If you're anything like me, you felt a little creeped out after this week's Mid-week Morsel; especially if you went to Skin Deep and looked up the beauty products you currently use. I've done a little looking, and found several simple recipes for homemade health and beauty products. Just like cooking, making your products from scratch gives you such a sense of accomplishment and comfort. It's feels great to create effective, natural products for your family. One recipe that I use already is for our dog, Zeus. As is common in English Bulldog's, he has skin issues, but washing him every 7-10 days with my own recipe helps keep his skin soft and his fur thick & silky smooth. (On a side note, he is also on a special diet that contributes to his skin and fur health.) Here is how I do it...
After I lure him into the bathtub (usually with a piece of meat), I rinse him thoroughly with lukewarm water to get any loose dirt and oil off of him. I mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/2 cup water and pour it over his back, rubbing it into his fur as I go. I keep an empty shampoo bottle that I fill with apple cider vinegar. I squirt this over his back, little bits at a time. The vinegar will make the baking soda foam up (think volcano science project). Massage the foam into his fur and skin. I let this sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse him with warm water. Finally, I pour a cinnamon rinse over him. This is made by simply steeping cinnamon in hot water. You can use either cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon. If you use ground cinnamon, put a tablespoon or so of cinnamon in a coffee filter, fold it up like a tea bag, and staple it shut. Make sure to let the water cool before you pour it over your pet. I don't want anyone getting burned. The cinnamon will help your dog smell better, but more importantly, cinnamon is also an antibacterial and antifungal. Also, I don't know if there is any science behind it, but I've read that cinnamon can help ward off fleas. If you want to read more about using cinnamon for health, Dogster.com has an informative article.
There are so many recipes for homemade health and beauty products out there that it's easy to get lost in the search. Here is a quick list of some of the recipes I've found...
Confessions of a Homeschooler's Lip Balm
Spell Out Loud's Baby Lotion
Good Housekeeping's Hand Lotion, Facial Mask, and Toner
Spark People's Shampoo & Conditioner Recipes
My Homemade Beauty (They have a whole list of various recipes.)
If you have any recipes for great homemade products, post them below in the comments or on my Facebook or Google+ page.
Karissa
Today is the first day of spring and, for many, the start of spring cleaning. Through the years I've become more and more conscious of what chemicals I bring into my home. But, what about the chemicals I put on my skin? Advertisers are very good at making products appear to be natural and good for you. When I first discovered Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database I was amazed at some of the chemicals that are in products I used every day, and even more amazed at the chemicals being used that had no research behind them. For example, did you know that Aveeno Active Naturals Continuous Protection Sunblock Body Lotion SPF 85contains butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)? BHT is a toluene-based ingredient used as a preservative in food and personal care products. It is a known human immune toxicant or allergen, and has limited evidence of carcinogenicity. One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells has shown positive mutation results, and one or more animal studies has shown tumor formation at high doses. So, the product you use to prevent skin cancer contains a chemical that may cause cancer. That 's not the way it should be. The good life should be natural and well...good, not full of questionable chemicals that may do harm over time. Knowledge is our best tool. It enables us to make better decisions for the well-being of our family.
By the way, thank you all for reading my blog. You've made my day. When I logged in to publish this post today, I saw I'd hit 1,500 page views. I just started this blog in August, so that many page views is very exciting for me. You guys are awesome!
Karissa
