Todays post is a little challenge about your beauty regimen.
Little challenge: Go to your bathroom and count how many face creams/face washers/skin toners do you have on your shelfs. Probably more than one of each - am I right? How many of them came with promises which sounded a lot like magic and you fell trap of companies carefully designed advertisements to make you buy it? How many of them delivered on their promises? Probably none and you kept on buying new ones -yet your skin is still extremely dry, or the opposite extremely oily, or worse of all "combination" ? Now let me ask you to go and read the labels on such bottles - what is the ratio of chemicals to natural ingredients? Unless you are already pretty conscious of what products you use, chances are these are 100% chemicals, even the most expensive brands. Even the "all natural" often contain only 80% natural ingredients with the remaining 20% being chemical components. And do you really want to slather your face with chemicals everyday? I am gonna tell you a "one step" secret, that works pretty well on my combination skin (a nightmare, right?) and not only washes but also moisturises! So you won't only save money and save your skin from chemical and save the environment from many empty (often un-recyclable) cream containers, but you will also save TIME! Score :)
Simple ingredients you need: some pure coconut oil (it lasts so long! If you get it from a foreign food shop it will be cheaper as well... and they use it for cooking so surely it's good on your skin) and some cotton pads. Pure essential oils are optional, but the coconut oil can smell a little. I like using the 'Bitter orange', not only it smells fantastic and relaxing but its properties are good for an oily skin... (But remember not to expose to the sun after using citrus based essential oils and always always check their properties before use, they may be contraindicated for skin or any conditions you may have).
How to use: slather some coconut oil on the cotton pad (and add essential oil at this stage) pass it on your skin, you will already see that the pad goes a bit brown with dirt (oil washes oil, dirt is more oil soluble than water - so you will remove all traces of the smog, dirt, make up or whatever is on your skin!), then with the other side of the pad (to be conservative! but you are allowed a new one..) you can take the leftover off. Your skin will be clean and moisturised... in one single step! Enjoy and let me know how you get on, if it works for your skin types :)
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Holidays, aren't they what we (most people) work for? Thinking of holidays we think of sunny beaches, snowy mountains, adventures, culture-filled cities.. however holidays also come with a cost, both monetary and energetic: flights, check-in times to hostels or hotels, finding a good apartment to rent, bus connections... Not to think of the environmental impacts associated with taking frequent flights. So, especially for a weekend get-away, the costs may outweigh the benefits. But spending a long weekend stuck at home, while it does seem to have zero costs and not impacting on the environment may impact your own wellbeing! Everyone needs a change of scenery, new atmosphere, new experiences.. However I am ready to bet there is plenty yet left to explore just a short drive away from your home! Lucky for me, living in Ireland there is plenty to do a short drive away! On this bank holiday weekend I explored more parts of North Donegal (Inishowen Peninsula) and I was lucky enough to participate in the Culdaff climbfest, and climbed outdoors for the first time in my life. New experience, check! I might be addicted to climbing now and can't wait for the next adventure. For those who wonder: doesn't climbing have an environmental impact in itself? My answer it: it depends on how you do it. I can assure you that we made no damages to the cliffs climbed, care was taken not to impact vegetation on route to the cliffs and on the cliffs, not to damage the rocks themselves, not disturbing nests (by not placing routes in areas with potential nests). Being outdoors and enjoying the countryside and the seaside can have positive effects on both us people and on our perception and respect for these amazing environments. Where do we sleep, you may wonder? We pitched up our little tent, together with other climbers, with permission from a local landowner. Again, little impact. We brought food from home and made sure to "leave no trace" of our passage by taking any refuse with us and recycling when possible. Tips to make camping as sustainable as possible: be mindful of location, both in terms of nature and the community, bring reusable bottles and containers for food and drinks, and most importantly leave no traces. In terms of driving, try to limit driving once your destination is reached, explore your surrounding by walking, longboarding, biking, running.. and pack as many friends as possible in the same car - you might find some real face-to-face instead of face-to-book interactions may be fun (pack someone good with directions and a good dj as a minimum). Your surroundings may surprise you, and you may find you will come back more relaxed than if you had to go through various security and passport checks! Last rule: remember to have fun! And little 'daycations' to explore nearby areas can also be part of family adventures too, just be sure to have things at hand to entertain the kids (screen free of course!). If the google logo hasn't already reminded you - today is Earth day! While I agree with those who say every day should be "Earth day" because, let's be clear, despite all of the Mars exploration attempts, there is no planet B and we should take good care of our planet A everyday, one all day dedicated to the conservation of our planet is a very good initiative... What is this year Earth Day about? Climate and environmental literacy, educating all starting from the young. Teaching about environmental issues to the young is essential in my opinion to create awareness in new generations, which hopefully will look after this planet in a better way than was ever done before... You can also take action (why not start a good habit today..) Check Earth Day site for some ideas, such as reducing plastic and your footprint, and why not check what your footprint already is so you can improve? So today go outside and appreciate nature, if you are in a city there is nature there too (hidden perhaps), a little green patch or some buzzing insect, maybe some flowers if spring has blossomed, birds. Go out, observe and be thankful for all that its doing for you (oxygen via photosynthesis, production of food via pollination, cleaning of the oceans via filtration etc....)
