17 Personal Care Products You Will Never Have To Buy Again #9

17 Personal Care Products You Will Never Have To Buy Again

June 4, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

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Homemade Natural Tinted Moisturizer

March 21, 2014 By Amy 5 Comments

Growing up, I used to not be so proud of my super white skin. I would go tanning and use fake tanner all the time. Not the smartest thing in the world, but my priorities were a little different in high school. As youngsters we kind of have that feeling like nothing bad will ever happen to us. But with skin cancer running in my family I gave up the tanning and embraced my super white girl. (Trying to make myself sound “fly” here… still not working?)

Even though I’ve excepted and love my naturally white complexion, sometimes I want to have a natural looking glow without looking like “dang girl where have you been?” So taking some items in my pantry I created this simple and all natural tinted moisturizer that can double as a sunless tanner.

Homemade Natural Tinted Moisturizer

Ingredients:

• DIY Miracle Cream (minus the lemon essential oil) or your favorite natural moisturizer
• Organic Cocoa Powder

Directions: Slowly mix coco powder into miracle cream or other natural moisturizer until you reach desired color. I added approximately 1/4 tsp cocoa powder to 4 oz of cream for a very subtle look. Test on the back of your hand or neck. Add more cocoa powder if you want a darker color.

This is a super easy and inexpensive way to get a “natural” glow. You can use it on your whole body as a sunless tanner! Just allow to dry before putting clothes on.

DIY room air freshener

December 20, 2011 by Lauren- the amazing! @ http://www.theburlapbag.com/2011/12/diy-room-air-freshener/

(Check out our new ONLINE SHOP for The Burlap BAG!!)
We have two cats. They get stanky. And I refused to buy air fresheners. It turns out I already had everything I needed for a homemade and EASY air freshener! No more stank in our house.

What you need:

A container (we used these)
Baking soda
Essential oil
Foil (or a lid you want to ruin and poke holes in)

This gets really complicated so pay attention….

1. Pour baking soda into container, about 1/4 full. Pour in 8ish drops of essential oils.

Oh. That’s it. Just the one step.

Well, add a lid if you want. You could nail holes into a mason jar lid but I didn’t want to ruin one. I just covered it with foil and poked some holes. No one will see mine (it’s high up on a shelf) so it didn’t need to have a pretty lid. But make yours as pretty as you want.

Seriously the easiest thing I’ve ever done. Every once in awhile, go shake it so everything mixes and freshens the stinky smells.

Done.

(p.s. we’ve had a lot of people email us asking where to get those jars! here here!)

15 SURPRISING USES FOR EGGSHELLS

15 SURPRISING USES FOR EGGSHELLS

A couple of weeks ago I bought a composter for my garden. It’s a pretty fancy contraption. It’s actually TWO composters in one. The idea being that you can have one batch “brewing” while another batch is being utilized. They even SPIN…which is apparently important because compost needs to be “stirred” as its’ “cooking”.

As you can probably tell, I don’t know a whole lot about composting….YET. But I am learning…things like what you can and can’t put into your composter. One thing I have learned CAN go in, and is a rich source of calcium and other essential nutrients that plants need, is egg shells! So recently I started my egg shell collection in a container under the kitchen sink which has grown quite rapidly because we eat a lot of eggs around here. (Naturally gluten-free!)

Ironically, since I’ve started saving my eggshells for the composter, I’ve also been learning about many OTHER uses of eggshells. Now I’m torn between throwing them in the composter and using them for some of the MANY other ideas listed below. I guess we’ll just have to start eating MORE eggs so I can do them BOTH.

A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT EGG SHELLS:

• An egg shell is made of calcium carbonate, which is also the main ingredient in some antacids. Each medium sized egg shell has about 750-800 mgs of calcium.
• The shell makes up 9-12 percent of an egg’s total weight, and contains pores that allow oxygen in and carbon dioxide and moisture out.
• The shell color of an egg is representative of the breed of hen that produces the egg. White hens produce white eggs and brown hens produce brown eggs.

A FEW SURPRISING USES OF EGG SHELLS:

Nourishing Face Mask
Pulverize dried egg shells with a mortar and pestle, then whisk the powder in with an egg white and use for a healthful, skin-tightening facial. Allow the face mask to dry before rinsing it off.

Treat Skin Irritations
Drop an eggshell into a small container of apple cider vinegar and let it soak for a couple of days. Dab the mixture on minor skin irritations or on itchy skin.

