Archive for Going green
The Beauty of Homemade Deodorant
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s up Toxic Beauty readers? I was planning a post on nail polish remover, to go with my post earlier this week about toxic nail polish…but I just had to share this with you. By now, you all know my favorite deodorant is made by Real Purity. It is truly one of the most pure and safe deodorants you can buy. I recently ran out and was wondering what to do. I’ve always wanted to try to make my own homemade deodorant, but I still hadn’t taken the time to do the research. With barely anything left in my Real Purity bottle, I had a deodorant emergency! I needed something quick and it’s tough to find an effective safe deodorant in most stores. I decided to give the homemade variety a try. I found many recipes, but nothing clicked with me until I found one that was so simple I had to try it! It took me about 5 minutes to mix it all up. I applied it later that night and again in the morning. After almost 12 hours, it was still working. I did not sweat and I did not have any odor at all! You cannot get any more natural than when you concoct your own beauty recipe. It only has 3-4 ingredients, 2 of which you probably already have in your pantry. I have already shared the virtues of the third ingredient with you in previous posts. So without further adue, here is the simple deodorant recipe:
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 6-8 tablespoons coconut oil
- 10 drops of lavender or fennel essential oil
Combine the baking soda and cornstarch in a small container. Little by little, add the coconut oil until you have a paste. Finally, add the essential oil of your choice. Apply to underarms with your fingertips.
Many essential oils have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, making them an ideal addition to your deodorant mixture. Baking soda has so many uses, especially odor absorbing while cornstarch has been used for years to absorb moisture. Coconut oil is especially beneficial for so many reasons (see this post for more on coconut oil!)
So after one day, this at home mix proved to be better than most commercial, aluminum filled toxic deodorants on the market today. Be safe with your deodorant and save money in the process. Do you have any simple homemade deodorant recipes you can share? And if you try this recipe, I’d love to hear your results. Thanks for reading and until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.
Update: I had been using this deodorant for a week. It was the best deodorant I have ever used…no odor, no sweat…simply amazing! Until after the first week…I started getting bumps on my underarms! So I decided that maybe I got the formulations wrong or put too much baking soda in it. I now see that making your own beauty products is a trial and error, learning proccess.
I decided to turn to a fellow natural beauty blogger, Michelle Singh. She has a great blog: greengirlorganics. She recommended using cosmetic grade cornstarch (I bought mine from the grocery store) and using less essential oil. She also recommended a few natural deodorants by Miessence and Weleda. Thanks, Michelle!
A Shower A Day Keeps the Chemicals Away
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Going organic in your diet and in your personal care products does not have to be an all at once process. When I first went organic, I started with baby steps. I still had a lot of products I had already purchased and I wasn’t about to throw out that expensive eye shadow…I have been holding onto them for a while now…it’s time to let them go! But for some of your products, you may want to sweep them all into the garbage immediately because you’re simply horrifed at what the ingredients can do. For others, you may say, “Well I’ll just use it up, then I will buy a better alternative,” (and I am here to tell you about those alternatives!)
Figure out what you’re able to do and do it! Going organic is a big change and it can be an expensive one. That is why you need to prioritize. Most of us are struggling with the economy right now and you’re probably thinking, “What is she talking about? How can I possibly do this?” The task might seem daunting. But if you truly want to make a change for yourself and your family and you are committed to this, go for it. If the only thing you can do right now is buy one thing, that is a great start. But what to start with?
A shower filter is essential. I first learned of this through Kevin Trudeau’s book. Although a small, step, it can make a huge difference. You may notice your skin is dry or irritated after showers. This could actually be from a combination of reasons. First, the soap you use probably contains sodium laurel sulfate (mixed with other toxins and synthetic preservatives.) Second, most municipal waters are highly treated with chemicals to make it “safe” (ha!) With a shower filter, you will see softer more healthy looking skin. When I first had a shower with my filter, I was amazed at my skin (didn‘t even need lotion!)
Shower filters are reasonably priced and are available at hardware stores or check out More Than Alive for great info and options. Why is a shower filter so important? When you shower, your pores are open, absorbing the chemicals in the water. It’s a bit like a gas chamber. The filter takes the chlorine, fluoride and other toxins out, making the shower what it should be, a truly pure cleansing experience. To maintain the filter, you simply need to replace the filter (about $10) every 6 months to a year, depending on how toxic your water is. You will see how black and icky the filter is when you replace it! So if you take one little step at a time, eventually, you will be living a 100% pure organic lifestyle. If you need any more tips on transitioning into the organic way, send me your questions and stay tuned to the blog. Subscribe for automatic e-mail updates so you don’t miss a post! Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin
Can you afford not to go organic?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I tell people I live an organic lifestyle, I usually get the same response, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” But when you think about the question, “Can you afford to go organic?” it leads you to the question, “Can you afford not to?” Believe me, I feel your pain. I’m a teacher trying to live organically. I had to make a choice and it was made for me when I read Kevin Trudeau’s Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. This book changed my life. I had already started going organic slowly (that’s the way to go.) But when I read this important book, I went the rest of the way.
Going organic with my diet was a bit easier for me than going organic with my beauty products. I had used some of the products for years, trusted them, and some were pretty affordable too. Now I know why they were so affordable. Companies use the cheapest ingredients they can find to maximize profit, not caring about the toxins and poisons we ingest into our bloodstream, causing disease. That is why you can find a way now to pay a little more for organics. Why pay even more later in doctor’s bills and health problems?
There have been many studies done over the years testing the long term use of commercial beauty products. Artificial ingredients like parabens, lead, talc, and aluminum are being found in diseased organs and tissue. How scary is this? So….pay now….or pay later? Of course, the choice is yours. But how do you decide what to do first on your sojourn into the organic living? I am here to help because I have been through it too. Stay tuned for my next post where I will delve more deeply into going organic and the steps you can take to make it gradual (and not bank-breaking.) Until then, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.
