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Properly storing your soapy creations extends the amount of time the product looks and feels its best. For cold process soap , proper storage includes plenty of air flow. On the other hand, melt and pour soap should be wrapped immediately. Improper storage can promote dreaded orange spots , faded colors and glycerin dew . Luckily, it’s easy to prevent these problems with a little know-how. How products should be stored largely depends on what the product is made of, and the shelf life of the ingredients. For nearly all bath and beauty products , it’s best to store them in a dry and cool place. Excessive moisture in the air can promote DOS (read more about DOS here) and cause bath bombs to prematurely fizz. Extreme heat can cause melt and pour (or even cold process) soap to melt, and the texture of lotions and balms to change. If placed in direct sunlight, soapy colors and fragrances may fade. If you live in a hot climate, find the coolest and darkest area of your home to store your...

You might have seen bottles of shampoo and conditioner labelled as sulphate- and paraben-free, but what does this actually mean when it comes to what we put on our hair?  What are sulphates?  Most of us will have shower gels, soaps, shampoos and cleaning products in our bathroom and kitchen cupboards that contain synthetic detergents. The likes of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), ammonium lareth sulphate and myreth sulphate. These are synthetic, inexpensive detergents that are very effective at removing dirt and also help provide that soapy lather we’ve come to expect when we wash our hair.  In some cases, they can dry out hair, irritate sensitive skin and make eczema worse , so some brands choose to use gentler alternatives .  Typically, sulphate-free products might not lather as much as others containing synthetic foaming agents , so those with finer locks may find they need to give hair two washes.  What are parabens?  Parabens are preservatives used...

Bruno Goussault, 63, is both a scientist and an economist. He has been training chefs like Fabio Trabocchi at the Ritz-Carlton and Michel Richard at Citronelle, both in Washington, Dan Barber at Blue Hill in New York and Daniel Boulud at Daniel, also in New York, not only how to use sous vide but also to understand the science behind it. Where Escoffier organized the way chefs cook, dividing the professional kitchen into stations (sauces, cold foods, sautéing, pastry), Goussault has reprogrammed their approach to temperature, technique and taste -- their fundamental understanding of cooking. At Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, the intense heat and scrape of pans against the stove is giving way to an almost placid atmosphere, the barely audible hum of water baths that run 24 hours a day. Dufresne, the chef at the innovative Manhattan restaurant WD -50, calls Goussault's contribution to cooking "monumental." The advancements he has made are on par with the invention of t...