Healthy Skin with Herbs!

This article is about active naturals in skincare. Many products contain herbs and fruit extracts, and it is useful to have an insight into why manufacturers include these ingredients even if you aren’t interested in making and using your own simple products either at home or with clients. First, here are some commonly available herbs used in skincare, and their functions:

BASIL – antibacterial and antiviral properties, useful for troubled and acne-prone skin. Basil has a high antioxidant content which helps prevent free radicals from damaging skin cells – this makes it a useful anti-ageing herb

DANDELION – anti-microbial and anti-fungal, useful for acne-prone skin. Dandelions contain A, B, C, D and trace elements of minerals. They help maintain clear skin and dandelion can be applied in creams and gels to treat acne, eczema and other skin problems

NETTLES – soothing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-ageing due to the high level of antioxidants in the plant

COMFREY – speeds up cell renewal due to the allantoin content

ELDERFLOWER – soothing, anti-ageing properties

CALENDULA – soothing, helps heal problem skin. It is antibacterial, antiviral and vulnerary (which means that it helps heal wounds)

CHAMOMILE – soothing, with good antiseptic properties. It owes its functions to alpha bisabolol, which helps speed healing whilst easing inflammation

PEPPERMINT – good astringent properties, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial too! It is refreshing, cooling and makes a fantastic toner for the skin

LAVENDER – anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-toxic and anti-inflammatory, this wonderful herb is soothing and aromatic too. Rich in linalool, which assists with healing whilst helping slow down ageing

ROSEMARY – a good astringent, with antiseptic properties

LADY’S MANTLE OR ALCHEMILLA – good anti-ageing properties

MELISSA or LEMON BALM – wonderful lemon aroma, this herb is astringent and anti-viral. It has high levels of caffeic acid and ferulic acid, which allow it to penetrate through the top layers into the deeper cutaneous layers of the skin and provide protection against UV radiation-induced skin damage

This is by no means a comprehensive list – I have simply chosen plants I found in my own garden, which I know are often used in commercial skincare products! They are herbs which you should be able to get in dried form from any herbal supplier, such as Aromantic or Baldwins. If you choose to use fresh herbs, make sure they haven’t been sprayed with chemicals and don’t pick them from the roadside where they may be contaminated with traffic fumes. Now the question is, how can we include these herbs in our own skincare routine or in our treatments? Some simple methods include:

INFUSIONS – take a teaspoon of dried herbs (or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped ones) and add boiling water. Leave to steep and cool. Add to products, use as a rinse or toner. You can also wrap the steeped herbs in a muslin bag and apply to the skin. The infusion will keep for a few days in the fridge but use it, don’t store it!

To make a toner that lasts a little longer, combine a hydrolat such as lavender or peppermint water with essential oils – 4 drops of essential oil to 20mls of the hydrolat (or flower water). Keep the toner in the fridge and use it within a week to 10 days.

HERBAL STEAM TREATMENTS can help remove blackheads and soothe acne-prone skin. Use a soothing herb such as calendula, chamomile, lavender or peppermint and experiment with combinations to find one that you enjoy. Simply use a spoon of the herbs in a big bowl, add boiling water, leave to cool for a few minutes, then when it is safe inhale the steam from the herbs and let it settle, warm and open up the pores of your skin. Use a toner to cool and close down the skin afterwards (a nicely chilled infusion from the fridge would be great).

FACE PACKS OR MASKS are a favourite way to relax whilst you do something wonderful for your skin. Use a cooled herbal infusion with a clay to make a mask for your complexion – choose the appropriate clay for your skin type, use a teaspoon of clay and mix it with 1-2 teaspoons of the infusion. Paint it on with a brush, or smooth it on with your fingertips. Relax whilst it dries, then rinse off with more of the herbal infusion, then tone the skin. You could use one of the distilled flower waters available from many suppliers. If your skin is oily, you could reach for witch hazel whilst older skins enjoy rose water – and orange water is a joy for us all, as it has the same aroma as neroli!

If you don’t like clay, then try a gauze mask steeped in the cooled infusion – deliciously refreshing, and not messy!

Enjoy exploring the herbs in your own garden to promote healthy skin! If this is a topic that interests you, then I offer a 2-day Spa Facial Therapy course which includes using simple natural products such as hydrolats, and you also make your own clay masks for use in treatments. You might also enjoy my 3-day Aromatherapy Massage Course (with or without the A&P module). Both of these courses are accredited with the Guild of Holistic Therapists/Beauty Guild for insurance and membership.

