Shifting the Conversation to Natural Health & Beauty
You know what I love? The fact that more and more people are talking about natural health and beauty. I think there are a cast of characters that people automatically lump into the “natural” category when it comes to health and beauty products and they are usually crunchy, hippie, granola types or hipster urban homesteaders (two genres that I straddle, easily.) But I’ve been noticing more and more within my diverse pool of friends and family (hippie and non-hippie alike) that natural alternatives are coming to the forefront of people’s consciousness when they consider their routines, and that is really awesome.
I wrote a couple years ago about No More Dirty Looks, a website that has clean healthy and beauty at its core and how much that site changed my approach to the personal products I use (and might I mention that these ladies are a far cry from being what most people would consider “dirty hippies”). The great thing about their site is that they are highlighting brands that are fighting the good fight to keep things clean. You don’t have to resort to cooking up all your own homemade concoctions to avoid all the bad stuff in a lot of products these day.
However, with that said, I’ve already done a post in the past with brands that I’ve tried and like and wanted to focus on all those homemade remedies that have made it into my regular routine:
Oil Pulling
If you’ve never heard of oil pulling, it’s an ancient homeopathic remedy where you swish around high quality vegetable oil (I use Organic Coconut Oil) in your mouth for around 20 minutes in order to pull toxins from your body. Like anything homeopathic, it touts health benefits ranging from teeth whitening (my personal reason for trying it) to curing all sorts of ailments from cancer to eczema. Andrew and I have been on a steady oil pulling routine for about four months or so, Andrew longer and more consistent than I. He does it every. single. day. I do it most days, first thing in the morning while I check email and write journal entries or blog posts or catch up on side work while everyone is still sleeping. This winter has been harsh on us health-wise, so it’s hard to tell if the oil pulling did anything or actually kept us from being more sick. However, one proven benefit: Andrew got glowing reviews from the dentist. They were taken aback by how healthy his gums were. And he normally has great oral health (he flosses daily, doesn’t eat a lot of sweets, doesn’t drink soda, coffee or tea). The only significant difference in his routine between visits was the oil pulling. I have yet to test those waters since I’m due for a dentist visit, but will report back the results!
Face and Body Oils
We made the switch from lotions to oils a few years ago and have never looked back. I started off with using olive oil to remove my makeup, then transitioned to coconut oil on my body and vitamin E oil on my face. From there, I tried a couple different oil mixtures, one from John Masters and one from Soap Walla – both of which are amazing but expensive. So I decided to just get serious and start mixing my own. I followed some loose guidelines from Crunchy Betty and had at it. I made a huge batch of oil that filled two large amber glass jars and now Andrew, the kids, and myself all use it for our faces and bodies.
Our oil mixture contains (benefits based on descriptions from Mountain Rose Herbs):
Organic Sweet Almond Oil: Great for all skin types as an acting emollient and is best known for its ability to soften, soothe, and re-condition the skin.
Organic Apricot Kernel Oil: Similar to Sweet Almond, great for all skin types as an acting emollient and is best known for its ability to soften, soothe, and re-condition the skin.
Organic Rosehip Seed Oil: Extremely high in essential fatty acids and has carried much respect amongst professional journals and organizations as being a great agent in the fight against dry, weathered, and dehydrated skin. It works wonders on scars and is the predominant oil used for treating wrinkles and premature aging.
Organic Avocado Oil: This ultra rich organic oil contains high amounts of Vitamin A, B1, B2, D, and E. Also contains amino acids, sterols, pantothenic acid, lecithin, and other essential fatty acids. Highly prized to those with skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, and other skin ailments. Highly recommended to those with sensitive skin, problem skin and other irritations that require vitamin rich oil.
Organic Tamanu Oil: Ability to heal damaged skin, notable for the treatment for scarring, stretch marks, minor cuts and abrasions, rashes, sores and much more.
Organic Carrot Seed Oil for natural SPF and Organic Rosemary Essential Oil and Organic Lavender Essential Oil for scent
Deodorant
I wrote awhile back on our homemade deodorant, another amazing find via NMDL. It’s super simple — mix coconut oil, baking soda, and corn starch in equal parts or adjusting to get it to the consistency of frosting . Both Andrew and I use it and so far of all the natural deodorants we’ve tried, it’s worked the best.
Thieves Oil
This is a new one for us. I heard about this from fellow blogger and my creative coach, Kathleen Shannon who used this during her recent pregnancy to avoid catching any of the nastiness that’s been going around this season. Read more about it on her post. I ended up not purchasing the the Young Living brand because I wanted to try it before investing that much money. Instead, I bought a batch from a local herbalist here in northeast Ohio, Judi Lambert at Hummingbird Creations. It’s not as pricey and I really love that she’s a local business, so it was a win-win. Both Andrew and I have tried it; I added it to a smoothie, Andrew being more hardcore took two drops straight to the mouth. This stuff is potent in flavor and aroma… woo boy! Andrew isn’t a fan of the taste, but we both have massaged it into the soles of our feet and don’t mind that at all. I actually really enjoy the scent!
Eucalyptus Oil
So this goes hand-in hand with the sick bugs we can’t seem to kick – coughing fits at night which keeps everyone awake which in turn makes everyone else feel worse. So, this is when you rub eucalyptus oil all over the soles of your feet and wear socks to bed. A natural alternative to Vicks Vapor Rub.
Do you have any home remedies when it comes to health and beauty that you swear by? I would love to hear about them!
Tags: Beauty, Health, Natural, Sustainability, Wellness
Crystal @ Sew Creative - February 25, 2014 1:51 am
I haven’t shampooed my hair since Mother’s Day 2013. Instead I make a rinse that contains baking soda (to cleanse) and apple cider vinegar (to condition). My hair has never been this healthy before. I love DIY Home Remedies. I also make a counter top spray that contains water, vinegar, witch hazel, lavender oil and tea tree oil. We love it. :)