probiotics Archives - Our Greenish Life

Whenever I go for a facial I always dread that question:

“So… what product are you using on your skin currently?” … because I know I’m going to fumble over the answer.

Should I say:

a) (The truth) BUSTED. I use nothing.
b) Well… it’s been tricky because after I gave birth (blah blah) my skin did this weird thing with the… thing… and then I ran out of the whats-his-name and I just haven’t managed to get back into the groove with that other one I had… and so… (fumble, stutter, more fumbling)
c) I have a bottle of Environ at home (since 2003).
d) I swap between the free hotel travel size bottles, leftover soap goo and magazine sachets of nonsense.

Awkward.

And so the last time I went for a facial at The Little Green Box my skin was pampered with a brand I’ve had my eye on for a while, Esse (pronounced Essss). It was my 32nd birthday and I thought RIGHT. It’s time.

Starting a proper skincare routine is a bit like opening up a retirement policy. The earlier you do it the better the reward, and the less guilt you have to deal with later on. So, Happy 32nd Birthday me – Esse, welcome to my world.

Here’s why I LOVE Esse (and why you should too):

They’re local, certified organic, vegan, cruelty free and support fair trade.
They launched the worlds first LIVE probiotic serum (which is on my face this very minute).
Esse aim to create an environment on the skin that favours the growth of beneficial microbes so that they can out-compete pro-ageing species (I’ll take that – thank you).
They use prebiotics to selectively feed good microbes and have included probiotic microbes in some products to deliver specific results.
Their packaging is fully recyclable.
They have chosen the best of Africa’s plants to deliver potent new actives in their products. Their ingredients include Baobab, Kalahari Melon, Kigelia and Marula (and they smell amazing!).
PhytoTrade Africa oversees the sustainability of their wild-harvested ingredients and ensures that the rural communities that gather plants are paid fair trade rates.
They believe your skin is a complex ecosystem (and I love this way of thinking).

Long story short, I launched myself into the regular Esse range – which I loved… but my skin… well it was a tad unsure. Maybe it was the new regimented discipline of cleansing which knocked my skin off kilter (it had never been so loved on before) but something wasn’t happy. I wanted so badly to love Esse, but my skin was playing tug-of-war with me. So I chatted to Peta (Western Cape Esse trainer) at The Little Green Box and she suggested I try the newly launched Sensitive Range.

And now we’re on the money. This range is amazing. Amazing amazing. More than amazing. I’m currently using the Sensitive Cleanser (R360), Sensitive Serum (R650), Hydro Moisturiser (R480) and Nourish Moisturiser (R550) on my skin and I feel like a princess. I’m sure Kate Middleton uses this stuff.

If I’m honest – this range does come with a price tag I’m not used to paying – see point d) above (the whole thing about hotel bottles and magazine sachets). But I wholeheartedly believe that this is a range where the cliche ‘you get what you pay for’ rings very, very true. Should we not be paying a decent price when the products we’re buying and using are local, organic, of an incredibly high quality and have LIVE probiotic microbes in them? Not to mention the fact that they last a good while as you need to use so little of them with each wash. Retirement policy remember?

Here are my newest bathroom besties:

I particularly love the Sensitive Serum. This serum contains more than one billion live probiotic Lactobacillus microbes per millilitre. These microbes are activated on contact with water on the skin. Once active, they equip the skin to rectify imbalances and strengthen barrier function. I honestly don’t think it can get much better than that. This has to be the creme-de-la-creme of South African Organic Skincare products and it’s hard to imagine what can top it. Little eco, green, minimalist Debbie is well and truly overwhelmed with these goodies.

For more info on what Esse are up to on this beautiful journey. You can keep in touch with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I have Clayden’s distressing bum rash, Google and Wellness Mama to thank for my life changing approach to more natural, organic products and the difference they have made to our family.

This healthy blogger, Wellness Mama, kept on and on about kombucha… and I couldn’t pronounce the word, let alone bother to find out about what exactly it was. Then my friend Suvi offered me a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast) and a game of tennis and that sealed the deal. It was late last summer and I was desperate to get this body onto a tennis court.

So over Suvi came with her SCOBYs and her bottles and her brown/orange liquid with floaty bits in. We went through the first couple steps in kombucha making, headed down the road for some tennis and came back to finish off my first brew. A pretty splendid afternoon.

And I’ve been addicted ever since. Not only is this easy, but its low maintenance, really healthy and super flavoursome (you can play with adding so many fruits/juice flavours). My favourite being pineapple. Also, you feel like you should get a gold star for creativity in the kitchen.

What exactly is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented sweetened tea that has been around for centuries. It is slightly tangy and slightly sweet, and a great treat on a summer day. Kombucha can be double fermented into a fizzy soda with a slight fruit taste.

Kombucha contains high levels of antioxidants, b-vitamins, probiotics and glucaric acid. It has been reported to have a variety of health benefits including:

liver detoxification
improved pancreas function
increased energy
better digestion
improved mood (helps with anxiety/depression)
kills Candida (yeast)
helps nutrient assimilation

Lets give it a go then shall we?

My simple recipe:

3 litres water
3 or 4 teabags (orange pekoe/regular tea, or you can use Rooibos if you prefer)
½ – ¾ cup sugar (the best quality, most unprocessed you can find)
A SCOBY (preferably in some starter kombucha itself)

Equipment required: big pot, 3l glass jars, cheesecloth (or a dish cloth), elastic band.

Pour the water into the pot along with the teabags and sugar and bring to boil. Make sure the teabags have brewed their tea nicely and the sugar is all dissolved. In essence you’ve made really sweet tea. Remove from the stove and let it cool until it reaches room temperature (SCOBY’s are destroyed in hot water so be very sure you allow it to cool properly).

Once the tea is cool, pour it into your large glass jar and gently pour in the starter kombucha and place the SCOBY in the jar. Cover with cheesecloth and seal with the elastic around the neck of the bottle – allowing it to breathe but not letting the fruit flies in. Let it sit for 10-14 days. Put it aside, or in a place where you can forget about it for a while. (Interestingly I found that kombucha in SA brews SO much faster than in Canada).

After about 10-14 days, take a peek at the top of your bottle. You should see that your kombucha has formed a new thick SCOBY on the top of your brew. Then you know its ready(ish?). This is no exact science. Then you can decant your kombucha into smaller bottles (drinkable portions) and seal them up tightly to make kombucha soda. This is when you can add fruit (grapes/pineapple etc.) or a bit of real juice and continue to let it brew – remember to leave out of the fridge. This is called the Second Brew. This takes about another 5 days or so until then fizz up nicely.

And that’s that! Drink, enjoy, feel proud that you’re now a brew master, and repeat.

Wellness Mama has kindly researched for us, the benefits of drinking kombucha. Read all about it here. If you’d like to buy a starter kit – do so here 🙂

Tag Archives: probiotics

Esse Please!

Dare we suggest you try Kombucha?