New Year, New You? Why?

It's that depressing time of year when we all start to think soberly about our waistlines, skin and livers and resolve never to drink/smoke/eat chocolate or carbs ever again.

We are constantly reading about new year and new you, but, really, what's wrong with the old you? You've got this far, so well done you! Pat on the back time. Okay, some things could be done better, in future, but is January really the best time to think about it?

Why we do this during the most miserable time of year beats me entirely 

It would make more sense to wait until the mornings are lighter and we feel keener to get out of bed and fancy eating salads, when it's warmer. 

But no. We exit the Festive Season of food, booze and not enough exercise and feel the primeval need to chastise ourselves. 


Don't do it, is my advice

Be like the Elephant's Child and be kind to yourself. 

He was kind to his poor pulled nose, and many of us also have red noses at this time of year. Not pulled by a crocodile probably (although who knows? I'm not judging), but sore and red all the same. The mulled wine and cocktails don't exactly raise your vitamin C levels, and colds and coughs are boringly rife. 

Steam and soothing unguents are what you need, not self flagellation

Why not treat your skin to some TLC instead of beating yourself up about what's already been and gone? Give your face a steam, followed by a cooling clay mask and then a soothing cream mask. 

I do literally use a Soothing Mask, the one from Dr Hauschka, on myself and clients, at this time of year. It's also really great for sore chapped lips. Just apply a little and watch, as your lips start to feel soft and moist.


As for the New Year's resolutions, why not leave those to February? 

Give yourself a little time and space to reflect on what you really want and need, rather than leaping into a new year with misplaced enthusiasm. 

About ten years ago I made my last ever resolution - the only one I ever kept, and it was not to make any more. Unusually, that one has been kept!

Happy New Year!

Do you need Gluten-free makeup?

     There are so many categories of makeup now, from organic, to vegan, to low allergen, and now we have added Gluten free to the already confusing and heady mix. Is this a step too far, or a necessary one?

Go to www.coeliac.org.uk for help

     If you are a coeliac, putting a product containing gluten on your skin shouldn't really be a problem, as wheat/grain sensitivities are generally located in the digestive tract, but if you've been advised to go gluten-free for health reasons, then you might want to consider using gluten free makeup, to avoid any possibility of accidentally ingesting something that might affect you adversely. 

     It makes sense to use a gluten-free lipstick, at the very minimum, as a certain amount will be absorbed. It's also a really good idea to make sure that you always wash your hands after applying makeup, so that you don't get anything allergenic in your mouth inadvertently.

     To be on the safe side, though, it is probably worth considering making the change, as it will be safer for you and your health, and there are some really great Gluten-free makeup ranges around nowadays, so you don't need to feel that you are missing out. I am an Organic Makeup artist, using Dr Hauschka makeup which is certified Gluten-free, so safe for anyone with wheat sensitivities.

Gluten-free Colour Correcting Powder
from Dr Hauschka

     If you are not a coeliac, or don't suffer from a wheat allergy or sensitivity, then you might think that there is no need for you to consider this subject, but if you live with a coeliac, then perhaps it might be as well to make the change, for their sake. 

     After all, lips are for kissing and you don't want to make anyone feel unwell after kissing them, do you? You want the people around you to feel comfortable, in which case, gluten free products are the way forward. 

Want a consultation? 

Contact The Organic Beautician 

Email: jane@theorganicbeautician.com

Text:   07961 224560

All women, but not all men...

      There's been a lot written about Harvey Weinstein, and his appallingly bad behaviour and bizarre sense of entitlement, and now it's beginning to turn on the women who knew: why didn't they say something?

     This is something that my husband, being an adult, and with no propensity to blame anyone for anything that is his fault (luckily) calls "How can I pin it on the missus?" after a friend of his, who, having pranged his car, was trying to work out if he could blame his wife. (Who wasn't even in the car at the time, and in fact, prefers horses.)

     Whether it is a universal male thing to try to pass the blame onto women, I don't know, but it does, of course, have Biblical precedent. "The woman did tempt me, Lord." So let's wrap her up in black shrouds, so that her propensity for 'tempting' is removed. Yeah, right. That'll do it. Not. How about trying to get all men to behave with common civility instead? A bridge too far?

     Anyway, Facebook, a thing of wondrous ability to steal your time, and will to live, has come up with a #metoo trope, and many women are posting things that have happened to them, most of which are no surprise to other women, because we've pretty much all had some entitled idiot thinking he has a free pass to the female anatomy. Some chaps are getting a little twitchy and saying #notallmen, which wasn't really the point; nobody ever said all men are total fruitloops, but pretty much all women have experienced the nastier side of entitled masculinity. To lighten the mood a little, I thought I would recount something that happened to me. Don't worry! No triggers!

