Thursday, June 21, 2012

DIY Deodorant

I absolutely loved the deodorant that I bought, but once things started to "warm up", it started failing me.  Not near as bad as the regular ones, but it still was failing.  I did a couple of experiments.  Since I travel between my fiances place in Seattle and St. Louis, I have two bottles of Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal, Spray Mist.



I heard that Tea Tree oil was a good way to stop the smell, and I have also heard that baking soda was also helpful.  The bottle in Seattle I doctored with some baking soda, and it really helped!  But then again, when I am in Seattle, it doesn't get very hot there, so the baking soda trick worked there.(about a table spoon added to the deodorant- be careful when adding, it will foam over if too much is added).



Here in St. Louis, I added tea tree oil, and that also helped, but it gets much, much hotter in St. Louis.  So it would somewhat fail towards the end of the day. (I added about 10 drops to a full bottle)

Tea Tree 100% Pure Essential Oil - 10 ml

I decided to start from scratch once I ran out of my first bottle in St. Louis.  I had already went out and purchased the Crystal Body Deodorant Rock for 3 bucks.  I was been told by a good friend of mine that these last MUCH longer. You set next to your shower, and wet when you are done showering, and rub your arm pits with it.

CRYSTAL All Natural Body Deodorant - Original Rock 3 oz

I took a small bowl of water and let the rock sit in it for a couple of hours(about a cup- cup and a half of water).  I ran some errands and when I got back, some of it had dissolved, then I put this back in my empty spray bottle and added about 10 drops of tea tree oil and about a table spoon of baking soda.

It has been reaching the 90's here in St. Louis, and I only need to use it once in the morning.  It totally rocks(get it)!    I have been using this for a few weeks, and I am completely happy with it.  It works so much better than any deodorant I have ever used.  Yes, I sweat some, but you sweat in St. Louis.  It's just a fact!

Again, I hope you enjoyed reading .Any and all comments are encouraged.  I love sharing my information and hope it helps others.

Thank you again!!


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

DIY Shampoo

I loved, loved, loved my shampoo purchase(which is my first product post on this blog), and it worked very well on my hair.  I purchased this bottle of shampoo back on January 31st, 2012, and it was delivered to me on February 2nd, 2012.  I used the last of drop of it on June 10th, 2012.  I used it every other day(but sometimes would wash a couple days in a row- just cause), and my son even used it a couple times a week, and it survived that long!  So a little over 4 months, I paid $23.93 (that included shipping) for it, and my hair loved me for it!  So it cost me about 19 cents a day to have that shampoo.  Not terrible.  But I thought, hey, why not try to make my own version!

I ordered just the "trial size" from NaturOli of Soap Nuts(cost about 3 dollars with shipping), and made a small batch last night.

First you boil about 2-3 cups of water, and then put the soap nuts(also called soap berries- with out the nut, just the shells), in a bag(they come with a cloth bag), and put it in the pot and let it boil for 15 minutes.

Remove the pot off the stove and let the whole thing cool before you remove the bag.

I read that the smell isn't that great, so I used my old shampoo bottle, and put about 9-10 drops of essential oil in the bottle(pick your favorite).  I also put a couple of drops of Jojoba Oil and about a tea spoon of olive oil and about a half a tea spoon of witch hazel extract.  The essential oils and witch hazel will help it last longer, and the oil will help soften your hair.

Pure Essential Oil French Lavender 0.5oz from Nature's Alchemy

Jojoba Oil Pure (4 oz) by Now

Bertolli Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil 17 Oz Glass Bottle

Liquid 16 oz Witch Hazel Products

After that I used a small funnel and pored the Saponin liquid(what is released into the water from boiling the soap nuts), into the same bottle.  I shook it up, and it was done!

It will be watery, but you don't need much to clean your hair.  I just use a little, wash my scalp and rinse, then a little again to wash my hair.

My hair is still soft, and doesn't feel oily.  I still use just a "tiny" bit of conditioner to fight fly away hair.

I'm very pleased with soap nuts, and I hope you take time to try to make it yourself.

Any and all comments are welcome, and I hope you enjoyed reading my path to living a healthier life style.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Exercise=Better Mood

This week has been a rough week, and I really needed to get out and move!

We are not far from the start of summer, and if you live in a place like I do, summer came early this year.

The stresses of daily life can put anyone under a rock, and make you want hide in your house with cool A/C, but it has the same effects as the winter blues on me. (wait- did we have winter?)

My warm weather happiness was cut short from a medical problem that kept me indoors for over a month while I recovered. And I was not getting my daily walks in (at all), so the blues were there.

Yes, I have a gym membership, and I hardly use it. But a really awesome way to get out, and get over the blues, the answer, my friend, is a walk in a park. No, literally, go walk, in a park!

My city has great parks in and just outside of the city(and some nice day trip ones as well).

Find some headphones, a nice calm mix to listen to, and head out to the woods! A twenty minute walk with nature will flip the mood and put your mind at ease.

Take some fun photos too! If you don't want to be by yourself, grab a friend! Don't forget water!

Thank you again for reading! More to come over the topic on the weekend!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

DYI Toothpaste

Up to this point I have replaced all my shower items.  Organic Shampoo, organic conditioner, soap, and shaving products.  Then as I step out of the shower, I reach for my organic deodorant.  I have managed to avoid the chemicals that I was using on my body every day, and I feel clean and refreshed and happier about what I am doing.

The next few products that I will blog about will be the products used everyday in front of my bathroom mirror.  Toothpaste, I used at least twice a day!  I did a lot of research on toothpaste.  The last toothpaste I was using was Crest Toothpaste, whitening with Scope.  Here are the list of ingredients from it:

Crest Whitening with Scope
Active Ingredients: Sodium Fluoride 
Inactive Ingredients: Hydrated Silica , Sorbitol , Glycerin , Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate , PEG-6 , Disodium Pyrophosphate , Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate , Flavor , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , Alcohol 1.14% , Xanthan Gum , Sodium Saccaharin , Carbomer 956 , Polysorbate 80 , Sodium Benzoate , Cetylpyridinium Chloride , Benzoic Acid , Domiphen Bromide .0002 wt% , Titanium Dioxide , Blue 1 , Yellow 5

It has a lot of stuff in it that is just not good for you.  And I put this in my mouth twice a day, every day!

I started researching better alternatives to toothpaste.  There was a lady who found a kind of toothpaste made from goats milk, but she bought it from a local farmer.  After researching more, I found a way to make my own, that included only 3 ingredients.  Baking Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Mint Extract!  It took me a little bit to get used to, but wow, I like it.  And my teeth have become whiter.  (what a trade off).

Use a half Cup of Baking soda, mixed with a fourth cup of Hydrogen Peroxide, and then a few drops of mint or peppermint extract or peppermint essential oil.  (I usually add more hydrogen Peroxide for a better consistency).

My first batch I used mint extract, my second batch I used the essential oil which seemed to cut the salty taste.  Extract is cheaper, but if you can find a good essential oil, it does taste better.






J.R. Watkins Peppermint All Natural Pure Extracts

Peppermint (0.5 oz) by Nature's Alchemy




My recommendation would be to make sure to keep up with dentist appointments when doing this.  I still let me son use regular toothpaste since his teeth are still forming.  I didn't get cavities till I was in my early thirties, so I don't mess with a good thing (or my sons teeth).  He has a cleaning every 6 months.  I have one every 4 because of some plaque issues and gum issues.

I have been very happy with this change(and my teeth look cleaner).

Again, any comments would be great.  Thank you again for reading and following me as I become a little more Organic every day!