Au Naturale

So I have this thing about using natural or more acurately, harm- free products such as food and lotion, cleansers and cleaners. 
When Leishabeth was wee, I went to a seminar which discussed the affect and effect of many petro-chemicals we use in our every day living.  It's frightening that the ingrediants, approved for use in your shampoo, can mimic such things as hormones, and cause physical reactions.
That began my deeper interest in using less harmful products.  Its been a gradual process, wean on, wean off, I say! I started by using homemade, all natural lotions, the one I love most is made by my massage therapist.  It's delicious and so emolliant! I tell you, my eczema has been so very clear,The girls use it too and their skin looks great too.  Most recently, I switched to a no shampoo routine.  No, that doesn't mean that I no longer wash my hair....I use baking soda and water paste to wash it and lemon juice, mixed with melted honey and diluted with water, as conditioner, even the psoriasis in my scalp has cleared!   It takes a little time to get your hair back to a natural state.  The reason being, shampoo actually strips away the natural oils in your scalp and on your hair, and your hair must get used to not needing to produce so much "replacement" oil.  Oil isn't the real term for it, but we'll use it for simplicity sake.  All that to say that your hair may do funny things for a few days after starting the alternative washing process.  I have a lot of hair, past my waist hair, boob concealing hair, and I love how it feels now that it's used to the new process. 

The point of this entry is that I wanted to share with you some idea's for substituting out chemical products in favor of natural, inexpensive "products".  Sometimes I know the idea's can be "huh" inducing, but I wouldn't knowingly steer you down a yuck path!  I promise!


Ten Beauty Products Hiding in Your Kitchen



Olive Oil: Eye Make-Up Remover


Keep a small jar in your medicine cabinet. Dab a little onto a damp cotton ball and watch your eye makeup melt right off. It also moisturizes the delicate skin around your eyes and nourishes your lashes. And it doesn’t sting.






Coconut Oil: Moisturizer and Stretch Mark Cream


  It’s also excellent on hands and feet, especially with cotton gloves or socks worn overnight.






Salt and Sugar: Hand and Foot Exfoliator


Salt and sugar are too strong for the delicate skin on your face, but make an excellent scrub for hardworking hands and feet. Mix a little with some olive oil or honey and keep a jar handy for a quick treatment.

Honey: Skin and Hair Conditioner


Stored in a squeeze bottle in your shower, honey makes a wonderful, moisture-rich conditioner. Its humectant properties draw moisture into your hair. And far from being a sticky mess it rinses out easily and leaves hair soft.






Eggs: Protein Hair Mask


Eggs are high in protein and make an excellent mask for damaged hair. Whip up the eggs a bit, adding a tablespoon or two of olive oil and spread onto damp hair. You may want to mix it in a blender to completely emulsify the oil. Spread it onto your hair, wrap it in a warm towel, relax for ten to twenty minutes while it works its magic, then shampoo as you normally would. A once a week treatment will help protect oft-styled hair.


Lemon Juice: Nail Whitener


dipping your fingers in a little basin of lemon juice to remove the stains that would accrue from a day of cooking and cleaning.




Vinegar: Shiny Hair Rinse


1 tablespoon in a cup of water will give you a great hair rinse that removes product buildup and makes your hair shaft smother, resulting in shinier hair. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a pleasant scent, but don't worry, you won't smell like a pickle because vinegar evapourates very quickly.
Avocado: Nourishing Skin Mask
Face masks containing avocado line grocery store shelves. Simply mashing up an avocado and letting it sit on your face will give you all the nutrients and moisture, plus enzymes, but minus weird fillers and chemicals. Mixing it in the blender with a little water or olive oil will give you an easier-to-spread consistency.
Cornmeal: Facial Exfoliator
You can mix fine to medium ground cornmeal into a base of honey, oil, yogurt or mashed fruit for a gentle, but effective facial scrub that can be used on a daily basis.






In addition to the cost-saving benefit of using ingredients you already have in place of personal care products, there is the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what you’re putting on your skin. You’ll likely find that these “products” work even better than their store-bought counterparts and leave your skin and hair feeling more nourished and balanced.