Toothpowder. What a vintage word and concept. It sounds like a product straight out of an apothecary. A stained old box that you’d see on a shelf in a reenacted historic home. But now it lives in my bathroom!
During this year of detoxing my beauty routine, toothpaste was one of my top priorities to recreate.
The array of tooth care products in the drugstore today is overwhelming: whitening, tartar control, extra-long breath freshening, sensitive teeth, with flouride or flouride-free, in different sized and shaped tubes, with a variety of flavors. Do we really need all that to take care of our teeth?
As soon as I started experimenting with homemade toothpaste, my boyfriend admitted that he was a bit concerned about it. While I won’t seriously hurt myself experimenting with shampoo and moisturizer, he … Read the rest of this post >>
 Cracker making seems a bit excessive when you can buy perfectly lovely crackers in the store. But in desperate times…
Last weekend I had a ton of broad beans leftover from my farm-share (CSA) box. I really like making this broad bean dip, but we didn’t have anything to eat it on. After some searching, I came across this cracker recipe and thought: 4 ingredients, 15 minutes, simple!
Unfortunately, this experience with cracker making left me less than convinced. Maybe there’s a reason (other than laziness) why we buy crackers? Maybe I just didn’t roll them thin enough? Maybe there was too much flour?
A few of the crackers got very golden brown and crispy in the oven – these were pretty tasty. But lots of them were just slightly chewy (not a good quality in a cracker). And some were still coated with flour, even after baking. … Read the rest of this post >>
 The beauty detox has officially begun.
I’ve cleaned out my cabinets and shelves. Offending beauty products are in the basement for safe keeping until next year.
I’m going to start with just the basics, and I plan to have a full, indulgent beauty routine reestablished by the end of the year – sans chemicals. At least I hope so. Because a year of just using soap, baking soda and vinegar makes me really depressed!
The four products I can’t live without
Keep in mind, I’m a product addict so this stripped down routine will not last long … but these are the very basics I need to get going!
Cleanser – Castile soap is an olive oil based soap about as pure as you can get. I bought a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s rose scented soap which can be used for body, face, hands, hair — just about everything! … Read the rest of this post >>
 Last night for dinner I had an Asian-inspired ramen noodle soup with sliced fresh mushrooms, miso, and applesauce.
Applesauce. Yep.
It was supposed to be homemade chicken stock, but in my haste to pull yet-another-square-container-frozen-solid-with-yellowish-substance out of the freezer, I inadvertently added applesauce to my soup.
Since I know you’re curious: Yes, I ate it (it was slightly sweet-sour. And very thick!). No, I’m not adding it to my recipe repertoire.
The moral of the story is that you HAVE to label all of your containers. This is important when stocking your apothecary, your homemade beauty boudoir or your freezer. I always harp on and on about the importance of labeling, and then this happens. Unlabeled applesauce and chicken stock, side by side.
No matter how much you think you will remember … trust me, there is a good chance you won’t. And while defrosting an unknown frozen food can be a … Read the rest of this post >>
 28 types of products. I hesitate to admit this number, it’s slightly embarrassing. And that’s not even the number of products I actually own … that number is far higher (115 to be exact!)… 28 is just the type of products that I use on a regular basis, that I’ll have to recreate during my Beauty Detox, or go without. I recently announced my year-long Beauty Detox. The first step is an inventory of everything I currently own and use. Partially to understand the scope of my addiction, but also to put these products out of sight for the next year (they’re going in a box in the basement.) It would be way too easy to fall off the natural-beauty wagon in a moment of (bad hair) desperation. … Read the rest of this post >>
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Friendly Reminder Please remember that I'm not a doctor or expert practitioner of anything we discuss here on Vintage Savoir Faire. I'm still learning and trying these traditional skills and remedies like you are. So please, speak with your doctor or a qualified herbalist before trying any traditional remedies. All the information on this site is provided on an as-is basis. Thanks!
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