Non-toxic Personal Care
Alternative Solutions for Common Body Care Challenges:
Toss those expensive creams and see how inexpensive it can be to treat these little problems yourself: Acne Treatment ... Age Spots ... Broken Capillaries ... Burns ... Cellulite ... Foot Odor ... Mature Skin ... Oily & Acne Prone Skin ... Stretch Marks ... Sun-burned Skin ... Swollen Ankles / Tired Feet ... Bad Teeth and Unhealthy Gums ... Thinning, Damaged, Greying Hair .... Tired Eyes & Under-eye Circles ... Wrinkles
Natural Personal Care Products:
Bookmarks on this page: After Share ... Astringent ... Body Power ... Body Lotion .... Conditioners ... Dental Care ... Deodorant ... Facial Creams ... Facial Toners ... Facial Mask ... Foot Powder ... Lip Balm ... Perfumes ... Skin Cleanser ... Shampoo ... Soap & Cleansing Agents ... Tanning Oil ... Tooth Care (includes everything, from mouth wash to toothpaste)
The "Green" Home: Available Cleaning / Household Products ... Instructions for Preparing Safe Cleaning Products Yourself
Holistic Health: Organic Oils to Lower Cholesterol, lower blood-pressure and overall good health ... Herbal Anti-Inflammatories (addresses skin problems, bacterial / viral diseases, joint problems and arthritis ... Risks Associates with Commercially Available Personal Care Products
Natural, Healthful Alternatives to Commercial Products:
Witch hazel, diluted isopropyl alcohol.
Don't put anything on your skin that isn't safe to eat. Your skin is a sponge that will effectively absorb anything that you put on it, including any chemicals. Breast cancer tissue has found to contain chemicals used in commercially available body lotions. Whether it actually caused the cancer, simply contributed or didn't contribute at all is not proven at this time. But why chance it? You should also choose food-grade oils only. You will find that many manufacturers will also offer "skin care grade" as opposed to "food-grade" oil -- but there is a reason why it is "downgraded."
- Non-toxic Body Lotion: 6 oz Barley Milk,
4 oz Water,
2 oz Aloe gel,
2 oz Primrose oil,
2 oz Brier Rose water,
2 drops Alfalfa leaf, Barley grass, Carrot, Soybean and Sunflower seed extracts,
2 drops Brier Rose hip, Lavender, Lemongrass and Peppermint essential oils.
Combine ingredients and blend well with a fork or hand beaters; bottle and store.
- Mature Skin: I am mixing my own body oils to specifically address the problems associated with mature skin.
- Body: I mix Shea Butter, Walnut Oil, Avocado Oil, Borage Seed Oil and Jojoba -- carrier oils that are very effective in moisturizing the skin. I add the following essential oils: Carrot Seed, Frankencise, Parsley Seed, Lavender and Patchouli (the latter of which is a natural insect repellant and aids against cellulite). The other essentials oils basically are restorative (reducing sun damage) and moisturizing. i use a handheld food blender.
- Face: Grape Seed Oil, Walnut Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil (best anti-aging oil there is in skin care), Jojoba and Frankincense (ideal for mature, wrinkled skin in need of a lift), as well as Carrot Seed Essential Oil. (Essential Oils)
- NOTE: Experiment with the different carrier and essential oils. Initially, you will buy a lot of ingredients, but they will last a long time. Considering what you are spending on body care products now, you will find that you get better products and yet save money.
To learn more about essential oils, or to order, please follow the below link (banner):
Mix cornstarch and baking soda with your favorite essential oil. For a foot powder, mix cornstarch, baking soda and tea tree or peppermint oil. Baking soda acts as a deodorizer and soothes the skin. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial, and fungicide. Peppermint oil is soothing to the feet and swollen ankles.
The secret of many renowned hair dressers is coconut oil, and it is used in many commercial products -- however, the ingredients are likely to be inferior to the organic, expeller-expressed, extra virgin coconut oil that you can get at better health stores or online. However, Noel made this recommendation:
CHEAP COCONUT OIL SOURCES
Noel from Georgetown, Texas writes: "If you're on a budget (aren't we all) I have found a TWO POUND tub of Coconut Oil at WAL-MART for $2.82. The brand is LouAnn and it is in the aisle with baking supplies and oils. No need to buy that expensive stuff at the health food store."The richness and highly moisturizing properties of coconut oil are said to promote shine, keep hair from turning gray and, believe it or not, are said to help sparse hair grow thicker and fuller - especially if a few drops of Rosemary Essential Oil are added, which increased blood flow in the scalp.. The oil also helps repair damaged hair, offering essential proteins to strengthen and nourish it.
