Summer Heat

As you have noticed, the posts are not coming out once a week as they have been.  Summer has been SUPER busy, and with the heat, feeling driven into trying new stuff hasn't been happening (and I haven't had to replace anything as of yet).



I was working on a garden made in pots in the backyard, however, with the drought my state is facing, I am having a difficult time keeping what I am growing alive.  Hoping the fall with be a better time to plant.

Starting in August I will post one a week again.  But I wanted to make sure everyone knows I haven't gone anywhere, except out of town to avoiding the heat!

Hope everyone is having a great summer, and I'll talk to you soon.

Thank you again for reading.

Herbal Shampoo

I have returned from a wonderful family trip and had a great holiday week.  I hope everyone else enjoyed their festivities and didn't get too over heated.

I wanted to share a product that I purchased between running out of the Soap Nut shampoo and waiting to make my DIY Soap Nut shampoo.

Cheryl's Herbs, which has a complete online store, also happens to be located only 15 minutes away from my house.  They have ALL sorts of products, and are very eager to help you with any questions you have.  Here is a link to their website:  http://www.cherylsherbs.com/




They make their own shampoo and I thought I would give it a try.  I do like this shampoo, but not as much as my beloved online purchase of the Soap Nut shampoo.



Here is a list of the ingredients in this shampoo(my hair is a darker blonde, so I went for he blond highlighting shampoo brand).

Contains: Mullein Flower Verbascum thapsus, org/wild, Marshmallow Root Althaea officinalis, org., Rhubarb Root Rheum palmatum, Chamomile Flower (German) Matricaria recutita (M. chamomilla), org. and the essential oils of Lavender Lavandula angustifolia, wild and Lemon Citrus limon blended into a soap base of the most simple ingredients: Purified Water, Decyl Polyglucose, Vegetable Glycerin, Apple Cider Vinegar and Xanthan Gum.

With continual use, it should bring out the highlights.  I have started to notice it.  The only problem I have with this type of shampoo, is after a few weeks, my hair becomes greasy.  Not right away, but over time, so I have to use another shampoo to get rid of the grease(just like a couple of drops), but my hair does feel good after I wash with this. Also, their shampoo doesn't have the greatest smell.  I might add a couple of drops of essential oil to fix the smell, but with the oil problem, I have been hesitant to do so.

I'm still working with my DIY Soap Nut shampoo also, after a few uses, my hair started to turn greasy with that as well, (I added too much oil).  I will end up going back to my NaturOli Soap Nut shampoo, but for the time(and price- less than 8 dollars for the smaller bottle) I will continue to use what I have purchased here.

Cheryl's Herbs has EVERYTHING you could possibly imagine.  And it's just one store(not a chain), so I do highly recommend that anyone getting into DIY products to please check out their web page.  Even though I am not in love with their shampoo, I still love their store, and their Vast amount of essential oils.  If you can think of it, they will most likely have it!

Thank you again for reading.  Any and all comments are welcome.

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)



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.



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!!

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.









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.

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!

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.













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!

DIY Laundry Detergent

For most of my life, I used Tide laundry detergent.  I grew up on it, my mom still uses it. I never questioned it because of this.  I have used powder and liquid, and they both worked just fine.  I had to change to unscented once I had our son, so he wouldn't break out in a rash.



Here is the list of ingredients in Tide liquid detergent:


water
alcoholethoxy sulfate
linear alkylbenzene sulfonate
propylene glycol
citric acid
sodium hydroxide
borax
ethanolamine
ethanol
alcohol sulfate
polyethyleneimine ethoxylate
sodium fatty acids
diquaternium ethoxysulfate
protease
diethylene glycol
laureth-9
alkyldimethylamine oxide
fragrance
amylase
disodium diaminostilbene disulfonate
DTPA
sodium formate
calcium formate
polyethylene glycol 4000
mannanase
Liquitint™ Blue
dimethicone

Then I switched to Purex.  Actually, my fiance has used this as long as he can remember(what his mother still uses), and I did notice it was much cheaper than Tide.  So I have used it for the past three years.  I have only used the liquid version.



Here are some of the ingredients in Purex liquid detergent.

Water

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Ethoxylated Alcohol

Sodium Carbonate

Sodium Dodecybenzenesulfonate

Sodium Chloride

Polymer

Fragrance

Sodium Edta

Brightener

Preservative

I ran out of Purex and decided to make my own detergent.  I opted to make the powder detergent since I had most of the ingredients already.  The recipe listed below is pretty standard and you can find this all over the Internet.  I have used it for over a month and it works great!  It smells nice too.

1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Bar of Fels-Naptha- grated







Mix and put into a jar or a plastic container with a lid.  Put between 1 to 2 tablespoons in every wash.

Fels-Naptha you will find in your laundry aisle.  It's bar laundry soap.

There are certain ingredients in Fels-Naptha that I'm not super happy with, and I might try another soap, but I'm still on my first batch, and it works great.

It was very difficult to find ingredients for the other detergents, so that is why I am posting them here.  I hope this information was helpful and look forward to all comments?