Mother of Thousands?

What a bizarre name and what an odd plant!

Looking at Bryophyllum you can see how it got the nick-name mother of thousands.

Each stalk bears teeny-tiny baby plantlets - little clones of the mama - all along the edges of the serrated leaves. They perch, like swallows on a phone line, ready to drop off and grow up elsewhere. 

They are speedy growers, and rapidly develop a root system, thus becoming independent of the mother plant very quickly. 

Look at those babies!
Picture from Bryophyllum.weebly.com

Luckily she's got plenty more baby plants to occupy her, so no empty nest syndrome here.

This squishy fleshy plant is a reservoir of water covered in a shiny wax, which helps to prevent evaporation. Native to madagascar and Calcutta, it's a heat-tolerant plant, for sure, and copes well with drought. Luckily.

Traditionally, it's taken internally for diarrhea and fever, but an ointment made from the expressed juice of the leaves is used externally for treatment of ulcers, abscesses, burns or poorly healing wounds. 

This ointment has haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing actions. You really wanted to know that, didn't you?

Anyway. Handy. Literally, as this ingredient is used in Dr.Hauschka Hydrating Hand Cream, as well as

• Regenerating Serum
• Regenerating Day Cream
• Soothing Intensive Treatment
• Renewing Night Conditioner 

Goethe from Allmusic.com

All of which benefit from the juicy, abundant succulence of Bryophyllum.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - he of Heidenröslein and Faust fame - was a big fan.

Not of Dr Hauschka, which wasn't around back then, but of the plant; he often sent it to his (many) lady-friends.

Saying it with flowers? I don't really want to think what he was implying.

I've never been too sure about Heidenröslein lyrics either, they always struck me as a bit #metoo, although the music is lovely, of course. 

But did Schubert pinch it from Wolfie? It's so similar to Könnte jeder brave Mann from The Magic Flute. 

Just me again, is it? Have a listen and tell me I'm wrong!

Text the Pamperline for more info 07961224560

Springtime self-care = self esteem

If winter is the time to hibernate and contemplate, a sort of withdrawal of mood and spirit, Spring is the season to move outside and breathe out.

It is also the season of the liver. Or the liver cleanse anyway.

Most European cultures teach that it's a time to detox and recharge one's health. The fresh green growth of plants shows us that we should be eating more greenery - wild garlic, sorrel and chives - all cleansing herbs - are bursting out all over. Pick some and add them to your Radiant Skin Salad!

It's also time to shed a few layer, expose a little skin and feel a little better. The sun lifts our spirits, along with charging up our vitamin D levels.

However, with the constant exposure to 'perfection' that we see all around us, it is possible to become a little discouraged if you think that you don't look like the people in the adverts.

I don't think the women in the adverts look like that either.

Sometimes, self-care can help build self-esteem

For instance, if you spend some time massaging your thighs, rather than berating them for not having a 'gap', you might decide that actually, dimpled or not, they do a rather fab job of attaching your legs to the rest of you, they work really hard, and now smell and feel great too.

Looking after something builds attachment, and affection. We could all do with some of that, couldn't we?
Blackthorn Toning Body Oil is perfectly suited to this.

It smooths, and tones. It smells delicious.

There is a particular technique to use with it, which helps increase circulation and decrease the appearance of cellulite, so ask me about that if you're interested. 

PS If you fancy trying some, text the Pamper-line 07961224560