Como Shambhala ♥

Your Body Your Temple; Your Mind Your Sanctuary.

Amma has a back problem that she has had for a very long time owing to an accident at work a few years back. She has been to India twice for treatment in Kerala at an Ayurvedic stay-in location. This has given better positive results when compared to our NHS; the reasons are irrelevant. Fact is, it comes down to herbal remedies over corporate drug remedies any day if operations are not required. And, this is where body oils specialised by Como Shambhala comes in. I was shopping online one day and came across these oils. I did a few research about Como Shambhala and thought I have to give this a try – so glad I did!

Como Shambhala is a chain of hotels, resorts, and retreat centres. Their mantra advocates for proactive holistic wellness, combining modern science with ancient healing. They follow a philosophy with inspiration stemming from mythological roots; in ancient Buddhist texts ‘Shambhala’ refers to a sacred place of serenity and bliss.

The first centre was started in the private island of Turks and Caicos in a place called Parrot Cay. The owner, Mrs Christina Ong, has successfully developed the brand in which the company now owns 8 retreats and 5 urban escape sanctuaries across Asia, Europe, and America – the most popular one being the Como Shambhala Estate in Bali, Indonesia. Looking at the pictures below is no wonder it is the most popular one! (definitely have to take Amma one day!).

Jamie Beck & Kevin Burg visit Bali’s natural wonders resort Como Shambhala in Ubud.

They also have two branches in COMO Metropolitan London (Mayfair) and COMO The Halkin London (Belgravia) with prices ranging between £200 – £700 per night depending on time of season. The Estate in Bali is also around the same price mark.

COMO Metropolitan London (Mayfair):

mm847_CSUE Como Shambhala Urban Escape at the Metroplolitan Hotel London

COMO The Halkin London (Belgravia):

The Body Oils

Aside from oils, they also specialise in body care (lotions, shower gels, scrubs, bath salt, bath milk, hand wash, and soaps), hair care (shampoo and conditioners), and clothing which are targeted for active living such as yoga wear, bags, hats, and shoes.

Their specialisation resides in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is:

the practice of using natural oils extracted form flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.

The inhaled aroma from these “essential” oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing.

– Aromatherapy

This is the unsurprisingly the best part: the oils produced by Como Shambhala are free from harmful substances. Sodium Laurel Sulphate, parabens, silicones, and synthetic substances including artificial colour and fragrance are no where near these divine products. The oils that you can buy online are the same oils as used at their retreat centres which varies from blended essential oils, massage oils, body oils, and balms.

I got mine from Beauty Bay which retails around £12.00 for 50ml and £15-£18 for 100ml. Amma loves these so much that it is now a routine that I massage her back with these oils every night when she goes to sleep. She explains it creates a warm feeling which although is massaged onto one spot can be felt all over the body. Her back muscles relieve tension making her to relax and sleep easier. Although, it contains no added fragrance the natural aroma of the oils mixed are so sensual. Each aroma is appropriate for what the oil is intended to do: Invigorate (feel refreshed and ready) which contains eucalyptus and peppermint, calm (relieve mental stress and relax) which contains lavender and thyme, comfort (relieve physical tension and relax) which contains lavender, nutmeg and cedarwood. These three are the most popular kinds while they also have other focuses such as shelter, harmony, and purify.

All oils claiming to possess the essence of peace may seem to all contain the same thing and so sound very monotone where no one brand is truly standing out. This, however, I believe to be unique. Try it and let me know how you found it!

Hair Oil Routine: Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, & Amla Oil ♥

Teasing, backcombing, and bleaching are words synonymous with my teenage years when it comes to my hair. My hair was, and still is, my pride. Not even makeup. My hair. So I would do whatever I needed to do to achieve the hairstyle I wanted. As a result, I lost a great deal of hair. Hard times. BUT, it is all goooood now. My hair today is healthy, thicker, and much stronger (even without the occasional teasing). How? Because of this oil routine. I use three oils in one sitting:

1. Coconut Oil

I am sure this oil is no surprise. I recommend getting the ‘extra virgin coconut oil’ if you can get yours hands on it, otherwise pure coconut oil is good. I got this because I had no other choices or places to go in Lancaster (a small town where I went for university). The best aspect about coconut oil is its penetrating ability of the hair follicle where it can effectively remove the build-up of sebum (Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005), thus preventing hair breakage (ibid, 1999). Sebum production is the release of natural oil from the sebaceous glands onto scalp to prevent dryness and keep your hair moisturised. However, too much of this can cause hair loss owing to build-up. The antibacterial properties is what also prevents the infections of hair follicles hence why this oil is hailed to promote hair growth. Coconut oil contains high concentration of vitamins which is great for shiny and healthier hair!

