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If you make your own, please help!

2K views 27 replies 22 participants last post by  Alvenchrst 
#1 ·
I am on a mission to eliminate all mass-market created, chemical-laden cleaning and beauty products from my home. When I decided to try to get pregnant, we purged our home completely of all caustic cleaning agents and all beauty supplies containing parabens, SLS, etc., threw out my plastic shower curtain, chucked furniture with old stuffing and list goes on and on - I followed the guidelines in "The Organic Pregnancy"

However, now that there is so much information out there on ingredients in products and ingredients in the containers that carry them, I feel like I've been duped. On a very small budget, I have been ordering expensive, organic and natural beauty and cleaning products from all over the world, that apparently not as organic, and natural as I thought.


So, if you make your own lotions, cleaning supplies, face wash or especially if you practice no-pooing, please help me get started. I know there have been lots of thread devoted to topics like this, but no matter how hard I try, I cannot make the search function work for me, so links to old threads would be fine.
 
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#2 ·
I clean with either vinegar and baking soda OR a mix of 1 tsp castille soap, 2 tsp TTO, and a gallon of water. I have been doing this for months and have yet to find something that required another cleaner. And, bonus!, it's super cheap


I used a 50/50 mix of EVOO and castor oil to clean my face for a long time (commonly known as the oil cleansing method or OCM). Then my skin was getting too dry and I switched to Cetaphil but now I've been breaking out again (after MONTHS of beautiful skin) so I'm going to switch back to the OCM again when I can get to the store. I don't know that it's necessarily cheaper than my water and Cetaphil routine but it is more natural.

I use unrefined virgin coconut oil for moisturizing everything but my face. Works better than anything I've tried so far and is cheaper than the lotions I was buying.
That's all I've got so far, I'm still a work in progress
:
 
#3 ·
First of all, I wanted to say that I think it's great that you're willing to provide a safe environment for your little one! Way to go mama!

I use almost the exact cleaner as Best Feeling and I love LOVE it! I don't have to worry about my little ones getting a hold of the bottle or rag while I'm cleaning, and there is no nasty chemical smell when I'm done cleaning!
I just cut my hair (I had long thick hair) and it's a lot easier to maintain! When I'm in the shower I either wash it (aubrey organics), rinse it with vinegar, wash it with my natural soap, or just get it wet and massage my scalp. My hair feels and looks great! For lotion I just use organic sesame seed oil. I love the smell and I rub myself down in the shower. For moisturizer (for my face) I use a little bit of my conditioner! I use Aubrey Organics and it works great! LOL. For washing my face I put a little bit of baking soda on my hand and together with a little suds from my bar soap I scrub my face! It's awesome! My skin hasn't been this clear in YEARS! I always feel so fresh when I come out of the shower! For deoderant I use either Funk Butter or a little alcholol with essential oils in a spray bottle. ANyhow, hope that helps!
 
#4 ·
For my facial routine I'm washing with raw honey (just spread it on and rinse or wipe it off). I use witch hazel as a toner and jojoba oil as a moisturizer on both my face and hair (and occasionally the rest of my skin). I figure this routine costs maybe $3 a month. It's taken me over a month to go through 4 oz. of honey. The $2 bottle of witch hazel will likely last a year and the $6 bottle of jojoba oil looks like it will last maybe 3 or 4 months.

Every few days I use some baking soda mixed with water to scrub my face in the shower. I also occasionally leave the honey on my skin for 10-20 minutes as a mask.

I wish I would have known about this when I was pregnant. It used to take the whole Proactive regime (not when I was pregnant of course) to get my skin this clear. I still have an occasional blemish but I can deal with that (leaving a drop of honey on the zit and covering it with a band aid over night tends to heal it up quickly).

I just started using baking soda as "shampoo" and apple cider vinegar as a rinse on my hair. We'll see how that goes but I have great hope.

I currently clean with baking soda and white vinegar. I have yet to find something that the combination won't handle.
 
#5 ·
Totally agree with everyone in regards to the cleaning supplies and no-pooing.
For face, I use jojoba oil as a moisturizer. I make my own chapsticks, and started making my own "lotion bar"

Chapsticks: coconut oil, beeswax, honey, shea butter
Lotion bar: Coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, almond oil, calendular oil, and some EO for whatever I feel like
 
#6 ·
Face wash: Raw Honey, rinsed with a green&white tea blend, rinsed with lukewarm water. Toned with 3 drops blended lavender&TTO, moisturized with either coconut oil or Earth's Best Every Day Lavender lotion.

