Make Your Own Washing Powder & Dish Liquid

Went through my cupboard the other day and found a bunch of toxic products I never use.  This is a picture them before I cleared them out (some are brand new never used).  Not meaning to throw my husband under a bus (sorry hubby), I am NOT the one who purchases this stuff.  I know what nasties are in these bottles.  Hubby however likes to come home with shining new toys that burn your nose hairs off when you use them, he thinks they work better when they stink to high heaven.

Around the home I use a number of different green all natural cleaning products from Nature Direct, and I'm in the process of showing hubby they do work.  No need for those other toxic potions.

There are two products I am yet to find all natural green alternatives for: 1. clothes washing powder 2. dish washing liquid.  So I had a play around and made my own.

Clothes washing powder recipe:

1/2 cup of water
1 cup grated castile soap (or other natural soap)
1 cup washing soda
1 tablespoon eucalyptus oil [optional] - can be substituted with another scent



1. Boil 1/2 cup water, add grated soap flakes and stir on low heat until dissolved.






2. Remove from heat and add the washing soda.  Mix thoroughly.

 3. Add eucalyptus oil and mix well.  Pour the mixture into a flat plastic or glass tray and spread it out so that it is about 3mm thick only.  Leave to sit for a few hours or over night.



At first the solution comes out wet and runny, however it does dry out, in fact sets rock hard.  This is why it is important to place it on a tray in a thin layer.



Break up the the dry powder to makes clumps then either grind it up in a food processor or mortar and pestle.  Store in a well labeled container and keep by the washing machine.  Use about a tablespoon at a time to wash clothes.


Alternatively: pour washing powder into a wide mouth jar and leave to set.  When set, you can use this as a natural marble paste to clean tough surfaces such as shower grout.





Dish washing liquid:
4-6 soap nuts
2 cups water
1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil [optional] - substitute with another scent if you prefer

Place the water and soap nuts in a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil then simmer for 30mins.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Add eucalyptus oil if using it.  Alternatively use lemon essential oil or another scent of choice.  Pour liquid into a pump bottle and leave by the sink and use to wash dishes.

NOTE: can also be used as a liquid hand soap.
NOTE: this liquid soap will last around 2 weeks, it contains no preservatives. If you wish to keep it for longer store in the fridge.

*    *    *

Authors notes: the above dish liquid recipe doesn't bubble up so if you like LOADS of bubbles this might feel like a let down.  It cleans wonderfully regardless of having no bubbles and the eucalyptus oil helps to further break down grease and grime.

  

A True Friend

A True Friend ~ by JOLI Natural Skin Care

  

The Many Uses for Soothing [Eczema] Salve

One the benefits to using JOLI products is that many of them are versatile and offer a range of different uses.  One of our most versatile products is our Soothing Salve [formally Eczema Salve].

Here is a list of all the versatile uses for this one very handy product:

* Eczema, to moisturise the skin and relieve itching and redness.  Eczema is caused by the bodies inability to moisturise itself.  It is very important and worth while to keep skin moisturised with Soothing Salve.

JOLI Soothing Salve for rashes

* Psoriasis, apply to scalp where psoriasis occurs.

* Mozzie and insect bites, quickly eliminates the itchiness and irritation of bites.

* Baby moisturiser, to soothe baby and moisturise skin after bathing, and any time during the day or before bed.

* Dry skin, apply to patches of dry flaky skin, e.g. around the eyes, for instant miosturisation.

JOLI Soothing Salve for exzema

* Sleep (you know that crusty buildup that occurs around eye lashes), apply salve lightly to eye lashes before bedtime to reduce 'sleep'.

* Conjunctivitis (or pink eye) caused by allergies or itching, apply salve to itchy and irritated eye area to relieve the urge to scratch.

* Tattoos, recently had a tattoo done or thinking about getting "ink"?  Soothing Salve can be applied to tattooed area to aid with skin healing and keeping skin moisturised, also stops scabs from itching.

* Baby bottom balm, apply to angry red rash to soothe redness and soreness without any stinging sensation.

* Cradle cap, looking for a natural alternative to cradle cap creams, apply Soothing Salve, specially formulated to be gentle on babies skin.

