As a follow-up to my previous posts on frugal and natural living, I thought I'd post my homemade recipes for some of the items mentioned, since some of you have asked for them. I haven't broken down the costs yet, but I do know that they are all comparable to (if not much cheaper than) the typical store-bought items, not to mention all-natural and safe! By the way, I found this website, Skin Deep Database where you can type in a bath, body, or cosmetic product and it will tell you it's hazard rating based on it's ingredients. It also describes the ingredients/chemicals individually and rates them. Very helpful!
Toothpaste
5 TB Calcium powder (helps re-mineralize teeth)
3 TB Xylitol (adds sweetness and fights cavities)
2 TB Baking Soda (optional- I opted to not use it, because I read that baking soda is harsh on your gums and causes recession over time, but a small amount is probably fine for whitening)
2 tsp Liquid Castile Soap (unscented is best- I use Dr. Bronner’s brand)
3-5 TB Coconut Oil (antibacterial properties)
3-5 TB Coconut Oil (antibacterial properties)
1 TB Sea Salt dissolved in water or finely blended (optional- antiseptic properites & reduces swelling in your gums)
10-20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (helps freshen breath and cover up slight soapy taste)
10-20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (helps freshen breath and cover up slight soapy taste)
* I just made this tonight for the first time and my teeth feel so clean! Does have a little bit of a soapy taste, so I changed the recipe to 2 tsp from 1 TB and I'd up the essential oils and/or xylitol (you can use Stevia for sweetening instead, but it doesn't have the cavity fighting properites that xylitol does) to cover that up a bit more. Love it!
Deodorant
1/4-1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/4-1/2 cup Arrowroot Powder (or Cornstarch)
6-10 TB Coconut Oil (antibacterial properties)
1/8-1/4 cup Shea Butter (optional- healing & soothing properties for sensitive skin)
5-10 drops Tea Tree Oil (optional- anti-bacterial & earthy scent)
5-10 drops Peppermint Oil (optional- scent)
* Here is a link to the original blog post/instructional video from Passionate Homemaking, where I found this recipe (I added Shea Butter as she suggests for those who have sensitive skin).
Shampoo
1/2-1 cup Liquid Castile Soap (Dr. Bronner’s)
1-1.5 cups Water
1.5 tsp Peppermint Oil (optional)
1.5 tsp Tea Tree Oil (optional- anti-bacterial properties)
*I tried the baking soda- water "No-poo" approach, but hated how oily my hair felt afterward. Supposedly it's the transition period where your body is adjusting to not having to produce as much oil due to commercial shampoos stripping the natural oils away, but I couldn't wait the 2 weeks to a month to see if it got better... my hair looked and felt terrible. Kudos to you if you'd like to try it for longer than me! I liked this recipe much better as it is soap, so it feels a lot like commercial shampoos, but it's all natural so it doesn't have the dangers of those creepy chemicals.
Conditioner
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Water
Lip Balm/Hair Styling Pomade
1/2 cup Coconut Oil (melt in saucepan)
1 cup Shea Butter
Essential Oils (optional- for scent- Shea Butter has a really strong earthy scent)
*Whip ingredients together with hand or stand mixer for several minutes & store in a shallow tin or jar. It's pretty sticky, but really moisturizing and healing on lips, and Dan loves using it in his hair. You only need a tiny bit for a lot of hold!
Simple Handsoap (Thanks, Tina!)
1 TB Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap (any scent)
Water (enough to fill the rest of the dispenser)* Fill foaming dispenser to make it last longer!
Cloth Diaper Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup Oxiclean (Free, Baby, or Regular)
Or larger batch:
3 boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)
2 boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)
1 large tub Oxiclean (96 oz)
* Use ½ TB per cycle directly in barrel for HE machine, 1 TB per cycle for a regular machine. This is incredibly cost-effective, and it works great!
Regular Clothing Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)
1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team)
1/2 cup Oxiclean (Free, Baby, or Regular)
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap (microwave for 90 sec & grate)
Or larger batch:
3 boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)
2 boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)
1 large tub Oxiclean (96 oz)
24 bars of soap finely grated (Fels Naptha, Ivory, etc)
* I haven't made this yet because we still have a ton of some cheap kind Dan bought awhile ago, but as soon as it runs out, we're making this! Same recipe as the cloth diaper detergent but with added soap (that would cause buildup on the diapers). Use 1 TB per load for HE machine, 2 TB per load for a regular machine.
What kind of container do you keep the shampoo in? Do you use roughly the same amount per day as you would a regular shampoo? DO you use the conditioner every day?
ReplyDeleteHey Cristina,
ReplyDeleteFor the Shampoo, I just use a peri bottle (the one they gave me at the hospital when I had Charlie) but you could use any type of squeeze bottle, spray bottle, or even an old shampoo bottle. It is almost pure liquid though, so something that won't just dump out all at once is good. I've heard that a spray bottle works well. I would say I use more of this shampoo because it is more watered down, but you don't need a ton of it. I'd say I wash my hair every other day to every 3 days or so and the peri bottle lasts me about 4-6 uses? So maybe up to 2 weeks even? Actually, I haven't tried it with this concentration, so it should last longer than that. Mine was more watered down. Yes, I use conditioner every time I use shampoo. And the conditioner lasts me about 2 weeks. Hope this helps!
