That might be so, but I would advise against using mouthwash as it’s full of really nasty stuff, like poloxamer 407, synthetic fragrance, sweeteners like saccharin which are known carcinogens, and all sorts of dodge colourings like CI42053 (Fast Green FCF, which is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant).

Most mouthwashes contain alcohol, and long-term use of mouthwash changes the pH of the mouth and throat, and has been linked to mouth and throat cancers.

So without a mouthwash you’re left with brushing and flossing, which on their own, may not cut it against the dreaded halitosis.

What causes bad breath?

Bad breath is caused by sulphur-producing bacteria living in the mouth, in the throat and on the tongue. This bacteria builds up over time, causing bad breath. Ew.

Common causes of bad breath are food (garlic anyone?), skipping breakfast, smoking, medication, tooth infections, sinus infections, dehydration, zinc deficiency and gastrointestinal disorders.

If you brush your teeth morning and night and still have bad breath but don’t want to use mouthwash, there are some excellent natural remedies you can use.

10 natural remedies for bad breath

1. Water — after you eat, swish some water around your mouth to clear away any food stuck on your teeth to stop the growth of bacteria. It’s also important to drink plenty of water throughout the day as a preventative measure, as dehydration is one of the major causes of bad breath.

2. Salt water gargle — regular salt water gargles can really help keep bad breath at bay, because the salt helps get rid of bacteria from your throat and tonsils. Make sure you use a good quality Himalayan rock salt or a pure lake salt.

3. Fresh Herbs — chew on some parsley, mint, cardamom seeds, sage leaves or a piece of clove after every meal. The chlorophyll in parsley and mint helps control bad breath, plus they both have a wonderfully fresh flavour. Sage leaves contain essential oils with antibacterial properties. Cloves and cardamom are Ayurvedic remedies for bad breath, both being antiseptic and antibacterial.

4. Cinnamon mouthwash — this is another age-old Ayurvedic remedy for bad breath. Add three heaped teaspoons of cinnamon powder to one large cup of hot water. Mix it well and use it as a mouthwash.

5. Baking soda — brush your teeth with baking soda and it will help reduce the acidity in your mouth, preventing bacteria from growing. You can also gargle with baking soda to kill bacteria on your tongue and in your throat.

6. Apple cider vinegar — the highly acidic nature of apple cider vinegar makes it a wonderful natural remedy for bad breath, and one that actually tastes quite pleasant when diluted in a glass of water. Drink it before and after meals to help digestion as well as bad breath.

7. Lemon mouthwash — a good health habit to get into is to drink a litre of water with fresh lemon juice squeezed into it every morning. Its high acid content helps prevent bad breath and it also alkalises your entire system and aids digestion, which can sometimes be the cause of bad breath.

8. Do a detox — bad breath is sometimes caused by a build-up of toxins in your body, so consider doing a detox every six months. Take probiotics after your cleanse to ensure you replace all your good gut bacteria.

9. Tongue scraping — it actually feels really good to give your tongue a good scraping and get rid of all that gunk. You can buy scrapers especially for this delightful purpose. Brush or scrape your tongue gently and thoroughly, remembering that the hardest to reach parts at the back of the tongue smell the worst.

10. Minty moments — your local health food store will have some yummy organic and natural mints and gums that don’t contain any nasties, like anise flavoured mints with all-natural anise extract. If you really don’t feel you can live without mouthwash, there are also alcohol-free and saccharin-free mouthwashes available at health food stores.

Do you know any natural remedies for bad breath you could share with us? C’mon, don’t be shy!

Image: Flickr

Speak to anyone with sensitive skin and they’ll tell you almost any product they try can cause redness, burning, itching, stinging, blotchiness, scaling, pustules, lumps and bumps.

That’s because the store shelves are literally bursting with skincare products that use more and more synthetic fragrances, preservatives and toxic ingredients that are not proven to be safe and are definitely not gentle on sensitive skin.

