My Baerreis Wee Shell hair fork was finally delivered to me and I love it!!
I got it in Birdseye Maple and the natural wood grain is absolutely gorgeous.
It is so much thinner than my Grahtoestudio hair forks, which makes it feel really fragile; GTS forks are so much sturdier in that regard; I don't dare to toss my Baerreis fork into my handbag (bad habit I know) for fear of it snapping. The upside is that because it is so thin it slides right into my bun and its hold is good, but not tight to the point where it makes my head hurt. That tends to happen with my GTS forks. But then again my GTS forks are all made of heavy, dense woods: ebony, and cardinal wood.
Next on my list is my Nautilus fork... I think I'm going to get it in Cocobolo.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Homemade Fuller's Earth Clay Mask
My commercial clay mask ran out, so I decided to make my own detoxifying clay mask.
Did a little research, and found out about this clay called "Fuller's Earth", which is perfect for my skin's needs because I have oily skin, and I want a mask with skin-lightening properties.
According to MountainRoseHerbs.com, Fuller's Earth is "a sedimentary clay that has been widely used as a skin-lightening agent and is best known for its ability to be applied as a 'facial bleach'. Because of its enormous drawing capabilities, Fuller's Earth is the number one choice for oily skin and those prone to acne. It literally draws oil from the skin and has been used industrially for this exact purpose." Purchased a bag of cosmetic grade Fuller's Earth from MountainRoseHerbs.com, and when I received it I started experimenting with a few ideas on the web to come up with a suitable mask.
Some said honey would be good if you don't want the mask to be too drying, others added tea tree oil, or mixed it with rose water. For my first batch, I mixed the clay with honey, lemon juice and tea tree oil, but I didn't really like the end result because it was a little too moisturising and I did not feel the tightening effect at all. Made the mask again today, and I think I have a winner:
1 heaped tea spoon of fuller's earth clay
concentrated green tea
a few drops of tea tree oil (I added three)
Mix the green tea with the clay till you reach the desired consistency, then add tea tree oil. Apply onto a clean face. When the mask dries completely, rinse off with warm water.
Initially, I decided to go with water and tea tree oil. As I was mixing it all up in the kitchen, it suddenly crossed my mind that I could use green tea instead because of its wonderful benefits: apparently, when it is applied topically, it has detoxifying and antihistamine-like effects. I put a green tea bag into a mug, added a small amount of hot water, and started "mashing" the tea bag with a spoon to get really concentrated green tea really quickly. Added the green tea to the clay in small amounts till I got the consistency I desired, then added the tea tree oil. Applied the mask with my fingers, then sat around and waited till the mask started to dry and I began to feel the tightening effect characteristic of clay masks. The tea tree oil made the mask really tingly and had a "cooling" effect on my skin. One thing that I observed though, was that parts of the mask turned bright green, effectively showing me that the water had evaporated, while parts remained dark green, indicating that it was still relatively high in water content. I put quite a thick layer on my face because I made a little too much, but I think the next time I'll apply a thinner layer.
My skin felt really clean and refreshed after I washed off the mask. I'll probably have to try this a few times to see its long term effects, but for now I am very pleased with it!
Did a little research, and found out about this clay called "Fuller's Earth", which is perfect for my skin's needs because I have oily skin, and I want a mask with skin-lightening properties.
According to MountainRoseHerbs.com, Fuller's Earth is "a sedimentary clay that has been widely used as a skin-lightening agent and is best known for its ability to be applied as a 'facial bleach'. Because of its enormous drawing capabilities, Fuller's Earth is the number one choice for oily skin and those prone to acne. It literally draws oil from the skin and has been used industrially for this exact purpose." Purchased a bag of cosmetic grade Fuller's Earth from MountainRoseHerbs.com, and when I received it I started experimenting with a few ideas on the web to come up with a suitable mask.
Some said honey would be good if you don't want the mask to be too drying, others added tea tree oil, or mixed it with rose water. For my first batch, I mixed the clay with honey, lemon juice and tea tree oil, but I didn't really like the end result because it was a little too moisturising and I did not feel the tightening effect at all. Made the mask again today, and I think I have a winner:
1 heaped tea spoon of fuller's earth clay
concentrated green tea
a few drops of tea tree oil (I added three)
Mix the green tea with the clay till you reach the desired consistency, then add tea tree oil. Apply onto a clean face. When the mask dries completely, rinse off with warm water.
Initially, I decided to go with water and tea tree oil. As I was mixing it all up in the kitchen, it suddenly crossed my mind that I could use green tea instead because of its wonderful benefits: apparently, when it is applied topically, it has detoxifying and antihistamine-like effects. I put a green tea bag into a mug, added a small amount of hot water, and started "mashing" the tea bag with a spoon to get really concentrated green tea really quickly. Added the green tea to the clay in small amounts till I got the consistency I desired, then added the tea tree oil. Applied the mask with my fingers, then sat around and waited till the mask started to dry and I began to feel the tightening effect characteristic of clay masks. The tea tree oil made the mask really tingly and had a "cooling" effect on my skin. One thing that I observed though, was that parts of the mask turned bright green, effectively showing me that the water had evaporated, while parts remained dark green, indicating that it was still relatively high in water content. I put quite a thick layer on my face because I made a little too much, but I think the next time I'll apply a thinner layer.
