You will see that the online shop is currently out of stock of all products. The reason for this is that due to the transfer of ownership, current legislation states that all existing products have to be re-tested for safety and this is quite a lengthy process, however, you will be pleased to hear that we expect all our products to be freshly made and back online as soon as possible. We will keep you updated, watch this space!

In the meantime you will notice a few changes in the website, minor tweeks, just to reflect our intentions to carry the business forward. We want to keep the existing skincare ranges that you already love and hope to introduce some new products which are in development. We would love to hear your comments and suggestions on the existing range and on what you would like to see in the future. Rest assured we will not be compromising on the current high quality standards of manufacture or ingredients and they will still be ethically sourced from reputable suppliers and artisan local producers.

As Sandie has already mentioned in a previous post, there has been interest from retailers and the hospitality industry for our products. We are therefore looking to expand into these areas. Commercial enquires are welcome.

We are currently working with Sandie to ensure a smooth transition, so we would like to express our gratitude not only to Sandie for all her help and advice, but also to her lovely customers for their patience and support.

Carol & Neil Robinson

This is a poignant Blog from me today as I’ve made the very hard decision to let our small family firm go……

Believe me it has been a very tough choice to make as Woadworks has been my whole lifestyle for the past 12 years and I have loved every minute of it – and made some great friends amongst the amazing and loyal customers who have been with me from the very start. We have over 600 Twitter followers and a popular and much visited Facebook page which I edit every single morning and I absolutely love chatting with you all and hearing about your lives and interests. I will continue with my personal pages and hope you will all keep in touch with me……

I feel that I owe you all the reasons why I’ve decided to step down. There are three really, the first and most pertinent one being that I am heavily involved in other crafts most notably Sculptural Felt Art which I have found out is popular and productive. I have struggled to balance the two interests but am increasingly asked to undertake both Exhibitions and Commissions with felt and there is just not enough time to do justice to both. I have a huge, month-long local Exhibition coming up in August for which I will need to complete some large pieces and I have nothing ready. The organisers have taken a leap of faith with me and I don’t want to let them down……

Originally my lovely daughter helped me with Woadworks but she has found her niche in Games Design and it is difficult to cope with the botanical side of the business, the website and making the products without her valuable assistance. The only way to manage our increased workload is to expand into areas we have not explored before and employ staff which is not something we ever intended to do although there is room for expansion even in these recessive times.

Which brings me on to the third reason which is expansion…..we are constantly being asked to supply to retail, hospitality, pet care and own label products which is very complimentary and tempting but I personally don’t feel up to the challenge although I’m happy to potter along with my plants. The diversity is definitely there for someone with the energy and commitment to explore.

So, really the decision was obvious. Woadworks won’t be disappearing though just moving forward with a new owner as there are several expressions of interest from like-minded people with the same principles and values and I’ll keep you informed as to the progress of the sale of the wherewithall to take over Woadworks – see details on our Contact page if you’re interested…..

High on the list of known plants with a long association of benefiting humans is this little, starry yellow flower which has practically worldwide distribution. Latin name Hypericum perforatum or Common St. John’s Wort (properly pronounced Word apparently)…. The plant is named after St John the Baptist, (feast day, 24 June (midsummer)), when the plant is in full bloom. The five yellow petals resemble a halo, and its red sap symbolises the blood of the martyred saint. The name Hypericum comes from the Greek, meaning ‘greatest health’. Even before these times this plant, blooming as it does around the Solstice was always an icon of sun worshippers, used in rituals by the Druids, the Celts and the Saxons. Romans burned it in bonfires as part of their celebration of Midsummer’s Day.

There are a large number of these species plants with large, showy blooms and a shrub-like habit but we grow the tiny-flowered variety which would usually appear in the wild. This is accepted as the most potent species. The plant has a wide range of habitats including meadows, open woodland, hedge banks and roadside verges. The flowers vary from pale to dark yellow, and from 0.5–6 cm in diameter, with five petals. It has a deep tap root which allows it continue to grow late into summer. In early Autumn the fruit is usually a dry, crimson or purple berry-like capsule which splits to release the numerous small seeds. It contains a toxin activated by bright sunlight ( causing photosensitivity) so is best uprooted in meadows grazed by stock.

St John’s Wort has been used as a folk medicine for hundreds of years, particularly for healing wounds. In medieval times the plant was used for ‘driving out the inner devil’. The philosopher Paracelcus (c1525) recommended it for hallucinations and banishing ‘dragons’, as well as for healing wounds.

