DIY Natural Hair Dyes

 As mentioned in our recent Hair Care blog, hair dyes are some of the most toxic beauty applications there are.

Many of us love having a new hair colour, especially if we have a few grey hairs.  There are very few of us today who choose to age naturally and never dye our hair.  The statistics on how many women have dyed their hair at least once during their life time is quite high.

We are advised to always do a test patch 48 hours before applying the hair dye which I would strongly recommend.  However, this doesn't guarantee you won't have an allergic reaction.

As was the case for Lois Queen who applied the allergy test patch 48 hours prior to dying her hair and still had a severe allergic reaction.
 
You may have dyed your hair a couple of months ago, or even a year ago and you may be thinking this means you are not allergic to ingredients in hair dye - since all was fine back then.  This doesn't mean you won't ever have an allergic reaction.  Who's to say the ingredients in hair dyes haven't changed since you last dyed your hair.

One way to avoid the potential for allergic reaction is to opt for natural hair dyes and rinses.  They may not give as good a coverage as commercial hair dyes, however, they will be kinder to your hair, skin and body as well as the environment.  Keep in mind too that ALL hair dyes are washed down the drain!

Brunettes and dark redheads:
Coffee hair rinse - 8 cups of warm brewed coffee.  Either instant or filtered peculated coffee (though peculated gives a stronger result).  Wash hair as normal, condition hair if necessary, then rinse your hair with the brewed coffee.  Do not wash the coffee out.  Leave in hair and style as normal.  Hair should be left with a rich deep shine.
You can also try 8 cups of strong brewed black tea.

Blond Highlights:
1 cup lemon juice
3 cups chamomile tea (brewed, cooled, filtered)
Mix juice and tea together and pour over damp hair.  Leave in hair for one hour before rinsing.

Red Highlights:
1/2 cup beetroot juice
1/2 cup carrot juice
Mix juices together and pour over damp hair.  Leave in hair for one hour before rinsing.

Covering Grey:
1/2 cup dried sage
2 cups water.
Simmer sage in water for 30mins (do not boil).  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Leave to sit for several hours before filtering the liquid.  Apply sage rinse to hair and leave to dry naturally.  Rinse hair with warm water and allow to dry.  Repeat weekly until desired shade is reached, then repeat monthly to maintain colour.

Disclaimer: Not all recipes have been tested by JOLI and results may vary from person to person.  Do a test patch before applying to hair fully, to test if the results will be suitable for your hair.
Of course if you apply these natural hair dyes and would love to share your results please leave us a COMMENT.

DIY Christmas Baubles

Hand Made Christmas Baubles

You will need:
polystyrene or cardboard balls
PVA glue
bits of coloured paper
sequins
coloured ribbon
pins
paint brushes
a couple of beer bottle caps

other ideas:
glitter
glitter glue
coloured sand
paint

To begin, paint a section of the ball with PVA and apply your desired decoration (sequins, starts, bits of paper etc.)  Sit the ball on an up-side-down beer bottle cap and allow to dry.
Continue until the bauble is decorated to your or your children's desires.
When complete and dry, cut a piece of ribbon, dollop a small amount of glue onto the top of the bauble and secure the ribbon to the bauble by stabbing the pin through the ribbon and firmly into the ball.  Leave to dry.

Keep baubles for many years to come and children get to see their decorations hanging from the family Christmas tree.

By JOLI

  

Chocolate Slice Recipe

* This recipe is a family favourite which I have been making for over 27 years *

You will need:
1 cup crushed Weetbix / Vitabrits (great for using the crumbs in the bottom of the bag)
1 cup desicated coconut
1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbl spn cocoa powder
125gms butter, margarine or vegan alternative

Icing:
1 1/2 cups icing sugar - sifted
1 tbl spn cocoa powder - sifted
water

OR

100g butter
100g chocolate

Place weetbix, coconut, SR flour, sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Melt butter or margarine and pour into dry ingredients and mix really well until all dry ingredients are coated and sticking together.
Pour mix into a flat lamington tray, pressing down mixture firmly.  Bake in an over at 180c for 15 minutes.  Remove from over and cut into bite size pieces while still in the tray.  Do not remove slice from tray.  Leave to cool.

To make the icing, mix the icing sugar and cocoa powder together, gradually adding water and mixing into a paste.  The perfect consistency is when you can make a figure 8 on the surface and it holds for a little while.  Pour icing onto cooled slice, sprinkle with extra coconut (optional) and chill until icing is set.

Alternatively.  Melt butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan placed over a larger saucepan filled with hot water.  When thoroughly melted and combined pour over cooled slice, sprinkle with extra coconut (optional) and chill in the fridge until icing is set.

