Kiwi and Papaya Face Mask

1 kiwi fruit, peeled
juice of 1 lime
1/2 papaya
2 sachets vegetable gelatine

1. 1. Mash the kiwi fruit through a sieve into a bowl. Add the lime juice to the kiwi mixture.
2. 2. Scoop the seeds from the papaya, and mash the flesh on a chopping board using a fork (this makes it slightly easier to press through the sieve). Press the papaya through a sieve into a separate bowl and mix with the vegetable gelatine using a fork.
3. 3. Put the bowl with the papaya mixture over a saucepan of boiling water and stir constantly until it forms a wallpaper-paste consistency. Take off immediately and continue to stir. Add the kiwi fruit juice slowly, bit by bit, stirring all the time. Leave to cool.

USE When cool or lukewarm, apply the gel to face, avoiding the eye area, and leave for 10 minutes to 1 hour.Wash off with warm water.
STORAGE Most effective when used as soon as possible. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Syrup of Figs

18 g dried senna pods
100 ml boiling water
8 fresh figs, quartered
100 g sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

1. 1. Place the senna pods in a glass bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave to steep for about 30 minutes, then strain through a sieve or piece of muslin into a blender.
2. 2. Add the figs and sugar to the senna infusion and whizz until smooth.
3. 3. Pour into a saucepan, and heat slowly to reduce, stirring occasionally. You want to end up with a thick, glossy sugar-like syrup - this will probably take about 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir in well.
4. 4. Take off the heat and pour the syrup into a sterilized 150 ml bottle.

USE: Shake well before use. Take 2 tsp before bed when needed. Don't use for more than a few days at a time, or if you have severe abdominal pain.
STORAGE: Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

Lavender Bath Bomb

5-6 fresh lavender sprigs
1 tbsp citric acid powder
3 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
10 drops lavender essential oil
1 tsp plant-based oil (vegetable or almond oil)

1. 1. Heat the oven to 180C. Once it has reached that temperature, turn it off and place the lavender, hanging upside down, in the oven to dry for about 2 hours. When dry, remove the flowers from the stalks and set aside.
2. 2. For the next stage you need to make sure that the bowl you are using, and your hands, are completely dry - otherwise the bomb will start fizzing. In a glass bowl, mix the citric acid and bicarbonate of soda together. Add a few drops of lavender oil and 1 tsp dried lavender flowers, along with the vegetable or almond oil. Mix everything together with a metal spoon.
3. 3. Place the biscuit cutter on top of a sheet of baking paper. Put the mixture into the biscuit cutter and press down with the back of the spoon. The oil now needs to evaporate so the bomb can set as a dry, hard block - leave for a minimum of 30 minutes and preferably overnight.

STORAGE: Store in tin foil to keep out moisture.
VARIATION: If you are making this with kids you can add 1/2 tsp of edible glitter into the mix to create an even more dramatic effect.

Elderflower Throat Lozenges

10-15 fresh elderflower heads
12 eucalyptus leaves
2 tbsp linseed
3 tsp dried elderberries
1 cup Gum Arabic
2 cups icing Sugar
4 cups hot water

1. 1. Firstly, put about 10-15 elderflower heads into 3 cups of freshly boiled water to create a basic infusion. Add 2 tbsp of linseed and 12 eucalyptus leaves and leave for about an hour. It's ready when the pure watery liquid starts to have a similar consistency to egg white.
2. 2. Whilst it's infusing, use a pestle and mortar to break up a cup of Gum Arabic into the smallest pieces you can - this is so it dissolves as easily as possible. Into that add 3 tsp of dried elderberries and crush.
3. 3. Next, add the Gum Arabic mixture into a cup of hot water. Stir using a spoon until the granules of gum have turned into a thick, treacly jam-like consistency.
4. 4. Strain the infusion, and add a cup and a half of it to the Gum Arabic mixture. Next, add 2 cups of icing sugar and mix; the sugar acts as a preservative and gives it body.
5. 5. Place it on a low heat and stir continuously for about half an hour until it gets to a really thick, syrup-like consistency and starts to come away from the sides of the pan. You can also test by pouring it with the spoon and touching it; if it doesn't stick to your finger it's ready, but do be careful as it could be hot.
6. 6. Finally pour onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to set. When it's hard it's just a case of bashing it until you get the right size pieces!

STORAGE: Coat the lozenges with icing sugar to stop them sticking together, and to take out some of the moisture.
VARIATION: If you want to make a cough syrup instead of lozenges, just add half the amount of sugar.

Viola Cream (forv eczema)

Makes one 150 ml pot

2 tbsp (20 g) viola flowers, stripped from their stems
2 tbsp (20 g) Roman or German chamomile, dried
1 tsp beeswax
2 tbsp almond oil
1 tsp vitamin C powder
1 tsp glycerine
2 tsp emulsifying wax

1. 1. Place the violas and chamomile flowers in a glass bowl. Pour over the water to cover. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Put the infusion into a medium-sized pan (this will form the bottom of your double boiler or bain-marie).
2. 2. In another glass bowl, add the beeswax, almond oil, vitamin C powder, glycerine and emulsifying wax. Place on top of the infusion pan, and warm over a gentle heat, stirring until melted. This takes about 10 minutes.
3. 3. Strain the infusion, then slowly whisk it into the oil mixture until incorporated - the texture should be smooth, like mayonnaise.
4. 4. Pour the mixture into a sterilized dark glass ointment pot, then seal.

