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The Kirstenbosch Tree Canopy Walkway

I seriously live under a rock. I only heard about this walkway last week when I attended a spectacular launch at Kirstenbosch (post to follow).

I cannot wait to go. It truly looks amazing. A couple of friends are just as excited to go and I just read that I can take my gran as it’s wheel chair friendly!

Below are a couple of pics and snippets from the press release. I know this is just a copy-and-paste jobby, but I felt I just had to share.

‘The affectionately named “Boomslang” or Tree Canopy Walkway at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is now open to the public and offers visitors an unusual and unique view from forest floor to treetops – yet another reason to visit the Garden.’

‘Where is it? – It’s situated in the Arboretum (Enchanted Forest) which is nestled below the Protea Garden, above the Dell and above the Concert lawn.’

‘How long is it? – It is 130m long and curves between the trees and through the branches.  It is roughly crescent-shaped and joins the forest floor in two different places within the arboretum.  Its highest point is 12m above the ground (approximately 3 stories).’

These breathtaking pics where taken by Adam Harrower.

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This amazing walkway was built to celebrate Kirstenbosch’s centenary and a visit to Boomslang is now on my bucket list. And it should be on yours too.

Let me know if you’ve been!

xoxo

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Why are sulphates in your shampoo such a big deal?

I’ve never really bothered looking at the ingredients on my shampoo bottle, and I usually just grab one off the shelf at the supermarket. But I have dry hair and I highlight regularly and I realised that I need to make a plan – my hair has become so dry and damaged and it looks and feels strawy. I always thought that conditioners and treatments were more important than the shampoo. They are just to clean, right? The cleaner, the better. As long as I take one that’s designed for dry/damaged hair, I’m sorted?

Ehh… no!

I’ve heard many people talking about how bad sulphates are for your hair and I know that most salon brands are sulphate free. So why are they bad?

Putting it VERY simply: sulphates acts as a cleaning agent that dissolves grease and dirt and it boosts foam.

Are 'paint stripper' chemicals in shampoo destroying your hair? - The Daily Mail
Are ‘paint stripper’ chemicals in shampoo destroying your hair? – The Daily Mail

‘A sulphate is a salt of sulphuric acid (gypsum, or plaster of Paris, is probably the best-known example). With shampoo, two particular sulphates are commonly used: sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES)’ – The Daily Mail

The problem is that they can actually ‘over clean’ and strip your hair. This is especially bad for me since my hair is already dry, I have it chemically treated and I wash my hair every day. Yes, I know it’s bad, but I just cannot style these curls if I don’t. I am also experimenting with washing just with water a couple of times a week, but that’s for another post.

I still haven’t made complete peace with the fact that my face wash doesn’t have to make millions of bubbles to be effective. And now I have to believe that a shampoo that doesn’t do the same can actually clean my hair just as effectively?

I am now on a mission to find affordable sulphate free shampoos and give them a go.

According to The Daily Mail this is what I should look out for when reading the label: look for the words ‘sulphate-free’ on the packaging. This will mean that the product is free from sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate, no matter what other sulphates appear as an ingredient.

I’ll let you know how it goes!

If you have any recommendations, please let me know.

xoxo