Recycling / Upcycling?

so I have a bottle of wonderful smelling yet ineffective deodorant.   seems like a waste to throw the bottle away cos' it smells really good.  so i kept it around for a while, and recently, I found a nice way to recycle!

used one of the cermaic rose aromatheraphy thingy you get as wedding favors, and poured it in instead!

[caption id="attachment_1664" align="aligncenter" width="264"] Recycling deodorant![/caption]

honestly, i can't really smell any fragrance.  doesn't seem to diffuse too well through the ceramic rose.  maybe it's better off as a toilet spray...

on the other hand, i have another one with the body shop peppermint foot spray, and boy! did that mint up the back toilet real well!  a little too well cos' it was a tad powerful!

Yummy Salad @ Tossz, China Square

[caption id="attachment_1651" align="aligncenter" width="410"] yummy salad at tossz, china square![/caption]

Normally I'm not a salad person, but whenever I am in the area, I would pop by Tossz at China square cos' I find their salads amazing! (probably more that the selection that appeals to my palate).

Rocket salad, with olives, orange, apples, kidney beans and chicken peas. generously drizzled with their japanese something sauce! YUMMY!

floss

yes floss - the thing you use between your teeth.

funny how it can even be interesting enought to warrant a blog post.  then again, i'm a geek. so....

all along I never knew there was any difference in flosses - after all, it's just a string/thread.  how different can they be right?  and the price difference? I assume it was all just marketing and  branding.

One day, i absently minded bought the Oral B floss (despite its horrendous $6 price tag - probably a moment of weakness) and boy oh boy! Was I super surprised!  The floss was smooth, glided well between my teeth, and I didn't get any 'floss cuts'!  Yup, I actually get floss cuts from wrapping the floss so tightly round my fingers as the usual dental floss that I use are hard to get between the teeth and i need more grip.

so here are some of the dental floss i have used, and Oral B's the best out of the three.  It's close to $6 each at Watson/Guardian, and I am sooo happy to have found a much cheaper source!  $6 for TWO - at the supermarket near my home.  heh.  now i can happily continue to use good floss!

[caption id="attachment_1643" align="aligncenter" width="547"] dental floss that i tried![/caption]

 

Eco Dent Gentle Floss and Pearlie White are basically about the same.  Both were difficult to get in between the teeth and a few times, the floss got stuck and i got slightly worried cos' it was VERY difficult to get it out and I could feel tension on my teeth when it gets stuck - not a good thing for floss to be doing that.  I also got floss cuts on my fingers cos' it can be difficult to floss especially around the molars and I think i wrapped the floss to tightly around my fingers. heh.  I bought Eco Dent from iherb and Pearlie White from Guardian / Watsons.  sadly both don't work so great for me.

Oral B's the best! smooth, glides well between the teeth and I actually use less cos' I don't need so much thread to wrap around my finger for grip!

Ta-dA! review of dental floss.  yes - boring old geeky me. but hey! just in case you planning to buy some - now you know which is better!

DIY shampoo

Just the other day - the hb mentioned that he felt the shampoo I 'made' for him (essentially just diluted Dr Bronner Lavender castille soap) didn't work so well, and he felt that his hair didn't feel so clean.

so i googled this afternoon and found a really simple receipe.

• 1 tablespoon baking soda


• 1 cup water

that's it!  and its supposedly effective despite its simplicity.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="568"] a tablespoon of baking soda![/caption]

so I made a batch.  I like simple recipes so I don't end up buying loads of stuff which if I don't catch and control myself - tend to do at times.

What I did additionally included was some essential oils.  10 drops of 'Awaken the Mind' by Skin Pharmacy which smells fabulous!  The same one I use in the hb's hair gel.  It contains rosemary oil which is superb for hair.  so in it went.

[caption id="attachment_1551" align="aligncenter" width="458"] add 1 cup of water + 10 drops of your choice of essential oil. rosemary is good for your hair![/caption]

so how does it work?  dunno cos' i only just made it.  Will update again!