Hair stuff: I'm a big fan of Lush products, using their shampoos and conditioners currently. Deep condition is either shea butter or coconut oil, left on overnight.

Cleaning: I have a whole bunch of homemade, natural cleaners. All made of baking soda, vinegar, various EO's (favorites are lavender, TTO, sweet orange, eucalyptus).
 
#7 ·
Cleaning: Nothing works better than distilled white vinegar, and it's cheap. The problem is that it's stinky. Spending money on essential oils for scenting helps some, but not enough to satisfy dh. I clean with it anyway because it works so well.

For REALLY tough jobs, mix liquid soap or hand dishwashing detergent with baking soda, scrub like heck, and rinse with vinegar.
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sphinxie View Post
It's so easy once you get the hang of it! Where do you want to start?
I guess I want to overhaul everything and that is why I am feeling overwhelmed! Here's what I already do:

1. I have always made my own general cleanser, but I used Murphy's oil soap, bleach and water. So, once that runs out I would like to make something else using castille soap, but need a recipe. I need something that I can make in big batches and have ready to use.

2. I recently scrapped all of my son's baby lotions and now make him massage oil using organic canola oil, organic EVOO, lavendar and tea tree essential oils. I have also started putting some of the canola oil in his bath. My family has a history of terrible eczema and I am pretty convinced he has inherited it.

3. I also scrapped my natural deodorant (which never worked) and make my own deodorant spray using witchhazel and essential oils.........we'll see how that one works.

4. Finally, for body wash and baby shampoo, we use only natural bar soap derived from vegetable sources that we get really cheap at Whole Foods for $1 per bar. We don't have one around here, so we stock up when we visit the in-laws.

So, where would I like to go from here:

1. Replace the murphy's and bleach in my cleaner.

2. Give no'poo a try. This is the big one!! I searched the threads here and have lots of recipes and guidelines, but I'm scared to dive in. I have very long, very thick hair and I'm nervous to break it off!! And, what about leave-in conditioner? Even using conventional shampoos and conditioners, I have always needed a leave-in conditioner to avoid dry, frizzy, icky hair.

3. Replace my expensive, organic face wash and lotions. Raw honey is difficult to get around here and very expensive. And, doesn't using oil on your face and body leave you feeling greasy?

4. What about dishwasher detergent.....can I make that myself?

Thanks so much for all your help and advice ladies! I'm feeling overwhelmed, but really excited to do this for myself and my family. And, I am hoping it will save me some money as well.
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronsMommy View Post
I guess I want to overhaul everything and that is why I am feeling overwhelmed!
Take it one step at a time


Quote:
1. I have always made my own general cleanser, but I used Murphy's oil soap, bleach and water. So, once that runs out I would like to make something else using castille soap, but need a recipe. I need something that I can make in big batches and have ready to use.

1. Replace the murphy's and bleach in my cleaner.
I have read that murphy's oil soap leaves a residue layer on top which is actually bad for floors. Don't quite remember the details though.

Check out the sticky. I use this recipe:

Quote:
Window/All Purpose/Deoderizer
by heldt123
I use this both at home and when cleaning timeshares. It is great for windows, mis. light cleaning, and deoderizing stale air (especially if there is smoke smell). The vinegar in there helps disenfect and eliminate odors. Once its dry...the vinegar smell is gone too.

2 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp dish soap or concentrated natural all purpose cleaner
Mix in a spray bottle

For tougher jobs like showers, just increase the amount of vinegar to 1/2 -3/4 cup

Quote:
3. I also scrapped my natural deodorant (which never worked) and make my own deodorant spray using witchhazel and essential oils.........we'll see how that one works.
There's a recipe floating around for a deodorant cream made with baking soda and oils or something. I use "funk butter" which is the same thing basically but made by this one company oyin. It works extremely well.

Quote:
2. Give no'poo a try. This is the big one!! I searched the threads here and have lots of recipes and guidelines, but I'm scared to dive in. I have very long, very thick hair and I'm nervous to break it off!! And, what about leave-in conditioner? Even using conventional shampoos and conditioners, I have always needed a leave-in conditioner to avoid dry, frizzy, icky hair.
If your hair is curly and thick, you'll probably want to use the curly girl method, which is conditioner and baking soda mixed, not the baking soda and water.

