Favorite Natural Products « Back to Group Discussions

[Jaimee]

Inspired by our recent No Poo conversation and blog post made by one of my friends about her switch to more natural products for home and health, I thought it would be fun to hear what we're all using!  Below are a few categories, but please feel free to add more!

• Shampoo/conditioner
• Body soaps: shower gels, soaps, face soap, etc.
• Shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Make up, nail polish, etc.
• Hair products, coloring, etc.
• Feminine hygiene
• Dental care: toothpaste, floss, mouth wash, etc.
• Vitamins and supplements
• Dish soap, dishwasher detergent
• Household cleaners: counter/sink cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaner, etc.
• Laundry detergent and other laundry products
• Baby products: soaps, lotions, diaper cream, diapers, etc.

[Jaimee]

• Shampoo/conditioner

I was using Desert Essence Organics, but I'm going to switch to no poo as soon as I run out.  My friend tried no poo and while she likes and continues to use ACV for conditioner, she switched back to using a shampoo bar. 

• Body soaps: shower gels, soaps, face soap, etc.

I switch around all the time.  Right now I'm using ShiKai brand shower gel, Avalon Organics Vitamin C face soap, and Dr. Bronner's for hand soap.  My friend makes her own face soap with ground oatmeal.

• Shaving cream

Dh and I both use Avalon Organics shave cream.  Regular soap gives me razor burn.

• Deodorant

I use the deodorant crystal and love it.  Dh refuses to switch from Old Spice, seriously.  Anyone have a rec for a more natural men's deodorant?  My friend makes her own, but I've never tried that.  Suggestions?

• Make up, nail polish, etc.

I don't wear make-up, but I do own a small amount of mineral make-up and Sun Coat and Honey Bee Gardens nail polish.  I would love a rec for a natural concealer.  Anyone tried Desert Essence concealer?

• Hair products, coloring, etc.

I don't usually style my hair, but I would like to have some hair spray on hand for the occasional up do.  Any recommendations?  For coloring, I use Light Mountain henna.

• Feminine hygiene

The Diva Cup!  I also made my own cloth pads to wear as panty liners.  I will never go back to disposable products!

• Dental care: toothpaste, floss, mouth wash, etc.

I just recently switched from Tom's of Main to Desert Essence, b/c I realized that Tom's of Main has SLS in it.  I love baking soda toothpaste.  The kids use Weleda tooth gel.  We use Desert Essence Tea Tree floss.  I don't use mouth wash usually, but dh is addicted to Listerine (or generic brand) and I cannot get him to switch.  Any recommendations for a more natural one?

• Vitamins and supplements

Rainbow Light prenatals, Multi Stars for the kids, and men's supplement, Natrol vitamin D.  We also take sodium ascorbate powder and elderberry syrup (that I make).

• Dish soap, dishwasher detergent

Citra Solv dish soap works relatively well and we like Ecover dishwasher tabs.  I just sent away for e-cloth, which I plan to try out for dish washing- no soap needed!

• Household cleaners: counter/sink cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaner, etc.

I was using a variety of scrubs/sprays by various natural brands like Seventh Gen and Ecover along with just vinegar and water for cleaning, but I plan on switching over to just e-cloth if it works well.  I'm very excited about it!

• Laundry detergent and other laundry products

My favorite diaper detergent is Planet, but it can get expensive to use Planet for everything.  So I recently tried Ecos and it seemed fine.  I thought about making my own, but I hear that the cloths just get dingy after a while.  Any experiences?

• Baby products: soaps, lotions, diaper cream, diapers, etc.

Earth Mama Angel Baby or Avalon Organics body/hair soap, Desert Essence fragrance free lotion or Weleda calendula cream for the older kids, apricot or coconut oil for the baby if necessary, California Baby rash cream... We use a variety of pocket diapers.

[LunaLady]