If a product is irritating to sensitive skin, it can be difficult to pinpoint one ingredient that’s doing the damage if it’s in a bottle laden with synthetic chemicals.

A lot of sensitivity is due to over-use of glycolics, benzyl peroxide, retin A and too much scrubbing with harsh products.

I believe when it comes to treating sensitive skin, the simpler and more natural (and preferably certified organic) the product, the better.

What is sensitive skin?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “there are four distinct types of sensitive skin — acne, rosacea, burning and stinging, and contact dermatitis (allergies and irritants) — and they all have one characteristic in common: inflammation.”

There are many causes of sensitive skin, including genetics; cosmetics; reactions to dyes, fragrances and chemicals; poor diet; climate; hormonal imbalances.

According to Sydney dermatologist Dr Phillip Artemi, cases of sensitive skin are on the rise.

“I certainly see more patients complaining of it,” Dr Artemi says. “When you look at reviews, keeping in mind that there’s not much research on the topic, up to 50 per cent of females and 40 per cent of males report having it. I also find there’s more sensitivity among fairer individuals.”

Skincare products for sensitive skin

Dermatologists often recommend those who are diagnosed with sensitive skin to use pharmacy skincare brands that are actually full of synthetic chemicals and don’t do a lot to nourish and feed the skin, in my opinion.

However, most dermatologists agree that those with sensitive skin should steer clear of highly fragranced skincare products, products containing too many ingredients, antibacterial or deodorant ingredients, alcohol and retinoids.

Finding the right cleanser is often the trickiest, because soaps are way too harsh. Go for a gentle cream cleanser, a nourishing toner that is not too astringent, and a soothing moisturiser, such as one made on a base of calendula.

 Mukti Organics products especially suited to sensitive skin

We have a couple of products that we do not recommend for sensitive skin, such as our Refreshing Hydrating Mist Toner or our Vitamin Earth Mineral Masque. However, most of our products will not exacerbate sensitive skin, as they contain only pure, certified organic, gentle ingredients.

We recommend to purchase our samples if you are particularly sensitive. You can patch test by applying a small amount of product on the inside of your arm and covering with a Band-aid for 12–24 hours to ascertain sensitivity.

We also recommend introducing one product at a time and trialling it for a few days before introducing another product.

But if you have sensitive skin and you want to be on the safe side, these Mukti Organics products are specifically recommended for sensitive skin:

Cleansing Lotion

Antioxidant Facial Oil

Nourishing Facial Creme

Calendula Creme

Rosehip Eye Gel

Rejuvenating Eye Balm

Pink Grapefruit Body Lotion

Pink Grapefruit Body Wash

Roll On Deodorant

Body Oil

 Do you suffer from sensitive skin? Please share your story with us below.

Image: Flickr

Owner Laura Barter opened the business two and a half years ago, with the aim of providing superior services at an affordable price. She is committed to using natural and organic hair and beauty products.

“We are strong believers that beauty can be achieved without the use of harmful chemicals,” says Laura. “We like to be able to not only care for our clients, but educate them at the same time.”

Laura only recently discovered Mukti Organics and says she fell in love with our products straight away.

“It wasn’t just the product itself, but Mukti’s philosophy,” says Laura. “Everything that Mukti has taken into consideration, from environmental awareness to the quality of plant-derived certified natural ingredients.

“Apart from that, the products are highly effective. It’s a beautiful product I that I feel confident to share with my clients.”

Laura is a big fan of moisturisers and says Mukti’s Nourishing Facial Crème is her personal favourite.

“It instantly leaves the skin hydrated and smoother,” Laura says. “I use it in the morning before I apply makeup, and at night — it doesn’t leave my skin with a heavy, congested feeling.

In the relatively short time she has been using Mukti Organics products, Laura says she has received excellent feedback.

“Our customers love it!” she says. “People are becoming more aware of chemicals used in daily products so that our clients feel relieved that we now have a product that is not only fantastic but it is safe.”

