture a little wet (in this case work fast and use less vegetable oil).

Method: Mix the bicarb and citric acid together well. Add the vegetable oil and the essential oil and mix with your hands until really well incorporated. The mixture should start to clump together when you squeeze or press it with your hands. It should still be very crumbly and only sticking together when you squish it very hard. Begin to pack it into your mould. You need to really pack it tightly - squishing and squashing. Once you think you have it dense enough leave it somewhere very dry for an hour or two and then carefully remove it from the mould (a bit of gentle tapping should do it) then leave it for 24 hours in a nice dry airy place. Your bath bomb is now ready to use or to wrap up as a gift. If youa re giving it as a gift do remember to list the ingredients so that the recipient knows what you have put in it.

Bicarbonate of Soda

2011-04-20T14:07:00.000+01:00

As I am sure most of you will know, Bicarb is a wonderful thing! You can use it for all sorts of stuff. When it comes to cleaning it is an excellent eco friendly product that will shift grease and grime like nobodies business. Well this sounds great I hear you murmur. However, what no one tells you is that you need one extra ingredient for bicarb to actually make a good job of it. That extra ingredient is Elbow Grease.

Sadly there is no way round it, this wonderful ecologically sound method of cleaning your bathroom or kitchen only works if you are prepared to put a great deal of effort into it. We are not so used to having to actually scrub our floors clean these days. So many of the products available are simply wipe on and then off again. Can you imagine how harsh they have to be to work so effectively.

You can leave a paste of bicarb and water smeared onto stubborn dirt or grease and then come back to it after a little while. This can cut down the scrubbing a bit. But when opting for any of these old fashioned (albeit eco friendly) cleaning tips be prepared to turn the clock back a hundred years or so and get your sleeves rolled up and your hair tied back.

And to finish this post... some other things you can do with bicarb that don't require scrubbing.

Chlorine damage to your hair? : Mix a solution of half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to a pint of warm water and rinse your hair with it, catch the rinse in a bowl or jug and pass it through your hair several times. This removes any smell of chlorine and can help to redress some of the damage done - but if you insist on swimming on a daily basis then you really need to wear a waterproof hat. Bicarb can only do so much.

Dull or Dry Skin Exfoliation: Mix a quarter of a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with your usual shower gel or body wash. Make sure it is well dissolved and then apply to the skin in gentle circular motions. Rinse well in the shower and pat the skin dry. Follow with a luxurious body butter or lotion. This should not be done more than once a week and a lot less if you are inclined to very dry skin.

Remember, bicarb is basically a cleaning product so although it is eco friendly, it can be a bit strong when used as part of a beauty regime. So use sparingly and with caution. I do have a multitude of recipes in one of my old notebooks - copied from some ancient publication no doubt. If I can find it, I will give you a few more tips in another post.

Chamfered Edging on Soap

2011-04-15T11:52:00.000+01:00

I always keep a stash of soap here....

...under the sink in the kitchen. I don't make a dedicated kitchen soap, I tend to use it just for hand washing anyway, so the same stuff that ends up in the shower can be found here.

I keep it in a brown paper bag tightly closed to preserve the scent of the soap. It works very well and these soaps, which have been here for months and months still smell of orange and lavender.

When I ran the soap company I very seldom had complaints about the soap - once when a very ancient old lady whined about the price (she thought £3 a bar was expensive) she compared my soap to Lux and said that it wasn't any different so why was it so expensive. She wasn't convinced by my explanation about the precious oils and the abundance of natural glycerin. But that's all by the way... the main complaint I frequently had, was from men, and it suprised me. They did not like the sharp edges on the soap. Even though I explained that the edges would soon round down with use, they always screwed up their faces and said how awkward it was to use sharp edged soap.

I firmly believe that chamfering the edges of the soap is firstly, a waste of soap and secondly, a waste of your time - but if you want to please the man (men) in your life then perhaps it's worth it.

This is how you do it. It's best to do this once your soap has fully hardened, so after curing for at least 4 weeks. Take a vegetable peeler (a speed peeler as Jamie Oliver calls it) and run it along the sharp edge of the soap.

A thin sliver of soap will come off. Sometimes they come off in great long curls, sometimes they simply shatter into little shards of soap.

You can do all the edges, vertical and horizontal. Then you take a clean dry cloth ( a T towel is good) and polish up the surface of the soap until it shines. You don't believe me when I say the soap will shine? Give it a go and you will see what I mean.

The soap is then ready to be wrapped or displayed for all to see how pretty it is... and how nice to use. And you can be sure that the man in your life won't have to put up with any sharp edges on his delicate skin!

Oh yes, and because I don't believe in wasting anything... all those little shards and curls of soap that peeled off, don't throw them away. Put them in an airtight container and the next time you are making soap, when it gets to trace, chuck them in, give it a stir and then pour into the mould. Sometimes if I had an underweight coloured bar I used to cut it into little cubes and I would add it to a batch of plain soap so that when it turned out it looked like dolly mixtures in the soap. If you use your imagination you could make some really interesting combinations. Just scent the main batch as you would normally (don't worry if the shards of soap are from a scented batch or not, they are too small to affect the smell of the final soap) and then chuck in the little offcuts, stir and pour into your mould.

Some Advice from Great Granny!

2011-04-04T14:17:00.001+01:00

Here I have a Family Herald Handy Book entitled HInts on The Toilette with advice on the improvement and preservation of the skin, teeth, eyes, hair, hands, and feet.

Well we could all do with a bit of that I'm sure!

The Skin
On considering the quantity of waste matter continually carried to the the surface of the skin, which, if not removed, will inevitably impede its function, we cannot fail to see the necessity for daily and thorough ablution. The minute dry scales cast off as waste or refuse from the outer skin, instead of falling away, are kept in contact with the surface of the body, and, becoming amalgamated with the secretions of the skin, form a thin unctuous crust, to which soot, dust, and other particles from the atmosphere, and from our dress, adhere, encasing the entire body with impurities.

