Homemade household products: Part 2

Last week I shared with you homemade household cleansers to clean your house and laundry.  These will help reduce your chemical exposure as well as save you hundreds of dollars a year on unnecessary cleaning products.  I'd call that a win win!  Today I'm going to share with you the other part of this homemade household products series:  personal care items.  I'm not going to go into detail again on why we want to choose safe lower risk items to groom our bodies because I already did that in Part 1.  If you didn't read that post please do.  It will give you some background info.  If you don't want to make your own, please buy products without flouride, sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, MEA, TEA, mineral oil, propylene glycol, aluminum, petroleum, and parabens.  This is not an exhaustive list, but just some that I look out for.  For everyone else interested in the recipes, let's get to it!

Toothpaste
2 drops Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap
Wet toothbrush

This is the method I use right now because it's so easy and doesn't require me to make something.  It works well for me.

Other options:  coconut oil (my fav go to for EVERYTHING), baking soda, salt, or this recipe if you want more of a traditional paste.

I tend to try to keep things low maintenance though which is why I use Dr. Bronner's.  If you buy toothpaste, you want to stay away from flouride and sodium lauryl sulfate.  Both bad news!



Hand Soap/Body Wash
1 part Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap
4 parts water

Put in a foaming pump, otherwise it will be very watery.

OR

My friend Tanya's recipe which is SUPER frugal (She spends $10 to make 8 GALLONS!  Wow!)

1 bar of soap (I'd recommend Dr. Bronner's bar soap)
1 gallon of water
2 T glycerine

Grate your favorite bar soap and add to 1 gallon water, heat on stove top until soap dissolves. Add 2 TBL glycerine. Let sit for 24 hours, this is the time needed to gel ingredients together. If too thick blend the mixture at the end of 24 hours with hand mixer. 


Shampoo/Conditioner
No poo (shampoo) method.  This is definitely not for everyone but it can't hurt to give it a try because it is extremely inexpensive and if it works for your hair, you can go days without having to wash your hair.  


1 T baking soda
2 T apple cider vinegar
water (boiled if you have hard water)


Add 1 T baking soda to a cup of water.  Pour over hair and massage the scalp thoroughly using a gentle circular massage.  Rinse with water.  Then add apple cider vinegar to a cup of water.  Pour on head concentrating mainly on the ends of the hair.  This acts as your conditioner.  Start doing this every other day.  Then decrease to once a week and eventually just rinse when you need it.  I'm NOT there yet.  There is definitely a learning curve and your hair can go through a very greasy transition stage.  



Lotion

Coconut oil:  Put on right after showering.  I use this one most often again because it's one less thing I have to make.

  OR

Whipped body butter: coconut oil, shea butter, arrowroot powder:   Here is the recipe


Lip balm
coconut oil:  Slather on lips  :)

OR

This recipe (It's at the end)


Deodorant (I already shared this with you this summer)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
6-8 tbs coconut oil
2-3 drops of tea tree oil

Mix baking soda and cornstarch to combine. Add coconut oil and mix or mash together. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to increase antibacterial properties. Store in a small lidded container.

Note: If your house is hot like mine you may need to keep it in the fridge. Coconut oil is solid but begins to melt in temperatures above the mid 70s. I'm not sure how long this recipe lasts because I haven't used a whole recipe yet. I have a feeling it will last a VERY long time. I've been using it since July and I'm not even halfway through with it yet.  Also don't apply immediately after shaving as the baking soda may cause some irritation. Wait a few minutes.