How to treat dandruff, naturally

October 3, 2017 · 7 Comments

How to treat dandruff, naturally

Dandruff, like halitosis is one of those social awkward things that we all want to get rid off as soon as we can!! Regular dandruff shampoos sold at pharmacies can contain some pretty nasty toxins, but this condition is actually very easy to treat naturally.

What is dandruff?

Aussie naturopath Mim Beim says in her Natural Remedies book, “dandruff is a fungal condition where the skin of the scalp sheds white scales.”

It can be caused by overused of hair products, hormonal imbalance, stress, a diet low in fatty acids, poor circulation and/or genetics.

How do you treat it?

This is the method we have always used for dandruff or itchy scalp – it works so well and it’s good to see that it’s recommended by Mim Beim as well.

Mix around 2 tablespoons of warmed coconut oil with 5 drops of tea tree oil. Apply to hair, massaging it well right into the scalp. Leave for at least an hour (or overnight if you can) and then shampoo out thoroughly. You may need to shampoo twice with hot water to get all the coconut oil out.

You may need to repeat this a few times over a few weeks if the condition is really bad. Coconut oil and tea tree oil both have powerful anti-fungal properties. We always make sure we have both in the house as part of our natural first aid kit!

What else can you do?

As well as treating the fungal infection with the coconut oil and tea tree, Mim also suggests drinking more water, cutting back on sugar and yeast (severe issues may involve a candida diet – see your health practitioner) and increasing good fats and oils.

You should also avoid chemicals and hair products that irritate the scalp. If you want to follow up with a natural shampoo and conditioner specifically for dandruff, try Aussie brand, Daily Naturals.

Have you tried this natural remedy? Would you give it a go?

Check out Mim’s book here >>

How to make your own natural hand wash

May 12, 2016 · 18 Comments

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 😀

5 Essential Natural Remedies for Natural New Age Mums

September 30, 2015 · 2 Comments

I often get asked what things are essential for NNAMs to have on hand for their family’s health, so today I am sharing with you my top five natural products. They are all multi-purpose and have a huge range of properties, benefits and uses around the home – not just for healing and health but for beauty and cleaning too!

The best thing about these natural remedies is that they are all affordable and having all-purpose products means you are saving money and have less clutter.

So, these are my:

5 Essential Natural Remedies for Natural New Age Mums

♥ Jojoba Oil

As much as I love my coconut oil, I am finding that jojoba oil is replacing it as my go to oil (I know – even I am still a bit in shock!!!) Jojoba oil is similar to coconut oil – it is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and hypoallergenic. It’s also a great all-purpose oil but where it tops coconut oil is that it has virtually no odour and it sinks straight into the skin without that greasy residue (its actually a wax and the closest oil to our natural skin’s oil).

Jojoba oil has great benefits for your skin as a daily moisturizer as it is very high in antioxidants and contains vitamins A, D and E, essential fatty acids and Omegas 6 and 9. However you can also use it for a wide range of ailments including acne, rosacea, burns, dermatitis, eczema, insect bites, psoriasis, sunburn, abrasions, skin rashes, scars, nappy rash, cradle cap and surgical wounds.

I love The Jojoba Company brand – it’s owned by an Australian family and grown ethically in NSW with lots of love and nurturing! Unlike other brands, its 100% pure and cold pressed without any heating or refined so the nutrients stay intact.

♥ Lavender Oil

I am a huge fan of essential oils and use them daily but if I am pressed to choose just one (usually when I go on holidays and can’t take my collection with me) then I choose lavender oil.

It’s one of my favourite smelling oils but it is also a great all-rounder. It has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. It also has antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifying and sedative effects!!

You can use it directly on acne, bites, stings, burns and muscle aches and a drop on your pillow helps with sleep. It’s great as an insect repellant (combine with a carrier oil) and to relieve tension, headaches, depression and anxiety.

I love the Twenty 8 brand of essential oils. Sunshine Coast mum and aromatherapist, Kim Morrison has created a beautiful range of pure essential oils that don’t cost a fortune but are still of the highest therapeutic quality. Check her out here.

♥ Epsom Salts

Also known as magnesium sulphate, epsom salts have a wide variety of uses to treat common ailments. It’s a naturally occurring mineral that can be used internally or externally. It can be used dissolved in a bath as a muscle relaxant, headache soother, as a treatment for sprains, bruises and joint inflammation and as a great way to absorb magnesium into your body (most of us are deficient).

2 tablespoons of epsom salts dissolved in warm water works as a laxative. A bath with epsom salts will relax and eliminate toxins from the body and soaking also helps to remove splinters. You can even use it in the garden, as a fabric softener and for cleaning. It’s awesome!