If this coating be suffered to remain, the result will be injurious in many ways. First, the perspiratory pores being obstructed, their function must necessarily be performed by some other organ, which in consequence being overworked, will probably become weak and disordered. Secondly, the skin will be subject to irritation, both mechanically and chemically, occasioning eruptions; while the saline particles detained on its surface, by their affinity for moisture, will keep it damp and cold, and thus tend to engender diseases by the effect of cold on the system. Thirdly, it is probably that the pellicle of foreign substances on the skin may form a medium for the detention of poisonous gases, or miasmatic and infectious vapours, which, being absorbed into the system, will be productive of injurious consequences.

Well, Ladies. I don't know the date of this publication as it is not written on it, however I surmise it to be early to mid Victorian - especially with the references to disease being carried on miasmas. And apart from the obvious fact that it is a good thing to wash or cleanse daily I don't think we can put much credence in the 'science' behind it. What is fascinating is that we take it for granted that everyone knows they should wash or cleanse every day... this little book takes it for granted that many people do not know that they should wash or cleanse every day.

The Eye
Although art has discovered several means of giving lustre to the eye, none can rival nature, and the false lustre, though beautiful, is but transient and injurious. The most common thing used is belladonna, which cannot be too highly decried. Health alone, with frequent ablution in cold spring water, or rose-water diluted, will give lustre to the eyes, and those using artificial means will pay for it in after years.

It is hard to believe that girls would go to such lengths as putting a poisonous substance into their eyes... or is it? I feel the same sense of horror when I hear the word Botox. In some ways the world has not changed at all, actually that is not true, the world has changed a great deal. People haven't.

And finally... a recipe from the same book that I approve of.

Eau De Cologne, or Cologne Water
Take rectified spirits of wine, or the best unsweetened French brandy, one pint; oil of neroly, three-quarters of a drachm (45 drops); oil of rosemary, half a drachm; camphor, half a drachm: one ounce each of oil of lemon-peel and orange-peel; half an ounce of pure bergamot. Keep the ingredients together for a month; it is then fit for use.

Indeed this will make a very nice, refreshing cologne. Anyone remember 4711? Well this would work in a similar way. You put it on your handkerchief and then wipe your brow or your neck with it and it is delicously cooling in hot weather, as well as being freshly scented. No, you don't smell of the French Brandy, well not if you have made it correctly you don't.

This particular recipe would be very pricey to recreate (I can't but think it would have been pricey during the 1800's too) but somewhere in among all my books and papers I have a recipe for a modern equivalent... I will see if I can find it for next time.

Viva Espagne!

2011-03-27T13:20:00.000+01:00

Ok, so this post is about some iffy soap I made with friends in Spain. Why was the soap iffy I hear you ask? Well. The whole idea was to make something cheap (therefore using local produce) and pure if possible. The purpose of the soap was to be twofold - a cleaning product for the kitchen as well as something that you could wash your hands with. This is a tall order as the two are usually completely separate items.

The lovely people who asked me to teach them to make soap were so enthusiastic about the whole project that we simply 'had a go' with the best ingredients that we could find in the village shop. Sometimes you just have to do it and see what you get.

The only caustic soda that we could find was this stuff.....

It said on the packet that it was 90% caustic soda and 10% 'other ingredients'. It did not specify which or what other ingredients were included. I speculated that this could have been bleach or something equally horrid that you would not want to put on your skin. Would it even turn into soap I wondered?

The olive oil, the cheapest we could find at the village shop, turned out to be a rather good quality olive oil that I just knew would take some stirring to turn into soap. But what the heck... lets see what happens.

Firstly I have to point out the deliberate mistake here and say BAD GIRL JANE. BAD BAD GIRL!!! Can you see?

I am not wearing safety goggles. This is a huge NO NO NO! and I debated whether to do this post at all because of it. I hold my hands up, it was entirely my fault, my suitcase weighed in at 19.6kg when I was only allowed 20kg on the plane and I had turfed out of the case all my soap making equipment in favour of toys and clothes for my grand daughter. So I turned the soap making experience into a very dangerous one by proceeding without the goggles.

The first problem we encountered was that the caustic soda did not entirely dissolve. The nameless 10% was left solid at the bottom of the jug. I carefully poured only the dissolved solution into the oils. This means that I actually was unsure how much caustic soda I was using - likely alot less than the recipe called for (recipe given at the bottom of the post). since I was pretty confident that it would be less caustic rather than more I thought it was worth continuing.

As predicted it took a lot of stirring. Then we left it still liquid and had a cup of tea, checking back every ten minutes or so to give it a quick stir. After doing this a couple of times it finally started to come together, when it was the consistency of a nice creamy custard (looked just like creamy custard too!) we stirred in some out of date essential oils that my daughter had knocking about the house. They still smelled lovely even though they were quite old - lavender and sweet orange in equal quantities.

We poured the mixture into an empty cardboard box that we lined with greaseproof paper and then we set off for the village bar. After a couple of hours and a couple of beers we came home and checked on it. It was still quite runny but it was very carefully transported to Angela and Michele's house. It was then that I realised that I had forgotten to take a photograph of the finished product. D'oh! (must have been the beer!)

According to Angela it set beautifully by the following morning and they cut it and left it to cure. They are now in the UK for a holiday so perhaps when they get back they can take a photograph of the soap and let me have it so I can update you all.

This type of all-olive oil soap is traditionally called a Castile soap after the Castile region in Spain where it was first made. The final test of how good this soap is - whether it will be suitable for using on the skin or left under the sink for washing the floor will be down to Angela and Michele. They understand that we don't really know what was in the caustic soda, or if we managed to screen out the 'bad' bits or not. At the end of the day, if it is used solely as a kitchen cleaner, it is still going to be the cheapest kitchen cleaner you could ever buy... costing only a couple of euro's to make.

The recipe we used:
1 litre Olive Oil (cheapest we could get)
275g water (weighed)
127g caustic soda

10ml Essential oil

Short Break

2011-03-02T12:04:00.000+00:00

There will be a short interval (while I go to Spain to visit my daughter and grand daughter) with no posts, but then....

When in Spain I shall be teaching a friend of my daughter's how to make soap - he is keen to only use local produce, which means an all olive oil soap - maybe with rosemary or thyme infusions - I plan to take lots of photographs and I will blog the results. Give me two - three weeks and then do check back!

Oooh yes I plan to make an antiseptic balm with extra virgin olive oil and wild mountain thyme too! Sounds so yummy you'd think I was talking about cookery not cosmetics. See you all soon.

