Last week, I had my first-ever cavity filled.
I've always had good teeth, and in 40+ years had never had a cavity. In fact, other than having my widsom teeth pulled, I had never needed any dental care beyond routine checkups and cleanings. My husband is the same.
I know there's a lot of controversy about flouride, about its possible toxicity. I've even heard some say that flouride in our water supply and toothpastes is causing more dental problems than it solves.
I think there might be merit to the first charge (toxicity). I'm skeptical about the second. My parents had all kinds of dental problems, and I remember my mother observing that her children's better dental health was due to two things she lacked as a child: good dental care, and flouride toothpaste. I also remember reading an article in my early 20s that reported that half of American children have no cavities, a big improvement over previous generations that the article credited to flouride toothpaste and flouridated water.
In the past few years, I have tried several homemade personal care products. The products I've created for skin and hair care have worked beautifully. But two others were less successful. I gave up the first, homemade deodorant made of coconut oil, corn starch, baking soda and essential oils, because it made my underarms break out in an itchy rash.
I didn't have any immediate problems with the second, homemade toothpaste made of glycerin, baking soda, and peppermint oil. I stopped using it after a few months, however, because my teeth never felt as clean, nor my breath as fresh, as when I use conventional commercial toothpastes. I've tried a few natural toothpastes, and had the same, "they don't feel quite as clean" feeling.
In June, my family and I all had dental checkups. My daughter and my husband both had clean mouths, but I had my first cavity. I know I take better care of my teeth than either of them; my daughter is still trying to get the hang of flossing and my husband doesn't floss at all, but I floss daily. So why was I the only one to have the cavity? The only thing I can point to is the four months I went without using flouride toothpaste.
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
How'd my summer go?
OK, I know, it's been a while since I've posted. And after my high school friend, Laura, sent me a birthday card telling me my blog was how she keeps up with my life! (Hi, Laura!)
My excuses... work has been busy, I've been getting used to apartment living, blah blah blah. (Meaning: no good excuse).
So, time to fill you in on my summer:
Still savoring? Not as much: OK, I've fallen off the wagon a few times from my "savor the sweets" diet, and have times when I indulge my sweet tooth more than I should. But still, at a doctor's appointment this week I weighed 153 lbs, down from 160 at my physical in April, so I'm making progress.
Green apartment living
We moved in May from a house to an apartment, and not long after our move, I shared about some of the "green" advantages I anticipated to apartment living. After 3 months, here is my report:
Growing our own food--a challenge: Because we moved too late in the season to start planting seeds, I bought starts. Our apartment is one of a series of buildings that surrounds a courtyard filled with large trees. Our small balcony overlooks the courtyard, and thus gets virtually no direct sunlight.
The starts I bought were for plants that can do well with little sunlight--cilantro, basil, mint, and lettuce. The basil and mint made it through the summer (but weakly), and the cilantro and lettuce didn't make it at all. I have a lot to learn about growing food in our current circumstances, so I'll try again next summer.
Composting--bokashi on the cheap: I had long heard about bokashi apartment composting. A bokashi system is an anaerobic composter--basically a bucket with a drip spout that allows you to drain off the "tea" (the liquid residue of your compost, which can be diluted and used as a fertilizer). Bokashi is a mixture of bran, molasses and microorganisms that, when added to your food scraps, accelerates their decomposition through a fermentation process. It's ideal for apartment-dwellers, because it's compact, it's an anaerobic system so fruit flies and other pests can't get into it, and because of the fermentation process, it doesn't smell. (Well, yes it does. But it smells like something fermented, rather than like rotten garbage).
A bokashi system can be expensive (about $120). But a gallon of the bokashi mixture is pretty cheap (about $15) and it lasts several months. As some experienced composters have pointed out, a bokashi system is just a bucket with a secure-fitting lid. Thus, you can do bokashi as long as you have such a bucket. I use a large container that once held ice cream served at a church social. You can also ask fast food places if you can have their left-over pickle buckets. If you're really ambitious, you can drill a hole in the bucket and add a drip spout to catch the "tea." But if you are like me, you can just add your food scraps to a Bio-bag in the bucket, and the bokashi "tea" will seep through the bag and pool in the bottom.
The challenge of using bokashi is that once the food scraps are well-fermented, you need to bury them. Once buried, the scraps decompose rapidly and supposedly make incredibly rich compost. I bought a large garbage can for my balcony, filled it with potting soil, and I'm adding the bokashi'd scraps periodically. I'm not sure how well this will work. My plan is to take a sample of the soil to the WA State Master Gardeners in the spring and have them test it to see how healthy it is. Stay tuned.
Transportation--still working on it: I haven't walked or used public transportation as often as I'd planned. Mostly, it's a function of time, since it's faster to drive. In addition, because my daughter's daycare teacher asked to participate in our summer staycation adventures, I often needed to drive because I was transporting other children besides my daughter. However, we have walked or taken the bus on several occasions, so I am patting myself on the back as an encouragement to keep it up and do more.
I haven't learned as much about my car as I had planned. I have been tracking my mileage, and I have made a few changes to improve gas mileage. I removed the luggage racks from my vehicle to reduce the weight, I am keeping my tires inflated, and I learned that the click my gas cap makes when I turned it--which I always thought was a warning not to turn it anymore--is actually a good thing. I should keep turning the gas cap until I hear it click three times, and then I know that it is fully closed and unlikely to evaporate gas.
But my biggest challenge is staying within the speed limit of 60-65 on the highway. The average speed of those around me is 70, and I'm often following the crowd (usually to make sure I get to work on time). I have found that my gas mileage can go from a low of 20 miles per gallon to a high of 35 mpg, all depending on my speed. This, and walking or taking public transportation more often, are often functions of my own discipline. If I plan my time better, I can improve in both areas.
Small green steps: I wrote about my switch to a Moon Cup back in June. I still love it, and the switch came just in time. In June, I also had an IUD inserted, which increases menstrual flow.
Otherwise, I've made two changes this summer:
Reusable straws: I purchased stainless steel drinking straws, which my daughter and I both love! They're easy to clean with the straw brush that comes with them, and neither of us have experienced the complaints some have of funny taste or getting too cold. (Those concerns, if you have them, can be alleviated with glass drinking straws. I didn't want to go that route because I was concerned that my daughter might break them, even though they're made from very strong glass).
Homemade air freshener spray: I have used natural air freshener sprays for some time, but I read recently that those may still contain phthalates. So when my last bottle of Air Therapy ran out, I decided to try making my own. Here are two recipes I use. They're more mild than commercial air fresheners, but they smell good and do the job:
Peppermint/orange air freshener: add 1/2 cup of filtered water, 1/2 cup of vodka, and 20 drops each of peppermint oil and sweet orange oil to a spray bottle. Shake before each use.
Cinnamon/vanilla air freshener: Add 1 cup filtered water, 1 cup white vinegar, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to a pot. Bring to boil, and then reduce to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Allow to cool, and then add to a spray bottle. Shake before each use.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The biggest focus of my summer has been my daughter. In another post, I'll share about our summer adventures, and my summer reading about parenting and teaching.
My excuses... work has been busy, I've been getting used to apartment living, blah blah blah. (Meaning: no good excuse).
So, time to fill you in on my summer:
Still savoring? Not as much: OK, I've fallen off the wagon a few times from my "savor the sweets" diet, and have times when I indulge my sweet tooth more than I should. But still, at a doctor's appointment this week I weighed 153 lbs, down from 160 at my physical in April, so I'm making progress.
Green apartment living
We moved in May from a house to an apartment, and not long after our move, I shared about some of the "green" advantages I anticipated to apartment living. After 3 months, here is my report:
Growing our own food--a challenge: Because we moved too late in the season to start planting seeds, I bought starts. Our apartment is one of a series of buildings that surrounds a courtyard filled with large trees. Our small balcony overlooks the courtyard, and thus gets virtually no direct sunlight.
The starts I bought were for plants that can do well with little sunlight--cilantro, basil, mint, and lettuce. The basil and mint made it through the summer (but weakly), and the cilantro and lettuce didn't make it at all. I have a lot to learn about growing food in our current circumstances, so I'll try again next summer.
Composting--bokashi on the cheap: I had long heard about bokashi apartment composting. A bokashi system is an anaerobic composter--basically a bucket with a drip spout that allows you to drain off the "tea" (the liquid residue of your compost, which can be diluted and used as a fertilizer). Bokashi is a mixture of bran, molasses and microorganisms that, when added to your food scraps, accelerates their decomposition through a fermentation process. It's ideal for apartment-dwellers, because it's compact, it's an anaerobic system so fruit flies and other pests can't get into it, and because of the fermentation process, it doesn't smell. (Well, yes it does. But it smells like something fermented, rather than like rotten garbage).
A bokashi system can be expensive (about $120). But a gallon of the bokashi mixture is pretty cheap (about $15) and it lasts several months. As some experienced composters have pointed out, a bokashi system is just a bucket with a secure-fitting lid. Thus, you can do bokashi as long as you have such a bucket. I use a large container that once held ice cream served at a church social. You can also ask fast food places if you can have their left-over pickle buckets. If you're really ambitious, you can drill a hole in the bucket and add a drip spout to catch the "tea." But if you are like me, you can just add your food scraps to a Bio-bag in the bucket, and the bokashi "tea" will seep through the bag and pool in the bottom.
The challenge of using bokashi is that once the food scraps are well-fermented, you need to bury them. Once buried, the scraps decompose rapidly and supposedly make incredibly rich compost. I bought a large garbage can for my balcony, filled it with potting soil, and I'm adding the bokashi'd scraps periodically. I'm not sure how well this will work. My plan is to take a sample of the soil to the WA State Master Gardeners in the spring and have them test it to see how healthy it is. Stay tuned.
Transportation--still working on it: I haven't walked or used public transportation as often as I'd planned. Mostly, it's a function of time, since it's faster to drive. In addition, because my daughter's daycare teacher asked to participate in our summer staycation adventures, I often needed to drive because I was transporting other children besides my daughter. However, we have walked or taken the bus on several occasions, so I am patting myself on the back as an encouragement to keep it up and do more.