A hot coconut oil scalp massage once a week is rumored to be the secret of the luxurious hair of Indian women. Follow these steps to do your own treatment at home:
Also very effective hair treatments are vinegar and beer! Mix vinegar with filtered water, rinse your hair with it AFTER washing your hair and see the difference! Alternatively, pour on old left-over beer straight on your hair. Your hair will have a wonderful sheen to it. Don't worry about the smell. That will dissipate quickly. Rinsing your hair with COLD water after your shower will result in shiny hair.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan on the stove. DO NOT MICROWAVE.
- Massage scalp.
- Distribute oil throughout hair.
- Place a clean towel over your pillow and leave oil on over night.
- Rinse out in the morning.
- Enjoy your lustrous look.
- Basic: baking soda, white clay, or deodorant crystals
- A Fragrant Herbal Deodorant: Mix: 4 oz Aloe gel, 4 oz Cornstarch, 1 oz Primrose oil, 5 drops Sage essential oil and 5 drops Brier Rose essential oil. Blend together aloe gel, primrose oil and essential oils (with a fork or hand beaters); then mix in corn or potato starch, and store.
Mix green tea, chamomile or ginseng tea (made with mineral water or distilled water) with lavender or lemon oil. Green tea is rich in antioxidants which fight free radicals that damage and age the skin. Green tea is said to diminish fine lines. Lavender oil is a good toner and lemon oil is a good rejuvenator and toner. Add Vitamin C crystals as a preservative and antioxidant. MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) is a natural vegetarian source of organic sulfur good for the skin. Add MSM crystals to your toner, or eat high sulfur foods such as kale or watercress. Prick a vegetarian capsule of Vitamin A, E, or wheat germ oil and smooth directly onto your skin; add to coconut, almond, or apricot oil, or to your toner. Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant and Vitamin E is said to slow down the aging process. Almond oil soothes and lubricates the skin. Apricot oil protects and softens the skin. Wheat germ oil promotes skin elasticity.
Mix avocado with shredded cucumber. Avocados are rich in protein and Vitamin A. Cucumbers are cooling and cleansing. Use a mashed banana for a skin firming mask.
For a lip balm, use coconut butter on its own, or add peppermint or spearmint oil (organic essential oils)
Essential oils provide nontoxic fragrances that can be used to scent shampoo, bath soaks, or even, in the case of peppermint, to flavor toothpaste. In addition to which they have amazing health benefits. I would really recommend checking out the Essential Oils page.
- Mix 2 Cups of Filtered Water with 2 oz Aloe gel, 2 oz Cup Barley Milk, 2 tsp rose water, 1 tsp primrose oil, 2 tsp dried, powdered soapwort (roots, leaves and stems), 4 drops alfalfa, carrot and rosehip extracts, 4 drops lavender and lemongrass essential oils
- Bring water to a boil; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add soapwort and mix; let cool, then mix in remaining ingredients. Bottle and store.
- Mix 2 Cups Water with 2 tsp dried, powdered Soapwort (roots, leaves and stems), 1 tsp Primrose oil, 4 drops Barley Grass extract, 4 drops Horsetail extract, 4 drops Mullein extract, 4 drops Lavender essential oil, 4 drops Lemongrass essential oil
- Bring water to a boil; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in soapwort; let cool, then mix in remaining ingredients. Bottle and store.
- Rinsing your hair with vinegar / water mix will really bring out the sheen in your hair. Beer works too! So don't toss that left-over beer! You will be amazed about the difference ...
To learn more about the essential oils, or to order, please follow the below link (banner):
Castille soap, olive-oil based soap.
- Instead of toothpaste,
- Mix baking soda with salt, or even better with either Aloe Vera Gel or 3% hydrogen peroxide (H202) to make a paste. If you like a mint taste -- just add peppermint essential oil . Or, just dip your brush in 3% H202 and brush. Use as you would use common toothpaste. Baking soda is less abrasive than normal toothpaste, which protects your tooth enamel from wearing off. TIP: Only use the hydrogen peroxide paste once a day (my dentist recommended the evenings) and use the Aloe Vera gel in the morning.