The Perfect Skincare Routine

2011-02-13T09:59:00.000+00:00

JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS A SKINCARE ROUTINE

A skincare routine should be cleansing, toning and moisturising - these three you do every day. This does not include makeup removal which you would do prior to the cleanse, tone and moisturise routine.

If your skin is very dry, you could simply tone and moisturise in the morning, saving the cleansing for evening only.

Knowing your skin type will help you choose which natural beauty recipes to use in your skincare routine.

On top of this daily routine, you should deep cleanse on a regular basis. Deep cleansing can be done with mud masks or skin peels but don't be alarmed... all of these can be made from very natural and simple ingredients.

How often is a regular deep cleanse? Well, once again it depends upon your skin type. And everyone is different so you will have to experiment to see how it goes... but a good guideline is that you need to deep cleanse your pores about once a fortnight... increase or decrease this as you adjust your routine, based upon how your skin looks and feels. I have a greasy complexion and I need to deep cleanse about once a week... but sometimes twice a week... it depends what I see in the mirror every day!

There is also an extra step that many people forget about...

Feeding your skin.
This is required less frequently when you are young and more often as you get older. Feeding involves using creams, serums or face masks with more nourishing ingredients. Sometimes these are best applied at night as they tend to be richer and oilier than a daily moisturiser.

Even oily skins need to be fed... but if you have an oily skin you may like to choose recipes that include less 'greaasy' feeling ingredients, or ingredients that are absorbed into the skin more quickly. There are a number of plant oils suitable for oily skin. It's up to you to do a little reading and then choose one and try it out. There isn't a quick fix for this... I can't just tell you to use this organic face cream or that cold cream, you really do have to put a little effort in to understanding your own skin.

Yes I know this blog does seem to be veering away from it's title - Soap Teacher - Once all this theory stuff is on the site I promise there will be more posts of soap making recipes. Honest!

Do You Know Your Skin Type?

2011-02-11T14:58:00.000+00:00

Why should you know your skintype? It's all very well my telling you how to make a wonderfully natural oil-based skin cleanser but if you already have very greasy skin, or perhaps a tendency to acne, then you are definitely not going to be very happy with it. Knowing your skintype is the key to improving on what nature gave you. Plus it will save you a lot of money and aggravation in the long run!

Choosing which products will be most useful for your particular skin is paramount if you wish to save money, time and energy (and possibly tears too!). Your skin will reflect your general health and the conditions under which you live, more or less updating on a day-to-day basis.

Firstly, if you do not eat and drink well (as in water not alcohol!) your skin is less likely to look its best. 'Burning the candle at both ends' is notorious for making the complexion look grey and dowdy - you only have to remember the 'morning after the night before' to understand where I am coming from.

Pollution, too much sun, too much wind, extreme cold, central heating, computer monitors, fast food, processed food, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs (recreational and prescription), age and illness are all reflected in the health of your skin and will contribute to your natural skintype, making it worse or better.

There is also the predisposition of your genes. Yes, your skintype is inherited, and there's little you can do about that, but if we take what nature has given us as our starting point, there is quite a lot we can do to improve on it. Without breaking the budget or resorting to surgery I might add!

We need to be realistic here. When we are young and healthy we will be able to cope with most of the items on that long list without too much fuss, but as we get older, or if we become generally unwell (or continue to abuse our health), then the damage becomes much more obvious and our skin recovers much more slowly. It is really important therefore, to understand your skin type and the pressures that you are putting on your complexion. You must also review this regularly so that you can 'tweak' your choice of skincare products accordingly. Your regular skincare routine should be reviewed from time to time as your skin ages or as environmental changes take affect.

NORMAL SKIN

Know your Skintype: Normal has an even tone, the pores are usually not visible and there are no flaky or greasy patches. A normal complexion is supple and smooth and glows with inner health. The occasional spot or pimple may appear from time to time depending upon various conditions, puberty, menstruation, illness etc but in general this skintype is not likely to suffer from acne or other skin complaints. As always, you do have to continue to take care of your health (eat and drink healthily and take regular exercise) and follow a suitable skincare routine in order to maintain this skintype.Someone with normal skin can use just about any natural beauty product they like, it will be down to preference and the end result, to choose which ones become part of your regular routine.

DRY SKIN

Know your Skintype: Dry is uncomfortable and can be visibly so. With dry skin there is usually a lack of the skin's own natural oils which means the complexion is often flaky or even cracked. It is not simply lack of sebum (the skin's natural oil) that gives this appearance but also lack of moisture/hydration. Dehydration is often the cause of the most obvious symptoms for this skintype. A dry skin will feel taut after washing and is often prone to sensitivities. Wind, sun, central heating (including car heaters) and our computer screens, make dry skin noticeably worse. Illness and some specific medical conditions can cause extreme dry skin and related skin problems such as excema or psoriasis - if you suspect that your health is to blame then do seek professional advice from your doctor or specialist.
Our complexions have a tendency to dry out as we get older, and the age at which this happens is totally an individual thing, but our modern lifestyle definitely speeds up this process and dry skintypes will often develop wrinkles far sooner than normal or oily complexions.

OILY SKIN

Know your skintype: Oily often looks shiny and greasy with enlarged pores prone to blackheads. The complexion may look sallow or dirty. The skin has a tendency to look coarse and dull. This condition arises generally when there is overproduction of sebum (natural skin oil) and there are times in our life when this is prompted by our hormones. Adolescense is one of these. Oily skin is prone to acne and unsightly blemishes - again this is no stranger to most of us during puberty. However, hormonal imbalances can cause oiliness of the complexion at any age and diet is definitely a contributing factor. People with oily skin needs to deep cleanse more frequently and may find that natural skin peels become a regular and slightly more time consuming part of their routine. On the bright side, those with oily skintypes are often the last to get wrinkles and show the signs of ageing. But this benefit hardly outweighs the drab look that oily skins can often have.
Some people have combination skins where greasy patches form around the nose, chin and across the forehead. Managing this type of skin requires a mixture of products from the recomendations made for all the skintypes and you will have to take a little extra care in choosing which and what you use.

De-Stressing... yes please!

