Easy peasy – and non-toxic!

Last week I attended a magical herbal workshop – magical in the sense of wonderful and inspiring. Our teacher for the day was Gina McGarry who runs St. Brighid’s Academy in Westmeath. Gina makes all her own house cleaners, cosmetics and medicines from plant material. She began the day by demonstrating how to make our own incense, pounding frankincense resin with a range of dried herbs in a gigantic pestel and mortar and then burning it over charcoal. She showed us how to use essential oils as air fresheners and how to incorporate essential oils into delicious smelling and all-natural anti-bacterial sprays. She took us on a herb walk and we picked dandelion leaves, which we then prepared as a tincture (Dandelion leaves are excellent for pepping up the digestive system, as well as helping to keep the kidneys working well).

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Our homes have become chemical laboratories, supported by corporate advertising. There is a chemical spray for every smell and every sort of grime, visible and invisible. We are told that we must constantly deodorise our toilets, but the hang-over-the-bowl chemical bombs that are sold for this purpose give off toxic fumes every time the toilet is flushed, which we then inhale. The plug-in room deodorisers work on the same principle, constantly drip-feeding toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, which then contaminate our bodies.Â

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We are told that, because we are worth it, we should apply all sorts of chemical cocktails in the form of moisturisers to our bodies.  But all these chemicals enter the body through the skin, adding to the bank of toxins in our bodies and contributing to health problems down the road. A scientist friend of mine believes that personal bodycare products are rapidly becoming one of the top cancer-causing agents, as people slather themselves in all sorts of creams and lotions on a daily basis.

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There are alternatives to all these poisonous commercial products. All it takes is a little time and effort. It is so rewarding to make up your own cleaning agents, deodorisers, cosmetics etc. A few drops of your favourite essential oil (make sure it’s the real thing, so buy from a reputable source) mixed with water and put in an atomiser bottle or a plant sprayer will deodorise a room, as well as provide natural anti-microbial protection. Choose from citrus oils to floral oils through to musky oils and many in between. Bergamot and Neroli are two of my own favourites.

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It can be great fun making body care products using natural ingredients, from shampoos to moisturisers. I heartily recommend Rosemary Gladstar’s book ‘Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health’ to start you on the road of self-sufficiency in this area. In this book Rosemary also gives recipes for making up teas, tonics, oils and tinctures.

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