My skin felt really clean and refreshed after I washed off the mask. I'll probably have to try this a few times to see its long term effects, but for now I am very pleased with it!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Chagrin Valley Soap & Shampoo Bars
My shipment from Chagrin Valley finally arrived! I haven't tried all of them, so I will add the reviews as I use them.
Here was what I bought:
Shampoo bars:
Herb Garden
Neem & Tea Tree
Nettle
Chamomile Citrus
Babassu and Marsh Mallow
Olive Babassu
Summer Sunshine
Soap bars:
Dead Sea Spa
Shea Rose Clay
Others:
Squalane Face & Eye Mousse
Reviews
Nettle Shampoo Bar
After reading all the rave reviews about this bar, I decided to start with this bar from my CV stash. It lathered very well, and did not dry out my hair. I lathered and rinsed three times in total. None of the squeakiness I got from my previous bars. My hair was easy to comb through when wet, when dry it did not feel rough, just a tad dry but that's because of the chemical damage. I did not use an acid rinse, but I don't think there is a need to at all with this bar. Very gentle cleansing. Only problem is that my hair is starting to feel a little oily, and it has been less than two days.
Olive Babassu
I love this bar even more than I do the Nettle bar; this bar is even gentler than Nettle in terms of cleansing capability, which makes for softer hair but also hair that gets oilier quicker. It has a very, very faint scent that goes away minutes after washing,
Neem & Tea Tree Body and Hair Shampoo
I bought this to use on my face and not on my hair. It gives off a very strong smell that I initially found off-putting, but I have gotten used to it. It has worked wonders for my complexion and I am very happy with this bar. It can be a little drying though, so combat the dryness with a good moisturiser.
Dead Sea Spa Soap
It is a dark grey colour which is a little scary but it doesn't have a strong smell at all. Didn't lather very well even after I softened my water. I guess it is an okay bar but I will not repurchase.
Squalane Face & Eye Mousse
It has the texture of whipped cream, it melts easily upon contact with the skin and gets absorbed very quickly. I have been using this as an eye cream and night face cream and I love it. It keeps my skin super moisturised. The only drawback is that this product has a shelf life of only two months so constant repurchase is necessary.
Here was what I bought:
Shampoo bars:
Herb Garden
Neem & Tea Tree
Nettle
Chamomile Citrus
Babassu and Marsh Mallow
Olive Babassu
Summer Sunshine
Soap bars:
Dead Sea Spa
Shea Rose Clay
Others:
Squalane Face & Eye Mousse
Reviews
Nettle Shampoo Bar
After reading all the rave reviews about this bar, I decided to start with this bar from my CV stash. It lathered very well, and did not dry out my hair. I lathered and rinsed three times in total. None of the squeakiness I got from my previous bars. My hair was easy to comb through when wet, when dry it did not feel rough, just a tad dry but that's because of the chemical damage. I did not use an acid rinse, but I don't think there is a need to at all with this bar. Very gentle cleansing. Only problem is that my hair is starting to feel a little oily, and it has been less than two days.
Olive Babassu
I love this bar even more than I do the Nettle bar; this bar is even gentler than Nettle in terms of cleansing capability, which makes for softer hair but also hair that gets oilier quicker. It has a very, very faint scent that goes away minutes after washing,
Neem & Tea Tree Body and Hair Shampoo
I bought this to use on my face and not on my hair. It gives off a very strong smell that I initially found off-putting, but I have gotten used to it. It has worked wonders for my complexion and I am very happy with this bar. It can be a little drying though, so combat the dryness with a good moisturiser.
Dead Sea Spa Soap
It is a dark grey colour which is a little scary but it doesn't have a strong smell at all. Didn't lather very well even after I softened my water. I guess it is an okay bar but I will not repurchase.
Squalane Face & Eye Mousse
It has the texture of whipped cream, it melts easily upon contact with the skin and gets absorbed very quickly. I have been using this as an eye cream and night face cream and I love it. It keeps my skin super moisturised. The only drawback is that this product has a shelf life of only two months so constant repurchase is necessary.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Homemade Beeswax Lipbalm
I've been searching for a natural replacement for Vaseline and chanced upon a recipe from this website.
The recipe calls for 1 ounce of beeswax and 1/2 cup of baby oil. I replaced the baby oil with organic virgin coconut oil because I didn't want to use mineral oil in my lipbalm.
To fill up a 2 oz jar, you will need:
1/2 ounce organic beeswax
1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. I just put it in a bowl over a pot of boiling water on the stove. After the beeswax has been melted, stir in the coconut oil. You have to keep stirring till it cools completely, and because I am such a lazy person I put the bowl on ice so that it would cool faster. As you stir, you will realise that the mixture is solidifying. When it reaches the consistency of Vaseline, it is done. The beeswax I used was a golden yellow, so the mixture was pale yellow in colour. Store it into a 2 oz glass jar.
I tried it on my lips last night, and I woke up with very moisturised lips. I am very pleased with this recipe. Other recipes on the web add shea butter, Vitamin E oil, and other essential oils, but this simple recipe does it for me.
I bought my beeswax from here, in case you were wondering! The shipping was quick, and the beeswax is of a good quality; it is a pretty golden yellow colour, with a strong honey smell.