Powerful Cleaner
Ground eggshells make a wonderful (and nontoxic!) abrasive for those tough-to-clean pots and pans. Mix them with a little soapy water for a powerful clean.

Hummingbird feeders tend to grow all sorts of nasty stuff. Clean it by first by rinsing with hot water. Then add some crushed egg shells, fill 1/2 way with water, and shake. The shells act as an abrasive, removing mold or other built-up gunk. Rinse well before re-filling with hummingbird food.

It’s almost impossible to get a scrub brush down the narrow neck of a thermos. Clean your thermos using the instructions above for hummingbird feeders.

 

Garden Fertilizer
Eggshells are rich in calcium and other minerals that help your garden thrive. Crush eggshells into tiny pieces and sprinkle into each hole before planting. Then, sprinkle additional shells around the base of your plants every two weeks.

Start Some Seedlings
Fill an egg carton with empty, rinsed eggshell halves and poke a hole in each one for drainage. Then add potting soil and one or two seeds to each shell. When the seedlings are big enough for transplanting outside, just crack the shell at the bottom and plant them, shell and all.

Pest Control
Crush eggshells and scatter them around your vegetables and flowers to fend off slugs, snails, and cutworms. These soft-bodied critters don’t like crawling over sharp pieces of shell. The smell of eggs will also deter deer.

House Plant Booster
Keep a mason jar of eggshells covered with water for watering indoor plants.

Cat Deterrent
Have a problem with cats using your garden as a litter box? Crushed up egg shells will keep them away, too. Just scatter shells in the areas that they frequent, and after stepping on those shells a few times, they’ll move on.

Better Tasting Coffee
Add some crushed eggshells to ground coffee before brewing it to make it taste less bitter. When you’re done, toss the grounds and shells on your compost heap!

  

Make Your Own Powdered Calcium Supplement
Skip the pills and simply bake your shells at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Let them cool and grind them to a fine powder. Add your supplement (a teaspoon or less) to your favorite smoothie or juice once a day.

 

Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk

What you need:

• Approximately five empty egg shells
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 teaspoon very hot water
• food coloring (for colored chalk)

Wash and dry the egg shells.
Crush the egg shell into a bowl and grind it until it is a powder. Make sure all the pieces are ground. Take out any big pieces before going on to the next step.
Mix the flour and hot water in another bowl. Then add 1 tablespoon egg shell powder and mix into a thick paste.
Add your favorite color food coloring. Just add a drop or two for colored chalk. If you want white chalk do not add anything.
Shape the paste into chalk sticks or press into soap molds for fun shapes. If making chalk sticks roll the sticks up tightly in a paper towel.
Let your chalk dry for 3 days.

Laundry Whitener
Some say that if you toss some shells in a mesh bag in your laundry, the gray tint to your whites will disappear.

 

Eggshell Candles
The next time you have eggs for breakfast, carefully crack the shells in half and save them as a base to fill with beeswax for candles. Just insert a wick, let the wax set and remove the peel.

For most eggshell uses, it is better to make sure they are clean and free from bacteria. If you don’t wash the eggs thoroughly before using, bake the shells at 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes.

What do you do with eggshells?

 http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/06/15-surprising-uses-for-eggshells.html

make your own hand sanitizer

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Hand Sanitizer. Sometimes it’s just necessary, know what I mean?

But conventional sanitizers contain high amounts of alcohol and synthetic fragrances that strip your hands of vital oils and dry you out. The recipe below contains key anti-bacterial essential oils and soothing aloe to get your hands clean, happy, and healthy.

I think this would be a great project for mamas to give out to friends or send with their kiddos to school. I keep a bottle at my desk at work for post-sneeze attacks, and have found my coworkers asking for a quick spritz throughout the day.

Ingredients

1 oz water

1 oz vodka

1 tsp aloe vera gel

1/2 tsp. vegetable glycerin

2 drops each of clove, rosemary, cinnamon and eucalyptus oils

12 drops tea tree essential oil

Pour water and vodka into a glass bottle, leaving half an inch empty at top. Add aloe vera, vegetable glycerine and essential oils. Shake before use. Store in a cool, dark area for 6 months.

Want to know where I buy my essential oils? I rely on the beauty of the internet. You can easily get most ingredients through Amazon (and you can get free shipping if you have a Prime membership!), but my go-to is Mountain Rose Herbs. They provide high quality, organic ingredients in sustainable packaging.

 http://www.thedabblist.com/make-your-own-hand-sanitizer/

DIY Potent Cellulite Cream Tutorial

A Seriously Potent Homemade Cellulite Cream

Written by V24 comments

Ladies, it’s time for a full-body detox.