I haven't learned as much about my car as I had planned. I have been tracking my mileage, and I have made a few changes to improve gas mileage. I removed the luggage racks from my vehicle to reduce the weight, I am keeping my tires inflated, and I learned that the click my gas cap makes when I turned it--which I always thought was a warning not to turn it anymore--is actually a good thing. I should keep turning the gas cap until I hear it click three times, and then I know that it is fully closed and unlikely to evaporate gas.
But my biggest challenge is staying within the speed limit of 60-65 on the highway. The average speed of those around me is 70, and I'm often following the crowd (usually to make sure I get to work on time). I have found that my gas mileage can go from a low of 20 miles per gallon to a high of 35 mpg, all depending on my speed. This, and walking or taking public transportation more often, are often functions of my own discipline. If I plan my time better, I can improve in both areas.
Small green steps: I wrote about my switch to a Moon Cup back in June. I still love it, and the switch came just in time. In June, I also had an IUD inserted, which increases menstrual flow.
Otherwise, I've made two changes this summer:
Reusable straws: I purchased stainless steel drinking straws, which my daughter and I both love! They're easy to clean with the straw brush that comes with them, and neither of us have experienced the complaints some have of funny taste or getting too cold. (Those concerns, if you have them, can be alleviated with glass drinking straws. I didn't want to go that route because I was concerned that my daughter might break them, even though they're made from very strong glass).
Homemade air freshener spray: I have used natural air freshener sprays for some time, but I read recently that those may still contain phthalates. So when my last bottle of Air Therapy ran out, I decided to try making my own. Here are two recipes I use. They're more mild than commercial air fresheners, but they smell good and do the job:
Peppermint/orange air freshener: add 1/2 cup of filtered water, 1/2 cup of vodka, and 20 drops each of peppermint oil and sweet orange oil to a spray bottle. Shake before each use.
Cinnamon/vanilla air freshener: Add 1 cup filtered water, 1 cup white vinegar, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to a pot. Bring to boil, and then reduce to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Allow to cool, and then add to a spray bottle. Shake before each use.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The biggest focus of my summer has been my daughter. In another post, I'll share about our summer adventures, and my summer reading about parenting and teaching.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Homemade failure... and success!
The bad news first: homemade deodorant FAIL
I've given up on the homemade deodorant. Even with all the changes I'd made, my underarms were still red, and the itchiness was relieved but not eliminated by moisturizing before applying. So now I'm trying out Tom's of Maine's Crystal Confidence. It's a roll-on rather than the stick I used before, and has fewer ingredients than Tom's of Maine's stick deodorant. So far, so good in terms of keeping me drying, odor-free, and non-itchy. Let's see if my underarms continue to tolerate it, and if it continues to work when the weather really gets hot.
Trial and error with homemade hair products
I have shared before that I've been successful in making my own products to clean and condition my hair, but have had a difficult time creating my own styling products. As a result of not having the funds to get my hair done often by professionals, and struggling to make my own styling products, I usually opt for the simple ponytail style, which gets boring after a while.
I've had my hair professionally done twice in the past two years, and both times the hair stylists (at two different shops) used products on my hair that they recommended I buy to manage my curls. I bought Beyond the Zone's Noodle Head at the first shop, and was very unsatisfied with how hard and dry it made my hair.
At the second shop, where I had my hair done about a month ago, they used and recommended Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. I'm familiar with Miss Jessie's because my sister, who lives in New York where it's made and sold, uses it, and it is a good hair product. But it's expensive, and although it hasn't been reviewed by the Safe Cosmetics Database, I looked up the ingredients, and a few are high hazard (like this one).
And now, homemade hair product good news!
Having curly pudding used on my hair inspired me to search for a different curly pudding recipe than the earlier one that had failed so miserably.
Most recipes I found on natural hair care sites were similar, and most involved combining a commercial styling product for curls (most with toxic ingredients) with natural oils. One person, however, wrote down this formula:
holding gel + moisture + shine = voila!
And that formula was the key.
I realized that I have the ingredients on hand for the formula:
Flax seed gel & beeswax + aloe & glycerin + natural oils/butters
Here is the recipe I came up with:
Ingredients
1 Tbsp beeswax
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp unrefined shea butter
2 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel
3 Tbsp flax seed gel (see directions for flax seed gel below)
1 Tbsp vegetable glycerin
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10-20 drops essential oil for scent (I use peppermint and sweet orange)
10 drops of liquid grapefruit seed extract (as a natural preservative)
Directions
-With a shredder, shred beeswax until you can fill a tablespoon.
-Add shredded beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter to a small saucepan over a low flame, stirring constantly, until completely melted.
-Add the rest of the ingredients.
-Blend with a hand mixer until thick and smooth.
-Add to a small glass jar. Makes 4-6 ounces.
Once cool, it will look a little like and have a similar consistency to margerine.
Flax seed gel directions
-Bring 1 cup of filtered or distilled water to boil in a small saucepan.
-Add 1 TBSP whole flax seeds.
-Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thick, stirring frequently.
-It may take 10-20 minutes to thicken until it drips slowly off a spoon.
-Strain out seeds.
-Add 2 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel (room temperature), and if desired, 10-20 drops essential oil for scent. Stir gently.
-Allow to gel overnight. Store in a small jar in refrigerator. Makes 4-6 ounces.
Note: Although I store my gel in the fridge, I'm not storing the curly pudding there. I suspect that because of the coconut oil and shea butter, it would become very hard if it were chilled. If contamination is a concern for you, cut the curly pudding recipe in half, or store half in the freezer and then allow to thaw at room temperature when you're ready to use it.
The result: hair product success!!
To use, rub a dollop in your hands and apply to damp, moisturized hair. Rake through hair with your fingers (especially the ends) and allow to air dry. Gently brush the hair with a natural bristle brush (such as boar's hair), and brush out the ends with a shampoo brush or paddle brush. I've used it on both my own and my daughter's hair, and it curls it up nicely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My new hair routine--for the girl with dry, curly hair
Regular cleaning
Add 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar to an 8-oz squeeze bottle, and fill the rest with warm water. Shake gently, squeeze on hair, and massage well through hair and scalp. Allow to sit on hair about 2 minutes, then rinse well.
Regular conditioning
Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. scented vodka (I add a few drops peppermint essential oils to the vodka) to an 8-oz squeeze bottle, and fill the rest with warm water. Shake gently, squeeze on hair, and massage well through hair and scalp. Allow to sit on hair about 2 minutes, then rinse well.
Deep conditioning (occasional)
Add 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. olive oil to a glass dish. Stir until smooth. Cover and microwave for about 30 seconds, and stir again.
Apply throughout hair, especially at the ends. Cover with a plastic shower cap, followed by a hot towel. (I take a small clean hand towel, wet it so it's thoroughly damp but not dripping, and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Then I wrap it around my head). Keep all this on your head 15-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Follow with an apple cider vinegar wash.
Deep cleansing (occasional)
Add 1 Tbsp. baking soda to an 8-oz squeeze bottle, and fill the rest with warm water. Shake gently, squeeze on hair, and massage well through hair and scalp. Allow to sit on hair about 2 minutes, then rinse well. If you're prone to dandruff like I am, follow with an apple cider vinegar wash.
Daily styling
Comb out damp hair after spraying generously with detangler. Use daily conditioner, followed by curly pudding.
Daily conditioner ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. pure aloe vera gel
1 Tbsp. vegetable glycerin
3 Tbsp. of your favorite natural conditioner (I'm currently using Alaffia's Everyday Shea conditioner)
10-20 drops of essential oil for scent, and 5 drops of liquid grapefruit seed extract as a preservative.
Add all ingredients to a small glass dish (except the essential oils and grapefruit seed extract), stir gently, cover and microwave for about 30 seconds, and stir again gently until smooth. Add the oils and extract, and pour into a small squeeze bottle. Makes 4-6 ounces.
Each day, squeeze into your palms and rub gently into your hair.
Follow with curly pudding.
Detangler directions
Mix one part of the daily conditioner with three parts distilled or filtered water in an 8-oz. spray bottle. (In the winter, warm the water for about 20 seconds in the microwave first). Shake gently to mix, and shake gently before using each time.
The kiddie hair routine
My daughter washes her own hair with Burt's Bee's Baby Shampoo or Alaffia Everyday Shea shampoo. We use generous amounts of my homemade detangler and daily conditioner, and style. If the style is loose (e.g., not braided), use curly pudding.
I've given up on the homemade deodorant. Even with all the changes I'd made, my underarms were still red, and the itchiness was relieved but not eliminated by moisturizing before applying. So now I'm trying out Tom's of Maine's Crystal Confidence. It's a roll-on rather than the stick I used before, and has fewer ingredients than Tom's of Maine's stick deodorant. So far, so good in terms of keeping me drying, odor-free, and non-itchy. Let's see if my underarms continue to tolerate it, and if it continues to work when the weather really gets hot.
Trial and error with homemade hair products
I have shared before that I've been successful in making my own products to clean and condition my hair, but have had a difficult time creating my own styling products. As a result of not having the funds to get my hair done often by professionals, and struggling to make my own styling products, I usually opt for the simple ponytail style, which gets boring after a while.
I've had my hair professionally done twice in the past two years, and both times the hair stylists (at two different shops) used products on my hair that they recommended I buy to manage my curls. I bought Beyond the Zone's Noodle Head at the first shop, and was very unsatisfied with how hard and dry it made my hair.
At the second shop, where I had my hair done about a month ago, they used and recommended Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. I'm familiar with Miss Jessie's because my sister, who lives in New York where it's made and sold, uses it, and it is a good hair product. But it's expensive, and although it hasn't been reviewed by the Safe Cosmetics Database, I looked up the ingredients, and a few are high hazard (like this one).
And now, homemade hair product good news!
Having curly pudding used on my hair inspired me to search for a different curly pudding recipe than the earlier one that had failed so miserably.
Most recipes I found on natural hair care sites were similar, and most involved combining a commercial styling product for curls (most with toxic ingredients) with natural oils. One person, however, wrote down this formula:
holding gel + moisture + shine = voila!
