skincare routine
African Extracts brings you a selection of nourishing, vegan-friendly beauty basics
Wyourhat’s your take on skincare oils? It may seem counter-intuitive, but
dry and dehydrated skin needs oil to store water. Many popular tissue oils contain mineral oil such as liquid paraffin, which is not easily absorbed so it leaves skin feeling greasy, acts as a barrier for your skin to absorb other goodness such as vitamins and water, and can cause breakouts. Instead, African Extracts harnesses the power of nature. You’ll love the combination of natural oils and antioxidants that work together to tackle your hair and skincare woes.
Say hello to smooth and supple skin – that also looks younger and more radiant! Well-loved for its fabulous treatments, African Extracts oils are 100% naturally derived and suitable for vegans. Best of all, they glide on and feel natural on your skin – with no greasy layer. The products are endorsed by Beauty Without Cruelty. They really tick all the boxes when it comes to contemporary skincare concerns.
Luckily we were flying over Matemo island, which has an airstrip. Jan took emergency precautions and we descended. As we hit the runway, our wing tip nicked a bush, which spun us off the airstrip; ripped the right wing, doors and undercarriage off, and damaged the propellor. By the time we hit the tree, the plane had turned right over.
‘We were shaken, but luckily unhurt,’ Jan adds.
Fortunately they were rescued by some local fishermen who helped them pack the severed pieces of their plane into a small dhow and sail it 150 nautical miles back to the mainland at Pemba. From there it was onto the back of a rickety truck and down the coast to George, for the plane to be repaired. The entire process took half a year.
Many couples find it difficult to work together, but Jan and Jay believe it works for them because opposites attract. ‘My shortcomings are her strengths, and vice versa,’ says Jan. He laughs as he recalls their first few flights together. ‘Jay often has a camera to her eye, telling me to go left or right, or to get my wing out of her shot. It gets quite bossy up there! The best was when she used to shout, “Stop! Stop!” in mid-flight.’
Jay laughs, playfully punching him on the shoulder. ‘When we first went to photograph the Okavango, Jan was up early one morning to plan our route. He had divided our map into quadrants and said, “Right, today we’re going to be flying over quadrant A1.” I asked him if we couldn’t just fly where the universe took us. Jan raised his eyebrow and said, “We can fly wherever the universe takes us… in quadrant A1.”’
In spite of the general disaster that has been 2020, Jan and Jay have published their first book, Aerial Art, a stunning compilation of their favourite photographs over the years. ‘We’ve also partnered with various air operators and ground handlers in Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana, and plan to start our own luxury air safaris,’ says Jan.
So what’s next? ‘We’ve bought a little farm in the Okavango,’ says Jay. ‘We intend to sell our home and go and live in a little tent on a deck between the trees for a while. Heaven!’
Heaven sounds about right.
Aerial Art is out now. Available from hphpublishing.co.za; R995 (standard edition) or R1 995 (limited edition). Follow @aerialafricasafaris on Instagram or visit aerial-africa.com to check out more shots.