I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but just so happens that this year I’m determined to cut out as many chemicals in my life as I possibly can. It’s really harder than you think, in today’s world.
Our skin absorbs most anything that touches it–just like if you swallowed it. YUK! If you think of the skin that way, you’d be more careful about what you came in contact with. This makes one think about everything that we use each day to keep ourselves “beautiful” and “presentable”. Read the labels and if you wouldn’t swallow it, don’t put it on your skin!
First I got rid of the antiperspirant deodorant. This has been a little challenging, but I’m managing. I haven’t made my own deodorant yet, but am using Tom’s brand until I get the time to make a batch from several recipes I’ve gathered. The antiperspirant part of deodorant isn’t good for us, nor is the aluminum, so I’m doing something different. It doesn’t keep you from sweating, but if you keep your pits clean it’s not that difficult.
Shampoo. I’ve made a batch of shampoo bars. A little more difficult to use, but I really like how my hair feels when I wash it. It’s just a recipe with coconut, palm, kukui nut, olive oil, and a few other things in it. At least I can pronounce everything that’s in there.
Next comes the conditioner. The last bottle of conditioner I had, I threw the bottle away. Now I just rub a squirt or two of sweet almond oil into my hands and work it through my hair and it works just fine.
I have naturally wavy/curly/thick hair and I don’t curl or style or color it so these natural remedies are perfect for me. Really, I’d say they would work for anyone who wanted them to work, whether blow dry, hot curlers, or curling iron.
Body lotion went away as well. I found a recipe for solid lotion bars that I could scent with my most favorite smell in the world—Patchouli–and that’s what I’ve been moisturizing with. The bars work really well because it melts with the heat of my skin (lotion was always cold) and it feels really good!
Handmade soap has been a staple in my household for about 20 years now, and patchouli is my favorite. My kids, although grown and gone now, still appreciate a gift of homemade patchouli soap for birthdays and Christmas. I can also pronounce everything that is in the soap recipe.
The latest addition to my anti-chemical arsenal has been a reverse-osmosis water filter for the kitchen sink. Many years ago I had one and loved it. The filter makes water taste like….well…..nothing! What water is supposed to taste like.
The next target is homemade toothpaste and deodorant. It’s really scary when you start looking at all the ingredients that are put in the things we eat/use every day. It almost seems like a plot against the health of the human race……
Wild Things Farm 