Issue 62 April 2010
From Sharon’s Garden
This month we are carrying on with the green cleaning subject, which is proving to be very popular – thank you for all of the comments that you have sent, and also to Radio Islam for having me as a guest on two of their shows this month. We welcome any suggestions, and one of those has been to do an article on baby care products, so that will be coming up some time in the future.
My garden is producing all sorts of veggies and herbs in abundance and I am sure yours are too. We are freezing lots of stuff and drying masses of herbs. Brinjals don’t freeze so well but I once had a wonderful curried brinjal pickle – does anyone have a recipe for it?
You will see that the course for march is again Organic gardening. Unfortunately it was rained off in February so I will be repeating it
Green Cleaning – Part Three
After kitchens, the bathroom is the next room that needs lots of cleaning. You will find most of your kitchen products work in the bathroom as well, but here are a few recipes that will come in handy.
Bath
For daily cleaning use the all purpose cleaner. If bath oil has been used, first rub a cut lemon over the oil mark and then clean with the all purpose cleaner
Bath Stain Remover
6 Tbsp cornflour
6 Tbsp vinegar
6 tbsp hydrogen peroxide
Mix all ingredients together to make a paste.
Rub into the bath and leave overnight.
Scrub off with a brush and warm water.
Toilets
To clean you can use the heavy duty cleaner.
Once a month pour one cup of bicarbonate of soda into the cistern for a good clean.
At night pour ¼ cup vinegar into the bowl and leave until the morning. If you have lots of lemons, lemon juice also works, plus has the benefit of a great smell
Tile Cleaner
½ cup vinegar
1 litre water
1 tsp borax
Combine the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle.
Taps and Shower Heads
For heavily stained taps soak a cloth in vinegar and wrap it around the tap. This softens the deposits. Leave for 1 hour and then wipe off, or, if necessary clean with the heavy duty cleaner.
To clean blocked shower heads, soak them in ½ cup vinegar and 1 litre boiling water for 2 hours. For very stubborn blockages you can boil the shower head in the vinegar mixture for 15 minutes.
This month I received some interesting info regarding bottled water which really made me think – I have copied it below for you to read. It makes you realise that we don’t always think things through when we are trying to be healthier and more eco friendly, and ‘going green’ is not always as simple as it seems!
Have a great month
Sharon
Bottled water uses 2000 times more energy to produce than tap water. Where possible, and safe, drink tap water. Bottled water generally comes in plastic bottles (not biodegradable) and has been transported some distance (CO2 emissions)- in some instances ridiculous distances from countries such as France and Italy. If you decide to use a water filter be aware that harmful bacteria breed rapidly in de-chlorinated water at room temperature – especially during hot weather. Use freshly filtered water, or recently filtered water that was immediately refrigerated.
Go Green Tip brought to you by:
Eyako Green Eco-Friendly Corporate Gifts
Windows and Mirrors
Use equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
Wipe off with newspaper
Scouring Powder
Use this for toilets, baths or other hard to clean areas.
It is a scourer so it will scratch delicate surfaces.
1 cup liquid soap
4 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp white sugar
Combine all ingredients.
To use apply with a cloth and rub well.
Rinse off with warm water.
Non Abrasive Scrub
¼ cup borax
½ cup liquid soap
1 tsp olive oil
Combine all ingredients to form a paste.
Apply to the surface with a damp cloth.
Rinse with warm water.
Towel Cupboard
To get rid of mildew place lemon verbena leaves between the towels. Even if mildew isn’t a problem it makes the towels smell great.
Extras
Mints love the damp environment of a bathroom so grow some in a pot for a fresh, clean smell.
Place some lemon verbena leaves underneath the bath mat to combat mildew and give a nice smell
Uit Letitia se tuin :
2de lesing by Verona gehad en is nou nog meer deurmekaar, maar ook wyser – as dit sin maak? Die Permaculture kursus is weer in volle gang en dit is wonderlik om te sien hoe die groente-tuin begin vorm aanneem.
Na Paul se werks-winkel is ek vreeslike beïndruk met die intelligensievlak van
fungi – nie net smaak en “magic” in hierdie familie nie, maar “breins” ook! Die kursus is by Klitsgras in Pretoria – dié drumming venue. Andries se beloofde drummingklasse is nog in die pyplyn.
Meta bied ‘n “Language of the Feet” kursus aan en met hulle reputasie kan dit net uitstekend wees.
Die fotografiekursus het ook begin en as ek al die knoppies op my kamera kan identifiseer en gebruik, behoort ek pragstukke op die webbladsy te kan plaas.
(Korreksie – ek het dit geskryf voor die Wakkerstroom-foto-fiasko – Als is terug op AUTO!
Herbal creams / Ointments / lotions
A good start in the making of creams and lotions is to know a little more about some of the basic ingredients and terminology.
Anti-
oxidants
and
preser-
vatives
Vit C (ascorbic acid)
Helps prevent free radical damage in the skin. Vit C is a required component in the production of collagen.
Eugenol
(clove oil)
A powerful fat-soluble anti-oxidant. Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
Green tea extract
Protects cells from free radical damage, suppresses inflammation & irritation, prevents moisture loss, rich in essential fatty acids
Honey
attracts moisture to the skin, calm inflammation & soothe the skin
Astringents
Are used to remove excess oil from the skin. For a comprehensive herbal list and recipes – refer to next page.
More recipes with the “facial products” newsletter.
