Low-waste hair care

I crossed the no return road of solid shampoo around 3 years ago and have not looked back. Although I’m undoubtedly an advocate of solid shampoo, I won’t pretend that it’s been the simplest of journeys. The waxy build up rumours around weeks 2-4 are true. And if you’re planning to use an apple cider vinegar rinse, be prepared to spend a little time figuring out the ratio thats right for your own locks. But once you come out of the other side, you’ll be left with softer hair that requires less frequent washing, and ultimately less daily reliance on plastic. Winner.

What I’m working with

My hair is long(ish), wavy and fine. Before switching I had to wash my hair everyday, and I couldn’t leave it to dry naturally without a halo of frizz. Even when using products or straightening my hair, the frizz halo was always inevitable. Although (largely due to my genes) I’ll never have the perfect glossy, tumbling locks, I can now let my hair dry naturally with a gentle wave - something I could never do before.

My weapon(s) of choice

Over the years I’ve tried many a soap bar. There are lots of ‘shampoo’ bars on the market but a normal soap bar can still do the trick if it has the right properties. I look to avoid palm oil, parabens and fragrance. As I have a skin contact allergy to the latter, many of the options on offer are not suitable for me but one shampoo bar that I’ve returned to has been by Timmys who make a lovely cold pressed shampoo bar here in the UK. Another I’ve been using for the last three months and really enjoying, is the nettle and rosemary shampoo bar from Honest Skincare, made in the UK with organic ingredients. Of all the options I have tried, these two result in the least build up.

I also have a conditioner bar but in all honesty I find this too heavy for my fine hair. Instead, every so often, I’ll follow my shampoo with an apple cider vinegar rinse as the acidity of the solution resets the balance of my hair, following the alkaline of the soap.

My routine

I now wash my hair every 2-3 days.

When it comes to application, generally I’ve found with solid shampoo that it’s good to get out of the habit of thinking that more = cleaner. With some of the bars I had to lather the bar in my hands and then add the lather to my hair. Otherwise, if I applied the bar straight to my hair it would become waxy once dry. But with Timmy's and Honest I’ve found that I can rub them straight over my hair and from there I’ll build up a lather as you usually would do. I make sure it gets a thorough rinse and that’s that.

I used to use an apple cider rinse every few days after shampooing. For whatever reason I’ve not felt it necessary to do this often with the Honest bar. If you’re in need of some conditioning, I highly recommend taking a little time to try out different ratios over a period of time. A lot of the recipes suggest 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. But I required so little vinegar comparatively - the recommended amount again left my hair waxy.

What I have found works for me is to keep a glass tumbler in the bathroom, fill it up with water from the shower, top it up with about a teaspoon of vinegar, and then pour the mixture over my hair. I let it do it’s magic for the remainder of my shower and then rinse my hair clean at the end. If my friends and family are to be believed (!) there is honestly no smell of vinegar once your barnet has dried. Rather than reaching for my hair dryer and straighteners, I now prefer to brush my hair through wet and let it dry naturally.

Over time, and only when the need for replacement arose, I’ve chosen more considered products for stying etc. Along the way I’ve picked up a few wooden brushes and a comb, I also use organic cotton & natural rubber hair ties from KOOSHOO and a linen scrunchie from Arkitaip.

I hope this was useful for anyone thinking of making the switch or still finding their way on the road to plastic free hair care.

I’d love to hear from you if you’ve made the change or if you’re thinking of doing so, and let me know if you have any recommendations from your own experience.

Lauren

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In the Laboratory with Lesley of Essence + Alchemy

All imagery by Essence + Alchemy

Every month as part of my Letters of Ara e-mail newsletter I share a likeminded brand that is creating beautiful products with respect for both people and the planet. The brand I have chosen to share this month operates in line with a set of values that I respect and resonate with both professionally and personally, as a brand and as a consumer. As such, I wanted to allow a little extra time to explore the purpose and influence behind this month’s special brand. 