• Shampoo/conditioner: Baking Soda/ ACV
• Body soaps: shower gels, soaps, face soap, etc.: Home made bar soap. I need to make some more! For the face I use 'cleansing grains' which I also make. Hand soap is also bars, in the kitchen though I use a foaming pumper with Dr. Bronners and a bit of dish soap.
• Shaving cream: Home made bar soap
• Deodorant: None... 
• Make up, nail polish, etc.: None - although this looks cool: http://www.piggypaint.com/
• Hair products, coloring, etc.: I don't use anything in my hair, but I have used henna in the past.
• Feminine hygiene: I made some cloth pads, but mostly I use a cup.
• Dental care: toothpaste, floss, mouth wash, etc.: I use some Tom's toothpaste, but it makes my teeth hurt. In the past I've used peppermint Dr. Bronner's in a foaming dispenser. I think I'll be going back to that after this Tom's is gone.
• Vitamins and supplements: I use d'drops (found at whole foods) and a couple other vitamins and herbs when I think about it. Thorne makes great products.
• Dish soap, dishwasher detergent: We use Biokleen detergent and Earth Friendly Products Earthmate dish soap.
• Household cleaners: counter/sink cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaner, etc.: I use Bon Ami in the toilets and sinks and Dr Bronners for the counter tops and shower. And for mopping. Vinegar and water for the mirrors/windows.
• Laundry detergent and other laundry products: Country Save. I have used soap nuts in the past and they worked just fine, too. Just gotten used to using Country Save with diapers and so we just use it for all of our laundry. And Charlie's Soap spray stain remover. And vinegar in the fabric softener spout.
• Baby products: soaps, lotions, diaper cream, diapers, etc.: Weleda products: diaper cream and baby soap. Their baby skin cream is great and has kept Rhyko's cradle cap away since I brushed it out! I've also used Episencial soothing cream on his eczema and it works pretty well. Diapers: Thirties Due covers with Osocozy prefolds.

I can't think of anything else to add, but if I do I'll come back and add it! 

Great topic. I love learning new earth and body friendly products! 

Edited by LunaLady - 2/19/12 at 9:17am

[jbk21]

• Shampoo/conditioner- No 'poo
• Body soaps: shower gels, soaps, face soap, etc.- shower soap is bar form, handmade natural stuff here in Portlnad.  I forget the name of it....    Face cleaning routine is a mix of grapeseed and castor oils- called the Oil Cleansing Method.  My skin has never been so awesome, and I am prone to pretty constant pimples.  Clear skin now, but it took a while to adjust.  For exfoliation I use baking soda paste.  For rare breakouts I use an ACV "toner".  Hand soap... Method brand free and clear.... I should switch back to Dr Bronners!
• Shaving cream- same bar soap
• Deodorant- I make my own.  Love love love it!  It works GREAT on DH too- but I think I am the sweatier of the two of us :-)  It lasts a full 24 hours, easily, even in the summer.  AMAZING stuff.  
• *Lip balm- make my own.  Similar to burt's bees formula.  only 3 ingredients!
• Make up, nail polish, etc.- I use honeybee gardens makeup and a few physician's formula items that have a good EWG skindeep score.  I don't use nail polish because I don't want to pay top dollar for "natural" stuff. 
• Hair products, coloring, etc.- I use a wheat therapy hairspray from honeybee gardens.  Love it.  Very light and smells divine.  I rarely use it, though. 
• Feminine hygiene- I use cloth pads and plan to get a diva cup when AF returns. 
• Dental care: toothpaste, floss, mouth wash, etc.  We don't use mouthwash.  Regular floss.  Trader Joe's brand toothpaste but we just picked up some more natural stuff from a natural health store here and I'm excited to try it when our current runs out.  
• Vitamins and supplements- I take lots.  I get some from Trader Joe's, some are Vitanica, some are Nature's way, and I also take some herb pharm tinctures and Bach flower essences.
• Dish soap, dishwasher detergent- no dishwasher, sadly.  Seventh generation free & clear dish soap
• Household cleaners: counter/sink cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaner, etc.- vinegar/water for windows, warm water or water/dish soap to clean counters.  Sometimes I use Bon Ami for scrubbing stains on counters as well as for heavy duty pan cleaning.  Floors- castile soap and water.  Toilet- castille soap.  Shower.... you guessed it!  Castille soap.  I have a spray bottle of Bac-Out for stains on carpet and upholstery.  When we steam cleaned the floors we used Bac Out.  I use baking soda/vinegar if needed for drains or for shower scrubbing. 
• Laundry detergent and other laundry products-  bac out or biokleen oxygen bleach for stains or stripping diapers, trader joes laundry powder for normal cleaning (and diapers).  
• Baby products: soaps, lotions, diaper cream, diapers, etc.  Earth Mama Angel Baby all around.  It's amazing, completely natural, all vegan stuff.  It's better than ANYthing I've tried. The bottom balm clears diaper rash in a matter of hours. Those ladies sure know their herbs! The Baby bottom balm is a great first aid ointment as well.  We don't use lotions.  We have Flip diapers and bumgenius 4.0s and some old 3.0s from DS1.  

[jbk21]

Christina tell me more about this "For the face I use 'cleansing grains' which I also make. "

 

[LunaLady]

Jaimee: I've tried this home made deodorant and it works well, my under arms are just too sensitive to BS.

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-make-your-own-deodorant.html

[LunaLady]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

Christina tell me more about this "For the face I use 'cleansing grains' which I also make. "

 

This is from a recipe in Rosemary Gladstar's The Family Herbal. It's excellent! A dry mix of clay, ground oats, ground herbs, etc. I'll pull out the recipe for you as soon as Rhyko is done nursing. 

