Wednesday 15 June 2016

Anyone for coffee?

I'm so thrilled with my Cappuccino Coffee bar that I felt compelled to write about it!

Coffee is a buzz word these days, not only are we drinking it in huge quantities but it seems that coffee and the caffeine it contains offers many skincare benefits. Caffeine is a powerful anti-oxidant and also has anti-inflammatory properties; thus it can help reduce redness, even-out skin tone, prevent skin from premature ageing and on top of this it's a great exfoliator and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. Oh yes, I almost forgot, it's also said that caffeine reduces the appearance of cellulite.

I decided on an all-vegetable bar of soap with plenty of coconut oil, olive oil and shea butter. Once made I took away a quarter of the clear mixture saving this for the top layer and then added espresso coffee grounds (more caffeine in these!) to the rest of the mixture. Before pouring I added essential oils of patchouli and vetiver. This is a really great combination for this particular soap. Not only do these two oils contain great properties for the skin but the vetiver adds a dark chocolatey scent to the earthy patchouli. Mmmmm....


To complete the effect I sprinkled fresh ground coffee on the top.

This was made yesterday and today saw the great unveiling....


It looks good enough to eat and smells fantastic!

This is my second batch and the first was ready earlier this week and I can honestly say that this is one of the most glorious soaps I've ever made. It's rich and creamy and leaves your skin feeling fantastic. I use it on my face (yes, it's super mild) but it would be a great shower soap too.

A shower with this first thing and a cup of coffee at elevenses means you get a double daily caffeine hit. Nothing wrong with that!





Friday 20 May 2016

Rosemary and Parmesan Crackers

Well here I am again trying to improve my memory by getting my daily fix of rosemary! Not in soap this time but in these scrummy rosemary and parmesan crackers.


Recipe:
60 g butter - melted in microwave
80 g grated parmesan 
60 g plain flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
sea salt
black pepper

Melt butter in microwave then add the rest of the ingredients and combine until the mixture forms a dough. It will probably be quite crumbly but firm it up with your hands and pop in the fridge for an hour. Roll out and cut (or press by hand) into small cracker shapes. Pop into a pre-heated oven (mine is fan) at 160 and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browning at the edges.

Try not to eat them all at once!

Monday 9 May 2016

The Power of Rosemary



For centuries rosemary has been associated with having a good memory and it appears that there may well be a lot of truth in this. However, this aromatic and fragrant
Mediterranean herb has many other useful benefits when it comes to healing, notably it can help with:-

  • stress relief
  • clarity and focus
  • boosting the immune system
  • easing headaches
  • alleviating join and muscle pain


It seems there is no end to the healing properties of this lovely aromatic herb.

My particular area of interest is its ability to help ‘future memory’ and mental clarity and this internet article (link below) provided by the BBC encouraged me to create a range of skincare products containing pure rosemary essential oil (rosmarinus officinalis). Naturally, I can’t make any claims for these products but I hope, when in use, they will provide an aromatic, refreshing and restorative boost.



The Khandala Rosemary Collections contains:-

  • A pure rosemary soap
  • Clear Thinking Balm (a specially formulated synergistic blend of essential oils designed to help clear the mind and enhance focus)
  • Rosemary & Spearmint Hemp Seed Lip Balm (with aloe butter and baobab oil)
  • Rosemary & Lemon Balm all-natural healing salve
Available on the website now!



Monday 29 February 2016

Lemon Delicious!

A friend of mine has just returned from Spain where she has been helping a friend pick the new season's lemons and make marmalade. This conjured up such a wonderful picture that I felt determined to make something lemony...

...so here it is...luscious Lemon & Peppermint Lip Balm.



I've added peppermint and lemon essential oils to my usual formula of aloe butter, coconut oil, beeswax and skin-softening Baobab oil and this balm should keep lips soft and moisturised until we get our own hint of Spring.
Available on the website shop page now.