* After shaving, apply salve to aid in relief of itchy skin and reduce ingrown hairs.

* Burned yourself while cooking, hit your arm on the rim of a hot pot?  Apply Soothing Salve to quickly reduce the sting and redness.

JOLI Soothing Salve for new tattoos

*      *      *

On any given day customers will contact JOLI telling of others uses they've found for this product.  It really is a most versatile, useful product, very handy to have on hand.  We carry our tub with us every where and never leave home without it.

You might also be interested in: Skin Care While Camping with more versatile products.

  

October Gift Box Giveaway!!

 with It's that time of the month again where we are giving YOU a wonderful opportunity to win a gift box full of gorgeous goodies from some wonderful Australian companies.

In this Gift Box you get: 

Gorgeous petite orange vintage button stud earrings by CreativeMandie,
Two adorable finger puppets by Your Cheeky Monkey,
A pretty yellow and magenta handmade jewellery trinket box (supplied by JOLI),
10.5 x 16.5cm handy note pad and mini extension file note book with pencil (from Artwrap, supplied by JOLI),
Stunning handmade gold and bronze coloured earrings by TTTreasures,
Decadent Fluffy Lime Eye Cream by JOLI Natural Skin Care.

So now you're wanting to know   
 "How do I enter?"

Entering this competition is easy.
Step1: like ALL of the pages of the businesses taking part in this Gift Box giveaway.
Step2: WRITE a message on at least ONE (if not all) of the business Facebook's walls letting them know 
"I am liking your page as part of the October Gift Box giveaway"
[feel free to browse and shop their gorgeous goodies while you're there!!].  
If you're already a liker of any of these pages still leave a comment saying you are already a fan wanting to be part of the October Gift Box giveaway.

The pages and comments will be monitored and names of those who comment will go into the draw.  NOTE: If you do not like ALL of the pages your entry will be null and void.

Winner will be announced November 7th at 6pm on the JOLI Facebook page.

[Open to Australian residents only.]  GOOD LUCK!!!!

Comp starts 12:01pm 29/10/2012 - Ends 12:01pm 7/11/2012

No Poo Movement follow-up

[hair after washing with bicarb water mix]

After accepting a personal challenge to try the No Poo Movement (shampoo) just to give my readers the run down on the results...

I'm here to report:

I went without using shampoo for 5 weeks and my hair never stopped constantly looking wet, that's how I'd describe it.  Ironically (or is that strangely) my hair did have more volume and was less flat, less pinned to my head the way it normally is.  Breakouts around the hair line became an issue, on my temples, sideburns, below my ears.  [In truth though I did run out of Facial & Body Wash and my precious skin healing Skin Serum - so this could also be a factor.]

When I was due to attend special occasions I washed my hair with a bicarb water mix - 1 cup of warm water with a tablespoon of bicarb soda - and the results were amazing (see above pic).  My hair was shining and voluminous and soft.  My hair stayed this way for 3-4 days after washing [yes I waited that long in between washes since I wanted to thoroughly test all aspects of this challenge] before gradually going back to the 'wet' look.  The only issue: my hair was also very static the next day and thereafter making brushing interesting.  It was like touching one of those electric static ball thingies.

Now that I'm back to using SLES free shampoo I'm finding my hair is flat and limp again.  My scalp is itchy.  My hair begins to get oily quicker, for e.g: if I wash my hair on Monday night by Tuesday evening my hair is starting to look oily already meaning I have to wash my hair every 2nd day.  The static is taking a while to dissipate and I keep getting these ridiculously knotty knots as the base of my skull which are super fun to try and get out.  Though these are caused not by the shampoo but from wearing collared jackets and scarfs during cold weather.  Now I'm using shampoo again I'm finding the knots worse.

My findings:

• I don't know if eventually, say after 2 months or more, my hair would stop looking wet without using any shampoo.  I didn't really want to wait that long to find out.
• Using bicarb soda was quite effective in that my hair stayed clean for a long time and looked shiny and stunning.  The static was an issue though.  Perhaps there are additional substances to be trialed here with varying results.  Will have to work on that...
• Back to using mainstream shampoo, I've only been doing so for around 1 week and I'm already hating it.  Flat hair... urgh!  Getting oily quickly... don't like!  Itchy scalp... driving me nuts!