Scientists have discovered a class of naturally occurring plant chemicals called naphthodianthrones or (dianthrones) containing two important healing substances hypericin and pseudohypericin in both the buds and flowers of the herb.

St John’s Wort is a well-known natural remedy for combating stress, depression and insomnia and seems to have few side effects. It has also been found helpful in affording relief for both premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and fibromyalgia.

With regard to the skin it has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and is especially helpful in the treatment of many skin disorders including psoriasis, eczema and warts. It is also beneficial in ointments for treating bruises, burns, scar tissue and slow-healing cuts.

We infused the crushed stems, flower heads and leaves in pure Organic Flaxseed oil for use in several of our products and, if left on a sunny windowsill the glycosides (including a red pigment, hypericin) will turn the oil a lovely cranberry red.

This pretty little flower grows wild in large numbers all around the Fells on Alston Moor and I was pleased when I found that it is very beneficial for skincare…….

Viola tricolor commonly known as Wild Pansy or the lesser used herbal name of Heartsease is a low growing, easily germinated, sun-loving smaller version of the Pansy we all love in our gardens and both owe their origins to the Viola with it’s preference for shade.

Wild Pansy grows in short grassland chiefly on acid or neutral soils. and flowers from April right through to early Autumn. The flowers can be purple, blue, yellow or white. They are hermaphrodite and self-fertile, pollinated by bees.

The center of origin for Violas was continental Europe and they were known to the Greeks as far back as the 4th century B.C. This hardy but delicate looking plant was cultivated by the Greeks for use in herbal medicine and we read of it in Britain in Shakespeare’s time when he mentions Heartsease in his Midsummer Night’s Tale.

The herbal name Heartsease implies a long history of use in herbalism and there is a evidence in folk medicine of the plant helping respiratory problems such as bronchitis, asthma, and cold symptoms. It has expectorant properties and has been used in the treatment of chest complaints such as bronchitis and whooping cough. It is also diuretic which leads to its use in treating rheumatism and cystitis.

Yellow, green and blue-green dyes are made from the flower heads whilst the leaves can be used to make a chemical indicator.

Cultivated pansies became popular around 1839, and it is thought that Heartsease was eventually associated with it’s French name “pensée” meaning thought – thus Pansy.

Wild Pansy contains beneficial phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, coumarin and methyl-salicylic acid and is anti-inflammatory, astringent, rejuvenating and soothing.

It is used predominately in natural skin products for oily skin, anti-ageing creams, ointments for varicose veins and revitalising serums for dull complexion.

All this from one tiny smiling flower which grows wild right outside our door…….

When I look at the plants and flowers growing in my Physic garden it’s hard to believe some of these self-same blooms have been helping people since ancient times. One such plant that I am trying to nurture up here on top of the high North Pennines is this pretty little blue flower called Flax ( Linum usitatissimum) or Linen (when manufactured into cloth). The pressed oil is sometimes known as Linseed and the Latin translation of the word usitatissimum is ‘most useful’.

All these different names are confusing and relate to the plant after processing of some kind so I will stick with Flax as this is the plant name. Present day cultivated flax is most closely related to the wild L. angustafolium which is still found throughout the Mediterranean Basin, North Africa, the Near East, Iran, Caucasia and Western Europe. There are other species of the Linum L. genus throughout the Mediterranean and China. So you can see that distribution is wide.

Flax was one of the earliest domesticated plants. It is an annual growing to around 3 ft tall with slender, straplike stems. The flowers are a pure pale blue like those of the Harebell (Scottish Bluebell) with five petals. The fruit contains several glossy brown seeds like an apple pip. Unfortunately the flower is short-lived with it’s petals falling as soon as bright sunlight hits them however there is an abundance of more to come.

Flax is amongst the oldest fibre crops in the world and use of flax for the production of cloth dates back to ancient Egyptian times. Dyed flax fibres found in a cave in Dzudzuana (prehistoric Georgia) have been dated to 30,000 years ago. There are pictures on tombs and temple walls at Thebes depicting flax plants in flower. Both the Greeks and Romans used this plant as a food, fibre and medicine with writings of that time (both ancient Greek and Roman) dating back to the 6th century B.C. mention flax cultivation. The literary works of Homer, Herodotus, Theophrastus and Pliny provide word references to flax and/or linen.

