Rye Flour as a Shampoo

So I have been no poo now for over 3 months, I love it. I seriously will not be going back to using shampoo and conditioned ever again. So up until now I have been a regular user of baking soda and either distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. While that was working for me, I felt like changing it up a bit and I have heard some amazing things about Rye Flour.

I picked it up in my local Holland and Barrett for £1.69 for 500g but you can get it cheaper elsewhere it was just easiest for me. So what do you do with this lovely stuff I hear you ask? It's really simple, you can use one of two methods.

Method 1
Take 3tbs of Rye flour and sieve with a very fine sieve or tea strainer to get most of the bits out (or you will be picking them out of your hair all day)
Add just enough warm water to make it a Shampoo consistency

Method 2
Put 3tbs into a sock and tie it off
Soak overnight in about half a cup of water, squeezing a few times in the morning to get all the good stuff out
(with this method you get a Shampoo like consistency, no lumps, but some people say it is less effective at cleaning without the bits in).

Currently I use method 1 but will be trying method 2 soon just for comparison. You just use the Rye flour shampoo as you would normal shampoo, and just make sure you scrub around the roots very well. It's not too important to use on ends as as you rinse it will run through to ends.

Now, some people like to follow with ACV/DWV for detangling and dry ends, but it is not necessary. Because Rye flour is totally pH balanced at 5, it makes it a perfect match for your hair. It also contains lots of amazing minerals and vitamins. I did use ACV on my lengths but only a very small amount to prevent dry ends.

So there we have it, a pH balanced all natural no poo alternative to shampoo. Here is a picture of my hair after washing with Rye flour. Bear in mind that I went 12 days without washing my hair at all before using it so it did an amazing job at removing all the oil and gross stuff out of my hair. The only draw back was combing out the bits that were left behind but it's livable.

So, yea, the picture. Happy no pooing folks. Have you used Rye flour? Let me know!

DivaCup Review!

So as any of my regular readers know by now, I am a monthly user of the Femmecup. The Femmecup menstrual cup served me pretty well for the last few months apart from when on my heaviest day. Many of you told me that you use the Divacup as it has a higher capacity, so I wrote to the guys over at www.divacup.com and requested a sample. They graciously accepted my offer to review it for them and so that brings us to today. First off, let me state, I was not paid for this review. I received a cup to trial and give my honest opinion on it for you, my readers, so let's get down to it.

As I am already a menstrual cup user I am already familiar with the different folds and techniques that come with being totally comfortable with your *ahem* inner lady workings. The cup itself is fairly similar to the Femmecup in the fact that it has a small stem and is roughly the same shape. It is bigger, and it has a firmer rim than the Femmecup. If you want to have a look at the Femmecup review I did a little while ago feel free to head over here to check that out.

Here is how the product looks in the packaging: 

And upon opening the box there is a pleasant surprise, a lovely little satin bag to keep it in and a small lapel badge to proudly wear stating what I already know, that I am a Diva!

The Divacup itself has a capacity of 30ml which is actually more than large enough, most women only lose 30-40ml throughout their whole monthly period! What makes the Divacup more convenient to use is that the company state it can be left in for up to 12 hours at a time, meaning you only have to change it once in the morning and once before bed. Gone are the days of having to change a tampon every few hours ladies.

Another great point to note is that it is recommended to change once a year, that means in total your yearly period allowance is around £21.99 a year! 

It is important when choosing a Divacup to choose the right size for you. If you are under 30 and have never had a baby then size 1 is the right one for you. If you are either over 30 or under 30 and have given birth either vaginally or by c-section then choose cup 2.

So far I have only had the chance to use the cup for a day or so, but I can say that it is comfortable and you genuinely can forget it is there. With tampons I was always told you cannot feel them if they are in right, but I always could, so this is a great plus for me. My biggest love with using the Divacup is the fact that you can leave it in all day. This means no more struggling in the ladies room with changing a tampon or even nasty uncomfortable pads. Just pop it in in the morning before you leave the house and you should be fine until you get home in the evening and empty it. I will update this post once I have used it for a few cycles but so far so good.

If you are thinking about using a menstrual cup and you feel that the Divacup is right for you then check out Divacup's handy Storefinder to find out where you can buy near you, or if you prefer, check out their E-tailer page for buying online.

Also, like them on Facebook and Twitter for more reviews by users and handy advice.

If you have any questions regarding this blog please feel free to comment below. Have you used the Divacup? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

*UPDATE* after using the divacup this cycle I can view confirm, I don't think it's for me. The cup itself is one of the long-standing in the market and it may just be too long for me. The end (trimmed off) sits very low, almost at the entrance which I find quite maddening when I am out of the house as it feels like it's falling out. I turned it inside out to shorten it, which  has helped slightly though. I also find it is much harder to get it to pop open inside, this is challenging xompaews to my softer femmecup. If anyone can recommend a high capacity, shorter cup please let me know. I have heard good things about the mooncup. 

