Sunday, June 7, 2015
Natural Mama: Liquid Hand Soap
Natural Mama: Liquid Hand Soap: It has been a long time since I have created a post on my blog. SO I decided to start off with an easy recipe for everyone to try. We go thr...
Liquid Hand Soap
It has been a long time since I have created a post on my blog. SO I decided to start off with an easy recipe for everyone to try. We go through a lot of hand soap. The only downside of foaming hand soap is that you need a special foaming pump and these eventually wear out.
Liquid Hand Soap…
I got enough questions about if this would work as a liquid hand soap that I decided to create a recipe specifically for liquid hand soap. This uses the same idea as my homemade laundry detergent of grating a natural bar soap and melting in water to form a natural gel.
This is not only cost effective (a $3 to $4 bar of premium natural soap will make up to a gallon of soap), but simple and more natural than regular soap.
Is it Antibacterial?
I would avoid antibacterial handsoaps and other products because of their potential to create resistant bacteria and microbiome changes. Plain soap and water have proven as effective as antibacterial soaps without the risk and this natural version is a simple and cost effective natural soap.
What You’ll Need
A natural bar soap of choice. Homemade bar soaps usually work well and my other favorites are Dr. Bronners, african black soap, and Kombucha soap
Distilled or filtered water
A dispenser: Reuse an old soap dispenser, use a glass one or metal one, or make one out of a mason jar by drilling a hole in the top and hot gluing on the top of a soap pump dispenser.
Ingredients
1 ounce of finely grated bar soap (approximately ¼ of a regular bar of soap)
1 quart of water
Optional: essential oils of choice for scent
Instructions
Place the bar soap and water into a small saucepan.
Turn on medium heat and stir constantly until soap has dissolved into the water.
Let cool completely and pour into the container you plan to use.
It will take about 24 hours to completely "gel" but it will not be quite as thick as regular hand soap. You can add more grated bar soap to create a thicker soap but it will be more difficult to pump and will not get hands any more clean, so I stick with this.
After 24 hours, shake well to make sure it has gelled completely and use as normal.
Liquid Hand Soap…
I got enough questions about if this would work as a liquid hand soap that I decided to create a recipe specifically for liquid hand soap. This uses the same idea as my homemade laundry detergent of grating a natural bar soap and melting in water to form a natural gel.
This is not only cost effective (a $3 to $4 bar of premium natural soap will make up to a gallon of soap), but simple and more natural than regular soap.
Is it Antibacterial?
I would avoid antibacterial handsoaps and other products because of their potential to create resistant bacteria and microbiome changes. Plain soap and water have proven as effective as antibacterial soaps without the risk and this natural version is a simple and cost effective natural soap.
What You’ll Need
A natural bar soap of choice. Homemade bar soaps usually work well and my other favorites are Dr. Bronners, african black soap, and Kombucha soap
Distilled or filtered water
A dispenser: Reuse an old soap dispenser, use a glass one or metal one, or make one out of a mason jar by drilling a hole in the top and hot gluing on the top of a soap pump dispenser.
Ingredients
1 ounce of finely grated bar soap (approximately ¼ of a regular bar of soap)
1 quart of water
Optional: essential oils of choice for scent
Instructions
Place the bar soap and water into a small saucepan.
Turn on medium heat and stir constantly until soap has dissolved into the water.
Let cool completely and pour into the container you plan to use.
It will take about 24 hours to completely "gel" but it will not be quite as thick as regular hand soap. You can add more grated bar soap to create a thicker soap but it will be more difficult to pump and will not get hands any more clean, so I stick with this.
After 24 hours, shake well to make sure it has gelled completely and use as normal.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Natural Body Wash
I spent a lot of money on fancy body wash products (and fancy personal care products in general). I definitely bought into all the claims of how they would make your skin softer/tighter/smell great/acne free/etc and had several that I mixed and matched to get the scent and effect I wanted.
I don’t use most conventional products anymore and usually just default to using bar soap, but when I still want the skin softening, great smelling benefits of body wash, I make my own.