The recipe calls for 1 ounce of beeswax and 1/2 cup of baby oil. I replaced the baby oil with organic virgin coconut oil because I didn't want to use mineral oil in my lipbalm.
To fill up a 2 oz jar, you will need:
1/2 ounce organic beeswax
1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. I just put it in a bowl over a pot of boiling water on the stove. After the beeswax has been melted, stir in the coconut oil. You have to keep stirring till it cools completely, and because I am such a lazy person I put the bowl on ice so that it would cool faster. As you stir, you will realise that the mixture is solidifying. When it reaches the consistency of Vaseline, it is done. The beeswax I used was a golden yellow, so the mixture was pale yellow in colour. Store it into a 2 oz glass jar.
I tried it on my lips last night, and I woke up with very moisturised lips. I am very pleased with this recipe. Other recipes on the web add shea butter, Vitamin E oil, and other essential oils, but this simple recipe does it for me.
I bought my beeswax from here, in case you were wondering! The shipping was quick, and the beeswax is of a good quality; it is a pretty golden yellow colour, with a strong honey smell.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment
I haven't fixed my hard water problem, and poo bars have been making my hair really dry. I've been avoiding the heavy coconut oiling that I used to do as a hair treatment, because of the trouble I have to go through trying to get the oil out of my hair with the poo bars.
I finally found an alternative hair treatment: Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment from The Long Hair Community forums.
4 parts conditioner
1 part aloe vera gel
1 part honey
I used Renew Skincare Australia's Everyday Nourishing Conditioner because it is SLS, paraben, and cone-free, Fruit of the Earth Pure 100% Aloe Vera Gel, and organic raw honey. Mixed them all together, then nuked the mixture for 20 seconds- when it first came out of the microwave the mixture was watery, but after letting it cool and stirring it a little it got back its thick pre-microwave texture.
Washed my hair with a soap bar because I'm out of poo bars, dried my hair, then applied the treatment. Sat around with it in my hair for about 2 hours, and I've just washed it out. Maybe I've been going with the poo bar and lemon juice routine for a little too long, but my hair feels wonderful. There is that slip I miss SO MUCH from conventional shampoo and conditioners... Kinda makes me wanna go back to them, as much as they are not good for my hair. Sigh. I love this treatment. I'm gonna see how my hair feels once its dry, but if my wet hair is any indication, I'm going to be one satisfied girl.
Update: 06/04/11
My hair is so silky right now that my hair forks aren't holding very well in them! This treatment is definitely a keeper. I'm going to do it at least once a week from now on!
I finally found an alternative hair treatment: Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment from The Long Hair Community forums.
4 parts conditioner
1 part aloe vera gel
1 part honey
I used Renew Skincare Australia's Everyday Nourishing Conditioner because it is SLS, paraben, and cone-free, Fruit of the Earth Pure 100% Aloe Vera Gel, and organic raw honey. Mixed them all together, then nuked the mixture for 20 seconds- when it first came out of the microwave the mixture was watery, but after letting it cool and stirring it a little it got back its thick pre-microwave texture.
Washed my hair with a soap bar because I'm out of poo bars, dried my hair, then applied the treatment. Sat around with it in my hair for about 2 hours, and I've just washed it out. Maybe I've been going with the poo bar and lemon juice routine for a little too long, but my hair feels wonderful. There is that slip I miss SO MUCH from conventional shampoo and conditioners... Kinda makes me wanna go back to them, as much as they are not good for my hair. Sigh. I love this treatment. I'm gonna see how my hair feels once its dry, but if my wet hair is any indication, I'm going to be one satisfied girl.
Update: 06/04/11
My hair is so silky right now that my hair forks aren't holding very well in them! This treatment is definitely a keeper. I'm going to do it at least once a week from now on!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Homemade natural hair mist
My hair has been feeling really dry lately, so I decided to make my own leave-in spray/conditioner. I turned to the Long Hair Community forums, and found this little gem of a concoction.
4 oz distilled water
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
1 teaspoon jojoba oil
(If you refer to the original recipe, you can put in vegetable glycerin and essential oils, but I didn't have any of those on hand.)
Sanitise the mister you're going to use, so as to prolong the shelf life of your spray mixture. I just poured boiling water over all the utensils, mixing jugs and bottles I was going to use. This spray mixture works really well, I use all over the length of my hair, but I tend to go overboard so I try not to spritz it on hair near my scalp. It's lovely for moisture, and I go crazy on it for the damaged ends of my hair. It really helps!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Shea butter
Just received my raw unrefined organic shea butter from Beija-Flor Naturals in the mail! I haven't used it because I was rushing out of the house, but I'll definitely post updates after I'm done. I plan on using it as is, instead of whipping it with jojoba/vitamin E oil.
Update:
My shea butter came in a simple screw top container. It was not as creamy as I expected it to be, but rather it looked like it had been smushed into the container by the seller.
Quality and Smell:
Unlike reviews of other shea butter I've read on the web, the shea butter I received was pale yellow, clean (no disgusting hair or other strange foreign matter that I had to pick out of it!), and didn't have an intolerable smell. The smell is pretty all right actually. It is not as fragrant as cocoa butter, but it has a somewhat similar smell that is nutty, and pleasant.