Healthy Skin with Herbs!

This article is about active naturals in skincare. Many products contain herbs and fruit extracts, and it is useful to have an insight into why manufacturers include these ingredients even if you aren’t interested in making and using your own simple products either at home or with clients. First, here are some commonly available herbs used in skincare, and their functions:

BASIL – antibacterial and antiviral properties, useful for troubled and acne-prone skin. Basil has a high antioxidant content which helps prevent free radicals from damaging skin cells – this makes it a useful anti-ageing herb

DANDELION – anti-microbial and anti-fungal, useful for acne-prone skin. Dandelions contain A, B, C, D and trace elements of minerals. They help maintain clear skin and dandelion can be applied in creams and gels to treat acne, eczema and other skin problems

NETTLES – soothing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-ageing due to the high level of antioxidants in the plant

COMFREY – speeds up cell renewal due to the allantoin content

ELDERFLOWER – soothing, anti-ageing properties

CALENDULA – soothing, helps heal problem skin. It is antibacterial, antiviral and vulnerary (which means that it helps heal wounds)

CHAMOMILE – soothing, with good antiseptic properties. It owes its functions to alpha bisabolol, which helps speed healing whilst easing inflammation

PEPPERMINT – good astringent properties, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial too! It is refreshing, cooling and makes a fantastic toner for the skin

LAVENDER – anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-toxic and anti-inflammatory, this wonderful herb is soothing and aromatic too. Rich in linalool, which assists with healing whilst helping slow down ageing

ROSEMARY – a good astringent, with antiseptic properties

LADY’S MANTLE OR ALCHEMILLA – good anti-ageing properties

MELISSA or LEMON BALM – wonderful lemon aroma, this herb is astringent and anti-viral. It has high levels of caffeic acid and ferulic acid, which allow it to penetrate through the top layers into the deeper cutaneous layers of the skin and provide protection against UV radiation-induced skin damage

This is by no means a comprehensive list – I have simply chosen plants I found in my own garden, which I know are often used in commercial skincare products! They are herbs which you should be able to get in dried form from any herbal supplier, such as Aromantic or Baldwins. If you choose to use fresh herbs, make sure they haven’t been sprayed with chemicals and don’t pick them from the roadside where they may be contaminated with traffic fumes. Now the question is, how can we include these herbs in our own skincare routine or in our treatments? Some simple methods include:

INFUSIONS – take a teaspoon of dried herbs (or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped ones) and add boiling water. Leave to steep and cool. Add to products, use as a rinse or toner. You can also wrap the steeped herbs in a muslin bag and apply to the skin. The infusion will keep for a few days in the fridge but use it, don’t store it!

To make a toner that lasts a little longer, combine a hydrolat such as lavender or peppermint water with essential oils – 4 drops of essential oil to 20mls of the hydrolat (or flower water). Keep the toner in the fridge and use it within a week to 10 days.

HERBAL STEAM TREATMENTS can help remove blackheads and soothe acne-prone skin. Use a soothing herb such as calendula, chamomile, lavender or peppermint and experiment with combinations to find one that you enjoy. Simply use a spoon of the herbs in a big bowl, add boiling water, leave to cool for a few minutes, then when it is safe inhale the steam from the herbs and let it settle, warm and open up the pores of your skin. Use a toner to cool and close down the skin afterwards (a nicely chilled infusion from the fridge would be great).

FACE PACKS OR MASKS are a favourite way to relax whilst you do something wonderful for your skin. Use a cooled herbal infusion with a clay to make a mask for your complexion – choose the appropriate clay for your skin type, use a teaspoon of clay and mix it with 1-2 teaspoons of the infusion. Paint it on with a brush, or smooth it on with your fingertips. Relax whilst it dries, then rinse off with more of the herbal infusion, then tone the skin. You could use one of the distilled flower waters available from many suppliers. If your skin is oily, you could reach for witch hazel whilst older skins enjoy rose water – and orange water is a joy for us all, as it has the same aroma as neroli!

If you don’t like clay, then try a gauze mask steeped in the cooled infusion – deliciously refreshing, and not messy!

