Lifestyle Choices

Bathing should be a pleasant ritual that should treat your mind as well as your body. There are a number of useful prebath techniques and tools. They are important because they can prepare your skin and body for taking the plunge and ensure you get more benefit from bathing.

A Loofah

A dry, rough-textured sea gourd that you soften by wetting it, the loofah is rubbed against the skin to slough off dead cells and to increase circulation. You can buy loofahs in their natural state (about fifteen inches long) or sewn into gloves and bands of terry cloth to be used as scrubbers. (more…)

Restoring Lustre to Dull Hair

Dry hair

250 ml (1 cup) strong rosemary tea, 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water

12,5 ml (1 tbsp) sweet almond oil

few drops rosemary or lavender oil

Use as a setting lotion or brush a little into the hair after shampooing.

Oily hair

2 eggs

250 ml (1 cup) rum

250 ml (1 cup) freshly made rosewater (boil up 500 ml (2 cups) rose petals in 375 ml (11/2 cups) water for 5 minutes.

Stand, cool, strain)

Whisk eggs and rum into rosewater and massage through the hair. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with a herbal rinse. (more…)

Herbal Conditioner for Oily Hair

Don’t think oily hair needs no conditioning; it needs it as much as dry hair, and a monthly treatment will ensure that your hair keeps its bounce and lustre.

75 ml (6 tbsp) rum

75 ml (6 tbsp) strong yarrow tea

3 egg yolks, well beaten

Liquidise all ingredients together. Wet the hair well. Section the hair and apply this mixture to each section, using cotton- wool pads. Rub into the scalp and hair. Meanwhile have a strong infusion of yarrow and rosemary tea warming on the stove. Dip a small towel into it and wring it out, as hot as you can bear. Wrap it around your head. Cover with a shower-cap to keep the heat in. Have another hot towel ready to replace the first one as it cools, the aim being to keep the hair warm to absorb the conditioner. Try to keep the treatment going for an hour. Finally, wash out with a good shampoo and rinse with yarrow tea. (more…)

A head of beautifully clean, bouncy, shiny hair is indeed an enviable asset. Once again, in order to achieve those smooth, shiny locks, you need to eat foods that are fresh and healthy — plenty of fruit, vegetables and salads. Drink lots of water and make sure that you get enough sleep — eight hours each night will do wonders for your hair. Regular shampooing, conditioning and brushing will further serve to beautify it and is well worth the effort. Old-fashioned beauty tips like adding egg to shampoo as a protein conditioner for dry hair, and lemon juice in tepid water as a final rinse for oily hair, ‘kill hold good. And rosemary, nettle or yarrow tea rubbed into the scalp will stimulate hair growth.

The vast array of shampoos, conditioners and setting lotions available today can be confusing. The general trend, however, is to the natural shampoos that are now on the market. Take a close look at the ingredients to find a product which is suitable for your particular hair type. To give the shampoo that extra something add a herb tea or infusion, eg chamomile, rosemary or nettle. (more…)

STRAWBERRY (Fragaria vesca)

Strawberry leaves make an excellent astringent wash and, used in the bath, are particularly good for oily skins. Brew up 250 ml (1 cup) leaves to 750 ml (3 cups) boiling water, stand, steep and cool. Use ripe, mashed fruit as a face pack — it is astringent and tightening. Combine with oats or mealiemeal as a cleansing and invigorating face pack for oily skin and coarse pores.

SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus)

Ground sunflower seeds make an excellent nutritious face pack. Grind 500 ml (2 cups) seeds and mix with milk for dry skins and yoghurt for oily skins, to form a paste. Apply to a clean, damp face and allow it to dry (I find 20 minutes is about the time needed — relax and read a book). Wash off with warm water. Use sunflower petals in hair rinses for blonde hair.