And that formula was the key.
I realized that I have the ingredients on hand for the formula:
Flax seed gel & beeswax + aloe & glycerin + natural oils/butters
Here is the recipe I came up with:
Ingredients
1 Tbsp beeswax
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp unrefined shea butter
2 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel
3 Tbsp flax seed gel (see directions for flax seed gel below)
1 Tbsp vegetable glycerin
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10-20 drops essential oil for scent (I use peppermint and sweet orange)
10 drops of liquid grapefruit seed extract (as a natural preservative)
Directions
-With a shredder, shred beeswax until you can fill a tablespoon.
-Add shredded beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter to a small saucepan over a low flame, stirring constantly, until completely melted.
-Add the rest of the ingredients.
-Blend with a hand mixer until thick and smooth.
-Add to a small glass jar. Makes 4-6 ounces.
Once cool, it will look a little like and have a similar consistency to margerine.
Flax seed gel directions
-Bring 1 cup of filtered or distilled water to boil in a small saucepan.
-Add 1 TBSP whole flax seeds.
-Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thick, stirring frequently.
-It may take 10-20 minutes to thicken until it drips slowly off a spoon.
-Strain out seeds.
-Add 2 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel (room temperature), and if desired, 10-20 drops essential oil for scent. Stir gently.
-Allow to gel overnight. Store in a small jar in refrigerator. Makes 4-6 ounces.
Note: Although I store my gel in the fridge, I'm not storing the curly pudding there. I suspect that because of the coconut oil and shea butter, it would become very hard if it were chilled. If contamination is a concern for you, cut the curly pudding recipe in half, or store half in the freezer and then allow to thaw at room temperature when you're ready to use it.
The result: hair product success!!
To use, rub a dollop in your hands and apply to damp, moisturized hair. Rake through hair with your fingers (especially the ends) and allow to air dry. Gently brush the hair with a natural bristle brush (such as boar's hair), and brush out the ends with a shampoo brush or paddle brush. I've used it on both my own and my daughter's hair, and it curls it up nicely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My new hair routine--for the girl with dry, curly hair
Regular cleaning
Add 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar to an 8-oz squeeze bottle, and fill the rest with warm water. Shake gently, squeeze on hair, and massage well through hair and scalp. Allow to sit on hair about 2 minutes, then rinse well.
Regular conditioning
Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. scented vodka (I add a few drops peppermint essential oils to the vodka) to an 8-oz squeeze bottle, and fill the rest with warm water. Shake gently, squeeze on hair, and massage well through hair and scalp. Allow to sit on hair about 2 minutes, then rinse well.
Deep conditioning (occasional)
Add 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. olive oil to a glass dish. Stir until smooth. Cover and microwave for about 30 seconds, and stir again.
Apply throughout hair, especially at the ends. Cover with a plastic shower cap, followed by a hot towel. (I take a small clean hand towel, wet it so it's thoroughly damp but not dripping, and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Then I wrap it around my head). Keep all this on your head 15-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Follow with an apple cider vinegar wash.
Deep cleansing (occasional)
Add 1 Tbsp. baking soda to an 8-oz squeeze bottle, and fill the rest with warm water. Shake gently, squeeze on hair, and massage well through hair and scalp. Allow to sit on hair about 2 minutes, then rinse well. If you're prone to dandruff like I am, follow with an apple cider vinegar wash.
Daily styling
Comb out damp hair after spraying generously with detangler. Use daily conditioner, followed by curly pudding.
Daily conditioner ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. pure aloe vera gel
1 Tbsp. vegetable glycerin
3 Tbsp. of your favorite natural conditioner (I'm currently using Alaffia's Everyday Shea conditioner)
10-20 drops of essential oil for scent, and 5 drops of liquid grapefruit seed extract as a preservative.
Add all ingredients to a small glass dish (except the essential oils and grapefruit seed extract), stir gently, cover and microwave for about 30 seconds, and stir again gently until smooth. Add the oils and extract, and pour into a small squeeze bottle. Makes 4-6 ounces.
Each day, squeeze into your palms and rub gently into your hair.
Follow with curly pudding.
Detangler directions
Mix one part of the daily conditioner with three parts distilled or filtered water in an 8-oz. spray bottle. (In the winter, warm the water for about 20 seconds in the microwave first). Shake gently to mix, and shake gently before using each time.
The kiddie hair routine
My daughter washes her own hair with Burt's Bee's Baby Shampoo or Alaffia Everyday Shea shampoo. We use generous amounts of my homemade detangler and daily conditioner, and style. If the style is loose (e.g., not braided), use curly pudding.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Mmm... more great homemade skin care
I got a great suggestion for a homemade facial cleanser from a friend at church. This feels heavenly when applied to your face!
Almond-grape facial cleanser
Add 1/2 cup of slivered almonds and 1/2 cup of white grapes to a blender and puree.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Because the resulting mixture can spoil easily, I split it up between several 2 oz containers and froze all but one. I placed the remaining container in my refrigerator. I take it out at night, wet my face with warm water, massage a little of the mixture all over my face, and then rinse off with warm water again. Moisturize when complete.
After I use up this container, I'll take another out of the freezer.
Almond-grape facial cleanser
Add 1/2 cup of slivered almonds and 1/2 cup of white grapes to a blender and puree.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Because the resulting mixture can spoil easily, I split it up between several 2 oz containers and froze all but one. I placed the remaining container in my refrigerator. I take it out at night, wet my face with warm water, massage a little of the mixture all over my face, and then rinse off with warm water again. Moisturize when complete.
After I use up this container, I'll take another out of the freezer.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Update on deodorant
I now apply Alaffia Everyday Shea lotion to my underarms before applying my homemade deodorant. Itchy underarm problem solved!
Friday, October 22, 2010
My deodorant's not working so well...
Sorry I haven't blogged lately. I started a new job at the beginning of October, one with a long commute, so my free time is much more limited.
So, the homemade deodorant I raved about a few months ago? Not working out so well.
Not because it's not effective. On the contrary, it still works better in preventing wetness and odor than most deodorants I've ever tried, natural or otherwise, and almost as well as most antiperspirants. (Antiperspirants are typically stronger than deodorants, because they stop you from sweating).
However, I started breaking out in a red, itchy rash under my arms a few weeks ago. After googling, "rash from homemade deodorant," I learned that it is a fairly common problem. The major culprit is the baking soda, which, as I discovered when I used to wash my hair with it,§ can be very drying to scalp and skin.
Here are the changes I've made, which have helped the problem, but not completely eliminated it yet:
Revised homemade deodorant recipe:
* Place 2 T of unrefined coconut oil and 2 T of unrefined shea butter in a pot and liquify over low-medium heat. This happens fairly quickly.
* Remove from heat and add other ingredients:
-- 5 T of corn starch (CHANGE: more corn starch)
-- Slightly less than 1 T of baking soda (CHANGE: much less baking soda)
-- 1 T of witch hazel
-- 1 T of pure aloe vera gel (CHANGE: added to improve moisture)
-- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil. (CHANGE: peppermint instead of orange, because citrus oils can irritate. Note: you can choose a different type of essential oil, based on whatever scent you prefer.)
* Stir continuously until smooth
* Pour into a 4 oz canning jar.
*Leave lid off until cool. Re-stir once cooled, as essential oils sometimes float to the top. Can refrigerate for a couple days to solidify.
======================
The other change I've made is that after showering, I apply some of my olive oil/shea butter facial moisturizer to my underarms before applying the deodorant. It has definitely helped--the rash and itch are much better, but not completely gone. I'll update again about this in a couple of months.
======================
§ This post describes how I currently wash and condition my hair, although now I generally wash with apple cider vinegar & water, and condition with olive oil/vodka/water.
So, the homemade deodorant I raved about a few months ago? Not working out so well.
Not because it's not effective. On the contrary, it still works better in preventing wetness and odor than most deodorants I've ever tried, natural or otherwise, and almost as well as most antiperspirants. (Antiperspirants are typically stronger than deodorants, because they stop you from sweating).
However, I started breaking out in a red, itchy rash under my arms a few weeks ago. After googling, "rash from homemade deodorant," I learned that it is a fairly common problem. The major culprit is the baking soda, which, as I discovered when I used to wash my hair with it,§ can be very drying to scalp and skin.
Here are the changes I've made, which have helped the problem, but not completely eliminated it yet:
Revised homemade deodorant recipe:
* Place 2 T of unrefined coconut oil and 2 T of unrefined shea butter in a pot and liquify over low-medium heat. This happens fairly quickly.
* Remove from heat and add other ingredients:
-- 5 T of corn starch (CHANGE: more corn starch)
-- Slightly less than 1 T of baking soda (CHANGE: much less baking soda)
-- 1 T of witch hazel
-- 1 T of pure aloe vera gel (CHANGE: added to improve moisture)
-- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil. (CHANGE: peppermint instead of orange, because citrus oils can irritate. Note: you can choose a different type of essential oil, based on whatever scent you prefer.)
* Stir continuously until smooth
* Pour into a 4 oz canning jar.
*Leave lid off until cool. Re-stir once cooled, as essential oils sometimes float to the top. Can refrigerate for a couple days to solidify.
======================
The other change I've made is that after showering, I apply some of my olive oil/shea butter facial moisturizer to my underarms before applying the deodorant. It has definitely helped--the rash and itch are much better, but not completely gone. I'll update again about this in a couple of months.
======================
§ This post describes how I currently wash and condition my hair, although now I generally wash with apple cider vinegar & water, and condition with olive oil/vodka/water.
Friday, July 23, 2010
My favorite homemade cleaning products
I've blogged a lot about homemade products I use on my hair and skin, but very little about homemade cleaning products. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that finding commercial products that worked for my hair and skin without causing reactions was such a challenge, and so homemade, natural personal care products have been a godsend to me. I just can't get as excited about stuff for cleaning. Plus, there are plenty of natural cleaning products on the market that work well and are reasonably priced, so I don't feel as much of a need to make my own. Planet dish detergent, Trader Joe's laundry powder, and Seventh Generation all-purpose cleaner are some that I use, just to name a few.