Essence + Alchemy (E+A), inspired by the elements of fire, water, air and earth, creates botanical scented goods with a focus on handcrafting sustainable, natural collections with honesty and transparency. Upon first discovering E+A, not long after beginning my own journey with Ara the altar, I felt a real connection to this considered brand which ‘strives to use creative solutions to make a positive impact on the planet’.  

Founder Lesley A Bramwell (with the fitting initials ‘L.A.B’), began her journey as an environmental scientist, with a passion for sustainability. Consequently, Lesley’s product design ensures that ‘products are made with minimal impact on the earth, its people and its organisms’. Lesley considers not only from what materials her products are made but also how and from where they have travelled; how they are packaged; how the energy required to make them is generated; and how any waste will be minimised. I particularly love that E+A handblown glass beakers are designed with reuse in mind and have found Lesley’s low-waste tea-light sets to make well received, considered gifts. I am over the moon to speak with Lesley and to explore and share with you her thoughtful, sustainable, design-led approach. 

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Hello, Lesley – thank you so much for spending a little time with me and Letters of Ara. First of all, please tell us a little about yourself and the path that led you to E+A.

Hello Lauren, thank you for the lovely introduction and inviting me to be part of your beautiful Letters of Ara! 

Where do I start? I suppose my path to Essence + Alchemy was quite a long one, but I’ve always been creative, making home remedies and potions with botanicals and essential oils - bath oils, diffuser blends etc. 

I studied environmental science at university and went onto become a freelance occupational hygiene and environmental consultant working in all kinds of environments and industries. I measured exposure to chemicals and advised on environmental legislation and compliance.  Working with businesses who were passionate about protecting the environment, I knew that when I started E+A, that sustainability would be at the heart of it.

We bought an old run down house a few years ago (which we are still renovating) and in the early days it was very cold and there wasn’t much comfort.  I was travelling around the country Monday to Friday, then chipping plaster off the walls at the weekend.  I think initially I needed a more relaxing creative outlet, an escape from the mess of the house and although not the best conditions to start making candles in with all the dirt and dust, I started experimenting with candle making. I can’t remember the exact moment I started making candles but I remember considering all the different waxes.  Aromatherapy has been part of my daily life since I was a teenager and I’ve always been fascinated with how essential oils work and how they affect our well-being.  From the offset I chose rapeseed wax because of it’s eco credentials and scenting with anything other than essential oils never crossed my mind.  

A few years later, Essence + Alchemy was hatched, bringing together the natural scent and energy of plants (essence) with my scientific and environmental background (alchemy) and launched on line in Spring 2015.

You have created a beautiful concept and brand that entwines the elements, is rooted in environmental science, and creates beautifully designed products responsibly. From where do you take your influence and what do you see as your brand’s purpose? 

Thank you! The brand is strongly influenced by aromatherapy and the theories of alchemy.  I enjoy researching essential oils, their benefits and magical properties.  I also love discovering old alchemical texts and finding out the meanings behind words and symbols.

One of the main beliefs of Alchemy was that there were the four natural elements; air, fire, water and earth and with the right combination of these, any substance could be formed including healing elixirs. I wanted to draw on this idea and create products with purpose, ones that could help promote natural well-being by using only natural plant based ingredients and the practice of aromatherapy.

It is clear that consideration for the planet’s resources influences your decision making. What are some of the decisions you have made to lessen E+A’s environmental impact and why?

I’m fascinated with the elements, how they impact each other, changing the landscape and environmental conditions and how human interference influences these connections causing imbalance in the ecosystem.  

I always consider this in my decision making because I want my business, although small, to cause as little impact on the earth as I can, so I’m always considering how my processes and products will affect the environment and the environmental decisions of my customer.  

Nature is where I draw both my inspiration and raw materials from so it’s vital that I make considered decisions on the materials I use and sourcing so I’m always looking at where the materials come from, are they sustainable, are they ethically sourced and if they don’t tick these boxes I have to start again.  

It’s also important to remember that just because something’s natural, it doesn’t mean it’s safe or it’s been safely extracted.  Many essential oils are solvent extracted with harmful chemicals like petroleum ether and hexane.  I only use steam distilled essential oils because I know it’s a more natural and gentle method of extraction and those solvents haven’t been used in the extraction process. Essential oils are the soul, the life essence of the plant so it’s important not to destroy that by harsh extraction methods.

