homegirl's going natural.

Lately I've been reading a lot about natural deodorants, and seeing a lot of other bloggers (ahem* Kathleen and Lindsey) jumping on the bandwagon. In doing some research, I found several recipes that were all some sort of mixture of baking soda, cornstarch/arrowroot powder as a thickening agent, coconut oil and other various essential oils.

So... last night, after watching this video and feeling capable and inspired, I set out to make some of my own. But I didn't want to buy all of these ingredients and have the leftovers to to waste, so I started researching other things I could make with coconut oil, and decided to try my hand at a homemade toothpaste (recipe via passionate homemaking) and lotion.

RECIPES:

First up: DEODORANT

original recipe

I wanted to half the recipe that I found online, to sample it before I made a large batch, but either the house I live in is too warm, or I mis-measured and used too much coconut oil to begin with.

The recipe ended up being something like this:

4 large tbsp coconut oil (probably more like 6 actual tbsp)
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 cup baking soda
15 drops tea tree oil
10 drops grapefruit oil

Mix everything together until it's blended and store in an airtight container. No need to refrigerate.

Next in line: TOOTHPASTE

recipes from here (Toothsoap, apparently, Recipe #1) and here

I sort of blended the recipes, and maybe shouldn't have.. I also cut it in half, because it's just for me and I was trying it out.

3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp dr bronners peppermint soap
1 tbsp baking soda
5 drops peppermint oil

Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Lastly: LOTION

This one was really too easy.. I didn't even take photos. I just eyeballed everything, but I think the recipe ended up being something similar to this:

5 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp jojoba oil
1/2 tbsp tea tree oil

Mix everything together and store in a small squeeze bottle.

RESULTS:

DEODORANT: I love it. I love love love it. I used some last night and again this morning and while it doesn't protect against wetness I love the consistency and the way it feels on my skin. Next time I may add some shea butter, but honestly I don't know if I need it.. I feel good about the product because I know it's all natural and safe for me and though it hasn't been 24 hours yet, I still feel confident that it's something I want to transition into using. YAY.

TOOTHPASTE: It doesn't exactly give me the "minty fresh feeling" that I'm used to.. I also wonder if my teeth are really getting clean? How do you tell? Perhaps if I find some sort of natural mouthwash (maybe Gorgeously Green's version?) to add to the routine; it may help. But for now, it's not bad.. I am going to use it for a few days and see how it goes. I also wonder if I put in too much baking soda. I may add a little more coconut oil so it's not so abrasive?

LOTION: So easy, so simple, so nourishing.. but SO OILY (it is solely comprised of oil, after all). I used this on my arms and legs last night and it's definitely more of a deep moisturizing product as opposed to an every day lotion. I like it, and I'll use it, but it's not something you throw in your bag and take with you. I had to give my skin time to absorb the oils and made sure not to use too much. Overall, I do like it, it's just not what I expected.

All in all, I'm really glad I made the effort to make these at home.. and I want to start making more beauty products instead of buying them.

Next on the list? I want to see if I can kick the shampoo and conditioner.. I've tried it once without much success... hmmmmmmm....