[LunaLady]

Rosemary Gladstar's Miracle Grains

• 2 cups white (kaolin) clay
• 1 cup finely ground oats (I grind mine in a coffee grinder I use just for herbs)
• 1/4 cup finely ground almonds (I don't use almonds, I couldn't get them ground fine enough without turning into almond butter. I use apricot kernel meal and just use about 1/3 instead of 1/4)
• 1/8 cup finely ground lavender
• 1/8 cup finely ground rose petals
• 1/8 cup finely ground blue corn or poppyseeds (optional - I tired corn once and it was far too rough. So I don't add either of these things)

So just mix all these things up (and feel free to play and add more things! I sometimes add raw cocoa powder! That's fun  Or different clay types for your skin type) and store in an air tight jar. I keep it in the bathroom with a scoop and then just before my shower I scoop some into my palm and then make it into a paste in the shower. I massage it into my face and let it sit while I do everything else in the shower. I rinse it off just before I get out. Soft skin! This recipe makes a pretty decent amount and last me for many months. I only do this once a week or just when I feel I need it. 

The book says you can also mix it with honey for an even lovelier experience! 

I got all of my ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs.

[Jaimee]

Christina, you make your own soap, too?  My friend does that and uses it for everything including her shampoo.  Seems like to much of an undertaking for me, though!  Thanks for posting the deodorant and facial cleanser recipes!  I have all the ingredients for the deodorant already!!!  I just need a canister to keep it in.

J, can you post your deodorant recipe again?  And your oil cleansing routine for your face?  Now that I'm no longer pregnant, back come the random pimples.  ugh!  Thanks for the hair spray rec!

[LunaLady]

Oh, and I haven't tried... but I heard that mixing Aloe Vera in water in a spray bottle can be used as hairspray. 

[LunaLady]

Jaimee, making soap isn't very hard at all! And in one day you can make a batch that can last you 6 months or more! 

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

Jaimee, making soap isn't very hard at all! And in one day you can make a batch that can last you 6 months or more! 

Yeah, but you need thermometers, oils, molds, etc. Things I don't have and would have to purchase and invest in the process.  Maybe in a few years!  What has your experience been? 

Also, I like the pureness of Dr. Bronner's, but I'm annoyed by it in re-used hand soap pumps.  It clogs them up and solidifies at the tip so that the soap can't get out.  Any tips?  Can you add something to it to help this?
 

[LunaLady]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Yeah, but you need thermometers, oils, molds, etc. Things I don't have and would have to purchase and invest in the process.  Maybe in a few years!  What has your experience been? 

Also, I like the pureness of Dr. Bronner's, but I'm annoyed by it in re-used hand soap pumps.  It clogs them up and solidifies at the tip so that the soap can't get out.  Any tips?  Can you add something to it to help this?
 

For soap making I just bought a meat thermometer at Fred Meyer, oils from Mountain Rose Herbs (I use their refined coconut oil as a base for all my soaps) and for a mold I use silicone baking molds. All easy stuff! You should definitely try making soap sometime. Don't be daunted. It's very easy :)

I use Dr Bronner's in foaming pumps and spray bottles and I've never had a problem with it clogging. Are you doing too high of a dilution? Also, I use a pretty high dilution in our kitchen pumper (because I feel like I want to get my hands really clean there... I guess) but I also put a squirt of dish detergent in there, too, so maybe that helps? With the spray bottles I use one cap full of Dr Bronners in about... maybe four cups of water. OH - and I use essential oils in everything, too - maybe that keeps it from clogging? Not sure what I'm doing different, but I don't seem to have this clogging problem. 

[LunaLady]

J, what's your lip balm recipe? 

I've been using lanolin, but I'd love to find a lip balm recipe that works! I've tried a few and never been satisfied with them.

[Jaimee]

I actually don't dilute it at all.  Is that the problem?  It seems really thin as it is.  I try to make it easy for the kids and if it's practically running out b/c it's so liquidy, it's hard for them to figure out.  I have a foamer for them to help with this, but when it clogs, that's not helpful.  Maybe I'll try adding a drop of dish soap and some EO's.  How many drops of EO's would you put in a 8-12oz container? 4?   How much dish soap?

Does Mountain Rose herbs do co-ops?

[LunaLady]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I actually don't dilute it at all.  Is that the problem?  It seems really thin as it is.  I try to make it easy for the kids and if it's practically running out b/c it's so liquidy, it's hard for them to figure out.  I have a foamer for them to help with this, but when it clogs, that's not helpful.  Maybe I'll try adding a drop of dish soap and some EO's.  How many drops of EO's would you put in a 8-12oz container? 4?   How much dish soap?

