A woman's survivalist kit

Your beauty and personal hygiene regime doesn't have to suffer when TSHTF - just adapt, with the help of basic larder supplies and some novel craft projects! by Ella Fortune of Survivor Magazine.

Menstruation

When tampons and sanitary napkins are in short supply, there are some longer-wearing, reuseable alternatives. Consider alternatives such as 'the keeper', a rubber cup that can be worn internally to collect blood during your period. Another alternative is reusable/washable 'moonpads'. You can also make your own, as seen here at www. treehugger.com. If you start using them now, you'll be reducing the contribution to landfill.

Dental care

What did our forebears use before toothpaste became mainstream? That all-purpose household ingredient, baking soda! Just whack some on your fingers or toothbrush and add a little water and get to work. It also brightens your teeth.

Deodorant

The world used to be a smelly place and it wasn't unusual for lots of people to be 'on the nose' - and I'm not speaking metaphorically. Homemade deodorants are easy to whack together. To make a basic powder deodorant, mix equal parts of baking powder, or baking soda, and cornflour, a ¼ cup of each to start with. Add a few drops of essential oil. Lavender, cedar or tea tree are basic, gentle oils for those not sure what they want - lemon is also a popular alternative. Put the mixture in a sealed container and shake for a minute or so before applying with a damp facecloth. Don't wash it off.

Foundation

Make your own! Yes, you really can. Just follow these simple steps and you can create your own personalised makeup - but you may find you need to give it go a few times to perfect it. Japanese Geishas favoured rice flour for their faces, so if you're pale you might consider giving this a try - but don't get too carried away. You don't want anyone mistaking you for a ghost!

Lips

You can't go past beeswax for lipcare - it's cheap, natural and leaves your lips 100% kissable.

Sun protection

If you're prone to getting sunburn, then be sensible. Tans can be dangerous, promoting malignant growth of skin cells. Large floppy hats, sarongs and t-shirts are quite acceptable. Let's face it, you won't be too fashion-conscious - you'll be too worried about surviving! You could also try this recipe for homemade herbal sun protection lotion.

Hairspray

Well, hairspray is one product that most likely will not be around in plentiful supply should catastrophe strike, but a nice fallback is sugar and water. Just add a spoonful of sugar and swish it around in (hot) water and put it in a spray bottle. This one has been a fashion secret for a long time, just beware when you're outside - bees can't resist the smell of sugar!

Skin scrub

Don't put that sugar away just yet, why not make yourself an invigorating skin scrub? Check out the simple recipe right here.

Shampoo

Start growing soapwort - this plant has, as the name suggests, fairly unique properties that are similar to soap. Mix two cups of distilled (boiled, and then cooled down) water, 1.5 tablespoons of dried and chopped soapwort root and two teaspoons of lemon verbena. Boil the water (again) with the soapwort root for 20 minutes, then add verbena. Allow to cool, before straining and bottling. Use within eight days. Beer also makes a nice hair rinse, but in a survival could cause tension with the beer drinkers!

Hair styling

Forget tongs, curlers and hairdryers. However, there are ways you can style your hair to some degree without these things. If your hair is long enough, braid/plait it while damp to get a lovely wavy effect when it dries and you take it out. For super straight hair, keep brushing it out in from of a heat source such as a fire. This also stimulates the natural oils in your scalp to give you lustrous locks. If your hair is short, consider using a headband to keep it neat and tidy. You could also style it by scrunching it with the sugar and water hairspray mixture for extra volume.

Stocking up

There are a lot of things you can do to make your life easier, but one very easy one is to stock up on a few essentials in the event of an emergency so that you may not need to adopt all of the above ideas.

These can include:-

Naprogesic or Ponstan, for those who suffer severe period pain. (Remember girls, as odd as this sounds, exercise can help to diminish this pain by speeding up your period)

Tampons or sanitary napkins (plan ahead in three-month lots and seek out unbleached cotton products)

Aspirin

Folding brush

Bobby pins, hair ties, cloth head band

A good hairbrush

Hairspray

Small mirror

Deodorant wipes

Baby wipes for make-up removal, dirty hands etc

Hand lotion

Lip balm

Grooming kit with manicure clippers/emery boards

Dental floss

Tissues

Bandaids

Safety pins

Small sewing kit

Some optional additions could include:-

Shoe wipes

Nail polish remover

Spare hoisery

Clear nail polish for runs in stockings

Peppermints

Antacid

Baby powder

Earrings backs

Super glue (for those broken heels)

Roll of sticky tape, used for removing lint

Notepad and pen

Hat that can be rolled up

Fresh white cotton t-shirt

Hope that gets you girls thinking!