 

UPDATE @ 12 Feb 2013

shampoo's okay - very watery and no lather so it's hard to feel that your hair's cleaned.   The essential oils on the other hand - does make my hair softer though!  I was walking back home one day and felt that my hair feels softer after using the shampoo for about 3 days...

meanwhile, still on the hunt for a reasonable priced shampoo or a recipe for one that lathers better and makes me feel that my hair is cleaner!

Lip Balm for super cheap!

i suppose you know the feeling when you fly - lips start to become dry or crack due to the dry cabin air and you desperately need that tube of lip balm to rescue them?

for years! the same tube of lip balm always follows me whenever I travel.  this time when I was packing, I suddenly wondered if it was a good idea to use the same old lip balm since it probably had zillions of bacteria from the years of slathering it directly on my lips!'

remembering I had a tub shea butter from iherb a couple of months ago, I decided I would use that instead.  so i went rummaging through my cabinets for a small container to hold the shea butter, simply transferred some over with a butter knife and voila! instant 'new' lip balm!

oh, call me shallow, but a nice container helps.  it's a joy to use the lip balm from a pretty pink translucent container with gold screw cap.  Morale of the story?  Keep the pretty containers! only the pretty ones though!  the not-so-nice ones?  I recycle them.

[caption id="attachment_1531" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Shea butter I bought from iherb. Transferred into uber cute estee lauder sampler container gifted to me from mum who received from her friend![/caption]

thing to note is that as it's 100% shea butter, it is fairly solid and harder to apply, but once its on your lips, it glides since the warm of your lips helps to soften it.  Best part - you can use it on any part of your body - your hands / body!   sis tried it and was impressed. ha.

so its good for your skin cos' it doesn't contain any additives, and doesn't cost much (USD 12.24 for 227g!).  I guess why the normal lip balms cost so much is from all the packaging.   You can consider this the next time you run down your lip balm!

SuKin

I came to know about SuKin from a friend who recommended it cos' of its natural ingredients.  While its deodorant didn't work for me, I have been slowly testing some of their other products - some I love, some not so.

The ones I didn't quite like are their deodorant (probably cos' i'm too stinky, but it does work for my friend) and their rosehip renew shampoo (doesn't lather well, and somehow I don't feel that it cleans well, and I saw a lot more hair fall!  it's could be a cycle when we 'shed'. or i rubbed too vigorously - so it could be just me and not the shampoo.   regardless, it's a meh for me).

[caption id="attachment_1495" align="aligncenter" width="163"] Sukin shampoo and deodorant[/caption]

The ones I do love?  Quite a few actually - i particularly like their facial wash and rosehip oil! and their body oil is not too bad!

[caption id="attachment_1494" align="aligncenter" width="595"] SuKin products I love![/caption]

Their foaming Facial Wash smells heavenly (then again, most of their stuff smells quite similar), washes decently - doesn't leave your face dry.   When you need a light refreshing facial wash - this does the job very well.  Very reasonably priced too - esp when you get them on promotion.  I got two bottles at $17 and I reckon they last probably a good 3 - 4 months.   Convinced my sis to change to this cos' it's a healthier and safer wash and she ended up loving the smell too.  Good price and good for your skin too! well, why not?

The other product that seems to work for me is their rosehip oil.  I NEVER ever thought I would use oil as a moisturizer, but it works for me!  it's supposed to be for more mature skin.  I have dry skin and I guess 30+ skin is mature?  and the best part is - it doesn't feel oily AT all!  it's a dry oil - meaning it absorbs really quickly, and I do feel my skin looking better than when i used other moisturizers.  so i'm sticking to this for a while!