Another important decision I made at the very beginning was to consider the life cycle of my products, in particular the packaging - what happens to the packaging and glass when the candle is used. With this in mind, I had to think about the glass.  I wanted the glass to be reusable and offer my customers physical candle refills which fit perfectly inside the glass.  The reuse of the glass is something that I’m trying to encourage even more of and I am currently working on a brand refresh with a new glass design to make it even more versatile for reuse. 

What drove the impetus to refresh the brand, and what can we look forward to upon its relaunch?

It’s always hard running a business and making the right decisions.  Sometimes creativity and the need to please can take over.  The decision behind the brand refresh happened towards the end of last year when I realised that I had too many candle size options, I suppose I was trying to please everyone.  I needed to get back to my core values and strip everything right back.  I can’t really reveal too much at this stage but I will be relaunching next month with a new look - glassware and packaging. 

When considering the production process, can you share a little about your practice and the journey you undergo in creating a scent or a product?

When it comes to creating scent, I always start off with the plants, for an example I created a bespoke diffuser scent ‘Land’ for The Plant Room based in Leeds.  It was to scent an installation at the London Design Festival in London last year.  They were creating a landscape of grasses and plants inspired by the Scottish Highlands.  My first step was to look at the plants they were using and also research what was growing in Scotland and worked from there.  

I then look at what essential oils are available and before I decide on whether they can be used,  I check if they are steam distilled as this is the most gentlest form of extraction and also make sure that there aren’t any sustainability or ethical issues. Usually I work by adding a drop of each oil onto scent paper and smell the scents on their own, then with each other to see how they work together.  I then create two to three different blend variations. I let the oils blend together for a few days, return to them and tweak further if required.

Do you find that you experience any particular challenges in staying true to your values, personally as well as professionally? 

Yes definitely.  This is why the brand refresh and product changes are so important. Sometimes when running a business, outside influences can blur your vision and it’s very easy to veer of course sometimes but I think for the most part its easier professionally to stay true to my values.  From a personal perspective, there are always challenges.  I’m not the only decision maker at home so there will be always be compromises.  We’re always looking at ways of reusing things at home.  Whatever comes out of the house renovation has found a new home somewhere else in the house or garden or is waiting to be reused. My husband built our kitchen with wood off-cuts from a kitchen business and most of our furniture is second hand or repaired. 

Finally, what does a typical day look like for you and is there anything in particular that you do to invite a little slowness or self-care into your life and work? 

I’m very fortunate to work from my garden so I don’t have far to go to work.  My mornings are very relaxed and peaceful, the favourite part of my day.  I arrive at the garden lab around 8am and enjoy this quiet time. If the weather is good, I sit outside with a cuppa with Jack my border collie and enjoy the garden for a while.

Before that I generally switch the wax melter on.  It can take a few hours for the wax to melt.  I then catch up with emails and admin while the wax slowly melts away in the background. I make everything to order so every day is different.  I enjoy this way of working, it means that every product is made with intention and I know when I’m pouring a candle, who that candle is for and where it’s going. 

Other times I can be working on creating new scent blends, for E+A or bespoke projects I’m working on or I can be experimenting with new materials or product testing.  It’s very varied, no day is the same. Working with essential oils helps with my mental well-being, I don’t know what I have would have done without aromatherapy in my life and now I get to work with essential oils everyday! 

I’m always in the garden, enjoying the birds chattering away or investigating what’s growing.  At the moment, the Forget-Me-Nots have just started flowering and Tulips are just about to open.  I find that being so close to nature everyday helps slow things down when things start getting a little bit hectic, just being able to step outside for a few minutes is the best tonic.

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A few months down the line, E+A launched their brand refresh.

Read my journal post exploring Lesley’s updated offering, designed with a circular economy in mind.