USE: Apply to affected areas morning and night. Ideally, apply within a few minutes of bathing, to keep moisture in the skin.
STORAGE: Keeps for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.

Herbal Body Scrub

50 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
50 g fresh eucalyptus leaves, finely chopped
50 g fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Peel of 2 lemons
300 ml olive oil
400 g sea salt (fine-grained)
4 tsp vitamin C powder
Extra eucalyptus leaves and slices of lemon peel, to decorate

1. 1. Place the chopped herbs, black pepper and lemon peel in a pan, then add the olive oil. Place on a medium heat and stir, then leave for 2 minutes with the lid on. Place the paste in a piece of muslin over a sieve and squeeze out all the oil into a bowl below.
2. 2. Mix the sea salt and vitamin C powder in a bowl. Add most of the oil (reserving a little to seal the jar) and stir well. Place the mixture in a sterilized Kilner jar and press down well. Decorate the top with a few eucalyptus leaves and slices of lemon rind. Pour a layer of the remaining oil on top of the salt scrub to keep it airtight.

USE: Apply to wet skin in the bath or shower, when needed. Scrub, then rinse off well with warm water.
STORAGE: Keeps for 6 months, or 1 year in the refrigerator.

Plantain Cream

4 tbsp fresh chopped plantain leaves
150 ml boiling water
2 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil
2 tbsp almond oil
1 tsp beeswax
2 tsp emulsifying wax
2 tsp glycerine
1 tsp vitamin C powder

1. 1. Wash and chop the plantain leaves. Divide into two - put one half in a bowl and the other half in a pan. Cover the plantain in the bowl with the water and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
2. 2. In the pan, add the olive (or sunflower) and almond oils to the plantain and heat gently to simmering point. Don't allow to boil - if it starts boiling, take off the heat immediately. Once at simmering point, remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes to cool.
3. 3. Drain the infusion, taking out the plantain leaves. Set the liquid to one side.
4. 4. Drain the infused oil into another pan, extracting the plantain leaves. Heat the oil again. Add the beeswax and emulsifying wax and melt, stirring - you are aiming for a foamy consistency.
5. 5. Add 16 tbsp infused water to the pan and whisk to achieve a consistency like salad dressing. Add the glycerine and vitamin C powder.
6. 6. Pour into sterilized glass pots and seal.

USE: Apply to affected area as often as needed.
STORAGE: Keeps for 3 months in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Lemon Balm Lip Salve

21 tbsp (approx. 50 g) fresh lemon balm leaves
3 tbsp wheatgerm oil
115 ml olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp beeswax
5 drops tea tree oil

1. 1. Wash and strip the lemon balm leaves and chop finely. In a pan over a slow heat, stir and crush one third of the lemon balm leaves with the wheatgerm and olive oil for 10 minutes, or until it starts to bubble. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
2. 2. Strain the oil through a muslin-lined sieve or colander into a bowl, squeezing the leaves to get out all remaining juice. Throw away the squeezed leaves.
3. 3. Repeat this process twice more with the remaining 2 batches of lemon balm leaves, using the same oil.
4. 4. Place the oil in the pan on a gentle heat and add the honey and beeswax. Stir until melted, then take off the heat and stir in the tea tree oil.
5. 5. Pour the salve into small sterilized jars, where it will set solid within 10 minutes.

USE: Apply to cold sores whenever needed.
STORAGE Keeps for up to 1 year.

Onion Flatbread

70ml/2½fl oz vegetable oil, plus extra for griddling
1 onion, sliced
10g/¼oz dried yeast
250g/9oz plain yoghurt
150ml/5½fl oz boiling water
550g/1lb 4oz strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch salt


1. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry gently for 15-20 minutes, or until caramelised. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yeast and yoghurt until well combined. Pour over the boiling water and stir well until smooth and combined.
3. Add the flour and mix well to combine, using your hands. Cover and set aside to prove in a warm place for 25-30 minutes.
4. When the dough has proved, add the salt, caramelised onions and the remaining oil and mix well until smooth.
5. Knock the dough back, then roll into six equal balls.
6. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough balls into 10-12.5cm/4-5in discs.
7. Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, brush the bread discs all over with a little oil and grill for 30-40 seconds on each side, or until golden-brown griddle marks appear on both sides.

Spiced Aubergine Dip

4 aubergines, left whole
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 red chilli, chopped
8 garlic clove
1 lime/lemon, juice only
1 tsp garam masala
salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4. Place the aubergines into a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until softened. Set aside to cool, then peel.
2. Heat a frying pan over a very low heat, add the cumin and coriander seeds and dry fry for 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a powder.
3. Blend the crushed spices, aubergines, chilli, garlic, lime juice and garam masala in a food processor to a smooth paste. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gradually add enough oil to loosen the mixture.

Can serve with pitta or other flat bread.