It’s 9p.m. and you never made it to the store. The toothpaste tube has gone dry. The last of the deodorant scraped from the container.
No problem! Whip some up in the kitchen!
Have you considered changing your skin products to reduce the amount of chemicals you put in your body? In The Simplicity of Holistic Health, I said, “If I wouldn’t drink it, I wouldn’t put it on my skin.” In other words, you don’t have to eat a toxin or chemical for your body to absorb it.
Once I learned this fact, I began searching websites and reading books discovering ways to replace my personal care products. I learned some simple facts along the way:
- Everyone is unique. What worked for someone else didn’t always work for me. Which led me to….
- Experimentation. Finding what worked for my body.
Many of my homemade products are adapted from Dr. Josh Axe. He is a functional medicine doctor and worth following!
Face & Body Wash:
Dr. Bonner’s liquid castile soap is all I use, diluted with water (50% soap with 50% water). I don’t wear make-up often so I only wash my face in the morning. If you find the soap to be drying, try mixing it with a little aloe vera (gel or liquid) or coconut oil.
Deodorant: Homemade deodorant recipes often list baking soda as an ingredient, but it irritates my skin. I just use coconut oil and essential oils, all of which are antibacterial. If you are allergic to coconut oil, try aloe vera gel or olive oil. Mix about a nickel size amount of coconut oil with 2 drops each of peppermint essential oil and tea tree essential oil.
Experiment. Essential oils are a personal thing. Just as God uniquely created each of us, that uniqueness extends to what our bodies need. Peppermint essential oil relaxes me and affects my body in a positive way. You may discover you need less essential oils or different ones. Try lemongrass or lavender.
Once satisfied with your new recipe, premix a larger batch and store in a mason jar. Essential oils cannot be stored in plastic.
Be advised, this is not antiperspirant. Humans need to sweat. It removes toxins. If someone judges you for sweaty armpits, send them to me. I can homeschool anybody!
Sometimes, after sweating, I need to re-apply. This provides a challenge when not at home. I keep a small bottle of peppermint essential oil in my purse. When needed I rub a drop or two between my hands and directly apply. You might find it too hot (peppermint can be warming), try tea tree, lemongrass or lavender.
Here’s Dr. Axe’s deodorant recipe.
Toothpaste: Mix 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1 drop peppermint essential oil together. Add just enough baking soda to form a thick paste (less than 1 tablespoon). This sample size allows you to adjust to your liking. Again, once satisfied, make a larger batch and store in a mason jar. Here’s Dr. Axe’s toothpaste recipe.
Rosacea requires me to add one more item to my day.
Rosacea: The best remedy for my rosacea has been changing my diet. Eliminating simple carbohydrates, white carbohydrates (potatoes and rice) and reducing my sugar intake to under 30 grams per day, makes my skin look great. When I cheat, my skin becomes blotchy, flushes in the heat, and breaks out. Weight loss provides an added bonus.
After much experimentation, I developed a recipe for a rosacea spray.
- 7 tablespoons aloe vera or Chamomile Hydrosol
- 14 drops German Chamomile essential oil
- 28 drops Lavender essential oil
Measure aloe or hydrosol and pour into a glass spray bottle. Add essential oils. Shake before each use.
That’s it! Try one or try them all. But you achieve all the following:
- Knowledge. You know exactly what you put on and in your body.
- Simplification. No unending containers of unused specialty products. Makes packing quicker too.
- Empowerment. Scientists and marketers no longer make choices for you.
Be sure to share in the comments below about your simple skin care ideas!
Very educational.
Interesting to find out that there are natural ways to stay healthy inside and outside.
Right! Just keep a few simple ingredients around the house and you’ll never run out of toothpaste! 🙂
Coconut oil is my goto “lotion”. I am also convinced that Lavendar and Tree Tea oil can help just about anything. 🙂
No joke, I put Lavender on everything!