♥ Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is another all-purpose remedy that has so many uses, you can even buy a whole book about it! We look up the book if we have ailments to see if ACV can help and it usually does! Get a raw, organic, unfiltered version with ‘the mother’ for the best results.

Some health benefits include helping with digestion, acne, weight loss, sore throats, bad breath, sunburn, wart removal, toxin removal, lowering blood sugar, lowering bad cholesterol and more. You can take it daily in some water or use it on your meals! It makes a cracker salad dressing.

You can also use ACV for cleaning, disinfecting, as a hair rinse and for whitening your teeth! I like the Braggs brand in a glass bottle but as mentioned, any brand that is organic and unfiltered with the mother is good.

♥ Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is the last of my must haves and again, it’s a really great all-rounder. It’s properties include anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial. It’s not actually a tea, its flowers of the chamomile plant that you make up into an herbal infusion.

As well as being a nice herbal tea to drink, you can use it to relieve colds, soothe upset tummies, help you to sleep, relieve hemorrhoids and treat candida, eczema and allergies. Use it externally for under-eye bags, acne, conjunctivitis, fungal skin infections and abscesses. There is some research suggesting it can be helpful for diabetes and cancer. It’s a wonder herb!

You can buy chamomile flowers in teabags, but I prefer to get the loose tea herbs. Hilde Hemme’s herbals are in most health food stores or online. If pregnant or breastfeeding, please check with your health practitioner before using.

Yes, I know, it’s hard to stop at five natural remedies, but these are my top five that I buy regularly and use. What is in your top five? Are they the same as mine?

How to use apple cider vinegar for a sore throat

August 14, 2012 · 23 Comments

How to use apple cider vinegar for a sore throat

The Natural New Age Dad is crazy about his apple cider vinegar (ACV)!

It’s his cure-all for every ailment.

So, when I had a sore throat the other day, he immediately looked up his Apple Cider Vinegar book and found me a remedy.

I was already taking all my favourite natural remedies, but I must say that this one worked really well and I will add it to my repertoire.

This is what we did:

* Put 1 teaspoon of Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar into half a glass of water

* Gargle three mouthfuls of the mix each hour

* Spit it out (don’t drink because the ACV sucks up the germs)

* Cut down to every three hours once you feel some relief

Then, we did this:

* Soak a thin cloth in ACV and wring out

* Place around the throat

* Cover with plastic wrap (we had to cobble together something as we don’t buy plastic wrap anymore!)

* Cover with heat pack

* Lie down for an hour or so

Apple Cider Vinegar is awesome stuff. I am going to talk some more about it, but I will leave that for another blog post.

Just be sure if you are going to use it, that you buy an organic version, with ‘the mother’.

So there you have it, there really is no need to visit the chemist and load up on chemicals to treat a sore throat, go to your pantry first!

You might also like to read How to beat Cold and Flu Naturally and the Best Natural Chest Rubs.

What’s your favourite remedy for a sore throat?

How to use chamomile tea to treat conjunctivitis (or pinkeye)!

March 24, 2012 · 33 Comments

How to use chamomile tea to treat conjunctivitis (or pinkeye)!

Chamomile is incredibly effective at treating conjunctivitis. This herb is known for it’s anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.

We have used this for years now and it really works, every time. No need to spend a fortune at the chemist or put chemicals in your kids’ eyes! I really love simple remedies too – things you can easily find at the local health food store.

So this is what you need:

♥ good quality chamomile tea

♥ organic cotton make-up pads

♥ filtered water

So, this is how you do it:

Boil the filtered water. Make up the tea with about a quarter to one half a cup to one tea bag or one heaped teaspoon of tea. Let brew for about five minutes. Take out the tea and let it cool down to room temperature.

Wash your hands and dry thoroughly. Dip a cotton pad into it. Squeeze a little out and wipe from inner eye to outer eye in one sweep. Discard pad. Wash hands again and use a new cotton wipe for the next eye. Repeat every couple of hours throughout the day for as long as you need it.

I love Hilde Hemmes’ for herbals and their chamomile is brilliant and contains no nasty toxins.

You can keep a batch of tea in the fridge for a few days or make it fresh daily.

I double checked this remedy was okay with the amazing naturopath Mim Beim in her book, Natural Remedies and she recommends it too!

Have you tried this? Would you give it a go?

Want to know a great natural remedy for dandruff?

Make your own NATURAL stain-remover.

March 12, 2012 · 27 Comments

If you have kids, you will be very familiar with stain remover!!!