Clay
Bentoinite Clay
White clay found in North America. Help to refine enlarged pores and used on oily areas of the skin as it is oil adsorbing and cleansing.
Green Clay
Cleansing and absorbent. Used to exfoliate and detoxify. Also sterilizing and purifying
Kaolin Clay
White powder clay from south east China. Used to clear breakouts, absorbent and refines skin
Creams & Lotions
Emulsions, creams normally 2/3 oils and 1/3 water and lotions 2/3 water and 1/3 oil
emollients
Aloe vera
Replenishes lost moisture from skin. Used for injuries, wounds, chemical & radiation burns and rashes
Glycerin
Chemically known as glycerol. Also used as a solvent, plasticizer, humectant and lubricant. Maintains the skin’s homeostasis by maintaining the water balance in the intercellular level
Hydrosols
Hydrosol and essential oil are produced when plant material is subjected to steam distillation.
I will cover the home process and recipes in next newsletter
Oils &
Fats
Avocado oil
Rich in vit A,D & E, potassium, sulphur & chlorine. Vit A improves skin elasticity, moisture content and suppleness.
Wheat germ oil
Rich in vit E, which as an anti-oxidant helps prevent free radical damage in the skin tissues. Nourishing & healing
Almond oil
Excellent to use as a carrier oil. It is easily absorbed by the skin and restores lost moisture in the skin.
Geen “raw, AV, ISO, BW, …”.), Philip Stapelberg se lesing was uitstekend, die problem lê by my!!!
Met al hierdie aktiwiteite kry ek min tyd om my plante te terroriseer, hulle groei nou wáár en hoé hulle wil. Die resultaat is my tuin lyk “fabalosus” mooi!
Ek sal volgende maand vinnig stappe en reëls in die maak van kruiewater (hydrosols), aftreksels, afkooksels, tinkture, olies en rome bespreek. Dan is ons reg vir die groot brouwerk.
Letitia
letitia@barefootherbs.co.za
082 451 9876
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Basic astringent recipes:
6 tbsp lemon balm
2 tbsp chamomile
1 ½ tsp rosemary
2 tbsp rose petals
1 ½ tsp lemon peel
10 tbsp rosewater
vinegar
Combine and add vinegar to cover herbs
Leave for 2 – 3 weeks, then strain.
Add rosewater and essential oil
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250 ml distilled water
125 ml vodka
75 ml herbs
75 ml witch hazel
Mix and leave for 2 – 3 weeks, strain
Oils &
Fats
(cont.)
Cocoa butter
One of the most stable, highly concentrated natural fats known. It melts at body temperature and is readily absorbed into the skin. It helps retain moisture.
Lanolin
A greasy, yellow substance extracted from sheep wool. Very compatible with the skin. Able to catch and hold water
Shea Butter
Made from the nuts of Karite nut trees / Mangifolia trees. Use in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays due to its cinnamic acid content. Used to help heal burns, sores, scars, dermatitis and psoriasis. Reduces blemishes and scarring and helps restore elasticity to skin and lustre to hair
Ointments
Made with fat and/or oils and contain no water, as a result, form a separate layer on the surface of the skin
Tincture
Preparations made with plant material, whose medicinal qualities have been extracted by an alcoholic solution. May also use apple cider vinegar or glycerine.
Waxes
Beeswax
An emulsifier, thickening agent and humectant. It has soothing & softening properties and helps the skin to retain essential moisture
Carnauba wax
Extracted from the leaves of the Brazilian wax palm tree. Protect the skin, emollient and moisturizing.
Healing Astringent Bath Vinegar
1 liter apple cider vinegar
2 crushed bay leaves
15 ml rose petals
30 ml rosemary
15 fennel seeds
Saffron
Combine herbs and cover with vinegar and leave for 2 weeks
Strain, bottle and label
use ¼ cup in bath
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250 ml Herbs of choice
500 ml vodka
Combine and leave for 2 – 3 weeks, strain.
Mix well with equal quantity of witch hazel
May add essential oil
The Last Page
Courses and Workshops
April & May 2010
Venue: Barefoot Herbs – Meyerton
Contact – Letitia 082 451 9876
17 April
Liquors & non-alcoholic Herbal drinks
24 April
Plant sales at Kliphouse Market, Henley-on-Klip
8 May
Thai Cooking with locally available herbs – R200
Learn to make Red & Green curry paste, 2 soups, 2 main dishes, recipes from Chaing May Cooking School
22 May
Making of Flu remedies
29 May
Plant sales at Kliphouse Market, Henley-on-Klip
The following workshops are available on request
for groups of 5 or more:
Liqueur making,
organic gardening,
bath and skin products,
herb and spice mixes for culinary use,
herbal first aid box,
herbal products for babies and toddlers,
herbal remedies for common ailments,
green cleaning for the home.
Courses and workshops cost R300,
which includes all materials,
a recipe booklet and refreshments.
Contact Us :
Sharon
sharon@barefootherbs.co.za
Tel 011 957 2413 Cell: 082 415 3743
Letitia
letitia@barefootherbs.co.za
Tel: 016 362 0754 Cell: 082 451 9876
Visit our Website
www.barefootherbs.co.za
and see photos, past newsletters, products and recipes
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Thank You !
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Disclaimer
Herbal remedies should be treated with the same care and precautions as all other forms of medication. An illness should be taken seriously and self-medication used only with the confidence that comes with professional advice. While herbal medicines are safe and effective when used appropriately, the author cannot accept liability for any consequence
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