Quote:
3. Replace my expensive, organic face wash and lotions. Raw honey is difficult to get around here and very expensive. And, doesn't using oil on your face and body leave you feeling greasy?
If I didn't have access to honey I'd use cetaphil, but that's another product to buy. Honey is really my favorite. The oil cleansing method does work for most people, the idea is to really take the oil off with the damp washcloth. It sounds labor intensive to me though. Are you sure raw honey is hard to get? I have found that most honey sold here is raw, they just don't advertise it because most people don't know the difference.

Quote:
4. What about dishwasher detergent.....can I make that myself?
Check the sticky for that. I don't have a dishwasher, just a sink. I decided to keep using liquid detergent, although I think you can use baking soda and water instead.
 
#11 ·
I'm taking baby steps too
: but here are some of my favorites:

DEODORANT
I used Funk Butter by Oyin and loved it but felt that they charged too much for shipping. Now, I make my own thanks to an MDC mama. The recipe is as follows:

1 Tbs shea butter
1 Tbs coconut oil (I warm it up to make it liquid)
1 Tbs baking soda
1 Tbs cornstarch
Several drops of EO (the original recipe called for lavender but that gives me a headache so I use sweet orange and it smells very nice)

Mix it all together in a small bowl. Use a fork to work out any lumps. Pour into a 2 ounce container (I use the tin that my Funk Butter came in). Allow it to firm up (I put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to speed this along). Apply to pits and viola!

This recipe works great. My DH has yet to have a stinky day using this stuff!

ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
I use a modified version of a recipe from Clean House Clean Planet (an excellent book with tons of recipes).

32 oz spray bottle
30 oz purified water
3 Tbs Dr. Bronner's liquid castille soap
50 drops tea tree oil (I think)

Mix all ingredients together, spray on desired surface, wipe clean.

I use this instead of vinegar since DH can't stand the smell. I've also read that the acidity in vinegar can actually pit natural surfaces like granite, marble, and tile grout. The TTO ican the above recipe gives in a nice antiseptic quality. The original recipe called for more soap but I found that it was leaving too much soapy residue to I cut it back. If you have hard water, it's best to use purified water with this recipe as the minerals can inhibit the cleaning action of soap. I use this to clean my kitchen, bathroom, and almost anything else that needs a good wipe down!

MIRROR/WINDOW CLEANER
Again, another recipe from Clean House Clean Planet:

Spray bottle
Club Soda

Pour club soda into spray bottle. Spray on desired surface and wipe clean with a lint-free towel.

That's it! It works great and it's cheap! I use microfiber towels to clean. I bought a big pack on sale at Target from the automotive section which was waaaay cheaper that buying the towels that are marketed for actual cleaning.

ABRASIVE CLEANER
Baking soda

I use this to scrub my toilet bowl, bath tub, and kitchen sink. You have to rinse well. If you find that you're still getting a white haze, rinse with vinegar.

FACIAL CLEANER
I second the previous suggestions for honey. You can start with regular if you can't get your hands on raw. I found a farmer at our local farmer's market who sells raw honey and just buy it there. We just keep it in a squeeze bottle in the shower and wash like you would with soap. I also keep a glass spice shaker bottle of baking soda for exfolliation which I use about eveyr 3 days. I squeeze some honey into the palm of my hand, shake in some baking soda, gently scrub and rinse. Even my DH who's a "man's man" and certainly not crunchy swears by this method (though it did take some convincing to get him to try it).

LAUNDRY
I haven't gotten around to making my own but have been really pleased with Charlie's Soap. It's natural, cheap, and it works. I completely ditched dryer sheets and instead use distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener tray of our washer. If you don't have a tray in your washer, just use the Downy ball. DH doesn't notice the vinegar smell on anything but our towels but a couple drops of EO took care of the problem. FWIW, I can NEVER smell it but my DH has a crazy sense of smell.

HAND SOAP
I purchased a container of Target brand foaming hand soap, poured out the contents, cleaned it, and then made my own soap with the following recipe:

4/5 purified water
1/5 Dr. Bronner's liquid soap

Mix and use.