Mukti Organics is doing an in-store promotion at Lush Cuts and Beauty on Monday May 13 from 6-8pm. If you’re in the Sunshine Coast region, call Laura and book a place — it’s a great chance to try Mukti Organics products and catch up on what’s new.

Lush Cuts and Beauty

40 Main St, Buderim QLD 4556

Phone: 0449 593 239

facebook.com/LushCutsandBeauty

Sunday May 12 is a very special day in Australia. It’s Mother’s Day — the day we spoil our mums, tell them how much they mean to us, and make them feel special.

We think everyone’s mum should have the chance to try our new organic anti-aging skincare range, Mukti Age Defence. The range is made of three products:

• Age Defence Day Serum
• Age Defence Night Serum
• Age Defence Eye Serum

The Mukti Age Defence Range is valued at $297 and we have one to give away to the lucky mum of one of our blog readers.

To enter, simply answer this question in the comments section below:

What is the best advice your mum ever gave you?

This competition is only open to Australian residents and only those who have ‘liked’ our Facebook page are eligible to enter. If you haven’t liked us on Facebook yet, click here before entering the competition.

The winner will be drawn on Monday May 6. Good luck!

Some interesting facts about coconuts

• The humble coconut grows prolifically throughout South East Asia. Annually, one tree can produce in the vicinity of 100- 500 coconuts as it flowers all year around in a perfect tropical environment, with a lifespan of around 80 years. That’s a heck of a lot of nuts.

• The Balinese use the timber, which is more sustainable than some hardwoods, for building, and the grain of the wood makes for attractive furnishings. Homewares such as bowls, utensils and salad servers made from the coconut shell can also be found in abundance at local markets. The coconut husk is not wasted either and is commonly used for barbeques and as tinder for fires.

• During World War II and the Vietnam War, medics utilised the coconut water for transfusions where medical saline was unavailable and it was also used to disinfect and cauterise open wounds.

• In Ayurvedic medicine, the coconut is considered a natural remedy for stress-related illnesses and it balances Vata and Pita types.

Coconut water

Our muscles consist of 75% water; our blood supply is over 80% water and is our transportation system for nutrients. Our lungs, which process oxygen, are 90% water; our brains are 76% water and our bones 25% water.

So, what does this have to do with the humble coconut you ask?

HYDRATION!

It is not so much about the amount of water that we consume. Of equal import is the balance between hydration and minerals. Because of its natural combination of electrolytes and naturally occurring minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium and phosphorous, coconut water is one of the all-time best drinks to consume.

As well as alkalising the body, it also aids the digestive track to absorb nutrients. It is also free of added sugars, fat and cholesterol. YAY!

Coconut oil

Cold-pressed coconut oil is one of the healthiest, purest and most nutritious fats you can consume. You can literally eat it by the spoonful. It is easily digestible and is burned by the liver. It protects the body from insulin resistance and can be helpful with reducing the risk of type two diabetes.

It assists in optimising body weight by increasing the metabolism. Rather than being stored as fat, it is utilised for energy and efficiently burned up as a fuel, as it contains short-term medium chain saturated acids (or MCFA’s). They are small enough to be absorbed by the cells and utilised for immediate conversion to energy. In short, it is a healthy saturated fat unlike a trans or hydrogenated fat.

Digestive problems and bloating caused by irritable bowel syndrome and stomach bugs of a microbial nature may also be relieved, as it has a soothing effect on bacteria, parasites or Candida, which can be found in the gut.

Coconut oil is also antibacterial and antifungal, making it a perfect moisturising medium for skincare products. It also has amazing hydrating properties for the hair and skin, and is great for fine lines and wrinkles.

You will find it as a key ingredient in most of our moisturisers.