Natural Body Wash Ingredients…
This body wash combines several of my favorite skin care ingredients. I use:
Raw honey: I’ve posted before about how honey is a great skin care ingredient on its own and how it is great for wound healing (and even used in hospitals). In this recipe, it helps soften skin and is naturally soothing & antibacterial. I use local, raw honey when possible and use an organic raw honey (like this one) when I can’t find any locally.
Natural Oils: I use the oil cleansing method to wash my face each day and my skin has never looked better. This recipe uses natural oils to accomplish some of the same benefits as oil cleansing for the whole body. I used a mixture of castor oil and olive oil.
Liquid castille soap- This gives it the cleansing ability. I use Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild so that I can customize the scent with essential oils, but any scent of organic liquid castille soap will work.
Homemade Natural Body Wash
Simple and natural homemade body wash with liquid castille soap, raw honey, natural oils and essential oils to nourish skin without drying.
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons liquid castille soap
3 Tablespoons raw honey
2 Tablespoons oils (I used 1 TBSP each of castor oil and olive oil)
10 drops of essential oil of choice (or more for your preferences)
Instructions
Carefully mix all ingredients by hand with a spoon in a glass liquid measuring cup. Do not use a blender, whisk or had mixer as this will create bubbles and make it impossible to get into a container.
Pour into a (preferably glass) container and use in the shower as a body wash. I use with a natural sea sponge for easy use.
I don’t use most conventional products anymore and usually just default to using bar soap, but when I still want the skin softening, great smelling benefits of body wash, I make my own.
Natural Body Wash Ingredients…
This body wash combines several of my favorite skin care ingredients. I use:
Raw honey: I’ve posted before about how honey is a great skin care ingredient on its own and how it is great for wound healing (and even used in hospitals). In this recipe, it helps soften skin and is naturally soothing & antibacterial. I use local, raw honey when possible and use an organic raw honey (like this one) when I can’t find any locally.
Natural Oils: I use the oil cleansing method to wash my face each day and my skin has never looked better. This recipe uses natural oils to accomplish some of the same benefits as oil cleansing for the whole body. I used a mixture of castor oil and olive oil.
Liquid castille soap- This gives it the cleansing ability. I use Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild so that I can customize the scent with essential oils, but any scent of organic liquid castille soap will work.
Homemade Natural Body Wash
Simple and natural homemade body wash with liquid castille soap, raw honey, natural oils and essential oils to nourish skin without drying.
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons liquid castille soap
3 Tablespoons raw honey
2 Tablespoons oils (I used 1 TBSP each of castor oil and olive oil)
10 drops of essential oil of choice (or more for your preferences)
Instructions
Carefully mix all ingredients by hand with a spoon in a glass liquid measuring cup. Do not use a blender, whisk or had mixer as this will create bubbles and make it impossible to get into a container.
Pour into a (preferably glass) container and use in the shower as a body wash. I use with a natural sea sponge for easy use.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was given literally a million bottles of baby lotion by friends and relatives. The smell reminded me of my own childhood and I loved that it was a lotion specially formulated for baby. I figured all of the ingredients must be natural and safe since it was for babies after all… and then I actually read the ingredients.
What’s in Baby Lotion?
I wondered why things like Propylene glycol, parabens, artificial fragrances, synthetic waxes and petroleum based oils were considered safe for children. Turns out, they aren’t considered safe for children and the products I’d been given had a hazard rating of 5-6 on the EWG website and had “moderate risk of allergies and immunotoxicity as well as reproductive and developmental toxins.
I definitely wasn’t going to put that on my baby, so I started looking for natural options. I found some great ones, but also found out that most of them were pretty expensive and when you are living on a budget those options were not for me.
I decided to try to make my own from all natural, food safe ingredients and this ended up being less expensive for me anyway since I had many of these ingredients on hand for my homemade lotion bars and other homemade beauty products.
Choosing Natural Ingredients
Instead of propylene glycol, parabens and synthetic ingredients, I wanted to find all-natural ingredients to put on my baby’s skin and I wanted them to even be safe enough to eat!
I decided to use:
Cocoa Butter because it is naturally high in antioxidants and fatty acids that are moisturizing to the skin.