Normally to obtain some face cream you would go to
your local supermarket? local beauty shop? organic shop? Possibly to buy something laiden with chemicals, an endless list of ingredients, packaged in many different types of plastic, produced by some big brand who doesn't care about enviornmental issues? Ever thought that you can find healthy and environmentally friendly face cream in your garden?
I am so lucky to have a big Aloe patch in my Italian home. So I source from the garden everytime I am here.
I must say that I am always surprised to find it in the same place, healthy and moreover bigger everytime - another secret, none in my family has a green thumb so it's a miracolous plant that thrives with zero attention. To think that it all started from a very little piece... Anyway, onto its uses Aloe vera, thought to be one of Cleopatra beauty secrets, and truly has some great properties. (1) Its gel-like consistency makes it great for those of us with a mixed skin, gives the right amount of hydration without the oily sensation.. (2) great for skin that easily gets irritated, it will even help you reduce the irritato (3) used as an after sun helps reducing the effects of the burn, so not only no need to buy mosturiser but also no need to buy after sun: Bargain! if you don't trust me on this, trust the South African, who recommended it to me How do I use it: Cut a leaf, cut one slice (depending on the size of the skin to be treated, a 0.5 cm slice does my face..),, cut the spines off and one side of the the thick green skin, rub the inside directly on your skin, squeezing a little to let the gel come out. Place the rest of the leaf in the bridge, which is amazing if using after sun! Used every day one leaf would last me for face only around 1-2 weeks depending on size. Now, my plants are growing outdoors (with no special cures) in the Tuscan climate under the shade of pine trees (and survive very well buried under many pine needles as I discovered on my latest trip!). I know of successful people who have grown it indoors, I must say I never tried, but it will be my next challenge if my next place doesn't have a garden...
Clothes. They are so widespread that everyone
has some in their wardrobes, from the minimalists with just a few t-shirts and a pair of jeans to the fashionista with an overflowing wardrobe. It's illegal to walk outside without them and I am ready to bet you are probably wearing some right now, but have you stopped one moment to read the label? You should. If you care about what you put on your skin, it should be straightforward that clothes should receive the same amount of scrutiny. If you don't start thinking about the chemicals used in production ( glues, colorants), and just focus on the primary matrerial you would notice that most modern clothes contain at least some synthethic fibers. Chances are that what you are wearing right now contains at least one of the following : polyester, acrylic, spandex, viscose, rayon. Do you really want plastic on your skin everyday? Have you noticed that it makes you "sweat" (and sometimes smell) more? Try going for your run wearing cotton (or when cold a thermal made of merino) and then try the same run with some polyester top or thermal, so call "breathable" not so breathable. Use a linen shirt in your summer holiday and you will be able to withstand the warmest of cities better than with a polyester filled shirt. Try bamboo socks.. Just me? If this is not enough to convince you to read your labels and switch to natural fibers, I am gonna try another line, which was enough to convince me even more to have a wardrobe with as many natural fibers as possible. Do you know that everytime your clothes are washed by the washing machine they lose some of their fibers? It's not something we think about, washing clothes is often a daily/weekly chore that it's not associated with polluting. Perhaps we choose environment-friendly soap, but do we ever think that clothes itself could be a source of pollution? The fiber lost are referred to as microfibers, often not visibile from the naked eyes. As the outflow from the machine goes through wastewater treatment plants most microfibers pass through, straight into our oceans, contributing to plastic pollution. A study has found that when synthetic jackets are washed, 1.7 grams of microfibers are shed, of which 40% end up in the oceans. If we think of all the synthetic jackets out there washed everyday....
