"Monsters Be Gone" DIY Spray

Hello Lovelies,

Today I am coming at you with a bit different post than usual, it is not green beauty related, but it is natural living related, and I hope this will help out a fellow mom(s) with small children. The thing is that my second kid inherited my childhood fears of dark and "monsters". She won't go into corridor on her own and also has trouble falling asleep, and was constantly telling me she is afraid of the "monsters". Now, I know she will grow out of them in a few years as it always happens with children, but still I wanted to help her out at this time too, not to brush it away. So one day I remembered a pin I'd pinned a few years ago onto my Pinterest board - that post was about putting a DIY "No Monsters" label on a room freshener spray, a conventional Febreze one. I obviously use none of those, so I made my own concoction of rosewater, lavender and camomile essential oils. And you know what, it did the trick! Excuse my wonky drawing (a 6yr old would do better!) but you get the idea, we just put the label on the spray bottle and we use every time she feels necessary, we spray it in the dark corners of the house and onto her bedding before she goes to sleep. Lavender and camomile essential oils are here for a reason, they both have calming effect and I think they help her fall asleep peacefully. It worked! It is our third week of having this "No Monsters" spray, and we use it less and less, we put it in the drawer under her fish tank, so she always knows it is there if she feels she needs it, but I definitely have witnessed changes in her in the last couple of weeks, she is more calm, less afraid, more daring to do things (read more cheeky if I am honest).

If anybody wants a recipe, it is short and sweet, just fill a 100ml spray bottle with a rosewater and add ten drops of each lavender and camomile essential oils. One of those would do too, if you don't want to purchase two, one of them would work just as well. If you don't like the smell of any of those, you can use any other essential oil you like, just make sure it has calming qualities, so do your little research first.
I purchase rose water from my local Asian shop for less than 2€, and you can get essential oils in any health shop, plus selected pharmacies. Just please make sure to use real essential oils, not "fragrance" oils, those are synthetic and harmful to you, stay clear of them. Even though essential oils are a bit of investment initially, it is totally worth it, because you can use them so many different ways and they will last you years as they are so concentrated.

So there you have it, my short and sweet post, if it helps at least one mom out there, I would be a happy girl! (Join the discussion here).


Lots of Love,
Renata.
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Disclaimer: I can not be responsible for what you will do with this information, nor the outcome of it, I am simply sharing what worked for me. Please be very careful using essential oils and make sure none of the family members are allergic to any of those first. I purchased all items with my own money for those of you who want to know. Disclaimer over. 

DIY make up brush sanitizer cleanser spray

Hello Lovelies,



Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome 💕💕💕

Today I have a super simply DIY for you, and really, what could be easier? Just two ingredients (three if you count the spray bottle) - all you need is rose water and tea tree oil! (Mine happens to be organic, but it does not have to be). If you don't want to or can't use rosewater, you can use any other floral water that is suitable for your skin. Or distilled water. Plain tap water is not suitable because it will go bad in a few days.
How to do it? Well, it is pretty self explanatory, but if you want me to be specific, here's how - fill 200ml bottle with rose water, add 10-20 drops of tea tree (also known as melaleuca) oil and voila, you are done! Tea tree oil is an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral and many other good things that I won't go into details of, but in this instance it makes it perfect for a purpose of cleaning and disinfecting your make up brushes in between proper washes. I use this spray after every use and clean the brush on the paper towel, and properly wash all the brushes every week. After getting dermatitis on my face I am anal about not getting any bacteria on my brushes or make up for that matter. Why risk infections, right?
One word of caution before you start, please do a patch test to make sure you are not allergic to the tea tree oil, and obviously not use it if you are indeed allergic! If you find the smell too offensive for your sensitive nose, reduce the quantity to 5 drops. I does smell rather strong.
P.s. this doubles up as a refreshing room spray and a deodorant in a pinch (I know I used rose water all over in a sweltering heat in Greece last summer and found myself not needing a deodorant) This would not work for everyday life though. Just wanted to throw the thought out there to make your products work overtime for you :)
And there you have it, your own DIY make up rush cleanser spray! It only costs less than a euro to make and it works great, and now you can ditch those shop bought sprays and save yourself so much money! And spend it where it matters more, for example to buy more make up :)


Please like and share my posts on social media, it really helps to get the green beauty word out - and you will forever have my gratitude! Follow me on my new blog Greenlifeindublin.com, Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. (someday I will start making YouTube videos, promise!)