Enjoy exploring the herbs in your own garden to promote healthy skin! If this is a topic that interests you, then I offer a 2-day Spa Facial Therapy course which includes using simple natural products such as hydrolats, and you also make your own clay masks for use in treatments. You might also enjoy my 3-day Aromatherapy Massage Course (with or without the A&P module). Both of these courses are accredited with the Guild of Holistic Therapists/Beauty Guild for insurance and membership.

Simply Healing, Simply Reiki

Why learn with me?

I am an Usui Reiki Master Teacher and a Karuna Master Teacher and I have been offering Reiki courses regularly since 2007. I have practised as a Reiki healer since 2004. This means that I have a lot of experience with many different students, and I have been working as a therapist for many years. I have insights to share with my Reiki learners and my course notes and materials reflect years of teaching as well as my own learning and development as a Reiki Master Teacher. I produce my own learning materials and plan the day carefully to give students a rich experience to enable them to leave feeling confident that they can ‘do Reiki’.

Shoden – Starting Reiki – for self-development, and to share with loved ones

As society adjusts to living with Covid, many people feel the need for a daily practice that calms, centres and soothes them so that they can deal with the new challenges that face them. Everyone is coping with the economic issues, with changed working practices and the stress on their families and children.

Reiki 1 or Shoden is a life skill and it is a simple self-help therapy you can share with your family and people you care for. You learn the Reiki Principles which were written by the founder Dr Usui as a simple underlying philosophy, mindfulness techniques and a straightforward inner connection and self-healing routine you can use anywhere and in a variety of ways to bring you tranquillity and focus so that you deal better with whatever life is offering you.

You can use the healing techniques you learn at this level to bring peace, inner calm and a sense of deep connection to others. They can either lie down on a couch or sit in a comfortable chair, and you can offer gentle touch or hover your hands over them.

After their one-day Reiki 1 course, I encourage my students will keep on a steady path in Reiki, and I suggest they keep going with their daily self-healing or meditation practice. It often helps if students come with their partner or a friend they can work with afterwards as this keeps the momentum and people encourage one another to keep going. They can offer each other healing, form a little meditation and Reiki sharing group with other friends and share the benefits.

It takes 21 days to form a new habit, according to psychologists so put your Reiki session with yourself in your diary if that helps clear the time you need. Find a space where you can practise Reiki regularly, for yourself and for others if that’s what you want to do. Introduce variety into your Reiki sessions – choose a meditation or visualisation, do your self-healing routine, share healing with someone who would like to experience Reiki, or simply remember the Reiki Principles we covered on your course and think about them quietly.

If you want to learn more and bring Reiki into your life then come on one of my regular Reiki 1 Shoden courses. The next ones are on July 19th /September 28th / November 17th

Okuden – learn the symbols, develop your practice, choose to be a practitioner

Some students learn the first level of Reiki and it brings them just what they wanted, others decide to learn more after a few months or years. A lot of people who already practise other therapies decide to learn Shoden and Okuden, the first and second levels, in one weekend. It’s a lot to do at once, but their commitment enables them to do it and start introducing Reiki into their work.

Okuden introduces you to ways of focusing your healing to suit different people, different circumstances, different needs. You learn the Japanese symbols to help you bring the right emphasis into your treatments both for yourself and others. Meditating with the symbols helps you understand your own inner self, and brings you a deep sense of connection and a heightened awareness that helps your own healing process.

From achieving self-awareness and healing our own issues we become more confident in our Reiki. This helps us to help others, whether they are close to us or clients in our therapy practise. This is the real step forward at Reiki 2 or Okuden level and it is worth taking whether Reiki is simply a personal journey or a therapy you intend to use professionally.

What is a Reiki Treatment like?

My own experience of Reiki is deep relaxation, expansion of the breath and calm. Other people experience a range of feelings such as seeing colours, feeling physical sensations including pleasant tingling, pain relief or release of tension. You experience what you are ready to feel and what will be helpful for you at the time.

You can give Reiki either lying down or sitting comfortably in a chair. Reiki is most often offered to others when they are lying down because this enables the receiver to relax deeply. The Reiki giver normally offers the receiver a blanket to keep them warm, pillows and something to support the knees. No clothing needs to be removed although I don’t like people to keep their shoes on when they lie on my couch.

The Reiki giver will lay their hands on the series of positions they learned in their Reiki 1 course and if they have Reiki 2 they may use the symbols and perhaps the chants that go with them. The treatment normally lasts around an hour and my own students are taught to treat both the front and the back of the person.