Shea Butter – Natural source of Vitamin A and other nutrients, shea butter is highly nourishing to the skin.
Olive Oil- Moisturizing and skin protecting.
Castor Oil- Optional but high in ricinoleic acid and skin protective. (this is the one I use)
Essential Oils: I used Frankincense, Myrhh, Chamomile and Rose and the scent was incredible. The Chamomile I used was blue chamomile.
I loved that this recipe is completely oil-based with shelf stable ingredients. Since no liquid is added, it has an indefinite shelf life and will last for months or years. It takes a few minutes to absorb in to skin and only a tiny bit is needed. I’ve had friends say that this was incredibly helpful for eczema and skin problems as well.
The Recipe
¼ cup cocoa butter (or 32 cocoa butter wafers)
¼ cup shea butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon castor oil
Essential oils of choice. I used 15 drops each of Frankincense, Myrrh, Chamomile and Rose.
Instructions
Heat all ingredients (except essential oils) in a double boiler or in a glass jar or bowl over a small pan of boiling water.
Stir carefully until melted.
Remove from heat and add essential oils if using.
Pour in to a glass jar for storage.
Use a small amount as needed for baby's skin (or adult skin)
What did you use on your little ones? Ever made your own? Share below!
What’s in Baby Lotion?
I wondered why things like Propylene glycol, parabens, artificial fragrances, synthetic waxes and petroleum based oils were considered safe for children. Turns out, they aren’t considered safe for children and the products I’d been given had a hazard rating of 5-6 on the EWG website and had “moderate risk of allergies and immunotoxicity as well as reproductive and developmental toxins.
I definitely wasn’t going to put that on my baby, so I started looking for natural options. I found some great ones, but also found out that most of them were pretty expensive and when you are living on a budget those options were not for me.
I decided to try to make my own from all natural, food safe ingredients and this ended up being less expensive for me anyway since I had many of these ingredients on hand for my homemade lotion bars and other homemade beauty products.
Choosing Natural Ingredients
Instead of propylene glycol, parabens and synthetic ingredients, I wanted to find all-natural ingredients to put on my baby’s skin and I wanted them to even be safe enough to eat!
I decided to use:
Cocoa Butter because it is naturally high in antioxidants and fatty acids that are moisturizing to the skin.
Shea Butter – Natural source of Vitamin A and other nutrients, shea butter is highly nourishing to the skin.
Olive Oil- Moisturizing and skin protecting.
Castor Oil- Optional but high in ricinoleic acid and skin protective. (this is the one I use)
Essential Oils: I used Frankincense, Myrhh, Chamomile and Rose and the scent was incredible. The Chamomile I used was blue chamomile.
I loved that this recipe is completely oil-based with shelf stable ingredients. Since no liquid is added, it has an indefinite shelf life and will last for months or years. It takes a few minutes to absorb in to skin and only a tiny bit is needed. I’ve had friends say that this was incredibly helpful for eczema and skin problems as well.
The Recipe
¼ cup cocoa butter (or 32 cocoa butter wafers)
¼ cup shea butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon castor oil
Essential oils of choice. I used 15 drops each of Frankincense, Myrrh, Chamomile and Rose.
Instructions
Heat all ingredients (except essential oils) in a double boiler or in a glass jar or bowl over a small pan of boiling water.
Stir carefully until melted.
Remove from heat and add essential oils if using.
Pour in to a glass jar for storage.
Use a small amount as needed for baby's skin (or adult skin)
What did you use on your little ones? Ever made your own? Share below!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
5 Natural Face Mask Recipes
For those of us who don’t have the time to escape to a spa for relaxation, these homemade face masks are a great solution for giving skin a boost. Even better, they are all made from completely non-toxic ingredients… in fact, you can eat most of them!
1. Basic Face Mask
Use some bentonite clay or kaolin clay and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to face in a circular motion until face is covered. Let dry and use a warm, wet washcloth to remove.
Good for: All skin types
2. Tropical Mask
Mash one banana with 1 tablespoon of honey and mix until it forms a smooth paste. Apply to face and allow to stay on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well.