Shampoo is NOT a really good product to use on hair.  It can dry out the scalp and it definitely strips hair and scalp of natural healthy oils.

Are you up to the No Poo challenge?  Would you try it yourself and see what results you get?  Have you tried it before?  Feel free to share your comments and remember to tick the reactions boxes so we know you love us.

  

No Poo Movement

I recently watched a segment on Ecotopia TV on the No Poo movement.  Poo meaning shampoo.
Is Shampoo a Sham?

I've always wondered how shampoo got it's name.  Well here is the answer from Yahoo answers:
The word shampoo in English usage dates back to 1762, with the meaning "to massage". The word was a loan from Anglo-Indian shampoo, in turn from Hindi chāmpo, imperative of chāmpnā, "to smear, knead the muscles, massage". It itself comes from Sanskrit/Hindi word "champā", the flowers of the plant Michelia champaca which have traditionally been used to make fragrant hair-oil.
Read more HERE: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071219080345AAhq6W8

Here is some more info on shampoo and what goes in it on WIKI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shampoo

Anyway, back to the No Poo movement...  More and more people are taking up the movement to stop using shampoo in their hair.

Why?   

Yes a very good question.  Mainly because of the chemicals (sulfates) in shampoo that wash into our waterways.  In Australia most sulfates and detergents are transported through drainage to water treatment plants and are not washed out into the ocean.  That's not to say shampoo isn't environmentally damaging.  There is the mass production of plastic packaging shampoo comes in, the pollution from manufacturing the packaging, discarding this packaging in mass quantities and how un-environmentally friendly the breakdown of such products is, PLUS the chemicals used in shampoo that we then apply to our scalps and bodies and absorbed into out skin.  Not good!

What the No Poo movement claims is that shampoo is an unnecessary thing and we have all been duped into believing by the advertising giants who tell us we NEED shampoo in order to have luscious locks.  The movement sports numerous people (with numbers growing) who have been going shampoo free for years and you would never be able to tell by looking at their hair.  Their hair is full of body and bounce and doesn't look dirty or grubby or unhealthy (see the above video link to see for yourself).

The movement seems to be bigger in Europe than it is here.  Maybe their sulfates are washed straight into their water??  Here is a blog written by a man in Europe about his move away from shampoo and I like how he says  "I reckon that if everybody eliminated shampoo, that simple effort would single handedly save the planet." 

Ok, so I've taken up the challenge and stopped washing my hair with shampoo just so I can share my findings with you.  I started on the 3rd of September after being seriously ill and bed ridden for 4 days.  When I finally got up and showered I didn't use shampoo to wash my hair and haven't used it since.  I have to say there is a transition period where you hair will look greasy and limp and all sorts of yuk!  And yes that is where I'm at.  I swear I've had a bad hair day every day since then.  I'm using lots of ponytails and buns to try and hide it.  And yet I haven't needed to style my hair.  My hair is just sitting naturally and if it wasn't so greasy looking it would be HOT with a capital H!  After nearly two weeks of 'no poo' my hair looks better now than it did at the start.  So I'll keep going with the experiment and see how things look in a couple of weeks time.

I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED!

To aid with this movement to stop using shampoo there are a couple of things you can try such as: making a blend of 1 cup of warm water with a tablespoon of bicarb soda to make a sort of green shampoo.  This will help break down the oils quicker.  Also use a white vinegar or apple cider vinegar rinse after washing to clean away oils and residue.

  

Natural Detox

Detoxing is a great way to remove the build up of toxins from your body.  We are exposed to toxins daily via chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food and beverages we consume, the makeup, skin care and hair products we use.  Even the clothes we wear and the furniture we sit on.  While we may not be able to rid ourselves of all of the toxins we're exposed to choosing some natural alternatives is the best option.

Detoxing is seen by some as not such a good thing to do, suddenly depriving the body of all the things it's used to.  Taking these things away in one hit can stress some bodies out.  Others swear by detoxing, it's the be-all-and-end-all of cleansing the body and mind.

