Blackhole Cat Mat! Less cat litter tracking finally!

okay, I'm a geek and LOVE testing new products / stuff!

I've always had an issue with cat litter tracking.  Cat goes to pee / poop, and after climbing out of the tray, their paws bring a bit of the litter onto the floor.  A bit of sand doesn't matter, but when human or cat re-walks on said floor, the litter goes along, and scatters all over the house! plus it feels pretty yucky to walk on a cat littered floor.   It's sandy and uncomfortable, and worse when your feet are wet.  then the sand 'melts' onto your feet! yucky indeed!

No go with changing cat litter cos' pine like materials (Pee Wee and similar products)! While the bigger pellets are easier to sweep, my dear princess wouldn't have any of that chunky things underneath her dainty paws!  She held her pee for a day and a half and I got so worried, I immediately gave her normal clumping sand!  Crystal litter?  Once I saw a crystal stuck to her paw, and she was cleaning/licking her paw and I saw her swallow it!!!!  No point risking her health just so I can have a clean floor!

pellets too huge for princess muffins!

Muffins once swallowed a crystal - can't be any good swallowing this into her intestines right! so i stopped this litter! 

Fine, clumping sand litter it is (but i still don't like it cos' it's dusty and bad when they breathe it in, and also soooo much tracking).  I reckon the old school method of peeing directly into the gully would be most environmentally friendly cos' no litter is used and saves you money! but can be a bit messy if your cat is not careful.  Some also use a toilet bowl thingy for their cats, but Jackson Galaxy does not recommend it cos' you can't monitor the cats' pee and poo, plus when they are old, they might not be able to climb, and also if they are in a different place (e.g. vet or cat lodging), they might get stressed cos' they dun have their usual toilet bowl to pee/poop into, etc.  but in terms of environmentally friendliness and wallet friendliness, the gully would be best i suppose. Then again, that's not for me to decide.  The cats decide how they wanna defecate!  Okay, I'm rambling.....back to the cat mat...

No you don't change my cat litter without my permission! 

STILL a nice clean floor would be nice, just that it cannot involve changing princess darling's clumping sand litter! I subscribe to Hauspanther (oh, you should soooo join her mailing list! so many new recommendations and pretty things are featured on her blog! but you have to know how to restrain yourself!!), and when I saw the blackhole cat mat being featured, I was so eager wanted to get it!  But shipping from the US is soooo expensive and the exchange rate is not favorable now.  Surprisingly I searched on Qoo10 and there was a seller!  It was still ex, but shipping was so cheap! $2.50! from korea! so heck, why not.

Muffins checking out the parcel!  

I got 2 mats.  Parcel is bulky, but v light.  Mat was folded. 

Mats had some fold lines, but after using for a week or so, it flatten.  Ah Bai also checking out the mats!  He's a lot more accommodating to changes in his litter! 

I have been using the blackmore cat mat it for about 3 weeks or so, and i LOVE it!  Loads of the sand gets trapped in the holes, and even when the humans walk on it, the sand is trapped btw the 2 layers, and doesn't touch the humans feet or cat's paws!  so it doesn't get brought along to the other parts of the house!

positioned the cat mats where the cats usually exit from the trays! 

Quality
- other than a slight tinge of smell initially that went away after a few days (my nose is hyper sensitive to such rubber smells, but this was ok!  so you may not smell anything), quality is really good and top notch.  Nice sturdy mat, good quality stitching etc.  I saw muffins try to scratch on it, and I think it will definitely hold up cos' the mat is really quite sturdy and hard!  But if your cat's a crazy scratcher, then over time might fray i suppose!

Cost
- at SGD75 per mat, I find it expensive.  But heck for the convenient, comfort and quality, it is really a value buy especially if you are a tad OCD and hate tracking and the constant sweeping.

Comfort
- It is a little hard (aka slightly painful) if you stand on it for too long (when cleaning their pee/poop!), and Muffins initially hesitated and avoided the mat as far as she can.  Once I noticed her hesitation, I encouraged and praised her lots and guided her onto the mat, and amazingly she responded!  She is definitely more okay with walking onto the mat now, though she doesn't really like the feeling (probably a bit hard), but hey!  she uses it now!

