DIY Cutting Board Cleaner and Conditioner

The cold weather is finally letting up and warm weather is on its way!  Summer is the time where we love to grill out and enjoy the beautiful weather. I'm sure you use a cutting board to cut meat, vegetables, fruit and other items.  It's super important that you keep your cutting board conditioned and clean to ward off germs and bacteria and help make your cutting board last longer.

Did you know you can condition your wood cutting boards with your trusty friend coconut oil!?! Just rub a little coconut oil on the cutting board with a cloth. Not only does it condition the wood, but coconut oil has antibacterial and viral properties that will help to kill off those nasty germs!

Natural Makeup Remover

Our old trusty friend... coconut oil! Can you tell we're a huge fan of this stuff?

It works better than any makeup remover I have ever used, especially with the black eyes I get from my mascara.  It's cleansing and moisturizing - all in one!

To start, rub coconut oil on your eyes, lips, or all over your face.  Then, take a warm washcloth and let it sit on your face for a bit.  This will help to melt away any excess oil.  I usually do this a couple times, then wipe everything clean. All the makeup will magically disappear!

It makes your skin super smooth and refreshed. Plus, an added bonus of being very nourishing to your eyelashes too. A win, win!

Deep Moisturizing Treatment

Coconut oil is amazing for many reasons, but did you know it could be used for a deep conditioning hair treatment? It will make your hair so silky, smooth and it's great for dandruff suffer! All you need is coconut oil and a shower cap.

When your hair is dry, completely cover it from root to tip with melted coconut oil.  Make sure you massage it in the scalp, too.  Once your hair is all greased up, put on a shower cap for an hour or longer.

When you shower, make sure to put shampoo in your hair before you get it wet.  This step is VERY IMPORTANT.  You will have no problem getting the coconut oil out of your hair if you put shampoo on it before it's wet. 

This treatment will help your hair be silky smooth and even helped my split ends.  

Try it and see how it works for you!

Photo: Authority Nutrition

DIY Hand Soap

Bronner's is a home's best friend.  Remember Bronner’s Castile Soap from the facewash post? Well, another handy tip is that you can use castile soap for hand soap too!

 You just fill ¼ of your soap container with Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap (personal favorites are peppermint and lavender) and the rest with water. That is it! It makes for a nice and foamy hand soap that lathers really well. Simple, multifunctional, inexpensive castile soap for the win! Plus no added synthetic fragrances and toxic additives (avoid triclosan and triclocarbon listed in ingredients). Good ol’ castile soap will do the job!

Interesting info from Environmental Working Group

‘Anti-bacterial soaps do kill bacteria and microbes -- but so do plain soap and water. A U.S. FDA advisory committee found that use of antibacterial soaps provides no benefits over plain soap and water.

The main reason to avoid anti-bacterial soaps is its active ingredient: triclosan (and the related triclocarbon). Triclosan is an anti-bacterial chemical found in many consumer products, and it's nearly ubiquitous in liquid hand soap. It is linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, and even low levels of triclosan may disrupt thyroid function. Further, the American Medical Association recommends that triclosan not be used in the home, as it may encourage bacterial resistance to antibiotics.’

For the full article and more information go to: http://www.ewg.org/research/healthy-home- tips/tip-5-wash-those- hands-avoid- triclosan

Homemade Face Wash + My Beauty Routine

Some of you may have heard of Bronner's Magic Soap, or seen in it in the store but have no idea what to do with it.  That used to be me too!

Bronner's is a castile soap which is made of natural oils and essential oils.  They make all different kinds ranging from peppermint to eucalyptus to lavender to unscented.  On the bottle is says it has 18 different uses, however one of my favorite uses is for face wash! It leaves my face feeling very clean and like there is no left over residue.  It lasts forever and you don't need to use very much at all.

I use a small squirt bottle and fill it half way up with the liquid Bronner's and half up with water.  I just need one pump for my face, so my mixture lasts forever!  It lathers up great and makes my face feel so clean.  It’s great for people with normal to oily skin, but may not be the best for those with dry skin.

Three times a week I use the exfoliating face wash by Beautycounter. I find that it makes my face super smooth and helps to get rid of the dead skin. You don’t have to use it every day, but it is a good addition to your weekly beauty routine. (P.S. all Beautycounter products are amazing!)

And don't forget to moisturize! Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, or Beautycounter has some great options as well.

Vinegar: A Must Have Household Item

Vinegar is my go to product for fabric softener and rinse aid.

It seems so simple right? I thought so too, but it works great! Vinegar is a must have for your laundry routine and dish routine!  For laundry, it reduces static, brightens colors, fights stains, and more.  For dishes, it will make them sparkle! Plus, you're cutting out so many unnecessary chemicals when using vinegar.  And no, your clothes and dishes won’t smell like vinegar. I promise. 