No, I don’t mean that kind of detox.

In fact, this cleanse won’t leave you hungry and you don’t have to drink one single gulp of green sludge.

Instead, we’re going to work from the outside-in to rid your skin of gnarly cellulite dimples and have you beach body ready in a few short weeks.

We already know that cellulite is formed by fat deposits and toxins resting beneath your skin. Increased circulation helps flush these toxins and stimulate cell turnover for healthier looking skin.

We’ve gone over stimulating body scrubs, sensuous massage techniques and even a fewcellulite-solving physical exercises, so now it’s time to really bring it all home.

To help get the most out of your new anti cellulite routine, I’m going to show you how to make a potent homemade cellulite cream.

This cream is rich with ingredients that nourish, moisturize, stimulate and effect your skin from the cellular level, right to the outermost layer.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

Homemade Cellulite Cream

All you need to make this badass homemade cellulite cream is a few essential oils and a base:

• 3/4 cup Coconut Oil
• 2 tablespoons shaved Beeswax
• 3 tablespoons Witch Hazel
• 10 drops Juniper oil
• 10 drops Rosemary oil
• 30 drops Grapefruit oil
• 30 drops Cypress oil

Once you have all your ingredients together, the process is simple:

Step 1 – Start by mixing together all of your essential oils and your witch hazel. Stir until evenly blended.

Step 2 – Over low heat, melt your beeswax then add in your coconut oil, if it is not liquid yet.

Step 3 – Once your beeswax and coconut oil is liquified, add it to your essential oil bowl and blend.

Step 4 – Pour contents into a resealable jar and store in a cool, dry place.

Why This Homemade Cellulite Cream Works

This homemade cellulite cream is powerfully potent thanks to the amazing essential oils.

I know what you must be thinking – how the heck can oils help to eliminate cellulite?

Well, for starters, Juniper is a diuretic and purifier while also being a great circulation stimulator.

Rosemary is essential for increasing blood flow throughout the body which significantly reduces the appearance of cellulite over time. It is also good for flushing your lymphatic system and helping with water retention.

Cyprus and grapefruit essential oils are both effective towards increasing circulation, relieving fluid retention and flushing toxins from your skin.

Witch hazel is another crucial ingredient for helping refine and tighten your skin, and having a more even-toned surface will deflect some of the visual effects of cellulite.

In time, the firming benefits of witch hazel will play an even bigger role in diminishing cellulite permanently.

Beeswax and coconut oil are both easily absorbed into your skin and help to infuse much needed moisture and simply makes for a great cream base.

This brilliant cream is great to use when you’re using my massage techniques to knead away nasty fat deposits.

To get the most of this cream, use it twice daily; once in the morning and once before bed.

Even better, use it right after your shower so your pores are ready, willing and able to absorb this luxurious treat and heal itself.

Firmly massage this cream into your skin to stimulate it even more.

This is quite possibly the most dazzling anti-cellulite remedy I’ve come up with yet!

Prep time and application only take minutes but the benefits are riveting.

So what are you waiting for?

Embrace your inner DIY diva, mix up your own homemade cellulite cream and get ready to fascinate your friends with your outrageous anti-cellulite results!

Can you tell I’m excited about this remedy? *happy wiggles *

A great big thanks goes out to http://topbeautybrands.com/homemade-cellulite-cream/ for this post!

How to Make Deodorant Cream

How to Make Deodorant Cream via http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/06/how-to-make-deodorant-cream/

JUNE 7, 2013 BY ANDREA 15 COMMENTS

The skin is our body’s largest organ…

…and everything we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Today — with modern farming and mass production processes the way they are – be assured…there are so many toxic chemicals added to commercially-prepared body care products! Chemicals known to adversely affect the body’s immune system, reproductive system, and nervous system.

Years ago — around the time that I took the dive head-first into natural health — I started looking for alternatives to commercially-prepared EVERYTHING. Starting with locally-grown foods to medicinal salves to making my own shampoo…I found that where there is a will there’s a way!

Likewise, I immediately became curious about all-natural, aluminum-free deodorant.

My entire life prior, I had been an avid anti-perspirant user — the feeling of being sweaty just grossed me out – and initially it was all the correlations made between using that and getting breast cancer…that got the wheels turning. Then when my mother was diagnosed with, and won her battle against, breast cancer…I left anti-perspirants without hesitancy.