I bought their bodyoil when there was a 20% and i was pleasantly surprised to find that it came in a glass bottle! it had a normal cap, and they even provide an extra pump dispenser.  boy - I as superbly impressed by the thoughtfulness.  and it wasn't too expensive - $17.52 after discount - given that other body moisturizers are about the same price too.

the next few I might wanna try?  eye serum and the other shampoos. let me finish my current shampoo first loh!

the hb laughed heartily AT me!

this evening while I was watching TV, the hb walked over, looked at what I was doing and started laughing.

you know the uncontrollable 'i can't believe what you are doing' laugh?  yeah.  that kind of laugh.

cos' I was sitting at the sofa....folding these I got from Vietnam

[caption id="attachment_1461" align="aligncenter" width="521"] bunch of washed tea towels[/caption]

into these

[caption id="attachment_1464" align="aligncenter" width="614"] folded tea towels![/caption]

i knew what he was thinking...probably along the lines of 'wah. you got nothing better to do?'   sigh.  the ridicule I have to put up with - while trying to be more environmentally friendly!  anyhow, I'm starting this small experiment to see if I can reduce my reliance on paper towels to be more environmentally friendly.  it does seem wasteful to throw the paper towels just to wipe my face or bowls and plates.

paper towels are still indispensable though! like clearing shit from the floor when my cat decides she doesn't like the litter tray (I say cat when i have cats cos' really only one of them is super fussy.  she's the princess), or when they puke out their hair balls (strangely looks like shit too!).  so let's see how.  i hope i can make the switch!

oh, and here's a photo that inspired me! the ladies in Hotel Nikko Saigon!

haul from iherb!

heh!  please indulge me and allow me to blabber on about my loots!  yes, i'm aware it does seem like i'm on a shopping spree recently, though they are generally household items and healthier alternatives to the commercial detergents.

my parent's order from iherb arrived a couple of weeks ago, and take a look at the hauls!

[caption id="attachment_1441" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Hauls from iherb.com![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1442" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Dr Bronner's Soap! My cousin mentioned that I could open a shop! only 1 bottle is mine - the rest are for my parents and sis.[/caption]

as you already know - I am switching all my hand wash to Dr Bronner's cos' it has less nasty chemicals.  My parents got the Rose Hemp and it smells really nice!  a little bubble gum like smell - in a good way.  Managed to convince my sis to change too and she got the eucalyptus and lavender.

[caption id="attachment_1444" align="alignleft" width="205"] Magesium Oil[/caption]

i got magnesium oil for myself -  see link for what it's supposed to help you with. for me, I mainly wanted to improve my sleep quality (cos' i wake up an average of 3 times per night!) and boost my energy level cos' I feel lethargic and sluggish at times.   I rub it to the base of my feet and the 2nd night I did it - I actually slept throught the entire night w/o waking up!!!

While on holiday I didn't bring it but still managed to sleep well.  Back home, I was lazy to apply (cos' I slept well on holiday so figured doesn't hurt to skip it), and the past 2 nights - i woke about 3 -5 times.  Sigh.  Not quite sure if it's cos' I didn't use the magnesium or the late afternoon coffee or the later nights i sleep.  probably a combination of all I suppose.

oh. you might like to know that you can use the magnesium oil as a deodorant!  they say to spray it directly on your arm pits, and smell-be-gone! Haven't tried that yet since I still have my Soapwalla deodorant.

There’s also pet shampoo, dental floss and shaver blades - quite amazed at the range that iherb has!

Now I know why so many people love online shopping.  if done properly and at the right places, it yields a lot of cost savings than from buying retail!

oh.  only thing - this time round, the delivery took 2 whole weeks before it arrived.  maybe cos' it's was during the new year?

See what greeted me when I came home from Vietnam!

oh yes! before I forget - this was what greeted me when I came home from Vietnam!  beautiful ain't it!  sooooo many flowering buds! so pretty.

What a lovely lovely sight - to see your plant flourishing!

[caption id="attachment_1435" align="aligncenter" width="410"] flowering buds![/caption]

the BEST laundry solution for me so far!

a few years ago, my dad bought me a laundry ball.  supposedly you  throw the ball into your laundry sans detergent, and it would well...do your laundry.  only thing? it didn't do it so well.  and i am embrassed to say my sweat's pretty potent especially on hot humid days...which is  320 out of 365 days.

so back to the normal detergent i went.