2. Amla Oil

I get my Amla oil from Dabur in the ‘Gold’ version just because it also has Almond oil and Henna (Almond is similar to Amla oil). Amla is an Indian Gooseberry found in the Indian subcontinent and in the Middle East.

Image result for amla gooseberry — *Emblica Officinalis*

Just like coconut oil, this oil is also high in essential fatty acids as well as nutrient contents: iron, vitamin A & C, fibre, potassium, calcium, and magnesium – vital goodness for shiny and strong hair strands! (Dillon, x). While henna does moisturise hair, it also lightens the hair a shade or two over time. If you rather not have this, then you can purchase the original package which only contains amla oil.

If you want, you can switch this oil with similar other oils: Almond oil; Jojoba oil; Olive oil; Argan oil; & Peppermint oil. All of these oils, including Amla, contribute as a moisturiser thus making hair shiny.

3. Castor Oil.

My most favourite holy grail. The oil that gave me my eyebrows back, *a minute silence for eternal gratitude*. Castor Oil comes from the castor plant known botanically as Ricinus Communis a native to India, Easter Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin.

VERY HIGH in anti-fungal properties, it removes concentrated dirt, build-up, infections as well as preventing them. It has a 90% fatty acid content called ricinoleic acid which balances PH of the scalp explaining its super effectiveness in almost ‘resetting’ your scalp void of everyday products. It boosts the growth rate by 3-5x depending upon its use, and I vouch for this! Trust me when I say that this oil would be one of the things I would grab if my house was on fire (although, you should not take anything and leave immediately).

Try to get your hands on the African Black Castor oil. Why? This version is much richer in the fatty acids identified above.

The Steps:

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I start with 3 teaspoon of Amla oil, and then two teaspoon of Coconut oil. If your coconut oil is liquid as opposed to solid then I suggest 3-4 teaspoon. Mix this until all solids have dissolved.
Into a separate small cup/bowl, measure 1 teaspoon of Castor oil.
Before lathering the first mix of Amla and Coconut oil onto your hair, some people choose to warm it up slightly whether on the hob or in the microwave for 20seconds. I do not do this, instead I massage the oil to create that slight warmth. This is entirely up to you! When lathering onto your hair, make sure you get all hair strands especially down at the ends, the ends are usually where minerals and vitamins are lacking – especially if you are an avid hair straighteners user!
After this, get Castor oil onto your fingertips and massage directly onto your roots only. Castor oil is a very heavy substance, so if you put too much of it then it will take more than one shower to remove it completely. I once did this and had to take 3 showers to fully cleanse my scalp. This is why I prefer to massage it onto my scalp and roots only. Alternatively, you can instead mix it with the coconut and amla oil formula and apply it all over your head and hair. This will take much less time, and lower the risk of putting too much castor oil!
Massage, massage, massage. Circulation of the oil around your scalp sets a warmth motion of a good blood circulation. This is the key to get the most from the oils.
Tie your hair up into a bun or wear a shower cap/bandana to keep it all in one place and in warmth.
I tend to leave the oil on for over night or a full day to get the most out of it. Otherwise, you can just leave it on for 2-3 hours at minimum.

Repeat this at least once a week and after at least a fortnight you will see results! Happy hair care! xo

Links

Castor Oil 100ml, £7.00 – goo.gl/LoCFay. // Jamaican Black Castor Oil 8oz (220ml), £9.00 – goo.gl/wwUEmG. // Or, go to Asian/Black/Muslim stores for the KTC Castor Oil which is typically between £1.50-£2 for 250ml.

Dabur Amla Oil Original (w/o Henna & Almond) 200ml, £3.49 at Superdrugs – goo.gl/bwHGRk. For the Gold version (w/ Henna & Almond), 200ml, £3.99 – goo.gl/rB8Gjt.

Pure Coconut Oil 175ml, £3.97 – goo.gl/VvD3Lq. // Raw Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 500ml, £5.97-10 – goo.gl/YZ2Soa. // Otherwise, you will for sure find some in Asian/Black/Muslim stores though it is for pretty much around the same price so the raw organic oil linked just before this one is better if it is still on sale (even if it is not, it is still the better one).

