RawFoodBlog

Quick, Easy, Homemade Deodorant…that Actually Works — Apartment Therapy Tutorial

Most homemade toothpaste recipes require ingredients like baking soda (acts as a mild abrasive), hydrogen peroxide (3%) topical solution (kills germs), fine sea salt (antibacterial and teeth whitening properties), coconut oil, xylitol (prevents tooth decay), stevia, essential oils, and so on.

Besides, you can also add dried herbs, orange rind, lemon rind, pure vitamin C powder, etc. All these ingredients are easily available and safe to use.

Some recipes also use glycerin, but it is better to avoid using including it as glycerin tends to coat your teeth and prevents remineralization, which in turn, tends to weaken your teeth gradually.

Check out the following video showing how to make a bentonite clay toothpaste.

Thus, when looking for an inexpensive and safer alternative to your usual toothpaste laden with toxic chemicals and controversial ingredients such as fluoride and saccharin.

Conventional toothpastes mostly contain sodium fluoride which can contribute in cancer, cardiac failure, and respiratory failure.

Plus, Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS), another common ingredient is harmful as it is carcinogenic. Besides, it is associated with reproductive and developmental problems.

Top 6 Homemade Toothpastes

www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com offers a quick and easy recipe for preparing your own toothpaste at home.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/drop-decade-your-face?fb_comment_id=fbc_420141474706131_4244838_423808241006121#f155a8c724

Take 10 years off your face today with these easy and effective Oz-approved secrets.

Secret #1: Vitamin C

Vitamin C is critical for your body and plays an important role in maintaining healthy, resilient skin. While young skin is full of vitamin C, aging skin naturally loses this nutrient over time. Other factors like exposure to UV light, pollutants and cigarette smoke compound the decline of vitamin C, contributing to signs of aging. The good news is that you can fight back by replenishing your skin’s vitamin C levels to help to combat and even reverse time’s effect on your face.

See 3 more pages of excellent ideas

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8017/10-ways-to-use-tea-tree-essential-oil-for-health-beauty-cleaning.html

10 Ways To Use Tea Tree Essential Oil For Health, Beauty & Cleaning

By Jessica Cooper

Tea tree oil comes from the evergreen leaves of the Australian Melaleuca alternifolia tree. It has been known for its healing and disinfecting properties for over a century and a wealth of scientific evidence¹ exists to support its effectiveness. It is one of nature’s finest antibiotics because it is so effective at killing bacteria.

Health and Beauty Uses:

1. Aromatherapy

Use a drop or two of the oil on a warm washcloth and inhale to treat colds, viruses, coughs, sunburn, toothaches, or problems caused by bacteria.

2. Acne

Avoid using those expensive, unnatural, chemical-ridden acne treatments. Dab a drop of tea tree oil on a damp cotton ball or q-tip and apply to trouble spots. Make sure you dampen your applicator with water; do not use the tea tree oil alone, as it would be too potent on your delicate skin. You don’t want to deal with super dry spots on top of acne. However, mixed with water, your blemishes will be significantly reduced in a day… and, naturally.

3. Dandruff

Tea tree oil is very effective against dandruff. It’s amazing that it can be used to combat acne, which is thought of as an oil issue, and dandruff, which is viewed as a dryness issue. To combat against dandruff, the key is the mix of oil to shampoo. Use 5% tea tree oil to shampoo. About 3-4 drops of oil into a whole bottle of your natural, scentless shampoo should do the trick. Do not put the oil directly onto scalp.

4. Nail infections

Have a hangnail or a nail irritation? Dabbing a bit of oil onto the nail will act as an antibacterial but without causing irritation to the skin.

5. Sinus infections

Tea tree oil is antiviral and antibacterial, making it great for any sort of infection of the respiratory system. Boil water and add a few drops of tea tree oil to the water. After removing the pot from heat, put a towel over your head and breathe in for 10-15 minutes.

Cleaning Uses:

6. General tea tree oil cleaning spray

You get the gist: Anything that needs disinfecting, cleaning, or balancing can benefit from tea tree oil. Combine 4-5 drops of oil with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Use to clean household surfaces like countertops and kitchen floors.

7. Household antiseptic spray

Similar to above, but add double the drops (10 drops of oil) to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle for tough areas like the bathroom and sink. Even use to clean the bottoms of shoes for an antibacterial purpose.

8. Mold remover

Use the concentration of antiseptic spray in #7 above, and spray on moldy areas, but do not wipe up or rise. Let it sit and it will take care of any problems.

9. Laundry detergent

Add 3-4 drops of oil to your detergent for mold-prone items like chunky sweaters and wool. Tea tree oil is a powerful mold fighter.

10. Air freshener

To make your own essential oil gel air freshener, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of clear gelatin powder, tea tree oil, a ½ cup of hot water, and clean, clear jars of your choice.

Stir together and heat the clear gelatin powder, approximately 20 drops of essential oil, and the water. Pour the liquid into clean jar(s) once the gelatin has melted. Put the jars in the refrigerator until the gel has set.