Texture:
The texture is thick, which makes it difficult to spread on arms and legs. If it wasn't such a hassle, I'd whip it with jojoba oil.... I guess that's a small price to pay for high quality, natural moisturisers with zero chemicals!
Review:
As a moisturiser, I love this stuff. It gets absorbed into the skin really quickly, though it leaves a film of product on the skin; my skin definitely feels coated, but not sticky or oily. As such, I personally don't use this as a daytime body moisturiser, because the weather here is hot and humid, and I think it just wouldn't be a good mix. But I love this as a night body moisturiser, especially because I sleep in an air-conditioned room. I wake up with nice, moisturised skin. I have also used the shea butter on the damaged ends of my hair, upon coming out of the shower. A little goes a long way!
Update:
My shea butter came in a simple screw top container. It was not as creamy as I expected it to be, but rather it looked like it had been smushed into the container by the seller.
Quality and Smell:
Unlike reviews of other shea butter I've read on the web, the shea butter I received was pale yellow, clean (no disgusting hair or other strange foreign matter that I had to pick out of it!), and didn't have an intolerable smell. The smell is pretty all right actually. It is not as fragrant as cocoa butter, but it has a somewhat similar smell that is nutty, and pleasant.
Texture:
The texture is thick, which makes it difficult to spread on arms and legs. If it wasn't such a hassle, I'd whip it with jojoba oil.... I guess that's a small price to pay for high quality, natural moisturisers with zero chemicals!
Review:
As a moisturiser, I love this stuff. It gets absorbed into the skin really quickly, though it leaves a film of product on the skin; my skin definitely feels coated, but not sticky or oily. As such, I personally don't use this as a daytime body moisturiser, because the weather here is hot and humid, and I think it just wouldn't be a good mix. But I love this as a night body moisturiser, especially because I sleep in an air-conditioned room. I wake up with nice, moisturised skin. I have also used the shea butter on the damaged ends of my hair, upon coming out of the shower. A little goes a long way!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Homemade body sugaring recipe
I want to retire my razor and shaving cream in favour of body sugaring, because it is cheap and natural, and I have all the things I need for it in my kitchen, including a candy thermometer- lucky me!
Got the recipe from here; sugaring is essentially a mixture of sugar, lemon juice and water that is boiled till it becomes a paste, and after it cools, it is spread onto hairy arms and legs and the hair is removed with the aid of cotton strips.
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Combine the ingredients, boil till the mixture reaches hard candy stage (250F), remove from heat and pour into a jar, and let it cool. After that, your paste is good to go.
My experience
I had to boil my mixture till 260F instead of 250F; you'll know it's done when the smell and colour of the mixture changes- the colour will become a dark brown and it will smell a little like caramel. I cut up a few old cotton rags and used those as the cloth strips. I applied the paste in the opposite direction of the hair growth, smoothed the cloth strip over it with the back of a spoon, then pulled in the direction of the hair growth so that the hair is pulled out completely. If you do it the other way round, you risk breaking the hair strands instead of pulling them out by the root. After I was done using a strip I dropped it into a basin of hot water next to me, which will help with the clean-up. Plus, you can reuse them so it's totally eco-friendly. Sugaring both legs took me an hour, which is significantly longer than shaving, but I think my inexperience (first time!) was a contributing factor. Nonetheless, I am very pleased with the results! My legs look really clean, and I know the regrowth will take at least a couple of weeks (that's what I'm hoping, anyway). I'm itching to try this out on my underarms... Probably the only drawback of this method, apart from how time-consuming it is if you're new at it, is that the hair has to be long enough so that the sugaring paste can grab hold of it and yank it out.
Got the recipe from here; sugaring is essentially a mixture of sugar, lemon juice and water that is boiled till it becomes a paste, and after it cools, it is spread onto hairy arms and legs and the hair is removed with the aid of cotton strips.
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Combine the ingredients, boil till the mixture reaches hard candy stage (250F), remove from heat and pour into a jar, and let it cool. After that, your paste is good to go.
My experience
I had to boil my mixture till 260F instead of 250F; you'll know it's done when the smell and colour of the mixture changes- the colour will become a dark brown and it will smell a little like caramel. I cut up a few old cotton rags and used those as the cloth strips. I applied the paste in the opposite direction of the hair growth, smoothed the cloth strip over it with the back of a spoon, then pulled in the direction of the hair growth so that the hair is pulled out completely. If you do it the other way round, you risk breaking the hair strands instead of pulling them out by the root. After I was done using a strip I dropped it into a basin of hot water next to me, which will help with the clean-up. Plus, you can reuse them so it's totally eco-friendly. Sugaring both legs took me an hour, which is significantly longer than shaving, but I think my inexperience (first time!) was a contributing factor. Nonetheless, I am very pleased with the results! My legs look really clean, and I know the regrowth will take at least a couple of weeks (that's what I'm hoping, anyway). I'm itching to try this out on my underarms... Probably the only drawback of this method, apart from how time-consuming it is if you're new at it, is that the hair has to be long enough so that the sugaring paste can grab hold of it and yank it out.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Shampoo bars and water hardness
I had a really astonishing experience today that I really want to share. I've always suspected that my water was moderately hard, and many shampoo bar users note that water hardness does affect the efficacy of shampoo bar use, though they have been working pretty okay for me. So anyway. I was washing my hair today, and after rinsing off the shampoo, I used the lemon juice rinse on it, but as I began to rinse the juice rinse out of my hair, I felt a lock of hair that was still a little oily so I stopped rinsing. The lock of hair was still coated in the lemon juice rinse when I ran my shampoo bar down the length of the lock, and IT GLIDED. Following this, it lathered amazingly quickly. I was seriously astounded but then I realised that lemon juice contains both citric and ascorbic acid (though probably in teeny amounts) that maybe "converted" my hard water into soft water. I never thought water hardness would make such a big difference but it did! I've got an order of citric acid and ascorbic acid on its way to me from Lotion Crafter, and hopefully it'll help turn my water "soft" and make my shampoo bar experience even better! I'll post any updates here, so keep your fingers crossed for me!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Homemade natural deodorant
I found a recipe for natural deodorant, comprising of ingredients I already have in my kitchen:
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch
5-6 tablespoons coconut oil
I've never liked the host of chemicals in antiperspirants... Apparently aluminium is used in them, and has been linked to a number of diseases including breast cancer. Some proponents of this natural deodorant recipe swear by its stink fighting properties... I'm going to try it out and see what happens; while many people rave about it, my main concern is that it is going to stain my clothes. Guess I'll be wearing cotton t-shirts over the next few days!