Neem Powder – Ayurvedic/Herbal Facial Cleanser ♥

A Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine.

What is Neem? Known as ‘Azadirachta Indica’ in Botany, they are trees native to the Indian subcontinent: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The leaves are what we are dealing with. The leaves are anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal – necessary qualities to maintain a clean, ph-balanced well protected skin:

Scar healing.
Reduces the effects of pimples.
Acne treatment.
De/Pigmentation.
Oil-control.
Exfoliator/Toner.
Moisturiser and Glowy skin.

The great thing about preparing Neem paste yourself is that you can mix it with other natural ingredients depending on which result you desire to achieve the most. Neem paste mixed with honey and/or milk aids with moisturisation and glowy/dewy natural skin. Mixed with turmeric aids with pigmentation, scar healing, and the fading of blemishes since it brightens the face. Mixing it simply with water or rose water acts as a superb toner aiding in scar healing, pimple/oil control and light acne treatment.

My experience with the Neem paste is wonderfuuuul. It leaves my face feeling clean. Like stripped off of chemicals, makeup residue, and whatever bacteria was tryna get at me. It is well moisturised too, but not to the point where it becomes oily. It stayed the same for a good two days where it was balanced; not oily nor dry.

Two methods that I use.

Neem powder mixed with water or rose water. I do this at least twice a week. What you need: Neem powder; 1 Teaspoon; a small mixing cup/bowl; a facial brush applicator; small cup of water/rose water at hand.

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Steps:

Measure out 1 and a half teaspoon of Neem powder into the cup/bowl. If you are not entirely sure on whether this measurement is enough or too much then it will be much more useful to start off with little quantity. You will be able to better judge the amount once it is mixed with water, so you can always add more in if you do need it.
Add in 1 teaspoon of water/rose water. I always start with 1 teaspoon and end up adding in minuscule amounts later. It is either because of adding in more Neem powder or because the mix has soaked up the water needing more for a pasty consistency.
Mix the paste and apply with your brush!
I leave it on for around 10-15 minutes – that is usually when it becomes dry.

Neem powder mixed with Turmeric and rose water. This method I use every two weeks just because of how powerful Turmeric can be in staining my face. You will need the same props as above, alongside Turmeric powder. You must be sure that the Turmeric powder that you have is not for cooking. The one for cooking is the Regular Turmeric (Curcuma Longa, botanically), whereas the facial one is the Wild Turmeric (Curcuma Aromatica, botanically). The latter is gentle on the face in terms of staining properties although it is the cooking one which is high in the anti-inflammatory quality.

Steps:

Measure 1 teaspoon of Neem powder and 1/3 teaspoon of Turmeric powder together into a cup. Then add in 1 teaspoon of rose water. Mix it all up!
Apply it on your face, and leave it on between 15-25 minutes.

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Links

https://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/organic-neem-powder-product? – 100g for £3.99 / 500g for £13.99
https://www.somayaskitchen.co.uk/rafia-neem-powder-100g.html – 100g for £1.69

Say Hello To Triphala Powder!

Hello Beaut!

Let me introduce to you, or if you already have been exposed to then let me expand on, this super-powder. If you’re bloating, constipated, have an uneasy feeling in your tummy area, or simply want a nutritional food supplement, then embrace this powder.

It has Ayurvedic Medicinal roots, and is a balanced mixture of three exotic herbs: Indian Gooseberry (Amalaki), Chebulic Myrobalan (Haritaki), and Belleric Myrobalan (Bibhitaki). It is commonly used as a mild laxative, that is to increase bowel movements and eliminate toxins which subsequently leads to a cleaner and a free digestive system.

I personally have experienced a well balanced digestive system when I started using this powder. At the beginning I did get slight stomach cramps but that is expected, it’d be the same when first drinking detox tea or any unusual herbal medicinal for that matter so don’t worry about it unless it’s persistent. If persistent, take a break from it then try again once more.

The utmost unique thing about this powder is in fact related to your taste buds! When you taste this powder each and every time you will only experience the taste that you are lacking in your diet. That taste could either be:

Bitter
Sour
Pungent
Astringent
Sweet

For me it started off as being bitter, which makes sense because Western diet predominantly lacks in bitterness! Then as I drank it more it leaned towards being astringent. The more your drink the more you will start tasting the other tastes. It rarely is ever sweet, and I haven’t experienced that yet. But it has been said that if you do taste sweet then your taste buds are balanced and therefore should stop drinking this for a short term.