TANSY (Tanacetum vulgare)

Tansy is a cleanser — make a tea of 250 ml (1 cup) leaves to 750 ml (3 cups) boiling water, stand, steep for 20 minutes and strain. Dab onto pimples and use as a wash. Combine this herb with comfrey or chamomile flowers. (more…)

PINE (Pin us species)

Pine-needles make a wonderfully stimulating addition to the bath as they are deodorising, freshening and soothe aches and pains. Best of all, as a `wake-up’ bath in the morning, put pine- needles in the water (I use them in gloves and in bath bags) to invigorate and cleanse. A strong pine-needle tea can also be made as an after-shower splash-on — 6 cups pine-needles boiled up in 3 litres (12 cups) boiling water. Use this brew, too, as an aftershave and as an under-arm deodorant.

PINEAPPLE (Ananas sativus)

The juice and flesh of the common pineapple make an excellent astringent wash for oily and blemished skin. It also acts as an exfoliant and the juice makes a good gargle for sore throats.

POMEGRANATE (Punica granatum)

The juice of the pomegranate is a very good astringent for oily skin. It deep cleanses and closes the pores. It is a slight skin dye, too, and gives a warm glow to the skin. It also acts as an internal cleanser, so include it in your diet to keep your skin looking good. (more…)

ORANGES(Citrus species)

The familiar orange has many uses. Orange blossom is invigorating in vinegar used in bath bags, and the peel can be dried and added to bath vinegar and hair rinses. The leaves can be used in bath gloves and wash bags and have a stimulating effect. Add fresh flowers to creams and lotions as an enriching agent — especially good for ageing, dry skins. Try making your own orange flower water by filling a jar with orange blossom, one or two leaves and a twist of peel. Fill with cane spirit or vodka and leave for 3 weeks, shaking the jar every now and then. Pour off a little and dilute with water in a 1:10 ratio and use as an astringent or freshener.

ORIGANUM (Origanum vulgare)

This is a soothing herb to use in the bath to ease aching muscles. Make origanum oil by steeping sprigs of origanum in sweet oil or sunflower oil, and add it to the bathwater. This same oil can be rubbed into an itchy scalp for quick relief. (more…)

MELONS (Cucurbitaceae family)

Most members of this family can be used to make face masks because of their tightening, cleansing and toning properties. The mashed pulp can be added to oatmeal or mealiemeal and made into a mask or poultice. Watermelon is particularly cleansing and freshening for oily skin. Honeydew and spanspek are good for normal to dry skins. Use melon slices as a compress for tired eyes.

MINTS (Mentha species)

Mints are stimulants and there is such a wide variety to choose from that you should easily find one that will please you. From spearmint to orange mint, chocolate mint to eau-de-Cologne mint, apple mint to ginger mint, there is a delicious fragrance for every taste. Combine mint with rosemary vinegar for a good dandruff treatment. Rub a strong mint tea — 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 500 ml (2 cups) boiling water — into the scalp daily to stimulate hair growth. Use this same tea in the bath to stimulate the circulation — you will find it reviving when you are over-tired. Pour boiling water over a bowl of mint leaves and use as a facial steam; it will cleanse and tone the skin and combat oiliness and open pores. Use the tea as a mouth wash, too, or dab onto tired, aching feet. Dip a compress into it and use it to treat a headache. (more…)

LAVENDER (Lavandula officinalis, L. spica)

A beloved herb, lavender is one of the most well-used herbs in cosmetics. Make a strong lavender oil by infusing flowers and leaves in a good oil, eg sweet oil, and use as a rub for aching muscles, or in the bath for softening the skin. Lavender vinegar can be brushed and rubbed into the hair to stimulate hair growth and, rubbed onto the temples, will soothe fatigue and headaches. Have a bunch of lavender leaves and flowers at the bedside and touch and bruise them from time to time — the fragrance will help you sleep. Lavender tea — 60 ml (¹/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water — relieves exhaustion and will help you unwind. This same brew is an excellent face wash and a stronger brew can be rubbed into the hair — 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water — to stimulate hair growth. Dab it onto pimples and acne, or use as a gargle to freshen the mouth. You can splash it on as an aftershave lotion or use it in bath oils, vinegars, soaps and perfumes.