     When I was 19 and living in London, I often got the late tube home to High Street Kensington and then had to walk for about 20 minutes to where I was living. Having done a little bit of karate, I wasn't terribly concerned and with the arrogance of a teenager, I thought I was invincible. Once, arriving after midnight, I was greeted by three young men, a little older than me. They were tall, strong and of a dusky complexion. One of them said that he would walk me home. I was slightly perturbed by this idea, so I fanned out my keys between my fingers and prepared to thump him hard.

     He walked me to my door, told me that I shouldn't be out late at night on my own because it was dangerous for girls at night. He waited till I'd unlocked the door, then said goodnight and left. A Gentleman!

     So I don't believe that all men are the problem, but I'm also aware that I was lucky in that instance. One of my Australian friends once found an unknown hand on her posterior, in a crowded tube. Lifting it in the air, she asked loudly

     "Whose is this hand, and why is it on my @rse?"

     She was in a full carriage, and with true British phlegm, everyone turned away and ignored her; nobody stepped up to help. Shocking behaviour, and presumably what goes on all over the place, not just in Hollywood.

     Let's hope it's getting better, but according to my daughters, it doesn't seem to be, although the youngest scowled so scarily at a group of catcalling lads recently, that they shut up. She wasn't prepared to put up with it, but her older sisters told her to ignore it. Plus ça change, eh?

     Ah well, plough on regardless, eh? Have a radiant day! 

Not just for Guacamole

Yummy skincare      Every once in a while, I look again at the ingredients of what I'm using on myself and my clients and have a muse on them. It's much easier to do this when they have friendly Latin plant names than when they are chemical ones like Methylisothiazolinone. (I may have misspelled that, but I don;t care, I'm not a big fan...)      One thing I suggest to people who've been on my Skincredible Journey is to chop an avocado over their Radiant Skin Salad at lunchtime, as it's an easy and delicious way to benefit from the oil, as well as the vitamins, minerals and trace elements contained in this creamy pear-shaped fruit. It's great to care for your skin from inside as well as outside, and easy when it's this tasty.      Avocado oil is prized as a skin care ingredient because it spreads really easily, so without pulling delicate skin, it also emulsifies with other ingredients and is quickly absorbed and well-tolerated by most skin types. As it makes skin supple and smooth, it's also great for hair and itchy scalps. So all pluses there.      Something bizarre...      Something you might not know about avocados is that the name derives from the Aztec word for 'testicle', as the fruit grow in pairs. (That's up there with Testament and testimony and the way the Ancient Hebrews used to swear oaths by putting their hands on each other's 'thighs', or that's what it says in the King James version. If you learned Latin you'll know different, and if you have nothing better to do, here's the explanation. We do learn something most days, don't we, though we might be happier to labour on in ignorance.)      Another equally unusual avocado fact which really makes it a 'fruit for today', is that it changes sex daily.  At least, the flowers do: half of the day the flower is ready to receive pollen, so acts 'female', while the other half of the day the flower sheds pollen making it 'male'. Whether this makes life easy or tricky for the pollinating insects, who knows? Possibly it was not a consideration.      Now, not only is avocado good for your skin, but also for your hair and nails having ludicrous amounts of potassium as well as the benefits listed above. Let's not forget the monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, magnesium, and folate, shall we? Lucky it's delicious, then. And, don't believe people who tell you it's fattening. They often go off to eat chocolate and biscuits, which are not as beneficial and probably more fattening. Some fats are good for you and your skin;this is one of them.      If you have any left over, you can also rub it into your hands, though personally I prefer hand cream, as it is less likely to make one resemble the Incredible Hulk, but possibly that is being Greenist...?      With all those benefits, both internal and external you probably have guessed that Dr Hauschka use it liberally. So what's it in? Here's little list (and they really would be missed!)       All of the following have Avocado in: Daily Hydrating Eye Cream, Quince Day Cream, Rose Day Cream, Rose Day Cream light, Regenerating Day Cream, Firming Mask, Concealer, Light Reflecting Concealer, Lavender Sandalwood Calming Body Cream, Almond Soothing Body Cream, Lavender Sandalwood Calming Body Wash, Lemon Lemongrass Vitalising Body Wash, Almond Soothing Body Wash, Rose Nurturing Body Wash.      Of course the new Regenerating hand Cream contains avocado too. If you liked the normal hand cream, you'll love this and it smells a lot nicer than avocado. but, maybe don't eat it...        Have a radiant day! Contact me: jane@theorganicbeautician.com

Why I became a skin therapist

Once upon a time, I sat waiting in a salon that shall be nameless, because I'm not keen on offending anyone, and I'm not too clear on the libel laws. This was many years ago, but the memory is still painful...