Nevertheless, I do make a few of my own cleaning products, and here are some that I like the best:
Bathtub scrub: in a bowl, stir together a lot of baking soda, a little liquid soap and a little more hydrogen peroxide until the mixture reaches a Soft Scrub or toothpaste-like consistency. Spread all over your tub and let it sit for a half hour. For tough stains, cover with a towel (hydrogen peroxide's power breaks down in light). Scrub with a scrub brush and rinse well. Your tub will be shining without any leftover grit. This formula also works well with stains on your kitchen sink.
Carpet and shoe freshener: I've been using this one since my daughter was a crawling baby. Mix together equal parts baking soda and corn starch (say, 1/2 cup each), and add about 15-20 drops essential oil. I add about 10 drops each of my favorites, sweet orange oil and peppermint oil. Stir well, add to a jar (ideally one that has a shaker top, but any jar will do), and cover. This last point is very important! Let the mixture sit for about 24 hours before use. If you use it too soon before the essential oils are dry, the stuff will stick to your socks, feet, or carpet and you'll end up with white dust footprints all over your house.
Once the mixture has dried, sprinkle on your carpet or in your shoes as needed. After about a half hour on the carpet, you can vacuum it up easily. When the smell in your shoes is gone, shake out the excess. How long it takes depends on the stinkiness of your shoes. :)
Deodorizer: Vinegar, vinegar, and more vinegar! I have found that nothing works quite like white vinegar to get rid of strong odors. I just love the stuff. I used to boil bathroom and kitchen sponges (laundering didn't work very well, since I wash in cold water), add baking soda, etc., and they still smelled like mildew. Now I soak them in white vinegar and pop them in the microwave for two minutes and the smell is gone! Add vinegar to a spray bottle and spray your smelly garbage can. Put vinegar in a bowl in your car overnight to get rid of musty smells in your car. The uses are endless.
You might object that vinegar itself has a strong, and to some people, unpleasant odor. Yes, it does. But here is the miracle of vinegar: once it dries or dissipates (usually after about a half hour), you can't smell the vinegar anymore and it takes the stinky odors with it.
Nevertheless, I do make a few of my own cleaning products, and here are some that I like the best:
Bathtub scrub: in a bowl, stir together a lot of baking soda, a little liquid soap and a little more hydrogen peroxide until the mixture reaches a Soft Scrub or toothpaste-like consistency. Spread all over your tub and let it sit for a half hour. For tough stains, cover with a towel (hydrogen peroxide's power breaks down in light). Scrub with a scrub brush and rinse well. Your tub will be shining without any leftover grit. This formula also works well with stains on your kitchen sink.
Carpet and shoe freshener: I've been using this one since my daughter was a crawling baby. Mix together equal parts baking soda and corn starch (say, 1/2 cup each), and add about 15-20 drops essential oil. I add about 10 drops each of my favorites, sweet orange oil and peppermint oil. Stir well, add to a jar (ideally one that has a shaker top, but any jar will do), and cover. This last point is very important! Let the mixture sit for about 24 hours before use. If you use it too soon before the essential oils are dry, the stuff will stick to your socks, feet, or carpet and you'll end up with white dust footprints all over your house.
Once the mixture has dried, sprinkle on your carpet or in your shoes as needed. After about a half hour on the carpet, you can vacuum it up easily. When the smell in your shoes is gone, shake out the excess. How long it takes depends on the stinkiness of your shoes. :)
Deodorizer: Vinegar, vinegar, and more vinegar! I have found that nothing works quite like white vinegar to get rid of strong odors. I just love the stuff. I used to boil bathroom and kitchen sponges (laundering didn't work very well, since I wash in cold water), add baking soda, etc., and they still smelled like mildew. Now I soak them in white vinegar and pop them in the microwave for two minutes and the smell is gone! Add vinegar to a spray bottle and spray your smelly garbage can. Put vinegar in a bowl in your car overnight to get rid of musty smells in your car. The uses are endless.
You might object that vinegar itself has a strong, and to some people, unpleasant odor. Yes, it does. But here is the miracle of vinegar: once it dries or dissipates (usually after about a half hour), you can't smell the vinegar anymore and it takes the stinky odors with it.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Making my own deodorant
Here's another reason why small steps are a good thing: each time one small step results in success, it encourages me to take another.
My latest is making my own deodorant. A few years ago, learning about the toxins in many antipersperants, I switched to natural deordorants. Most I tried didn't work well at all, leaving me wet and a little stinky at the end of eat day. Finally, I tried Tom's of Maine's long-lasting deodorant. It worked very well, except on very hot days. Thus, I began carrying a deodorant stick with me during the summer in case I needed to reapply it.
Last week, I read an article about unhealthy substances in deodorants that fingered many "natural" deodorants as culprits. One of the bad ingredients listed was propylene glycol--which turns out to be the first ingredient of my Tom's of Maine deodorant. Wikipedia states that propylene glycol is not harmful to humans in small amounts, but that it can be a skin irritant, and I wonder if that was the case with me. My underarms have had red, itchy patches on them lately.
It was time to try making my own. After googling and looking at several recipes on the web, I decided to try this one, found at the blog Cheap Like Me:
======================
* Place 5 tablespoons of coconut oil (unrefined from natural food store) in a pot and liquify over low-medium heat. This happens very quickly.
[Amy's note: I used 2 T of coconut oil and 3 T of shea butter, since I love shea so much! Shea takes a little longer to melt.]
* Remove from heat and add other ingredients.
* Add 1/4 cup of corn starch
* Add 1/4 cup of baking soda
[Amy's note: I added 1 T of witch hazel to the mix, which the first article (on toxins in deodorants) recommended as a good ingredient. So I also added an extra tablespoon each of corn starch and baking soda, to retain the mixture's consistency.]
* Stir continuously until smooth
* Add essential oils drop by drop until desired scent is reached
[Amy's note: the blogger used lavender and tea tree oil. I used sweet orange oil.]
* Pour into a 4 oz canning jar.
*Leave lid off until cool. Re-stir once cooled, as essential oils sometimes float to the top. Can refrigerate for a couple days to solidify.
======================
Once more, the results have been awesome! The homemade deodorant has kept me dry and smelling good all day. I've carried a small amount with me in case I need to reapply it, and I haven't had to. And the red, itchy patches have gone away!
So many natural products I make myself work just as well, and usually better than the commercial varieties, without the toxins or (for my sensitive skin) the side effects. Other than the time factor of making them, why would I ever go back?
My latest is making my own deodorant. A few years ago, learning about the toxins in many antipersperants, I switched to natural deordorants. Most I tried didn't work well at all, leaving me wet and a little stinky at the end of eat day. Finally, I tried Tom's of Maine's long-lasting deodorant. It worked very well, except on very hot days. Thus, I began carrying a deodorant stick with me during the summer in case I needed to reapply it.
Last week, I read an article about unhealthy substances in deodorants that fingered many "natural" deodorants as culprits. One of the bad ingredients listed was propylene glycol--which turns out to be the first ingredient of my Tom's of Maine deodorant. Wikipedia states that propylene glycol is not harmful to humans in small amounts, but that it can be a skin irritant, and I wonder if that was the case with me. My underarms have had red, itchy patches on them lately.
It was time to try making my own. After googling and looking at several recipes on the web, I decided to try this one, found at the blog Cheap Like Me:
======================
* Place 5 tablespoons of coconut oil (unrefined from natural food store) in a pot and liquify over low-medium heat. This happens very quickly.
[Amy's note: I used 2 T of coconut oil and 3 T of shea butter, since I love shea so much! Shea takes a little longer to melt.]
* Remove from heat and add other ingredients.
* Add 1/4 cup of corn starch
* Add 1/4 cup of baking soda
[Amy's note: I added 1 T of witch hazel to the mix, which the first article (on toxins in deodorants) recommended as a good ingredient. So I also added an extra tablespoon each of corn starch and baking soda, to retain the mixture's consistency.]
* Stir continuously until smooth
* Add essential oils drop by drop until desired scent is reached
[Amy's note: the blogger used lavender and tea tree oil. I used sweet orange oil.]
* Pour into a 4 oz canning jar.
*Leave lid off until cool. Re-stir once cooled, as essential oils sometimes float to the top. Can refrigerate for a couple days to solidify.
======================
Once more, the results have been awesome! The homemade deodorant has kept me dry and smelling good all day. I've carried a small amount with me in case I need to reapply it, and I haven't had to. And the red, itchy patches have gone away!
So many natural products I make myself work just as well, and usually better than the commercial varieties, without the toxins or (for my sensitive skin) the side effects. Other than the time factor of making them, why would I ever go back?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
More small changes
I was ready to post this and then noticed that a blog I follow, Condo Blues, writes about making small changes also.
Yes, they do add up! I've been thinking a lot about what more can I do. Of course, huge, structural changes are needed. For example, many people are car-dependent, as I am, because public transportation options are limited or they have health challenges.* I hope, hope, HOPE the Gulf Oil catastrophe will get our country to more seriously address our oil-dependency.
In the meantime, I continue to search for non-BP/Arco stations to buy gas from. I keep hearing too many bad things about Chevron, so although Chevron's gas is often comparable in price, I decided not to buy gas there either. I filled up at a Valero station last week, which was cheaper than Arco but it's not close to where I live or frequently drive; thus, not a good regular option. Many 76 stations have gas that is only a few cents more a gallon than Arco, so I've been getting gas there. Likewise, Costco's and Safeway's gas are often the same price as Arco or only a few cents more. Therefore, I do have alternatives for buying gas without spending a lot more.
OK, small changes. I bought a set of dining room chairs about two years ago from a thrift shop (my in-laws left us with a table, but no chairs). The fabric, worn to begin with, had become really frayed so I decided it was time to upholster. I had never done any upholstery before, but I asked advice from a woman shopping in the fabric aisle at Goodwill. She helped me pick out a nice, thick material (price: $3) and gave me some pointers. I purchased a staple gun and staples at a nearby sewing store ($7 total), unscrewed the seats, pulled up the old staples, measured the new fabric, and went at it. I'm pleased with the results. On an added note, the seats all had yellowed tags stapled to them that read they were made in compliance with some law dated 1929--how cool is that? It made me wonder how old the chairs were.
