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

——————————————————————————–

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

——————————————————————————–

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

——————————————————————————–

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

——————————————————————————–

Not Interested?

If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please send an email with ‘remove’ as the subject line and we will take you off our mailing list.  

Thank You !

——————————————————————————–

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