...I'm waiting, not terribly patiently, for the dimbo receptionist to finish talking to her chum on the salon phone.

 “Yeah, babe, yeah, I know right. No, he never? What? Reeely?”

Her inane chat goes on and on as I seethe quietly. I left early to get here; I made sure I had change for the car park; I double checked the time and got here five minutes early, as requested. I wait longer...

Ten minutes later, I know rather a lot more about this girl’s life and friends than I’d like to. I sigh more loudly and start drumming the reception desk with my neglected nails. She finally looks up:

 “Gotta go babe, there’s a customer, yeah, I know, it’s a pain, right. Later, babes.” And, finally I have her attention! She speaks to me:

Her: Hiya.
Me: Hello. I had an appointment booked for 1pm.
Her: Oh yeah, Take a seat, I’ll go and get the room sorted.

I seethe a little more, and try to remember how long I put on the car, because I’m now 15 minutes later than expected.

Finally we go into the misnamed “therapy room”, where I’m greeted by off-key whale song and a fug of cheap incense, nail varnish fumes and air freshener, presided over by a pissed-off looking statue of the Buddha. I’m not surprised; he looks as I feel. I thought this was supposed to be 'an hour of Blissful Relaxation', but so far, all that’s happened is that my blood pressure, normally rather low, is rapidly approaching the stratosphere.

“What’s up with your skin then?” she asks, laconically (or would if she knew what it meant). “If you don’t mind me* saying so, it looks a bit old and weathered.”

Actually, I do mind, and, as I’m about 25 years older than her, I’m bound to look a little more careworn in comparison, especially after listening to her inane babble for 15 minutes. Anyway, at least my nails, eyebrows and eyelashes are my own, unlike hers.

She proceeds to slap some cream on my face, telling me I desperately need exfoliating – my God! What’s she using? A patent and potent mix of Agent Orange, diamond chips and stainless steel gratings? It stings. I mention this.

“Yeah, well, it’s meant to take off the top layer, innit.”

I’m not altogether convinced that I want the top layer removed and allude to this. Nobody else complains, apparently.

I give up and suffer with clenched lips, as she proceeds to tell me about her fella and asks whether I think she should dump him and go out with Darren instead. I mention that Darren and I have not been introduced, so I couldn’t really give a valid opinion – “Oh, right, yeah”

She tells me about her holiday in Majorca, as she slaps more stingy stuff on. I try to go to my happy place, but they’ve moved it without telling me. I’m bloody paying for this; I can’t believe it.

Finally she says she’s finished with me for now, but I need to come back next week so we can do something about those lines.

“What exactly are we planning to do?” I ask “Botox?” “Nah, I’m not qualified, but Stace could do it for you, she’s just done a course.”

I demur gracelessly and say I’ll learn to live with them. Then I stare in dismay at my reddened face, and don’t say anything, because I think I’d cry. I’ve got quite nice skin normally, but now it appears like newly waxed legs: reddened and blotchy, and should it really itch? I looked better when I came in. Is this really good for my skin?

I go home to weep and drink vodka. Still, on the bright side, I didn't get a parking ticket.

     This was just one of the reasons why I studied skin care; I thought that there had to be a kinder way to treat the skin. Surely skin treatments could be pleasurable as well as effective? Is it really necessary to suffer to be beautiful?

     The answer to all those questions turned out to be Dr Hauschka. Kind, gentle, effective, organic and unique. Just like you and me, and our skin. 

     Why not try a little kindness and see how your skin responds? www.theorganicbeautician.com

*Yes, I know this should be 'mind my saying so', as it is a gerund, but I'm quoting from life, and her grammar, like her customer service skills, left something to the imagination.

Organic September - back to basics

 Welcome to Organic September! 

     What is that? you might ask. It's been going on for several years now, and is an annual campaign led by the Soil Association. The idea is to encourage people to make small changes to their purchasing habits and to raise awareness of buying genuine organic products. It's pretty obvious which month it's in, isn't it?

     Anyway, I thought it might be a good opportunity to go 'back to basics' about skin care, as it's so easy to miss things out in consultations and there is so much to learn. Most of it slightly different from what we are usually told: 'no night cream', for instance, has been known to induce semi-hysteria, but there's no need to panic - all will become less murky and arcane over the next four weeks.  

     During this month, you will discover

• why many things you’ve been told about skincare are unhelpful and possibly damaging to your skin
• how you can find a better way of looking after your skin so that it becomes radiant and healthy because healthy skin is always radiant, but radiant skin is not always healthy
• simple tricks that will help keep your skin looking radiant and dewy, regardless of age

     So, why do I say that nearly everything you have been told is wrong? Well, for a start take exfoliating. Yes! Please take it away and dispose of it. 