Good for: Dry skin
3. Chai Mask
For a delicious smelling mask that also gently exfoliates skin, mix this mask that doubles as a sweetener for Chai tea. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Rub on face and let sit 20 minutes. Remove with a washcloth and warm water. (Note: some people react to cinnamon or nutmeg on skin. Test a small amount on your inner arm before using)
Good for: oily or normal skin
4. Guacamole Mask
For dry skin, mash 1/2 of a ripe avocado with 2 tablespoons of honey and apply to the face. Let sit 20+ minutes and rinse well.
Good for: All skin types, especially dry skin
5. Cool Cucumber Mask
This one is especially great for oily or inflamed skin. Blend 1/2 of a cucumber with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of bentonite or kaolin clay. Add additional clay if needed to create a paste. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes.
Remove with a washcloth and warm water.
Good for: All skin types, especially cooling for acne prone skin
Aftercare:
After using a facemask, a sea salt spray or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 1 cup of cool water work as great toners to lock in the effects.
1. Basic Face Mask
Use some bentonite clay or kaolin clay and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to face in a circular motion until face is covered. Let dry and use a warm, wet washcloth to remove.
Good for: All skin types
2. Tropical Mask
Mash one banana with 1 tablespoon of honey and mix until it forms a smooth paste. Apply to face and allow to stay on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well.
Good for: Dry skin
3. Chai Mask
For a delicious smelling mask that also gently exfoliates skin, mix this mask that doubles as a sweetener for Chai tea. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Rub on face and let sit 20 minutes. Remove with a washcloth and warm water. (Note: some people react to cinnamon or nutmeg on skin. Test a small amount on your inner arm before using)
Good for: oily or normal skin
4. Guacamole Mask
For dry skin, mash 1/2 of a ripe avocado with 2 tablespoons of honey and apply to the face. Let sit 20+ minutes and rinse well.
Good for: All skin types, especially dry skin
5. Cool Cucumber Mask
This one is especially great for oily or inflamed skin. Blend 1/2 of a cucumber with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of bentonite or kaolin clay. Add additional clay if needed to create a paste. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes.
Remove with a washcloth and warm water.
Good for: All skin types, especially cooling for acne prone skin
Aftercare:
After using a facemask, a sea salt spray or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 1 cup of cool water work as great toners to lock in the effects.
Sweet Salt Texturizing Spray for Hair
Turns out, combining these two recipes is not only possible, but awesome.I stumbled upon my beach waves spray and homemade hair spray when looking for natural hair products that would give my hair some body without weighing it down or making it look greasy.This texturizing spray combines the texturizing ability of my original sea spray with the extra hold of my homemade hair spray for a long-lasting texturizing spray. I also added essential oils to this recipe for scent and to stimulate hair growth. I spend a lot of time outside in the summer, and these oils help protect hair and encourage new hair growth.
This spray is incredibly inexpensive and simple to make and it has worked better on my hair than any store-bought product I’ve ever tried. In fact, even if you buy a top of the line glass spray bottle to use for this recipe (which can be re-used many times) and use all of the optional ingredients, this 8 ounce recipe still costs much less than a 4-ounce bottle of Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, which is one of the few conventional products that I’ve ever really liked.
Texturizing Spray Ingredients
1 cup distilled water, heated but not boiling
1 Tablespoon Epsom Salt
1 Tablespoon Organic White Sugar
1 teaspoon Spiced Rum (optional- to help preserve and avoid sticking)
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil (optional)
10 drops Clary Sage Essential Oil (optional)
5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil (optional)
1 teaspoon of Coconut Conditioner (optional but can help prevent the bottle sticking. Adding conditioner will not work for all hair types and will make the spray thicker. If you don’t want to use conditioner, you can just soak the spray top in hot water to dissolve the sugar/salt if it ever sticks)
How to Make Texturizing Spray
These directions get pretty complicated, so bear with me… Just kidding! This recipe is incredibly easy to make so don’t blink or you might miss the directions.
Pour the hot water in to the glass spray bottle.
Add all of the other ingredients.