When purchasing: Make sure you purchase oil that comes in a dark glass bottle to ensure that the light does not reduce the oil’s potency.

One more note, never ingest the oil orally.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7612/why-you-should-put-down-that-conditioner-and-use-coconut-oil-instead.html

Why You Should Put Down That Conditioner! (And Use Coconut Oil Instead)

By Elizabeth Rocchino

If you’re looking for a deep hair conditioner that’s chemical-free, look no further than virgin coconut oil. It’s one of the best hair conditioners and if it’s virgin and organic, it’s chemical free and natural.

Coconut oil is one of the best natural treatments for hair. It’s been used by indigenous people around the world, from South America, Africa, India and Asia.

It brings back the softness to your hair thanks to its bountiful medium chain triglycerides (or fatty acids).

While other conditioners work from the outside in, coconut oil is able to work from the inside out. It’s an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair as it stimulates blood circulation in the scalp. Here’s why.

Coconut oil keeps your hair full (and won’t make it fall out).

It’s well established that coconut oil is high in antioxidants, which helps to prevent free radical damage to the body, including heat and environmental damage.

Most conditioners on the market use processed vegetable oils that actually create free radicals and are completely stripped of their original antioxidant power, causing hair to lose protein and fall out over time. One of the reasons behind hair loss is microbial action on the scalp and hair roots.

So, to protect hair against them, what we need is an antimicrobial agent. Lauric acid in Coconut Oil is one of them. It’s basically a triglyceride which yields a monoglyceride called Monolaurin, an excellent antimicrobial.

Coconut oil provides relief from dandruff.

Coconut oil nourishes the scalp because the oil is a natural antifungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial and has soothing properties. It can also offer relief from dandruff conditions. Dandruff is often caused by an internal fungal condition that reaches the scalp, called candida overgrowth. With regular use, coconut oil can kill the fungus in the scalp and dandruff issues can be eliminated. Then, you can say get rid of chemically oriented dandruff shampoos that add to your body’s toxic burden of chemicals.

Coconut oil is readily absorbed into the skin and when applied to the scalp, it is absorbed into the blood for a quick dose of a powerful natural antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial which builds immunity. For additional benefits, the oil can be applied to the entire body instead of using chemical-based lotions. Just apply a teaspoon or two from head to toe after your shower, rub it in, and let it absorb a few minutes before toweling off.

Coconut oil provides deep conditioning.

Coconut oil’s fatty acids have a unique molecular structure that penetrates easily into the hair shaft. A hair is just like a hose or a tube. It is hollow from inside. Coconut oil fully penetrates this hollow space (the hair shaft).

This allows the nourishing oil to penetrate your hair’s shaft – and literally brings deep conditioning from within reducing the loss of internal moisture.

For deep hair conditioning, use a teaspoon or two on damp hair and leave it in as long as possible. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature so warm it to liquefy it. Make sure to massage the scalp to allow blood circulation. Once you have saturated all of your hair, wrap a towel or something around your head and leave it for one to two hours to see results right away.

Then fully rinse you hair and wash with shampoo. Note that coconut oil can stain fabric, so be sure to protect your clothes and bedding if sleeping with it on your head overnight. This deep conditioning can be done as often as once a week and you may need to wash your hair a couple times to remove all of it.

Published February 1, 2013 at 4:02 PM

About Elizabeth Rocchino

Here are some fabulous homemade lipstick and lip gloss recipes

You can find a wonderful and detailed recipe for making natural lipstick at home at soapqueen.com. It is a recipe for sheer lipstick that includes ingredients like beeswax, grapeseed oil, wheatgerm oil, lip safe mica, and zinc oxide (optional).

Besides, there are two more posts on the site: Lipstick making – ingredients & melting, and Lipstick Making – Mixing Colors and Testing giving a complete description of the procedure.

If you want an easier recipe then try homemade lip stain/balm recipe from www.howdoesshe.com.

It uses a combination of natural ingredients such as coconut oil, sweet almond oil, vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, peppermint extract, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

These ingredients keep your lips soft and moisturized. Moreover, pure vitamin E works as a natural preservative. Thus, this organic lip gloss can last for about two months.

You shall find another simple yet inexpensive lip gloss recipe at www.cheekykitchen.com.

The procedure involves melting grated beeswax and adding coconut oil, jojoba oil, and cranberry juice. The resultant lipstick is a beautiful glossy translucent pink in color.

If you are fond of natural tinted lip balms rather than lipsticks, you can try the recipe provided at Wellness Mama.

It can be made from natural ingredients such as organic coconut oil, beeswax pastiles, and shea butter/cocoa butter.

You can add natural red food coloring or beet root powder, too. The site also includes a detailed procedure for preparing natural lipstick (with color variants).

At wikiHow, there is a step by step guide to help you make your own lipstick at home using healthy substances like castor oil, jojoba oil, beeswax, candelilla wax, and shea butter.

The recipe can be used to get the lipstick in two popular colors- Cinnamon Girl and Bella Rosa. You can also find recipe for homemade lip gloss, here.