-While it is not so comfortable standing on the mat for long, it is definitely more comfortable walking across a clean mat without the sand sticking onto your feet!


Pros

• Reduces tracking by quite a lot! I reckon 90%! 
• Cleaner house cos' less sand and dust over the house...which also means less frequent sweeping - esp good for lazy yet OCD peeps like me.;)  
• Easy to clean the mat cos' all you have to do is to pour it out (there are holes on either side of the mat).
• More comfort in terms of not stepping on yucky sandy litter left on the floor.
• Good Quality - good stitching, sturdy construction.

Cons

• Expensive 
• Probably need more than one mat.  While it is a fairly big mat, for my 3 litter trays, I needed minimum 2 mats to cover the areas. 
• Slightly uncomfortable to the feet cos' it can be quite hard if you stand on it for long. 
• If your cats are uber uber fussy, you might need to encourage them that the mat's not gonna eat them up! Lucky muffins was okay after some encouragement! 
• Not suitable for pee wee and super large granules cos they will remain on top of the mat!  I also use Oko clumping pine, and while much larger than clumping sand, 90% still gets trapped in btw the mat.:) 

such 'romantic' gifts.

you know you are a 'old' couple when you no longer buy traditional gifts for each other.

the husband's birthday is coming up and all he asked for was a water bottle for his birthday!  he showed me a photo of his office bottle (a neon orange plastic one), and immediately I said...

"Plastic! No!"

paranoid I know, but if I can avoid plastics touching my food, I will.  besides, it's easy to get a stainless steel alternative.

he was cool with metal ones, and a quick google unveiled the Klean Kanteen!  and what do you know - its available at 2 online shops in Singapore! Actually, you can already find s/s bottles at Isetan or the major shopping centres, but the capacity is too small, usually quite ex if its the branded ones, sometimes not clear whether it's stainless steel or just aluminum (depending on the design, you have to check how the inside lining of the bottle looks).  and more often than not, the design is just ugly - with over-the-top ugly patterns on the bottle or weird shape.

since the husband uses his bottle just to hold drinking water, the normal (uninsulated) one works for his needs. plus its wide mouth for easier gulping!  I got this from the good things - delivery is free for $60 and above.  unfortunately quite a bit of their Klean Kanteen stuff are out of stock.  blessing in disguise, saved me from unnecessary spending cos I already have a stainless steel one...albeit an ugly one esp since the outside sticker is flaking off like it's having an eczema fit (yah, i don't understand why they bothered with the sticker since I think it looks nicer without it!).  i added a couple of other stuff to make up the $60 and I just hit the mark!

The Klean Kanteen is a simple, no frills, minimalist bottle which suits the hb just fine!


Remember the Nature Mill composting bin I was lusting after? just a week or 2 ago, the husband sent me an article about composting taking off in Singapore.  In that article, it mentioned about the Smart Cara - a composter that breaks down your food in 4 - 6 hours!!!! Not even the already super fast 2 weeks taken by Nature Mill!

The Smart Cara (known as the Food Cycler in the US/Canada market) does not use the true microbial composting process.  It merely SUPER speeds up the decomposing process  by heating it up and breaking it into smaller pieces.  but it works well for me - a balance btw convenience and yet doing my small part for the environment.

The best part is that Smart Cara does not need any sawdust, nor baking soda!  no need to balance your greens and browns!  and you can compost anything (except for tough bones with pork and beef as you might damage the bucket), and they recommend not to put too starchy food in (e.g. rice, potates) and too much high sugar stuff (e.g. fruits) cos' it will turn out a mess in the bucket.  In korea there is some volume based disposal system, so the Smart Cara also helps families reduce the waste from their kitchen (and pay less disposal fee).

For me, I want to reduce my food wastage and reuse/recycle some of the kitchen scraps like vegetables, eggs, fruits scrap, coffee beans, tea leaves, etc.  As I am using it as compost for my soil, I don't use cooked/seasoned food in the SC as the salt levels will be too high for my plants.   so in a way, you still need to roughly know how to 'balance' your composting if you are reusing the compost for your plants.