Update:
Making the deodorant
I started with 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup corn starch, and 7 tablespoons of liquid organic virgin coconut oil (I froze it so that it would harden, then added the solid coconut oil to my mix). The mixture was a little too watery for my liking so I added a couple more tablespoons of baking soda and corn starch, then threw in an extra tablespoon of corn starch for good measure. I did not use any essential oils to scent my deodorant.
Application
I used a pea sized amount for each side, but either I did not apply it properly or I used a little too much, because ten minutes later I had to remove the residue with tissue paper. Tomorrow I'll try rubbing it in a little more.
Smell
The deodorant, when applied, gave off a faint coconut smell that I actually found pleasant, kinda like the scent of coconut soap. This is in contrast to when I oil my hair with coconut oil and the smell gets really overpowering and unpleasant. While the scent lingered for the first half of the day, by the second half of the day it was gone.
Texture
I expected the texture to be oily, but it wasn't in the least! Rubbing it between my fingertips, it starts off a little creamy then fades to a powdery finish. It really feels like commercial antiperspirant.
Verdict
Generally I do not sweat a lot, and I didn't have a very active day today, but the deodorant passed the test! Stink free! I am amazed that it worked as well as it did. I am going to monitor it for the next couple of days, but I think it is safe to say I am a natural deodorant convert!
Update: 27/03/11
It has been almost a week, and I have been using the deodorant with no major problems. To prevent any stains on my clothing I have been careful to remove any excess with tissue paper, about ten to fifteen minutes after application, when the deodorant has "settled" into my skin. Also, because I live in a country with a tropical climate, the coconut oil in the deodorant is not really solid at room temperature. Coconut oil melts at approximately 23ºC to 26ºC, so it does affect the texture of my deodorant somewhat. I have observed a thin layer of liquid coconut oil on the surface of my deodorant, so to make the texture of my deodorant uniform when applying, I use a small plastic fork to whip the deodorant. It takes a couple of seconds, and I then use the fork to take out the amount I want to use for application so that I don't contaminate the entire mixture. Right now my deodorant is in a plastic container, but I am going to transfer it to a glass container, which I believe may help keep the mixture cool and put an end to this problem. I will post any updates here, so keep your eyes on this space (:
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch
5-6 tablespoons coconut oil
I've never liked the host of chemicals in antiperspirants... Apparently aluminium is used in them, and has been linked to a number of diseases including breast cancer. Some proponents of this natural deodorant recipe swear by its stink fighting properties... I'm going to try it out and see what happens; while many people rave about it, my main concern is that it is going to stain my clothes. Guess I'll be wearing cotton t-shirts over the next few days!
Update:
Making the deodorant
I started with 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup corn starch, and 7 tablespoons of liquid organic virgin coconut oil (I froze it so that it would harden, then added the solid coconut oil to my mix). The mixture was a little too watery for my liking so I added a couple more tablespoons of baking soda and corn starch, then threw in an extra tablespoon of corn starch for good measure. I did not use any essential oils to scent my deodorant.
Application
I used a pea sized amount for each side, but either I did not apply it properly or I used a little too much, because ten minutes later I had to remove the residue with tissue paper. Tomorrow I'll try rubbing it in a little more.
Smell
The deodorant, when applied, gave off a faint coconut smell that I actually found pleasant, kinda like the scent of coconut soap. This is in contrast to when I oil my hair with coconut oil and the smell gets really overpowering and unpleasant. While the scent lingered for the first half of the day, by the second half of the day it was gone.
Texture
I expected the texture to be oily, but it wasn't in the least! Rubbing it between my fingertips, it starts off a little creamy then fades to a powdery finish. It really feels like commercial antiperspirant.
Verdict
Generally I do not sweat a lot, and I didn't have a very active day today, but the deodorant passed the test! Stink free! I am amazed that it worked as well as it did. I am going to monitor it for the next couple of days, but I think it is safe to say I am a natural deodorant convert!