2011-02-09T10:46:00.001+00:00

De-Stress Bee Balm Recipe

This bee balm is perfect for massaging onto temples shoulders and neck at the start of a tension headache.
Ingredients
20ml Apricot Oil
10ml Calendula Oil
10ml Jojoba Oil
4g Bees Wax
1ml Vitamin E
2 drops Rosewood Essential Oil
5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
2 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Method

Follow instructions for making the basic bee balm.

It's as simple as that!

Or.... if you want to be more complicated follow the instructions for infusing herbs in the oil - here you seem some wild thyme growing in Spain. It was wonderfully aromatic, antiseptic and a bit stimulating for a de-stress balm, but some lavender perhaps would be more suitable for the de-stressing. The thought, care and attention you put into making your balm will be rewarded in the results that you get. A truly beautiful balm deserves the best therapeutic essential oils that you can afford - remember to wait until the balm is almost gloopy before mixing them in, that way you don't lose too much to the heat. The act of massaging the oil in (either yourself or getting someone to help you) and relaxing while breathing in the aroma of the essential oils is also very important.

Babby Bottom Balm

2011-02-01T09:30:00.000+00:00

Nappy Rash - The Natural Solution

Nappy rash, or diaper rash as it is known in the USA is easily prevented by the use of a barrier cream. The one's that you can buy in the chemist or supermarket always contain a preservative and often other ingredients such as synthetic fragrances that you might prefer not to put on your baby's bottom.

On this page you will find a couple of natural formulas that will do exactly the same job but without the worrying chemical ingredients. Of course if you are at all concerned about the safety of these recipes, as always, do check with your health professional before using them on your child.

Castoline

This is a barrier cream suitable for use as a nappy cream or where a vegetable replacement for Vaseline is required. It is developed from the basic Bee Balm Recipe The end result is quite thick and it stays on the skin for quite some time before slowly sinking in. The addition of healing shea butter and soothing jojoba will help protect delicate skin.
Ingredients
40g Castor Oil
18g Shea Butter
22g Jojoba
10g Fractionated Coconut Oil
10g Bees Wax
5 drops lavender Essential oil
2 drops Chamomile Essential oil
(The use of essential oils in this recipe is optional. You may prefer - while baby is under 6 months old to leave them out, if you are in doubt please check with a qualified aromatherapist.)

Method
Combine all ingredients except the shea butter and the essential oils in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water. Melt everything very gently. Once the bees wax has melted remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the shea butter. The heat of the bees wax should melt the shea quite quickly. Stir it well. Allow the mixture to cool until like thick soup at which point add the essential oils, again stir very well, then pour into a clean sterilised jar. Leave for at least 24 hours to settle before use. (My hubby uses this balm on his thighs when he goes running - it really stops the chaffing and was one of my very first creations that got his seal of approval. I was simply glowing I can tell you!!)

Varying the Basic Bee Balm Recipe

2011-01-31T11:02:00.000+00:00

In my last post I gave you a very basic bee balm recipe, but it is the beginnings of making a really beautiful product.

First of all you need to decide what your balm is going to be used for. Then you choose a plant oil or combination of oils that will suit your purpose. Choose the type of bees wax - yes, you have a choice - that suits your purpose and finally decide if you are going to add essential oils or perhaps a flower or plant extract or both. Research the type of essential oils that will be suitable for your product and make sure that you like the way they smell. It is a good idea to blend the oils a couple of days before you intend to make the balm to allow the combination to settle down and assume a nicely rounded scent.

A note about bees wax
If you purchase bees wax from your local bee keeper you may find that it is very dark in colour, or very yellow, or has what appears to be impurities in the wax. These impurities are often simply honey, or pollen or even bits of bees - it all depends upon how well the bee keeper has filtered the wax. If you purchase bees wax from a diy store it can sometimes be very very dark brown in colour, in general the darker the colour the older the bees wax - which doesn't necessarily mean that it is bad, but you need to think about what type of bee balm you are going to use it for.

Bees wax purchased from a cosmetic supplier is sometimes pure white in colour, this is because it has been washed until it is totally white and is completely pure. Very often the yellow bees wax will smell of honey and the washed wax does not. They are usually all equally good depending upon your point of view, and your choice should be guided by your end product.

For example, if you are making a foot balm - perhaps with a peppermint essential oil, you may be perfectly happy to choose a wax from your local bee keeper who perhaps does not filter it so well. The final smell of your balm will be changed a little by the combination of the peppermint essential oil with the honey smelling wax. But if you are intending this to be a beauty balm with the addition of an expensive rose essential oil, then you may not want the wax to smell so strongly and taint the rose scent (actually rose and honey is quite pleasant but its a personal choice). Another consideration is the colour - the colour of your wax and the skincare oils that you choose will determine the final colour of the bee balm, some people are funny about using highly coloured products on their face, preferring pure white or slightly creamy rather than vivid yellow or dark brown. It is simply a consideration to be made before you begin.

A Case Study To illustrate my point I am going to divulge the secret of my own recipe Bee Calm Balm.

I wanted a medicinal bee balm to treat stings, insect bites, minor scratches and burns. I chose Calendula Oil (Calendula Officianalus Helianthus Annus - or sunflower oil infused with calendula petals). I thought that calendula would be healing and soothing and gentle on damaged skin. Because it was to be an ointment I didnt mind too much about the colour, but I would prefer yellow than brown so I spoke to a local bee keeper and bought from him a nice yellow - not too highly filtered bees wax that still smelled quite strongly of honey. Honey itself is very healing and soothing, not to mention being antiseptic, so I didn't mind if the bees wax contained traces of honey.

To further inhance the healing qualities of the oil I decided to infuse some medicinal herbs. I chose Chickweed (Stellaria media) because of it's anti-inflammatory qualities and Plaintain (Plantago lanceolata) because of it's ability to staunch bleeding. I then infused these two herbs in the calendula oil for a couple of weeks. To give my oitment a pleasing smell as well as increasing the medicinal value I chose a blend of Tea tree essential oil along with Lavender and Chamomile. I used very little tea tree because I do not find the smell pleasant, but also it is a very strong essential oil and I didn't want to overpower my formula, likewise with the chamomile - the smell is not one that I would like to dominate.