Coconut flesh

Opening a coconut can be a little unpredictable. A young coconut will contain around 2 cups or 480ml of water, but the meat is harder to determine from the outside.  The more mature coconut has firm meat and the younger ones are more gelatinous, so they are ideal to harvest, as the juice is also generally sweeter.

The meat is abundant in lauric acid that has antibacterial and antiviral properties and can assist with the elimination of infections and parasites. It also provides a fantastic, long lasting protein boost.

Infused Coconut Water Recipe

Simply extract the juice from 2 young coconuts, pour into a receptacle and add a natural flavouring agent, then chill. You can experiment with different infusions. Here are some of my favourites:

• Citrus Coconut Water: 1 thin slice of lemon, grapefruit, mandarin and orange

• Pina Colada Coconut Water: 3-4 thick slices of peeled pineapple.

• Berry Blend: 2-3 tablespoons of any berry or combination of your choice

P.S – remember to use organic fruits for optimum flavouring and health.

You can also check out our recent Facebook post earlier this month for another sumptuous coconut recipe.

Image: Flickr

Unless your meat is organic or raised in an open pasture, chances are it will be raised in a feedlot crammed with many animals.

This environment is unnatural, unhealthy and unhygienic for the animals. To prevent them getting sick, they are routinely given continual doses of antibiotics in their feed.

There are various problems with this.

One is that antibiotics administered in this way can contaminate the soil and water, eventually making their way into human populations through drinking water.

Studies have shown this is contributing to the growing resistance to antibiotics that is becoming a major public health issue.

England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, recently said antibiotics resistance is “as big a risk as terrorism”.

According to an analysis of U.S. Food and Drug Administration data by the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for a Livable Future, 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in 2009 were for use on livestock and poultry, and only 20 percent was for human medical use (Center for a Livable Future 2010).

In 2010, the FDA said in a non-enforceable “guidance” that because “antimicrobial drug use contributes to the emergence of drug-resistant organisms, these important drugs must be used judiciously in both animal and human medicine.” It urged strict limits on antibiotic use in livestock (FDA 2010).

You won’t find added growth hormones in organic meat

In Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, South Africa and Japan, growth hormones are fed to beef cattle, dairy cows and sheep to improve their growth rate and maximise profits. These hormones have been linked to increased cancer rates in humans.

For good reason, the European Union has banned the use of growth hormones or the sale of meat produced using growth hormones since 1998.

In 1999, the European Union’s Scientific Committee for Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health said that six commonly used growth hormones had the potential to cause “endocrine, developmental, immunological, neurobiological, immunotoxic, genotoxic and carcinogenic effects,” adding that “even exposure to small levels of residues in meat and meat products carries risks, and no threshold levels can be established for any of the six substances” (EU 1999).

While you’re at it, steer clear of farmed fish

A number of environmental toxins are found in meat and fish, with tuna and farmed salmon of the highest concern.

A 2004 analysis of two metric tons of farmed and wild salmon purchased from stores around the world showed consistently and significantly higher concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), dioxins, and the widely banned insecticides toxaphene and dieldrin in farmed salmon (Hites 2004).

Farmed salmon has on average 16 times the dioxin-like PCBs found in wild salmon and four times the levels of beef.

Mercury contamination of seafood is also a well-documented problem.

How to be sure your you’re really getting organic meat

In 2009, Choice investigated butchers in Sydney and Melbourne and found that many were falsely selling meat as organic.

Organic meat must comply with the National Standards for Organic and Biodynamic Produce to carry the organic label. Among other requirements, the livestock must:

• range freely on pasture;

• not be given growth promoters (including antibiotics)

• eat feed produced without synthetic pesticides

• have no genetically modified inputs.

Choice recommends looking for authorised ‘certified organic’ logos such as the Organic Food Chain or Australian Organic, when buying organic meat.

As you pay a premium for organic meat (because it’s more expensive to produce), the prices should be higher. If they’re not, ask the butcher where the meat comes from and who has certified it as organic. If they don’t know or won’t tell you, it’s reasonable to question its authenticity.