Update: 27/03/11
It has been almost a week, and I have been using the deodorant with no major problems. To prevent any stains on my clothing I have been careful to remove any excess with tissue paper, about ten to fifteen minutes after application, when the deodorant has "settled" into my skin. Also, because I live in a country with a tropical climate, the coconut oil in the deodorant is not really solid at room temperature. Coconut oil melts at approximately 23ºC to 26ºC, so it does affect the texture of my deodorant somewhat. I have observed a thin layer of liquid coconut oil on the surface of my deodorant, so to make the texture of my deodorant uniform when applying, I use a small plastic fork to whip the deodorant. It takes a couple of seconds, and I then use the fork to take out the amount I want to use for application so that I don't contaminate the entire mixture. Right now my deodorant is in a plastic container, but I am going to transfer it to a glass container, which I believe may help keep the mixture cool and put an end to this problem. I will post any updates here, so keep your eyes on this space (:
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Shampoo bars: the beginning
I decided, a couple of months ago, that I was going to grow my hair long, and slowly phase out my use of SLS shampoos.
The routine I had adopted as I was trying to use up all the SLS shampoos in my bathroom was, to be honest, really good for my hair. I washed my hair every other day with a scalp treatment shampoo and conditioned with a deep conditioning hair mask, and I would oil my hair every alternate night (the day before I washed my hair) with organic virgin coconut oil, and organic extra virgin olive oil. My hair looked gorgeous and I received quite a few compliments. But... I wasn't satisfied because I knew how much chemicals were in the products I was using.
I stumbled upon shampoo bars completely by accident. I shop on Etsy a lot, and was looking at a vanilla sandalwood soap bar that I really wanted to buy. The seller had a promotion going on, so I purchased two soap bars and two shampoo bars. I did all my research before I started using them though; what to expect, etc. I know I have to find out, through trial and error, what is a good routine for me because everyone's hair responds differently to shampoo bars, and it depends on the shampoo bar itself, hair type, water hardness, etc. Here is a log of my first few experiences with shampoo bars:
1st wash: Honey ale and egg shampoo bar
I didn't oil my hair before I washed my hair because I wanted to see the effects of the shampoo bar on its own. My hair came out a lot drier than I expected it to, maybe because I was a little over zealous in my washing; shampoo bars are supposed to be more gentle on your hair and they aren't supposed to strip your hair of its natural oils. The texture of my hair was squeaky clean as well, and I do not mean that in a pleasant way. My hair dried to the texture of straw, with a slightly unpleasant waxy feeling. I lightly oiled it with some jojoba oil, which helped.
2nd wash: Honey ale and egg shampoo bar, rice vinegar rinse (1 tablespoon vinegar : 2 cups water)
I oiled my hair before this wash with extra virgin olive oil. Big mistake. It took a long time to get the oil out, and once again I washed my hair till it was squeaky clean. I didn't want to purchase apple cider vinegar because I don't want it to change my hair colour, so I used what was on hand in my kitchen: rice vinegar. People say that after the rinse the vinegar smell will fade away. I didn't wash the rinse out of my hair to see what would happen. When my hair dried, it was dry like straw, yet oily at the same time. The vinegar smell did not go away, and the waxiness remained, too. I lightly oiled it with jojoba oil, but this time the jojoba didn't help.
I also found out that the water hardness in my area ranges from soft to moderately hard, which may be the problem.
3rd wash: Lemon rosemary shampoo bar, lemon juice rinse (1 tablespoon juice : 2 cups water)
I didn't oil my hair before this wash. My hair was oily though, from the olive oil and rice vinegar residue. Not a pretty sight. My hair responded a little better to the lemon rosemary bar. It didn't strip my hair of its natural oils as badly as the ale and egg bar did. As for the rinse, I swished my hair around in it for a bit before I poured it over my hair. Washed it out maybe five to ten minutes after. My hair has dried, and this is the best it has been since I started using shampoo bars. It is somewhat soft, though nowhere near the wonderful softness I got while using SLS shampoos and conditioners. It isn't as dry as the two previous times, and the waxiness is minimal. The ends are looking rather ragged; I'm hoping that an oiling with jojoba oil will make it look and feel a little better.
I also went on a little spending binge earlier this evening; bought a few Chagrin Valley shampoo bars, and citric acid and ascorbic acid, which I am going to use get rid of any hard water problems; I have a strong suspicion the water in my area is moderately hard, which is interfering with my new routine.
Update: 24/03/11
The lemon rosemary bar (lather twice) and lemon juice rinse are working relatively well, but I realise my hair gets oily after 1.5 days. Other reviews of this particular bar say that it isn't very good for oily hair, and I have to concur. Sigh. Maybe I'll try the honey ale and egg bar again today with the lemon juice rinse, and see what happens. I can't wait for my CV shipment to arrive...
The routine I had adopted as I was trying to use up all the SLS shampoos in my bathroom was, to be honest, really good for my hair. I washed my hair every other day with a scalp treatment shampoo and conditioned with a deep conditioning hair mask, and I would oil my hair every alternate night (the day before I washed my hair) with organic virgin coconut oil, and organic extra virgin olive oil. My hair looked gorgeous and I received quite a few compliments. But... I wasn't satisfied because I knew how much chemicals were in the products I was using.
