Make it natural

Make it natural

After reading that my shaving cream had propane in it I became interested in making my own house hold products.  Turns out they seem to be much cheaper to boot.  Here are the four recipes I intend to try.  The Natural Homemade shampoo, powdered laundry soap and foaming hand soap are all from http://wellnessmama.com the liquid dish soap is from sustain create flow

Natural Homemade Shampoo Recipe:

§  1/4 cup coconut milk (this is my favorite that is organic and BPA free) but any will work UPDATE: a couple of readers mentioned that the canned stuff did not work well for them, but that homemade coconut milk worked great… Depending on your hair type, homemade may be better for you)

§  1/3 cup Liquid Castille Soap (like Dr. Bronners)

§  1/2 of a teaspoon (or several capsules) of Vitamin E oil (completely optional)

§  20 drops of Essential Oils of choice (I’ve used peppermint, lavender, rosemary and orange or combinations of those)

§  For dry hair: add 1/2 tsp olive or almond oil (optional)

How to Make Natural Shampoo:

1.       Combine all ingredients in an old shampoo bottle or jar of some kind (pump soap dispensers and even foaming dispensers work well for this. If you use a foaming dispenser, add 1/4 cup of distilled water)

2.       Shake well to mix.

3.       Keep in shower for up to a month.

4.       Shake before each use.

5.       Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo.

6.       If you use a foaming dispenser, it also makes a great shaving cream- just dilute with 1/4 cup distilled water!

To Make powdered laundry soap:

1.       Grate the bar soap or mix in food processor until finely ground. Use the soap of your choice. I personally use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Bar Soap because of its exceptional quality, and because it is available in several different natural scents like lavender, tea tree, peppermint, almond and others.

2.       In a large bowl, mix 2 parts washing soda, 2 parts Borax and 1 part grated soap. (Add a few teaspoons of baking soda if desired).

3.       Store in closed container. I keep mine in quart or half gallon mason jars. If you are using a big enough container, you can skip step 2 and just put all ingredients in storage container or jar and shake.

4.       Use 1/8 to 1/4 cup per load of laundry.

• Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer Brand available at most stores)
• Borax (20 Mule Team Borax available at most grocery stores)
• Bar Soap (Dr. Bronner’s,  Ivory, or other natural, unscented bar soap)

( NEW) Natural Liquid Dish Soap Recipe 

Ok I couldn't really stand the soap from diynatural so heres one that promises suds and scrubbing power.  Ya for clean dishes... hopefully this time.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 C boiling water
• 1/4 C (tightly packed) grated (homemade) soap
• 1/4 C castile soap
• 1-1.25 T super washing soda (adjust amount for thickness)
  
• 10-30 drops essential oils (optional)

Directions:

1.  In a pint jar combine soap flakes, (an old-fashioned lye soap works well), and boiling water.  
2. Stir with a fork until all flakes are dissolved.  
3. Addsuper washing soda and stir.  
4. Add castile soap.  Stir.  
5. Allow to cool and add essential oils of your choice.  
6. I like to give it a shake or a stir every now and again.  Over time it gels up a bit,  Also, we have noted that if our house gets too cold, the soap gets super thick, so if you keep your house cold you may want to use less super soda.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap

Ingredients

·         Water (distilled or boiled is best but not needed if it will be used within a few weeks)

·         Liquid Castille Soap (I love this organic rose soap since it provides a light natural scent butMountain Rose Herbs also sells a inexpensive unscented organic version)

·         ½ tsp liquid oil like olive or almond

·         Essential oils of choice for scent (optional)

Instructions

1.    Fill the soap dispenser to about 1 inch of the top (leaving room for the bulky foaming pump and the soap to be added).

2.    Add at least 2 tablespoons of liquid castille soap to the water mixture (NOTE: do not add the soap first or it will create bubbles when the water is added.

3.    Add the oil (optional but it helps preserve the life of the dispenser) and any essential oils if you are using them.

4.    Close and lightly swish to mix.

5.    Use as you would any regular foaming soap.