Toxic free makeup??

With work has come the need to wear makeup again. Which is fine in itself but I have terribly sensitive skin and have not been able to find something eco, toxic free that suits my skin. So I've been following a sort of no poo method for skin (ie just washing my skin with water and not using moisturiser). It's worked reasonably well but could not remove my Inika mineral foundation powder.

So my favourite cleanser at the moment is oats. Just good old fashioned oats, soaked in water and then mooshed together and gently pressed against my skin. I got this tip from the last Peppermint Magazine and it works amazingly well. I suffer mildy from rosacea and this reduces and calms the redness. It also takes off my makeup...yay!!

But its been a while since I've worn full on makeup (other than going out at night for special occasions - again not high on my to do list). So after reading Sarah Wilson's post on toxin free makeup, I started using Ere Perez Chamomile eye shadow. These are really gentle on your eyes and easy to wash off. I then top it all off with Dr Bronner Naked lip balm.

I also use Coconut Oil as a hand moisturiser and in a pinch a lip balm. Especially with the weather so cold and drying at the moment, I find coconut oil especially great at keeping my skin soft and hydrated.

The only thing I'm still on the hunt for is a good daily moisturiser. I've tried so many different things (Moogoo, jojoba oil, coconut oil to name a few) and I just havent found anything natural, toxin free that I dont react to. I'd love to find something natural to use and have found some books with natural face care recipes to keep trying until I hit the right one :-)

Like Family

Picture courtesy of http://blog.timesunion.com

Today I realised that going to a hairdresser is a bit like meeting up with an old extended family member.

I’ve been feeling quite blah and yuck at the moment – have just gotten over a nasty cold and just the day to day side effects of my mould exposure. To top it off, my last hair cut was done by a new local hairdresser who butchered my hair. No other word for it – just hacked it off all over the place and it looked a mess. It was long and then it was horribly short and long – it looked like I had a haircut over a mullet.

I’ve been trying to grow it out, and the longer it gets the worse it looks. So what to do? We’ve been invited to a wedding on the weekend and I accepted that for peace of mind a hair cut was in order.

So yesterday I drove a million miles from where I currently live, back to my old hairdresser. Amongst other things she works with the Ovarian Cancer Foundation and the Breast Cancer Network, cutting hair of women who either have cancer or are recovering from cancer.

It was the best 1.5 hours of my life. They had toys for Little B and made him super welcome. They washed my hair with my own shampoo and conditioner as I don’t want to be exposed to any more poisons as I get better. But it was like being with family. I had known her for 8 years before we moved house, and she also used to cut my mum’s and my brother’s hair.

So we had history and being at similar-ish stages in our lives (her little boy is 2 years older than Little B), we had a great time catching up on the last 3 years. But she made me feel special, beautiful and cared for. I also got a great hair cut.

Interestingly she said that when you are sick, you come to a stage where you want to cling to your identity as the rest of you doesn’t currently match how you are used to viewing yourself. Having the same hairstyle or getting a good cut does that for you. And I have to say she is right – I was super exhausted after the long trip but I feel better when I look in the mirror. I wont be stressing that people are “looking at” the sick person when we go out to kindy or the library.

Hairdressers are like family. And I feel nourished and connected by this visit with an old friend.

Home-made Beauty

Picture courtesy of www.countryliving.com

Being anti-chemicals etc, I’ve been using more natural beauty products for the last 12 months. I wash my face with organic honey, and moisturise with Moogoo full cream moisturiser. But I’m keen to start trialling coconut oil as it’s good for sensitive skin or jojoba oil as my moisturisers.

After reading Home-made by Readers Digest, I’ve been trialling a few concoctions, shall we say :-) I sometimes like to do a facial mask after working or digging in the garden. Depending on what I’m doing, I can be rather grimey and grotty (especially after digging in compost or working with mulches).

Deep-cleansing Facial

3 tsps yoghurt

3 tsps finely ground oats

½ tsp honey

- First cleanse your face with any natural cleanser, so that you can be ready to apply the facial mixture when it has been stirred together

- In a clean bowl, combine the yoghurt and oats and mix together to a spreadable consistency. In a small glass bowl sitting in a larger bowl of hot water, warm the honey and pour into yoghurt mixture. Use a spoon to blend.

- Immediately apply the mask to your face, avoiding eyes and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with warm water then moisturise.

Your skin feels so soft and fresh after this facial. Plus it smells nice as well.

Another easy recipe is for oily skin (I have combination skin).

Oily Skin Mask

1 tsp yeast

1/3 cup yoghurt

- Clean your face with any natural cleanser. In a small bowl, mix yeast with yoghurt to make a thin paste. Pat onto the oily parts of your face. Allow the mask to dry for 15-20 minutes.