[caption id="attachment_1425" align="aligncenter" width="360"] This was the exact one my dad passed me.[/caption]

and then recently, my skin started acting up again - the usual itch on my arms.  have no idea what might be causing it since I am already using a milder body soap, don't use too much detergent in my laundry and generally been eating the same.

so in my usual mindless surfing (sometimes the hb asks what I'm doing...and really - it's fb, blog, emails and just mindless surfing...which in my defence, unveils some gems at times!), I chanced upon soapnuts.  so I asked my beloved google search and it said that soapnuts were supposedly better for sensitive skin, reduces your need for fabric softener, environmentally better, economical, and blah blah blah.

since it's good for my skin, the earth and my health. oh what the heck - i went to get some nuts. here, take a look at my nuts!  *yes yes, i AM corny*

[caption id="attachment_1429" align="aligncenter" width="614"] soapnuts![/caption]

I wasn't pinning too much hope on the soapnuts to wash well given the dreadful experience with the laundry balls.  And after trying it for a couple of weeks, they actually turn out to be not too bad!:)  clothes ARE cleaned (no sweat smell), and they really are soft despite not using fabric softener! and pyschologically  i felt better not using the normal chemical detergent!

it's really simple - all i did was pour boiling water and let soapnuts seep (about 5 - 7 soapnuts), and after ten minutes, throw the water into the washing machine, and the bag of soapnuts as well, and just wash as usual.

there is a vinegary smell of the soapnuts.  took me a couple of wash to get used to them but once the clothes are dried - the smell is gone.  so really - only the smell ain't so great.  you could use essential oils, but i think it's such a waste to use EOs on clothes.

oh and my itch?  ney. it's still there.  wonder what's causing it!

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam!

Over the weekend, my sis, the hb and I flew to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam for a short holiday.

We didn't go for any city / historical / educational tour - so it was really a shopping and eating trip!  It was really relaxing and I had a good time - partly cos' it was all planned by my sister so all i did was to just follow (its wonderful when you can switch your brain off), got to actually shopped for clothes i needed (thanks to my sis - cos' if not for her, I probably would have been turned off by the squeeziness and the crowd! since I'm with her gotta follow right? ha.), bought some household items for the home for cheap (yes, I feel that I'm becoming an 'aunty'), and also cos' i realized I didn't have to worry about the business since I closed it! (I believe that everything happens for our best interests more and more each day!)

We stayed at a really nice hotel - Hotel Nikko Saigon.  There was a promotion and it was just USD 310 for 2 nights, including an extra bed!  a superb deal considering how great the rooms are!  check out the photos!  plus they had jacuzzi and spa facilities which you could use!

[caption id="attachment_1403" align="aligncenter" width="737"] lovely bed and comforter...though the pillows were a little too soft for my liking![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1405" align="aligncenter" width="717"] toilet was really nice! there is also a shower which i didn't take a pic of.[/caption]

I went Hanoi before and it was a lot smaller and easier to quickly navigate around.  Ho Chi Minh by contrast is huge! and despite usually preferring a quieter location for holidays - somehow I preferred HCM.  It was strangely cleaner than Hanoi.  Also, in Hanoi, the cars and motorbikes were ALWAYS honking and the noise level was quite unbearable.  Traffic in HCM is still busy and messy but way less honking and less noisy (maybe cos' space is also bigger).

Exactly cos HCM was way larger - you need to know before hand where you wanted to go for the specific things you wanted to get.  Clothes / laquer ware / paintings.  I just followed my sis and told her what I wanted to see.

My hauls?

• 8 tee shirts / SGD 6 each


• 4 tank tops / SGD 3 each


• 2 dresses / SGD 12 - 15.  my sis got more proper dresses about SGD30 or so)


• 1 leather pouch / SGD 24 and quality is really good!