Lots of Love,
Renata.

  

Natural empties - winter 2015

Hello my lovelies :)

As we are nearing the end of the year (can you believe it?) I want to blog about my most loved natural items of 2015, but I thought I would get this post - natural empties out of the way first, so let's get into it, shall we?

(from the top left)

 Meswak toothpaste by Dabur - this I get at my local Asian shop for 1.5€ a pop and I am perfectly happy with it, apart from SLS in the ingredients list - why?? The ingredients are great (again, apart SLS) and way healthier than you would find in your average health shop toothpaste, and I love the price point. It works great and it is a constant repurchase in my household.

Neem toothpaste by Theraneem Organix - this mini cost me €2.50 if I remember correctly - and I wanted to test if this is any better than my regular neem toothpaste that I get at the Asian shop - and although it does not have SLS, it has Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate instead of it, plus it contains glycerine - something that I don't want in my toothpaste as it coats the teeth and stops them from remineralising themselves. It also didn't work any better than my regular neem toothpaste, and the full size price isn't what I'd like it to be, so it a nay, not a repurchase for me.

My Earth Kiss Miracle Clay Facial Bamboo Sheet Mask - I was sent a bunch of these for a review, and this a first one I've tried. Unfortunately it did react with my facial dermatitis and made it way more red, so too bad for that, I won't be able to use them myself. These are all natural masks that have different ingredients for different purposes. Some are sheet ones, some are not. They cost only £1.99 per pack and are available on their website. If your skin isn't damaged like mine, please be my guest, I think they are awesome, way better for you than your average single use masks from Boots or other stores. A repurchase? Not sure, I might try them again once I will be fully healed from dermatitis, but not for now.

Manuka & Propolis Toothpaste with manuka oil by Manuka Health - this costs €10 (!!) (don't ask what I was thinking) and despite having all the manuka goodness in it, it didn't perform any better than regular paste, it didn't take away my teeth sensitivity, didn't whiten my teeth (I would say the opposite s true, they became a bit more yellow) and at this price it is way too expensive for me to buy it on a day to day basis.

Pure Olive Oil Soap with vanilla - one of the things I'd brought from my hols in Greece, it was great while it lasted. I love soaps with natural ingredients :) Would I buy it again? Yes, if I will come across it in the shops or markets somewhere. Would I buy it online? No, because I don't like my items to be clocking too many air miles (I have a problem with that, although I know I can buy anything under the sun online these days, but we as a consumers have to think about consequences of doing so. And besides, it is just a soap, isn't it?)

MooGoo Irritable Skin Balm - I was using this in combination with other things while my dermatitis was at it's worst and at the time I thought it was helping me (and I even recommended it on my Instagram page) - but later I found out it made my face and under eyes swell - it was actually horrible! I was using it together with Dermalex and wasn't sure which one was helping as I'd used them both together (trust me, when your skin itches that much, you would use anything, esp it it seems to be helping). Long story short I used it alone when I got the odd dermatitis flare up later on, and within one hour my under eyes were puffing up! Needless to say this goes to the bin, never to be purchased again.

Neal's Yard Remedies Geranium & Orange Hand Wash - let's just say that this lasted me four months - using it a few times daily every single day! When I got this I deemed the price too steep (€17.50 for 200ml) but having witnessed the lasting power first hand I should say that I will buy it again, maybe when it's on some kind of deal or sale? What? I am the ultimate bargain hunter, what can I say? :) It is also very gentle and non drying at all and it's 93% organic, certified by Soil Association, they have the strictest criteria for organic certification, so you know it is a good product!

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash x2 - it's a constant repurchase in my house, check out my previous posts if you want more info, but let's just say that my hubby wouldn't trade it for anything - and that is rich coming from him! All the dandruff, sensitive scalp and backne problems vanished since he switched to natural shampoo. I find it a bit too pricey as it runs out quickly and it's very thin, but it's a constant repurchase in my house. A holy grail item if you will, will feature in the yearly faves for sure!

Naked Care Neroli & Oatmeal Mild Shampoo - this is a 97% natural product that I got in Boots, but truth to be told it's not a good product, and I won't be repurchasing it. Yes it will wash your hair, but only that, your hair won't be moisturised (the opposite is true, tangly mess anyone?) and it won't be shiny! I am done with their shampoos but I will try their shower gels, as my family refuses to wash themselves with soaps, demanding shower gels back. Spoiled much?

