As products run out around the house, that are not already environmentally friendly, I am making the conscious effort to change to either home made or organic, ecological and sustainable ones.

For years I have been using ecological washing up liquids, washing powders, conditioners etc but this morning when my face wash ran out I decided it was time to green that daily habit too.

Making your own products gives you total control over the ingredients you use. It also eliminates the absorption of all the nasty chemicals that serve as preservatives, synthetic detergents and artificial fragrances used in conventional face washes, into our bodies and the environment.

Storing your home made products in reusable containers also reduces the waste to landfill and the purchase of more plastic packaging!

So after a little research I thought I’d share a few of my favorite finds with you. As I am currently away from home, in a country where I cannot understand the packaging, I’ve picked out a few that you could make anywhere with simple everyday ingredients and kitchen appliances. Of course it goes without saying, where possible you should use organic ingredients.

Oatmeal and Sugar

Mix oatmeal and sugar with water to create a natural, cleansing facial scrub.

Apply to face and gently scrub in a circular motion, rinse off with warm water.

Honey and Sugar

Combine honey and sugar, apply to the face in a circular motion and rinse off with warm water.

Milk and Lemon Juice

4.5 tblsps Milk (organic, milk is a natural alpha-hydroxy acid)
1 tsp Lemon Juice (a natural astringent)

Mix the two together, wet face with warm water, apply milk/lemon mixture and leave for 1 minute. Rinse with warm water.

Fruity

Blend together 80 grams of each apple, cucumber and peach. Rinse face with warm water then apply blended fruit and gently scrub away opening pores.

My favorite body scrub for a long time has been a mixture of olive oil, sugar and a drop of bergamot essential oil - wakes up the skin and the senses!

Since my post below I have spoken with Dan at Onya who will send me some Onya Weigh bags to Turkey :o) He has even sent as far as Afganistan!

Dan very kindly gave me a discount code eco1 for all of you to use as well!

Please visit Onya's site and support their good work in reducing plastic.

Its market day here in Alacati, Turkey, which should fill me with the joy of trying and buying local produce but instead it fills me with mixed feelings about collecting up my produce... they love the one thing I hate - Plastic Bags!

Both the markets and the supermarkets here, as in my home country of Spain, weigh out everything in plastic bags still, causing massive amounts of plastic ending up in landfill, the ocean or being incinerated causing toxic gasses.

Those of you who follow my ramblings will remember my previous post Don't Feed The Turtles about reducing the use of plastic bags and helping to save marine life, by using the Turtle Friendly string shopping bag.

Onya bags UK supply environmentally friendly, sustainable and reusable bags, of all sizes for all of your shopping needs, including the Onya Weigh. The Onya Weigh is a tulle bag light enough not to affect the scale. They come in packs of 5 and can also be used to wash your produce in, like a collinder, and as storage because they let fruit and veg breath.

The Reusable Bag Co is another company producing reusable, recycled and organic shopping bag alternatives. Have a read of 'Why you should say no to plastic bags' section of the site for some thought provoking facts.

So for today I will reuse the bags collected up in the kitchen by my house mates and see if Onya will send me some Onya Weigh to Turkey, so at least I can do my bit here.

I am going to have a gushy moment - I am in love with this VW Westfalia Camper! I grew up with camping and caravaning so all forms of 'home from home' are always of interest for me. But this, this is the ultimate in modern day camping!

Originally shown at the Detroit Car Show back in 2004 this redesigned Eco-camper also won the 2004 Michelin Design Challenge.

Alexandre Verdier, a French Canadian designer, is responsible for this redesign and is a philosopher and industrial designer. Verdier believes that the solution to environmental problems “resides in smart, simple design and employing technology to make better use of natural resources.”

The camper comes in five different models designed for your own unique personality: Woody, Geeky, Ebony, Blueberry, and Purity.



The Camper features a BioDiesel hybrid, 2.7 liter engine with a four-speed automatic transmission. It also comes with two large batteries that can be powered by the 12-watt solar panels or by running the engine, so when you aren’t on electric you can be running on recycled cooking oil.

The solar panels have a GPS Sun Tracker system to ensure that the panels are optimally orientated to the sun (when stationary) and can tilt up to 45 degrees in two directions, which mean you may not need the diesel at all!

Three different suspension settings allow precise driving and stationary stability to the van by lowing it onto the tires for ultimate stationary comfort.

Every bit of space in this camper counts for something; whether it is storage, beds, a fold-out kitchen (so that you can cook indoors or out) or even stairs built into the back of the passenger seat to get to the bed above (yes the roof is also extenable!). The Verdier also has two gazebos which pop out of each side, with matching folding furniture housed in a special compartment in the rear of the van (out of the way, so as not to clutter your living space).

It also has built in containers for rubbish, recycling and composting, as well as refrigerator/freezer combo.

And it doesn't stop there! This camper even has an on-board entertainment center, complete with a projector, 6 speaker surround sound, and a roll down screen. You may be camping, but that doesn’t mean you can’t kick back and chill with a movie!

The on-board computer, built into the front passenger dashboard, allows you to get on-line and the the GPS software takes care of navigation as well as monitoring your camper’s energy and fuel supplies. Plus, you can take it with you by removing the tablet from its base.

The Verdier Eco-Camper starts at around $69,000 but if you want the full monty you are looking at about $129,000.

All donations welcome!

Here it is, my double size Tawashi (which I think looks like Rhubarb and Custard!) to replace my shower rose! You can see from the image how much bigger it is than the orginal.

All I did was double the pattern from The Kidney Bean and hey presto a body washing sized Tawashi!

The great advantage of Tawashi is the reduction of the use of plastic in the home, as they can be thrown in the washing machine and used again and again and again.

I'm off for a shower!