How I tend to drink this is by taking half a spoon of this powder, as shown in the picture, and mixing it with a hot water. This I tend to do when I feel bloated or constipated. Otherwise, I would occasionally mix it with my detox tea in my teapot. You could alternatively mix it with your food where it would dissolve and blend. For those that are brave, you could even dust it on top of any dry dishes!

This is the cloudy colour that the water would normally turn into. This of course depends on the amount of powder you mixed in, the more of it the darker it becomes.

Also note that the powder does not become fully dissolved with the water. I’ve noticed that the powder only infuses with the water and then sits at the bottom, making it easier for those who do like a clear drink!

I personally would sometimes shake or stir the glass for the powder to not rest at the bottom of the glass, and then drink it. If I’m going to sit through a bitter drink then I might as well go all the way in and drink that powder too, haha!

I got mine off of eBay as I wanted it organic and specifically packaged like that. You can get it in tablet form too; this is mainly for those wanting to take it as a nutritional food supplement.

And that’s all beauts! Do give it a go and let me know how it goes. It does do wonders!

Bhanusha Christian xo

DIY Detox & Cleanse Tea ♥

Hello beautiful!

I am actually quite thrilled to be sharing this DIY detox tea as my very first official blog post with you. I have been so into the diversity of the tea field since last year as soon as I realised the various health benefits that comes with it!

Now as to more specifically with the concept of detox tea, it is an area that I’ve done thorough research on in order to identify the best of the best ingredients. That also means lurking around on the websites of popular detox tea brands such as Skinny Mint, BooTea, Skinny Bunny, and EvoTea. I’m pretty certain that I’ve got you nodding like I’m preaching a sermon when I say I ain’t paying £30+ for a month supply (50g approx.) of detox tea. Instead, I paid £23.42 for 1150g of ingredients that’ll last me for at least a year! Can I get an Amen?!

Let’s get straight into it and talk about the main ingredients! The links of all the ingredients and products mentioned will be at the end along with the details. Also remember that you can always switch up the ingredients with any of mine that you don’t prefer on the website itself – JustIngredients.co.uk.

Nettle Herb with Stems – 250g – £3.78

This herb acts more as a cleansing agent, particularly for the urinary system which is important as toxins are flushed out of your body, and your cells are given essential minerals – Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy.

For us women, the fact that it is rich in iron means that anaemia is prevented or otherwise treated – giving us a steady healthy menstrual cycle. Winning! Since its good for digestion, it’ll also prevent bloating and cramps. Double winning!
This is my favourite ingredient because it was this herb that pushed me to make my own detox and cleanse tea. I actually felt and saw the effects of it when I had Pukka’s Cleanse Tea that had Nettle in; the reduction in bloating and overall balance of my blossom (the nickname I gave for menstrual cycle, that’s our code now!).

Burdock Root – 500g – £7.87

A holy grail of antioxidants – vital to prevent damage to our healthy cells. It leads to blood purification by removing toxins from our body too. So what does this mean? Strong blood circulation means beautiful skin surface and texture! No matter how much make-up we lather on to our faces, we need to take care of the beautiful canvas that we were given. Yes or nuh? Yeees!
More good news – Burdock slows the growth of tumour cells as observed by BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011. Our bodies are shrines of our souls, and so we ought to take care of it as so.

Lemon Grass – 100g – £2.54

This ingredient seems to be in popular with detox brands. I looked into it, and found that it stimulates digestion, contains antioxidants, and aids the urinary system too. So the same as the Burdock Root and Nettle.
Yet it also goes that extra mile. It possesses the herbal oil of citral when brewed. What this citral oil does is that it oxidizes fatty acids which forces stored energy to be used, more specifically those annoying unwanted fats that sit around out body. Therefore?! Good metabolism which says ‘Bye Felicia’ to abdominal fat!

(Yerba) Mate Tea – 200g – £2.00

This one is also popular amongst the detox brands.

It would be, because it is an even bigger holy grail of antioxidants; supposedly containing 90% more than Green Tea. This tea has been said by The Review of Natural Products 1997 to stimulate intestinal contraction, meaning it encourages a clean digestive system.