LEMON (Citrus limon)

Lemon is an aromatic astringent and is used in many ways. Add the fresh peel to your bath to soften the skin, and the juice to the rinsing water after you have shampooed your hair. Use diluted juice as a rinse for oily skin, as a face wash and as a freshener. Dig your nails into a squeezed lemon to strengthen and cleanse them. Rub a halved, squeezed lemon over rough heels and elbows. Drink lemon juice in hot water or herb teas daily to keep the skin clear. Dab the juice onto spots and blemishes. (more…)

ELDER (Sambucus nigra)

Flowers, leaves, stems and roots of the elder can all be used medicinally. For cosmetics, though, the flowers are usually used. They are gently astringent and they soothe and soften the skin. Make a tea or wash by pouring 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water over 500 ml (2 cups) flowers. Stand, steep, cool and strain. Keep what you don’t use at once in the refrigerator. The leaves make an excellent tea — take equal quantities of water and leaves and boil them up together for 5 minutes, then cool and strain — which can be used to soothe sunburned skin, or give relief from mosquito bites. Diluted, it can be used in the bath and to bleach freckles. Add flowers to night creams and steep in sweet oil for massage.

EUCALYPTUS (Eucalyptus globulus)

The leaves of the gum tree make a good bath additive and, if you can find it, the leaves of the lemon scented gum tree are especially beautiful. Add it to creams, oils and vinegars for a wonderful lemon fragrance. An oil made by steeping the leaves in either maize or almond oil makes a soothing rub for aching muscles. A steam for opening and cleansing pores can also be made by pouring a litre (4 cups) boiling water over a bowl packed with leaves. Use a towel tent and inhale — it clears the nose and sinuses too. (more…)

BERGAMOT (Monarda didyma)

A strong tea made of flowers and leaves — 500 ml (2 cups) herb to 1-1,5 litres (4-6 cups) boiling water — can be splashed onto the face as an astringent or used as a rinse for strengthening the hair. Taken as a tea, 60 ml (¹/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water, it tones and stimulates the digestive organs. It is known as a cure-all health herb.

BORAGE (Borago officinalis)

Borage tea, 60 ml (1/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water, can be used as a wash for sores, scratches and spots. Taken internally, it is a wonderful cleanser and helps the body produce its own cortisone. It can be used as an eyewash and as a compress — dip cotton-wool into the tea and apply to the temples for stress and tension headaches.

CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis)

Flowers can be made into a strong tea (125 ml (¹/2 cup) petals to 375 ml (1¹/2 cups) boiling water) and used for skin blemishes, for baby’s bath, as a wash for nappy rash, sunburn, and cradle cap. A poultice can be used for sores, bites and spots as it is both soothing and healing. (more…)

Bubble Bath Oil

This is a nourishing and softening oil and children love it.

250 ml (1 cup) good quality soap, grated

1 litre (4 cups) boiling water, into which 6 sprigs rosemary or lavender, approx 20 cm long, have been steeped for 15 minutes

25 ml (2 tbsp) witch-hazel

50 ml (4 tbsp) glycerine

12,5 ml (1 tbsp) wheatgerm oil

few drops lavender oil (more…)

Several herbs are helpful in combating body odour. Those most often used through the centuries are sage, rosemary, leaves of chrysanthemum, lovage, celery and parsley. All can be made into a tea which is then used as a wash. Celery parsley, sage, rosemary and lovage should also be included frequently in the diet.

Lavender oil is also an excellent deodoriser and a strong lavender tea, 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water, can be used as a wash, adding a few drops of the oil before using. (more…)

Foot Bath

This is a wonderful way of refreshing and reviving tired feet after a hard day.

Boil up a kettle of water, and pour it over any of the following herbs, 2 litres (8 cups) boiling water to 4 cups herbs: elder flowers and leaves, maidenhair fern, peppermint, pine- needles, rosemary, sage, yarrow, myrtle, mustard seeds, cornfrey leaves, or castor oil leaves.

I first rub my feet with a little wheatgerm oil to which I have added a few drops of lavender oil. Then I immerse them in a basin of this brew, and soak for 10 minutes. Dry briskly and rub on a little soothing cream.

