And While We're on the Subject of Hygiene...

If you read my most recent post, you'll know that I've been co washing my hair instead of using shampoo. Today I had my hair trimmed. I co washed and went off to the hairdresser. He didn't notice any difference - not that I told him. My hairdresser is pretty upfront so I'm certain he would have told me if he thought my hair was oily.

That was just an update, not the topic of today's post. I just thought that, since my last two have covered hygiene, I'd make it a trifecta.

I've been doing a lot of reading about hygiene and what is healthy and what is over the top. I was far more interested in researching it from a dermatological - rather than cosmetic - point of view. The cosmetic industry is the reason we think we need to cleanse, tone, exfoliate, moisturise, defoliate and douse every inch of ourselves with potentially harmful chemicals.

These are my findings:

Hair
Washing hair two to three times each week is sufficient for hygiene. "Squeaky clean" isn't clean; it means one's hair has been stripped of its natural oils.
Dermatologists don't seem to have a strong opinion one way or the other in relation to not using shampoo.

Bathing and Showering
Again, two to three times each week is sufficient, with additional sponge bathing of the smelly parts in between. Daily showers or baths are drying and damaging.

Face
We're over-washing our faces. All we need to do is wash with a PH balanced cleanser in the evening and moisturise if the skin is dry. The older we get, the more important it is to exfoliate regularly to remove dead skin cells. Oil cleansing is still quite alternative and I could find nothing on what dermatologists think of it.

Deodorant
Not necessary for any reason other than social.

How is this relevant to Footprints??? Anything we can do to reduce the products and, thus, resources that we're using is important to us.

Having said that, the idea of not showering every day is eew. I realised many years ago, though, that if I only used soap on the smelly parts, my skin wouldn't dry out so much. The soap we use is very kind; it's made with vegetable oil and is locally and ethically produced. I still need to moisturise after my shower but my skin isn't dry or damaged. I've been thinking that using a loofah or flannel a couple times a week to remove dead skin might be beneficial and help the moisturiser sink in more deeply. At present, I use jojoba oil to moisturise. I do use soap all over when I've been wearing sunblock, been swimming or have been particularly sweaty.

Despite the fact that deodorant is unnecessary and I use a more natural alternative, I don't plan to stop using it. The reasons may be social but they're deeply ingrained, not just in me but in others. I don't want to smell.

I don't think the family and I are doing much to save the planet when it comes to our hygiene. We like our daily showers and to smell and look clean. What we are doing, however, is not overusing products and trying to use ethical and natural ones.

Cheers.

To (Sham) Poo or Not To Poo

A few years ago Daughter’s then boyfriend mentioned in conversation that he’d read that there were people who no longer used shampoo. He said that, after a period of oiliness, the scalp down regulates its sebum production and the hair begins to look clean again. My initial reaction was, “Eew.”

When I joined The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group, periodic threads would come up about washing with “no poo.” I learnt that giving up shampoo didn’t mean giving up washing. The most common washing agents – used in conjunction as shampoo and conditioner – are bicarb and apple cider vinegar. People use other things, too, however, such as honey, tea, apple sauce, egg and water only. Washing with conditioner only is known as “co washing”.  The most common reason for washing with “no poo” is to minimize the chemicals which are prevalent in shampoo.

As I learnt more about “no poo” I became increasingly curious about the down regulation of sebum production. I had learnt from washing my face with water only and then with the Oil Cleansing Method that the manner and products with which one washes one’s face plays a large role in sebum production. I began to wonder if there was a way of washing my hair that would have the same effect. I certainly found that when I was in a situation where I was shampooing every day, oil production increased.

I’ve had short hair at various times in my life but have never been able to just towel dry it. Due to its fineness, in order for it to hold a style, I have to use product in it and then blow dry it. When it was short I had to shampoo every day to wash out product so I could put new product in. On home days I would just wet it and give it a rest. Interestingly, on those days, when it was a little oily, it would look good because I could finger style it and let it dry naturally.

On 10th December I did two things. I had my hair cut short and decided to “co wash” and see what happened. I opted for “co washing” because I wondered if conditioner, like the oil I use on my face, might work to attract the oil and dirt in my hair and scalp, which would then be washed off with it. I “co wash” every four days and either wet it or wash with water only in between, depending on how dirty it looks. (Washing with water only isn’t just rinsing, it involves massaging the scalp the way one would with shampoo, in order to remove dirt and oil.)

I love “co washing”. It leaves my hair clean and soft. As far as sebum production goes, I find my hair is erratic. It may be that it’s still transitioning and down regulating. Sometimes it feels oily the day after it’s washed, sometimes it feels clean until the day before. Other times, it feels dirty on day two but clean again on day three. There’s no rhyme or reason at this stage. It doesn’t look dirty or oily, however; no matter which day it is. It simply looks like there’s product in it and all I have to do is towel dry and finger style it.

