I am not a fixer. I don't know many fixers. We don't live in a fix-it society - we live in a replace it society. I had dinner with family a week or so ago and there was talk of darning socks. Yes, some people still do it (granted, I doubt many of them are under 70!). I don't know how to darn, and quite frankly I don't want to find out - but it got me thinking about generational differences in attitude to how we use things. It seems that people bought up in times of plenty always expect to have plenty, and the concept of fixing things is pretty foreign to us. People who grew up with less seem to value things more. A broad generalisation? Probably.
On another note, my shoes broke today. At first I thought it might have been a glue job, but closer inspection revealed that the sole had broken in half. Not a glue job. Chucked them out. And I don't need to buy any more because I have enough shoes. But, having said that I really like the look of the boots that are coming in for winter. I suspect I am desperately going to want a pair. Am totally aware how much I don't need them and how superficial this desire is, but there you have it. I shall wrestle with my conscience until one of us wins.
On another tack - I will soon need to buy some moisturiser. Generally it is a cheap supermarket thing for me because I suspect that they are all pretty much the same, despite the promises of instant youth and beauty. Now I am beginning to think that I should be using organic (better for me, better for the environment, yada yada) and product that is packed in glass rather than plastic. Had a look at some - and nearly fell over at the price. But - a big bottle, it will last longer and the packaging impact will be less... I didn't really think this business was going to get quite so complex. Anyway, will make sure I wring the last out of the plastic bottle of petrochemically based supermarket moisturiser before I cough up for the good stuff. And you know, I somehow doubt that it will make the slightest difference to how I look.
I reckon it is time someone sued those cosmetic companies for false advertising - if they were to be believed there wouldn't be a woman around who looks a day over 23.
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I've recently had the same issues with fixing things: see here http://theshoppingsherpa.blogspot.com/2007/02/no-i-do-not-want-to-go-and-buy-new-one.html and the follow up here http://theshoppingsherpa.blogspot.com/2007/03/sigh.html
Re: the moisturiser you might want to have a look at the Living Nature range at www.livingnature.com. Or you could just buy a huge bottle of plain old fashioned sorbelene...
Steer clear of the sorbolene. You want petrochemical byproducts to be absorbed by your body?
Almond oil is cheap and good. And removes eye make up too - multipurpose product! And comes in glass!
Can you buy organic moisturiser with sunscreen in it? I figure maybe something with zinc rather than a lot of chemicals with long names?
The Natural Ingredient does a good sunscreen that doesn't have chemicals in it. There is also one in most health shops.. not sure of it's name... white tube.
I have stopped using my lovely glass bottled organic etc etc cleanser and begun to use... nothing.
Less makeup (still a little eye pencil, mascara and gloss) but less, and just wash with water under the shower. I only use the cleanser if I really can't get the mascara off.
And guess what. My skin feels and looks great.
After cleansing, I always used to feel I needed moisturiser. Now I don't.
I'm wondering if this is one of those things we have been convinced we need, and actually, if we stopped stripping our skin of natural oils and natural ph balance, we wouldn't need them at all.
And on sunscreens- hats and long sleeves are fantastic.
I have been using a swipe of olive oil over my face for a while now - I read about Italian women doing that and I know how good their skin is! Also I feel good knowing that I am not putting something totally unnatural on my skin which is then seeping into my body. I've also heard of people using jojoba oil, coconut oil, almond oil - really any sort of natural organic oil.
Perfect Potion do nice all-natural moisturisers.
And if you want sunscreen try here.
It's one for kids - but I always find those are less irritating anyway, and the ingredients list looks really good compared with anything else I've found:
grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, green tea extract, roman chamomile extract, sunflower oil, capric/caprylic triglycerides (plant oil derived), beeswax, lecithin, vegetable oils, cucumber extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) – active ingredient: zinc oxide 22.3%
While I'm all for a hat/long sleeves when you're outdoors and it's really sunny, I've got really pale skin and wear sunscreen every day - and I'd feel like a bit of an idiot wearing a big sunhat in winter! But you are sustaining UV damage in under 15 minutes even if it's cloudy.
making moisturiser is really easy. there are a lot of recipes online. the recipe I use contains almond oil, cocoa butter, gylcerine, water and maybe two other things. you can get most of the ingredients online or at the chemist. you just heat the oils in one container in the microwave and the water and glycerine in the other and then blend them together slowly. you can't tell the difference between that and shop-bought stuff and it is so incredibly cheap. you have to keep it in the fridge because it doesn't have preservative, but you use it up pretty quickly and make more.
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