I recently purchased a Misto, a handy little kitchen spritzer gadget that allows you to fill and refill it with olive oil and use it in place of disposable cooking sprays.
I have long wanted to buy reusable sandwich bags and reusable Swiffer dry and wet pads, but the ones on sale at stores are a little pricey. Then I thought about checking out Etsy, an online marketplace for items made by craftspeople. Searches on the site yield dozens of handmade reusable snack/sandwich/produce bags and dust/mop pads, often starting as low as $2-3. I will purchase some in the next few days, and begin make that much less garbage.
================
* "What about biking?" someone might ask. Well, first, you need a good bike, something I can't afford right now. The bikes for sale on Craigslist are mostly children's bikes; the adult bikes I've found in thrift shops aren't in very good condition. Second, fear, travel time and route, and physical fitness play a big role in whether commuting by bicycle is realistic for someone. Tacoma is a very hilly city, which requires strong legs and great lungs, neither of which I have right now. And yeah, I'm a little scared of biking in traffic. (Colin Beavan's wife Michelle was as well; she got a scooter to power around on NYC's sidewalks instead. Later, she is loaned a large tricycle in which her young daughter can ride in the back).
At the Livable Communities fair back in April, one of the vendors was demonstrating electric bikes, which you recharge overnight. Cool stuff: the small engine makes tackling Tacoma's steep hills a breeze. However, the cost is 2-3 times more than purchasing a very good, new bicycle.
Yes, they do add up! I've been thinking a lot about what more can I do. Of course, huge, structural changes are needed. For example, many people are car-dependent, as I am, because public transportation options are limited or they have health challenges.* I hope, hope, HOPE the Gulf Oil catastrophe will get our country to more seriously address our oil-dependency.
In the meantime, I continue to search for non-BP/Arco stations to buy gas from. I keep hearing too many bad things about Chevron, so although Chevron's gas is often comparable in price, I decided not to buy gas there either. I filled up at a Valero station last week, which was cheaper than Arco but it's not close to where I live or frequently drive; thus, not a good regular option. Many 76 stations have gas that is only a few cents more a gallon than Arco, so I've been getting gas there. Likewise, Costco's and Safeway's gas are often the same price as Arco or only a few cents more. Therefore, I do have alternatives for buying gas without spending a lot more.
OK, small changes. I bought a set of dining room chairs about two years ago from a thrift shop (my in-laws left us with a table, but no chairs). The fabric, worn to begin with, had become really frayed so I decided it was time to upholster. I had never done any upholstery before, but I asked advice from a woman shopping in the fabric aisle at Goodwill. She helped me pick out a nice, thick material (price: $3) and gave me some pointers. I purchased a staple gun and staples at a nearby sewing store ($7 total), unscrewed the seats, pulled up the old staples, measured the new fabric, and went at it. I'm pleased with the results. On an added note, the seats all had yellowed tags stapled to them that read they were made in compliance with some law dated 1929--how cool is that? It made me wonder how old the chairs were.
I recently purchased a Misto, a handy little kitchen spritzer gadget that allows you to fill and refill it with olive oil and use it in place of disposable cooking sprays.
I have long wanted to buy reusable sandwich bags and reusable Swiffer dry and wet pads, but the ones on sale at stores are a little pricey. Then I thought about checking out Etsy, an online marketplace for items made by craftspeople. Searches on the site yield dozens of handmade reusable snack/sandwich/produce bags and dust/mop pads, often starting as low as $2-3. I will purchase some in the next few days, and begin make that much less garbage.
================
* "What about biking?" someone might ask. Well, first, you need a good bike, something I can't afford right now. The bikes for sale on Craigslist are mostly children's bikes; the adult bikes I've found in thrift shops aren't in very good condition. Second, fear, travel time and route, and physical fitness play a big role in whether commuting by bicycle is realistic for someone. Tacoma is a very hilly city, which requires strong legs and great lungs, neither of which I have right now. And yeah, I'm a little scared of biking in traffic. (Colin Beavan's wife Michelle was as well; she got a scooter to power around on NYC's sidewalks instead. Later, she is loaned a large tricycle in which her young daughter can ride in the back).
At the Livable Communities fair back in April, one of the vendors was demonstrating electric bikes, which you recharge overnight. Cool stuff: the small engine makes tackling Tacoma's steep hills a breeze. However, the cost is 2-3 times more than purchasing a very good, new bicycle.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
We have a winner!
The Winner:
We went to a wedding today at which Hershey's kisses were the favors. I took a few, only to discover that I accidently sat on one on the way home and stained the back of my dress with chocolate. Since the drive home was more than an hour, the chocolate stain was pretty set by the time we arrived. Thus, I had a chance to test out my homemade laundry pretreatment spray, using this recipe*. It worked like a charm: I sprayed the stain, rubbed it and rinsed it, and it was gone within seconds. Buh-bye, Resolve! (formerly Spray and Wash).
The Jury Is Still Out...
On this year's garden. As with last year, we planted seeds and a few starts indoors back in April, and moved them outside the second week of May. But May in Tacoma has been rough, alternating between hot sunny days and cold, stormy, windy ones, and these poor young plants have been battered. I keep reminding myself that last year my lettuce looked wilted and battered, and then suddenly revived in early June to produce a fantastic crop. So I'm crossing my fingers that our veggies and herbs can come back this year also.
=====================
* If you follow this recipe, be sure to read the tips and warnings at the end (under the ad links).
We went to a wedding today at which Hershey's kisses were the favors. I took a few, only to discover that I accidently sat on one on the way home and stained the back of my dress with chocolate. Since the drive home was more than an hour, the chocolate stain was pretty set by the time we arrived. Thus, I had a chance to test out my homemade laundry pretreatment spray, using this recipe*. It worked like a charm: I sprayed the stain, rubbed it and rinsed it, and it was gone within seconds. Buh-bye, Resolve! (formerly Spray and Wash).
The Jury Is Still Out...
On this year's garden. As with last year, we planted seeds and a few starts indoors back in April, and moved them outside the second week of May. But May in Tacoma has been rough, alternating between hot sunny days and cold, stormy, windy ones, and these poor young plants have been battered. I keep reminding myself that last year my lettuce looked wilted and battered, and then suddenly revived in early June to produce a fantastic crop. So I'm crossing my fingers that our veggies and herbs can come back this year also.
=====================
* If you follow this recipe, be sure to read the tips and warnings at the end (under the ad links).
Friday, May 21, 2010
Small changes again
I was overwhelmed a few days ago, but I decided I need to keep making small changes. One is with laundry pretreatment. I use eco-friendly detergent, wash in cold water, hang most things to dry (unless it's heavy stuff like blankets, or I need something right away), and when I do use a dryer, I reuse squares of aluminum foil instead of dryer sheets to reduce static cling.
However, I still use Resolve (formerly Spray and Wash) to pretreat stains. That's partly due to the fact that I can buy a huge bottle of the stuff at Costco, and because it seemed to be the easy thing to do with a young child who gets a lot of stains on her clothing.
So a few days ago I decided to check out Resolve's ingredients list on the company's web site, and then google some of the ingredients to see whether/how toxic they are. And yikes!, several of them are, such as the first ingredient listed after water, ALCOHOL C-12 C-16 POLY (1-6) ETHOXYLATE. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this compound is "A major threat to the environment in case of a spill. Immediate steps should be taken to limit spread. Can easily penetrate the soil and contaminate ground water and nearby streams. Very toxic to aquatic organisms."
So I found a recipe online for making homemade laundry pretreatment spray from water, glycerin, castile soap and borax*. I've made it and will try it. One logistical advantage is that you can spray clothing and let the stuff sit, whereas the instructions for using Resolve say that you must launder clothes right away after spraying it. (Or else what? Will it burn a hole in the clothing?) This recipe will save me the half-hour or more before doing laundry of endlessly spraying stains, plus I can treat stains right away, instead of waiting until laundry day.
Another small thing I'm trying to do is buy gas at someplace else besides Arco (which is part of BP). I found a Chevron station recently with gas just as cheap. I know that Chevron's environmental record isn't that great either (is there any oil/gas company that is?), but I think the current goal is to send a message to BP so that they take their responsibility for the Gulf spill and cleanup.
===================
* Borax is toxic if ingested, so keep out of children's reach. Also, if you follow this recipe, be sure to read the tips and warnings at the end (under the ad links).
However, I still use Resolve (formerly Spray and Wash) to pretreat stains. That's partly due to the fact that I can buy a huge bottle of the stuff at Costco, and because it seemed to be the easy thing to do with a young child who gets a lot of stains on her clothing.
So a few days ago I decided to check out Resolve's ingredients list on the company's web site, and then google some of the ingredients to see whether/how toxic they are. And yikes!, several of them are, such as the first ingredient listed after water, ALCOHOL C-12 C-16 POLY (1-6) ETHOXYLATE. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this compound is "A major threat to the environment in case of a spill. Immediate steps should be taken to limit spread. Can easily penetrate the soil and contaminate ground water and nearby streams. Very toxic to aquatic organisms."
So I found a recipe online for making homemade laundry pretreatment spray from water, glycerin, castile soap and borax*. I've made it and will try it. One logistical advantage is that you can spray clothing and let the stuff sit, whereas the instructions for using Resolve say that you must launder clothes right away after spraying it. (Or else what? Will it burn a hole in the clothing?) This recipe will save me the half-hour or more before doing laundry of endlessly spraying stains, plus I can treat stains right away, instead of waiting until laundry day.
Another small thing I'm trying to do is buy gas at someplace else besides Arco (which is part of BP). I found a Chevron station recently with gas just as cheap. I know that Chevron's environmental record isn't that great either (is there any oil/gas company that is?), but I think the current goal is to send a message to BP so that they take their responsibility for the Gulf spill and cleanup.
===================
* Borax is toxic if ingested, so keep out of children's reach. Also, if you follow this recipe, be sure to read the tips and warnings at the end (under the ad links).