Within a few hours of reading about the Smart Cara, the husband agreed to get it for me and I placed an order!:) So fast right!  So here it is!  My advanced birthday present! A compost bin!!!! soooooo unromantic i know! but I'm so thrilled!   Maybe I can restart my juicing again...;)

I have been using it for 3~4 times already and I love it so far!  Will post an post on it later!

coconut oil!

so there is a huge rave on coconut oil in recent years.  after being bashed for being unhealthy previously, now coconut oil is all the rage!  from cooking to applying to your skincare and even making toothpaste!

while i try to use simpler and natural products, i'm not that hardcore.  I went to a DIY skincare workshop before and while interesting, I'm not a fan of using oils as a cleanser (aka oil pulling cos' i don't like the feeling/texture) and prefer not to have vinegar in my skincare (no matter how much it is promoted...i really don't like the smell in general.  smells like wet clothes...and not in a good way).  ok, i digress from the topic of coconut oil... 

skincare made from mostly food! almond oil, coconut oil, brown sugar, oats, flour, etc. Vinegar, clay and essential oils too. 

so the reason why i got interested in coconut oil again was cos' of Jabba! My sister's adopted pug. Yes, what would you know!  a dog!! hahaha...this is a photo of the silly boy.:)  Pugs are not exactly my favourite, but he has a easy going personality and super affectionate in his clumsy way!  plus he likes me...so.....;)  then again, he likes EVERYONE!

Jabba! a happy dog!

I was dog sitting him a couple of weeks ago.  and Jabba always had an immensely STRONG dog smell (even my old boy Twinkle who passed away a few months ago doesn't smell as bad as him!).
I reckon cos' he has skin issues right from the beginning.  And while it has tremendously improved and is under control,  it is still not the best.  maybe food allergies causing his skin issues which contributes to his really strong smell.  even bathing every 3 days or so only lessens the smell for a while...and it isn't sooo good to bath your dogs too often too.  cos' you strip it of its natural oils. 

long story short, I noticed that Jabba had dry skin and someone who smelt him said he may have some yeast infection, so i did a quick google and coconut oil came up.  I have heard quite a bit about coconut oil and it being used on dogs, so since I had some, I applied on smelly boy....and WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW!!! His doggy smell lessen IMMEDIATELY!  no kidding!!!

i was a bit worried he will be all oily and smell like coconut oil (aei..i'm not exactly a fan of it...sometimes I don't mind it, sometimes I like it, and sometimes I don't like it....it depends on my mood), but strangely, he didn't feel the least bit oily (he has short fur though!), and no coconut smell! at least a very weak scent. I think his body odor and coconut oil cancelled each other out!

I'm super super surprised cos' it's super simple yet works where nothing else has!  of cos' it works for Jabba's dry skin and probably yeast infection....and merely controls the smell (he still has to go for food allergies test to get to the root of the problem).  best part? if he licks himself, I don't worry cos' not poisonous! in fact coconut oil can be ingested (in small amts lah)!

even my parents noticed Jabba didn't smell so bad! so when he went home, a bottle of coconut oil went home with him! ;)

Jarrow coconut oil has a nice coconut scent. CocoNurture has 2 versions...this is the 'milder' version good for baking and cooking.  haven't tried it yet...so can't tell.  but I do like that it's in a glass bottle! easier to dispense as well.  

if you are keen to try, do find one that is unrefined and expeller or cold pressed cos' the nutrients are retained and not damaged.   organic is preferable. but that's up to you.  I got the Jarrow coconut oil (organic and expeller pressed) on iherb - it has a nice rich coconut oil smell and smells quite good actually (as long as it's not applied on my body. yes i'm weird like that).   Definitely recommended!

p/s:  If you are shopping on iherb, please don't get the cococare one! it's cheaper, but smells weird and I suspect has been highly processed. if you want the benefits of coconut oil, get the jarrow one instead! I tried both before...and Jarrow is leaps and bounds better!

i personally don't recommend this brand.  esp after I tried the Jarrow one! 

