In today's times the cheaper the product, usually the more chemicals inside. Sadly this is the truth. When more people start to demand cleaner products and cleaner lives, the companies will have to change. Democracy isn't the government. Democracy is the people, for the people and by the people. We are the ones who change the world, not the government or big corporations. So if you want a cleaner life, you have to go out there and make it happen. Boycott products, spread the word. Make you own products and grow you own ingredients. It's easy once you teach yourself it through routine.
4 DIY All-Natural Facial Cleansers
Every day things like Body Wash, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Make up, lotion, dish soap, and many other products fail to really alert you how toxic they really are. Just like I explained further in the site about how our food and cleaning products are toxic, so is the same for what we use in our bathrooms on our own bodies. It's an easy change. Quite frankly you see the difference in as little as a week. I assure you all to trust that going natural is the right way, and detoxing along with this new routine will help you feel happier and healthier. Written by Stacy Karen, Contributing Writer
As more information comes to light regarding the damaging effects of chemicals and other unnatural ingredients in many commercial skincare products, the desire to move toward natural alternatives is common. Navigating the products available at the store can be difficult; many products don't fully disclose ingredients and a number of brands marketed as "natural" are nothing of the sort. This can be discouraging and stressful. The best way I have found to combat this problem is to make my own products. Thankfully, making natural skincare products is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, many of the cleansers I am sharing with you today involve no mixing or measuring at all. Making your own facial cleanser is a great way to avoid putting chemicals on your skin (and into your bloodstream). Plus, it's likely to save you money.1. Honey
The beauty of using honey as a facial cleanser is that there is no need for mixing or measuring! Just keep a bottle of honey in the bathroom cabinet and you're set. Honey can be used daily as a facial cleanser. It does an excellent job of cleaning skin and is extremely moisturizing; so it helps make skin soft and smooth. Honey is an excellent cleanser for every skin type. To wash your face with honey: For make-up free skin, squirt a small amount of honey (less than a teaspoon) into the palm of your hand. Rub the honey between your palms and then massage into your face. Wash off with warm water. To remove make up with honey, pour a small amount of honey onto a wet wash cloth and sprinkle with a little baking soda. Use this honeyed washcloth to clean the face. Remove any residue with warm water. Follow with toner to get rid of excess dirt. Honey can enhance your beauty routine in many ways, including being used as a hair treatment.Variations: Mix a little milk or cream with honey for a a cleanser especially suited to dry skin. For extremely oily skin, try adding a little lemon juice to the honey.
2. Rose Water
The BenefitsThere are an abundant of rose water benefits, but here are some of the top ones I like:
Contain antioxidants and vitamin C and E – helping your skin look fresh and youthful. It has anti inflammatory properties meaning it calms the skin down and help reduce any puffiness from water retention, a spot breakout and even sunburn. It helps to close up your pores. As you get older your skin loses it elasticity and your pores can tend to get larger and more noticeable – not ideal. Rose water, especially if applied after steaming your skin, help tighten your capillaries and keep your pores tight. You can use it to ‘set’ you make up. Gets rid of dirt and oils. It helps keep the pH balance of the skin so is great for all skin types. Great for sensitive skin. It is an old remedy/treatment for acne as it a mild natural antiseptic.
FACIAL CLEANSING RECIPE
Ingredients:
A clean spice jar with lid
A box of pure baking soda
Jojoba oil
A glass bottle with a dropper lid
Skin safe pure essential oils
An awesome, pure honey (optional)
Steps:
1. Fill the spice jar with baking soda.
2. Mix the jojoba oil with a few drops of essential oil into the glass bottle.
3. When ready to use, shake the spice jar once into your hand, mix the baking soda with 3-5 drops of the jojoba oil mixture, and a small dollop of honey (optional). Spread on to damp skin and massage gently. It might tingle a bit (fun!) Wash off with warm water and pat dry.
All Natural Homemade Facial Toners
Tea Tree Tingle Facial Toner -1/2 cup filtered water
-2 teaspoons vegetable glycerine
-15 drops pure tea tree oil
Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Rose Oil
-1/4 cup alcohol free witch hazel
-1/4 cup filtered water
-10 drop pure rose oil
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Toner with Sweet Orange Oil
-1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
-1/3 cup filtered water
-8 drops orange oil (or oil of choice, the oil is optional and used mostly for scent)
Green Tea Facial Toner
-6 ounces fresh brewed room temperature green tea
(2 T loose green tea leaves + 6 oz water, steep & strain)
-2 tablespoons alcohol free witch hazel
-2 teaspoons vegetable glycerine
Chamomile Lemon Facial Toner
-6 ounces fresh brewed room temperature chamomile tea
(2 T loose dried chamomile flowers + 6 oz boiling water, steep & strain)
-2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
-2 teaspoons vegetable glycerine
Fresh Mint Facial Toner
-6 ounces fresh brewed room temperature mint tea
(2 T loose dried or fresh mint leaves + 6 oz water, steep & strain)
-2 tablespoons alcohol free witch hazel
-2 teaspoons vegetable glycerine
2. Oil
The oil cleansing method has grown increasingly popular over the past few years, and for good reason; cleaning your face with oil makes skin soft and radiant. Plus, it's easy! Just apply oil to the face with your finger tips using circular motions. Let it sit for a few minutes, and wash off with warm water. For extra benefits, hold a warm washcloth close to your oil-covered face for a minute or two and allow the stream to open the pores.Castor oil is one of the most common oils used in the oil cleansing method, but other oils are well-suited to the task, and many custom mixes can be created by blending different oils. - Oil also works well as an eye makeup remover.