Exploring the Practice of Gratitude with Krissie of This Grateful Now

Image by This Grateful Now

Coming from an earth-aware, slow living approach, one thing of which I am very much an advocate is allowing ourselves time to slow down and appreciate that which helps us gain perspective. For me, personally, this is often heading outdoors and exploring the beauty of the natural world. But it could be as simple as taking time over making a pot of loose-leaf tea or dipping into a book - essentially, creating time for a little self-care. Whilst I also recognise the importance in allowing time specifically for gratitude, I rarely ask myself the all-important question, what am I grateful for?

I discovered Krissie and This Grateful Now on Instagram around a year or so ago. I was instantly drawn to Krissie’s positive yet honest approach to finding balance. Towards the end of last year, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Krissie to offer what we named our ‘Giveaway of Gratitude and Release’, inviting individuals to share for what or whom they had been most grateful in 2018. Krissie very kindly gifted me one of her gratitude journals – a beautiful linen bound journal containing inviting space for writing amongst quotes, essays and gratitude inspired artwork. Yet, when the time came, for me, the idea of putting pen to paper felt a little daunting.  

On the cusp of a new year, a natural prompt to set new intentions, I wondered if there were others out there for whom this practice of gratitude is intriguing yet unchartered territory. I thought this would be a timely opportunity to seek and share a little encouragement and knowledge from Krissie, the better to understand the purpose behind this practice, and to gain a little advice on how to incorporate it in a way that complements our individual lives. 

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Krissie – thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. First of all, for anyone yet to discover you or your work, please tell us a little about yourself and This Grateful Now. 

Hello Lauren – thank you so much to you too for letting me be a part of your Letters of Ara! I feel truly blessed to join you in this new beginning!

I am Krissie and I’m a graphic designer based near Hamburg, Germany. After 12 years of studying and working in London, I decided in 2014 to relocate back to my roots. I can now see clearer how I was in total need to get away from the city rush and also connect to myself again in more solitude and calm. Being in my early 30s then, I was looking for more sense in life – more soul and more purpose… The calmer village time has been a true gift for discovering myself and my life path. A big part in this has absolutely been my gratitude practice. It’s now my goal to share this experience and hopefully help bring some light into a rather unsettled world.

I like how you speak about finding newness in everyday life on your website, how would you summarise the practice of gratitude and its purpose?

I love how a gratitude practice can give us fresh eyes again to see our lives from new and different angles. For us adults, the novelty of most things has simply worn off. ‘We know it all.’ And to a certain degree that is healthy for us to live a ‘functioning’ life. Yet, we tend to take a lot of things for granted and overlook a lot of blessings, as we rush through our days on autopilot.

To step out of this autopilot we set aside 10–15 min per day (or as much as you like of course) to ponder upon and write down the things, events, people that we are grateful for. Morning or evening – by consciously taking the time to reflect on the good stuff in our lives, we open our eyes (and hearts!) again for all the small and large blessings that actually surround us 24/7.

This rather simple gratitude practice has been proven to lower stress/anxiety levels, strengthen the immune system, improve sleep quality, help us feel more optimism, compassion and happiness (see a more comprehensive list of benefits here). Keeping awareness of our gratitude can also support us through difficult times. It’s not about denying the difficulties in life, yet it helps us create a balanced and calm mindset to tackle them. 

Image by This Grateful Now

With the This Grateful Now journal itself, you have created a beautiful piece of work. Please tell us a little more about the journal, how it came to be, and how you intend for it to be used. 

Thank you so much, Lauren! 

About 3 years ago, articles and info about practicing gratitude kept popping up almost miraculously and somehow they felt like such a revelation in my life at that point. I was anxious, a bit lost, questioning the sense of my job and looking for a purpose in life. So starting a gratitude practice, I quickly began to see and feel all the benefits it brought to me – finding an inner calm by really appreciating the nature that I have around me, simply feeling a deep gratitude for the present moment, my heart beating, my lungs filling with air, a cup of tea when work gets stressful… all the daily gifts that we easily forget…

With the idea developing, I also saw my job getting more of a purpose again – using my graphic design skills for something I feel really passionate about and I can see as part of my path in life. I want to share my experience and give people the opportunity to experience the same wellbeing and shift in perspective as well. There is so much that gratitude can change for each single one of us and also in a bigger perspective. I think it absolutely creates a ripple effect that I’d love to help spread worldwide. 