Shake until ingredients are dissolved.
How To Use Texturizing Spray
Spray into dry hair and scrunch until the spray dries.
For extra volume, use a curling iron to loosely curl 1 inch sections of hair and scrunch again.
TIP: For easy morning hair, braid dry hair in to a french braid (or french braid pigtails) at night and spray with this spray. In the morning, use dry shampoo if needed and unbraid hair. Re-spray and scrunch for all-day texture and waves.
This spray is incredibly inexpensive and simple to make and it has worked better on my hair than any store-bought product I’ve ever tried. In fact, even if you buy a top of the line glass spray bottle to use for this recipe (which can be re-used many times) and use all of the optional ingredients, this 8 ounce recipe still costs much less than a 4-ounce bottle of Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, which is one of the few conventional products that I’ve ever really liked.
Texturizing Spray Ingredients
1 cup distilled water, heated but not boiling
1 Tablespoon Epsom Salt
1 Tablespoon Organic White Sugar
1 teaspoon Spiced Rum (optional- to help preserve and avoid sticking)
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil (optional)
10 drops Clary Sage Essential Oil (optional)
5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil (optional)
1 teaspoon of Coconut Conditioner (optional but can help prevent the bottle sticking. Adding conditioner will not work for all hair types and will make the spray thicker. If you don’t want to use conditioner, you can just soak the spray top in hot water to dissolve the sugar/salt if it ever sticks)
How to Make Texturizing Spray
These directions get pretty complicated, so bear with me… Just kidding! This recipe is incredibly easy to make so don’t blink or you might miss the directions.
Pour the hot water in to the glass spray bottle.
Add all of the other ingredients.
Shake until ingredients are dissolved.
How To Use Texturizing Spray
Spray into dry hair and scrunch until the spray dries.
For extra volume, use a curling iron to loosely curl 1 inch sections of hair and scrunch again.
TIP: For easy morning hair, braid dry hair in to a french braid (or french braid pigtails) at night and spray with this spray. In the morning, use dry shampoo if needed and unbraid hair. Re-spray and scrunch for all-day texture and waves.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Homemade Dish Soap
Natural Liquid Dish Soap Recipe
Are you looking to save money on cleaning products and work toward living a natural lifestyle, eliminating toxins and chemicals from your everyday products? Do you love the challenge of making your own cleaning products.
If so, you have to try our simple recipe for homemade dish soap. Not the kind that goes into a dishwasher, the kind you squirt into a sink full of water when you’re stuck with the chore of hand-washing the dishes.
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups boiling water
1 Tbsp borax
1 Tbsp grated bar soap (use homemade soap, castile bar soap, Ivory, or whichever natural bar you prefer)
15-20 drops essential oils, optional (find 100% pure essential oils here)
Directions:
Heat water to boiling.
Combine borax and grated bar soap in a medium bowl. Pour hot water over the mixture. Whisk until the grated soap is completely melted.
Allow mixture to cool on the counter top for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Dish soap will gel upon standing.
Transfer to a squirt bottle, and add essential oils. Shake well to combine.
Now you’re ready to use your liquid dish soap just as you would use any commercial brand!
Are you looking to save money on cleaning products and work toward living a natural lifestyle, eliminating toxins and chemicals from your everyday products? Do you love the challenge of making your own cleaning products.
If so, you have to try our simple recipe for homemade dish soap. Not the kind that goes into a dishwasher, the kind you squirt into a sink full of water when you’re stuck with the chore of hand-washing the dishes.
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups boiling water
1 Tbsp borax
1 Tbsp grated bar soap (use homemade soap, castile bar soap, Ivory, or whichever natural bar you prefer)
15-20 drops essential oils, optional (find 100% pure essential oils here)
Directions:
Heat water to boiling.
Combine borax and grated bar soap in a medium bowl. Pour hot water over the mixture. Whisk until the grated soap is completely melted.
Allow mixture to cool on the counter top for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Dish soap will gel upon standing.
Transfer to a squirt bottle, and add essential oils. Shake well to combine.
Now you’re ready to use your liquid dish soap just as you would use any commercial brand!
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