Adventures in natural living....

So, as some of you now know, (some are very tired of me telling them!) I have made a decision to try to live more naturally and decrease my toxic load (http://www.riverhillwellness.com/toxicload.htm) As I am learning everyday, you can't do anything in our world today without being exposed to something quite nasty. Since I can't go live in the forest and compost my own waste (fun!), I have to try to eliminate toxins in manageable ways. I decided to start with my personal care and cosmetic products. The catalyst was a book called "Drop Dead Gorgeous" by Kim Erickson all about the nasty toxic ingredients in the dozens of personal care and beauty products I use every day. Needless to say, it was pretty eye opening.
So, I spent a Saturday afternoon going through my bathroom cabinet and boxing up pretty much everything to donate to a women's shelter. After reading through the list of carcinogenic ingredients found in almost every lotion, shampoo, etc, I felt like I had basically been rubbing myself down with cancer every day for the past 15 years. Neutrogena face lotion-out! Shampoo-out! Talc filled makeup-out! Mascara full of coal tar-out! At the end of this, I had nothing left but the expensive Joico hair mask that I refused to give away (I admit, I still use it once a month. I think of it as living on the wild side).
Faced with looking unkempt and frumpy, I scoured the library for books with recipes for homemade skin and hair care products. What I found was a treasure trove of inexpensive, fun and natural products that you can customize to your own needs. Luckily, in Seattle we have Zenith Supplies http://www.zenithsupplies.com/ where you can get all your ingredients at a great price. They carry oils, salts and herbs in bulk too so you can stock up.
So, I have experimented with several recipes and found some that work and some that don't. The problem with homemade products is shelf life. I've had to toss out a moisturizer and a hair gel that went bad after a week and a half. I'm gradually learning what works best and have figured out to just keep it simple, and cut recipes in half if possible. I don't feel like keeping my lotion in the fridge, since Rich might mistake it for a science experiment gone wrong and toss it.
I will post recipes as I try them with my tips and hints. I recommend starting with some simple oil mixtures, they last for a long time and are super simple.

Here are the basic ingredients I suggest you start with:

Essential oils
Base oils
Butters and waxes
Distilled water
Rose water
Witch Hazel
Apple cider vinegar (organic, unfiltered)

First, go to http://www.dreamingearth.com/essentialoils.html, http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoils/default.asp,
or http://www.aworldofaromatherapy.com/essential-oils-atoz.htm to figure out what essential oils will fit your needs. For the sake of money saving, I try to get essential oils that I will use in almost every product, so that I am not wasting money on something I will only use once or twice a year. My favorites are: Tea Tree, Lavender, Clove, Rosemary, Carrot Seed, Evening Primrose, Lemon Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Myhrr.
Tea tree can be applied directly to pimples, and works great. Only use as a spot treatment though, it can burn if you put it all over. Tea tree also goes into my house cleaning products for it's anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Lavender is also anti-bacterial and is great to combat the antiseptic odor of tea tree. It goes into all my hair products to make my hair smell nice.
Clove is fantastic in body lotion, and if you use it in a recipe with cocoa butter it will make your final product smell like cake....yummy! Just go light on it, too much can irritate the skin. It is also very good in mouthwash, as it has antiseptic properties.
Rosemary is an uplifting oil that is great for skin and hair. I put it in all my hair products with lavender. I also make an herbal infusion with fresh rosemary and dried lavender as a curly hair mist. Do not use when pregnant! Rosemary also helps to extend the shelf life of your products.
Carrot Seed is wonderful for mature or dry skin. It is listed in many homemade wrinkle fighting preparations. I use it in my facial oil.
Evening primrose oil has a fatty acid that does wonders for skin. Anti-inflammatory, it is good for eczema, acne, dry, rough, or sagging skin, and is thought to help fight signs of aging. Goes into facial oil.
Lemon Eucalyptus is noted as being the most effective at repelling mosquitoes, even over citronella. I made a bug spray with it and peppermint, and my friends say they didn't get a single bite after an evening by the lake on the grass.
Peppermint, as we all know, is great to refresh and pick you up. I use it in my mouthwash and insect repellent.
Myrrh can also be used in insect repellent, but I favor it in my mouthwash. It is great for your gums, and they say you can put it right on any sores in your mouth, though I haven't had the need to try this yet.

Next you need your base oils. I favor coconut oil, sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil. Jojoba oil is supposed to be the best, but I find it too expensive for my budget. Remember, coconut oil is solid at temperatures below 76 degrees, so don't put it in anything you need to remain liquid! I use coconut oil in lotions and lip balm. Almond and apricot I use in lotion, lip balm, and as a facial oil. I also put a little almond oil into my liquid soap. Remember, oil can remove oil, so don't be afraid to use oil on your face! These oils will not clog your pores or cause acne. In fact, it is suggested that if you stop stripping your skin and use natural, chemical free oil your natural oils will balance out.