Does Mountain Rose herbs do co-ops?

Oh, my! Yes - you should be diluting it. It's a super concentrated soap. It says on the bottle to dilute one capfull in a gallon of water for cleaning 

I do about 1/2 T in my foamer... which probably has about a 1 cup capacity. Then I put maybe... 1/2 t dish soap. And I put yes 4-5 drops of strong essential oils or 6-7 of lighter ones. I really like lavender and sweet orange! Right now we've got Jasmine and sweet orange; that's nice, too.

I don't think MRH does co-ops... I usually just try to keep a running list of everything I need and make big orders a couple times a year. I just feel like they have really great prices and have such wonderful values that I can justify the (sometimes crazy) shipping charges. Just a choice I make. I have an amazon prime membership and can get a lot of that stuff for cheaper in two days flat, but I trust MRH and I know so much about their company that I want to support them as much as I can. Currently I'm waiting on two gallons of coconut oil and some spices!! 

[jbk21]

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-homemade-lip-balm-125258  I love this lip balm- I use spearmint or peppermint EO to get that burt's bees flavor :-)  

http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2009/08/natural-homemade-deodorant/

You can play with the deo recipe and add more coconut oil or more cornstarch/less BS etc.  I do more cornstarch and less BS because it irritates my skin as is.  My DH likes the regular recipe though. In the summer it is pretty liquidy due to the coconut oil, so you can keep it in the fridge if you like.  Also, I melt it all together on the stove because I don't like my coconut oil to leave chunks :-)

Oops, I didn't know to dilute bronners either... Yikes!  Diluting now....

[jbk21]

Forgot to post about OCM. I would highly recommend reading up about it online first because different folks have tips and different oil recommendations and ratios, so I'd do some research before trying it.  I use about 1 part castor oil to 3 parts grapeseed oil (other recommended oils are jojoba, EVOO, sunflower seed, avocado, etc- there are lists online of recommended oils based on your skin type).  You only need a bit to clean- so the bottles of oil last FOREVER, seriously- especially the castor oil.  I've been doing it for a year and a half and have barely made a dent in my castor oil jar.  Rub the oils together in your hands to warm them a bit, then massage into face.  I mean *really* massage it in, especially on troublesome areas.  I often find that little blackheads or pimples will release IMMEDIATELY- I will feel a little "grain" as I massage and realize that's some hardened sebum (sorry, so gross) that's been released.  After you give it a good massage, run a washcloth under SUPER hot water, then place over face.  You want to "steam" your skin.  Lay back for a few minutes if you like.  I usually just stand there with my head tilted back until the cloth cools.  I look pretty silly.    You can repeat that with the hot cloth as many times as you like.  Then give your skin another good massage to release more of the gunk (I don't always do this).  Then use the washcloth (I usually re-wet it again with fresh water) to wipe off the oil.  Let your face dry or blot it with a dry cloth.  If it seems dry (YES it might totally seem too dry, even though you just washed with oil!) use just a dab of the oil mixture to moisturize.  I do this every night- it is great at removing makeup as well.  I then just rinse with water in the morning, and reapply a bit of oil if my skin is dry.  

You can adjust the ratio or types of oils (but keep the castor as that is the deep cleaner) to find what works best for you.  Something to note- DO NOT stray from this routine once you start it.  My skin is fairly sensitive and it took about a month or so for it to adjust to the new routine- which is normal- but now if I dare use any other cleanser- no matter how natural it is- my face will freak out. The chemicals in facial cleansers are just too much for it once you've switched to oil.  So if you "cheat", expect a breakout.  You have to commit to it :-)  It was interesting for me to read about how great of a cleanser oil is, but you are aware of that since you use bronners ;-).  It makes sense to use oil on your face so as not to trigger your skin to make more oil since traditional cleansers are so drying (and thus necessitate use of a moisturizer.)  I also love that it's SO CHEAP- is it just me or are facial cleansers and moisturizers RIDICULOUSLY spendy?

I've also read that you can use coconut oil as a moisturizer if your skin is very dry, like during the winter months.  

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 
Oh, my! Yes - you should be diluting it. It's a super concentrated soap. It says on the bottle to dilute one capfull in a gallon of water for cleaning 

  You know, the first time I filled the hand soap containers I tried to find the dilution ratio on the bottle but couldn't... so much writing on there and I'm always in a rush.  Sigh...  Thank you for letting me know!  My soap will last a lot longer!
 

Thanks, J, for posting about the OCM... I'll have to figure out what oils would be good for me.  Just google oil cleaning method, I assume?

[jbk21]

oil *cleansing method, yup!