- Rinse with warm water, splash with cool water. Gently pat dry

This mask leaves your skin feeling fresh and a bit tingly.

But there are a few that I will wait and try in summer (like Peachy Complexion Cream…sound yummy!!)

Henna

Though it’s been a long time since I posted about it, I finally henna’d my hair. And I love it :-). I used Logona Henna and would really recommend it to anyone wanting to give it a go. I had let my grey hair grow out for the last 4 or so months.

So I thought I would give those that are interested a blow-by-blow account of what I did.

They say you should have clean hair and it should be SLS shampoo free. So you can either buy product to strip out the yucks or give it a few days of bicarb action. Not a problem here, I’ve been no poo for ages but I’m an avid believer in colouring dirty hair. An old hairdresser friend told me colour takes better to dirty hair (and if you’ve ever had your hair dyed at a hairdresser you’ll know they don’t wash your hair before colouring it).

But I digress, I then mixed the henna with steeped black tea (which really draws out the colour).

Hair before (very grey)

Forewarning: using henna feels quite literally like putting mud all over your hair. There’s no other description for it. It’s a messy gloopy process (though I think once you’ve done it a few times it gets easier – a handy helper is also good – thanks Granny B). I used Moo Goo scalp cream around the edges of my face and ears to stop the henna staining / dyeing my skin.

I then put on the shower cap that comes with it and wrapped my hair up in a warm towel. I then left the henna in for 2 very long hours (well it felt really long to me LOL).

Now washing it out can only be described as “fun”. It looks like dirt all over the bottom of your shower. My hair (which is shoulder length) felt matted and dread like as I was washing it out. Luckily I was forewarned so I was ready with my trusty Moo Goo conditioner once it felt more or less washed out. I then ran conditioner through it and finger combed the rest of the henna out.

One final condition and my hair felt clean and great. I then air-dried it and it came out really glossy.

NB: I was turning the shower on and off during this process. I’m also told having a bath and soaking your hair in it is another way of doing it. But with a 3 year old and being time poor this isn’t an option for me.

The end result!!

The result has been great. My grey hairs have gone a goldey brown and look like highlights. My hair is really rich and glossy and feels great. In the pics you can see my hair inside and outside (but outside the flash makes the grey hair look much more yellow than it is plus it wasnt quite dry yet).

Would I do it again? You betcha – this is the only way I’m going to be colouring my hair from now on. I’d rather have grey hair than put anything toxic on my body or my hair anymore.

Old Crone

Picture from feature pics

I’ve been dyeing my hair since I was 15 and after 17 years, finally decided to stop dyeing it a few months ago. Not impressive I hear you say? After all, I’m only 32. BUT the sad fact is I have been going grey since I was 12 due to family genetics (my dad has been silver for as long as I can remember).

So I have been brave and gone cold turkey for the last few months or so. And boy am I grey in the front. I have huge silver sections that are really prominent and noticeable on my crown (if only it would grow in defined sections like Rogue from X-men or Morticia Adams LOL). Plus my lovely mousey brown has gone very very dull.

The good news is that while I have no urge to return to my chemical laden days of colouring my hair I have begun investigating henna. Decisions, decisions – do I go red or brown?? Henna doesn’t actually colour grey hair but it does make the rest of your hair rich and glossy. Something that is very appealing at the moment when my hair is so flat and dull looking.

But I do have to say, though it is dull in colour, my hair has never been better since going no poo. I occasionally wash it with Moo Goo shampoo (which is all nasties free) as a bit of a boost. But it is so clean, and feels great. The best tip I got (from Aussies Living Simply) was to make sure I seriously brush my hair every second day with a bristle brush (100 strokes anyone?? LOL). I had one of these brushes from my super long hair days and it has been resurrected with fantastic results.

Apparently it spreads your natural hair oils throughout your hair. Before this I was still having the odd attack of the greasy’s but now that’s a thing of the past ☺

Go no poo :-)

I have been reading an ever expanding list of blogs recently which have inspired me to try new things at home.

The most successful was has been going shampoo free. Who would have thought it would feel so freeing. I have been in an ongoing battle to find a chemical free shampoo that actually cleans my dirty mop of hair. I would think I'd hit onto a new favourite but it would disappoint after two or three washes, leaving me with limp dirty hair.

I am so happy to say my new process works like a dream. I sprinkle bicarb on my hair when dry, rub it into my scalp. Then jump into the shower and rinse it out. I follow this with a vinegar water mix as a conditioner. My hair has never been this soft or clean. It also doesnt get as dirty as usual.

I'm not the first to try it nor the last I'm sure, but I am so happy to find something that works!! :-)