Quick Foot Refresher

(more…)

Hard Skin Softener

Mix a tablespoon of coarse sea salt with a tablespoon of almond oil, and rub vigorously into the hard, horny areas. Then hop into a bath, adding a little more oil to the bathwater, and soak the well-rubbed areas for at least 10 minutes. Then rub the hard skin away with a pumice stone. After your bath soothe the worked area with a good cream or lotion.

Mask for Horny Skin

This is particularly good for roughened hands and heels.

2-4 cups soapwort, flowers, roots and leaves, steeped in 2 litres (8 cups) boiling water

250 ml (1 cup) pawpaw, mashed OR

2-3 slices pineapple, mashed

half an avocado

250-500 ml (1-2 cups) bran

4 scented geranium leaves, minced (more…)

Consider first the lowly lemon, one of my favourite fruits. Its place in natural cosmetics is paramount. The lemon serves as a whitener, skin softener, cuticle softener and remover, nail cleaner, smell and stain remover, and skin toner, restoring the acid coating the skin needs.

Once you have used lemon juice in cooking, save the squeezed halves. Dig your nails into it and rub the pulp and skin all over your hands, or feet, paying particular attention to rough heels. You can use up every bit of its goodness. Massage your feet with the skin, and rub the inner white pith over your nails, softening the cuticles.

Lemon Brandy Hand Lotion

This is a very old softening and soothing lotion for rough, chapped hands. It keeps well, too, as the brandy preserves it.

125 ml (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice

125 ml (1/2 cup) white wine vinegar in which a few sprigs of basil have been steeped

      250 ml (1 cup) brandy

(more…)

PROBLEM SKIN: PIMPLES, SPOTS, ACNE

The most important aspect of skin care is diet. Drink lots of water, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and avoid fatty, fried foods, chocolate and refined sugars, flours, carbonated drinks, coffee, peanuts and iodised salt. Fresh salads daily, with lots of green, chlorophyll-rich ingredients in it, are essential.

There are certain herbs known as depuratives, which cleanse the system by purifying the blood, and this in turn helps ensure a clear skin. Borage and watercress are two depuratives, lemons and oranges are another two. Four common weeds which make excellent blood cleansers are plantain, chickweed, sow’s thistle and dandelion. The young leaves of these weeds can be finely chopped and added to salads. Also effective are infusions, which can be drunk or used as a wash. Lavender, calendula petals, sage, borage leaves and flowers, and dandelion leaves can all be used — 60 ml (1/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water. (more…)

PATCH TEST

Before starting your herbal treatments always do a patch test. Dab a little of your preparation on the pulse point of your wrist or in the crook of your elbow. Leave it unwashed for 12 hours to see whether you have an allergic reaction to it. Always be sure of the identification of the herbs you are using and if ever you are in doubt, consult your doctor or skin specialist. Many people are allergic to a wide range of ingredients and I urge you to tread with care and always test your blends and mixtures, lotions and salves before using them.

CLEANSING

There are literally hundreds of creams, lotions, tonics and soaps available on the market, enough to confuse anyone. I like to keep my cosmetics simple and effective and the following is a list of natural facial cleansers, fresh and delightful to use, and available to all at very little cost.

Rainwater

The softest and most beautiful water of all — perfect for washing the face and hair. Make a plan to catch some, in a big clean basin, next time it rains. (more…)

In making up the simple recipes used in this book there are various methods of preparing herbs for use in lotions and creams. The methods listed below will help you to get started.

Decoction

A decoction of herb usually means the boiling up of the herb, and it is usually prepared by using roots, stems, bark and berries, ie the hard parts of plants. The herb or part of the herb is boiled for about 15 minutes and then allowed to cool. The resulting liquid is drawn off and used and the herb is discarded.

Infusion

When you pour boiling water over a herb (fresh or dried) and leave it to stand for about 15 minutes, this is known as an infusion. The same method is used to make herbal tea, and the strained ‘tea’ is the part used. The herb is discarded. (more…)

Let’s take a look at the four major food groups:

DAIRYproducts provide calcium (for strong bones, teeth, and nails), protein, and riboflavin. Four daily servings are recommended for people ages 11 to 24.

Sample servings:

One cup of milk (skim, lowfat, or whole) One cup of yogurt

One ounce of cheese (more…)