Before you buy online, pop by to your local supermarket and check the price!  It might be cheaper at your supermarket! again, look for one that is unrefined and expeller or cold pressed!

there are many applications for coconut oil....you can DIY a super easy sugar scrub with just coconut oil and brown sugar, bake and cook with it (i used it for baking my granola!), use it in your own DIY toothpaste (you can google it! I'm not keen on that idea..), use it on your dog, or use it as a body oil! (I don't recommend applying on the face as coconut oil is supposedly comedogenic.  if you really want to apply on your face, please do your own research k!  cos' our face is super delicate and needs to be lovingly treated! ;)

composting. part 2!

after being all fired up about actually maybe composting, i went online to find a nice bin to see if i can get more motivated! ideally, small, un-obstructive and decent looking! and it should have some aeration so that the bin gets sufficient oxygen and doesn't end up smelling like a hot mess due to anaerobic process. 

couldn't find one that fit my requirements, and then I stumbled upon Naturemill!  GOSH! it seems EXACTLY suited for apartment composting!!!!

1. decently sized
2. looks sooooo slick
3. compost in 2 weeks!!! instead of months!!!

BUT it works on electricity though - it uses it to speed up the process by heating up the food wastes to the optimal temperature for composting and also it aerates it by churning the insides (this helps introduce oxygen and reduce the bad smell).

take a look at these pretties!!! if you see what's currently available for apartment compost bins (which ain't many), these are real stunners!  yes yes, i'm a geek.  I actually lust over a compost bin!!! 

 

Traditional Way

• during the compost class, we were told to layer greens and browns - to allow aeration and also probably to ensure the water is better mixed and not all gooey cos' water cuts oxygen and in the absence of the vital oxygen, it turns into an anaerobic mess...which means stink bomb! 

• also, it was recommended to  avoid adding meat to the bin. technically you could - but it was recommended NOT to add it in - to prevent rodents and insects.  

• and if you could, it was good if you could turn the compost every 2 wks or monthly...just to have everything mixed well, aerated (so it doesn't stink) and to speed up the composting process. 

• a bit of skill required for composting as you need to balance your 'greens' and 'browns', know when the aerate to ensure sufficient oxygen so your bin doesn't stink.   

• 2 to 3 bins.  cos' compost takes a while to breakdown, so you probably need more than a bin. 

• patience.  about 3-6 months generally for a home compost...cos' you need your pile to 'heat' up and for the bacteria and stuff to break it down. 

Naturemill

• you don't need to layer greens and browns.  you simply just throw your scraps anytime! the machine will churn and do its thing.   BUT you do need to add sawdust and baking soda to balance the compost and help the process along. also to reduce the smell. there is btw, a charcoal filter in Naturemill's machine! 

• you CAN add meat (cos' it is securely covered and the heat in the bin ensures the bacteria level is safe or something along those lines.  so.....)  BUT they recommend avoiding citrus, brocooli and certain food to avoid a stink bomb in your home. 

• you don't have to add any newspapers (I wasn't particularly keen on newspaper cos' of the ink..which may be lead based). you have to add sawdust or pellets.  if you have a carpenter friend, you can ask for sawdust waste...or you could use hamster bedding... or cat litter pellets (pee wee i think shd work fine!) 

• FAST! 2 wks and you get compost! instead of ~3 MONTHS via the traditional way.  so you don't need more than 1 compost bin!  

• Fuss free - throw in your scraps anytime. 

• Runs on electricity so you have to keep it indoors. it works outdoors too if you have an electrical outlet! and fingers crossed no one steals your bin from you! it's a possibility! 

Isn't it amazing!  but alas, the cost is high for me.  It's actually decently priced, but after conversion to SGD and the shipping costs, it is something that i have to mull about and lust after in my dreams for the moment.  One day i will get it!

after I saw the Naturemill bin, I personally reckon you don't really need to go for a lesson on composting! (i could have saved that SGD 80 and contributed to the bin hor...but ok lah. take it as an excursion with the hb)  you can if you are geeky and wanna learn more, connect with fellow greenies. if your main purpose is to reduce waste / compost for your garden or herbs and not so much interaction (aka anti social...which i am) - then I reckon you can just go ahead and get this beauty!  

the traditional method works great if you have your own land and enough space and HUGE loads to compost.  In Singapore, that's rare. I live in a apartment with the husband and don't have THAT much food waste to compost, and have limited space.  smell is also an issue cos' of the enclosed area, and stink bomb will really suck! 

composting! part 1.

you know the tons of fruit / food scraps you get each time you prepare or finish your meals?  every time I see the amount of fruit peelings left after preparing the husband's fruit lunch box, I feel a twinge of guilt as I throw it into the garbage.  living in a city and apartment - you don't learn how to recycle your food cos' mostly it goes down the rubbish chute...

photo from http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/

Recycling paper, plastics and other stuff?  in recent years, it's SOOO easy - recycle bins are all over the place and there is one literally a stone's throw away ( i have to throw the stone really hard...but yah. you know. very near).