You can get more tips and information about making your own organic lipstick at Skin Care Recipes and Remedies website. Plus, if you want to experiment with more ingredients, you can get a basic recipe from www.pvsoap.com.

Furthermore, those of you who are interested in homemade lipsticks in different shades but are not particularly intent on organic recipes may include chunks of lipstick and shimmery eye shadows in the recipes. For instance, you can find one such recipe at www.deliacreates.com.

Read more about 7 Fabulous Homemade Natural Lipsticks at Speedyremedies.com

http://www.doctoroz.com/quiz/ayurvedic-skin-type-find-your-dosha

Coconut Lime Natural Deodorant

http://www.radiancecentral.com/2013/01/18/coconut-lime-deodorant-recipe-ep41/

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil (Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed, Organic) (anti-bacterial)

2 Tbsp Baking Soda (Aluminum-free, you can buy it at a health food store) (abosrbs oil and moisture)

6 Drops Lime Essential Oil (I recommend Living Libations Essential Oils) ( or lavender, any Eo  of choice)

1 Small glass jar with lid to store the deodorant
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well into a paste.

- Store deodorant in a glass jar in the bathroom (doesn’t need to be refrigerated).

* You can always use a different essential oil to your liking (lavender, jasmine, peppermint, vanilla, etc..).

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6976/10-Natural-Ways-to-Get-Beautiful-Right-Now.html

10 Natural Ways to Get Beautiful Right Now

By Katrine van Wyk

Looking your best doesn’t have to be expensive or unnatural. Here are 10 easy ways to get beautiful, naturally, right now:

1. Dry-skin brush

Use a bristled brush and stroke your skin while still dry a few mornings a week before you shower. This simple morning routine increases circulation of lymph and blood and removes dead skin cells! You’ll get glowing, smooth and touch-worthy skin, guaranteed.

2. Sauna

Sweating is good for us and a dry sauna helps the body excrete toxins. The skin is one of the body’s elimination organs and when we allow it to breath by removing dead cells (dry skin brush) and sweat it can do its job a lot better.

3. Exercise

Get the blood flowing with some kind of exercise of your choice. It will bring color to your skin and the increased amount of endorphins and confidence looks good on you! Include some exercises like Pilates or yoga for good posture. Hold your head high, be present and smile – you are beautiful!

4. Have sex

After an orgasm your body gets flooded with the feel-good hormone endorphin and growth hormones that make you look and feel young. That’s right – these hormones help wipe out damage from sun and stress. The deep breathing you experience during sex also increases your oxygen intake and decreases stress. So go forth!

5. Green Juice

A green juice is like a loaded liquid multi vitamin! Cucumber is hydrating, especially for your skin, and the greens are alkalizing and aid the body’s detoxification process. Try this as your one-a-day multi and see what happens.

6. Eat fat and make an oil change

We need god fats to maintain a skin that’s well hydrated – that stays plump, dewy and wrinkle free. Eat avocados, salmon, chia seeds, sardines and coconut oil and ditch the processed oils (canola, sunflower, corn, soy etc.) – they are much more likely to oxidize and cause inflammation in the body – and is therefor not a beatifying food at all.

7. Get a shower filter

Our body absorbs what we put on it – and that goes for the water we bath and shower in too! There is added chlorine in all our tap water today. Chlorine dries out the skin and can even cause rashes and itchiness. Get a shower filter that filters out chlorine and other chemicals from you water. Your skin will thank you!

8. Lather your skin with oils

Avoid the toxic perfumes, parabens and additives and lather your skin up with 100% pure oils like coconut, jojoba, argan oil and Shea butter. Jojoba oil is especially great for oily skin as it help balance out the skins natural occurring oils.

9. Eat the rainbow

Fruit and vegetables with bright colors are also high in antioxidants that help fight free radicals in out body. Free radicals are a main source of aging for our skin and body, so beat it at the cause with natural foods, not with fillers and expensive topical magic potions.

10. Cut the sugar

By now you’ve probably heard that sugar is toxic and can lead to a range of chronic diseases. But it also causes inflammation, which make you age faster, cause wrinkles and even acne. Stick to fruits and sweet vegetables as your main sources of sweetness. (Bonus: you’ll get all those good antioxidants in too!

Published November 29, 2012 at 7:43 AM

About Katrine van Wyk
Katrine van Wyk came to New York as a model from Norway six years ago. She left the industry soon after to complete her studies. A personal journey in challenging the conventional wisdom about dieting and nutrition led her to becoming a holistic health coach. Katrine, in rejecting one single dietary solution, uses practical coaching methods to discover what works best for her client’s health and lifestyle. She uses a holistic approach to wellness and nutrition that is more rewarding and way more fun. Working with Katrine you’ll discover what healthy means for you — absolutely no deprivation, starvation or guilt.

Katrine is a graduate from Oslo University, the New School and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is also a Certified Holistic Practitioner by the AADP and RYT200 Yoga Teacher.