Remove from fridge and break slice along previous cuts - re slice if necessary.  Remove slices from tray and place them on a pretty serving dish ready to eat.

By JOLI 

  

DIY Multi Purpose Green Clean

You will need:

500ml spritz bottle

450ml water

35ml vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons bicarb soda (optional – gives the cleaner a gentle scrubbing action and leaves a matte finish to surfaces)

¼ teaspoon essential oil(s)*

Add vinegar and bicarb to water and mix well.  Add essential oil(s) and mix again.  Pour solution into 500ml bottle.  Shake gently before each use.

Use on many surfaces, bench tops, splash backs, cupboards, basins, toilet, bath and shower, floors [tiles, laminate, floor boards etc.], appliances [toaster, kettle, washing machine – be careful not to rub away writing off the appliance].

Note: recommend - do a test patch before doing full clean just in case cleaner is not suitable to your particular surface.

* peppermint essential oil is good for keeping mice at bay

* tea tree essential oil is good for keeping cockroaches away

* orange essential oil and tea tree oil are natural disinfectants

* eucalyptus cuts through grease and grim

* lemon essential oil smells clean and fresh

  

Green Ideas to cut down on packaging & save money

Now that the carbon tax bill has passed many people are worried about how this will affect them and their families.  There has been concern about rising amenity costs, groceries, fuel and other every day necessities. 

People have given examples of how they think these costs will occur: for example the cost of manufacturing plastic bags to hold dried fruits, nuts, lollies etc. will cost the manufacture more to produce due to the carbon tax.  To cover losses the manufacturer will then raise the price of the plastic bags they make, the buyer will then up the price of their end product and once this product hits the supermarket shelves it will cost more than it use to.

The main point behind carbon tax is to try and stop consumers from over spending / companies from overproducing.  We are at a crucial moment in our history were if we want it we go out and get it , with many people not even considering their global footprint.  There are things we can do ourselves to make the situation a little bit easier on the hip pocket, though not all these ideas will be options for everyone.  Some of them may help.  

The main ideas are cutting down on packaging and ways to cut spending.

1.      Grow your own herbs, such as fennel, oregano, curry, thyme, rosemary, lavender, bay leaf, lemon grass, chili – this saves on packaging and the cost of buying fresh herbs from the shop.

2.     Dry your herbs out so you can use them out of season.

3.     Make your own herb blends with your dried herbs for sauces and seasoning.  Give any over abundance of herbs to family and friends.

4.     Make your own herbal teas with herbs such as peppermint, chamomile and lemon verbena.

5.      If you have the room, grow your own fruit tree(s).  Pick a fruit you will use often and in various ways.

6.       Preserve the fruit you grow so you can enjoy it out of season, or make your own jam.

7.       When you’ve finished with some jars (i.e. jam jars) keep them and reuse them to preserve your fruit in.

8.       Dry out your fruit so you can enjoy it out of season.

9.      Purchase some fregie sacks – available from Your Cheeky Monkey.  Place the fresh produce you purchase from the shops in these reusable bags instead of the plastic bags supplied.

10.    Take reusable bags shopping with you or invest in some really trendy hand made reusable fabric bags.

11.    Purchase reusable cloth nappies – Bubbalooba have some adorable hand made cloth nappies.

12.   Make your own house hold cleaning products and reuse the containers again and again.  My Green Sopabox has some excellent ideas and recipes for home made goods.  As does this JOLI blog.

13.   Visit second hand clothing shops instead of always purchasing brand new clothes simply because you can afford to do so.  This is a double win as the money spent in these shops goes towards people who are struggling to make ends meet.

14.  Collect water in buckets whenever you rinse your dishes and use this water on your garden to bring down your water bill.

15.   Get back to basics and make your own cookies, bread, pasta etc.  You avoid the preservatives and additives in food by doing this, cut down on the amount of packaging you discard as well as having fresh produce to enjoy.

16.    When buying eggs, visit local egg farms to purchase your eggs.  They're cheaper and you can return the cardboard egg trays when you're finished with it.  Or if you've got the room and desire, have some pet chickens.

17.    Use flannels instead of throw away dish cloths.  You can wash and reuse them indefinitely.

18.   Buy in bulk. You'll end up having less packaging to throw away.

These are just a few suggestions.  As I think of more I will add them to the list.  If you have any other suggestions please share them with us.  We’d love to hear from you.

By JOLI Natural Skin Care

  

Bamboo Toothbrush Review

Independent product review by JOLI

I was reading the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of G Magazine – Green Living Made Easy, about toothbrushes and how modern toothbrushes are not recyclable due to being made with a number of different types of plastic.  These plastics are recyclable separately however once joined together on the toothbrush the plastics cannot be separated.  The article also talked about electric toothbrushes vs hand held toothbrush – and which is better for the environment.  The general consensus is that bamboo tooth brushes have the least impact on our planet, with regards to manufacture, materials and waste.