Swell Ultimate Volume Masque - I only tried it once and I hated it with passion! It made my freshly washed hair like 5th day unwashed hair, zero volume, zero shine, just limp, flat and stringy hair. Very disappointing for a product that costs £10 for 50ml - say what?

Rahua Shampoo & Conditioner - these samples came via Naturisimo discovery box (as well as Swell mask) and what can I say? I am in love! These products work amazingly well - probably the best shampoo and conditioner I have ever used in my life!  used both of them separately (that's how I test shampoos at first to see if they are any good on their own, without the help of conditioner) - and they both performed extremely well, passing my 4 days test with gusto. Ingredients are amazing, company's ethos - amazing! The only thing that stops me from getting the full size of it is the price - it's 27£ and 28£ for 275ml! Just imagine the cost for a litre of it? Will I get it? Not right now, but when I will come into money I sure will :) 

Korres Wild Rose 24H Moisturising Brightening Cream - this still has 1/3rd of the product left and while I hate throwing away products, this has to go as it's a year old and my dermatitis seems to react to it (my skin has become very fickle of it, reacting to the ingredients it loved previously, like rosehip oil and rosewater). There is nothing wrong  with the cream itself and I may repurchase it sometime, but not right now, because of the dermatitis and because I have plenty of new products to play with. If you are interested in ingredients, Korres is not 100% natural brand, but they are trying and I like them.

Kjaer Weis foundation in Silken (sample) - this turned out an amazing product and I had to eat my words, as I always claimed I would never spend that much on a foundation, esp as it's only 7.5 grams of product for that amount of cash! Who knew it will turn out the perfect product for me? Two samples in I own a full size of it, stay tuned for a review :) And did I mention that is certified organic?

W3ll People Narcissist Foundation in Nr3 (sample) - again, one sample in, I am hooked :) I proudly own the full size of it and again, stay tuned for a review a few weeks down the line!

Ilia Vivid Foundation in F3 Santorini (sample) - I really wanted to like it because of the clean ingredients, chios mastic intrigued me in particular - but it turned out not the best thing for me - it made my skin itch and I did not like the matte finish, it made my face look flat and tired. So glad I tried a sample first and didn't jump in with both feet like I tend to do.

100% Pure French Lavender Hand Buttercream (sample) - I love this company, give or take I enjoyed all the products I tried from them and I esp love the fact that you can understand every single thing on the ingredients list without needing the chemist's degree :) So what about this product? I do not enjoy the scent of lavender, but I do own this in blood orange flavour (scent? flavour?) so yes, it is a repurchase. We will see. 

The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream for radiant glowing skin - I got this is a sample size last summer and took it on hols with me - and it impressed me so much that I did bring it back! Yes I know, who brings back samples, right? It is light, creamy, leaves skin radiant and bright and happy looking! It didn't react with my dermatitis in the slightest, which is very important factor for me these days. Because it's The Organic Pharmacy, you can trust it will have amazing ingredients, and I will definitely will be getting full size of it eventually, the only reason I haven't done it yet is that I have products coming out of my ears at the moment, and I want to finish them up before buying anything new. I am not one of those bloggers that keeps buying loads of stuff in the year and does the huge purge around the end of the year. I actually use what I have. Case rested.

The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm - even though it's The Organic Pharmacy brand, I will tell you upfront that I won't be getting full size of this product - first of all it didn't impressed me much, and I find it overpriced for what it is - there are better products than that in the balm category. I didn't like the squeezy tube packaging - it seems half empty and it's very hard to get the product out, I didn't find it moisturising and it separated on me in the second week of using it, so not very impressed in over all.

So that is all my empties for now - did you try any of them and what do you think? Let me know, let's share our thoughts?

That is all for now,

Lots of Love,

Renata.