It took me some time to work out exactly how much to use. Because the calendula oil is basically an infusion of marigold petals in sunflower oil and sunflower oil can have tendencies to go off a little quicker than other oils I decided to use some vitamin e to help prolong the shelf life.

I used the basic recipe for a bee balm (given in the last post) - 50ml of oil to 4g of bees wax. The end product was brilliant!! My first aid cupboard will never be without it! So you see, the more thought and care you take over the choice of ingredients, the more amazing your end product will be.

You could choose all organic ingredients, you could mix a large number of plant oils together. You could add flower extracts or cosmetic additives - you could even reduce the amount of bees wax and replace it with a little shea butter. How much? Well that requires you to experiment a bit... if you melt shea butter and let it go hard, it goes really hard so if you were to add it to the above recipe without reducing the bees wax your balm might be rock solid, hence you need to experiment until you get the consistency that you like best. Remember to leave the preparation for a good 24 hours before judging whether it is thick or thin enough for your tastes.

Hint if you think that you will be experimenting quite a bit, it is a good idea to purchase a set of digital jewellery scales (about £20 at last time of looking). These will enable you to scale recipes down to very small quantities, in this way you can make just one pot of ointment at a time and if it is not to your liking you can bin it without too much waste!
And next... I shall be divulging my De-stress balm recipe... so do check back soon.

Making a Basic Natural Balm

2011-01-30T10:01:00.000+00:00

Bee Balm - Nothing could be simpler!

A bee balm is very simple to make. And has a multitude of uses depending upon your choice of plant oil. Balms can be used for cleansing very dry skin - massage on and remove with a warm damp muslin cloth.

They can be used as a skin food - use rich nourishing oils and perhaps add plant extracts or a night serum formula to enhance the effects, apply at night time or after a warm bath and allow to sink in over a period of some hours.

A balm can have medicinal purposes too, for example if you infuse a medicinal herb or plant in the oil or bees wax and then use this in your basic balm recipe. It is important to research really well which herbs to use, when in doubt always consult a professional.

Basic Bee Balm

Ingredients50ml Vegetable oil of choice (this could be a simple extra virgin olive oil or a more expensive combination of oils
from the health food shop or specialist supplier)
4g Bees Wax

Method
Melt the Bees Wax with the oil in a double boiler. Never attempt to melt the bees wax in a pan over direct heat as there is a real possibility of fire. Once the oil and wax are melted together remove from the heat and stir until it cools to the consistency of thick soup. At this point add the essential oil and stir well. As an addition a little Vitamin E can be added now – buy Vitamin E capsules from the health food shop and pierce one with a sharp pin and then squeeze the contents into the mixture – always add vitamin E when the mixture is at its coolest. Decant into a clean, sterilised pot and leave to go cold. This mixture may take a day or two to achieve its final consistency

This bee balm recipe is a nice spreadable consistency, however if you prefer your balm a little stiffer then simply either reduce the amount of oil or increase the amount of bees wax. But only by a gram or two... it makes a big difference when making such small amounts.

Preservatives Lesson 2!

2011-01-27T11:10:00.000+00:00

Anti-oxidants & Essential Oils

Anti-Oxidants are things like Vitamin E, rosemary extract and grapefruit seed extract, which prolong the natural shelf life of oils and fats. Their purpose is to interrupt the action of oxygene radicals which damage the integrity and function of various natural substances. They are useful in your product for two reasons. Not only will they help to prevent the natural degradation of the some of the raw ingredients in your formula, they will also help protect skin cells from similar damage, these effects include minimising age spots, imparting radiance to the skin and slowing down the formation of fine lines - so it could be said that they are anti-aging ingredients!
What they are NOT: Anti-Oxidants are not a preservative - they do not prevent the growth of bacteria in your product.

A note about Grapefruit Seed Extract This is an edible extract produced as a by product of the fruit juice industry, over which there has been quite a lot of controversy, in as much as quite often an undisclosed synthetic preservative is included at the point of manufacture. This means that sometimes when using this raw ingredient alone, your product will be protected against the growth of some bacteria. Many people believed, erroniously, that GSE was the first known 'natural preservative' whithout knowing that it contained a synthetic preservative, using the definition of preservative as something that will inhibit the growth of bacteria. Since this is an expensive ingredient to include I think it is important to find out as much as you can about it's manufacture before deciding to use it - or you could end up with a product that is over-protected... not necessarily a problem unless you are very particular about managing the levels of synthetic chemicals you use.

Essential Oils such as Tea Tree or Thyme have strong preservative qualities - that is to say they do inhibit the growth of bacteria, however the percentage required in order to protect a pot of cream for example is way too high for safe use on the skin - therefore their use as a preservative is not advised.

How do I Protect my Product?

By making your own products YOU make the decision of which preservative to use and how much to put in. For example if you are including a fresh herbal tea or using flower water rather than distilled water you might choose to use a synthetic preservative at a slightly higher percentage than if your product is made with distilled water and includes tea tree essential oil.

Each formula should be assessed individually as to it's purpose, how long you need it to last and therefore which method of preservation you are going to use, if at all. For example if you are making up a small quantity of body butter for a girlie pamper evening the following day, you may decide not to use a preservative at all since the product will certainly last that long and will be entirely used up on the one occasion.

Documented instances of allergic reaction to synthetic preservatives are rare but you do need to take this possibility into consideration. Always follow the cleanliness guidelines when making your products.

Always follow the recommended percentage of use for the preservative and NEVER exceed it.

Always make your products in small batches that will be used fairly quickly. Never Double Dip!!

Preservatives - Lesson 1!

2011-01-26T08:56:00.000+00:00

Parabens Anyone?

Asked if they would like to use parabens in their face cream, most people will say, No.

But it should be understood that there is no truly effective natural preservative suitable for use in a cosmetic product.

Before you get all up in arms I am not talking about anti-oxidants... there are plenty of those. I am talking about preservative in the sense of a substance that will inhibit the growth of a wide range of bacteria.

The person who discovers a natural one will have found the holy grail of the cosmetic and toiletry industry. Currently the most popular preservative choices are Sodium Benzoate or a mixture of Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, and Potassium Sorbate and since the choices are still very limited, Parabens.