My Natural New Age Daughter (age 10) is the worst. I have no idea what she does, but she is always filthy! Instead of using expensive, chemical-laden stain removers from the supermarket, make your own natural version. It is incredibly, almost embarassingly, easy and I bet you already have everything you need.

So, this is what you need:

1/4 cup 100% pure eucalyptus essential oil

1 cup filtered water

1 spray bottle

So this is how you do it:

Pour the oil and water into the spray bottle and shake well. Label it and keep it away from kids. Even essential oils can be dangerous if ingested, particularly those that aren’t food grade. To use, just spray liberally on the stain. I like to wait a few minutes before I throw it into the wash.

If stains are really bad and don’t come out the first time, you can soak clothes in a capful (thats a capful, not a cupful!) of oil and water overnight. I have never had any clothes react badly to eucy oil, but if it’s your favourite outfit, you might want to do a spot test first!

Eucalyptus has great anti-bacterial properties so a capful into your wash is really handy if you need to kill any bugs that might be lingering around on your clothes. It’s great to use with towels and linens too, especially if someone has been sick. I always use a capful in a hot wash when doing sheets to kill any dust mites.

Such an amazing oil ! It is also useful for colds and flu. A great, all-purpose wonder oil that every family should have!

Make your own natural citrus cleaning spray!

February 11, 2012 · 32 Comments

Make your own natural citrus cleaning spray!

I love this homemade natural citrus cleaning spray. It’s so cheap, so simple, free of chemicals, it smells yum and work really well. What a star!

I found this cool idea for making citrus-infused vinegar on a friend’s Facebook status, who had found it here. I had to experiment straight away. After playing around a little, I came up with this all-purpose cleaning spray using the vinegar!

Citrus Cleaning Spray

This is what you need:

Citrus peels (orange and mandarine are best)

Vinegar

Natural dishwashing liquid (Kin Kin and Abode are my favourite brands)

Glass bottles or jars (with a wide mouth so you can get them out again – very important!!)

Spray bottle

Funnel

Large Bowl

Sieve

So, this is how you do it:

Start collecting your citrus peels in your jar.

Tear them up, squeezing as you go (I found this released more of the natural citrusy oils) as you put them in the bottle or jar.

Pour over the vinegar until all the peels are covered. You can add more citrus peels to this mix as you collect them too.

Secure lid and store in a cool, dark place for about four weeks. You can leave them longer if you want – they will start to ferment and you get the extra goodness of good bacteria.

Strain the vinegar.

You may need to do this several times if there are lots of pithy bits.

Look how beautiful the colour is – I used mostly orange and mandarine skins. The peels end up very mushy.

Now, pour the vinegar, using a funnel into a spray bottle. You can repurpose one you already have, just make sure it hasn’t had any chemicals in it or you wash it really well.

Next, add a good squirt (depending on how big your bottle is) of natural dishwashing detergent and give it a good shake.

Now, you are ready to use your own natural citrus cleaning spray.

I use it in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on glass…. anywhere that needs a good clean. You can also use it with bicarbonate of soda for really greasy or grotty stuff. Just sprinkle the bicarb and spray with your magic spray, give it a good scrub and rinse well.

As always, I would love to hear how you go if you decide to make some of your own.

Drop by and chat to me!

You might also like to read:

6 Natural Cleaning Tips Using Lemons

10 Zesty Lemon Recipes

Make your own natural antiseptic wash.

February 4, 2012 · 11 Comments

Make your own natural antiseptic wash.

It’s seriously so easy!

All you need is ….. Tea Tree Oil ! I either use Thursday Plantation or Twenty 8 tea tree oil.

A few drops in some warm water ….ta da !! Your own antiseptic wash!! Use an organic cotton pad to dab on your cuts and grazes or soak the affected area.

How easy, cheap and eco-friendly is that? It’s also a little bit nicer than putting chemicals, which are in commercial antiseptic washes, on your precious children’s skin. Actually, it’s a WHOLE lot nicer !!

Tea Tree Oil is a bit of a wonder-oil. It has been proven to be a very powerful antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal oil. It is definitely one to have in the first aid kit.

Some interesting facts about tea-tree oil:

During World War 2, Australian soldiers were issued with tea tree oil in their first aid kits to use as an antiseptic.

To make tea-tree oil, it is steam distilled from the leaves of the tea tree species (Melaleuca alternifolia) a native to only a small region of northern New South Wales.

Indigenous Australians applied poultices of crushed tea tree leaves to cuts and wounds and inhaled the oil from the crushed leaves.

We also use tea-tree oil in a spray bottle of water every morning, sprayed liberally onto the hair, to prevent head lice. It also works well to clear up pimples – just dab a little on!

What do you used tea-tree oil for?