Happy Halloween

If you celebrate Halloween, here's a tip for removing childrens face paint after the festivities.

I'm off to celebrate by doing a pumpkin mask...

Literally.

Have a Spooky Fun Halloween!

When Words Take on a Life of their Own

Sometimes, a word will enter my brain and promptly proceed to a (hopefully very small) area where there is an apparent constant disconnect. Words that decide to take up residence in this area will consistently mispronounce themselves when they come out of my mouth, or choose to unwaveringly misspell themselves when I write them. They will even be staunchly blind to repeated spell-check warnings and symbols.

How-To Soap-Free Rose & Red Clay Face Cleanser

Looks like chocolate, smells like rose, feels like silk, and cleanses and nourishes skin like a dream.

Today, we're going to combine powdered rose, rhassoul and red clay for this no-soap, skin-loving cleanser. If you haven't tried making or using a soap-free face cleanser yet, maybe this how-to will inspire you to give it a try.

Don't worry if you don't have these exact ingredients at hand, I've listed possible substitutes.

Here's how I put this product together.

Testing Mallow as a Hair Coloring Agent

Admittedly, this one is pretty far out there. Can mallow dye hair - stain grey, or do anything else 'folk tales' claim?

Not long ago, I made a mallow concentrate with the express purpose of experiencing personally whether or not there was any truth to the stories.

Join me as I give this product a whirl as a hair colorant.

Are Preservatives Necessary in Make-up?

One would think a water-free, powder-based, mineral make-up wouldn't need any preservative. No water = no need for preservative, right?

Well, no.

Except, in some circumstances, yes.

It was Olivia's detailed question about this that inspired todays post.

She was also gracious enough to allow me to share her several-part query with you, so let's get busy with her questions.

Washing Coconut Oil from Hair and Scalp With Soapnut Decoction

Sooo, you've applied a pre-shampoo coconut oil treatment to your hair and let nourish and condition your scalp and hair for 15 minutes. 

You're ready to remove it, but don't want to use shampoo.

You'd much rather use your soapnut decoction because you've fallen in love with what it does for your hair.

But.

You're not inclined to spend an hour and use a barrelful of product just to remove a bit of coconut oil. 

A quandry to be sure.

Luckily, there is a way.

DIY Hair Cleanser - As Basic as it Gets

My life has changed. That is to say, my hair life has changed. It's utterly back to basics.

What you're looking at may just be my final goodbye to shampoo.

After testing soapnut decoction as a scalp and hair cleanser for 3 months, it has quite simply remained a favorite.

Many repeat batches have been made.

And it continues to work beautifully.

Over 6 months have passed, and it's now my preferred go-to for hair and scalp cleansing.

Soap-free Mean Green Face Cleanser

This would have looked prettier if the product hadn't decided to spill up into the lid while I was transporting it ever so carefully to the right place in the refrigerator so it could set.

Nonetheless: pictured above is my latest fave soap-free cleanser - a combo of green ingredients that are great for the Fall season, look fun on the face (the green monster look is all the rage), and smell fabulous to boot.

Here's how to put together a 'Mean Green' soap-free facial cleanser.