Bacteria love our jars of cream, there is plenty of food for them and the water provides the ideal medium in which they love to live. Bacteria are easily introduced into the product by contact with human skin... double dipping (that is placing your finger into the pot and then onto your skin and then back into the pot) is the fastest way to introduce bacteria into your home made product. This bacteria will not only spoil your product it can pose a threat to your health too. Becoming infected from using a cream or lotion spoiled by bacteria is no joke - you could be left with severe scarring of the skin, at the very least.

You may have read about Parabens in the press a few years ago. (and since then the internet has abounded with equally inaccurate reports). but I digress, a report was published that the widely used preservative parabens was discovered in the tumor taken from a breast cancer patient. The inference of the article was that the parabens had caused the cancer. Immediately it seemed like the entire female poplulation of the world checked their bathroom cabinets and binned everything containing Parabens, which turned out to be almost the entire contents of their cosmetic bag. And then found that it was impossible to buy anything without it. Too late... the word Parabens was demonised forever.

Lets put the Record Straight

Parabens has been used as a preservative for decades because of it being extremely effective against a very wide spectrum of bacteria. Actually, nothing else is as good in this respect. Scientifically it is still one of the safest preservatives on the market. You see, not only did they find parabens in that tumour, they also found other things too, from all sorts of foods and cosmetics. And of course, because one tumour does not constitute a viable scientific study - there is no proof that any of the substances found actually caused the unfortunate woman's cancer. I did promise no urban myths here. You will read on other websites that this substance is cancer causing and that you should avoid it... usually by buying whatever product that particular website is selling. The truth is that this is not proven... you can believe what you like... but that's the facts.

In light of the outcry about Parabens they subsequently removed the controversial Butylparaben from the formula.

My next post will cover just what you can do to preserve your home made cosmetic formula.

Which Skincare Ingredients shall I use?

2011-01-23T12:36:00.000+00:00

There are many skincare ingredients to choose from, some natural, some synthetic and some that seem to be in between! And they all come with crazy chemical names that can make you feel very uncomfortable about using them.

This can make many people retreat into the world of very basic toiletries - like going back to medieval times with results that although natural, it has to be said, are often very crude and most definitely not very user friendly for our modern lifestyles. You don't have to just smear olive oil on your face because you are unsure about using modern emulsifiers... there is a way forward.

Of course a great deal will depend upon your own ethics. If you are very very strict about using skincare ingredients in as natural a state as possible then you will definitely limit the amount of toiletries that you can use. But if you consider that even olive oil does not simply drip off the tree... it has to be synthesised or processed by human hands... if you take this kind of processing a step further you have an olive oil spread for your toast in the morning and this is generally considered to be a healthy alternative to using butter... which has much less human interferance. Well it's the same with cosmetic ingredients... some are closer to the tree than others and there is a large number of ingredients that fall slap bang in the middle!

Before I go any further I must add my own personal take on the use of synthetic chemicals as skincare ingredients - I try to avoid them as much as possible, however I believe that a large number of them are safe to use in the correct percentage in products that I occasionally use on my skin and hair. Since when we are in good health our bodies detoxify regularly, I am confident that the small amount of synthetic chemicals that I do use pose no discernable health threat to me... no more so than when I eat non-organic food at a restaurant.What you won't get anywhere on this site is claims that certain skincare ingredients cause cancer or any other health problems. Many such claims you read on the internet have no basis in science and no credible proof anywhere beyond the urban myth.
In the light of modern scientific knowledge there are regulations governing the manufacture and use of synthetic chemicals in products designed to be used on the skin or hair. When scientific proof comes to light about an adverse effect of an ingredient these governing bodies tend to act very quickly to have it removed from use.
I don't know of any cosmetic company big or small who want to poison their customers... they don't want to store up long-term problems for the future either as most of them plan to be in business for a very long time. That doesn't mean that the synthetic ingredients in their products are necessarily good for you... it just means that it can't be proven at this moment in time that they are bad for you.

I believe that it is sensible to cut out unnecessary synthetic chemicals from our lives... as much as possible. However I do not go to crazy lengths... there is no point in cutting off your nose to spite your face. If you live a very 'toxic' lifestyle or perhaps your health is generally not so good...then yes you may wish to cut right down on the use of synthetic stuff. But under normal circumstances with a healthy body there is no reason to believe that a reasonable use of carefully chosen synthetic ingredients (used with knowledge and care) would cause you any harm.

Over the next couple of weeks I hope to have time to blog about some specific chemicals/synthetic ingredients that are
found in lots of cosmetic products.

Hair Wash -

2010-12-13T14:59:00.000+00:00

To wash or not to Wash - The Natural approach to Haircare.

We all have to use a hair wash of some kind right? Or do we? I had suffered with an itchy scalp ever since I could remember. I had always had flakes fall onto my shoulders and I could never wear black tops. I had great difficulty in finding a shampoo or hair wash preparation that would fix this problem without causing me more problems. Gradually over the years I noticed that my hair was thinning and every day I would have to remove stray broken hair strands from my pillow.

I think I let the situation go on so long because everyone agreed that as you get older your hair gets thinner. This is true but it shouldn’t start to happen at age 40. Although we are all individuals and everyone is different, if you are in good health your hair should not start to show age related thinning until you are at least 60 +.

Because I had always used a hair wash for dry hair and also special conditioning treatments I had every reason to believe that what was happening to my hair was the normal degeneration that comes with age. Eventually I had to face facts I was losing the battle to keep up with the latest style, not only did my hair not look good, but my scalp was driving me mad with itching. Finally I snapped. I used to dream of being brave enough to shave my head and start again. Of course I didn’t shave my head. I’m truly not that brave. But I stopped washing it!

Yup! A whole 11 months of not washing my hair. And no, it did not smell - well not after the first 6 or 8 weeks. That's the difficult part. I am not suggesting that everyone would want to be as radical as this, but if you truly cannot find a shampoo to suit and you continue to have an accumulation of hair problems - then you may benefit from simply not washing your hair with any kind of shampoo or soap as I did.
That does not mean to say that I did nothing at all. I used a simple herbal hair washe made at home with herbs and flowers from the garden and the addition of some appropriate essential oils.

