Janey Loves: autumn 2017

This article appears in the autumn issue of MyGreenPod.com Magazine, distributed with the Guardian on 27 October 2017. Click here to read the full digital issue online

I love autumn. It’s a great time to enjoy nourishing foods and hole up by an open fire, but as the weather changes it can play havoc with your skin and hair.

Keep that autumn glow by exfoliating! It’s easy to make your own gentle exfoliating scrub by mixing a handful of fine oatmeal with a little water and sea salt – you can add a little honey, too.

Once your skin is clean, it’s important to put the moisture back. Being in centrally heated rooms can quickly make your skin dry and flaky and your hair brittle and frizzy. One answer is to get oily!

MOISTURE-LOCKED LOCKS

I love facial oils and serums, body oils and indeed hair oil. Even if your hair is greasy, applying oil could, surprisingly, be the answer to all your hair prayers.

Post-summer hair really needs moisture. Leading and award-winning organic hairdresser Tabitha James Kraan believes many of us have been ‘stripping the life out of our hair for years’, and says the simple act of putting the protective seal back onto the hair shaft with a natural oil treatment can change everything.

We must remember to brush our hair, too – if you’re a die-hard comb gal think again! Women of old knew this wisdom; 100 strokes a day was the average, but this level of time-sapping indulgence – however lovely – is probably not realistic today!

Give you hair a good brush (use a brush with natural bristles) then use a pre-wash treatment. Try the Scented Organic Hair Oil from Tabitha James Kraan (£38, 30ml) – it’s 100% natural and delivers a fine layer of oil that doesn’t feel greasy but creates a harmonious equilibrium, keeping the hair underneath it happy and healthy.

It smells amazing, and helps rebalance the scalp to slow down the over-production of sebum that makes roots look greasy.

Click here to find out why Tabitha James Kraan’s Organic Hair Cleansers are a MyGreenPod.com Hero

HEALING PLANTS

For your face try the Aloe Ferox Serum from Africology UK (£22, 30ml). It’s a great skin treatment from a company whose beauty products are inspired by the wisdom of Africa’s traditional healers, vibrant heritage, communities and plant life.

It’s good for skin that needs instant hydration, and even damaged skin that’s in need of a quick, deep dose of moisture.

Vitamin A, minerals and a potent mix of honey and tripeptides replenish the lost moisture and rehydrate, giving you back that glow. A little goes a long way.

Click here for more on how Africology is bottling Africa’s ancient wisdom