Another specific benefit of this is… Metabolism! It increases metabolism through using energy that is instantly given to the body via foods. What gives this physical and mental endurance is by the fact that it contains a neatly balanced caffeine! Sharpness and focus is increased as a result – sip on this while studying as a healthier alternative to coffee.

Fennel Seeds – 100g – £2.12

If you’re Southern Asian, you’d have most likely already have come across these seeds. Next time you encounter one, say your thanks because it is one hell of a cleansing and balancing agent for the digestive system!

Alongside removing toxins and encouraging a healthy metabolism, it contains a crucial oil called estrogen which too stimulates intestinal contractions. It also contains certain properties that treats bloating and stomach cramps. All of this in turn keeps your stomach acid levels on check, and intestines clean from worms and bacteria.

This seed has also been observed to promote eye health as it promotes dilation of blood vessels.
Check Ma’s cupboard first if you want to save money!

Green Tea – 250g – £2.99

And of course, the famous green tea! It has been associated with weight loss, increased metabolism, better digestion, emotional stability, sleep aid, and many more.
Amongst the benefits of digestion, metabolism mentioned in the other products, green tea contains a powerful source of antioxidant known as Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – it protects our healthy cells from being damaged by free radicals by removing them.

Again here, toxins are flushed out of your body.

I use gunpowder green tea instead of normal loose green tea. I interchange between Chinese gunpowder green tea, and Ceylon gunpowder green tea. Ceylon is my favourite but I’ve run out of it. What gunpowder green tea gives that the loose version doesn’t is a nutty and wood like taste. It’s less bitter compared to loose green tea, however the nutty and wood taste is fairly strong – stronger in Ceylon gunpowder – and not everyone takes a liking to that nutty and wood taste.

Cardamom Tea – 500g – £6.20

This is also a product that will sit in a Southern Asian’s kitchen! Amid the usual of toxin elimination and better digestion, its oils strengthens your intestines mucosal lining. Why is this important? It’s important because keeps the acid levels balanced, thus no bloating. It also prevents in fighting anaemia since it is high in copper and iron.

What made me actually include this ingredient is the fact that it regulates your hair growth and keeps it healthy. It also gives your skin a glow, more so than other ingredients.

The taste of this tea is very strong. If you do not like the taste of cardamom or just strong teas in general then add only a few grams of it in your overall mixture, or cut it out entirely. You won’t lose much from it, don’t worry.
These are my current ingredients. The overall combined taste when brewed together as a tea varies. This is because I like to shake up all the ingredients and take teaspoons of it, resulting in one particular ingredient dominating over the others. This is the best part of DIY detox and cleanse tea because you never drink the same tasting tea every day – it keeps you from being bored and used to the same tea that you may eventually dislike.
Brands usually add a well-known flavour into the mix such as mint, a particular fruit, or a soothing taste such as chamomile and lemon. You can do the same if you’re not comfortable with unfamiliar tastes. I’m personally okay with unfamiliar tastes; I personally want to add in ginger root and liquorice root next time for a twist on taste haha! And both do exactly what all those mentioned ingredients do.
That’s ingredients done. Now, where to store and details about the mixture.

This is where I store the mixture. In a tight jar to keep the mixture from losing its properties and aroma to open air. You can get these jars from most home/kitchen specialist stores, or even on-line for perhaps fraction of in-store prices!

The mixture itself is entirely up to you because you may prefer one ingredient over another and so will want more of it. Or you may dislike the taste of one but still want to incorporate it in the mixture, e.g. cardamom. What I did was take 20g of each initially, but I decreased this to 10g for lemon grass (20g was excessive since it weighed less), and increased it to 30g for the burdock root (it weighed a lot individually so 20g was not enough). Have fun with the mixture, you are the creator of your own tea!
Now, how to brew and in what.

I brew my tea in a steel teapot. Any teapot, or any tea infuser is fine! Whatever you like, do that. I like a teapot just because I can get more than one cup of tea in one sitting. I typically brew for at least 3-4 minutes before I take a cup out of it. It needs to brew good to get all the goodness from it so don’t rush! I promise it’ll be worth the wait. It’ll be too hot anyway so you’d have to wait regardless haha!
That’s all, beautiful. I hope you have fun with the whole process of choosing your ingredients, mixing it, and brewing it. Let me know how it goes!