We are ladies not scrubbers!

      Scrubbing at your lovely skin is not a good way to treat it, despite what all the companies selling us scrubs and peels say.

     (At this point you might be thinking that I’ve gone mad, but I can assure you that I am fairly sane, have rather good skin or so my clients say, and haven’t scrubbed, exfoliated or peeled my skin for over a couple of decades. Guess what? It looks just fine!) I often say to my clients 

     "If you really want to scrub something, there is the kitchen floor,or better still come and scrub mine!, but don't attack your lovely face."

     If you have an open mind, and think this is an interesting concept, then please continue to read for the rest of this series, as we discuss this further, but if you are quailing in horror, then please run away now: go back to your scrubs, wipes and peels, as this is not for you! 

Dr Hauschka and the Rhythm of Skin

This year marks the 50th year of Dr Hauschka Skincare, so it seems appropriate to write a little about the two Rudolfs who made it possible, as well as Elisabeth Sigmund who did so much to develop the treatment side, as well as the skincare products.

In 1924, Dr Rudolf Hauschka, creator (with Elisabeth Sigmund) of the eponymous skin care range had a meeting, in a corridor, which would literally change his life: he met Dr Rudolf Steiner at a conference, the year before Steiner died.

Rudolf Steiner 

Born in 1891, in Austria, the younger Rudolf was a keen biochemist and was looking for a way to preserve plant extracts without the use of alcohol or synthetic preservatives, in a way that would retain the essence of the original plant. He asked Dr Steiner a seemingly simple question: "What is the meaning of life?" (I think we'd all like the answer to that one.) 

Anyway, he got his answer. Rudolf Steiner told him to study Rhythm, because "Rhythm carries life." 

Most women are pretty aware of rhythms; we have the obvious monthly one, then day and night, heat and cold, dry and moist: all these different modalities of life and rhythm surround us, and we take then for granted, without really thinking about them, but Dr Hauschka was inspired by this concept, so proceeded to experiment with various methods of extracting and preparing his plant extracts. 

By potentising them according to homeopathic principles and using his unique 'rhythmical processing', which involved exposing the plant extracts to the elements and rhythms of nature, he succeeded in creating an water-based extract of rose petals which remained stable without the use of alcohol or preservatives. 

If you or your children have ever tried to make Rose Water, you'll know that initially the mix smells beautiful, but in a day or so, it's pretty rank and only fit for the compost heap. Dr Hauschka's, however, lasted for over 30 years, and formed the basis of the mother-tincture that was used for medicines, by Hauschka's company WALA. 

(Wala is an acronym for Warmth and Ash, Light and Ash or, more probably, in German:Wärme-Asche und Licht-Asche, which stands for the rhythmical process developed by Rudolf Hauschka)

In 1935, still working with the impulses of anthroposophy, Dr. Hauschka opened the first WALA laboratory in Germany. There was a bit of a blip in the period between 1939 -1945, and Rudolf Hauschka, like all the best people, spent some time incarcerated; a pretty common occurrence at that point. He was lucky enough to survive the war, and WALA continued its medical work, expanding and creating a range of medicines that today numbers over 900 different products, plus the Dr Hauschka skin care range.

This was a co-creation with the renegade Esthetician and anthroposophist Elisabeth Sigmund. She was ordering WALA medicines to use in her own skincare creations and they began to correspond.  Dr. Hauschka asked for her thoughts and ideas about creating an holistic skin care range based on Anthroposophical principles, and was so intrigued and delighted with her input, that she was invited to visit WALA HQ in 1964. 

From then on they collaborated and the first WALA skin care products appeared in 1967. Initially the products were labelled with both their names: 

Dr R Hauschka and 
„Heilende Kosmetik nach Elisabeth Sigmund“ (roughly translated as 'healing cosmetics from Elisabeth Sigmund') but her name was dropped at some point; I don't know why. It often happens to women in science, though. It might have been considered better to use the prefix Dr. and Elisabeth had given up her medical training in order to work as a nurse during the war, and never gone back. 

Rudolf Hauschka's grave at Wala

The resulting partnership was remarkably fruitful and creative. When Dr Hauschka died in 1969, Elisabeth Sigmund carried on with their joint work. She developed the Dr Hauschka Classic Facial treatment, the Facial Gymnastics and started the development of colour cosmetics - makeup with the same curative ingredients as the skincare range. 

Elisabeth Sigmund's grave at WAL

Elisabeth Sigmund died in 2013 at the age of 99, wearing her favourite Dr Hauschka lipstick to the end, and still a keen student of Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy.

They both stayed at WALA though; their grave are in the lovely little cemetery in the grounds where they worked so hard.