Tag: orris root

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Make Your Own – Dry Shampoo

In last week’s herb of the month we wrote about Orris and it’s uses, so we thought this week that we’d give you a recipe to go along with it – an easy peasy dry shampoo that will leave your hair feeling silky and smelling sweet, with minimal effort from you!

mixing-dry-shampoo

Ingredients:

10g Orris root powder

20g Arrowroot powder

20g Cornflour

Just sieve the powders into a bowl and mix thoroughly. To use, simply rub a pinch of the powder into your hair, paying special attention to the roots. For longer hair you may need to use slightly more powder, though this mix should still last for more than one dry wash. The Orris root powder will give a subtle scent, whilst the combination of powders will leave your hair feeling grease free and soft to the touch.

If you’re one of the unlucky few that are sensitive to Orris root powder, not to worry, this recipe is easily adaptable. Just substitute the Orris root with a few drops of essential oil to give the dry shampoo a sweeter scent; the arrowroot and cornflour will still leave your hair feeling fab!

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Herb of the month – Iris germanica

Iris germanica, better known as orris, is a species in the Iris genus. A perennial that blooms from April to June, orris can grow up to an impressive 1.2m high and 30 cm wide. It is an easy plant to grow from cuttings; the rhizome should be cut into sections, each with a growing bud, and planted in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. The roots should be planted no less than 45cm apart to allow room for growing and should be well watered throughout the summer months. They will be ready to be divided every 4 to 5 years. It’s beautiful flowers come in a variety of colours, but it is best known for the uses of its rhizome.

Orris root was historically prized as a component of perfumes, though its beautiful violet scent does not appear until between 3 and 5 years of drying the root. Though it was at one point a staple in face powders and other cosmetics, it has been found to cause reactions in sensitive skin and is now more likely to be found in potpourri as a scent fixer. It is also makes a fantastic dry shampoo and when mixed with honey can be used as a moisturiser for dry skin.

Medicinally, orris root has been used to stimulate appetite, soothe headaches, toothache, muscle and joint pain, diabetes and some skin diseases. It can also be used to treat bronchitis and colds and to cause vomiting and empty the bowels (though I don’t know why you would want to do this!).

Culinary uses include as a tincture to flavour syrups and as one of the ingredients of Ras el hanout, a blend of spices associated with Moroccan cuisine. Most commonly, orris root is used as a tea preparation.

The Iris genus takes its name from the Greek goddess Iris, who was the personification of the rainbow. This is most likely due to the wide variety of beautiful colours to be found in the flowers of the Iris family of plants.

 

 

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Make Your Own Body Powder

So Christmas is over and we’ve said our ‘happy new year’s – but if your family is anything like mine, it’s already time to start thinking about birthdays. Gift giving is never harder than for January birthdays – after all, you’ve already used up all your ideas (and money) on Christmas! Not to worry, we’ve come up with some ideas so you don’t have to – and best of all, they won’t break the bank! This week’s favourite is this cheap and easy recipe for a luxurious scented powder.

powder in progress

Ingredients:

1 measure dried thyme

1 measure dried rosemary

1 measure ground cinnamon

1 measure orange peel

1 measure orris root powder or cornflour

half measure arrowroot powder

This recipe really works best if you’ve got a grinder – just stick it all in and whizz it ‘til it’s smooth! You can even make your own dried orange peel by putting your fresh peel in a hot oven until it’s dry and crinkly.

If you don’t have a grinder then not to worry, just use ground cinnamon, orris root powder and arrowroot powder for a simpler but no less delicious version.

 

This is a fantastic product to use in place of talcum powder, or just to add a lovely scent to your skin. Let out your creative side when it comes to the packaging – it will look gorgeous in a recycled kilner jar, or even just bundled in some muslin with a pretty ribbon.

finished powder