Gauls (the ancient tribes of France and Belgium) and Celts were the earliest flax growers in Western Europe, learning about flax from the Romans. In North America flax was introduced by the Puritans and quickly became a major cash crop. Flax is the emblem of Northern Ireland and it appears on the reverse of the British £1 coin to represent Northern Ireland on coins minted in 1986 and 1991.

Flax seed still has as many uses today – for food, fibres, medication and skincare. The oil is extremely rich in the Omegas 3 and 6 (essential fatty acids) vital for good skin health. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is one of the Fruit oils which benefits acne as the fatty acids present in flax seed help to prevent, not only the clogging of the pores, but thins the sebum which causes this build up.

Flax seed oil is useful for healing scars and abrasions and is used in the treatment of inflamed skin or skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema. Flax seed oil is also useful for dry skin.

This Blog comes about from being caught in a lie – well two lyes really …….shall I explain!

The first lie……
Last Summer at a local Plant Fair where we were selling our products I was explaining to a lovely lady customer just how we make our skincare products insisting that they were totally chemical-free, when a distinguished elderly gentleman leant over and said – ‘that’s not really possible’.

Slightly bristling with defensive fervour I started to assure him that our products were 100% natural when he smiled and said ‘humans are made up entirely of chemicals – oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and more. What could I say – it’s true…..

Human cells consist of at least 65–90% water (H2O). Therefore oxygen forms the majority of a human body’s mass.

It follows then that plants are composed of chemicals as well – carbohydrates, proteins, fats and chlorophyll are the primary chemical elements. Secondary elements (phytochemicals) are tannins, flavanols, volatile oils, alkaloids, caffeine and so on……

I surmise that there are ‘good’ chemicals which occur in nature and exist to promote life, good health and, in the case of plants, to act as a defence against enemies and pests and to encourage pollinators. ‘Bad’ chemicals are almost (but not entirely – think of Hemlock) manmade and have (mostly) a detrimental effect on the skin and the wider environment outwith the one it was designed to address – such as the watercourse.

So, our products do not contain bad chemicals!

Which brings me on to Caustisized Sea Salt -

The second lye……
In order to handmake cold processed soap containing no chemicals a chemical reaction needs to take place – obscure – but bear with me…..

Saponification is the name given to the chemical reaction that occurs when a vegetable oil or animal fat (acid) is mixed with a strong alkali. There are two resultant products of this reaction – soap and glycerin(e). There is also water present in the equation but it is only a vehicle for the alkali which is otherwise a dry powder. The alkali we choose is Soda – Sea Salt which has been bombarded with electrodes (Sodium Hydroxide). This is called a mineral alkali and is used not only for making soap but in the glass industry, for dyeing, in medicines and for use around the home. The common term for this alkali became simply “lye”, which is not short for alkali, but originated in the Anglo-Saxon language.

In Roman times the alkali part of the process was achieved by using powdered wood ash, usually Beech or Birch.

Understandably there are some customers who are a little apprehensive at the thought of lye being used in their natural soap linking it to Caustic Soda with which they clean their drains – which, in fact, it is – but be reassured there is no lye in the final product as it has reacted with the oils to form soap and glycerine and has completely left the finished bar.

Before our natural cold processed soap is offered for sale it is ph tested to make sure that it is neutral and it is cured for around 6 weeks after making until it is hard enough to sell.

Remember – you can’t make soap without lye……………

For those wishing winter fragrance in the garden Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) is a must. A member of the Hamamelidaceae plant family these low growing, deciduous shrubs are native to North America with one species each in Japan and China. They are best planted near a house or path to take advantage of the strong fragrance – warm spice with a hint of citrus. The horticultural name for Witch Hazel means “together with fruit” as the fruit, flowers, and next year’s leaf buds appear simultaneously. The ribboned, spidery-like flowers appear in winter on leafless stems and the eventual seeds are ejected with such force that they can fly up to 10 metres away from the parent plant. The leaves of some of these alkaline loving shrubs turn from green to a glorious red in Autumn.

The name Witch in Witch Hazel comes from ‘wiche’ or the Old English ‘wice’ meaning pliant or bendable. The twigs were used, along with Hazel as divining rods (dowsing) thus influencing the “witch” part of the name.

Hamamelis virginiana was used medicinally by the Native Americans in poultices of leaves and bark which they used to treat hemorrhoids, wounds, painful tumors, insect bites, and skin ulcers. A Witch Hazel infusion was used as treatment for cuts, colds, heavy menstruation, and eye inflammation. The bark was boiled under cover and the resultant steam distillation or hydrolat was an intrinsic part of the Medicine Man’s chest.

