Month: July 2019

Back in 2014 in a time before Boris and Trump were best mates I started this blog as a way of recording the slow, small changes I was making to live a more sustainable life. The first change I made was my shampoo and now nearly 5 years later I thought I’d revisit the topic since it’s still the one I get the most questions about.

Reasons for swapping
There are several ‘ethical/sustainable’ issues that might drive a change when it comes to haircare but let’s boil it down to three, People, Plastics and Product.

People
People matter. My whole ethical story began when a friend asked me this question; ‘how do your choices oppress others?’. That question has made me think much more about how the things I buy are made and who makes them. When it comes to hair-care, choosing products that use ingredients that are bought for a fair price, made for a fair price and help to liberate people and communities is important. Buying locally-made products is also great as independent makers are likely to know more about where their ingredients come from. It’s great to be plastic free but so important to look behind the cute paper packaging to see who’s making it and how they are being treated.

Plastics
There’s lots of talk about plastic so I won’t add to the noise. The world is dying in single-use plastic and we can do something about that. In the area of hair-care reducing plastic has become much easier. When I started my search 5 years ago Lush were the only place offline that I could buy a shampoo bar locally, now the choices are endless, not to mention the brilliant zero-waste stores popping up.

Product
Recently I’ve started switching all my body, hair and cleaning products to toxin free ones. The main thing I’ve focused on is removing synthetic fragrance. On most shampoos and conditioners you’ll see the words ‘perfume’ or ‘fragrance’. This is a placeholder for a whole load of different chemicals which we know very little about. I decided that I wanted to know exactly what I was putting on my skin so now I opt for products which use essential oils for scent. I was guided through this process by reading the Clean Mama book and I’ve already noticed that my hands which are usually dry and sore are totally clear, yippee!

You can decide that all the above issues matter to you or maybe only a couple. I wanted to share the things that shape my decisions as they are way more important than sharing the actually products that end up in my bathroom.

It’s Personal
Before I move on and give you the low-down on my favourites I want to add another ‘P’ – it’s Personal. Your hair is yours and what works for me probably won’t work for you. The condition, colour, texture and style of your hair will affect how different products work, not to mention the kind of water in your area. Stick at it, the first shampoo you use probably won’t be the last, have fun and experiment, use a bar up and then try another one. Most people experience a detox when they switch, there’s various tips online with how to get through this but it does get better and hopefully you’ll come to love your new hair and products.

 

My current favourites 

Faith in Nature refill – our local zero-waste shop sells refills of shampoo and conditioner. This is an awesome option if you don’t fancy going down the bar route.

Lush – honey I washed the kids – smells great, lathers up due to it including SLS which many shampoo bars don’t. SLS is the chemical that makes things lather, there’s questions about how good it is for you (it is quite drying) but Lush give a great explanation about it here. Due to the SLS this is a great bar for someone who’s trying a non-liquid for the first time because you lather it in your hand and then it acts just like ‘normal’ shampoo. One bar is the equivalent of three bottles of shampoo.

Beauty Kubes – Hands down my favourite haircare find. A little cube that you crush, add a few drops of water to and then lather. It smells incredible and my hair feels so soft afterwards. They look pricey at first glance but since I now only wash my hair twice a week (another perk of switching to natural products) a box of 27 can last me up to 3 months.

Conchus bars and hair-rinse – I’m in love with this hair rinse, I spray it on after shampooing, leave for a couple of minutes and then wash off. Here’s the Conchus explanation;

‘Naturally hair has a slightly acidic pH, and shampoo bars are naturally slightly alkaline in pH (nothing to be concerned about). A hair rinse will help to balance the pH of your hair, and keep it happy in harmony.

It will also prevent the waxy soap film, that can happen particularly in hard water areas. This waxy feeling is often when people give up on shampoo bars, but a hair rinse is an absolute game-changer for using them, and it replaces the ‘conditioner’ in your hair care routine.’