How To Remove Skin Tags Naturally

Hello my lovely ladies and gentlemen,

Today i am coming at you with yet more natural discovery, or DIY if you will, I discovered that my beloved Tea Tree Oil can remove skin tags naturally! Yay or what? 
So I've developed a skin tag on my neck and it started to bother me because it was catching on collars and bag straps and it was quite painful/uncomfortable at a times. I poked around the internet and google told me that l can get it freezed/cut off at my doctors office or can get special kits from chemists which retails for about 15-20euros a pop. So I was like, no thank you, and poked around the internet some more, and what did l find? that l can use tea tree oil for the very same purpose! And it is something l always have in my house (you can use it for so many things!) so I grabbed a bottle and started applying tea tree oil on the skin tag in the morning and night, and lo behold, on the day five it fell off! I used the oil straight up with no diluting because l knew that my skin can tolerate it, but for many people it can cause sensitivities/irritation, so proceed with caution! And before you ask, you can use any brand tea tree oil, it does not have to be the same as mine. Mine happens to be organic, but you don't have to go for organic if you don't want to either, just make sure it's 100% pure with no additives to it.
I would suggest you apply small bandage on top to speed things up, at first i wasn't doing that and not much was happening but it fell off after the very first time I used a plaster on it, so you might not even have to wait for five days. Just one little tip, make sure that the tea tree oil touches skin tag only and not the skin around it, as not to get any irritations.
So there you go, hope this post helps someone and saves you money too :)


*And disclaimer, because you absolutely have to these days : I will not be held responsible for what you will do with this information. I am not telling you to do it, l am simply sharing what worked for me. Consult with your doctor before proceeding and always do a patch test before trying new product on your skin first.*

*Update a few years later - I no longer use the brand pictured, I moved onto Neals Yard Remedies & Living Libations - the cleanest and the most transparent brands in my humble opinion.

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Much love,
Renata.

Buddhas Teas Review

Hello hello my lovely gals (and guys too), welcome back!This post is all about organic (certified) and good for you teas and my two cents about this tea and the brand in general, so let's jump right in, shall we?
A while ago I was offered some tea for a review via Instagram, and seeing that their teas are organic and good for you I said yes. When I checked their website I was surprised by the large variety of teas, you can shop by type (black teas, green teas, tea blends, chackra teas, etc) or by ailment (detox, energy, immune support, memory, liver function, etc) and they use unbleached tea bags and only natural ingredients.

They say:

Our Mission

Buddha Teas believes that a good cup of tea is not simply a beverage, but an experience designed to nourish the body and satisfy the soul. We strive to offer this experience to everyone through our vast collection of fresh, naturally grown herbal teas. Our mission is to provide high quality herbal teas at an affordable price, which everyone from the casual tea drinker to the seasoned tea connoisseur can enjoy.

Our Teas

Buddha Teas understands the importance of purity. While most consumer products today are processed and packaged beyond recognition, our goal is to get back to the natural. We offer 100% unaltered, organic and wildcraft teas made from the freshest herbs, carefully packaged in only bleach free tea bags. Our customers take comfort in knowing that they can enjoy a cup of tea without any harmful additives or toxins, and with our ever-growing collection of natural teas, each customer can choose a tea that perfectly matches their needs.

The Buddha Tea Promise

Buddha Teas promises not only a quality tea, but a rewarding experience with every purchase. We work to match each customer with the perfect tea through knowledgeable staff and customer education resources found throughout our site. We know that our customers are the backbone of our business, so we encourage any feedback to help us grow into a stronger business and insure every customer leaves satisfied. Our promise is that you will never find better quality, reliability or service than you will at Buddha Teas.


I say:
I was asked to choose one box of tea, and I asked for Zenergy (organic ginkgo biloba, green tea, ginger root, maca Root, ashwagandha)  or Genmaicha (green tea with toasted rice) and I got Genmaicha. Delivery was very quick, considering it came from US. The box that houses a tea is really nice, and sturdy, not your average flimsy box. Whoever designed the layout did a very good job. It also has a caffeine rating on the side of the box, I assume all their teas do, and that is very good idea, and so helpful if you are trying to avoid or limit it. The teas aren't cheap (you knew I will say this, didn't you?) and the box had a postage stamp of 12 dollars, which in total would make this tea a treat rather an everyday occurrence. Did I like the tea? Well, the taste was not what I expected, it's more toasted rice (nutty flavour) than green tea, so it's safe to say it is not my cup of tea :) (sorry, couldn't help myself) My friends and loved ones declared it "burned tea" and refused to drink it, so I will use up the rest in some other ways, for example will make a scrub out of it! That's right, nothing goes to waste in our house.  The fact I didn't like the tea is rather unfortunate and it makes me wonder if i liked the other tea better, but I do appreciate them sending me the product, it is in no way their fault, don't let this dissuade you from checking them out or buying from them. Just if I placed an order from them I would go for my favourites, rather than getting something new to me? I think they are doing a good job in bringing us organic products, and we need more of organic everything! If you want a good quality tea without cheap fillers or pesticides by all means, go for it!

Check Buddha Teas & more on my Amazon page here