Introduced into Britain by the plant-hunter Charles Maries from China in 1879 it languished in nursery rows for years until it was noticed, propagated and put on the market in 1902.

The bark and leaves of Witch Hazel are high in tannins, volatile oils, saponins, flavonoids, procyanadins and and small amount of resin. These properties make Witch Hazel soothing, anti-inflammatory, highly astringent, antiseptic and able to shrink and contract blood vessels back to normal size. It has no known side effects and can be used neat on the skin.

Today this valuable plant is used as a skin toner, especially good for those with oily skin or acne, for relief from the pain of varicose veins, haemorrhoids, cold sores, reducing inflammation in ezcema and for washing and healing of wounds.

Commercial products containing Witch Hazel often contain industrial alcohol which, although providing a stronger solution is also drying on the skin and can be too powerful for sensitive types. There is no need to add anything to this natural resource – Nature knows best………

It’s a glorious day up here on top of the High North Pennines with a ground frost sparkling the grass – we’ve been stock taking all this past week and deciding where we’re going to take our little family run business this year.

Not away from our roots and definitely not budging on our ethics and raison d’etre or compromising on quality, although like everyone, both consumer and business in these recessive times we need to rationalise and readjust. BUT still keep our lovely, loyal customers close and continue to give them the artisan products they expect from Woadworks.

Which brings me to the lovely tree you see in today’s photo. It sits majestically in the little field belonging to our property and you are looking at it’s ‘good side’ as the other side has been decimated by lightning strike in the past. We have been advised to cut it down as there is only a small amount of annual growth on her good side but we’ve had a tree surgeon look at her and he says she is still firm so we are keeping her - it’s definitely a girl. We are also naming her Bessie’s tree after a much loved elderly lady who used to live near here. If Bessie’s tree can survive and thrive with a little judicious pruning then so can we…….

Our product prices haven’t changed since 2009 and we would like to keep it that way but in order to do that something needs to give slightly as all our costs have increased alarmingly of late – if it’s not to be the quality of our ingredients or the price of postage and packaging (which has risen ridiculously in the past year) – the two things we are sure our customers will feel most strongly about, we need to make these savings elsewhere……

Therefore, and very regretfully, we have decided we will have to charge for our cream samples in future as the cost just to package and send these little pots is £2.33 – we will still supply them of course as they are an ideal way to test before you buy and you can always use the little pots afterwards…..one way to still get them for free is to ask for them to be included with an order!

We are also trying to source cheaper packaging for some of our items whilst still adhering to our policy of minimalism and recycling but will continue to supply our creams in glass pots as they are the most hygienic way to package this product and these can be recycled after use.

YOU TOO CAN HAVE A CHOICE

In the wake of the banking debacle we have seen a clear shift in consumer spending away from large corporations with (sometimes) unethical and often misleading claims and practices towards the little producer who still has to adhere to the same legislative codes and practices but who chooses to offer an ethically acceptable alternative to faceless multi-nationals. Every advertising campaign for skin-care will have some element of ‘natural, or ‘nature’ in it’s slogan even though the actual natural content may be minuscule.

This just proves we are in the right place at the right time to be able to offer consumers the choice to buy direct from the producer – cutting out the retailer – offering reduced prices for quality handmade products packed full of active ingredients –

good for the planet – good for your skin and good for your purse -

This glorious tree grows readily in sub-tropical climes such as the Caribbean Islands, Argentina, the Amazon rainforest and Brazil and is a member of the tribe Tecomeae of the Bignoniaceae or Trumpet Creeper Family – indeed this tree is sometimes called Tabebuia (Trumpet tree) which comes from a word used by the indigenous peoples of Brazil. The local Amazon name for the tree is Tajy, meaning “to have both strength and vigour”.

It has huge flower heads of densely clustered tubular flowers which remind me of the Rhododendron with much the same colour spectrum and has pea-like seed pods. These flowers keep the tree immune from disease, parasites and fungal attack.

Pau d’arco can grow between 5-50 metres tall and is popular as a timber crop especially for outside work as it is highly durable with great resistance to insect damage. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has used the wood extensively throughout the city’s boardwalks and on the beach at Coney Island where it is expected to last around 25 years before replacing. It is also much favoured as an ornamental tree as flowers often appear on leafless stems.