After reading the article I purchase a box of bamboo toothbrushes from The Cruelty Free Shop online.  I did wonder how well the toothbrushes would clean since they don’t have all the bells and whistles of the fancy toothbrushes available these days.  I have to say they clean just as good.  I don’t feel as though areas are being missed even though the bamboo toothbrush doesn’t offer flexi grips or built-in tongue cleaner, with extended bristles to reach those ‘hard to get’ places.  My teeth are still coming out clean.

Bamboo toothbrushes last as long as other toothbrushes and as an added bonus come in recyclable packaging.  The toothbrushes cost $3.50 each, though when you buy a box of 12 they cost $38 which equals $3.16 per toothbrush – which is much the same as the cost of other toothbrushes.

Unlike other toothbrushes they come in only one colour so to tell our toothbrushes apart I write our names on the brush handles or attach coloured hair elastics to the handles so we know whose brush is whose.

Have you tried bamboo toothbrushes?  Do you currently use them?  Are you willing to try them?

Leave a comment below.

  

Head Lice Treatment

Let’s start with some basic facts.

Head lice go through 3 molting phases before they become adults who are able to mate.  Around 8-9 days is how long this takes, if lice have continuous access to a human host.  Mating can begin within the first 10 hours of adult life.  Females lay about 3-4 eggs daily and during its lifespan of four weeks a female lays 50-150 eggs (nits).  Lice hatch around 6-9 days later.

Egg laying is temperature dependent to be conducive to proper embryo development.  In cool climates eggs are laid closer to the skull for warmth, around 1cm up the hair shaft.  While in warmer climates eggs may be laid a good 6inches down the hair shaft.

Head lice are blood-feeders and bite the skin four to five times daily to feed.  To feed the lice bite through the skin and inject saliva to prevent blood from clotting.  It then sucks the blood into its digestive tract.  Blood sucking can continue for a long period if the lice are not disturbed.  Head lice live for around 35 days and will die of starvation within 1-2 days if removed from the scalp and do not find a new host/blood source.

Lice favour the nape of the neck and behind the ears.  This is where eggs are usually laid.  This is because head lice are repelled by light and you will often see them moving towards the shadows or dark coloured objects once disturbed.

Knowing the cycle helps deal with lice.  You now know when is the best time to treat them and how to tell males from females.

* * *

Many products on the market today offer chemical treatments to kill off head lice.  Research has shown that lice are becoming resistant to these chemicals.  Aside from their resistance many parents, and rightly so, are not comfortable with using harsh chemicals on their children’s hair.  And usually these chemical treatments require reapplication again and again.

* * *

Infestation story:

“As a little girl I never got head lice at all.  I figured I was lucky but really didn’t think much of it.  Then as an adult with small children, where other children would come to visit and have overnight stays I found myself getting head lice.  I got head lice 3 times in one year after never having them as a child.

I was using the usual chemical applications to get rid of my lice; lotions, shampoos etc.  On the third infestation I was using lotions and shampoos around every 3 to 7 days.  Combing through my hair each time and finding nothing, and it wasn’t getting rid of the lice.  All my bedding was regularly stripped and washed, along with clothes, in lice lotion.  Still the lice wouldn’t die.  I had hubby keep checking my hair and telling me he couldn’t find any trace of lice… but I KNEW they were there.

My five year old ended up with head lice and much to my dismay so did my baby boy, not yet one.  I knew I couldn’t treat my baby boy with over the counter chemical filled products and I wasn’t winning my own battle with head lice.  So I went searching through my natural remedies book for head lice treatment.  Found one and  applied the lotion to my five year old and it worked.  Then I applied the lotion to my baby boy knowing it was gentle enough to use on him and again it worked.

I used the lotion on myself and sure enough I combed out a couple of good sized adult lice along with some young lice and eggs.  I had been certain they were there all along!  I also washed all our clothes, bedding, cushion covers, towels etc. in eucalyptus oil.  I waited a couple of days and rechecked everyone’s hair.  Nothing.  I waited longer thinking perhaps eggs just needed to hatch.  Still nothing.  I was so happy with the results.

The lotion is viscous.  It is easy to use - though it might be tricky for those with thick long hair (I have long hair).  Still, the results are great.

What was the 'lotion' my natural remedy book recommend?  Humble old olive oil!  It literally overpowers the lice and they suffocate to death within minutes.  Simple, and gooey, yet effective.”

* * *

To use the Head Lice lotion:

Comb or brush out all knots so hair is tangle free.

