Love List ~ June 18

In this edition of the Love List, I have six amazing products for you to check out. What have you discovered lately that you are loving? Let me know.

♥ Handshine Handwash

Aussie mums, Alisa and Danni from 123 Nourish Me have done it again with another amazing product made from quality organic ingredients. This time it’s hand wash called Handshine. But, it’s not just a hand wash, you can also use it as a shampoo, body wash and bubble bath.

We are loving it! It leaves skin nourished and soft and the pink grapefruit and organic apple make it smell delicious. 123 Nourish Me is fast becoming my favourite brand for not only their hard-working, effective products, but for their uncompromising quality and ethics.

Check it out here.

♥ Hippie Mamas Book

“Hippie in City” Rita Balshaw has just released a new book all about holistic pregnancy, birth, babies and beyond.

Hippie Mamas has a wealth of information about how to take care of yourself and your babies with aromatherapy, nutrition, herbs, natural remedies and self-care. There are loads of recipes for nourishing food and DIY beauty and health remedies that I can’t wait to try.

With beautiful illustrations and an easy-to-read format, Rita’s beautiful book is a fantastic resource for all mums and would make a really thoughtful and useful gift for a baby shower or blessingway.

You might even find Natural New Age Mum listed in the resource section! 😉

Get it here (on sale at the moment!)

♥ Mystic Essential Oil Candle

I am a huge fan of beautiful online store, Lemon Canary!

It’s actually quite hard to find good quality candles that are made with just pure essential oils and not fragrance oils. Fiona, a natural new age mum from the Gold Coast, has an exquisite range of 100% pure essential oils blends that she hand crafts into gorgeous high vibrational products like these candles, massage oils, soaps and mists.

I am loving the MYSTIC blend at the moment but well, I can’t really pick a favourite! All of the essential oil range is blended with lots of thought and love to create something quite special. You can also get LOVE, MEDITATE, DREAM, GRATEFUL and HAPPY!

Find them here.

♥ Note to Self Cards

Some of you know that my friendship with Alisha at Naughty Naturopath Mum stretches back many years now. She is a very special soul with a huge heart and I have often been the recipient of her wise, gentle and loving advice. Somehow, she always knows just what to say!

Well, all of you can now benefit from her wisdom because she’s just released a beautiful set of cards, Note to Self. These cards are like having Alisha as your personal life coach, friend and cheerleader all in a little box!

You can use them as oracle cards to give you guidance. Shuffle the cards while thinking of a problem or something you need help with and pull a card you feel drawn to. The front of the cards has a short message and on the back of the card is the sentiment explained in more detail.

Get them from Alisha here.

♥ Good Fat Mayo

This mayonnaise is the answer to all my mayonnaise problems. I love mayo and I love making it myself at home but it does take a little time to organise (the eggs and ingredients need to be at room temperature) and it doesn’t last very long in the fridge. Not great for spontaneously needing mayo!

Most mayonnaise you buy from the supermarket contains toxic seed oils, usually canola and usually contains a whole host of other weird things you don’t want to be eating either.

Good Fat Mayo is made with olive oil, free range eggs and all natural ingredients and it’s packaged in a glass jar. Woohoo!

Get it here.

♥ Elate Universal Creme

Are you a bit of a low-maintenance/minimalist person like me when it comes to makeup? Or maybe you just don’t have time to spend putting it on in the mornings? Well, the Universal Creme is our new best friend.

You can use this creme as a blush or lipstick and even on your eyes. It comes in five different colours so you can choose one that suits your skin tone. I love that it’s packaged in a reusable (and funky) bamboo container that you can get refills for. Zero-waste, plastic-free beauty!

Seriously, how has nobody thought of this before!?

Elate make a whole range of lush cosmetics that are vegan, cruelty-free and of course made from all natural, quality ingredients.

Check it out here.

How to make your own natural hand wash

Around this time of year (winter for us in Australia) the ads for ‘antibacterial’ handwashes start to hit our TV screens in force.

Apparently we need to buy their anti-bacterial handwash to have happy, healthy kids!

Not only are these ads misleading, they are promoting a product full of chemicals with the words healthy? Arrrgh!

Okay, so what is so bad about anti-bacterial handwash?

“There are two types of antibacterial products, those with alcohol and those with triclosan. Triclosan weakens the immune system and is suspected of causing cancer. Its overuse can also lead to the creation of “superbugs.” Slow Death by Rubberduck.

“Triclosan also affects the natural environment. Wastewater treatment does not remove all of the chemical, which means it ends up in our lakes, rivers and water sources. That’s especially unfortunate since triclosan is very toxic to aquatic life.” Environmental Working Group

Alcohol in antibacterial products worries me too. A 60-75% alcohol content makes them highly flammable and dangerous around children. There have been cases of children hospitalized from accidental ingestion and poisoning. A quick google search also reveals that teenagers are drinking hand sanitizers to get drunk!

Other ingredients commonly found in hand wash and sanitizer is fragrance which can contain phthalates – known endocrine disrupters. “They have been linked with endometriosis and early puberty in girls, and reproductive organ abnormalities and reduced fertility in males. They can also act on the thyroid, and have been linked with obesity.” Choice Australia

How to make your own natural hand wash

I do prefer to use a hand wash over soap and water… mostly because it is less messy in the bathroom. It’s so easy to make and it’s very cheap!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Get yourself a foam pump

You can buy foaming soap pumps/dispensers. If you want something cheaper and you are not worried about plastic, you can buy a foaming dispenser with hand wash already in it and then repurpose it! Eco Store and Thank You are two brands that make a foaming dispenser. Of course you can buy the hand wash refills and do it that way if you like but I prefer making it myself as it’s cheaper, contains fewer ingredients and I can tailor it to suit.

2. Pour in about 50ml (or 1/4 of your container) of Castile soap

Castile soap is a very mild, all purpose vegetable based liquid soap. One of the most popular brands is Dr Bronners – I like this company as the ingredients are ethically sourced. I use the unscented baby version.

3. Add around 10 drops of essential oils of your choice

This is where I like to tailor the hand wash to suit. If the family is a bit germy or it’s lurgy season, use some oils that will kill bugs like the tea tree or eucalyptus. You can also try the Wellness Warrior blend.

4. Top up with water and give a vigorous shake

This is the fun bit! Leave a little gap at the top so it mixes in well.

5. Your hand wash is ready to go!

The result is a natural, safe handwash at a fraction of the cost you buy them at the supermarket.

Is this something you might try??

PS thanks to my ‘hand model’, my daughter… she thought it would be cute to make a heart shape with it 😀