The Reiki giver might offer to burn essential oils and although this is not part of Reiki it is helpful and pleasant if the giver understands these products. A Reiki session may include crystals if the giver is a crystal therapist and this can also enhance the experience if the giver is expert in their use. It is certainly interesting to learn other skills to use but it isn’t essential as Reiki a complete holistic therapy.

If you want to learn more and become a Reiki practitioner then come on one of my regular Reiki 2 Okuden courses. The next ones are on July 20th / September 29th / November 18th

Do you want to teach Reiki? I offer Shinpiden Level 3 Reiki by arrangement

Think about how you already practise Reiki

Why do we treat the back in a Reiki session?

Some Reiki Masters are teaching students to treat the front of the client only, and don’t teach the back positions for self-healing either. They argue that the Reiki energy will go where it needs to and so there is no point in asking the client to turn over or to treat our own backs.

I teach my own students both the front and the back positions we have from Dr Hayashi, one of the founders of Reiki who was a medical doctor as well as a Reiki healer who trained with Dr Usui in his healing system. Dr Hayashi developed the positions for treating oneself and for treating others in his dedicated Reiki clinic, and many people passed through this centre with successful outcomes so I choose to teach his methods to my students.

I have thought deeply about how I teach and researched why Dr Hayashi developed his healing methods the way he did. Reiki is a Japanese therapy and it is based on boosting and directing the flow of ki or vital energy. Ki flows through the meridians and these run up and down the back and the front of the person. The conception meridian flows down the front, and so that explains the treatment positions for this aspect nicely. Its partner, the governing meridian, runs up the back. This is flanked by the bladder meridian.

The governing and conception vessels are two branches of the same source and represent In and Yo (or Yin-and-Yang in Chinese), reflected in the front-and-back pathways they follow.  When we treat the front of the person we are healing the feminine energies of the person, and the treating the back brings healing to the masculine aspect.  Exploring this meridian is helpful for Reiki students as it is the main Ki pathway, and those who go on to Master level will be working with it closely.

The bladder meridian runs either side of the spinal column and controls the water element within the body, and humans are mainly made up of water (approximately 60% of our body is water). Water controls the supply and flow of everything the cells of the body need to function. In Chinese/Japanese medicine, the bladder meridian acts as a water reservoir and also removes stored waste.

As well as dealing with the physical aspect of water in the body, the bladder meridian is responsible for its energetic aspect. Water imbalance has a serious effect on the mind and spirit if they are either deprived of water or flooded by it. The person will feel they have no reserves to deal with issues and challenges, and life will simply be too much for them. They live in a fearful state of high anxiety. The other side of the coin is a total denial or lack of fear which means that we don’t perceive real danger and so fail to take action to take care of ourselves.  In working on the back of the client or ourselves, we are balancing this water element, and this is reflected in the Reiki Principles taught at Reiki 1 also. ‘Just for today do not be afraid, don’t worry’.

Mrs Takata was the Reiki teacher who first brought the practice to westerners, having studied in Japan with Dr Hayashi in his Reiki clinic. She told her students to spend half of their treatment time on the front of the body and half of it on the back. (Reiki News, Spring 2007).  Her treatment methods did have variations, but she emphasised the importance of carrying out a whole-body treatment saying that the body is a complete unit and so all parts should be treated.  She also taught that we should always keep our hands on the client, even when they are turning over and that we should avoid coming onto the spine directly but should work at an angle.  This suggests that treatment of the back was important to Mrs Takata.

Finally, chakras have become part of Reiki healing and so it is useful to think about their front and back aspects.  The chakras are embedded in Shushumna nadi, which follows the line of the spine. Each one of the chakras is located at the point of an endocrine gland. The front of the chakras works with the manifest world, so in ‘opening the heart chakra’ by doing a flowing Tree asana, we are opening ourselves up to love and compassion and releasing love to the Earth.  The back of the chakras represents the un-manifest, that is to say our potential, as well as our past.  Our past may have made us defensive, and this will make opening the front aspect of the chakras difficult – by opening the back aspect we may be able to deal with issues which will ease the process of moving forward and dealing with life as it manifests itself. This is the aim of healing.