Electronic waste? a bit harder...but a quick google and I found a bin in a nearby community centre!!! :)  i rather the items be recycled than collecting dust in my drawers. No use to anyone languishing there...

but FOOD? ney. nothing. na-da.  it always goes into the trash (except for the ground coffee beans...those go to my plants!).   I read and even you-tubed about composting before but just couldn't get round to it cos'

1. the smell!

• basically the idea of food decomposing/breaking down.... you probably know that smell when the rubbish collector whizz by in their machine or when you pass by a hawker centre's waste dispoasal area - WOAH! no thanks!

2. the bin.  

• WHERE to put it. indoors? YUCK. i rather not. outdoors? okay...i think i can put it somewhere outside.....if unobstructive  (i live in a HDB aka pigeon hole in the sky.  apartment living doesn't give you that outdoor space where you can safely put it so that the smell doesn't get to you...and the idea of something decomposing....) 
• AESTHETICS of the bin.  Yes, call me shallow, but i realllllyyyy don't get motivated if something's really unmotiviationg to look at.  
• SIZE of the bin. can't be too big cos' space is limited!

3. the idea

• well, you know. the idea of it in general.  it's okay to mess it up, but the messing up literally will STINK! and I (or the husband) will have to clean the stinky mess up!

so when I learnt about the Urban Food Farm lessons organized by Edible Garden City, I dragged the poor husband along for 2-days morning lessons over the weekend for the class on composting! (hey! better than sleeping in over the weekend right and someone stuck to the tablet watching tv series?;) )

The lesson was held at Growell Pop up @ Rowell Road.  Once you enter the quaint space, you are greeted by a amazing smell. shelves flanking both walls and rows and rows of microgreens! it just smells wonderful especially in the early morning. You kindda feel you stepped into a forest..that kinda scent.

you are greeted by shelves of greens and a wonderful aroma as you step in. 

Lesson was about an hour, followed by Q&A and a quick look at a compost heap they had at the back of the shophouse.   Much of the info can be learnt online...but you do get interesting info and tips along the way about composting and also gardening in general. the Q&As is also the time where you can bombard the speaker with questions.  If you are shy, don't worry - the other gardening enthusiasts will do the asking for you!:) and good questions too as quite a few of them are quite involved in the green movement!

Day 2 was held at Minden Road - Edible Garden City is creating a edible garden complete with huge ass compost bins for a upcoming restaurant 'Community Food Farm'.  It would be interesting to go back and see it when it's ready in May/ June!   We were taught to make a compost bin using materials around us...and after just an hour in the sun, I was completely depleted...and dying to leave!  I absolutely have no stamina....plus  i don't enjoy taking instructions esp if it could be done faster and more efficently.   As usual  the hb had more patience than me and gamely took it as it came...and i was getting grouchy. Yah....i have an attitude at times. 

All in all, it was an interesting course. Worth attending if you have the interest and time.  Wait for part 2 when i get round to writing as i chanced upon a wayyyyy easier and faster way to compost!

A church nearby...so unlike Singapore! So much greenery around, unblocked view of the skies and an old quaint building!

lesson starting

body butters, oils, creams, moisturizers

I have a slight love affair with skin care.  clothes and bags don't do much for me, but skincare? I LOVE!  It can be an expensive obsession though! little by little, it adds up!

Some years ago, I learnt about some of the horrible chemicals that goes into most skincare like EDTAs, parabens, etc.  A friend had a lump in her breast, and that was probably the spark that triggered me to be healthier (together with the fact that I once had a lump in my armpits - very likely due to the off-the-shelf deodorant that is filled with loads of nasties...).

So now the first thing I usually do (if i don't go gaga over their beautiful bottles and lose my logic!) - is to scan the ingredients list.  Not a bad thing actually...cos' most of the time, I have to put the bottle back on the shelf!  Definitely helpful in controlling my lust!

