The Humble Washcloth

As part of my series on eliminating chemicals from your skincare routines, I would like to address the concept of exfoliants.

Exfoliants for face, exfoliants for body, exfoliants for elbows, knees and feet......why?

Our bodies are constantly making new skin cells, and as it does the older skin cells get pushed up to the surface of our skin where they are prone to drying out, dying and therefore flaking off. Exfoliants help to remove these dead skin cells. If left on our skin they can build up and cause our skin to look dull and lifeless.

But why do we get sucked into the marketing hype? Probably because it is constant hype (if you hear something enough you start to believe it!).

Often when looking at how to live a more natural existence I look back to what our forebears did....back in a time before nasty chemicals were combined into the modern chemical cocktails of today.

Back in that time they used washcloths (facecloths, flannels) for washing with everyday. Lather up the soap and wash with a washcloth - it's a gentle and regular exfoliant, it's reusable, doesn't come with extra packaging nor flamboyant excessive marketing.

And if you need more than a washcloth on your really dry skin, like elbows, knees and heels try this luxurious body scrub recipe.

Happy Scrubbing.

Nothing's Changed for the Youth of Today

I have just finished reading our local weekly newspaper, The Wanaka Sun, you can see it here, at the back are the letters to the Editor, here's one that made me smile and laugh out loud:

'A Reader has sent us this old newspaper clipping in response to a recent story about bored Wanaka youths wanting something to do:
I've been handed an old newspaper clipping which says the following:
Always we hear the cry of teenager: "What can we do?" "Where can we go?" The answer is: Go Home. Rake the leaves. Mow the lawn. Wash the car. Learn to cook. Scrub the floor. Help the Red Cross; the Salvation Army. Visit the sick. Assist the poor. Study your lessons. And when you're through, read a book. Your parents do not owe you entertainment. Your town does not owe you recreational facilities. The world does not owe you a living. you owe the world something. you owe it your time and your energy and trust so that no one will be at war or in poverty, or sick or lonely again. In plain simple language, grow up. Quit being a crybaby.'

I love it! Nothing has changed from the time this letter was first published, possibly 40+ years ago. Imagine what our world would be like if our kids grew up learning these lessons - and who better to teach them and role model these values than us, their parents.

Butter is Natural....But This is Even Better

 I'm sure we've all heard about good fats and bad fats, and saturated fats and the different types of unsaturated fats.

 Here is a recipe that provides good ratios of the right types of fats in a spread to be used like spreadable butter - so I guess it's like a margarine but without the hydrogenated oils.

Combine 500g butter (warmed to room temperature) with 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil and 1 Cup flax seed oil.

Blend until smooth with a food mixer and transfer whilst still soft into a glass storage jar (preferably glass because oils next to plastics promotes leaching of plastic compounds into our foods). Refrigerate and use as you would spreadable butter.

Limitations of this spread is that it can't be heated because heating damages the constitution of the flaxseed oil - which needs to be kept refrigerated to prevent rancidity.

I find it palatable but my children find the flaxseed oil taste a bit too strong - so to please them I switch the ratios of olive oil and flaxseed oil (1 Cup olive oil and 1/2 Cup flaxseed oil) which they find completely palatable in their sandwiches.