Here are four more very easy ways to harness the fragrance and power of Lavender in infusions. Lavender tea Add one to two teaspoons of dried Lavender flowers, or one to two tablespoon of fresh heads, to a cup of freshly boiled water. Steep for five to ten minutes. Strain and drink, sweetened with honey […]

Lavender, part two – Lavender vinegar
by Anne on November 2, 2011 in Health, Household cleaning, Personal care
Infusions are an incredibly simple, direct way to capture the essence of herbs and plants and enhance the properties of whatever you’re infusing them with. They can turn a very basic substance into something really special, and one of the best candidates for making infusions is Lavender. Add fresh Lavender flowers and leaves to a […]

Skin brushing, part three – the lymphatic system
by Anne on September 14, 2011 in Health, Personal care
The biggest benefits of skin brushing come through the way that it stimulates and assists the functioning of the lymphatic system, so this post is dedicated to explaining how that system works. We generally know more about the blood circulatory system than the lymphatic system, so let’s start there. The two systems work closely together, […]

Skin brushing, part two – how to do it
by Anne on September 6, 2011 in Health, Personal care
Dry skin brushing is very simple. As I said last time, the basic idea is to brush the entire surface of your skin, using long, quite firm strokes, starting from your hands or feet and moving in the direction of your heart. There are some incredibly detailed instructions available on how to do a dry […]

Skin brushing, part one – the basics and the benefits
by Anne on August 26, 2011 in Health, Personal care
I can’t urge you enough to give skin brushing (also known as dry skin brushing or dry skin brush massage) a try. I would be most surprised if someone who has tried it, doesn’t keep it up. The rewards occur at many levels, but include an immediate sense of well-being that is hard to beat […]

Deodorant dangers, part two (especially for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers)
by Anne on June 10, 2011 in Baby, Health, Personal care
When it comes to personal care products, especially deodorant, there are two main areas of concern for pregnant women and mothers of young babies: passing the toxins in them to your baby the way that they interfere with attachment. Toxins in breast milk and the womb Some of the most dangerous chemicals are those known […]

Freshly ground, part three
by Anne on April 6, 2011 in Personal care
Staying with personal care, here are some more ways to reap benefits from your used coffee grounds. (And people throw these things away!) Last time I told you how to use them in (or as) a body scrub, or a facial scrub (massage very gently on the face), for radiant skin. You can also: Use […]
Avoiding chlorine damage to skin and hair
by Anne on March 25, 2011 in Health, Personal care
There are several ways to keep swimming pools clean and hygienic without the use of chlorine. (I’ll write more about some of them in another post.) Nevertheless, many swimming pools (not to mention mains water supplies) are still maintained by treatment with this outdated poison. Among them is the pool at my local gym. Now, […]

Talking on eggshells
by Anne on March 1, 2011 in Garden, Health, Household cleaning, Personal care
I love eggs – they are one of nature’s miracle foods. But did you realise that the shells of eggs are an incredible resource too? They are so useful and versatile, they definitely deserve a place here on spotless. Here are ten ways to use them. (Many uses for eggshells require them to be crushed. […]
Rooibos: DIY skincare
by Anne on February 17, 2011 in Personal care
Getting back to Rooibos, in this post I’m going to tell a bit about how this wonderful tea can be used to benefit your skin. The first and most obvious way is to drink it regularly. But Rooibos can also be used directly on the skin. Rooibos is very gentle and can be used beneficially […]