Eco Friendly Beauty and Health Remedies

THE NO SHAMPOO METHOD

We know it sounds crazy, but think about why it sounds crazy – for thousands of years people did not wash their hair every day. In fact, if you ask your grandmother she'll probably tell you about going to the salon once a week for a shampoo just 50 years ago. So what's changed since then? Is our hair dirtier now than it was in grandma's day? Or have marketers gotten smarter about selling us stuff we don't really need? We think it's the latter. For about $5 you can buy all the supplies you need to keep your hair clean without a bunch of detergents that strip your hair of essential oils.

Ingredients: Baking sodaApple cider vinegar

Instructions: Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of hot water – you can double or triple the recipe for long or thick hair, but keep the ratio of baking soda to water the same. Too much baking soda can make your hair brittle. Put this mixture in a container with a cap, or an empty shampoo bottle. In the shower, apply the mixture to your hair with warm water. Work it in, and then rinse after about one minute. Wash your hair with this method once or twice a week. In between, you can rinse your hair with plain water – the baking soda helps to remove any styling products. Every 2-3 washes, make a solution of 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of water. After the baking soda, rinse your hair with water and then rinse with this solution. Massage into scalp and rinse with cold water. Apple cider vinegar will help to balance the hair’s pH level and seal the cuticle. If you find your hair smells like vinegar after rinsing you're using too much vinegar. There are lots of variations to this recipe, and everyone's hair is different. Experiment, and check out this great post about going shampoo free.

DIY DEODORANT Conventional deodorant is full of unnecessary chemicals and potentially dangerous elements like aluminum. Meanwhile, natural deodorants tend to cost more, not be effective, and they still involve a complicated manufacturing process and disposable packaging we'd rather avoid. Note:Use less coconut if you want something a little more solid.

Ingredients: 1/4 cup baking soda1/4 cup arrow root powder OR corn starch5 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions: Combine baking soda and arrow root powder in a bowl and mix with a fork. Start with a small amount of coconut oil 2-3 tablespoons and add to the baking soda mixture, working into a paste. Add the rest to achieve the texture you want. Place the mixture in a small lidded container – store it somewhere cool if you want it to stay completely solid.

DIY TOOTHPASTE There's a great deal of debate over the safety of conventional toothpaste ingredients – fluoride and sodium laurel sulfate, to name a few. But switching to so-called natural brands can cost $5 a tube or more, not to mention all the waste involved in tossing out messy, non-recyclable tubes of toothpaste. There are lots of recipes out there – with flavors and textures to suit about anyone. This is a really simple, inexpensive recipe for eco friendly peeps.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil3 tablespoons baking soda5 drops peppermint essential oil5 drops spearmint essential oilA pinch of Stevia powder

Instructions: Mix everything together in a small, lidded container. Coconut oil is anti-viral and anti-bacterial so you can dip your toothbrush into the mixture, or scoop a little out and apply it to your brush.

DIY MOUTHWASH I was advised to stop using alcohol-based mouthwash and to instead rinse my mouth out with the same soap I uses to wash my body. Hell no!Afteralot of tinkering in the kitchen,i ended up with this!

Ingredients: 2.5 cups of water1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves1 teaspoon rosemary leaves1 teaspoon anise seeds

Instructions: Boil everything together for about 20 minutes. Strain, and cool. Store it in a capped bottle and use as you would conventional mouthwash.