This has been an experiment in curiosity. As I’ve used organic shampoo for years, I haven’t been concerned about the chemicals therein. I just like the idea of my hair and scalp dictating how often they’re washed, without using products which alter the natural production of sebum. I don’t know how long I’ll continue; there are days when I long for shampoo. If nothing else, I’ve learnt that I can probably get away with shampooing every third day. I may even “co wash” on some of those days, if I go back to shampoo. I don’t really know yet. I’ll keep you posted.

Cheers.

What I Learned from a Bathroom Renovation

We had our bathroom renovated at the end of last year and I learnt some personal "Footprints" lessons. For three weeks, we walked three doors up the street to our friends' house to shower and do laundry. A couple of times we had to toilet there but the tradies were solicitous of our needs and tried to do the toilet room in such a way that we wouldn't be inconvenienced.

During this time I grabbed showers when I could and never knew if I'd be able to have one every day. Consequently, it was easier to wash my hair and wear commercial antiperspirant every time I showered, which turned out to be every day in the end. We had no bathroom sink so I washed my face with water only rather than oil cleansing.

Before the renovation, I had been washing my hair every second day. Sometimes, if I were having a home day, I'd even let it go three days. It wasn't pleasant on the third day but, whenever I washed it, it looked and felt clean, soft and pretty. During the bathroom renovation I washed it everyday and it felt limp and greasy the whole time. When I went back to washing it less frequently, it was very oily at first but then went back to looking better without daily washing. The first lesson I learnt was that my hair looks and feels much cleaner and less oily if I don't wash it daily.

Several months ago, intrigued by the Oil Cleansing Method, I decided to give it a try. Being a bit lazy I bought Moo Goo brand pre-prepared cleansing oil, rather than make my own. So little oil is needed that the small bottle lasts forever. Furthermore, if I try my hand at making my own, I'll have a perfect little bottle into which to put it. Before then, I'd been washing with water only for years with no adverse effects. Cleansing with oil is wonderful. It leaves my skin feeling deeply clean and actually removes excess oil without drying it out. During our renovation, when I went back to water only because there was no bathroom sink over which to cleanse, my face felt less clean and more oily. If I used any other product it felt dry. The second lesson I learnt was that I'm addicted to oil cleansing.

As for antiperspirant deodorants: I have used a crystal for years and years. If it's particularly hot or I know I'm going somewhere where I'm going to be hugging someone, I use antiperspirant but it's not the norm. I certainly don't use it on a daily basis. I did during our renovation and it was fine. When I returned to the crystal afterwards, however, there was a period of a few days during which I sweated profusely. It was as if my body was grateful that it could sweat again and was going crazy. I don't like to smell but I'm quite happy to sweat and it seems unnatural not to do so. My body certainly seems to think so. The second lesson I learnt was that I much prefer my deodorant crystal to antiperspirant deodorant.

The last lesson I learnt is of a womanly nature so, if you don't want too much information, I suggest you stop reading now.

Of course, according to Murphy's Law, about a day or two into our renovation my period arrived. I've been using cloth moonpads for a year or so. I love them because they're so comfortable. For the last few months I've also been using a cup. It was easier, not having a viable bathroom or being able to do laundry at home, to use disposable products. I know many women are grossed out by the idea of what I use. Interestingly, I found the disposable products disgusting. To me, they're uncomfortable and take up a lot of room in the bin (and eventually in landfill). I love just tossing my pads into the washing machine and washing my lunette in the shower. So easy. The last lesson I learnt was that I'm totally converted to using reusable sanitary products.

The lessons have inspired me to try to wash my hair with "no poo" and try to make deodorant. Those, however, are for another post.

Cheers.

What's Happening Out There

Long time followers of Footprints know that my favourite blog is The Non-Consumer Advocate. I also belong to the Non-Consumer Advocate group on Facebook and am always inspired by the people in the group. They’re not all non-consumers as such. Their reasons for being in the group are many and varied. Some want to save money, others are part of The Compact, some are trying to help the environment, others want to be ethical and some just love the challenge and the satisfaction of trying not to buy new things. Regardless of the reasons, we have become a vibrant on-line community. I’ve learnt a lot about what people are doing. At times, I feel like I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg of what I could be doing and need – at those times - to remind myself that anything I do helps.
Some people are willing to take their non-consumerism to lengths I’d never considered, doing things I’d never even heard of and I’d really like to share with you, in this post, some of the things that people are doing. Naturally, there is the usual: growing one’s own veggies and from that, canning and/or freezing and sharing surplus, bartering, buying second-hand, borrowing instead of buying, repairing and mending, taking advantage of special offers, buying in bulk, finding new uses for old things and simply deciding that the desired item isn’t a necessity. The list goes on.