I stumbled upon shampoo bars completely by accident. I shop on Etsy a lot, and was looking at a vanilla sandalwood soap bar that I really wanted to buy. The seller had a promotion going on, so I purchased two soap bars and two shampoo bars. I did all my research before I started using them though; what to expect, etc. I know I have to find out, through trial and error, what is a good routine for me because everyone's hair responds differently to shampoo bars, and it depends on the shampoo bar itself, hair type, water hardness, etc. Here is a log of my first few experiences with shampoo bars:
1st wash: Honey ale and egg shampoo bar
I didn't oil my hair before I washed my hair because I wanted to see the effects of the shampoo bar on its own. My hair came out a lot drier than I expected it to, maybe because I was a little over zealous in my washing; shampoo bars are supposed to be more gentle on your hair and they aren't supposed to strip your hair of its natural oils. The texture of my hair was squeaky clean as well, and I do not mean that in a pleasant way. My hair dried to the texture of straw, with a slightly unpleasant waxy feeling. I lightly oiled it with some jojoba oil, which helped.
2nd wash: Honey ale and egg shampoo bar, rice vinegar rinse (1 tablespoon vinegar : 2 cups water)
I oiled my hair before this wash with extra virgin olive oil. Big mistake. It took a long time to get the oil out, and once again I washed my hair till it was squeaky clean. I didn't want to purchase apple cider vinegar because I don't want it to change my hair colour, so I used what was on hand in my kitchen: rice vinegar. People say that after the rinse the vinegar smell will fade away. I didn't wash the rinse out of my hair to see what would happen. When my hair dried, it was dry like straw, yet oily at the same time. The vinegar smell did not go away, and the waxiness remained, too. I lightly oiled it with jojoba oil, but this time the jojoba didn't help.
I also found out that the water hardness in my area ranges from soft to moderately hard, which may be the problem.
3rd wash: Lemon rosemary shampoo bar, lemon juice rinse (1 tablespoon juice : 2 cups water)
I didn't oil my hair before this wash. My hair was oily though, from the olive oil and rice vinegar residue. Not a pretty sight. My hair responded a little better to the lemon rosemary bar. It didn't strip my hair of its natural oils as badly as the ale and egg bar did. As for the rinse, I swished my hair around in it for a bit before I poured it over my hair. Washed it out maybe five to ten minutes after. My hair has dried, and this is the best it has been since I started using shampoo bars. It is somewhat soft, though nowhere near the wonderful softness I got while using SLS shampoos and conditioners. It isn't as dry as the two previous times, and the waxiness is minimal. The ends are looking rather ragged; I'm hoping that an oiling with jojoba oil will make it look and feel a little better.
I also went on a little spending binge earlier this evening; bought a few Chagrin Valley shampoo bars, and citric acid and ascorbic acid, which I am going to use get rid of any hard water problems; I have a strong suspicion the water in my area is moderately hard, which is interfering with my new routine.
Update: 24/03/11
The lemon rosemary bar (lather twice) and lemon juice rinse are working relatively well, but I realise my hair gets oily after 1.5 days. Other reviews of this particular bar say that it isn't very good for oily hair, and I have to concur. Sigh. Maybe I'll try the honey ale and egg bar again today with the lemon juice rinse, and see what happens. I can't wait for my CV shipment to arrive...
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Homemade natural facial scrub
I have been cutting down my use of chemical laden beauty products, as I try to go back to the basics. My skin reached a point where it couldn't take it anymore; I had been breaking out, badly, which was horrifying because never once have I had to go through such a situation, even when I was a teenager. In general, my entire family is blessed with pretty good skin. So I cut out most of the over-the-counter beauty creams, opting instead for organic face creams and toners.
My commercial facial scrub ran out recently, so I decided to make my own facial scrub. I used:
1 teaspoon of organic raw honey
Instant oats, blended to a powder
Lemon juice
Using the raw honey as a base, I slowly mixed in the instant oats till it became a spreadable mixture, and topped it off with a squeeze of lemon juice. I applied it to my face for twenty minutes then used the oats to exfoliate my face before I washed it off.
It feels good to cut all these chemicals out of my beauty routine... I want to start using cucumber pulp on my face eventually too, because it's good for making your skin look and feel like tofu. Mother nature is good!
Update:
I've started using blackstrap molasses instead of honey for my facial scrub because I'm trying to get rid of the huge bottle of molasses I bought to bake ginger snaps. I cut out the lemon juice too, so essentially all that I have in my mask are molasses and instant oats. I keep the mask on for half an hour, then splash my face with water and scrub off the dead skin with the oats. To finish, I wash everything off with lukewarm water. You HAVE to do this over a sink because it is going to get messy, and blackstrap molasses stain everything. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now, and I realise that after I wash off the molasses mask, any clogged pores I may have can be easily unclogged. It is pretty amazing. Try it for yourself and see if you get the kind of results I did!
My commercial facial scrub ran out recently, so I decided to make my own facial scrub. I used:
1 teaspoon of organic raw honey
Instant oats, blended to a powder
Lemon juice
Using the raw honey as a base, I slowly mixed in the instant oats till it became a spreadable mixture, and topped it off with a squeeze of lemon juice. I applied it to my face for twenty minutes then used the oats to exfoliate my face before I washed it off.
It feels good to cut all these chemicals out of my beauty routine... I want to start using cucumber pulp on my face eventually too, because it's good for making your skin look and feel like tofu. Mother nature is good!