School will soon be out for the summer and holidays are on the way, so I’d like to offer you some natural solutions to common wellbeing issues. Most of the ingredients for these simple remedies are easily available and if you are going away a couple of bottles of essential oils along with a versatile carrier oil don’t take up much space – you can use any cold pressed oil, including sunflower or almond, both easily available in supermarkets! Other go-to remedies include salt and cucumbers – some of the best natural helpers are found in the kitchen.

ESSENTIAL OILS FIRST AID KIT Shopping List

• Citronella
• Lavender
• Eucalyptus
• Lemon
• Ginger
• Chamomile Roman
• Rosemary

Whether you are heading to the Norfolk Broads or the beach in Marbella, insect bites can be a problem. Mosquitoes, gnats and sand flies can all cause swelling, redness and itching, resulting in a miserable holiday experience. Essential oil of citronella (Cymbopogon Winterianus) is a good repellent. Either pop a few drops into a bath or dilute it to rub on the skin, using 4 drops of the essential oil in 20 mls of a carrier such as almond or sunflower (use a weaker dose of 2 drops for children). The main chemical constituents of the oil are geraniol, citral, citronellal and citronellol and it is these naturally occurring substances which give all oils their therapeutic properties.

This essential oil is versatile, and as well as being an effective insect repellent it is also antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant and with good deodorizing properties! It is excellent in a foot bath for hot, swollen feet and of course, the mosquitoes and gnats will leave your ankles alone afterwards.

If you do get stung by any insect, then lavender (Lavandula Augustifolia) used immediately can help stop the swelling and itching. Keep a 20ml bottle with 4 drops of the essential oil diluted in a carrier in your bag when you go to the beach or on a picnic. As well as being helpful for mosquito, gnat and sand fly bites lavender will help with wasp and bee stings too.

Lavender is the only oil it is acceptable to use neat in emergency, but in general avoid using undiluted essential oils. Lavender has a wide variety of chemical constituents such as limonene, a-pinene, camphor, linalool and terpinen-4-ol and this is what makes it such an all-rounder, with wide-ranging therapeutic effects.

As a first aid oil lavender is unendingly versatile with antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, bactericidal and carminative effects. It also helps heal wounds as it is a cicatrisant and as it is anti-inflammatory and antiseptic it is good for cleaning them. Lavender oil is a diuretic and will help with the bloating that can result from sitting on a plane or in a car for hours – pop a few drops in your bath. Of course, lavender is also excellent for sunburn – mix a drop into a teaspoon of the Aloe Vera gel before you apply it to boost the benefits.

However careful you are, it is easy to get sunburn, and a dull cloudy day on an English beach is just as dangerous as walking up a hillside in Andalucia! As soon as you see redness, apply Aloe Vera gel generously. Aloe Vera is rich in polysaccharides and these have anti-inflammatory properties as well as aiding angiogenesis, one of the processes involved in producing new tissues – this plant is used both to help burns and wound healing but do use pure Aloe Vera gel or juice, and avoid products that simply have it as an ingredient. There may not be enough Aloe Vera to help, and there may be other ingredients (such as petrochemicals) which actually trap heat into the skin!

An alternative to Aloe Vera is cucumber – slice it and lay the pieces over the sunburned area. It is cooling and soothing, and as it is full of water it may help re-hydrate the skin. It is also good for tired, puffy eyes.

Accidents happen on holiday, and you may stand on something sharp on the beach, resulting in a nasty cut. Sea water may be contaminated, so be aware that it might not be the ideal thing to clean a cut with. Simply apply pressure immediately and elevate the foot (or hand) to stop the bleeding. Wash the wound with clean water containing a teaspoon of salt as this is an effective antiseptic and cover it if it hasn’t stopped bleeding completely. You can also use a lavender compress to aid healing and as an antiseptic – just use wet gauze or a clean wet cotton hankie and put one drop of lavender onto it then apply it to the cut and leave it for five minutes.

Sore throats happen on holiday just as they do on work and school days! As soon as one starts up, pop a couple of drops of diluted lavender oil into the ears (4 drops in 20 mls of carrier). You could also gargle with a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water as bacteria can’t survive in salt water. If you have an oil burner, then pop a mix of eucalyptus and lemon essential oils in it – this is an effective anti-viral mixture.

Lemon essential oil has important chemical constituents such as limonene and citral, which are both antiviral and the terpenes linalool and geraniol which may help stimulate the immune system as well as having antibacterial qualities.