Non soap or Shampoo Hair Wash

IngredientsA large handful of fresh Rosemary
Two or three drops of an essential oils blend of your choice (optional)
1 litre fresh spring water. Use bottled water for this if you live in an area with harsh water.
2 tablespoons cider or apple vinegar.
Method
Place the rosemary into the spring water and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to boil turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot. Leave it to cool to hand hot temperature. Strain the rosemary water mixture into a large jug and add the essential oil if you are using it. Add the vinegar (if you do not have cider or apple vinegar then do use whichever vinegar you have to hand... it's not that important).

How to use
Brush your hair really well for about five minutes with a good natural bristle brush. See the grooming posts for more information about brushing your hair properly.

Place a large bowl in the bath and lean over so that your head is directly above it. Pass the hair wash mixture through your hair so that it falls into the bowl beneath. Rub the scalp vigorously to dislodge any scurf and transfer the mixture collected in the bowl to the jug and repeat the process about two or three times. Dry the hair with a towel and then allow to air dry. Comb with a wide toothed comb when wet. Don't worry about the smell of the vinegar it soon goes away.

To Vary For blond hair or light coloured hair, try using chamomile flowers - or a chamomile tea - in the wash instead of rosemary.

Use this hair wash once or twice a week instead of shampoo or soap. Initially, it is best to try and avoid using heat on your hair, at least until it is healthier and stronger.

Shampoo

I say this often, but it needs repeating, would you throw a real silk blouse into the washing machine on a very hot wash? NO you would not, so why treat your hair to very hot water and lots of rubbing and squeezing and squashing? Be gentle!!

If you feel you absolutely MUST use a shampoo then try to find a very mild one and use only a pea sized amount on your scalp. Do not worry about washing the hair shaft with the shampoo... as you rinse your scalp the detergent will latch onto the dirt as it flows down the hair shaft. So concentrate on cleaning the scalp only. Since the scalp is naturally slightly acidic finish with a vinegar and water rinse (just like the hair wash above but you can leave out the rosemary and essential oils if you wish) which will help flush out any remaining detergent.

The real key here is to shampoo your hair only when it is absolutely essential and to use only the smallest possible amount of shampoo at a time. As a rule of thumb once a week is plenty often enough for using shampoo and even better if you can stretch it out to once a fortnight. Try using the hair wash in between times if you feel you need to.

How to wash your hair. If your hair is short this is fairly simple, long hair is a little more complicated. It is important to first comb the hair with a wide toothed comb to make sure that it is free from tangles. You can now use a hair brush to give the hair a really good brushing and to stimulate the scalp. Wet the hair with water at room temperature. Never have the water really hot. Your hair is as delicate as a pure silk shirt… Do not flick your hair around as you wet it, you will only tangle it. Once it is wet apply a small amount of shampoo (or soap) to the scalp and massage it well using the balls of your fingers. Do not scrape with nails. It is not necessary to create loads of foam you are only cleansing the scalp remember. Once you have given the scalp a good massaging with the shampoo, rinse with tepid water. The shampoo detergent will naturally course down your hair removing any vestige of dust or dirt adhering to the shaft of the hair. If you feel you need to repeat the process because of excess grease then do so, but repeat it in exactly the same way… even less shampoo this time since it has already cleaned most of the dirt with the first wash.

It is a good idea not to use a preparatory conditioner to start with, at least until you see what proper washing of the hair achieves. After well rinsing you need to use a towel to dry the worst of the water from your hair. If you have short hair this is fairly straightforward. With long hair, press the hair gently between two sides of towelling to remove excess drips. Do not rough up the hair as you will just tangle it and if it is weak it will break. Now you need to use the wide toothed comb once again working from the bottom to the top to remove any tangles that have occurred during the hair wash procedure.

Ideally the hair should be left to air dry as too much heat simply encourages the hair to dry out become brittle and break. If you must use a hairdryer then try it on a cool heat setting and blow it one way only so that you are not encouraging tangles. Dry the roots and the main body of the hair but try to avoid blow drying the ends.

Do not feel that you have no alternative to shampoo. You could try using a natural soap shampoo bar.

Soap

A natural soap can be a wonderful change from using a detergent based shampoo. Choose a soap that has plenty of rich oils included, preferably a soap bar especially formulated for use as a shampoo. My favourite is a super fatted soap rich in Shea butter and Castor oil. The super fatting means that there is excess oils in the soap that will be released onto the hair or skin when you use it. If your hair is naturally very oily this may not be the best hair wash solution for you but it works a treat on dry hair. A shampoo bar can leave the hair feeling thicker and rougher with less shine - depending upon your hair's natural shine ability. But over time it certainly improves the quality and strength of your hair because it is not stripping the natural oils from your scalp. It won't give you the lustrous finish that many commercial shampoos do because it does not contain any chemicals to coat the hair shaft.
Most of us feel we have to wash our hair because it is dirty, this is not usually the case. It is the scalp that is prone to become dirty not the hair and even then it is never as dirty as we imagine it to be. If hair is brushed well and regularly it is unlikely to retain much dirt or dust. So we need to find a way to wash the scalp regularly but leave the hair longer between washes. This is actually easier than it sounds. One way is to part the hair and rub the parting with a flannel which has been soaped lightly. If you keep parting the hair at regular intervals and cleaning the scalp giving the whole head a final rinse when you are finished you will find that a full shampoo is not necessary.

To try and cut down on how much detergents you use in your hair, you will need to rely on careful and considered grooming, along with a realisation and understanding of your hair's natural state. A good hair cut that takes this into consideration can go a long way towards helping you keep your hair healthy.

Rhassoul Mud

If you are happy to try a hair wash experience without any bubbles at all you might want to use Rhassoul mud. Rhassoul comes from Morocco and has been used for many generations as a hair wash and skin cleanser. It is simply a matter of wetting the mud pieces (or granules) allowing them to swell and then massaging onto a damp scalp. The mud can then be rinsed out or left for a few minutes to work in the same way as a face pack. I found that it wasn’t necessary to leave it more than a few seconds on my hair for it to do the job well and unlike many other clay formulations it rinses very easily from the hair. Both natural soap and Rhassoul have what is commonly known as the ‘Big Hair Affect’. Leaving the hair feeling and looking much thicker than usual. But like soap it leaves the hair looking a little dull. It is worthwhile experimenting with all of the above to find out what works for you. And once your hair is healthy and strong there is no reason why you can't return to using the occasional bought chemical product for that special look.