There are many reasons why we should be concerned about using anti-perspirants and commercially-prepared deodorants! Here are just a few:

1. There are hidden dangers in the active ingredients of conventional deodorant (i.e. Aluminum, Parabens, Propylene glycol, Phthalates, and Triclosan). Current researchshows a strong link between anti-perspirants containing aluminum and Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, birth defects, allergies, and hormonal imbalances. These potentially hazardous chemicals have no place in our homes and certainly no place under our arms.
2. Let the body do what the body will do! I believe that when we attempt to inhibit the natural functions of the body we negatively effect the rhythms created for a purpose. Humans were meant to sweat.

It was all of these concerns combined that led me to create my own solution.

Since then, I have created several natural deodorants that have been used by many with AMAZING success:

• Probiotic Deodorant Stick
• Herbal Deodorant Stick
• Natural Deodorant for Men

All of these are the traditional stick variety.

Recently — and after the request of several of you – my creative drive kicked in and I set out on a Deodorant Cream making mission.

Deodorant Cream Recipe

Ingredients

-2 ounces (approx. 4 tablespoons) shea butter
-2 ounces (approx. 4 tablespoons) sesame oil
-1 ounce (approx. 2 tablespoons) non-nano zinc oxide powder
-5 tablespoons arrowroot powder
-0.5 ounces (approx. 1 tablespoon) raw beeswax
-1/2 teaspoon non-GMO vitamin E oil

Optional Ingredients
***I love adding a few of these ingredients. They are optional — and add tons of odor-fighting goodness — but not necessary for effective use of this product.

-aloe vera extract
-comfrey leaf extract
-calendula extract
-essential oils of choice

Method

1. Using a kitchen scale, measure the ingredients.
2. In a double boiler or small pot, melt shea butter, sesame oil, and beeswax over low heat.
3. Remove pot from heat and allow mixture to cool slightly.
4. Add arrowroot powder and zinc powder. Whisk until all powders are dissolved and well combined.
5. Add vitamin E oil, extracts, and essential oils (if using) at this time. Stir.
6. Pour mixture to a sterile container — one such as these – and allow to cool on counter.
7. Label product and store at room temperature. Shelf stable for at least one year, depending on quality of ingredients used.

To Use

Using fingertips, apply to underarms daily or after showering. A little goes a long way!

Notes

-Zinc Oxide. For safety’s sake, be sure to use only non-nano zinc oxide. Zinc oxide powder is not only a sun protectant, but an antioxidant that is able to soothe, protect and help heal the skin. Likewise, it contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Non-nano zinc oxide is not absorbed by the body and has been proven to present a very low risk to human health.

-Sesame Oil. For centuries, this oil had been widely used as healing oil for all sorts of health problems. Its’ quick penetrating, highly-stable (low risk of rancidity), anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties make it best suited for all skin types. Used topically, common skin invectives such as staphylococcus and streptococcus can be easily eliminated by the regular application of oil on the skin.

-Beeswax. Beeswax – one of nature’s most incredible raw materials –  provides a superb germ-killing, protective barrier for the delicate skin under the arms.

Where Can I Get This Stuff?

-Mountain Rose Herbs…they have everything you’ll need for this remedy! I LOVE the quality of their oils and essential oils. It’s your one-stop-shop!

-The Bulk Herb Store also carries a few of these ingredients if you’d like to price check.

-From Nature With Love likewise carries a HUGE selection of high-quality raw materials.

I do have this Deodorant Cream available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.

Click here to visit the Marketplace…

How To Make Homemade Blush

ViaV

Via: http://thankyourbody.com/homemade-blush/

Keep in mind that with all makeup there is a continuum of “what works” for every individual. This is especially true when we start making things like bronzer, blush, or foundation. What works for me may not work for you. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to adjust and adapt this recipe to work with your skin tones and desired outcome.

With that in mind, you should probably know that I’m extremely pale. And I’m not a huge makeup person. Therefore, my blush of choice is light and subtle. So rather than give you an exact recipe, I’m giving you the jumping off point to find your perfect shade. Are you ready?

Ingredients:

arrowroot powder
hibiscus powder (like this)
cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Start with a base of arrowroot powder, about 1 Tbs. Add in the hibiscus powder one teaspoon at a time until you get the desired color. Add cinnamon for a little depth and glow.

*Note: Hibiscus powder gives a nice subtle pink glow, but for some it may seem too subtle. You could also try Alkanet Root powder which has a richer, more reddish, tone. But in either case, add the color gradually. You can always add more arrowroot powder to lighten back up, but if you get too heavy handed you’ll end up with a whole lot of blush on your hand.