Homemade Cleaning Products

Photo Credit: http://www.savvysugar.com/DIY-Cleaning-Products-28901279

I was scrolling through Pinterest this morning over coffee and came across this excellent pin for making homemade cleaning products! In my quest for narrowing the chemicals in my life, I was excited to find such a long list, 56 products to be exact. With easy recipe directions. I can't wait to try them! Check this site. Has anyone tried making their own products and have suggestions or recipes? Add them to the comment section or join the twitter discussion at #HolisticsByMorganCleaning

A few updates:

I have been on the no poo method now for 2 months and still the best thing that I have ever done! My hair and scalp feel amazing and looks clean for days! I live in Phoenix, Arizona but just spent three weeks in Northern Wisconsin and I am pleased to report that the method works in both climates. I did have to crack on few travel days using Burt's Bees Sulfate Free Shampoo but it didn't make a difference in my hair. So it was good to know that there was an alternative if it wasn't possible to use the no poo method. Also, I have completely transitioned to my homemade deodorant! Which I am also very pleased to report holds up in the 110 degree summers in Phoenix and the high humidity summer temps of Wisconsin. I will do a post soon on that transition and I will have my deodorant for sale shortly!

In the meantime, check out these finds from Anthropologie, my favorite store!

My New Soap and Make-Up Regiment

Along on my path of cleaning up my chemicals in my daily health line, I have found the best soap and make-up that has totally changed my skin!

For soap, I switched to Dr. Bronner's Lavender Castile Soap and the Lavender Orange Body Lotion! It smells amazing and is very calming for evening showers! I am very prone to bad skin on my face so I was very skeptical at getting rid of all my high power acne soaps. But I jumped in and no joke the very next day I noticed a difference! By the end of the week I could barely find a blemish and I noticed my skin was smoother and even my start of wrinkles were diminishing! (I say start of wrinkles because I am only 32 haha) I think it worked in combination with the make-up switch. 

I switched to Mineral Fusion make-up which I found at Sprouts. I found a very light moisturizer, foundation, 30 SPF sunscreen powder, and mascara. All with anti-aging properties. Also a tinted lip gloss from Badger. Both companies specialize in organic natural products. Here is my find..

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So this is my face routine. At night I wash with the Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. Next, I use rose water as a toner. It has anti-aging properties and makes my skin feel smooth. Finally, I use the mineral fusion moisturizer, pictured in the blue tube. In the morning I don't even feel the need to wash again. I use just a little of this lemon toner that I hand make. If I am noticing a break out I use it after the face wash at night too. But that has only happened once in the month I have switched to this new regiment. This is my morning toner recipe...

1 travel size spray bottle (3oz)

Distilled Water

1Tablespoon Lemon Juice (I use the lemons off my tree!)

10 drops Tea Tree Oil

5 drops Lavender Oil

I feel like it refreshes my face from the night of sleeping. I skip the moisturizer in the morning because I feel like the foundation is enough moisture for me. However, it can sometimes feel a bit drying so may need to adjust measurements according to your skin. The foundation goes on like lotion but quickly turns to a power like finish. Be sure to shake it really well though before you apply, It separates over night. I let that sit for a minute, then apply the SPF loose powder. It has a nice brush attached to it. Then just some mascara and tinted lip gloss, is about all this busy mom has time for. If it were date night, there are a lot of nice blushes and eye shadows as well.

I'm still in love with my No Poo method for my hair and now my skin feels amazing and looks refreshed and bright. Next to tackle Homemade Deodorant! Eeek! Do I dare? 

No Poo Update

I am celebrating my 1 Month of No Poo! Still the best thing I have ever done and highly recommend you to try! Now 1 month out, I am only needing to wash twice a week. The other days I either wear a shower cap or rinse with water. My hair has more volume and holds curl, even the natural curl came back! 

Check this out, 3 days after a wash...

Morning Coffee Scrub

      You will soon find my love for Pinterest! Most of the ideas for products and home decor I find on there, here is my latest gem I found...

Coffee Body Scrub

Found at Sweetsation Blog

1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pure turbinado sugar
15 drops peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita)
1/2 cup used coffee grounds from a freshly brewed pot

     This was the most amazing morning pick-me up! It was a gentle exfoliant and it left my skin feeling super smooth and moisturized. In my recipe though, I swap out the olive oil for coconut oil.  I like thicker moisture. Also the hint of coconut gives the coffee a nice tropical feel, like I'm having an outdoor morning shower on a private tropical beach! For the sugar, I used 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar, just because I was so excited to try out the scrub I wanted to use what I had around the house without having to make a special trip out for just turbinado sugar. Also be sure to rinse out your shower well and don't use a white towel for drying. Leftover coffee can stain. 

Photo Credit: www.drfranklipman.com

No Poo, You Say?

      No Poo, you say? Yup that is correct, I kissed the suds goodbye and it was the best thing I have ever done for myself! I am 32 and my hair was so thin and flat looking, and I could easily pull fists full of hair out. No matter what shampoo and fancy products the hair salons offered, nothing would  make my hair look like it had any life to it. 

      I thought is was just my hair type, perhaps I was just born with crappy hair. But thanks to Pinterest I cam across this awesome blog livinginanotherlanguage.com Now I have to say I thought this girl was nuts. No way could I go without shampoo! There is no way that could be sanitary and my hair needs to be washed every day or it is a huge greasy mess! However, I have been on the path of healthy holistic living for some years now and I believe there are so many chemicals we can do without. So I decided to give it shot. Why not, if it doesn't work I can alway go back to shampoo.

      I followed her instructions: 

              Bottle one: Use a squeeze bottle 1/2 Baking Soda 1/2 Water    

              Bottle two: Use a spray bottle 1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar 1/2 Water

       Directions: First be sure to always shack because the ingredients separate. Use bottle one just on the roots. Massage in and let sit for a few minutes. Then rinse out. After spray bottle two on the length (not roots). Let sit for a few minutes and rinse. That's it! At first you may need to wash every other day. You will see as your hair transitions you can go more and more days without washing. Instead, some days just wear a shower cap and other days you may need to just rinse with water. After, I have been using my favorite essential oils (jasmine, rose, or vanilla). I just put a few drops in my hand and rub into the length of my wet hair to get that fresh wash smell. I still use other products like mousse and hairspray. 

      After just one wash my hair was like I just put on a famous persons wig! It was full of volume, bright and shiny, and curly! I haven't seen curls since I was a child! I thought it was because I live in the desert, but no it's been the gross chemicals in the shampoo! Now I am really pinching myself for not trying this sooner! I would have had way better prom hair, wedding hair, just every day hair for that matter! I highly recommend you check out her post. She is very good at explaining and has answered a lot of really great questions. If you have questions feel free to leave a comment or email and I will get back to you too! I am now on a mission for eliminating all soap (except hand soap) and ooooohhh dare I say deodorant from my house!  Check back to continue on this journey with me. I will be sharing all the recipes I try! If you have ideas and recipes I would love for you to share them here as well!

Photo Credit :www.endalldisease.com