Update:
I've started using blackstrap molasses instead of honey for my facial scrub because I'm trying to get rid of the huge bottle of molasses I bought to bake ginger snaps. I cut out the lemon juice too, so essentially all that I have in my mask are molasses and instant oats. I keep the mask on for half an hour, then splash my face with water and scrub off the dead skin with the oats. To finish, I wash everything off with lukewarm water. You HAVE to do this over a sink because it is going to get messy, and blackstrap molasses stain everything. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now, and I realise that after I wash off the molasses mask, any clogged pores I may have can be easily unclogged. It is pretty amazing. Try it for yourself and see if you get the kind of results I did!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Eggplant "steaks"
I wanted to make these lotus root cakes for dinner tonight but the supermarkets I went to were all out of lotus roots (and i went to TWO).
So.... As I walked down the supermarket aisle wondering what I was going to do, I saw a flash of purple: eggplant. I love eggplant. I've featured two different ways of using eggplant in this blog so far, so here's a third:
Miso-glazed eggplant
Eggplant is really such a versatile vegetable, and it's pretty!! Plus it's really good for you. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say it's low in calories, high in fibre and chockfull of vitamins.
The eggplant I used was pretty big so I divided the recipe by 3 and the glaze was just enough. Though I have to say it's not so much a glaze as it is a thick sauce. I used pre-seasoned miso because that was all I had on hand, though i know shiro miso would have been a much better fit. Didn't use that much oil too, I sliced the eggplant into quarters and just rubbed them with a little olive oil... Pan seared them because I was too lazy to broil them, but I did pop them into the toaster oven so that the sauce would caramelise a little. Garnished with a little sesame oil, raw sesame seeds (calcium!!) and spring onions.
I call them "steaks" because it really felt like I was eating a cut of meat; the eggplant is very filling and I felt good after I was done- the eggplant is "heavy" enough to make you feel like you had a full meal, yet light enough so that you don't feel gross after you're done.
So.... As I walked down the supermarket aisle wondering what I was going to do, I saw a flash of purple: eggplant. I love eggplant. I've featured two different ways of using eggplant in this blog so far, so here's a third:
Miso-glazed eggplant
Eggplant is really such a versatile vegetable, and it's pretty!! Plus it's really good for you. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say it's low in calories, high in fibre and chockfull of vitamins.
The eggplant I used was pretty big so I divided the recipe by 3 and the glaze was just enough. Though I have to say it's not so much a glaze as it is a thick sauce. I used pre-seasoned miso because that was all I had on hand, though i know shiro miso would have been a much better fit. Didn't use that much oil too, I sliced the eggplant into quarters and just rubbed them with a little olive oil... Pan seared them because I was too lazy to broil them, but I did pop them into the toaster oven so that the sauce would caramelise a little. Garnished with a little sesame oil, raw sesame seeds (calcium!!) and spring onions.
I call them "steaks" because it really felt like I was eating a cut of meat; the eggplant is very filling and I felt good after I was done- the eggplant is "heavy" enough to make you feel like you had a full meal, yet light enough so that you don't feel gross after you're done.
Friday, March 4, 2011
A few more big bowl meals
Here are a few more big bowl meals that feature awesome flavours, and and are very flexible recipes.
BOWL 6. Quinoa with tofu and blanched vegetables. Brown the tofu in a non-stick pan (you can afford not to use oil) and when it is browned on all sides, add vegetarian oyster sauce and minced spring onions. I like to eat it with blanched spinach and carrot strips, but broccoli, or other leafy chinese vegetables work beautifully as well. Replace the quinoa with brown rice if you prefer, and add half of a hard boiled egg (or an entire egg if you're particularly hungry) for the protein.
BOWL 7. A tweak on BOWL 6, prepare a bowl of miso soup using miso paste that has been pre-seasoned with dashi and bonito and pour it over to get a soupy version. It's perfect for those days where you want something hot and soupy. You can easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by omitting the dashi and bonito, and using vegetable stock as the base instead.
BOWL 8. Couscous soup. It is basically a combination of blanched vegetables, broth and couscous - A/N: make sure the broth you use is flavourful enough; I used instant vegetable broth (yes I am very lazy) and the soup had a distinct msg taste to it, which was kinda awful.
Enjoy!
BOWL 6. Quinoa with tofu and blanched vegetables. Brown the tofu in a non-stick pan (you can afford not to use oil) and when it is browned on all sides, add vegetarian oyster sauce and minced spring onions. I like to eat it with blanched spinach and carrot strips, but broccoli, or other leafy chinese vegetables work beautifully as well. Replace the quinoa with brown rice if you prefer, and add half of a hard boiled egg (or an entire egg if you're particularly hungry) for the protein.
BOWL 7. A tweak on BOWL 6, prepare a bowl of miso soup using miso paste that has been pre-seasoned with dashi and bonito and pour it over to get a soupy version. It's perfect for those days where you want something hot and soupy. You can easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by omitting the dashi and bonito, and using vegetable stock as the base instead.
BOWL 8. Couscous soup. It is basically a combination of blanched vegetables, broth and couscous - A/N: make sure the broth you use is flavourful enough; I used instant vegetable broth (yes I am very lazy) and the soup had a distinct msg taste to it, which was kinda awful.
Enjoy!
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