Damaged Hair and What to do about it!

2010-12-10T14:19:00.000+00:00

What causes Damaged Hair? Well, usually, we do. Poor diet is a major factor in unhealthy hair as well as incorrect brushing, (see the Grooming posts) combing, washing, styling, sun, sea, swimming pools, not to mention shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, straighteners, perms, gels, waxes and hairsprays all have a big part to play in the daily damage done to our hair. Yep, pretty much everything damages our hair.

Split ends, flakey scalp, dull and lifeless hair and excess hair loss at a young age may all be attributed to your lifestyle choices.

There are treatments that you can use to help repair and heal badly damaged hair but none of them work with only one application and many of them contain a cocktail of chemicals that add to long-term damage. In short, if you continue to inflict daily damage on your hair you are never going to get the upper hand. Therefore it is important to re-learn the basics about hair care and begin a routine to correct the damage already done, or shave your head and start again! If it seems that I am assuming that everyone has damaged hair I apologise. I know that there are women out there who do have beautiful, strong, healthy hair but I am sad to say they are in the minority and they can, of course, simply skip this post.

The Most Common Causes of Lifeless Hair

A poor diet or unhealthy lifestyle will show up as damaged hair. Other factors include, stress, hormone fluctuations, tiredness and the weather. With all of these factors conspiring to give us bad hair days s it any wonder we get overwrought about our hair?!
First and foremost it is important to step back and view the situation objectively. We all of us are envious of someone else’s hair. Few of us are happy with what nature has given us and most of us are disappointed after trying the numerous remedies that adorn the shelves of supermarket and chemist.
Stop yourself before you buy your next hair product. Look at it and ask yourself, am I buying this because I believe the girl in the advert? Am I buying this because the picture shows a beautiful person with unbelievable hair? If there is even a moment's hesitation... then perhaps it’s a good idea to just put it back on the shelf and think about it rationally before spending your money.

Healthy hair under the microscope shows that it is coated with a layer of scales that fit smoothly one slightly overlapping the other. With damaged hair these scales can become rough and raised slightly from the shaft of the hair. This kind of damage can be caused by chemicals in hair products or simply rough handling with comb or brush. If the hair is weakened by the use of chemicals then even using hair clips or ties can cause breakages and lasting damage. When enough individual hairs have been damaged in this way the overall condition of the hair looks very bad. The gland at the base of the hair secretes a special oil designed to lubricate the hair shaft and keep these scales smooth and damage free.

Unfortunately hair wash products (shampoos, which are usually made from mild detergent) will often strip all of the oil from the scalp so cleanly that the hair is starved of its natural lubricant, dries out and breaks. The scalp will then overproduce oil in order to rectify the situation giving you an oily scalp that feels greasy and unclean. You reach for the shampoo designed for greasy hair and the vicious circle begins again.

It is almost worse for those who suffer from dry hair. The hair never seems to have enough oil on it, it never appears shiny or glossy and so products that promise shine by coating the hair with silicon are used. Unfortunately these products are really only short term solutions, since the coating on your hair actually starves the hair shaft of the nutrients that it craves and causes it to further dry out. Ultimately, over time, the hair gets worse not better.

So what do I do first?

The first thing you do is read the Grooming posts. You can begin your new grooming regime right away. Incorrect grooming is often the primary cause of damaged hair. The second thing you do is read the Hair Wash post (coming next) - after this you will be able to make an informed decision about which kind of hair cleaning system you need to use.
As well as reading these posts... YOU WILL NEED PATIENCE. Fixing unhealthy hair takes time - time to improve your diet and to refine your hair care regime. At least 6 weeks of your new healthy hair care lifestyle is required before you can say definitely whether something is working or not. This is NOT A QUICK FIX. In nature there are really no quick fixes.

Good Grooming includes Styling the Hair

2010-12-09T11:26:00.000+00:00

As part of your grooming routine you will no doubt wish to style your hair. It is best not to use heat. Of course on occasion it is important to look your best but heat is damaging to the hair and should be used sparingly, if at all. If blow-drying is absolutely necessary, try to only dry the roots and the body of the hair with the heat, leaving if possible the ends to dry naturally.

If your hair is long and you intend to use bands or clips to tie it up always look for the smoothest clips you can find. Any protruding edges or roughness will snag on the hair and can break it. Bands should be smooth and even and should never be tied tightly on the hair. You will find that healthy hair becomes very strong and can stand the abuse that a special day brings, a wedding or a grand function for example, but should not be over taxed by such rigours every day.

I have seen adverts on the tv for shampoo and conditioner that suggested that a lot of hair breakage is due to brushing. This is misleading. If your hair is healthy and you are brushing it correctly (i.e. removing tangles by combing first) then there is no reason at all that your hair would break just from brushing it. Damaged hair of course is something else. Good grooming is a little time consuming and often these rumours are circulated simply to make you feel better about skimping on your routine.
Before going to bed plait long hair loosely and tie it with a covered elastic. During the night we are prone to a lot of movement and weak hair breaks easily. Those who awake in the morning to a pillow covered with broken hair will know what I mean. Those people who have short hair but still find an excessive amount of broken hair on their pillow should sleep in a cotton night cap. This is not an item that can be bought easily nowadays but in the past ladies often went to bed with their hair in a cotton cap to protect it from breakage. If you have any sewing ability at all you can use a shower cap as a template and fashion a cotton equivalent that will do the job – I didn’t say it would be flattering so I offer an alternative, albeit more expensive – change your pillow cases to satin or silk.

I can imagine that many of my readers are laughing now. How far you take this is of course up to you...But perhaps you are beginning to see what good grooming actually means. It is taking the time and CARE over your hair. Lets go back to my cats here, they take a great deal of time over their grooming routine, apart from eating and sleeping it is the most important thing they do on a daily basis. Modern products offer us convenience and speed but it is perhaps time to balance this with a little tlc . If you are too busy to spend five or ten minutes on your hair every day then you may just have to accept whatever hair problems you have - although you could be one of those very annoying people who just simply have great hair no matter how much you neglect it!