One of the most widely used products in skin care products is petrolatum, also known as petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly works by coating the skin and preventing moisture loss; it is not itself a moisturizer. Because it is a by-product of the oil industry, I prefer to use alternatives to petroleum jelly to soften my skin.Continue Reading
From Plantain Leaf to Healing Balm
What’s So Great About Plantain Leaf
You’ve seen plantain all your life. You’ve stepped on it without even noticing it. According to Katrina Blair in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, plantain grows everywhere in the world where humans live.
Plantain is both edible and medicinal. We’ll focus here on the medicinal properties and its amazing ability to heal skin. I’ve used it effectively to soothe eczema, severely chapped lips, and rashes, and it can help with so much more.Continue Reading
Basic Soap Making: How to Make Soap
I’ve been making soap for a few years, but have shied away from writing a post on how to make soap because I do not ever make anything more than the most basic recipe.
My main reason for soap making is that I am sensitive to most scents in soaps, including some essential oils. And a scent-free soap like Ivory dries my skin because they remove the glycerine from it, and it’s made from tallow from factory-farmed cows. No thank you.Continue Reading
DIY Shampoo Bars
I’m sure you’ve heard of the no-poo method of shampooing – wash with baking soda and water, rinse with apple cider vinegar. I’ve heard that for some people it takes an adjustment period where their hair is greasy, but I tried it for a month and it worked perfectly, right from the start.
But, oh, I admit it. I really missed suds. Homemade shampoo bars to the rescue!
Homemade Beauty Products (with Essential Oils)
For me, clean eating came first. It took me a little longer to realize that what I put on my skin and hair has the potential to be just as harmful as what I put in my mouth.
Finding natural products that work well hasn’t been super easy. Surprisingly, I prefer many homemade recipes to store-bought, and I like the price tag better as well.
I love adding a small amount of essential oils to my homemade beauty products, too. Many of them have properties that help with wrinkles and aging skin, they smell wonderful, and can be relaxing, or even stimulating, depending on which you choose.Continue Reading
Make Your Own Tinted Lip Gloss
Once in a while I get this urge to get my craft on. Ya’ know what I mean? But I don’t need cutesy stuff for my house, and I’m not so much into knitting and crocheting ’cause I’m just not good at it. But making tinted lip gloss and hard lotion bars, yeah, that will do it for me.
More importantly, though, I like to make some of my own personal care items because I like knowing that I’m using quality ingredients on my skin.
So my lips need moisture once in a while, and my vanity likes a little color. This tinted lip gloss fits the bill. The powdered alkanet root imparts a ruby red color to the gloss, but on my lips, the color is subtle and quite beautiful. Just perfect for me.Continue Reading