• 50 tea towels (yes, 50.  I'm trying to reduce usage of paper towels to be more environmentally friendly...and tea towels in singapore are ridiculously priced!  I got the 50 pcs for only SGD 6!!  Here, I'll probably have to pay about four times more!)


• 2 bath mats (for the fun of it.  i could have got it at about the same price here at home).


• Laquer ware and plate / SGD 50 for 4 pcs.

Shopping was a lot of fun cos' it is crazy cheaper than back home and I think I got my casual clothes shopping done for the next 2 years!  Of course you need to know where to go and to check the prices at each stall if not the stall owners will naturally try to make a neat profit from you.

also got other stuff for the family (coffee, shawls)  here's a photo of only the clothes for four people (my sis, her friend, my mum and myself).  Naturally the shopaholic sis owns most of the clothes. She was one happy happy shopper!

[caption id="attachment_1410" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] shopping hauls! clothes for sis, her friend, my mum and myself![/caption]

i love my plants!

I never quite considered myself a person with green fingers.  In fact, I always thought that I wasn't so great with plants cos' for the very few times I had plants - they didn't flourish that well.  So you can imagine my delight when I saw my lipstick plant flowering!:) ain't it so pretty? :)

I guess all it takes is some love - that bit of attention and effort....and probably the sweet potato water I watered it with! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOva-VJXJJQ

itchy itchy itchy!

these past few days I've been plagued by a horrendous itch!

and i suspect it's the sweet potatoes I've been eating.  not a 100% sure, but that's the only difference since the itch started - which is kindda sad cos' I am trying to switch to a healthier middle-of-day/midnight snack rather than the high sodium campbell soup and not-healthy instant noodles.   anyhow, i'm laying off them and hope my itch goes away!

i try my darnest to resist scratching but ooooo....the instant relief is so irresitable...initially!  then that gives way to pain since your skin can only take so much abrasion.  no fun.

anyhow, if you ever suffer from an unbearable itch, you can try what I did...

1. ice cubes!  in a plastic bag and apply to your itch area and waaaaaahhhh.....instant relief!



2.  lotions

between the calamine and tea tree antiseptic cream - i actually prefer the calamine - it is a chalk like liquid, and when it dries - i find the powdery film left behind actually acts as a layer of protection from my fingers when I go into auto scratch mode!

The tea tree provides only mild relief but it's good if you need to get out of the house and don't want people staring at you - wondering what's that white film (that the calamine lotion leaves behind) on you!

[caption id="attachment_1243" align="aligncenter" width="534"] my life savers![/caption]

okay - i shall sign off now and go back to applying ice!  arrrrghhhh....so itchy!!!

holidays

the hb, sis and I are heading to Vietnam for a short weekend trip soon and my sis being the one pulling it all together - sent me some info on travel insurance, and on the places she had planned to visit....and it hit me that I was so darn laid back!

only a couple of years ago - when I was about to take a vacation - I would be thrilled!  once, I even started packing 3 weeks before the trip!  now?  probably the night before.   Over the years, the hb and I have become more relaxed when it comes to holidaying - more chilled, no more frantic planning on where to go, what to do, what to see.  after all, a holiday is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

One of the holiday I enjoyed the most - was one with some planning, and then allowing each day to evolve naturally.  Of course it helps that there were TONS of stuff to see.  Anyhow, I'm just SO happy my sis is pulling the trip together...and all I have to do is to turn up!:)  I admit, I'm a lazy bum. Maybe i shall take the dslr along to improve my photography skills!

toxics in our daily products and an easy way to change

over the past few months - i slowly but surely embarked on a quest to become healthier - in terms of the things I use in my house.

many reasons - big and minuscule led me to this journey.  started when a friend had health scare which made me more particular about certain ingredients in my deodorant. partly I was trying to reduce consumption, simplify my life, have more time to read and also of my easily irritated skin.

it can be kindda scary when you first start noticing the ingredients in your daily products - from your shampoo, body soap, hand wash, etc and see the list of scary ingredients.  aluminum, parabens, tricolsan, etc.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfq000AF1i8&w=560&h=315]

So I started to see if I could replace the commercial products without burning a hole in the pocket.   and the happiest thing i found out??  switching to a healthier option - does not need to be expensive!  (you know when you step into organic shops that tout to sell healthier products?  ironically i get an unhealthy heart palpitation when 1 see the prices!)

