The history of soap is long and fascinating. Soap has been made and used for thousands of years in various forms and by various people and much has been written about them all. However, it was really only from the 1800s onwards, as people began to understand the link between cleanliness and health, that the […]
Category: Personal care
Citrus cleaner, part one: How to make it
As anyone who has looked around this website will know, I use a lot of vinegar in my household cleaning, and also in personal care, and you may too if you’re implementing the spotless approach in your home. I often mention infusing the vinegar with citrus peels to boost its cleaning powers and improve its […]
Rooibos: Solar tea
I’ve been using a lot of (and writing a lot about) Rooibos tea lately – at nappy changes, for rinsing my hair, on my skin, not to mention to drink. So I thought I’d share with you a very simple spotless way of making it (or any tea). It isn’t instant, but you can do […]
The aisles
Every now and then, out of morbid curiosity, I take a wander down the two aisles I otherwise avoid in the supermarket: you guessed it, household cleaning and personal care. In both, I am overwhelmed by a couple of impressions. First, and especially in the cleaning aisle, is the air, laden with artificial fragrances that […]
Beeswax DIY 3 – cleaning up
If you intend to use beeswax often, it is worth having a separate set of utensils designated for the purpose. This means you won’t have to be a perfectionist when it comes to getting every last speck of wax off your favourite pot, jug or spoon. That said, I don’t have a separate set myself, […]
Cure for cradle cap
I’ve written about this solution before. In case you missed it though, and because I have recently rediscovered how brilliantly well it works, I’m writing about it again, in more detail. All my kids have had cradle cap, that flaky, crusty, yellowish skin rash on the scalp that many infants get (infantile or neonatal seborrhoeic […]
Freshly ground, part three
Staying with personal care, here are some more ways to reap benefits from your used coffee grounds. (And people throw these things away!) Last time I told you how to use them in (or as) a body scrub, or a facial scrub (massage very gently on the face), for radiant skin. You can also: Use […]
The best toothpaste ever
I have no idea why this one has taken me so long. Well, maybe I do. Personally, I quite enjoy brushing with plain old bicarb (baking soda) and have found it to be very effective. My teeth are white and clean. The strange salty taste doesn’t bother me. And I love its complete simplicity. Really, […]
Beeswax DIY 2 – how to melt it
Although beeswax needs to be melted in order to be mixed, it has a relatively low melting point of 62-64 degrees centigrade. This means that while double boiling is required, it’s a standard home kitchen affair. Also, you won’t need to heat the other oils in your mixture to a temperature that will damage them. […]
Skin brushing, part one – the basics and the benefits
I can’t urge you enough to give skin brushing (also known as dry skin brushing or dry skin brush massage) a try. I would be most surprised if someone who has tried it, doesn’t keep it up. The rewards occur at many levels, but include an immediate sense of well-being that is hard to beat […]