3. Yogurt
Use plain yogurt or mix with lemon juice to create a cleanser with a more pleasing scent. To make a lemon yogurt cleanser, mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with approximately 1 tablespoon of yogurt. A drop or two of essential oil can also be added to plain yogurt for a sweet smelling cleanser. Use fingertips to apply yogurt to skin, massaging it to loosen any dirt or make up. Leave yogurt on the skin for a minute or two (if you have time), then wash off with warm water.
4. Cleansing Grains
Cleansing grains gently exfoliate as well as clean the skin.Create your own cleansing grains by grinding almonds or oats into a fine powder and mixing with liquid to form a paste.
Suitable liquids include:
Milk, cream or yogurt for dry skin
lemon juice or water for oily skin
water, honey, peppermint tea or glycerin for normal skin
To use cleansing grains: gently massage paste into skin, avoiding the eyes. Wash off with warm water.
Other grains that are suitable for creating a gentle exfoliating cleanser are: Corn, ground sunflower seeds, baking soda, wheatgerm, and rice bran. - These of course have to be non GMO and organically grown. This type of cleanser needs to be made on an as-needed basis. However, the process can be expedited by keeping a jar of dry grains in the bathroom cabinet along with a small bowl and spoon for preparing the cleanser. As you can see, it doesn't have to be difficult to make and use natural cleansers.
Ava Non Toxic (Click Left for website)
AVA'S STORY Picture of Ava Anderson.
AVA’S STORY. Ava discovered at the age of 14, the issue of chemicals in personal care products and their hazardous health effects. The more Ava researched, the more concerned she became. She started a blog to talk about where to find safer products. The market is flooded with “organic”, “natural”, “safe” and “pure”, yet there were almost always toxic ingredients included as well. After throwing out most of her products, her mothers’ and grandmothers’ too, she still had nothing “Ava Approved” to replace them with, or to recommend.Ava had become truly disturbed at how consumers were unaware of the risks of common brands and how those who thought they were making safe choices often did not know what was really in the products they were purchasing. After months of research, Ava realized that she needed to create her own products. Through a family friend, she located a manufacturer with research facilities that could develop and produce products to her standards. It was a great challenge to develop these revolutionary formulas, but with her vision and persistence she succeeded. Ava’s personal care company was launched in December 2009.
THE COMPANY
Ava Anderson Non-Toxic is a privately held company whose management team includes three generations of entrepreneurs with collective relevant experience in retail, manufacturing, and direct selling totaling over 100 years. We are committed to Ava’s important mission of educating consumers about the health risks and providing non-toxic personal care products, and in so doing, build meaningful businesses with many consultants, as we have done previously.
Naturally Frugal Tip: Make Your Own Body Wash
Homemade Silky Body Wash
Ingredients
1 Tbsp shea butter
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
3/4 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum (See Notes)
3/4 cup soap base (I used Dr. Bronner’s Castille, unscented)
approx 25 drops essential oils. A mixture of citrus oils (orange, lemon and lime).
Method
1. Melt shea butter over low heat.
2. Add aloe vera gel and warm together with the shea butter.
3. Add gum and stir well with a whisk.
4. Add the soap base. Mix well. I found I had to mix with my immersion blender or in a blender to get the gum completely distributed. It’s not completely necessary, but makes for a more consistent wash. After blending, your wash will be quite foamy but it will settle in a few hours.
4. After the mixture has cooled, add essential oils (if using).
5. Pour into container of choice. A funnel comes in handy here. (I used a super eco-friendly recycled body wash container.)
Notes:
1. I used guar gum, but my reader used xanthan gum and said 1 tsp worked for her. 1 tsp guar gum made the mixture overly thick. I saw recipes online calling for 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, but I just didn’t have xanthan gum in the house so I didn’t try it.
2. You can buy most of these ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs, and if they are still listed, I have Essential Oils at cost on my Natural Store Page.
