Simple routines for personal health and the ecosystems around us

Living in a place like Torio changes your awareness of what you use every day.

What goes down the drain doesn’t disappear. It goes into the soil, into the water, into the systems that surround us — and eventually, back to us. In rural areas, where we rely on biodigestors, septic systems, or natural filtration through the land, the products we use matter even more.

Many conventional cleaning and personal care products contain chemicals that disrupt these natural systems. They can affect water quality, damage beneficial bacteria, and slowly impact both ecosystem health and our own.

Switching to biodegradable alternatives is a simple way to align daily life with the environment we’re part of. It’s also gentler on the body — on skin, hair, and overall health.

Over time, I’ve simplified my routine. Fewer products, more intention, and mostly things that are locally available or easy to make.

This is what I use.

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Personal Care

I try to keep this minimal and natural.

Soap & Shampoo
I use biodegradable soap and shampoo from Amazilia. They are simple, effective, and work well with our climate.

Conditioner
Instead of conventional conditioner, I use a mix of:

• apple cider vinegar
• water
• a few drops of rosemary essential oil

It helps detangle, balances the scalp, and leaves the hair soft without buildup.

I wash my hair about once a week. Over time, the scalp adjusts and produces less oil.

Deodorant
I use a natural deodorant from Casa Árbol.

Deep Hair Clean (occasionally)
When I feel buildup, I use:

• raw egg
• water
• apple cider vinegar
• a few drops of rosemary or lavender essential oil

It gives a deeper clean while still being gentle.

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Home Cleaning

For the house, I keep a few base ingredients that do almost everything.

General Cleaning & Dishes
I use liquid soap from Amazilia. It works for dishes, floors, and general cleaning.

Toilets
White vinegar + baking soda

Simple and effective, and safe for septic systems.

Surfaces
White vinegar mixed with water
Sometimes I add a few drops of rosemary or lavender essential oil.

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Laundry — Simple & Biodegradable

Laundry is also very simple.

This is the mix I use — it works well and is compatible with biodigestors and natural water systems.

Ingredients

• Liquid soap (Amazilia)
• Borax (I get it at Novey)
• Washing soda
• Water

Recipe — 1 gallon batch

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup liquid soap
• Fill the rest with water (to complete 1 gallon)

I dissolve the powders first with a bit of warm water, then add the soap, then fill the rest and shake gently.

Use

• Small load: ~¼ cup
• Large load: ~½ cup

You can adjust depending on your machine and how dirty things are.

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Natural Softener

Instead of conventional softeners, I use white vinegar.

• About ½ to 1 cup per load
• Added in the softener compartment or rinse cycle

It softens clothes, removes residue, and keeps everything fresh.
The vinegar smell disappears once dry.

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Optional — Adding Scent

If you want a light scent in your laundry, you can do it simply.

• Cut pieces of an old cotton t-shirt
• Keep them in a container with white vinegar
• Add a few drops of essential oil (lavender is really nice)

Then use one piece in the wash or dryer.

I tried this at the beginning, but with time I realized I don’t actually need scent on my clothes.
Clean and neutral started to feel better — especially living close to nature.

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Making Washing Soda (if you can’t find it)

If washing soda isn’t available, you can make it from baking soda.

• Spread baking soda on a tray
• Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 45–60 minutes
• Stir once or twice
• Let it cool and store it airtight

This transforms it into washing soda — a stronger cleaner that still keeps things simple and biodegradable.

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A Simpler Way of Living

This isn’t about doing everything perfectly.

It’s about small, conscious choices.

Using fewer products.
Understanding where things go.
Working with natural systems instead of against them.

Living in a place like Torio naturally brings you closer to this way of thinking.
And over time, simplicity starts to feel not only enough — but better.

The Online Shop Launch — A Seed Planted

Introducing Jagua Cabin and Arquídea’s Tropical Cabin Plans

I launched the Arquídea store with just one model: Jagua Cabin — a small tropical cabin designed to adapt to place, climate, and the way you live.

It wasn’t a perfect launch.
It was a real one.

I’ve been a one-woman band, doing everything myself — architectural design, organizing drawings, building the website, creating bilingual content, setting up WordPress, WooCommerce, payments, product structure, and documentation.

There were many moments outside my comfort zone.
But the intention was simple: plant a seed.

Tropical Architecture, Made Accessible

The idea behind the Arquídea shop is to offer thoughtful tropical cabin plans that can be adapted to different locations and lifestyles.

These are not generic templates.
They are conceptual architectural designs created specifically for tropical and subtropical climates, using passive design strategies like:

• cross ventilation
• deep roof overhangs
• shaded outdoor living
• compact footprints
• climate-responsive layouts
• simple construction systems

Each model is designed to work as:

• a tropical cabin
• small house
• guest house
• vacation rental
• retreat space
• minimalist home

Jagua Cabin is the first step — a compact tropical design developed with care, intention, and experience working in rural Panama.

A Seed Planted During Slower Times

This project started forming quietly during lockdown, which was a very transformative time here.

I spent those months reconnecting with the landscape — learning tree and plant names, making herbal teas from scratch, preparing banana flower vinegar, baking sourdough bread, and helping build Casa Melina.

That slower rhythm changed the way I see architecture.

Less as an object.
More as something that grows from place, climate, and daily life.

That’s when the idea for these models began to take shape.

A One-Woman Band — With Support

While I’ve been doing most of this myself, I haven’t been completely alone.

My friend Melissa — who has a strong marketing mind — helped me brainstorm and shape the early ideas. She and her husband run their beautiful Amazilia farm, where they produce handmade soaps using milk from their goats.

I’m excited about the possibility of her joining this project in the future. Her sensitivity and vision align naturally with what Arquídea is becoming.

Launching Before Perfect

I waited a long time before launching.
It always felt like something else needed to be finished first.

But at some point I realized: projects don’t start when they’re perfect.
They start when you plant them.

Today the store has one model.
But it represents a direction.

A slower architecture.
A more accessible one.
Rooted in tropical living.
Designed to grow over time.

The First Seed: Jagua Cabin

Jagua Cabin is more than a small tropical cabin plan.
It’s the first seed of a growing collection of tropical architectural designs.

More models will come.
Slowly.
Carefully.
With intention.

Today, the seed is planted.