Moa The Green Balm

Sorry it's been a while folks I have been a little busy as of late, we have two new members to our little family... guinea pigs! So now it's Me, Mr Grumpy and Mini plus Pansie and Drum the Piggies and Walter and Jesse the Goldfish. So it's no wonder my eczema has been acting up...

I only really suffer with one skin problem, and only ever when I am stressed. So it suits me well that I have managed to get my hands on this little beauty. The Green Balm. Head over here to find out where to buy this beauty and for all of its uses. 

This is what it looks like

and it retails at around £15 for the size I have which is 50ml. 

Now the first thing I will say is that I used it on my inner elbow fold for eczema. Before using it my skin was dry and cracked but at the same time it was moist and unpleasant. Oh god it hurt. I could hardly move my arm because of the pain. Unfortunately I do not have a before picture because I was in too much pain to worry about taking it. Immedi after using it my skin felt soothed, it didn't hurt as bad and around an hour later it stopped hurting all together. It was no longer sticky and gross but just smooth and had a nice protective barrier over it. 

Here is the picture just so you can see how bad it is, the redness has really gone down substantially and the soreness has disappeared. 

Sorry guys I know it's not pretty but there you have it. I will keep you updated as to how it heals but so far so good. 

Have you tried the green balm? Let me know! 

*Update* 3 days later and it's totally gone. This stuff is amazing. I'm going to use it for everything. EVERYTHING

Femmecup

First of all I would like to apologise to any family/friends/men or squeamish people reading this... This is your warning. Leave now if you do not want to read about my use of a menstrual product that collects bloods/fluids from my body...

All gone? Good. Lets continue...

These products are becoming increasingly popular with people who are sick of filling up landfills with tampons and pads full of their own fluids every single months and also people like me who hate using pads but have no choice because I find tampons so damn uncomfortable that my body just general rejects them...

I do alot of researching different products and reading reviews of products before purchasing and this product crept up a few times, I have been pretty intrigued by the prospect of something that can stay in your body for 12 hours at a time thus eliminating the need to change in a public restroom or leaking through onto your clothing.

Here is what it looks like, the femmecup. It retails as one of the cheapest reusable cups available at around £13 and will last for up to 10 years! Think of the money saved in those years by not having to buy disposable products!

Ok so here are my pro's:

Reusable (think of the environment, man)

Putting it in and forgetting about it for a minimum of 6 hours and maximum of 12 hours 

Can be used overnight

Has little measuring lines so you really get to know how much blood you lose a month

Are known to shorten cycles because the blood is less likely to clot inside your body

No odor as blood only smells once oxygenated

Con's:

The stem is shorter than most so makes it very difficult to grab and reach easily

You really do get to come to... ahem... know your body... and your cycle

I feel like I should put a small disclaimer here, the first time I used the product it felt fine, could hardly feel it in there. It sits much lower than a tampon so it is easier to insert and know its in the right place. However, and this is a big however, the first few times it is very challenging to get out. I'm talking one leg up on the bath with the other bent, bearing down and having flash backs of labouring my child before hearing an audible pop followed by giving birth to a slightly blood filled silicone cup...

After a few attempts its *APPARENTLY* easy to remove. I do have very short fingers and there was a moment of panic where I felt like packing my bags, leaving the country and starting afresh...

Would highly recommend though ;)

What are your experiences with the reusable cup of uterus fluid? Let me know in the comments!

*UPDATE* I have now inserted the cup 4 times over the day (not because I needed to but because I'm sort of fascinated...) and removed it 3 times. With each Insertion and removal it gets easier. I can now insert in a matter of a minute or so, and can remove in a few minutes. Something else to note is the strange feeling you get when the cup pops open once in position. Not painful or uncomfortable just strange. Like a small air punch to the cervix. I am NEVER going back to pads or tampons. Period. :P

Enjoy ;) 

Primark Black Silver and Pink Nails

Another nail review from Primark...

These little babies cost just £1 from Primark! After the last set of perfect nails which I also reviewed I decided to give these a pop. These are slightly shorter which is a bit more comfortable for me, means I can type and use my phone as normal, not to mention change my sons nappy without scratching or eye loss on his part...

Here is how they look:

Upon close inspection I have noticed a few imperfections, which I am guessing is why they are £1 but it really is on close inspection and I doubt anyone else would notice; such as a smudge on one of the black lines but I challenge you to find which one on the picture!

All in all I think they are great value nails, I'm not sure how long they will last as just had them done so will update this post when they come off, but I suspect a while as they are on nice and tight and the previous pair were fab.

Another great Primark product, rush out and bulk buy!

UPDATE: They lasted 8 days! 8 days for a pound, WOW!