Eucalyptus is the essential oil for stuffy noses, sore throats, colds and flu! Eucalyptus Globulus is a native Australian tree, also called the fever tree. The key constituent is limonene from the point of view of helping colds, flu and sore throats, but the plant has a wide variety of different properties. It is also an excellent insect repellent and blends well with citronella – always stick to 4 drops of essential oils in total in 20 mls of carrier for adults, less for children. So try 2 drops of eucalyptus and two of citronella or lemon, for adults and half that for children.

Upset tummies can have lots of causes – unfamiliar food, tap water in some countries (always drink bottled water), or simply an attack of the latest ‘bug’. If you do get digestive problems, then have a cup of strong peppermint tea to help settle your stomach down and eat a pot of natural yoghurt. Check the yoghurt pot to make sure it has acidophilus or bifidus bacteria which help restore balance in the gut and calm it. If you feel nauseous, then ginger is a good solution – grate root ginger into hot water and add a twist or lemon, then drink it as a tea. Ginger essential oil is a good stand-by – pop it in a burner with a drop of lemon essential oil. IF diarrhoea and/or vomiting persist for more than 24 hours or there is a high fever, then get qualified medical help (which may be a pharmacist in many countries).

Summer sun, swimming pool chemicals, salt water and dusty walks in the country can all take their toll on your hair so here are a few ideas of herbs and fruits that you will probably have in the kitchen or find in the garden or surrounding countryside and can use to maintain your crowning glory.

Dandruff is also called sebhorreic dermatitis and it is caused by reactions to chemicals in products, irritated oily skin, inflammatory skin conditions and a build-up of bacteria, yeast or fungal organisms. It is a symptom rather than a condition, and it can be tricky to work out what is causing the problem. Many people are in any case turning to natural solutions and away from commercial products for their hair care.

Lemon juice is a good way of removing a build-up of shampoo and conditioner – sometimes a problem if you have been using a leave-in product with sunscreen over the summer. An itchy, flaking scalp may be the result of hair products which haven’t rinsed out thoroughly. One issue with soap and detergents is that they change the pH level of the skin, making it slightly alkaline instead of slightly acidic. This allows unfriendly bacteria and other organisms to breed, as the skin relies on acidity to control these organisms. Shampoo is a detergent with added ingredients, and can affect both acidity levels and hydration of the scalp. Lemon juice is slightly acidic and so will help correct the alkaline imbalance. Lemon is also a hair lightener, which is good news for blondes who want to lighten the tone of their hair without the use of chemical colourants.

Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup (about half a pint in old money), then massage it thoroughly into the hair and scalp before rinsing out. Vinegar is often suggested as a hair tonic, and it has many of the advantages of lemon juice – but I’d rather smell of lemons!

Rosemary infusion is said to stimulate the hair follicles and help hair growth. It certainly has useful antibacterial and anti-yeast/fungal properties, and is simple to make. Either add a couple of drops of essential oil to the final rinse when washing your hair or make an infusion. This is simple – pop a few sprigs of fresh rosemary or a teaspoon of the dried herb into a cup, add boiling water and leave for five minutes. Add the rosemary infusion to the final rinse. There’s no need to rinse it out. Mint is a good complement to the scent of rosemary and also has useful properties, so add a few sprigs of mint to your infusion if you wish. Rosemary doesn’t have the same lightening properties as lemon juice, and it’s a good choice for dark-haired people.

Mint is a useful herb for a wide variety of purposes, including getting rid of nits! This is one reason for including it in your hair rinse if your children have ended the school year with them. It has carminative and anti-inflammatory properties too, so will ease an itchy scalp. And it smells fresh and cool on a hot day, of course!

Camomile infusion is my final haircare suggestion. Make it the same way as the rosemary and mint version. Chamaemelum Nobile (Roman Chamomile) is the variety you would use, and you may either have it in your garden or find it in the countryside in Mediterranean areas. It is another plant which will help repel nits, and an infusion of mint and chamomile would smell lovely – a natural alternative to the products sold in pharmacies. Chamomile is an effective antibacterial so it will help keep the scalp and hair healthy. It is a good carminative too, and a chamomile rinse after a bedtime hair wash will help soothe you to restful sleep. If you don’t have the herb, then use Roman Chamomile essential oils – a couple of drops in the final rinse.