Here are the things I want to add:

Oil Pulling
A couple of my cousins are doing this. It involves swishing and pulling oil – preferably unrefined organic coconut oil – around in one’s mouth for twenty minutes daily. It’s meant to remove bacteria and impurities from the body via the mouth. I’ve read articles on-line in favour and against. All I know is that the people who do it swear by it, saying it makes them feel better. If it works, it would go a long way towards keeping down medical and dental costs and be good preventive medicine. I haven’t tried it yet but am thinking of giving it a go.

Oil Cleansing
While I’m writing about oil, I’ll cover this one, too. Using a combination of the right oils can deep cleanse the face and remove excess oil from the skin. The idea is that oil attracts oil. I tried it but used the wrong oil. Interestingly, it dried out my usually combination skin. Used correctly I think it would be quite effective. It would certainly be a money saver for people who spend a lot on facial cleansers and would be a much more natural way to clean the face. I’m not sure if I’ll bother to try. I have a confession to make. I stopped using cleansers on my face as an experiment many months ago. It occurred to me that I was stripping the natural oils with cleanser which I would then replace with moisturiser. I decided to just use water and see what happened. Absolutely nothing. Nada. My face is clean with the right balance of oils. How’s that???

No Poo
This uses the principle of what I just wrote about my face and applies it to hair. The “poo” in no poo is shampoo. Some people have stopped using shampoo. Shampoo strips the scalp of its natural oils so the skin compensates by producing extra, thus leading to oily hair. People using no poo use a combination of baking soda and apple cider vinegar instead. Initially the hair goes through a greasy stage of adjustment. I’m really attracted to trying this but don’t want to go through that stage. I’ve thought of cutting my hair really short and taking it from there. I like the idea of not using shampoo. I use ones which don’t have SLS but I’d still prefer not to use it at all. It would certainly save money, cut down on packaging and help keep our waterways cleaner. My mother once joked when she had cancer that the upside to chemo was all the money she was saving on hair care.

Wet Wipes
From shampoo to real poo. There are people that use wet rags to wipe themselves after going to the toilet. Some only use them for wees, others for both. Then, just like with cloth nappies, the rags are put into a bucket to soak. Imagine how many trees would be saved if we all used old, unmendable t-shirts and linens to wipe ourselves. I love the idea – in theory. I certainly used cloth nappies for both of my kids. I think that’s one of the reasons I wouldn’t use wet wipes. I’m not grossed out or offended by it and I think it would get one’s bottom much cleaner. It’s just that I’ve been there and done that already with the kids. I don’t want to do it again.

Fanny Rags
If you know the expression “on the rag” you probably know that women once used “fanny rags” instead of disposable pads during their periods. Some have gone back to it, put off by all the chemicals in sanitary pads, the fact that they fill our dumps and waterways, as well as to save money. We must spend a fortune in our fertile lifetimes on those products! It’s a bit like using wet wipes in that soiled ones are put into a bucket to soak. Some people make cloth pads themselves, others buy them from companies such as Moonpads. There are also various internal, washable, reusable cups that can be used instead of tampons. I have no problem with any of the above-mentioned products whatsoever and am not grossed out at all. I have a couple of moonpads and like them. In fact, if I weren’t coming to the end of my child-bearing days I’d completely change over. For now, I'm just marking time.

Cheers.

Not Giving In To Consumer Temptation

Husband and I very nearly made two impulse buys recently. We just about talked ourselves into both of them  on the same evening. Fortunately, good sense prevailed and I was very proud of us, living out our Footprints principles.

Our children spent a lot of time away from home this past summer. Teenage Son owns the first four seasons of The Big Bang Theory and Husband and I, in the children’s absence, began watching them one night and ended up watching several each day. In no time we’d finished all four seasons and wanted to watch the fifth. Immediately. No delayed gratification for us.

That same night, we tried the home made frozen yogurt I’d made the previous day. It was my first attempt. I thought it would be a great way to use up some over ripe bananas and peaches, and some yogurt that was about to expire. My first attempt was none too successful. It was too hard and very icy. We decided to get an ice-cream maker. Since that was anti-Footprints, however, we decided to get the ice-cream making attachment for our mixer instead.