3. I think other essential oil blends would be great as well. As I find ones I like I hope to share them.
Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo
Posted by fp brigette
Coconut milk shampoo ingredients
2/3 cup castile soap (this can be found at health food stores like Whole Foods. I always stick with Dr. Bronner’s because it’s made of pure, fair trade ingredients)
1 tsp vitamin E oil
1 tsp coconut oil
Like many beauty products, the ingredients can be altered to fit your scent preference, as long as these two stay the same: coconut milk and castile soap. As for oil, you can use vitamin E, coconut, almond, or olive. You can also add a few drops of essential oil if you like. I think next time I will go with lavender or vanilla.
What you do:
Homemade coconut milk shampoo
I can already tell this is going to be my go-to shampoo for the spring and summer. Not only does the mixture smell delicious, the castile soap makes it an excellent hair cleanser, and the milk and oils help to lock moisture into your hair, while simultaneously keeping you free of frizz. That’s really all I could ever ask for in a summer shampoo.
1 - Break off a few leaves from an Aloe Barbadensis Miller plant.
2 - Take a sharp knife and carefully peel the rind from the plant leaves and discard.
3 - Peel the yellow layer just beneath the rind with a sharp knife and discard.
The yellow layer can also be removed by gently rinsing it in a solution of 1 tbsp. (15ml) of white vinegar and 1 cup (8oz) water.
Once all the rind and yellow layers have been removed, you should be left with only clear Aloe Vera gel.
4 - Continue peeling the outer rind and removing the yellow layer of each leaf until you have approximately 2 tbsp. (30ml) of clear Aloe Vera gel.
Anti-Aging Daily Facial Moisturizer Recipe:
Oils:
1.75 oz. grapeseed oil (carrier oil)
0.4 oz. mango butter
30 drops of sea buckthorn oil (0.025 oz.)
10 drops rosemary extract or vitamin E oil (optional, may help extend shelf life)
10-15 drops neroli essential oil
Emuslifier:
0.25 oz. pure beeswax
Water-based ingredients:
1.75 oz. green tea or plain distilled water
0.25 oz. pure aloe vera gel
0.25 oz. witch hazel
Directions
Brew 1 tbsp. loose green tea leaves or 1 green tea bag in 1 cup water. Allow to cool to room temperature. Remove tea bag or strain tea thoroughly. Set aside until room temperature.
In a thick-bottomed pot melt beeswax with oils just until it is melted. Once melted, add rosemary oil or vitamin E, and neroli oil. Fill a wide mouth mason jar with hot tap water until jar is warm, then pour water out. This prepares your jar for the hot oils. Pour oils and wax into the wide mouth mason jar, set aside and allow to cool until room temperature.
The following ingredients must be at room temperature before beginning. In a measuring cup weigh and add green tea, witch hazel and aloe vera. Set aside.
When wax/oil mixture has cooled down to room temperature (touch the outside of the jar. If it is hot, it isn’t ready yet) but is still soft (but not liquid), begin blending with a stick blender (immersion blender). SLOWLY pour your water mixture into the jar in a slow, continuous stream, while blending constantly, circling around the mixture to make sure it is all blended in. You can move the emersion blender up and down and around to help the process. Don’t pause until all the water has been added. Continue to blend for a few minutes to ensure your mixture has emulsified.
Store in a lidded container for up to 2 months. Refrigeration will help prolong shelf life.
Notes:
• Sea buckthorn is very concentrated. Only a small amount is needed. It will color your product yellow. Care must be taken when handling the bottle to prevent staining of fabric.
It is very important to combine your ingredients when they have reached room temperature or your emulsion will fail and your water will separate. If this happens, drain off the water and use the lotion as a body butter. It will be greasier but will still make a nice product. Alternatively, you can make a second batch and carefully (and slowly) add the failed batch to it, after you have successfully emulsified your new batch.
Always ensure your hands are clean when you use the lotion to prevent bacteria from entering your lotion.
It is helpful to sterilize your utensils first with boiling water to help prevent bacteria from entering the lotion.
You can interchange or combine other liquid oils. Grapeseed oil is known to be one of the least greasy of the oils.
You can use a different solid oil in place of mango butter. Coconut oil, cocoa butter or shea butter would work well.
You can use any distilled water, hydrosol or floral water to replace the green tea. Check the ingredients first to make sure they are pure. When choosing essential oils keep in mind that citrus-based oils can be photo-toxic. Used in moisturizers on skin that is exposed to the sun can cause severe sunburns.
I have linked ingredients to Mountain Rose Herbs, a company that provides high quality, organic ingredients from sustainable sources. Mountain Rose Herbs is my first choice in companies that provide quality ingredients. Alternatively, most ingredients can be purchased in natural food stores.
This recipe will make less than 1 cup of moisturizer. Refrigerate to extend shelf-life. Use moisturizer sparingly. A little will go a long way. Enjoy your truly natural, fresh lotion.
• Great website for all organic and low cost body products.
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