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thrift shopping bonanza
I haven't made a pitch recently for the National Thrift Store month petition, so here it is!
Yesterday, both Value Village and Goodwill had 50% off sales in honor of Labor Day, and daughter and I went shopping! Spending a total of $30, we bought:
-- Three kids' movies
-- Two books for daughter, and two for me
-- A hamper (a much needed item in our house!)
-- A purse for me, since the strap on my old one recently broke
-- An additional Brita pitcher and a popcorn bowl
-- Various clothing items for daughter, including winter boots, a leotard (she wants to take ballet), and two pairs of underwear
-- A necklace and jewelry case for daughter
-- The accessories to accompany my daughter's Halloween costume. My sister bought her a pink princess dress earlier this year, and we found some fairy wings that attach to her shoulders on an earlier thrift store trip. Yesterday, we were able to buy earrings, a necklace, a crown and a fairy wand to make the costume complete.
Among that list, there is one item I wish I didn't have to buy, and that's the purse. I now have in my closet three purses in great condition, except that the straps are broken. Not even the straps really, but the little piece of leather that attaches the strap to the purse itself. I have tried in vain to ask at tailor shops and shoe repair shops to see if they can fix them, and I've always been told no. In each case, it should be a relatively easy thing to fix, requiring only a few stitches if one has a heavy-duty sewing machine and thick thread. It just seems crazy that I should have to abandon decent handbags for want of a few stitches.
No Impact Man has written about this on occasion: the lack of people today who can repair things such as appliances, and how that negatively contributes to our throw-away society. I'm glad I found the new purse, but in the meantime, I'll hold on to the old ones in hope that someday I'll be able to have them repaired.
(*Note: my mother tried in vain to teach me how to sew by machine when I was twelve. I really wish I had been more adept, but even if I could sew, I'd need a heavy-duty machine that can handle leather. I can darn holes and sew on buttons by hand, however.)
Yesterday, both Value Village and Goodwill had 50% off sales in honor of Labor Day, and daughter and I went shopping! Spending a total of $30, we bought:
-- Three kids' movies
-- Two books for daughter, and two for me
-- A hamper (a much needed item in our house!)
-- A purse for me, since the strap on my old one recently broke
-- An additional Brita pitcher and a popcorn bowl
-- Various clothing items for daughter, including winter boots, a leotard (she wants to take ballet), and two pairs of underwear
-- A necklace and jewelry case for daughter
-- The accessories to accompany my daughter's Halloween costume. My sister bought her a pink princess dress earlier this year, and we found some fairy wings that attach to her shoulders on an earlier thrift store trip. Yesterday, we were able to buy earrings, a necklace, a crown and a fairy wand to make the costume complete.
Among that list, there is one item I wish I didn't have to buy, and that's the purse. I now have in my closet three purses in great condition, except that the straps are broken. Not even the straps really, but the little piece of leather that attaches the strap to the purse itself. I have tried in vain to ask at tailor shops and shoe repair shops to see if they can fix them, and I've always been told no. In each case, it should be a relatively easy thing to fix, requiring only a few stitches if one has a heavy-duty sewing machine and thick thread. It just seems crazy that I should have to abandon decent handbags for want of a few stitches.
No Impact Man has written about this on occasion: the lack of people today who can repair things such as appliances, and how that negatively contributes to our throw-away society. I'm glad I found the new purse, but in the meantime, I'll hold on to the old ones in hope that someday I'll be able to have them repaired.
(*Note: my mother tried in vain to teach me how to sew by machine when I was twelve. I really wish I had been more adept, but even if I could sew, I'd need a heavy-duty machine that can handle leather. I can darn holes and sew on buttons by hand, however.)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
I'm making more hair products--this time for styling
I've now gone seven months without using hair relaxer, and I'm still trying to get my hair care products down. I've been using my homemade hair oil and detangler for a while, which work great for softness, moisture and detangling, but do nothing for styling (which is why I'm mostly wearing my hair ponytails and buns these days!).
I found some recipes online for hair gel and curly pudding, which I made yesterday and tried this morning. So far, I like how my hair looks (soft curls, no frizz). Here are the recipes:
Hair gel
1 TBSP whole flax seeds
1 cup water (filtered or distilled)
2 TBSP aloe vera gel
10-20 drops essential oil
Bring water and flax seeds to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer until thick, continuing to stir frequently. The recipe I found online said 10 minutes; I simmered it for about 20. Strain out seeds. Add aloe and essential oil (I used sweet orange oil). (Tip: I keep my aloe in the fridge, so I heated it for about 15 seconds in the microwave before adding). Allow to gel overnight. Store in refrigerator.
Curly pudding
2 TBSP shea butter
1/2 TBSP beeswax
2 TBSP pure aloe vera gel
10-20 drops essential oil
Melt shea butter and beeswax in small pan over low heat. Add aloe and essential oil and blend well. Allow to gel overnight.
A couple things here: I couldn't find beeswax. However, I have a honeycomb from a jar of honey that I saved; it still has some honey in the crevises. I addes 1/2 TB of that, so some honey was added to the mix (which is OK; honey can be used on hair). I also think I was supposed to blend the mixture with a blender, not just stir with a spoon. In the morning, the mixture had separated, so I had to stir it again. It was clumpy, but still usable.
This morning, I wet my hair as usual, applied my hair oil and sprayed on detangler, then combed my hair out. I applied the hair gel to my hair from the roots half way down and brushed it in. Then I applied the curly pudding from halfway down to the ends, and raked it through with my fingers. This kept my hair from poufing up near the roots, and allowed it curl up nicely at the ends. It looks good, and maybe it'll look even better when I get the curly pudding recipe right.
The costs for these ingredients are reasonable; Grocery Outlet sells 12 oz. bags of flaxseed for $2.99 (flaxseed should stay refrigerated); at 1 TB per batch (which I will probably make weekly), that should last me at least six months. A 32 oz. bottle of pure aloe vera gel (Lily of the Desert brand) costs about $7 at Super Supplements, and lasts me at least 4 months (I use it for skin as well as hair products). Right now, Super Supplements had Alaffia shea products on sale 50% off, so I bought shea butter there, but at regular price, it's cheaper to purchase online at AAA Shea Butter ($25 for 16 oz., which lasts me a year, being used for skin as well as hair products). A 1 oz. bottle of orange oil is about $3 at Super Supplements, and can last up to a year if used sparingly.
Here are, once more, my hair oil and detangler recipes, as I've modified them some since I first posted about them. When my sister-in-law was here, she tried both my skin and hair recipes and liked them, so I sent her home with some batches.
Daily hair oil/conditioner
2 TBSP extra virgin oil oil
2 TBSP pure aloe vera gel
2 TBSP hair conditioner (I use Trader Joe's TeaTree Tingle Conditioner, $3.99 for 16 oz)
1 TBSP vegetable glycerin (about $6.50 for a 16 oz. bottle at Super Supplements)
10 drops essential oil
water (filtered or distilled)
Add the first four ingredients to a 4 oz. bottle. Add water until the bottle is full. Shake well to blend, and shake before each use.
Detangler
Same recipe as above. Fill an 8 oz. spray bottle 1/3 full with the first four ingredients of the above recipe, then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well to blend, and shake before each use.
Because none of these recipes contain preservatives, I only make small batches, enough to last 1 to 2 weeks. After each batch is done, I wash out the bottles or jars with warm soapy water, then disinfect with hydrogen peroxide.
One additional thought: because this adds a lot more product to my hair, I will probably have to do a baking soda hair wash every few weeks to cleanse out the buildup (in addition to my weekly TeaTree Tingle conditioning wash and apple cider vinegar rinse. See this post for more info).
I found some recipes online for hair gel and curly pudding, which I made yesterday and tried this morning. So far, I like how my hair looks (soft curls, no frizz). Here are the recipes:
Hair gel
1 TBSP whole flax seeds
1 cup water (filtered or distilled)
2 TBSP aloe vera gel
10-20 drops essential oil
Bring water and flax seeds to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer until thick, continuing to stir frequently. The recipe I found online said 10 minutes; I simmered it for about 20. Strain out seeds. Add aloe and essential oil (I used sweet orange oil). (Tip: I keep my aloe in the fridge, so I heated it for about 15 seconds in the microwave before adding). Allow to gel overnight. Store in refrigerator.
Curly pudding
2 TBSP shea butter
1/2 TBSP beeswax
2 TBSP pure aloe vera gel
10-20 drops essential oil
Melt shea butter and beeswax in small pan over low heat. Add aloe and essential oil and blend well. Allow to gel overnight.
A couple things here: I couldn't find beeswax. However, I have a honeycomb from a jar of honey that I saved; it still has some honey in the crevises. I addes 1/2 TB of that, so some honey was added to the mix (which is OK; honey can be used on hair). I also think I was supposed to blend the mixture with a blender, not just stir with a spoon. In the morning, the mixture had separated, so I had to stir it again. It was clumpy, but still usable.
This morning, I wet my hair as usual, applied my hair oil and sprayed on detangler, then combed my hair out. I applied the hair gel to my hair from the roots half way down and brushed it in. Then I applied the curly pudding from halfway down to the ends, and raked it through with my fingers. This kept my hair from poufing up near the roots, and allowed it curl up nicely at the ends. It looks good, and maybe it'll look even better when I get the curly pudding recipe right.
The costs for these ingredients are reasonable; Grocery Outlet sells 12 oz. bags of flaxseed for $2.99 (flaxseed should stay refrigerated); at 1 TB per batch (which I will probably make weekly), that should last me at least six months. A 32 oz. bottle of pure aloe vera gel (Lily of the Desert brand) costs about $7 at Super Supplements, and lasts me at least 4 months (I use it for skin as well as hair products). Right now, Super Supplements had Alaffia shea products on sale 50% off, so I bought shea butter there, but at regular price, it's cheaper to purchase online at AAA Shea Butter ($25 for 16 oz., which lasts me a year, being used for skin as well as hair products). A 1 oz. bottle of orange oil is about $3 at Super Supplements, and can last up to a year if used sparingly.
