This summer, during my stay in Bali, I took part in an amazing workshop. I leant how to use Asian plants of Bali and create natural cosmetics based on traditional Balinese recipes. All the timeI I am looking for inspiration to create even more interesting natural novelties for you. Bali is another place that inspires many people !
The workshop was about theory as well as practice. We found out what plants grow wild and which are harvested in Bali and what are their effects on the skin as well as the health condition of the body. The inhabitants of Bali appreciate natural ingredients very much. They do not use antibiotics very often. Basically all infections are treated with plant extracts. Doctors do not prescribe antibiotics here, but you can get them at the pharmacy without a prescription. As I have found out, native inhabitants do not buy them. They are available only for tourists.The mass cosmetics produced by big corporations have already arrived to Bali, but just like antibiotics they are bought mainly by tourists. Balinese women, on the other hand, very often use plants and plant derived oils to care of their face, body and hair. In Bali, we can also meet small shops offering natural cosmetics made of typical Balinese plants. I was very eager to know how they are made. That is why we chose the training that would help us understand the features of these plants and the rules of cosmetic formulations.Out teacher was Dewi, a graduate of Udayana University in Denpasar, specializing in botany and Indonesian agriculture. She was accompanied by several people, all of them came from local farmers’ families with practice of cultivation and understanding of plants from this region. By the way we visited the surrounding fields and gardens, where we could see how, in fact, grow traditional Balinese plants.During the workshop, we made four cosmetics by ourselves:
- Hibiscus shampoo
- Natural sunscreen
- Body scrub
- Boreh (balm for pain)
All the plants we used to create cosmetics came from the garden situated next door.
Below is a recipe for hibiscus shampoo.
Ingredients:·
- 7 fresh hibiscus leaves
- 3 fresh frangipani, magnolia or ylang-ylang flowers
- 1 thick, fleshy aloe leaf (about 5 cm in length)
- 150 ml of filtered water
- 3 drops of essential oil (sandal oil soothes, lemon grass stimulates)
Method:
Chop the hibiscus leaves into small pieces as well as selected flowers and place them in a large bowl. Cut the aloe leaf into thin pieces and add to the chopped leaves and flowers. Pour water and essential oil.Stir well and squeeze the leaves with your hands until the liquid becomes thick and soapy. Pour the entire mixture through a sieve into a dark bottle.The shampoo is also suitable for body washing. As it contains fresh ingredients it should be stored in a cool place and used within one month of being done.
We learned a lot during this training. New ideas have already been created in my head. I hope that soon they will turn into wonderful new natural cosmetics! Check it out at www.orientana.uk