Tabebuia impetiginosa, said to be indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago contains a chemical called Lapachol – a quinone which may provide nutritional support to the immune system. This is harvested from the cambium layer which is the fibrous tissue between the outer bark and the heartwood. The bark is stripped by hand vertically from the ground up about 6 or 7 feet, leaving enough bark intact to ensure the life of the tree. It is then dried, shredded and boiled to make a harsh, bitter brownish tea known as Lapacho or Taheebo. This tea is a well-known remedy for relief of chesty or smoker’s cough and works by encouraging the lungs to expectorate and free deeply embedded mucus and contaminates. In ethnomedicine Lapacho is important to the South American indigenous peoples, used by herbalists as a general tonic/immunostimulant.

Another benefit is in the treatment of most fungal diseases, including thrush, athlete’s foot, nail fungus and ringworm. From our point of view the most exciting property we have found is Pau d’arco’s ability to address the symptoms of ezcema, dermatitis, rosacea and psoriasis. It is helpful in the healing of old sores, for nappy rash in babies and softening dry skin.

This is a new ingredient for us which we have been invited to trial and we will keep you posted about the additional benefits it may bring to our range for those with skin problems once our willing band of testers have reviewed our samples………….

When you buy a big bag of squidgy marshmallows to toast over the bonfire or make into Rice Krispie bars you probably don’t equate these super-sweet treats with medicine but that’s exactly what they were first used for! Today’s homemade marshmallow is a confection made from sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, water, softened gelatin and vanilla flavouring whipped until it reaches a light, spongy consistency. These sweets are the modern version of a medicinal confection made from the Marsh Mallow plant (Althaea officinalis).

Marsh Mallow is a perennial herb, native to both Europe and Western Asia where it prefers moist, sandy soil such as riverbanks and salt marshes. Mid Summer flowering with pretty trumpet-shaped flowers in pink through to white it is a favourite food plant of butterflies such as the Skipper. The genus name Althaea comes from the Greek word ‘altho’ meaning ‘associated with healing’. The peeled root is mostly used but sometimes the leaves also. The whole plant, particularly the root, abounds with a mild mucilage, which is emollient to a much greater degree than the common Mallow. The name of the family, Malvaceae, is derived from the Greek word ‘malake’ meaning soft, refering to the special qualities of the Mallows in softening and healing.

Mucilaginous extracts were used as a remedy for sore throats as far back as early Egyptian times mixed with honey and nuts into a sweet confection. In Medieval England, Marsh Mallow root was poulticed on bruises, muscle aches, sprains, burns, and inflammations. The leaves are today used to soothe a sore throat and also as an expectorant for relief from bronchitis and whooping cough. A tea made from the leaves is considered soothing to an upset stomach. Both the fresh and dried leaves can been used in this way as can the root but are somewhat weaker. In traditional Chinese medicine, Althaea officinalis is known in (pinyin) -the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet – as yàoshǔkuí.

All Mallows have, in past times been used as food, and are mentioned by early classic writers. Mallow was a vegetable to the Romans; a dish of Marsh Mallow was one of their delicacies. Prosper Alpinus remarked in 1592 that a plant of the Mallow kind was eaten by the Egyptians. The root extract is used as flavouring in the middle eastern snack called halva. Flowers and young leaves can be eaten, often added to salads or are boiled and fried.

Marsh Mallow is great for both skin and hair. Rich in plant proteins this herb has expectorant properties to strengthen the cell tissues and control bacterial infections. Vitamins A and C, mucilage (polysaccharides), starch, pectin, phenolic acids, sucrose, asparagine, oil, flavonoids, cellulose, sugar, glutinous matter and phosphate of lime are also included in the list of beneficial ingredients for this pretty plant.

It both relieves and heals dry, chapped skin and regular use is said to deactivate a stress-triggered enzyme which stimulates excess oil production leading to blocked pores and the onset of acne. It is especially useful round the delicate eye area to reduce puffiness and the appearance of wrinkles. Marsh Mallow extract is a humectant, able to attract and hold water hydrating and stimulating the moisture balance within the upper dermis. A non-oily emollient (skin softener) this wonder herb promotes healing of wounds, skin irritations and burns, softens dry skin and promotes pliability.

We have just started using this lovely herb and are growing it organically to use in our soon to be released eye serum where we will combine it with Eyebright and Ivy to soothe and refresh tired eyes.