I actually ran across this when my washer was leaving spots on my clothes. After some research this is actually what washing machine experts (is that a thing?!) want you to use! Why?  Because fabric softeners contain paraffin (wax) which builds up in the fabric softener compartment and can cause issues.

So, go grab yourself a large bottle of vinegar and get started! And it is much more cost friendly than those expensive bottles of fabric softener or little bottle of rinse aid. A win win!

For Laundry
Add one cup to the fabric softener dispenser
For Dishes
Pour vinegar into rinse aid dispenser on your dishwasher
For hand washing, add 1 cup of vinegar to rinse water

Want to take it a step further?  You can also infuse the vinegar with oils or natural herbs. Check out this post from Hello Glow to learn more!
 

DIY Dry Shampoo

The struggle is real with washing your hair all the time to combat the oil- especially after working out.  A patient gave me this recipe and it has been game changer!  I have used dry shampoo sprays before but can’t stand the smell (all sorts of chemical and toxic junk). This is so simple, natural and lasts longer than traditional dry shampoo!

Ingredients
1/4 cup Arrowroot powder
Optional: 5 drops of your favorite essential oil (I personally love Lavender or Juniper Berry)

I sprinkle a little on my scalp and use a brush to rub it in.  I have read where people dip an old makeup brush in the powder and use over the areas that need it.

Don't worry, brunettes, we have you covered too.  A lot of brunettes cannot use dry shampoo because it leaves a white residue in their hair.  Arrowroot powder is white and best for blonde or light hair, but add some cocoa powder to the mix and it is perfect for people with dark hair!  Add equal parts arrowroot and cocoa powder and your favorite essential oils.

Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

Summer time is for fresh fruit, and fresh fruit means the occasional fruit fly.  I found this recipe for a homemade fruit fly trap and it WORKED.  I trap almost all of my pesky fruit flies at home with this simple trick. 

All you have to do is put a little dish soap in a bowl and fill with water. Make sure you have plenty of bubbles since this is what traps them. Next add a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the water to help lure them to the bowl.  That's it!

Put a fresh bowl out each morning and night.

For more information on where I got this idea and another great blog to follow click here.  Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Deodorant (That really works!)

I get so many questions about what can be done at home to start cleaning out chemicals, whether it be in their home, in beauty products, cleaning products, etc.  Here's a simple way to start detoxing your body, starting with your deodorant!

We've all heard the arguments about antiperspirant.  Truth is, it's not good for you.  Most deodorant has aluminum in it.  To break it down for you, aluminum is a heavy metal that acts as the 'antiperspirant' portion of your deodorant.  The aluminum absorbs into your armpit where the lymphatic system sits.  The lymphatic system acts as kind of traveling highway for the immune system.  The next channels (‘highways’) of the lymphatic system travel right to the breasts… So why would you want to put a cell mutating toxin right by the area that is getting so much attention for having cancer?  You don't.

Also, aluminum is toxic to your nervous system and brain! So, if you are putting it on your skin, you are absorbing it.  So, let's change this!

I have tried most of the aluminum free deodorants out there: Toms (which they are now making some with aluminum! Sad but true. Read the ingredients!), Body Shoppe, Trader Joes and others. I have used plain coconut oil and plain tea tree oil which worked okay.  However, this recipe has been my saving grace!  I will even forget to put it on and never have problems with odor or sweat. And, usually with the other brand names I would have to apply twice a day. So bottom line, yes this stuff works and it's amazing!! And it only takes 2 minutes to make.

Ingredients
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
5 to 6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Optional: 5 to 6 drops of your favorite essential oil (Lavender is a personal favorite—I did tea tree oil before which worked great until I put it on right after I shaved my armpits… ouch!)

Mix together and that's it! I keep it in a glass jar with a lid in my bathroom.  A little bit of this mixture goes a long way.  Just get a little bit on the tips of your fingers. If the coconut oil isn’t soft you will have to rub it between your hands to soften it up and then apply. Easy as that. Enjoy!

NOTE:  Without having aluminum in your deodorant you will sweat.  That is a good thing!  One point of sweating is to get toxins out and if you block those channels, by absorbing aluminum in those cells, you are not getting the bad stuff out like you should. It can sometimes be a struggle though if you are switching to a non-aluminum deodorant.  You may have to alternate at first or apply the homemade deodorant twice a day.  If it is still not going well, then that means your body has a good amount of toxins in it.  So, detoxes or drinking things like Chlorophyll can help cleanse the body of toxins and deodorize it.  If you are struggling to switch, contact our office and we can help!