In general detoxing should be done for no longer than 7 days, however, the aim off this blog is to get you started off gradually and build up to a life style that promotes good health and aids in keeping the amount of toxins you're exposed to at a minimum.

So what are some natural ways to detox?

Natural bath salts are a great way to detox.  The salts draw out impurities from your body while you enjoy a relaxing soak in your bath.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Choosing natural salts that contain essential oils NOT fragrance is important as fragrance contain stabilizers that can contribute to the build up of toxins in your body.

[JOLI Bath Salts ~ Serenity]

Drinking herbal tea is a great way to flush toxins from the body.  Teas such as green tea, chamomile, jasmine and peppermint are all good as they contain no caffeine.  Avoid black tea and coffee.  If you're often tired in the morning peppermint tea and eating an apple are both great ways to wake you up in the morning.  Water is also good, however, drinking warm tea also helps aid digestion and is something you can continue to do as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Lemon water, a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice is good for kick starting the metabolism.  Have a glass first thing in the morning and after your last meal at night time.  If you're concerned about toxins in tap water think about getting a water purifier.

Eating healthy foods is a must.  Lots of fruits and vegetables.  Cut down on processed foods and foods that contain additives.  Again, this list of foods is something you can maintain as part of a healthy eating plan and doesn't need to be something you only do part time.

Avoid mainstream makeup, skin care and hair care products.  They contain all sorts of toxins/chemicals that are absorbed into your body as they are applied/used.  Move to more natural alternatives such as JOLI Natural Skin Care and a good brand of mineral makeup. 
Here are some brands we have researched and found that their ingredients list is quite good - though I am sure there are plenty more (if you know of more chemical free makeup brands feel free to share):

• CC Mineral Makeup
• Elusyion Mineral Makeup
• Adorn Mineral Makeup
• The All Natural Face

As you can see from the list of foods to eat [above], there is also a list of foods to avoid.  Of course sugar and alcohol are on the list.  If you smoke and wish to detox it would be necessary to quit smoking for at least 7 days during your detox (if you have no desire to quit altogether).  Cigarettes have all sorts of chemicals in them that pollute the body, causing skin to dry out and age more quickly, causing teeth to decay and discolour, and also cause your clothes, body, breath and house to smell (and your car if you smoke in there).  Giving up completely may not be something you're able to do - so try for 7 days to see how you feel.  You never know, after a 7 day detox you might not feel like taking up smoking again.

Change your cleaning agents to either home made or more natural alternatives.  This too limits the amount of toxins you're exposed to via your clothing, and wash your new clothes prior to wearing them to wash away as many chemicals as you can.  It may not have occurred to you however dyes are made with all sorts of chemicals that can cause skin reactions - this is especially important to know when considering children and babies.

What other ways can you think of to naturally detox?

  

August Gift Box Giveaway - 2012

It's that time of the month again where we are giving YOU a wonderful opportunity to win a gift box full of gorgeous goodies from some wonderful Australian companies.

In this Gift Box you get: 

Gorgeous purple vintage button stud earrings by Creative Mandie,
Two adorable finger puppets by Your Cheeky Monkey,
A pretty silver and rose handmade jewellery trinket box,
A delightful jasmine and frangipani scented tea candle by Inner Glow,
Yummy yummy box of snakes, minties and peanuts by Rainbow Designs,
Stunning handmade green and black beaded earrings by TTTreasures,
Bubble Bath Crumble Bar by JOLI Natural Skin Care.

So now you're wanting to know   
 "How do I enter?"

Entering this competition is easy.  You MUST like ALL of the pages of the businesses taking part in this Gift Box [click on the links below to be transported to each of these wonderful pages], and WRITE a message on EACH of page's wall letting them know you are liking their pages as part of the August Gift Box competition [feel free to browse and shop their gorgeous goodies while you're there!!].  If you're already a liker of any of these pages still leave a comment saying you are already a fan wanting to be part of the August Gift Box Comp.  The pages and comments will be monitored and names of those who comment will go into the draw.  If you don't like all the pages your entry will be null and void.
Winner will be announced Friday 31st August at around 6pm.

[Open to Australian residents only.]  GOOD LUCK!!!!