Apply the lotion in small batches to the scalp, starting from the front of the head.  Massage the lotion into the scalp and up the hair shaft, then apply the next dollop working your way back to the nape of the neck.  Repeat until all the scalp and as much hair as possible is coated.  Much the same way you apply hair dye.

Comb through the hair with a normal wide tooth comb or bush making sure hair is tangle free and manageable.

Working in sections, comb through the hair with the head lice comb slowing working your way through the hair to scoop out the lice.  You may need a white plate or bowl and a toothpick to take the lice and eggs out of the comb and place on the plate.

Continue until all the hair has been combed through and repeat several times.  Good news is even if you miss some lice they will have suffocated to death.

Put on a cap (or plastic bag) over the hair and leave to stand for 10 minutes.  Then repeat the combing process once more.

In most cases one application is all that’s needed.  Though if necessary repeat 3-7 days later as per the lice cycle.

Wash hair as per normal.  You will need to wash your hair a couple of times before the lotion is fully removed.

* * *

To do a pre lice check before applying the lotion, to find out if there are head lice to begin with.  Spritz hair with a solution of 2 parts water 1 part vinegar.  Vinegar is a mild acid and slows down the ability for lice to run and escape.  Comb hair with a normal comb or brush to untangle hair, then go through hair with a lice comb to see if the person has head lice.  If they do follow through with the head lice treatment.

  

Perfume Info & Rose Water Perfume recipe

“The world's oldest known perfumes have been found on the island reputed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, lust, and beauty, Italian archaeologists announced last week.”

John Roach
for National Geographic News

March 29, 2007

The article goes on to say that these perfumes, stored in clay jugs, contained extracts of anise, pine, coriander, bergamot, almond, and parsley are among the ingredients the ancient perfume-makers preferred.  The herbs were ground up and mixed with olive oil.  Also mentioned is the fact that we have lost the real world of natural fragrances, as most perfumes today are made with chemical / synthetic reproductions of natural fragrances and scents.

Fundamentally perfumes are made with specially blended essential oils of top notes, middle notes and base notes, to give an over all scent that is appealing – each perfume different from the next.

Top notes are the scents you smell immediately upon application.  Top notes tend to be earthy, floral, fresh and fruity.

Middle notes begin to appear just as the top notes are fading. Middle notes tend to be rich, heady, green in character, musty.

Base notes bring depth to the perfume and are the scents that last the longest.  Base notes tend to be spicy, warm, woody, sweet.

For example Dolce & Gabbana perfume has the following scents:

Top: Petitgrain, tangerine, basil, ivy, freesia, aldehydes.

Middle: rose, orange flower, jasmine, carnation, lily of the valley, marigold, cilantro.

Base: sandalwood, vanilla, tonka, musk.

* * Some truths about perfume: some fragrances contain animal hormones and many perfumes contain musk from anal glands of deers, and synthetic hormone-like ingredients called phthalates, and parabens, as well as a long list of other 'secret' ingredients. In fact, perfumes and fragrances are top secret and ingredients don’t need to be disclosed. Who really knows what we are applying to our skin? * *

There are also floral water perfumes such as rose water.  My son likes to make perfumes by soaking scented rose petals or daisies in water – a budding little alchemist.

If you’re wanting to make some natural perfumes yourself, perfumes that don’t contain chemicals or synthetically derived ingredients (including parabens) try these recipes:

Floral Water Perfume

·         1 tablespoon fresh rose petals

·         1 tablespoon fresh lavender flowers

·         zest of lemon

·         ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary

·         1/s tablespoon fresh peppermint

·         2 cups water

·         1 cup vodka (to preserve and draw out the fragrance of herbs)

Place water in a pan.  Add rose, lavender, lemon zest, rosemary and peppermint to water.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Do not bring to boil.  Allow to cool completely before adding the vodka.  Pour contents into an airtight jar and stand jar in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.  After 2 weeks strain the liquid into a spray bottle, discarding all solids, ready for use as a perfume or room deodoriser.

Rosewater Perfume

·         50ml glass bottle

·         10ml vodka

·         40ml rosewater (or plain water if you don’t have rosewater)

·         8 drops bergamot EO

·         4 drops geranium EO

·         2 drops patchouli EO

Place all ingredients in a 50ml glass jar and leave to sit up opened for two weeks.  Shaking contents daily.  After two weeks, pour perfume into another container, rinse your 50ml glass jar and allow to dry.  Then filter the liquid back into the glass jar with a coffee filter.

The alcohol acts as a preservative and has the ability to stabilise ingredients and enhance fragrance and scent.  It can be omitted if you prefer, though this may affect the shelf life and scent of your home made perfume.