The This Grateful Now Journal has been created to become a treasured companion to collect your precious memories and moments of gratitude. I really wanted its design to represent the quality yet simplicity and humbleness of gratitude. With its 365 sections to write down 3 things daily that you are grateful for, it can be started at any day of the year. 

Throughout the 365 sections and also blank pages to write, you find quotes from health and gratitude experts, writers, philosophers, old and young. Also included are illustrations and photography by 14 international artists such as Jean Jullien, Karolin Schnoor or Clara Terne. With 5 essays you can explore the theme of gratitude in health, spirituality and culture. 

To me it has been really important to create a journal that encompasses as many aspects of life as possible. Gratitude shouldn’t be limited to a certain spectrum – it really can be applied to everything! So I wanted to give it a modern context that makes it relevant and intriguing in many different areas. I like to see the journal as well as the Instagram as a meeting point of all of life’s connections to gratitude – health, mindfulness, mental health, science, art, culture, relationships, spirituality, and more…

In a recent interview I gave for This Grateful Now, you put beautifully that one of your biggest influences is ‘Mother Earth, nature and the wellbeing of all’ and we spoke about a connection between a slower, more considered way of living, and making time for self-care and gratitude – why do you think this is such an important relationship? 

I think that a lot of our learned behaviour, thinking and also consume patterns are rather fear-based… from FOMO to not feeling like we are/do enough to different-scale worries about our future and that of the planet. 

But we are absolutely waking up and realising that what we truly require (as individuals and as a collective) is to move back into a natural state of love and connectedness – connected to ourselves, our inner knowing and also connected to each other and Mother Earth. We choose (self) love and kindness, gratitude, slow and conscious living as a way of redefining our values – and this choice (and acknowledgement of choice) is simply so empowering!

The wellbeing of all starts with the wellbeing of self. Even if at first sight, this wakes an idea of separateness – self care and love is not selfish nor does it separate us from others… It’s the beginning and the stepping stone for the wellbeing as a collective. 

Anita Moorjani says it so beautifully: “…unless I love myself, nothing else in my life can function at its best. The depth, meaning and joy I experience every day – and the amount of love, kindness and patience I have for others – is in direct proportion to how much love I have for myself.”

Our growing love and gratitude for ourselves will affect the way we live, consume, treat others and our planet. I strongly believe that through this we will collectively create such change to peace and health.

What does a typical day look like for you and how do you incorporate self-care or gratitude practice into your own life?

I’d say I wake up naturally quite early and like to start my days without any rush or stress, which I know is a luxury and I’m very grateful for that! I do a short Reiki session or meditation in bed and often say my thanks to this new day. After breakfast, coffee and getting ready for the day I either drive to my studio or work from my little attic home office – it’s a daily mix of my main graphic design job and creating content for This Grateful Now, packing journal orders and sipping coffee. 

As any job, it can get quite hectic, but I try to incorporate little rituals throughout my day, so I‘m being reminded of staying in balance and calm. I just got an old Tibetan sound bowl, so I love practicing with it and letting the humming sound calm me. There’s probably a ‘Selfcare Co’ candle burning (I know you have them too, Lauren :-) ) and I like to take time to cook and eat lunch as a break of the work day. I’ve made it a habit to thank my food before I eat it (which has such a religious connotation and might not suit everyone) yet I find it such a good way to start eating gratefully and mindfully. As with Reiki I do believe in energy work and I like the idea of giving thanks to the food I nourish my body / energy with.

Then it’s work and if time allows going for a walk with my dad. I really treasure this time with him to talk and connect with him. As I’ve lived away for so long, it’s great to be closer to the family again. I’m getting more and more grateful for the time spent together, as the realisation that we don’t have forever becomes more present. 

I think gratitude has become such a big part of me (and my neural structures), that it automatically appears throughout my day. Often I just stop, take a deep breath and say/feel my thanks to the present moment. 

