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!

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.

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.

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!

Tangerine Gummies for Radiant Skin

Luckily, adding gelatin to your diet and your kids diet is not only easy; it’s delicious! The Gelatin Secret, which goes into detail about how gelatin nourishes each part of our body and includes many recipes, both savory and sweet so you can jumpstart your journey to health right away.
Tangerine Gummies for Radiant Skin
What you’ll need:

1 cup strained (no pulp) tangerine juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
7 Tbsp gelatin (preferably pastured like this one)
4 Tbsp honey (preferably raw)
Silicone molds (these and these are the ones pictured)

Directions:

Bring the juice and honey to a low simmer (don’t let it get too hot as it will kill the probiotic awesomeness of the honey!)
Add the gelatin and mix quickly with an immersion blender or with a whisk and some patience until it’s fully dissolved.
Pour into molds and place in freezer for 20 minutes (for easy transport, place the silicone mold on a cookie sheet).
Take out and enjoy!

Natural Glass Cleaner

Sometimes the best things in life are free… or really, really cheap, like this natural glass cleaner recipe. I’ve experimented with many types of natural cleaners and have finally found natural options that are as good (or better) than conventional cleaners.

This natural glass cleaner was a pretty easy recipe to figure out after I got the tip to use vinegar from a neighbor. Apparently, that is what everyone used in past generations and we’ve just been slow to figure it out. What’s old is new again, I suppose…

This cleaner has a somewhat strong smell that completely evaporates once it dries. I prefer to use microfiber cloth to wipe down the windows now, but old newspapers or t-shirts also work. Just avoid paper towels as they tend to leave lint on them.
Natural Glass Cleaner Recipe:

In a 16 oz or bigger spray bottle (or squirt bottle) mix:

1 pint (2 cups) water
2 tablespoons vinegar
10-15 drops essential oil (optional, but helps the vinegar smell)

Shake bottle and spray on windows. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to wipe off.

NOTE: If you have always used commercial window cleaner in the past, mix a couple drops of liquid castille soap or liquid dish soap in some of this mixture the first time you clean the windows to remove detergent residue.

Homeade Dishwasher Detergent

Dishwasher detergent can be one of the tougher products to find good natural options for. Homemade versions can work, but getting the ratios right is really important.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent:

Ingredients

2 parts borax
2 parts washing soda
1 part citric acid (this is the kind I used)
1 part salt
essential oils for scent (completely optional)


The upside is that it is a simple and cost effective recipe and you know exactly what it contains. The downside is that it can leave a residue depending on your water, the temperature used, and other factors.Tropical Traditions Dishwasher Detergent:

Another option that I use often is Tropical Traditions Powdered Dish Detergent. It is also all-natural and an enzyme cleaner so it is a much safer option than many store bought dish detergents.

One canister lasts at least a month at our house (often much longer). This one is a little more pricey but it cleans well and lasts longer than many of the other natural options.
Ecover Powder:

Another natural option that works well is Ecover Powder. It is available locally in many places, it cleans well and it isn’t that much more expensive than store bought brands. It was pretty close between Ecover and Tropical Traditions as to which one cleaned better, and I’d use either one.


Another natural brand that I’ve tried that actually gets the dishes clean is Mrs. Myers. It comes in a variety of natural scents and is also available locally in many places. It is more expensive than the other natural options, but it does a good job.
What I do:

I’m all for a DIY option whenever possible, but in the case of dishwasher detergent, finding a homemade option that works with your water quality and dishwasher can be difficult.

If the homemade options haven’t worked for you, I’ve used all three of the other above powdered dish soaps with good results and would use them again. Most often, I use Tropical Traditions, but it is only available online and the other two can often be found locally.