If you are going to make lotions and lip balms you will need cocoa butter and maybe olive or shea butter. I find it adds thickness and a wonderful aroma to my lotions.

Vitamin E capsules. Vitamin E acts as a mild natural preservative and is very nourishing to the skin. You can buy liquid Vitamin E if you like, but I like the gel caps. Pierce with a clean needle and squeeze out the oil.

Bees wax is a must in lotion and lip balm. I buy it in bulk pellets. Try to get the unbleached or yellow kind.

Distilled water is the only water you should use for your preparations! It is free of bacteria and chemicals that can ruin your preparations!

Rose water is the by product of making rose essential oil. If you have organically grown roses you can make your own. It is expensive, but I bought just a 2 ounce bottle and mix it with my witch hazel as a toner. Witch hazel is a great toner.

Fresh rosemary for infusions, and dried lavender as well.

Baking soda and white vinegar are the best household cleansers around. I also use baking soda as a exfoliater.

Regular oatmeal is the best face cleanser I have found. Grind it in a coffee grinder or blender till it is a nice powder.

Liquid Castile soap. Available at Target or PCC in bulk. I like the Almond Hemp from Dr. Bronner, and the Peppermint scent is great for hand soap and house cleaning.

Clean glass jars and bottles and little tins or containers for lip balm Plastic contains nasty chemicals that can leach into your products, so for anything with oil in it store it in glass. I still use plastic spray bottles for water based things, but you can choose to go all glass for safety sake.

Measuring spoons and cups, wire whisk, Pyrex glass bowls, and a small pan. You want your glass bowl to fit inside the pan with at least two inches of room in the bottom of the pan, more if possible. When you use this as a double boiler you don't want the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. All melting will be done in a double boiler.

Is this post long enough yet? Now that you have your ingredients it is time to get started. Make sure you have a clean working space, clean towels, and sanitized equipment and containers. Keeping your products free of contamination is very important.

2 tablespoons=1 ounce!

Basic Recipes: Please play with these! Feel free to leave out any essential oil or add your own. Just be careful to check the essential oil guides for warnings and dilution recommendations.

Oil cleanser/Moisturizer in one

1 oz sweet almond oil
1 oz apricot kernel oil
3-5 drops tea trea oil (optional)
3 drops rosemary oil
20 drops carrot seed oil
10 drops Geranium oil
1 capsule Vitamin E oil

Add essential oils and Vitamin E oil to 1 oz of base oil, roll jar in hands to agitate, then top off with remaining oil. Use as part of a double cleanse. Apply to dry face, then follow up with the oatmeal cleanser or castile soap cleanser. Remember, oil removes oil! This is great for removing makeup. After cleansing and toning apply as a final moisturizer.

Oatmeal cleanser (my favorite!)

1 tsp oatmeal powder, add enough warm water to make a paste, gently massage onto your skin and rinse. Make sure to get it all off from around your hairline or it will look like you have monumental dandruff. This is perfect for travel since you can just put it in a plastic bag. It also slightly exfoliates.

All purpose castile soap cleanser (face, hands, body, shaving)

2 oz liquid castile soap
1-3 oz distilled water
1 tsp almond oil
5-10 drops essential oil (lavender, rosemary, etc)

If you find this too strong, increase the water to 3 oz.

Facial Peel

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey

Massage very gently onto your face, avoiding the eyes, and leave on for two minutes. Rinse with warm water. Take care to wear sunscreen after this as it can make you more sensitive. Don't do more than once a week.

Basic Toner

2 parts witch hazel
1 part rose water

Apply with an organic cotton ball after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Acne toner/Hair rinse

2 oz apple cider vinegar (ACV)
2 oz distilled water
5 drops rosemary essential oil

Apply with a cotton ball. You can play with the dilution of the ACV according to your skin's sensitivity. Undiluted ACV is to harsh for most skin. The smell will fade as it drys. Make in larger quantities to use as a hair rinse. It will leave your hair soft and shiny. Only use this toner once or twice a week. It is also excellent after a sunburn.

Green Tea toner

1 bag plain green tea
4 oz boiling water

Pour water over tea bag, let sit for 10 minutes, remove bag. Let it cool and pour into a clean glass jar. Apply daily by splashing on your face with clean hands, but use it all within a week or keep it in the fridge. Green tea is great for the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Simple Coconut Oil Night time moisturizer

1 oz coconut oil
5 drops lavender oil
10 drops carrot seed oil
5 drops rosemary oil
2-3 Vitamin E capsules

Best if kept in a small glass container, I like the small jelly jars. Place the coconut oil in the sanitized container you will be keeping it in, and if it is sold heat in microwave for 5 second intervals until it has just liquefied. Do not over heat! It only needs to get above 76 degrees to melt. Add the essential oils and Vitamin E and mix well. Allow to cool before capping. Apply before bed and wake up with smooth soft skin. Avoid putting too much around the eyes. I like to blot that area with tissue after applying to soak up any excess.


Next: Let's get cooking! Lotions, hair products and lip balms.