I’m all for self care and love! I really don’t think it’s a selfish act! As the saying goes ‘We can’t pour from an empty vessel’ and the love we have for ourselves will affect the love, balance and compassion we then shine outwards. One way of connecting with my self is through a gratitude meditation I try to do a few evenings a week. It varies in length and how I do it, but basically I start breathing in deeply into my heart area and imagine filling that space with gratitude for my body, my being and my life. It’s a warm light that I then send through my body thanking every organ, cell of me (well, I’m sure some mitochondria will feel left out, too many :-) ) Being grateful for who we are and our bodies that carry us through this life, working non-stop to repair, heal, keeping us alive… we truly deserve our deepest gratitude! 

I like to end my days writing in my gratitude journal; depending how I feel, I write a little or a lot. The calm I find through my gratitude practice is something I really don’t want to miss anymore.

Image by This Grateful Now

What would be your advice for anyone thinking of beginning or revisiting gratitude practice for 2019? 

First of all, I’d say to find a way that works for YOU. That can be a journal, bullet points, a page or more of writing, photos, an app, morning or evening… be light and playful with it and don’t feel pressured or think of it as a chore to tick off your daily to-do list. If you integrate it into your day with ease, it’ll become a practice to stay that will bring you calm, optimism and joy.

It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so ideally you do get stuck in in the beginning though ;) But if that habit is daily or twice a week, that is your way! It’s ok to start with the ‘easy’ (yet big!) things like family, friends, sunshine… after a while you’ll be invited to dig deeper and deeper and this is when you’ll really start (re)discovering all the abundance that is actually already present in your life. Your eyes will open again to the often overlooked or taken for granted things/events. And I think this is when the ‘magic’ happens and we really start to FEEL the blessings surrounding us.

This is also the fun part, when we almost are on the look-out for the good stuff. Our gratitude practice then doesn’t ‘just’ happen those 15min in bed or before the shower… we take it into our day and start seeing more things that we can really feel grateful for.

That feeling truly is the main component. When we really feel the gratitude (instead of thinking about it), that’s when all the benefits will start manifesting. Your body will feel the calm, your sleep will improve, your mind will stop rotating with fears and you’ll feel more optimistic, compassionate and at balance. So allow yourself the time to move from that thinking state into the feeling state. Close your eyes, smile, meditate and simple BE in your feeling of gratitude.

But as mentioned, make it YOU! If you’re a very rational person, then of course, it’s totally ok to write it down, enjoy the thoughts of the good things in your life! 

Another aspect can be the ‘reframing’ of things. We can try and not judge things and situations as good or bad. They simply ARE. How can we know that not getting this job might not lead to something much more fitting for us? How can we try and see the end of a relationship as a starting point for stepping more into our own and opening new doors? And how can we still be grateful for the lessons and love that have been present nevertheless? This is not to be confused with being delusional or denying the challenges of life – to me it’s always key to allow in ALL feelings, they all have their right to be felt. Yet gratitude will help us heal and actively create a life of balance and wellbeing.

I’d also say, please don’t forget YOURSELF! Even if it might feel uncomfortable to shower yourself with gratitude, you DESERVE just that! Your body healing, breathing, your heart beating and your mind creating, thinking with all the quirks and ‘imperfections’ are so worthy of your gratitude!

Lastly, what three things are you grateful for today? 

Without a doubt, I am very grateful and humbled that I can be a part of your Letters of Ara and having connected with you, Lauren! Seeing how you work and live so thoughtfully with the earth’s resources is such an inspiration. I am very grateful you are spreading that message through your journal now too!

I am grateful for the feeling of new energy and opportunities the beginning of a new year brings. I’m learning to also be grateful for things and events that I like to draw into my life – like they are not there but with openness I invite them in (does that sound woowoo?).

Today, I am simply grateful for good coffee, finding moments of calm and ease in my day, the health of my family, friends and myself, for having just booked some nice workshops to look forward to (Eckhart Tolle and Kyle Gray)… and all in all I’m simply grateful for this very moment, my grateful Now – breathing and being. 

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I am so grateful to Krissie for sharing her time with me and Letters of Ara. You can explore more of This Grateful Now and Krissie’s work here. You can also find the recent interview I gave to This Grateful Now, exploring slow living and Ara’s ethical approach here