Sheffield Skincare conditioner – since the heat wave my hair has needed a bit of extra moisture and this bar is lovely and huge bonus to be able to support a local business at the same time.

Hope this has been helpful and encouraged you to have some fun finding some great alternatives to your supermarket favourites 🙂 Would love to hear what other people have enjoyed using.

Nine months ago I was part of a leadership team. I had responsibilities, people looking up to me, younger people to mentor and a platform from which to, very visually and audibly, lead others. I never questioned once whether I was a leader. Nine months later and I don’t do any of these things in an official capacity, I don’t have a job title and on my recent mortgage application I swallowed hard as I saw the words ‘unemployed’.

Last year I decided to stop working outside of our home, partly to enable my husband to grow his business and partly to support our family life more. I’m aware that I’m privileged in even saying this, so many people would love to quit their jobs, this truth is not lost on me, not one bit. 

The months that have followed have been surprising, challenging, joyful and hard. Of course the biggest question in my mind has been ‘who am I now?’.

I was born in 1985 which means I just sneaked into the millennial generation. Growing up there was never any assumptions put on my generation that once we had children work would come to an end. Those before us fought many battles which meant it was not only normal, but expected, that you would be a working mum. I forget the number of people who asked me ‘when are you going back to work?’ whilst I was on maternity leave, a question I’m pretty sure our parents generation weren’t asked so easily. 

While there are many amazing things about this (I will champion working mums until I’m blue in the face and I myself will soon be working ‘officially’ with my husband) I worry that we have been sold one picture of how to do life. The ‘do it all’ and ‘be it all’ messages thrown at mothers is exhausting! It’s exhausting for working mums, but for those who choose to stay at home it suggests that they are somehow ‘less than’. 

There are a multitude of reasons a woman might decide not to go back to work; finances, child care costs, opportunities, health, personal conviction or heck, maybe they actually enjoy it! No matter the reason I’ve spoken to countless women who have chosen to leave positions in the workplace which gave them power, authority and leadership clout and now find themselves anchor-less. What’s more the idea of an ‘earth mother’ type who stays at home with her kids because she loves it 100% of the time is both untrue and deeply unhelpful for most women who find themselves in that place.

We need to redefine the role of motherhood for a generation which is in danger of being sold a lie that it is merely another tick on the ‘have it all, be it all list’.

Motherhood (I know this is true for fathers, but hey, speak to what you know and all that!) is the most powerful leadership role I will ever have. My children are constantly looking to me for the leadership they need. They are watching me. Goodness, they are turning into me in ways that I’m not truly comfortable with! 

Raising children who are kind and loving, who have generous spirits and bravery in the face of challenge – that is a worthwhile and worthy endeavour. Of course working mum’s can absolutely do this too but today I’m speaking to the mum who has given up a place at the boardroom for a place at the craft table. I’m speaking to the mum who thrived on performance reviews and now feels no one sees her efforts anymore. I’m speaking to the mum who thinks ‘is this it?’ more than once a day. I’m speaking to myself.

I’ve addressed rooms packed with people, do they remember most of what I’ve said? Probably not. What I do know is that there are currently two pairs of eyes who follow my every move. They see how I treat people, they listen to my tone, they watch how I love their Dad, they take it all in. I want to be the kind of leader in my home that I would want to be in the workplace. One who leads with integrity, kindness, joy and hope. One who inspires, lifts up and encourages. 

Am I totally fulfilled in my role as a mother? Of course not, no one role will ever totally fulfil me, but can I change how I view my role as a mother? I really believe I can and I should. Motherhood is not a break from a ‘real job’ or from leading. In fact the more I talk to other parents I’m convinced that for those of us who find ourselves with the gift of children to raise, it can be the most real, important and life-changing leadership role we will ever have the privilege of being given. 

I love how Lara Casey puts it her book ‘Cultivate’; 

“The greatest achievement I make to the Kingdom of God may not be something I do but someone I raise”.

This is a truth that I know I need to sink deep into my heart today.