Soap & Body Care

After writing that I was almost out of toothpaste and going to have to start making my own very soon I found just one more tube of Tom's in the cupboard.

Then my parents visited last week and stole it when they left. Actually they didn't steal it, they mistook it for their own and went home with one extra. No matter, I was happy to give them a tube of their favorite paste.

That was just the push I needed to start concocting my own. And I don't use that word concocting lightly.

Based on everything you've all shared with me and my own research I'm mixing essential oils, coconut oil, baking soda, green mash and vodka. Coming up with... you don't want to know.

It's a process and when I stumble upon a recipe that works for us I'll share it with you. But right now I'm using my family as toothpaste guinea pigs. And what a wonderful family they are to put up with me. Even though Celine said earlier this week between top and bottom brushing, "Tis my fate to live with a mother who makes herbal toothpaste."

(a photo of our bathroom taken back in August when echinacea was in bloom, sigh)

When people find out that I make my own soap and other body care products they sometimes ask if I also make toothpaste. My answer has, and still is, not yet.

For some reason I have been afraid of making toothpaste. I think it's because everyone in my family dislikes either baking soda or mint; 2 of the most common ingredients in make-your-own recipes. So we've used multiple tubes of toothpaste for the past couple years. A non-baking soda mint and a fennel flavor from Tom's of Maine; the once local show now owned by Colgate-Palmolive (yuck). There is a bunch of other stuff in these toothpastes I am suspicious of anyway, it's time to tackle the toothpaste monster and make my own.

But not until these tubes are all used up. So, while we're talking toothpaste can someone recommend me a not-so-baking-soda tasting, mouth freshening, teeth cleaning, tried and true recipe?

I've come across lots on the internet and read about the evils of regular toothpaste in green beauty books but nobody I trust has said "here, this is my recipe and I like it". Maybe you could be that person in my life.

Toothpaste is one of the few store bought body care products we use. The other is shaving lotion. We are still using up our last bottle of that stuff and when it's gone I have this pile of shaving soap ready for Damien to use. The special consideration for him is that he uses an old fashioned straight razor, like right out of a western movie.

This requires a good lather since there's no "moisturizing strips" in the razor or other feel good attachments. Just a cold blade of sharpened steel scraping against your face. So, the man needs a moisturizing, frothy lather. I designed this soap to provide that but he has yet to try it since he's been using this last bottle of Kiss My Face for ages. Really, I made this soap last summer in anticipation of the bottle's eminent emptying. I think it might be multiplying in the cupboard.

deodorant

Homemade products we use for our skin and hair

1. Washing faces, body and hair - Whatever soap happens to be sitting in the shower or soap dish; all handmade by me. The same bar is used by everybody for everything. I addressed special considerations for long hair in this hair care post from last summer.
2. Moisturizing face & body - Homemade, super easy to make lotion. I use this all year round on my hands and also on my face in the winter. My soap is very moisturizing so my skin does not dry out with washing, except in the driest months of mid winter and even then not so much. Ellen recently posted on her experience making my recipe. It really is easy. For lips I use my homemade lip balm.
3. Deodorant - Would you excommunicate me if I told you I rarely wear it? Even in summer. My husband never wears it, but does shower every night. Either we stink to high heaven and nobody's told us or we are a-ok since I don't smell us. But when I do want to wear some because, as Brienne says, "This smells good. I could smell it forever." (her nose was not in my armpit by the way but smelling the tin) I use a modification of this famous angry chicken recipe. I substituted cocoa butter for shea butter and used lavender and rosemary essential oils.
4. Shaving - As I mentioned above Damien uses Kiss My Face shaving lotion and will someday (soon?) start my shaving soap. He uses jojoba oil, straight up, as an aftershave. I apply witch hazel and lotion after I shave. I may be a nature girl but I still shave my legs from time to time.

I would like to add that I've read of people using just oil to wash their face, baking soda for their hair and a pat of cornstarch under their arms. These probably work but I actually like the mixing and making of beautiful smelling soaps, lotions and balms. It's an outlet for my creativity and makes wonderful gifts for family and friends. A jar of baking soda just isn't the same.

You wash, shave, moisturize, brush and maybe deodorize. And you walk out of the bathroom feeling like a million bucks. And if you're only using 3 or 4 products that you've made in your own kitchen your scent doesn't pollute the breathing space around you, your bathroom stays super tidy (except for reproducing toothbrushes - where do those come from?) and packing for camping/backpacking/travel is a cinch.

Any questions? Am I missing anything? And please, if you can, recommend a toothpaste recipe (that you've tried). I'd be forever indebted.

Since coming home from our trip I've tackled a few household projects. Putting away Christmas decorations (now that we're down to one bin of decorations that process is almost painless), setting up a new winter wear system in the front porch with repurposed toy storage bins, and cleaning the fridge.

I love organizing our home and simplifying our space but one particular little "genius" of mine makes me smile the many times a day I find myself standing at our kitchen sink.

I use a bar of my handmade soap (an extra sudsy recipe) for washing dishes. I also keep a container of baking soda handy for everything and anything. You all know how baking soda is good for whatever ails you, in terms of household cleaning. So I like it nice and handy by my dishes. Problem was, I was having "soap drip" and baking soda storage problems. Last fall I devised a short term solution of re-using a styrofoam mushroom container (what on earth am I supposed to do with these things??) to hold both my soap and baking soda.

Functional, yes. Pretty, no. Teacup to the rescue.

Before I was married, almost 15 years ago, I was given a bridal shower where each guest brought a used teacup & saucer. Back in the day I actually used teacups. I don't use teacups any longer, a hefty mug suits me better these days, but I still love those pretty cups. I decided to put one to good use and enjoy it's daintiness in my kitchen by converting it into a soap dish and soda sprinkling cup.

It might not be everyone's cup of tea but I like it's functional beauty.

Thanks Jamie at Steady Days for her Moms' 30 Minute Blog Challenge. A fun challenge for this wordy blogger.