I just eyeballed it, there were no exact measurements. I have found that the soap tends to settle at the bottom of the container over time but will remix just fine with a little gentle agitation.

MAKEUP
I switched over to mineral makeup. There's co-ops for Sheer Miracles mineral makeup here on MDC fairly regularly. I've been pretty happy with their product so far. I remove my eye makeup with organic coconut oil and, on the rare occasion that I wear foundation, I just wash with honey. I don't put coconut oil anywhere else on my face because it makes me break out. I'm still looking for a good natural facial moisutizer with SPF in it.

DISHWASHER
I have yet to find a homemade recipe that works. Most of the natural commercial brands don't work that well IMO. I think I've heard the best things about Ecover, but only the tablets.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. As far as cleaning goes, I found Clean House Clean Planet to be the most helpful. Everything else I learned here on MDC!
It's so easy to get overwhelmed. Try to just take one thing at a time. Good luck!
 
#12 ·
I'm having really good luck with BioKleen dish washing powder. We have soft water so I just use 2 t. instead of the recommended 1 T. (I actually use a scoop from an old bag of Charlie's). My dishes come out nice and clean.
 
#13 ·
So, I dove in and tried the no-poo last night and it worked pretty well. I don't feel greasy or oily


I do have a question about the ACV though. Do you spray it on full strength or dilute it? And then what? I used my organic Giovanni conditioner, but is there a more natural alternative?
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronsMommy View Post
I do have a question about the ACV though. Do you spray it on full strength or dilute it? And then what? I used my organic Giovanni conditioner, but is there a more natural alternative?
Dilute it. Ten parts water one part ACV is a good place to start, then make it more or less depending on what suits your hair. Spray or pour it in your hair and then don't rinse it out with water; just dry it like that. (I like to pour it in before I soap up, so my hair has time to slightly dry and let the vinegar evaporate.)
 
#20 ·
Ok here is what I do:

Laundry: I make a powdered mix containing borax, oxy clean, grated castille soap (like Kirks or Dr. Bronners) and baking soda. When I run out or don't feel like making a batch I usually buy Ecover powder. I use vinegar in fabric softener compartment of the washer if I feel I need it. Balls of aluminum foil work well in the dryer for static.

General cleaning: I use a mix of 2C. water, 1/4 C. Vinegar and 1/2 tsp. Dr. Bronners sal suds. I put that into a spray bottle.

Mirrors and Windows: microfiber cloth

Dishwasher: I tried to make my own for a while and it didn't work too well. Some of the areas on the racks started to corrode and rust. I use Seventh Generation free and clear powder.. white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment.

Facial Stuff: I wash with local honey and moisturize w/ virgin unrefined coconut oil (it does not make me break out or feel greasy, but I'm sure it's different for everyone) I use a very small amount. You can use any honey btw...raw is best though.

Shampoo: I successfully no-poo'd for several months before giving up
It worked great for several months, then I ran into major problems. I use Aveda or Desert Essence Organics now.

Deodorant: I use thai crystal and it works great for me.
 
#21 ·
I'm not a fan of natural cleaners (I clean houses, and find the natural stuff doesn't clean well).

However, I do make my own hand scrub, and bath salts.

For hand scrub I use a mix of sugar and olive oil (grapeseed oil works too). It is awesome. It works as a body scrub too.

Bath salts are just a mix of sea salt, Epsom Salt, whatever essential oil I want, and food colouring. (and of course, the food colouring is optional).
 
#22 ·
For my home, I use white vinegar and baking soda for everyting. To clean my counters, my bathrooms, my laundry, my dishes..... I use a cup of BS in my washer for laundry and a cup of vinegar in the bleach dispenser with a few drops of tea tree oil. Or lavender oil. For the dishwasher I just fill both cups with BS and dump a cup of WV in the bottom of the dishwasher. For handwashing I use the same two products, soaking them in the BS in water for a bit before to soften hardened on food. For my hair I use the no poo method and I do a treatment with honey that I leave on for 5 minutes a couple times a week to tame frizzies. For windows and other glass surfaces I use WV with lavender oil to offset the odor and diluted in water. I make a baby oil massage oil for my kiddos using lavender oil and olive oil. So, literally EVERYTHING and everyone in my home gets clean with baking soda, white vinegar , apple cider vinegar, lavender oil and tea tree oil and honey! Very cheap and my hoem is sparkling! (and thsi is comingfrom a person who has OCD and is pretty darn obsessive with cleanliness and disinfecting)
 
#23 ·
Here's how I do things:

Laundry: 7th generation laundry liquid, with powdered non-cholorine bleach added to some loads. For pre-treating stains, I use ivory bar soap (moistened, rubbed onto the stained spot before washing.) For really stubborn stains, I use the non-cholorine bleach, made into a liquid and applied with an old toothbrush. For hand washing, I use a few drops of laundry liquid.