It was settled then. We’d go out the next day and buy the attachment and the next season of TBBT. Right? Wrong! As soon as we’d made the decisions we realised how stupid they were. Why contribute to the problem of conspicuous consumerism and go against our own values? Instead, we rented the DVDs from our local DVD rental store. Yes, we had to wait a couple of days but does that really matter? We have everything at our finger tips these days. Surely, waiting for a day or two won’t kill us. It didn’t.

As for the frozen yogurt; it was my first attempt, for goodness sakes! I’ve made many a recipe in my life that I’ve had to tweak and perfect over a few tries. Where’s the challenge and satisfaction in running out and buying an ice-cream making attachment? I’m not bagging ice-cream makers or anyone who uses one; I’m simply saying that I don’t think my reasons were valid.

Cheers.

Eulogy for a Childhood Home

As a child, I never lived in a house longer than five years. Sometimes, we only moved suburbs, other times states, and when I was seven we moved halfway across the world to Adelaide, where we continued to move house.

My maternal grandparents and their house at 153 Canal Street in Mobile, Alabama, were a source of constancy, however. The house originally belonged to my great-grandmother, who lived there at one time with her sister, several grown children, their spouses and children. By the time I arrived, nearly fifty years ago, only my Nana and Papa lived there.

The heart of the house was the kitchen. Nana was always in there. It was where she cooked, ate, read the paper, watched TV, listened to her police radio, drank coffee and entertained family and friends. And entertain she did. My childhood memories are full of great-aunts and great-uncles sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee, telling bawdy jokes and gossiping. They were fun, funny and completely irreverent.

My favourite part of the house was not inside, however. I spent long hours on the large front porch swinging on the swing as I watched the world go by, reading or chatting with anyone who came out to join me. I think it was Papa’s favourite place, too. He used to rise early and sit out there, with the dog at his feet, watching the sun come up.

My Nana and Papa died within eight months of each other and my mother sold 153 Canal Street. That was over twenty years ago. The house has still been known all these years, however, as “Aunt Mil’s”. There was a family reunion 18 months ago and a carload of relatives drove past to see where several of the descendants of “Johnny Murrill” (my great-grandfather) had lived.

I had fantasised about, one day, driving past with my children during a reunion and showing the house to them.  That really is just a fantasy now because I woke this morning to learn that 153 Canal Street had burnt down on Saturday evening.

Of course, the house would have just been an old house to them. They’ve never met any of my long-dead great-aunts and great-uncles. They can’t hear their laughter and voices as I still can. Neither do they know how it felt to be held tight cheek to cheek with Nana and feel her wrinkles against my cheek as she said, “Good morning, sugar.”

Ultimately, it was just a house. I’m still deeply saddened, though, that it no longer exists but overwhelmingly grateful to have such sweet and lasting memories of time spent in it.

Time for the Things We Value

One of the bloggers I follow usually does short posts which are then followed by a lot of comments. She did one recently about finding time to do the things one values. There seemed to be a general consensus that we tend to place those things at the bottom of our list of priorities. Many ideas were put forward as to how to redress the balance and I certainly began to think long and hard about it.

Something really important happened to me as a result of that post. I had a wonderful “light-bulb” moment. Teenage Son is overseas right now and the moment came in the lead-up to his departure. On the Monday morning of that week I walked into his room 20 minutes before he was due to get picked up for school. There he sat on his bed, in his pyjamas, strumming on the guitar. I tactfully suggested that perhaps he get dressed, eat breakfast and then play the guitar; all the while my blood pressure was skyrocketing. He did so but seemed perplexed that I should ask him to leave getting the riff just right to do such mundane things.

Two days later he was in the midst of packing but suddenly disappeared out to our detached rumpus room. A little later, he excitedly came and got me and said I had to listen to a mash up he’d done on the piano. I sat in the armchair listening to his mash up, stewing. I couldn’t understand how he could be so blasé about getting organised just 36 hours before he was due to leave. And then it hit me. If I had been a cartoon character a bolt of lightning would have come out of the sky. Teenage Son doesn’t care if his suitcase is a shambles or if he has to throw on clothes and bolt down cereal. He’d much rather spend time doing what he values.

I smiled and relaxed into the armchair listening to him play. Music is his passion and he places it above everything else because it’s what he values above all else. In reality, I should be learning from him, not the reverse. Maybe, just maybe, I could research ethical companies and write a blog post before I do anything else each day instead of doing a little if I happen to get the chance at the end of the day. And if I don’t get through my “to-do” list does it really matter?

Teenage Son got to school dressed and breakfasted on the Monday. Furthermore, he left home at 4am last Friday neatly packed and all organised. I helped very little. After all, he has to do it by himself when he’s travelling. The two things he made sure to pack were a harmonica and an iPod full of songs!

Cheers.