I've been asked for more details for these recipes so here goes:
ReplyDeleteToothpaste:
Calcium powder- I bought it online (vitacost.com) but you can buy it most places you buy vitamins I believe. You can also just use calcium carbonate tablets and crush them up.
Xylitol- Vitacost.com, but again you can find it many places. Should be with the sugar substitute aisle (near Splenda, Stevia, etc).
Liquid Castile Soap- Target (Dr. Bronner's)- this is pretty easy to find. It's at Whole Foods, too, and I'm sure a lot of other places.
Coconut Oil- I get mine on Vitacost.com because it's a really great value for a high quality, organic, extra-virgin coconut oil. If you are going to cook with it, I'd recommend this kind. If you're only putting it on your skin, you can get the cheaper kind that's expeller pressed and/or non-organic.
Sea Salt- local grocery store (Morton's brand)
EOs (Essential Oils)- Vitacost, online other places, Whole Foods, and possibly grocery stores?
Directions: Mix dry ingredients together and then add wet ingredients (soap & coconut oil).
Storage: Any container will do. I cut off the end of an old tube of toothpaste, filled it back up, and taped the end with ducktape :) You can use one of those sliders on the end to push the toothpaste up, too.
Deodorant:
Shea Butter- I bought unrefined African Shea Butter on Amazon for a good price (bulk).
Arrowroot Powder- Whole Foods (but it's at reg grocery stores, too near the baking soda/cornstarch)
Tea Tree Oil- again, Vitacost, but anywhere you find EOs.
Directions: Click on links provided for instructions and video.
Storage: in a small jar, tin, or old deodorant container.
Shampoo:
Directions & Storage: Combine all ingredients and fill a peri bottle or a spray bottle.
Conditioner:
Storage: I use an old conditioner bottle, but a peri bottle or spray bottle would be better.
Lip Balm:
Directions: Heat coconut oil on the stove on low/medium until melted (it has a low melting temp so it shouldn't take long). You could add the shea butter in as well to soften it if needed. Then take off stove and blend with mixer until whipped light and smooth. Add EOs.
Detergents:
Washing Soda: I believe I bought this at the hardware store. They can often order it for you if they don't have it in stock, but most Ace Hardwares or Menards should carry it.
Borax: I think Dan bought this at the grocery store.
Oxiclean: Target (almost everywhere)
Directions: Simply mix all together in a large bucket. I store mine in the bucket and cover with tin foil...pretty ghetto, but it works.
Hope this helps!
P.S. Note on the TOOTHPASTE RECIPE:
ReplyDeleteAfter another day of using the toothpaste, I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the soapiness. Next time I will either only add a teaspoon or leave it out completely. It's not so much the toothpaste as the act of actually brushing, supposedly. And this recipe has plenty of other ingredients to clean your teeth, so it's up to you!
Tara- Something else I recently heard for dish soap (but haven't tried yet) is to use the same liquid castile soap & water mix as you have posted for hand soap only use more castile soap (maybe 40% soap with 60% water or increase as needed up to maybe 60% soap with 40% water :) because of the increased amount of soap, it should do well at cutting grease...:)
ReplyDeleteAlso Tara- I had the same issues with the no-shampoo (super oily! & then- major dandruff!) but still couldn't do the liquid castile (for some reason still had major dandruff- it works great for my children though!:) I just recently heard about Rhassoul Clay as a shampoo & hope to try that sometime soon! Not sure if it will work for me or not (I had thyroid issues when I tried the other shampoos & all those hormones might have been why I had such trouble...) but I didn't know if you had heard of it or not? I'm not even sure how exactly you would apply it as a shampoo... I'll have to read more about it :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/rhassoul.php
does it seriously only take 1/2 tablespoon of diaper detergent? and you don't add anything else? do you still run your diapers through twice?
ReplyDeleteYep. Just a 1/2 TB each cycle (2 cycles per load, so 1 TB total each time) but that's with an HE washer. With a regular washer it would be 1 TB each cycle, or 2 TB total each load. I'm thinking I might never have to make another batch before he's out of diapers! :) Only once so far I've added vinegar to the last rinse to strip the diapers (not sure I had to, but I was trying it to make sure that's not why Charlie was getting rashes recently...think it's just teething, though). Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I ever posted my diaper washing routine:
ReplyDeleteFor my HE Washer:
1st cycle on Delicate cycle (because it has the most water) on either Cold wash/Cold rinse or Warm wash/cold rinse with 1/2 TB detergent in barrel.
2nd cycle on Normal cycle(or Superwash if really soiled) on Hot wash/cold rinse and with an extra rinse cycle added with 1/2 TB detergent in the barrel.
Then I dry the diaper inserts on medium heat and hang dry the covers.