homemade deodorant and face scrub

i've been excited to post this deodorant recipe for a while, but wanted to be sure it stood the test of sweaty days before i did. well, john is back to slaving working as a union electrician lifting pipes and digging trenches under the warm sun, and he comes home with pits smelling as sweet as a lemon drop!=)

for all you skeptical sweaty bettys (or eddies), this stuff really works! it's as good as, if not better, than any commercial brand out there. it almost works too good, so i just use it when i'm going out. i like to let my pits breathe.=)

this recipe came from the lovely passionate homemaking site:

Homemade Natural Deodorant

Ingredients:

5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Combine equal portions of baking soda and arrowroot powder. Then slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon until it maintains the substance you desire. It should be about the same texture as the store bought kind, solid but able to be applied easily. You can either scoop this into your old dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use. After applying the product, you can just rub the remains into your hands as a lotion! This recipe lasts about 3 months for two people with regular daily use.

kelli's notes: some are reporting an itchy rash from this deodorant. if you have sensitive skin, i suggest halving the recipe and spot-testing one underarm.

edit: using less baking soda, about 2-3 tablespoons, also helps with the itchiness. 

if your coconut oil is too solid, simply warm it up by placing the jar in a dehydrator or warm water. coco oil melts at around 76° F.

to make a scented deodorant, add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil. i used lemongrass and love how fresh and clean it smells. rose and lavender also make for nice scents.

***

i've ditched most of the chemical-laden beauty products and simply use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with some dried lavender and a little warm water for washing my face.

since i've stopped using commercial face soaps, my face doesn't get dry like it used to. in the winter months, i moisturize the rare dry spots with a dab of organic virgin coconut oil or vitamin e.

since we're all adults here, i also want to share a little secret i learned from first magazine - coconut oil makes a great chemical-free lube. it really does! throw that ky crap out and put a little container of coco oil in your bed stand. you can thank me later ;)

wise words to live by: don't put anything on your skin you wouldn't eat.

i tried to go 'poo-free for a few months but felt a tad too greasy. i was washing my hair every few days with baking soda and rinsing with apple cider vinegar. it didn't work for me at the time, but i'm willing to try again. anyone else 'poo-free?

in the meantime, i'd like to find dr. bronner's soap and try lindsay's homemade shampoo recipe. i'll let you know how it works for me. if you use a homemade shampoo recipe, please share!=)

this week's re-cap

hi bloggies! i'm glad many of you found the previous post helpful. anyone give the coco oil a try? =)

lindsay from passion homemaking has asked me to post the link for the updated homemade deodorant recipe. it's pretty much the same thing, just more coconut oil.

some of you wanted to know why i add lavender to my baking soda face scrub. originally it was added because i have a lavender plant and love the scent.

after some research i found that lavender balances the production of oils, stimulates cell growth, and has anti-fungal and anit-bacterial properties to prevent acne. then i learned that the latin word for lavender is lavare, which means to wash! how 'bout that?!

***

seeing green

during a trip to natural health i picked up some discounted wheatgrass, among lots of other goodies. (all the green tags mean discounted.)

since i don't own a juicer i blended the wheatgrass with some water and strained through a nut milk bag.

wheatgrass ceiling art

this is what happens when you forget the middle piece of the vita mix lid!

(for those unfamiliar with the many health benefits of wheatgrass, you can read excerpts from the wheatgrass book by ann wigmore here.) 

the result was almost 2 quarts diluted wheatgrass juice. i added some to our morning smoothie and to biggie's food. i'm not crazy about the taste so i took shots of the rest.

speaking of biggles, i had a phone consult with a homeopathic vet today. after i digest all the information he gave me, i will do a post to share what i learned from the phone call and a new book i've been reading, dr. pitcairn's complete guide to natural health for dogs and cats.

 this is the feed-me face i wake up to every morning. she means business!

***

raw soup was on the menu almost every night. since i was out of ripe avocado, i came up with a variation of jennifer cornbleet's cream of cucumber soup, posted by the lovely joanna on the raw freedom community forum.

2 small cucumbers, chopped
2 chard or collard leaves
small handful basil or cilantro
small handful cashews
1 garlic clove
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 to 2/3 C. hot water (depending on how creamy you'd like it)

mix all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. this recipe serves two.

we like to top our raw soups with wakame and chia seeds.

chia seeds are also great on salads. (we're going through our 2 pound prize quick!)

this was a yummy meal of gluten-free rice vermicelli with cooked veggies. our days are pretty raw up until dinner, where about half our dinners include cooked foods.

we love rice vermicelli, but i would like to get back into making zucchini pasta. i'm using the fact that john works outside in the chilly weather and wants to come home to a warm meal as an excuse, but i won't be able to use that one in the summer!=)

i've found that i really enjoy the combination of cooked asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes. nom nom nom. the meal below was scrumptious! (again on a bed of rice vermicelli and topped with lemon and gina's hemp-esan)

***

our desserts have been mostly raw. when we want something sweet, quick and easy, we grab medjool dates or fresh fruit.

when i'm feeling a lil spunky i'll whip up a frozen treat in the food processor or vita mix, like...

evergreen's cinnamon roll soft-serve

or 

a vanilla milkshake

to make i blended 3 frozen bananas, about one tablespoon vanilla water, and a small handful of cashews, then topped with blueberries. mmm!=)

***

so what are your plans for the weekend?

saturday we have yet another religious family obligation function (a communion). i'm happy that we'll get to see our nieces and nephews. sunday we're going to a vegan potluck brunch (yay!). i'm thinking of making chocolate avocado pudding or a raw raspberry cheesecake. we'll see if i get my butt to the store in time! =)

have a happy friday!!!

yoga cups

happy 4-20!

=)

the farmer's almanac garden calendar marks today as a good one for starting flower gardens, so after i amend the the trench johnny boy dug with compost, peat moss, and vermiculite, i'll be planting seeds and tubers on this gorgeous spring day. 

soon enough we'll be admiring sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, and wildflowers along that boring white fence. *keeping my fingers crossed*

***

in my last post i briefly mentioned the treats i made with averie's nut butter filled caramel bites recipe. 

well they were so stinkin' good, i just had to have them again! this time i made them in muffin cups and took pics of the process. 

first, i made averie's easy raw vegan caramels recipe by processing dates, cashews, walnuts, and vanilla water. (averie's recipe called for pine nuts but i didn't have any so i used half cashews/half walnuts.)

next i made heathy's basic dark chocolate recipe from her just desserts ebook. this is the BEST chocolate i have made, and i am wondering why my dodo brain didn't think of trying her recipe sooner?!

anyway, the muffin liners got about a teaspoon of the perfect raw chocolate, and i spooned some up the edges, about 1/3 of the way up the cup. i let the chocolate set in the freezer a few minutes...

spread a layer of caramel

a layer of almond butter

then topped it all off with another teaspoon of chocolate.

divine! these babies are best eaten straight from the freezer. (note: for easy peeling, grease the muffin cups first with coconut oil.)

thank you, averie and heathy, for creating and sharing two most delicious recipes!

i've decided to name these decadent treats Yoga Cups 1) for the two yoga goddesses, averie and heathy, and 2) because yoga means union, and these cups are quite the harmonious combination of chocolate, nut butter, nuts, and dried fruit.

~*~

enjoy your day, and stay tuned for an easy homemade deodorant recipe that really works!