Are you concerned about the antibiotics and growth hormones that are added to non-organic meat?

Being the resourceful type, the woman thought about all the things that she was good at and what she loved and what she did not like about the world that she lived in. She believed that if she could create the pure essence of goodness from the gifts of nature, then she would be duly rewarded and all beings would benefit.

So she set about on a journey of self-discovery to find the secret of happiness.

With her small child strapped into a caboose, she busied herself collecting fruits of the trees, berry blossoms, essence of flowers, fairy breath and dew drops from the tongues of leaves. At times the task was arduous, thorns and branches pricked at her fingers and tore at her clothes and when the clouds covered the sun and rain fell into her eyes, she was able to mask her tears.

As they walked through the forests and gardens picking and toiling, her child often laughed in wonderment at the simplest of things. It was the sweetest tinkling sound that the woman had ever heard, and it gave her hope and strength to continue.

Finally, after much persistence, the woman placed her bountiful harvest into a large vat and let it simmer and brew. She was not one for witchcraft and incantations, but the moment had spiritual reverence and a sense of relief. She prayed for the happiness of all beings and virtues such as peace, love, joy and gratitude.

After many moons, the essence had fermented and emanated a most magnificent odour of all her favourite virtues. It was now time to share this gift with the world. In her cellar, she found some beautiful empty blue glass bottles that were once filled with wine. They reminded her of earlier days of frivolity, when she was carefree. Now she could put them towards a more wholesome purpose. She and her daughter soaked, washed and filled them, one by one, with her happiness potions.

Every day before the songbirds woke, she kissed her daughter, gathered her baskets and her wares and trundled off to the markets. Even though she was tired and her bones ached, she believed in the importance of sharing the essences of virtue that were contained within each blue bottle.

Slowly people came to know of this woman and her potions, and her reputation grew through word of mouth. The woman was grateful to each coin that fell into her purse because she knew that she could put it to good purpose. Not for her own self-aggrandisements, but in order to benefit and educate others.

Today, many years on, the woman’s daughter is a young woman herself. After vying for her mother’s attention and struggling with her mother’s priorities, she is now starting to understand that the woman’s purpose was not only to provide for her but for others.

And that even though the woman was sometimes too busy for her daughter, that all along her heart was in the right place. Now she stands beside her mother holding her hand and has a sense of pride in all that she has accomplished.

Happy Birthday 18^th birthday Kiyana.  You have always been my greatest inspiration.

X Mama Mukti

It’s groovy to be green

I have this really bad habit of putting my computer to “sleep” rather than shutting the whole thing down. Primarily because I tend to have a whole lot of stuff that I am working on that I may need to access in a jiffy so it seems much more efficient to leave unfinished documents open on my desktop.

It got me thinking that this is probably not the best habit in the world of eco-friendliness, so here I explore a few other options that may assist in minimising your contribution to environmental degradation.

Yes, there are the obvious ones, like using that big ol’ recycle bin that sits in your front yard and replacing incandescent globes, but what about all the other little contributors that add up to a whole lot more, person by person on a global scale?

1. Computers

Leaving them in sleep mode requires 70% less energy but still uses up power so shut down the shop when you go for shuteye. Contrary to outmoded thinking, shutting down your computer does not crash the hard drive or use more power to restart.

2. Plastic bags

Even though our usage in Australia has dropped by one-third over the past few years and you may ‘re-use’ your bags as bin liners, producing these flimsy bits of plastic are toxic to the air we breath, plus they use up a considerable amount of fossil fuels and chemicals.

Leave some fabric bags in the car so that they are always available when you pop to the shop. After you unpack your groceries, leave them by the door so that you trip over them on your way out.

 3. Clothes dryers

These are hard to avoid, especially after the protracted rain periods we have experienced in Queensland over the past summer months. There is nothing less appealing than wearing clothes that smell like day-old socks.