I have dry skin, and these months, the weather in Singapore is a bit crazy hot and I can literally feel my skin dry and slightly painful.  my skin's already dry and with the drier weather, I need help to moisturize my skin! and to top it off, my eczema on my finger is back!:(  boo hoo!  (read somewhere that eczema is amongst other factors - also due to a lack of omega 3 fish oils.  didn't do much research, but since I have fish oils in my fridge, I'm popping one everyday now! will see if it helps alleviate it!)

So in recents weeks, I slather on some body cream / oil / mositurizers.... so here is what's in my cupboard now!


1. Naked Organix - Sea Buckthorn body Butter

Sea Buckthorn, Shea Butter, Coconut oil, Jojoba Oil, etc....the ingredients seems promising, so I got it on iherb. .

Price: Fairly priced ~ USD10 for a small (107g) bottle.

Usage:  It's warm in Singapore so the body butter while solid is fairly easy to apply.  I would imagine in cold countries, it probably would be hard to dig into the solid butter!

Smell:  I find the butter....too food like!  not something i fancy (I also tried coconut oil directly...and definitely not a fan of food smells on my body).  A few times I used it before going out, and it made me self conscious. While the label reads "naked with nothing to hide" - I definitely felt like hiding when I had this on my body!  I probably smelt slightly weird!  So now I only use it at night just before I sleep.  so well...if I smell funky, only at night!

Moisturizing effect...it helps prevent my skin from getting drier, but nothing amaze balls....but i admit I'm a hard customer to please.

Order again?  While I love the ingredient list, I don't fancy the smell at all.  Personal preference.  I'll just finish this bottle and try something else in future. Highly unlikely to order again.



2. Soapwalla's Luxurious Body Oil 

Then I ordered Soapwalla's luxurious body oil from Living Naturally (p/s: Living Naturally has really good prices on brands that are hard to get in singapore!  not a wide range, but i go there for my soapwalla deodorant which I have since switched to Schmidt!  Really decent prices! I am comparing it with the normal retail price that the brands usually go for)

Price: Luxurious indeed!  I find it expensive for a small bottle ~ x3 times of the Sea Buckthorn Body Butter!  But I loved Soapwalla's deodorant and it was the FIRST natural deodorant that kept me from stinking super badly, so I decided to try their body oil.

This is what is mentioned

" a little goes a LONG way so start out with only a few drops. I don't use any preservatives in my products so they are much more concentrated than the usual skincare items you'd find on the market. Literally one drop will moisturize your hands and keep them protected yet grease-free for hours. This bottle will last for months."

Usage:  I think either I have very dry skin that greedily absorbs the oil or I might be using it wrongly?  I use it as a body oil, so minimally 5-6 drops for each limb (hey, I have long arms! and dry skin!) - and at the rate I'm using...about 20 drops each night - i think the bottle might be gone in slightly more than a month.

Scent:  when i first opened the open to sniff the oil...i was super disappointed. it wasn't amaze balls for the price (the price probably goes to the quality of the oils used...but it isn't exactly cheap so also did expect more scent wise too).  Surprisingly when I applied it - it smelt way better!  Don't really know how to describe the smell cos' it isn't a familar scent, but it doesn't smell funky like the Sea Buckthorn body butter!

Mositurizing effect: ok.  better than not using any body oils...but my skin isn't baby soft and silky after using it.  just normal.   disclaimer though, i do have quite dry skin...so this might work for someone who has more normal skin.

Order again?  Probably not cos' it is expensive for me. And I will try to see if i can find other body creams / butters.  The most I will use just coconut oil on my skin (while i don't particularly like the smell, for the price, I will slather it on when my skin cries DRY!)



3. Origins - Ginger Souffle, Whipped Body Cream

This was gift from the sister-in-law for Christmas.  A quick scan of the ingredients didn't yield anything that screams terrible. I'm no expert at reading ingredients, so if it doesn't have any crazy EDTA, parabens or weird names, I will use it.

Price: Not sure since it was a gift, but I would guess it would be a bit pricer since it's a well known brand and goes by a fancy schmancy name 'Ginger Souffle - whipped body butter'

Usage: Easy to use and apply!  Used it only maybe 3 times (that's why the bottle still looks so full!) until I got my soapwalla body oil.

