The Green touch

A balm is basically made of (bee)wax and oils. Contrary to a cream, which is an emulsion, a balm is only composed of fat material and quite easy to make. It nourishes (and does not moisturize) the skin, and leave a fat protective film on the skin.  A balm may serve as a support for active ingredients, like essential oil, for local application ( unguent ; ex: tiger balm). You can also make " massage bars " (1st recipe) and lip balm , in pot or stick (second recipe). The consistency and hardness of the balm depends on the quantity of wax and solid butters (not obligatory). The quantity of wax varies between 12 to 20%; source ). Why make homemade balm? Modus operandi Recipe 1: massage bar Lip balm: recipe & recycling of an old tube Where to buy beewax? Why make homemade balm? As any homemade product, you know exactly what ingredients are used, which you can choose according to their quality (organic, coldpressed oil...) and properties. Yo...

Oil is your best friend! (see below) Are you sick of using creams you don't understand half of the ingredients (usually not a good sign), and which your skin does not seem to appreciate? Here are easy solutions to replace them. You can first decide to buy organic cosmetics, but since it's rather expensive I understand why many people give up. But at least you know that stuff you put on your skin are healthy.  You can also decide to make your own cosmetics yourself ; it is not that hard to find raw material but it doesn't mean it's easy to to make a high quality cream. That requires knowledge on your type of skin, on the ingredients you use, on chemistry (a cream is an emulsion) and on hygiene precautions. The great advantage is that you know exactly what's in it and choose the ingredients according to what you really need. On this blog I will only speak of easy stuff to make, like lip balm for example. But as regards skin care, I like simplicity, wh...

Fleece is a very useful material and there are many things you can turn an old jacket into, like make up pads ( see previous article ), baby wipes, dusters and so on. Every piece of fleece is reusable, so the first step is to remove all the threads. It's even more interesting because where the fleece was folded (hemline) or inside the pocket, the fabric has remained very soft, perfect to use on the skin. I think, other parts, more "exposed" are still soft enough. You might see the different textures by clicking on the picture. Once the fleece is ready, there is nothing easier: you just have to cut the shape you want, and it's done. Small squares for facial pad s, bigger pieces for baby wipes ...or duster . I didn't expect it the first time I tried but fleece is a very efficient dust catcher. As efficient, maybe more than microfiber cloth . That's why I use it to clean the floor too. I cut a long rectangle so I can tie it on my specia...

Cotton growing is one of the most polluting cultivation in the world. 2,5 % of cultivated areas on earth are used in that purpose. It seems to be much but it is nothing compared to the quantity of pesticides used: 24% of all the pesticides used in the world , to which one may add herbicides and fertilizer. Because of this heavy ecological impact and human victims of cotton growing it is very important to look for alternatives for all throwable cotton-made items such as make-up pads, diapers, baby wipes, Q-tips, feminine protection and so on. Buying organic-cotton items is a good start but as any thowable items that need to be replaced again and again, it requires more and more ressources. I have already given reusable alternatives to sanitary towels and tampons and to Q-tips . Today is all about make-up pads. I made - or to be more precise I knitted - some pads for christmas to offer with home-made make-up remover. I used cotton yarn I had found in a second-hand...

I just wanted to show you the birthday present I offered my sister in law: - homemade soap wrapped in (reused) silk paper and yarn ; old postcards for the label - homemade make up remover in a glass container ; label stuck with milk - washable make up pads, knitted with second hand cotton or cut in second hand fleece

One of the basics, when you want to minimize your carbon footprint, is to eat locally-grown and seasonal vegetables. You're then sure that the product you buy has not travel that many kilometers nor was grown in a greenhouse (high electricity consumption); I am not perfect, I can't always buy Norwegian but I only but veg from Europe.  I don't know what is worse between both options, but choosing seasonal veg grown in Norway (or wherever you come from) is a guarantee to make the best choice. Here is the scandinavian calendar for vegetables (you can find your country's easily on google). This recipe's main ingredient is organic carrots grown in Norway. For 2 people: - 6-8 carrots - 2-4 potatoes - 3 tablespoons crème fraîche - salt - cumin 1 - Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them into small pieces. The smallest they are, the quicker they get cooked.  2 - Cook the vegetables (about 15-20 mn) 3 - Remove the wate...