Each load contributes around 3 kilograms of greenhouse emissions. Purchase a dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically turns the machine off when the load is dry. Use smaller loads that have been put through a high spin cycle and clean the lint filter regularly. Old fashion clotheshorses left in a well-ventilated area also cut down on drying time.

4. Standby

Appliances like TVs, stereos, printers, phone chargers and microwaves use around 20% of home energy consumption and 75% of this is accounted for by appliances left on standby. Instead, turn them off at the wall when not in use, or use power boards that can be switched off. Doing this also reduces the invisible electromagnetic energy fields around your household.

5. Disposable nappies

These are not that disposable or biodegradable. In fact, they take over 500 years to decompose. If you consider that each newborn to toddler averages around 6000 nappies, that is a heck of a lot of landfill since their inception in the 1960s.

Whilst any new mother can appreciate the convenience of disposable nappies, cloth nappies can be used over and over again. Yes, they are a hassle and no-one really relishes being up to their elbows in poop. But the facts are that they use 20 times less raw materials, half the amount of water and three times less energy to make.

6. Plastic water bottles

Single use PET plastic water bottles contribute significantly to landfill and energy consumption. In the US alone, around 50 billion are used annually. In Australia, over $385 million is spent each year and only 36% of these bottles are recycled. Even more sobering, it is estimated that each one-litre bottle of water uses around 200ml of oil to manufacture, transport and refrigerate, which means that Australia’s annual bottled water consumption generates as much greenhouse gas as 13,000 cars.

Invest in a good quality water filter and refill glass bottles, stainless steel or BPA-free bottles that can be reused again and again. Remember to rinse them with biodegradable warm soapy water occasionally.

7. Cremation

Whilst I don’t relish the thought of insects nibbling away at my remains, cremators have to be heated to around 1000°C, which makes the equivalent of around 150 kg of CO2 and other noxious emissions. You may have gone up in smoke, but around 16% of airborne mercury from teeth is still floating around the atmosphere. The whole point of living your life green is rendered mute.

Alternative options include cryomation ­ freezing the body in liquid nitrogen and removing any foreign metal, then burying the remaining corpse in a biodegradable coffin; or resomation which uses a fraction of the energy of cremation. The body is heated in water and an alkali substance to 150°C that turns the body to dust in a matter of hours.

8. Detergents/Shampoos/Washes

Most of these are made from non-biodegradable surfactants that contribute to the degradation of our waterways, underground water supplies and eventually the ocean. Just because you wash it down the drain does not mean it has magically disappeared. A massive 97% of our waterways worldwide are now polluted.

Whilst I am on this point, think about anything that you put down the drain. If it can be composted or thrown on the lawn (i.e. tea leaves, coffee grinds, liquids) choose that as an option instead.

9. Electronic equipment/batteries

We have become a disposable, consumerist society, always wanting the latest techno gadgets. Many components that are used in electronics contain a cocktail of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, corrosive acids and arsenic compounds.

Only 6% of the batteries that are bought in Australia are recovered for recycling. Instead of chucking these items in the bin, arrange for collection by refugee service providers and charities.

10. Petrol emissions

We live in a big country with not the most adequate public transport systems, especially in regional areas, but one person driving around in an expensive fuel-guzzling contraption is inexcusable.

Look at ways you can minimise your outings by organising one round trip per week, car pool, ride a bike or take public transport. Rapid accelerating and braking is not only annoying for the person behind you, it may save as much as 35% in fuel.

How do you minimise your energy consumption and environmental burden?

Image: Flickr

With winter on the way in Australia, the last thing you want to be using on your skin is products that will dry it out.

Body wash is more convenient and easier to use than a bar of soap, which gets slimy and falls apart after a number of uses. However, if you’re a regular body wash user, you’ll be horrified if you’ve been using a non-organic body wash and haven’t checked the ingredients list.