Scent: Very gingery!  Great if you like the smell.  I was partial to it, but after a few times of using the other Ginger body wash and scrub, I actually quite like the smell!

Order again? I will finish using this.  Will definitely use if given as a gift...but to buy it myself - not so sure. I love trying new products and brands...so probably prefer to find some other items to test! But definitely like it so far the few times I used it.



4. Bio Oil

I bought this as I have a scar I want to get rid of/lessen the darkness.  A few friends swear by this, so I got it.

Price:  ~SGD15 for 60ml.  Reasonable.

Usage: Easy to apply...like any oil.  Absorbs easily too. Not greasy.

Scent: Smells alright! i quite like it.

Effectiveness:  It does work to lessen my scars - especially during the itchy months where my allergies flare and I scratch like mad - and my skin tears (dry skin tears easily!) and bleeds.  While healing, I apply the bio oil and really...the skin recovers well and the scarring is a lot less obvious than if i had not used it.  So it works if it's 'fresh' wounds.  my old scar.....seems to still be there, but seems to lighten a bit.    

Disclaimer: it contains mineral oils which some purist health advocates condemns.  While it works to lessen the scars, it seems to irritate the eczema on my finger, so I now apply only to the areas I want to lighten any scarring and the rest of the body.... I use other butters / oils.



5. DIY Body Butter

I DIY my own body butter after reading a few blog posts online.  Seems easy enough so I mixed coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, hemp seed oil and geranium essential oil.  You can use just coconut oil with shea butter - i added the rest cos' i had the ingredients so just dumped it in.  Mostly melt the butters and whip in a stand mixer.  Google 'diy body butter' and you will see a lot of pages will coming up with beautiful photos and instructions.  Mostly the same process - melt and whip.

Price:  Most of the items I already had. But I reckon not too expensive cos' the basic ingredients you can get in a supermarket and your local pharmacy for the EOs.

Usage: Very oily. I felt like a grease ball after I apply my own DIY body oil.  But could be my proportion.  Also due to the hot weather in Singapore, it is a little liquid like.  probably more shea butter to solidify it would work.

Scent: Smells decent cos' of the geranium essential oils that masked the coconut oil and cocoa butter!

DIY again?  for the greasy result, I reckon I will just use coconut oil directly (even though I don't like coconut oil! ) cos' no effort on my part needed (read: lazy).

Disclaimer:  If you have any medical conditions, please do read up on the essential oils if you plan to use them!  Some are not good for you if you are pregnant or have other medical conditions.  Also importantly, please read up on the dilution cos' too much EOs can burn your skin.  Remember EOs are highly concentrated, so please use with care.  And do not use on your pets without first researching!


So...as you can see, i'm still on the look out for a great body butter / moisturizer / oil / cream. whatever you call it!

okay, i'm a lazy bum. not been writing for almost 2 years!  ah well. typical of me. i get super enthusiastic and after my burst of energy, it dwindles into.....nothingness!  once i stop doing something - it stops for years before I have any slightest interest again!

now i shall revive this again! at least, let's see how long my attention span can hold!

the main purpose of posting is a place for me to ramble and talk about all my 'aunty' stuff -

• home stuff (home improvements, testing stuff, gadgets and stuff!), 
• skincare (oooo...soooo many products I wish to try, but it's good I don't have a crazy budget else I think i will have too many unused bottles lying around - it helps to rein in my crazy enthusiasm), 
• healthier living (i try lah), 
• simpler living (i LOVE decluttering and recycling, donating or throwing stuff i don't need. you know....this quote...

•  gardening (want to grow more edible plants...but no more space along the corridor which has decent sunlight, and as of today...my chilli plant looks really sad and wilting...and I dunno why!), 
• sometimes baking (which i enjoy but thoroughly hate the washing cos' my hands get really dry and my eczema flares up..so I don't do it as often. depending on my mood and also if the husband requests for his usual cookies), 
• my two darrrrling cats, 
• maybe books (i prefer non fiction and sometimes its hard to get your hands on a good book that speaks to you!) 
• ....and anything that I fancy

....so 'aunty' right. most of my friends are career peeps, and I highly doubt they have any interest in my housewife pursuits... so i don't bore my friends with stuff they have absolutely no interest in!


alright. this shall be a short post for what is to come...hopefully! hahaha...