Mirrors and windows: distilled vinegar diluted in water in a spray bottle. This bottle also works as a deodorizing spray in the bathroom (or wherever else it's needed.)

Dishes: 7th generation dish liquid for hand washing, and 7th generation powder for the dishwasher. I also use Bon Ami for stubborn baked-on stuff.

Stovetop: spray bottle of "all purpose cleaner" (dish soap and water). I also use this for countertops. I occasionaly use baking soda or Bon Ami for something really bad on the stove or counter.

Floors: mop with diluted dish soap or vinegar, or a mixture of the two.

Hand washing: bottle of liquid hand soap from Trader joe's.

Shower: assortment of bar soaps from Trader Joe's and/or health food store. I use the same thing on my face as my body.

Hair: the kids use suave coconut shampoo and conditioner (baby steps here, they grew up using commercial products, these at least are free of parabens and synthetic colors.)

I wash my hair with baking soda and rinse with vinegar.

1) wet hair
2) moisten some BS in my hand to make a paste
3) scrub my scalp with the BS paste
4) repeat steps 2 and 3 if needed
5) rinse hair
(I usually then wash my body with soap and then rinse before moving onto the next step)
6) pour a little vinegar into my pint sized wash cup, then fill with water and pour over my head. Then fill cup with plain water and rinse again.

I come out of the shower and use a rock crystal deodorant before I dry off, and I use coconut oil on my body while it's still damp, as a moisturizer. I also have some hand lotion from the HFS (Kiss My Face brand at the moment) if I feel I need more moisturizing during the day- plain coconut oil doesn't work well on dry skin.

DD1 has a collection of less natural stuff for her own personal use.
 
#25 ·
i have found that mi skin's condition, pimples, is connected with my diet. Something I refused to believe most of my life. I am currently gluten free (my and my nursing son's allergy), chocolate free (my son's allergy) and lower in sugar. When I have any of these( sugar in excess), my skin breaks out.

I have been able to reduce my face care to washing with only hot water in the morning using a wash cloth. The wash cloth is necessary for exfoliation. When my sugar consumption is low, my skin is glowing.

I would like to go back to using cvo again once a month, that would help with the clogged pores I have left.
 
#26 ·
For general cleaning and mopping I use:
1 part vinegar
3 parts water
6 drops lavender oil
4-6 drops lemon oil

For glass and disinfecting:
half vinegar
half water
few drops lemon oil

For tooth cleaning:
6T baking soda
1T salt
few drops wintergreen or peppermint oil

For mouth rinse:
Hydrogen peroxide, your teeth will be white and gums super healthy too!

For face wash:
I don't. I use coconut oil or plain water only. It didn't make a real difference at first but now my skin is truly better. The soaping on a face causes grease spots as the skin tries to rebalance moisture. The only time I use soap is right around my mouth area if something got me really in need of soaping.

For body soap:
Ivory or a WAHM one, vegetable glycerine are best i believe

For shampoo:
I have a recipe that uses pure castile soap and chamomile tea but I am currently doing a no shampoo thing with my hair and I am in my third week. I am going to do half cider vinegar half water mix and leave on for an hour then rinse out next week. I may do that once a week or so.

For moisturizing purposes of any kind, including baby's bum:
coconut oil

For insect bites, acne, etc:
Tea tree oil (dilute with another oil if you would use it on a baby)

For fabric softener that isn't toxic:
half vinegar (or you can use even less vinegar like a fourth i believe)
half water
20 drops lavender oil
few drops lemon oil(optional)

For bathtubs:
sprinkle baking soda
mist with vinegar
watch the foam fizzies, then scrub! such fun and the kids love to see it!

I buy dishsoap at the health food store because I haven't mastered making that yet. I will be making my own laundry soap soon.
 
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