Print
Survivor Jane, perhaps the most renowned female prepper of 2013, has written her first book, a compilation filled with natural, homemade recipes for everything from face wash to conditioner that will leave your hair feeling silky and luxurious.
It’s appropriately titled Where There is No Cosmetic Counter: How not to look like a Zombie-Even After the End of the World as You Know It.
Jane came to prepping just a few short years ago — after a car jacking and following the downturn in the economy that changed her perspective on the importance of living a self-reliant existence. Unable to find the female-focused preparedness resources she sought, she spent many hours studying, researching and learning sustainable skills which could aid specifically females.
Survivor Jane’s book has a plethora of recipes comprised of healthy and natural ingredients sure to please any prepper chick, off-grid enthusiast, or homesteading family.
She recently spoke with Off The Grid News.
OTG: What do you hope female preppers will take away from the book?
Survivor Jane: My hope is that women will realize that prepping is not about giving up, it’s about planning ahead. And this goes for everyone not just women. With a little planning if, or when the proverbial ‘poo’ ever hits the fan we can all be more prepared for what evet comes our way.
OTG: What do you hope prepper husbands/boyfriends take away from the book?
Survivor Jane: This book represents yet another outreach to bring more preparedness awareness to women. Men, for some reason or another, have a hard time getting the women in their lives onboard with prepping. I’d like the book to represent the pink side of prepping. To show women that prepping is not all about camo, guns and underground bunkers. It’s about planning — which by the way — is what women do best.
OTG: The book has many great resources for non-preppers who are concerned with using only natural products on their skin and in their home. What would be the one or two items most readers will be surprised they could make themselves?
Survivor Jane: The book is full of surprises! But to name a few, I would say making your own hair spray and waxing gel to shave your legs. Who doesn’t want to have their hair stay in place? And, we all love silkly smooth legs! I have taken the body as a whole and tried to include head to toe remedies (literally) from shiny hair to treating nail conditions, and so much more.
OTG: What is the focus of the book and your vision for the book?
Survivor Jane: The products that most women use, cosmetics and grooming-aids, I don’t think has really be addressed by anyone. Most women at least wear lip gloss and mascara each day, others a full-face of makeup. I am a “what if” person. And wondered, what would happen when your makeup runs out and you can no longer buy it? I scoured the Internet in search of alternatives to just about everything womanly: foundations, eye shadows, lipsticks, hair spray, waxing, shampoo, facial peels, lotions, washes and I can go on and on. My focus was on how to make these products using items in our pantry and gardens. I’m not sure about most of the readers but I am not a natural beauty in the morning – and in fact I’m sure most of us look a little like a zombie. My book is to show women that there are even options to looking and feeling good – even after the end of the world as we know it. And think of the great morale booster it would make!
OTG: What advice would you give to men who want to engage their wives, daughters, girlfriends, mothers or sisters more in their preparedness plan?
Survivor Jane: I have this question come up a lot by men. What I tell them is men and women think, act and talk differently. A woman’s priorities are different than a man’s. So, it could very well be the man’s approach to how he discusses preparedness with the women in his life. For instance, if a man begins his conversation with the need to have lots of food, an underground bunker, a closet full of fatigues, and an arsenal of weapons, this sounds dark and frightening to most woman. A lot of these items are foreign to women. Men on the other hand were raised as Boy Scouts, hunters or were in the military, so they understand them better. If, the man took an approach, like say, using current events as a jumping off point and then discuss the world that we live in and specific risks to the area they live it, the conversation would be little less frightening and understandable.
Where There is No Cosmetic Counter is sold on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Sign up for Off The Grid News’ weekly email and stay informed about the issues important to you