- Herbal Toothpaste: Powder sea salt and dried horsetail stems in a coffee grinder; mix dry and wet ingredients separately; then slowly mix all ingredients into a paste.
- My dentist recommended not to brush more than twice a day - it wears your enamel down!
- Mouthwash:
- After painful gum surgery, I learned something pretty signficant. Rinsing your mouth throughout the day, and most certainly after ever meal / snack, will keep your mouth fresh and clean, and teeth and gums healthy. I use Hydrogen Perioxide in the evening and a herbal mouth wash in the morning and after meals. For about 15 minutes each (usually during my shower and while getting dressed) I use Coconut Oil, which has antibacterial / antifungal properties. This will keep your mouth and teeth fresh and healthy.
- Hydrogen Peroxide: Use 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Add a dash of liquid chlorophyl for flavoring if desired. I use this in the evening and take a herbal mouth wash in the morning and throughout the day. I found the hydrogen peroxide whitens my teeth. I used to buy various inconvenient products to whiten my teeth (those uncomfortable trays) and was amazed that using hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash works better - and is so much less expensive! Live and learn ...
- Herbal Mouth Wash: 2 Cups Water, 2 Tbsp Organic Sea salt, 5 drops Peppermint extract, 4 drops Horsetail extract, 1 drop Sage extract ... Combine ingredients and store in a tightly sealed bottle; shake before use.
- There are good reasons why you should discontinue using commercial toothpaste:
Fluoride is a severe biological poison. Being intensely negative, it unlatches positive hydrogen bonds in enzymes and proteins.
Fluoride makes your body absorb extra aluminum and aluminium is the metal that shoes up alarmingly in the brains of Alzheimer's victims.
If you look at your tube of toothpaste, you will see a warning similar to this:
"Warning. Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than [sic] used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away."
The warning on toothpaste tubes is due to lawsuits in which children were poisoned by fluoride-containing toothpaste. For instance, Keith Cantor, a little boy from Oregon died in the dentist’s chair from ingesting ½ teaspoon of fluoride, and 3 kidney dialysis patients were killed in 1998 at the University of Chicago Medical School, when nurses used unpurified Chicago tap water for dialysis.
To add to the problem, most states add at least 1 ppm of sodium fluoride or fluorosilic acid (radioactive toxic waste that contains fluoride) to the water supply, even though it has been proven that at least 113 medical side effects from cancer to headaches are caused by fluoride in the water.
Toothpaste Prevents Tooth Re-enamelization
Toothpaste contains viscous, sticky glycerin, the main ingredient in toothpaste, which coats the teeth and prevents re-enamelization from nutrients in the diet. Glycerin takes over 20 rinses to be removed and leaves your teeth coated! Skeptical? Try this simple test. Start with a clean sink and smear some of your toothpaste on the sink. Rinse it off and watch how the water beads up because of the sticky glycerin. You will have to keep rinsing and rinsing to remove it! Your teeth are similar to a porcelain sink, and your teeth are being coated every time you use toothpaste. Coated teeth cannot re-enamelize from nutrients in the diet! (ref 5)
Toothpaste Contains Silica
Silica, which is sand, can harm gums and abrades (wears away) tooth enamel.
Tips for Healthier Teeth and Gums
Research has established that fluoride makes the teeth WORSE and not better. Dr. Gerard F. Judd, Professor, Chemist and Researcher, in his book, "Good Teeth Birth to Death" offers the below tips to obtain perfect teeth:
- Rinse acids off the teeth during eating.
- Take calcium pills with vitamin D daily
- Take freshly made sodium ascorbate daily for gum connections to the teeth
- Avoid all fluoride products. They destroy teeth, unravel enzymes and cause 113 ailments
- 4 oz Water, 4 oz Brier Rose water, 4 oz Sunflower Seed Oil, 4 oz Primrose oil, 3 drops Alfalfa leaf, Barley grass, Carrot, Soybean and Sunflower seed extracts, 2 drops Brier Rose hip, Lavender and Lemongrass essential oils
- Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and store in a dark cool place; shake before use.
To learn more about essential oils, or to order, please follow the below link (banner):
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