In fact, if you shop at the right places, it can actually be even cheaper than the commercial stuff at supermarkets!   I've changed my hand soap, and am in the process of doing it for my parents too -  shared the info with my sis and cousin too and when they realised that it's a healthier option which is also more economical and smells darn good as well - it was easy for them to start trying.  some stuff I DIY - like my husband's hair gel which in fact made his scalp smelll wayyyyy better and in fact he said his hair is softer!  There are more I wanna try - just haven't start on it yet!



So I started a page to list the places where I shop - as my own personal reference list and also to share this info with you.  At the moment - both stores are online shops so they are able to provide better prices generally.  Will be building the list as I go exploring around!  Go check  it out if you are keen to start greening de-chemicalizing (yes, my own word) your home and whether it can help you save that bit too.

for your info, I am not a hardcore wellness person (at least at this moment) - I seldom buy organic stuff (maybe only 10%?), have stuff I'm unwilling to give up  my morning coffee!) and probably have a couple of products that I intentionally don't screen cos' i don't want to know...yet!  (like my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Recovery Serum cos' it helps heal my skin when I have those annoying pimples!), household products I love (bleach! to kill those nasty flies that reside in the drainage holes and for my toilet bowl), etc.

so I am by no means an expert.  My intention is very simple - reduce the nasties in my life and for my family so that we can stay healthier.   I would encourage you to try it - it takes just a little initial effort and the benefits of a healthier body / environment?  priceless.

DIY soap dispenser!

Was totally inspired by a beautiful DIY soap dispenser I saw yesterday - a Jack Daniel's bottle, transformed into a soap pump!  beautiful isn't it!

[caption id="attachment_1170" align="aligncenter" width="408"] beautiful soap dispenser! check out the original post!:) http://curlybirds.typepad.com/curly-birds/2012/12/quick-gift-jack-daniels-soap-dispenser-.html[/caption]

and i managed to do one myself!  ain't as pretty as the Jack Daniel's, but hey - it was fun!

[caption id="attachment_1173" align="aligncenter" width="614"] while not as pretty as the Jack Daniel's version - it's pretty good too![/caption]

tiring fun day

Today the hb and I cycled to a flower shop near our home and got a bigger pot for our plant, more soil and a lipstick.  Yup, you read it right - we got lipstick from the florist.  Here's proof!:)

[caption id="attachment_1152" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] see - lipstick![/caption]

okay....i'm sure you are curious and wanna take a look - here's the lipstick we bought!:)

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[caption id="attachment_1154" align="aligncenter" width="768"] pretty ain't it?:) the flowers are flute like - very pretty.:)[/caption]

kekeke...the lipstick is actually a plant.  it caught our eyes cos' it looks so pretty with the leaves overflowing down...and it sold itself when we saw the pretty flute like flowers!  :)

We went to the florist cos' my neighbour was telling me that our plant needed a bigger pot as the roots were not having enough space - so we went to get a bigger one.....and i re-potted it all by myself!   but i sure stank like crazy after all the cycling and re-potting!:)  what a simple yet really fun day!

[caption id="attachment_1155" align="aligncenter" width="768"] from a boring red plastic to a nice black (and bigger) ceramic pot - i hope the added space and fresh new soil will help it grow better![/caption]

Super Cheap Window Cleaner!