Almost all mainstream body wash brands use a plethora of synthetic fragrances, foaming agents and nasty preservatives. Considering most of us shower daily, that’s a lot of chemical craziness you’re putting on your skin.

Common ingredients used in mainstream body washes are sodium laureth sulphate and sodium lauryl sulfate (cleansers and foaming agents that can irritate the skin, eyes and lungs); propylene glycol (a penetration enhancer) and fragrance, which as you may know, is an umbrella word the cosmetics industry uses to describe thousands of scent chemicals that haven’t been tested for safety.

If you love body wash but don’t want to bombard your skin with chemicals, it’s best to go certified organic. Here’s a short video of Mukti discussing her certified organic Pink Grapefruit Body Wash and why it’s the safest way to wash your skin:

Mukti Pink Grapefruit Body Wash is gentle enough to use on your baby

It’s scary to think people squirt all sorts of baby bubble bath products or adult body wash into their baby’s bath without realising their baby is sitting in a chemical soup.

• improves skin circulation

• is suitable for all skin types.

• soothes and calms the skin

• works as emollient and normaliser for rough skin

• balances the skin with astringent, antioxidant, and antiseptic properties

• brings relief to sufferers of dry skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis

 Click here to try Mukti’s delicious, certified organic body wash today.

Image: Flickr

Beauty therapist Jo

Our stockist of the month for April is Harmony Hair and Body in Gracemere, near Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Opened two years ago, this organic hair and beauty salon is a great advocate of Mukti Organics. The business owner, Tania, has personally used Mukti products for a number of years, so she says it just felt right to stock them in her salon.

“I love Mukti’s philosophies,” says Tania. “I know she cares about her products and what goes into them. I can confidently tell my clients that Mukti is a safe and effective skincare range that is affordable and easy to use, which is what we are about at Harmony.

“There are many skincare products out there on the market, which make it tricky for consumers, but for us Mukti ticks all our boxes and we proudly stock her products.”

Harmony Hair and Body is committed to using only certified organic products or products that are as natural and low in chemicals as possible, while still delivering professional salon quality results at no extra cost to clients.

Their motto is: “care that doesn’t cost the earth”.

Tania is very environmentally aware and uses solar panels, hangs the washing on a clothesline rather than using a dryer, uses products that are waterway safe, and prints all her marketing materials on recycled paper.

“We support Australian owned and made products,” says Tania. “All our products have been researched and have a reason for being in our salon. Our clients know this and trust we are have their best interest at heart, which is what makes us different.

Jo performing a Mukti Organics facial

Tania says her clients say Mukti Organics products feel great on their skin and they like using products they know are safe.

“I love the fact that the products are certified organic, so we can honestly and safely tell our clients how good the products are for their skin,” says Tania. “All our staff use the products so we have first-hand experience at what they feel like and do for our skin.”

Harmony Hair and Body runs regular skincare workshops where clients come and try the products for themselves and learn more about how to best care for their skin.

“Education is important to us as this is part of caring for our clients,” says Tania. “It is an opportunity for us to pass on our knowledge and help people create a great skincare routine where they can see the results.”

She says most of her clients use Mukti Organics cleanser, exfoliant, toner, moisturiser and eye gel.

“I would say the eye gel is a favourite. They love how it feels so light and reduces puffiness. The next favourite product would probably be the toners. We have clients who spray them any time of the day when they need a refreshing pick-me-up.”

The staff at Harmony Hair and Body are lovely and include two beauty therapists, Jo and Katie-Jo, three senior hairdressers and two apprentice hairdressers. They are all super-friendly and approachable and listen to their clients’ needs. It’s the kind of salon where you can just go and chill out while you are truly pampered.

Jo with her Mukti Organics training certificate

Harmony Hair and Body

Shop 1/4 Middle Rd. Gracemere

(with the flags flying, opposite Waraburra School)

Tel: (07) 4933 3312

Email: harmonyhairandbody@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/harmonyhairandbody