Plastic pollution is leading to animal behavioural changes amongst other issues which are currently under-investigation, which could lead to big losses in biodiversity. Moreover, microfibers are increasingly found within fish stomach, the same fish that could be on your table today. Plastic pollution effects on humans are still poorly documented (it's after all a relatively new phenomena), but if the effects on animals are any indication....
Some companies, like Patagonia are trying to understand the impact of their products, help funding studies into microplastic and contributing to costumers education, for example on how to care for such sytnthetic garnments to avoid/limit the microfibers loss. What they suggest is : get good quality garnments, keep using it for long period of times to reduce the impact on the planet (valid for most things in my opinion, less we consume the best!), use a filter bag when washing and wash less often. Of course in my opinion is best to buy things containing as many natural fibers as possible, Bamboo, cotton, wool. It may seem expensive, but you will need less (they last longer!), and if you want something on the cheapest side vintage stores, charity shops (also for a good cause) and markets are great places to find good quality clothes made of natural fibers (particularly valid for woolen items!). Moreover, you can help the local market by shopping for handmade items if you can afford it, they are often made from locally sourced materials and ethical sourced, and why not get a unique item that brings you good memories? (on this note, check these beautiful and ethical children clothes!!) Hope this convinced some of you to check your labels, shop more aware, and wash better! For further reading: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/oct/27/toxic-plastic-synthetic-microscopic-oceans-microbeads-microfibers-food-chain https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/microfibers-plastic-pollution-oceans-patagonia-synthetic-clothes-microbeads One year, 12 months, 365 days. How many products do you buy in this amount of time? Let's do some math: Personally, a 300 ml bottle of shampoo would normally have lasted me on average one month making it a 12-bottles buy every single year. I am 27, so over my life I would have bought 324 bottles..(Okay, unrealistic if you count my toddler years, but you get the gists). A quick online search showed me that I was not the only one using quite considerable amounts of shampoo, and resulted in finding that the average person would buy 8 bottles of shampoo a year. You do your maths. First of all, think of all the money spent on shampoo (assuming medium quality shampoo costs around £3-4 per bottle, buying 8-12 bottles would mean a £30-40 per year spend just on one product, just saying...). Secondly, and perhaps most important, think of all the bottles going to waste! Let's make the math easy and consider 10 bottles per person every year, that makes it 300 + per year just in your university class or school class, multiply that for all the school or uni, or office, multiply that for all the school and universities and offices in your city, country and you will realise just how big the waste is! So what can we do? First of all if you have any shampoo bottles left in your house, you can start by making sure those are recycled properly (rinsed, cap separated from bottle if they are made of different materials). Another choice, that doesn't require too much of a lifestyle change is solid shampoos: they tend to last longer, they don't have any plastic but..there is a catch! Many of them still contain chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, which is a probable carcinogen... your choice but not for me thanks! Another option, popular with many going no-poo is DIY: there are many "recipes" out there to make your own, with trial and error depending on your hair type, from bicarbonate based, to vinegar, camomille tea.. but they require time and preparation. And as I said, trial and error, which may make you end up with a very bad hair day. Make sure to try at the weekend or invest in a good hat....just kidding! The third option, which is my personal choice is...well...NOTHING! I am going to let you in on a little secret: I can be lazy at times. Well, I also have a very busy life, like many of you, so no, I don't have time to make tea and let it cool down before a shower. When I am lucky to have shower time, these days is a 10 min max, in and out. Which is another reason why I love my shampoo-free choice! In all honesty, my shampoo free experience all started as a bit of a mistake: I ran out of shampoo and had no time to buy a bottle between uni and swimming for a few days in a row... so I started rinsing them with warm water after my swimming sessions and i noticed they were no different than if I washed with shampoo. So i decided, this time actively, to go away on a surf trip weekend