Here are, once more, my hair oil and detangler recipes, as I've modified them some since I first posted about them. When my sister-in-law was here, she tried both my skin and hair recipes and liked them, so I sent her home with some batches.
Daily hair oil/conditioner
2 TBSP extra virgin oil oil
2 TBSP pure aloe vera gel
2 TBSP hair conditioner (I use Trader Joe's TeaTree Tingle Conditioner, $3.99 for 16 oz)
1 TBSP vegetable glycerin (about $6.50 for a 16 oz. bottle at Super Supplements)
10 drops essential oil
water (filtered or distilled)
Add the first four ingredients to a 4 oz. bottle. Add water until the bottle is full. Shake well to blend, and shake before each use.
Detangler
Same recipe as above. Fill an 8 oz. spray bottle 1/3 full with the first four ingredients of the above recipe, then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well to blend, and shake before each use.
Because none of these recipes contain preservatives, I only make small batches, enough to last 1 to 2 weeks. After each batch is done, I wash out the bottles or jars with warm soapy water, then disinfect with hydrogen peroxide.
One additional thought: because this adds a lot more product to my hair, I will probably have to do a baking soda hair wash every few weeks to cleanse out the buildup (in addition to my weekly TeaTree Tingle conditioning wash and apple cider vinegar rinse. See this post for more info).
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Going natural
I've been reading "Going Natural: how to fall in love with nappy hair," by Mireille Liong-A-Kong. From what I've read so far, I'm already following many of her recommendations: getting away from commercial products and replacing them with such naturals ingredients as shea butter, olive oil, and aloe; wrapping my hair in a silk scarf at night; and keeping my hair well-moisturized. She recommends the Curly Girl "no-poo" method of washing your hair with conditioner that I'm also doing. And she also differs, as I do, with the Curly Girl method of not combing your hair--she emphasizes that gentle de-tangling is essential.
She has a few recommendations that I need to start doing. First, she recommends regular deep conditioning, at least once every two weeks. I found a recipe online that I'll try: 1 c. mayo, 1/2 avocado, 2 T coconut oil blended together and applied to the head. Cover with a shower cap and warm towel, and let it absorb for 20-30 minutes and then rinse and wash well.
She also recommends keeping the scalp clean between washes, since most black women shouldn't wash their hair frequently. Her suggestion is to apply witch hazel with a cotton ball to the scalp to clean it, and jojoba oil to moisturize the scalp between washes. Jojoba oil closes matches the sebum that is naturally found in the hair. I think I need to do this once a week, about halfway between washes.
A few more things: she says that if you're not willing to chop off all your relaxed hair at once (which I'm not!), then at some point the two textured part natural/ part relaxed hair on your head will become very difficult to manage, usually between the third and sixth month. At that point, you should wear your hair in braids or twists until it grows out enough to cut off the remaining relaxed hair. I can braid and twist, but not that well, so I need to find someone in Tacoma who can help me with this.
She has a few recommendations that I need to start doing. First, she recommends regular deep conditioning, at least once every two weeks. I found a recipe online that I'll try: 1 c. mayo, 1/2 avocado, 2 T coconut oil blended together and applied to the head. Cover with a shower cap and warm towel, and let it absorb for 20-30 minutes and then rinse and wash well.
She also recommends keeping the scalp clean between washes, since most black women shouldn't wash their hair frequently. Her suggestion is to apply witch hazel with a cotton ball to the scalp to clean it, and jojoba oil to moisturize the scalp between washes. Jojoba oil closes matches the sebum that is naturally found in the hair. I think I need to do this once a week, about halfway between washes.
A few more things: she says that if you're not willing to chop off all your relaxed hair at once (which I'm not!), then at some point the two textured part natural/ part relaxed hair on your head will become very difficult to manage, usually between the third and sixth month. At that point, you should wear your hair in braids or twists until it grows out enough to cut off the remaining relaxed hair. I can braid and twist, but not that well, so I need to find someone in Tacoma who can help me with this.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Trying to go green when you suck at certain things, Part I
Growing Things
I'm pretty good at quite a few things: writing, illustrating, cooking, and so forth. But it seems that when I'm not good at something, I'm often spectacularly bad. One of those seems to be growing things.
This is ironic, because my father had a degree in horticulture. He worked as a gardener and landscaper, and was later Commisioner of Parks for the city of Clevleand. Growing up, our back yard contained beautiful rose bushes, a vibrant vegatable garden, and strawberry plants. My mother, without my father's training, always maintained a large bevy of houseplants. And my siblings and I helped with weeding and watering.
You'd think I'd have inherited a green thumb, right? Wrong. My father died when I was 16, and for about a year, I tried to maintain the backyard garden, and failed miserably. In my adult life, all the houseplants I've owned have died. I had two that lasted about a year: one, a gift from a boyfriend, died shortly after I repotted it. It had outgrown its original pot, and I asked a florist friend how to repot it, and followed her instructions to the letter. It still died a week later.
Another plant my mother sent for my birthday a few year's ago, and I placed it in my daughter's room because I wanted her to have the better air quality that houseplants can provide. I think it was a peace lily, which is one of the easiest houseplants to maintain, surviving with little sunlight and water. I did water it and feed it plant food, but our apartment got little sunlight and we kept the heat turned low, so it was always cool inside the house. Even with this, the plant did very well for about a year. Then we moved it from my daughter's room, although I don't remember the reason why. In any case, two weeks later, it died.
All other houseplants I've ever had have had much shorter lifespans.
In my journey to green, I would really like to grow my own vegetables. In Boston, we lived in a second floor apartment surrounded by buildings on all sides, with no place to garden. (There were community gardens in the neighborhood, but I didn't want to be away from my daughter for the amount of time it would have taken to participate). But now in Washington, we live in a house, with a yard, and a beautiful terrace that overlooks the Puget Sound. So this spring, I'd really like to try growing a few vegetables.
I want to start small, one veggie this year, and in containers rather than a plot. I purchased a few books on container gardening and organic gardening from Amazon's used marketplace to help me get started, and from this, I know that lettuce is one of the easiest veggies to grow. So that's my plan: lettuce in containers in 2009, and we'll see where things go from there. But I have this fear that I'll fail, as I have with everything else I've ever tried to grow.
I'm pretty good at quite a few things: writing, illustrating, cooking, and so forth. But it seems that when I'm not good at something, I'm often spectacularly bad. One of those seems to be growing things.
This is ironic, because my father had a degree in horticulture. He worked as a gardener and landscaper, and was later Commisioner of Parks for the city of Clevleand. Growing up, our back yard contained beautiful rose bushes, a vibrant vegatable garden, and strawberry plants. My mother, without my father's training, always maintained a large bevy of houseplants. And my siblings and I helped with weeding and watering.
You'd think I'd have inherited a green thumb, right? Wrong. My father died when I was 16, and for about a year, I tried to maintain the backyard garden, and failed miserably. In my adult life, all the houseplants I've owned have died. I had two that lasted about a year: one, a gift from a boyfriend, died shortly after I repotted it. It had outgrown its original pot, and I asked a florist friend how to repot it, and followed her instructions to the letter. It still died a week later.
Another plant my mother sent for my birthday a few year's ago, and I placed it in my daughter's room because I wanted her to have the better air quality that houseplants can provide. I think it was a peace lily, which is one of the easiest houseplants to maintain, surviving with little sunlight and water. I did water it and feed it plant food, but our apartment got little sunlight and we kept the heat turned low, so it was always cool inside the house. Even with this, the plant did very well for about a year. Then we moved it from my daughter's room, although I don't remember the reason why. In any case, two weeks later, it died.
All other houseplants I've ever had have had much shorter lifespans.
In my journey to green, I would really like to grow my own vegetables. In Boston, we lived in a second floor apartment surrounded by buildings on all sides, with no place to garden. (There were community gardens in the neighborhood, but I didn't want to be away from my daughter for the amount of time it would have taken to participate). But now in Washington, we live in a house, with a yard, and a beautiful terrace that overlooks the Puget Sound. So this spring, I'd really like to try growing a few vegetables.
I want to start small, one veggie this year, and in containers rather than a plot. I purchased a few books on container gardening and organic gardening from Amazon's used marketplace to help me get started, and from this, I know that lettuce is one of the easiest veggies to grow. So that's my plan: lettuce in containers in 2009, and we'll see where things go from there. But I have this fear that I'll fail, as I have with everything else I've ever tried to grow.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Making my own skin and hair care products
Two things motivated this. First, after my daughter was born, I started thinking much more about the environment and the impact that toxins and pollutants could have on her health, and I wanted to make changes in my lifestyle for her sake. Second, I had to make changes in my beauty routine out of necessity.
Skin Care
As teenagers, my siblings and I had very little acne. What we suffered from instead was red, scaly rashes the frequently spread across our faces. My mother took us to a dermatologist every other week, who kept prescribing different medications, which might or might not work for a while, but which often had side effects, for which he'd prescribe something else. And our skin issues never really went away.
Well, I went off to college with my skin care prescriptions in hand and tried to get them filled at my college pharmacy. The pharmacist stared at me and refused to fill them. "There is NO WAY any reputable doctor should have prescribed so many medications for you," he said. And he added, "I think most dermatologists are talking out of their neck anyway. Most of the time, they have no idea what's wrong with your skin; they're just guessing."
I am not trying to disparage dermatology as a profession, but as you can imagine, that soured me on dermatologists. But now I was stuck: what to do about my skin? One night, when my red, itchy face was driving me nuts, I thought, "What if nothing is wrong with my skin? What if it's just dry and sensitive?" And I grabbed a jar of petroleum jelly and slathered it over my face.
The next morning, my skin was clear and soft. No red patches, no itching, no scales. I had found the answer: nothing was wrong with my skin that keeping it well-moisturized wouldn't handle.
Of course, petroleum jelly is horrible for your skin, clogging pores (and I now know, is also bad environmentally). So I started trying different moisturizers. The problem was, after a few months, my skin would start to react again to whatever product I was using, even those labeled "hypoallergenic" (e.g., Eucerin, Cetaphil, etc.).