So last night after midnight, brain still on a high from a late afternoon caffeine dose - I saw my toilet mirror splattered with stains...water marks from flickering hands, splash marks from toothpaste and some teeny tiny dots - probably spots from flossing.  hahaha...yes yes, pretty gross stuff.

I usually whip out my Magiclean window cleaner and do a quick wipe down (oh yes, I clean the mirror in the wee hours of the night - in fact that seems to be my favourite time to do it! weird I know, but it's simple, fast and therapeutic 'exercise' before sleeping!)

[caption id="attachment_1139" align="aligncenter" width="571"] Magiclean Window Cleaner - cleans well though it has a strong smell and I usually try to stop breathing while using it. Best to use in a ventilation area.[/caption]

This time round, I decided to try a DIY solution which I saw on the web - a combination of just water + vinegar.   I mixed 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water and sprayed away!  It works almost as well, and doesn't have the chemically smell.   It doesn't smell good cos' it's vinegar, but at least I get to breathe while cleaning!

[caption id="attachment_1090" align="aligncenter" width="527"] 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water! that's all! and yes, the vinegar's expired a year and a half ago - but I use it only for cleaning so I'm still using it![/caption]

What i love about this new cleaning method?

• Cheap - I bought the cheapest white vinegar there was since it's only for cleaning and not for food and cost less than $2.  Spray bottle's only $1 from the neighbourhood hardware store.  The Magiclean glass cleaner was probably about $2/$3.


• Effective - It works about the same as the Magicleaner but my windows are not dirty dirty - just needs a simple wipe down to take away the water marks.


• Better for health -  Since it contains only water + vinegar, I don't feel so paranoid and can breathe while cleaning!  Magiclean's ingredients are surfactant and solvent...and anything can go into that

What I don't love about it?

• Smelly - well, cos' it is vinegar.   Then again, the Magicleaner  doesn't smell good too.   So I guess between smelly and no health effect VS smelly and possibly bad for health  - I'll stick to my new method of cleaning the mirrors!   But I'll definitely keep Magiclean's spray bottle!!

In a nutshell, while there is some savings - the main reason why I am switching is to make sure my body doesn't breathe in any nasty chemicals!

Malki Black Mud Mask Soap

It's hard to buy my dad presents cos' the things he loves are gadgets and electronic stuff....and I know nuts about them.  My eyes go a dead blank when my dad enthusiastically tells me the exciting new features of his latest purchase.  i try to listen, but man...it can get hard. probably the same way his eyes go blank when I enthusiastically tell him how i helped cleaned his flat.

So I was pleasantly surprised when my dad loved a small gift that I bought him...and surprise surprise...it's not any electronic stuff.....it's a bar of soap!

I bought a Black Mud Soap for my dad about a year or so ago to try, and he ended up really loving it!

[caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Malki Black Sea Mud Mask[/caption]

I was pretty surprised by his enthusiasm  - he says his skin feels very clean after he uses this soap, and even uses it as a shampoo!

Also got one for the hb to use - to replace the commercial facial wash and when I asked him "how?" - he had the most boring answer "ok lor".  and "ok lor" from the hb is a decent rating.   And surprise surprise - it double ups as a shaving cream too!  I read it online and asked him to try it  just last week and he says it works!  So now he doesn't need to use shaving cream loaded with hard-to-read-and-understand ingredients!  and saves money too from one less unnecessary purchase!

Personally I don't have any personal preference for the soap.  Works alright for me, didn't do anything out-of-the-world for me.  Smell?  I don't like it (it is called mud for a reason) But I guess this soap works well for people with oily skin like my dad and hb.

You can get the bar from Real Foods or Zenxin, but it's really really expensive at $17.80 per bar!   My dad ran out of the soap really fast, so I went to search if there was a cheaper option and I managed to buy it online for about a third of the price!!! and that is even after currency conversion and shipping (then again, I did buy 30 bars to make shipping viable!).   I just checked and the company I ordered from went....bust!  Lucky I got it early!  I guess I will have to start my search again when my dad runs low...which will probably take a while!