without any shampoo and see. Perhaps the seawater helped, but after 4 days of surfing and only rinsing afterwards my hair were great. I continued my journey, and rinsing after rinsing I decided to ditch the shampoo in the long run. Nobody noticed, people look at me in disbelief when I tell them, and most recently my boyfriend smelled them and said "but if you don't use shampoo how come they don't smell?". Yes people, nature is amazing and my scalp is cleaning itself out, no excess oil - which makes sense, if you don't strip them of their natural oil with shampoo or other methods, the scalp will not produce more oil to compensate! And best of all - no more dermatitis and scalp flakes! And less hair loss! Good tips: - Scalp massages are great, both in the shower if you have time, or before/after, in the evening..whenever! They will improve circulation and move some of the natural oil down the length of the hair, so if you have long hair you won't have to worry about those dry ends - Some oil on the ends if you have longer hair may be needed. I try to use less products as possible, which means no conditioner either, but once a week or every two weeks I add some coconut oil on the ends overnight before a morning shower. Be careful not to overdue it. You can add some essential oils of your like to the coconut oil as the oil tends to smell a little.
Back in September we have been hearing about microbeads and the microbead ban on the news. But what's happening? How long will it take to ban them? And what can you do in the meantime?
First of all, you may still wonder “what is a microbead?” Microbeads are defined as manufactured solid plastic particles (polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene) of less than five millimeters in their largest dimension. They can be found in exfoliating beauty products and toothpastes, causing them to end in the sewage and passing unfiltered due to their micro size, making it to rivers, canals and the ocean. According to a government report1 a single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles entering the sewage system and 680 tonnes of plastic microbeads are used in the UK every year. Microbeads and more generally microplastics are a relatively new “impact” on aquatic environment and research is still on its early days , however there is scope for significant impacts on freshwater and marine environments.
So, while the ban is being introduced and implemented there are a few things that can be done:
First of all always check “ingredients” on beauty products (especially scrubs and toothpaste) and look for natural exfoliants such as almonds, sugar, salt, bicarbonate. If you are short on time while shopping check "beatthemicrobead.org", which has an extensive product lists for many countries including UK and Ireland. If you feel more adventurous try some of these DIY recipes and tips: Toothpaste: Mix some coconut oil with bicarbonate of soda and some peppermint oil. Bicarbonate can taste a little salty so try with the ratio a few times. I would recommend making a new batch every couple days just to avoid any possible contamination. Hydrogen peroxide (at low concentration, mixed with water) is great to dunk your toothbrush in and use as a second brush or as mouthwash before bed to kill the last stubborn bacteria! Body Scrub: Coffee grains are the most useful: after your usual morning cup, keep your used coffee grains. You can use on their own, or mix with some coconut oil for extra moisture. They are not only great gentle scrub, but also have cellulite fighting potential - so why not give it a try! Salt - table salt is a great, mix with usual soap or natural oil for extra moisture. Essential oil. Sugar - caster sugar is gentle, mix with coconut and essential oil. Personally love grapefruit oil or lemon and peppermint for morning energy kick. Sponge -buy a good quality one! possibly one of the best option. You can buy them of different materials for different scrubbing strengths. Choose them made of natural material and sourced ethically (always read the labels!), and they last! Rinse with some hydrogen peroxide (Cleaning blog coming up soon) and it will last for a long long time! Face Scrub: Have to pick more gentle options here compared to body scrubs Almond flour / ground almond / almond meal : on its own with some water. Will leave your skin smooth and soft and hydrated as it leaves some oil behind. Perhaps it can seem a little on the expensive side, however you only need less than a teaspoon so a packet will get you a long way! Sponge- again there are many great sponges/brushes out there, this is the best reusable option, choose brushes made of natural materials and ethically sourced. Disclaimer: Try at your own risk. I am not a doctor, every skin is different, so try on small part first. Read about essential oil properties prior use and choose oils of the pure variety.
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