Enter my new interest in the environment. In the process, I discovered a lot of DIY homemade product recipes online, many of which I've modified to best suit my needs. Here are a few:
Skin care routine:
1. Cleanse with a mixture of powdered milk and water.
2. Tone with green tea.
3. Exfoliate with a mixture of baking soda and water (once a week).
4. Do a homemade facial mask once a week. I've tried a few different ones. My favorite so far is a mixture of plain yogurt, milled flax seeds, and yeast.
5. The best part: the moisturizer! I mix equal parts (usually 2 TB) pure shea butter (a company in Georgia, AAA Shea Butter, sells a 16 oz. jar for $25; it lasts me about a year) and extra virgin olive oil. Shea butter is a solid, so I melt it in the microwave. I also crush a couple of Vitamin C tablets in a pill crusher and add that, as well as about a tsp. of Vitamin E oil. I mix all this in a small jar with a good lid. I tilt it on its side overnight (otherwise, the Vitamin C will all sink to the bottom). By the morning, the mixture has the consistency of a cream. This amount lasts me about a month. Then I clean and disinfect the jar and make some more. Every morning, I apply it generously to my face and either rinse several times with warm water, or take a really hot washcloth and place it on my face so it absorbs in.
Since I've been using this routine (almost 2 years now!), my skin is soft and smooth, and I've had NO recurrences of the red, scaly itchy skin.
Hair Care
OK, I'm an African-American with lots of other stuff in my ancestry, and I have very thick, dry, curly, hard to comb hair--a nightmare for my mother as a child! (And I'm experiencing the same issues, trying to care for my daughter's hair). I have also suffered from really bad dandruff since I was a child as young as eight, something no dandruff shampoo seemed to alleviate. I'm still working on my hair care routine, but here is what I'm doing so far:
1. I've been 'poo free for almost two years. I used to use the baking soda/vinegar method, washing with 1 TB. baking soda in 8 oz. of water (applied with a squeeze bottle), letting it sit a few minutes and rinsing with warm water; followed by 2 TB. apple cider vinegar in 8 oz. of cool water as a rinse, letting it sit for a few minutes, and rinsing with cool water. For more than a year and a half, that worked well and eliminated my dandruff. Then my scalp started to itch like crazy! The odd thing was, my dandruff didn't return. In the past, if I scratched my head, a shower of flakes would fall on my shoulders. No flakes this time around, but boy, did it itch!
I have recently started reading about the "Curly Girl" method, in which you wash your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo (recommended since curly hair tends to be naturally dry). I started washing with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil conditioner (awesome, all natural product, 16 oz. is $3.99) mixed with water, and I still do the apple cider vinegar rinse. I've been doing this for six weeks now, and it's working out well. The itch is gone! I've since read that baking soda is a great cleaner for oily hair, but not so much for dry, but that occasionally (maybe once a month), a baking soda wash should be used to get rid of any build-up. I currently wash my hair about once every five days.
2. I make a daily leave-in conditioner from 1/3 part TJ's Tea Tree Oil conditioner, 1/3 part extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and 1/3 part filtered water. Very nice, keeps my hair well-moisturized without feeling greasy.
3. I make my own detangler! The "Curly Girl" method says you shouldn't comb your hair, but I can't imagine that--my hair would be a rat's nest if I didn't. This is an AWESOME detangler. I fill an 8oz. spray bottle about 2/3 full with filtered water. Then I add (no set amounts, just until the bottle is full) some TJ's Tea Tree Oil conditioner, some pure Aloe Vera gel (I can purchase a large bottle at Super Supplements for $7.99), and some EVOO, along with about 10 drops each of peppermint essential oil and grapefruit seed extract to make it smell good. I can't believe how easy my hair is to comb after spraying this stuff on! It even works well on my daughter's hair, miracle of miracles! (Oh yeah, you have to shake well each time you use it)
4. Here's the area I'm still working on. I still use a chemical relaxer about once every 3 months. I recently learned about a product called Natural Laxer from a company called Treasured Locs, made from Saharan Clay and herbs. I'd like to try it, because I want to get away from chemical products altogether. The only thing is, it says that it could discolor light-colored hair (which I have). But I hope to still try it in the next couple months, and post about the results.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: I've also started adding a little vegetable glycerin to the above products. Vegetable glycerin is a humectant, which when used on the skin or hair, help them to attract and retain moisture. I purchased a 16 oz bottle of vegetable glycerin from Super Supplements for $7.19.
Skin Care
As teenagers, my siblings and I had very little acne. What we suffered from instead was red, scaly rashes the frequently spread across our faces. My mother took us to a dermatologist every other week, who kept prescribing different medications, which might or might not work for a while, but which often had side effects, for which he'd prescribe something else. And our skin issues never really went away.
Well, I went off to college with my skin care prescriptions in hand and tried to get them filled at my college pharmacy. The pharmacist stared at me and refused to fill them. "There is NO WAY any reputable doctor should have prescribed so many medications for you," he said. And he added, "I think most dermatologists are talking out of their neck anyway. Most of the time, they have no idea what's wrong with your skin; they're just guessing."
I am not trying to disparage dermatology as a profession, but as you can imagine, that soured me on dermatologists. But now I was stuck: what to do about my skin? One night, when my red, itchy face was driving me nuts, I thought, "What if nothing is wrong with my skin? What if it's just dry and sensitive?" And I grabbed a jar of petroleum jelly and slathered it over my face.
The next morning, my skin was clear and soft. No red patches, no itching, no scales. I had found the answer: nothing was wrong with my skin that keeping it well-moisturized wouldn't handle.
Of course, petroleum jelly is horrible for your skin, clogging pores (and I now know, is also bad environmentally). So I started trying different moisturizers. The problem was, after a few months, my skin would start to react again to whatever product I was using, even those labeled "hypoallergenic" (e.g., Eucerin, Cetaphil, etc.).
Enter my new interest in the environment. In the process, I discovered a lot of DIY homemade product recipes online, many of which I've modified to best suit my needs. Here are a few:
Skin care routine:
1. Cleanse with a mixture of powdered milk and water.
2. Tone with green tea.
3. Exfoliate with a mixture of baking soda and water (once a week).
4. Do a homemade facial mask once a week. I've tried a few different ones. My favorite so far is a mixture of plain yogurt, milled flax seeds, and yeast.
5. The best part: the moisturizer! I mix equal parts (usually 2 TB) pure shea butter (a company in Georgia, AAA Shea Butter, sells a 16 oz. jar for $25; it lasts me about a year) and extra virgin olive oil. Shea butter is a solid, so I melt it in the microwave. I also crush a couple of Vitamin C tablets in a pill crusher and add that, as well as about a tsp. of Vitamin E oil. I mix all this in a small jar with a good lid. I tilt it on its side overnight (otherwise, the Vitamin C will all sink to the bottom). By the morning, the mixture has the consistency of a cream. This amount lasts me about a month. Then I clean and disinfect the jar and make some more. Every morning, I apply it generously to my face and either rinse several times with warm water, or take a really hot washcloth and place it on my face so it absorbs in.
Since I've been using this routine (almost 2 years now!), my skin is soft and smooth, and I've had NO recurrences of the red, scaly itchy skin.
Hair Care
OK, I'm an African-American with lots of other stuff in my ancestry, and I have very thick, dry, curly, hard to comb hair--a nightmare for my mother as a child! (And I'm experiencing the same issues, trying to care for my daughter's hair). I have also suffered from really bad dandruff since I was a child as young as eight, something no dandruff shampoo seemed to alleviate. I'm still working on my hair care routine, but here is what I'm doing so far:
1. I've been 'poo free for almost two years. I used to use the baking soda/vinegar method, washing with 1 TB. baking soda in 8 oz. of water (applied with a squeeze bottle), letting it sit a few minutes and rinsing with warm water; followed by 2 TB. apple cider vinegar in 8 oz. of cool water as a rinse, letting it sit for a few minutes, and rinsing with cool water. For more than a year and a half, that worked well and eliminated my dandruff. Then my scalp started to itch like crazy! The odd thing was, my dandruff didn't return. In the past, if I scratched my head, a shower of flakes would fall on my shoulders. No flakes this time around, but boy, did it itch!
I have recently started reading about the "Curly Girl" method, in which you wash your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo (recommended since curly hair tends to be naturally dry). I started washing with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil conditioner (awesome, all natural product, 16 oz. is $3.99) mixed with water, and I still do the apple cider vinegar rinse. I've been doing this for six weeks now, and it's working out well. The itch is gone! I've since read that baking soda is a great cleaner for oily hair, but not so much for dry, but that occasionally (maybe once a month), a baking soda wash should be used to get rid of any build-up. I currently wash my hair about once every five days.
2. I make a daily leave-in conditioner from 1/3 part TJ's Tea Tree Oil conditioner, 1/3 part extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and 1/3 part filtered water. Very nice, keeps my hair well-moisturized without feeling greasy.
3. I make my own detangler! The "Curly Girl" method says you shouldn't comb your hair, but I can't imagine that--my hair would be a rat's nest if I didn't. This is an AWESOME detangler. I fill an 8oz. spray bottle about 2/3 full with filtered water. Then I add (no set amounts, just until the bottle is full) some TJ's Tea Tree Oil conditioner, some pure Aloe Vera gel (I can purchase a large bottle at Super Supplements for $7.99), and some EVOO, along with about 10 drops each of peppermint essential oil and grapefruit seed extract to make it smell good. I can't believe how easy my hair is to comb after spraying this stuff on! It even works well on my daughter's hair, miracle of miracles! (Oh yeah, you have to shake well each time you use it)
4. Here's the area I'm still working on. I still use a chemical relaxer about once every 3 months. I recently learned about a product called Natural Laxer from a company called Treasured Locs, made from Saharan Clay and herbs. I'd like to try it, because I want to get away from chemical products altogether. The only thing is, it says that it could discolor light-colored hair (which I have). But I hope to still try it in the next couple months, and post about the results.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: I've also started adding a little vegetable glycerin to the above products. Vegetable glycerin is a humectant, which when used on the skin or hair, help them to attract and retain moisture. I purchased a 16 oz bottle of vegetable glycerin from Super Supplements for $7.19.
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