(freedigitalphotos.net)

What products do I use in the morning? For the most part, I use one product. Not a chemical-laden ‘all-in-one’ product, but a natural ‘all-in-one’ product, something I can use for my skin, my lips, and my teeth.

Coconut oil, to me, is a miracle worker. I don’t use store-bought moisturizers anymore, but soften some coconut oil in my hands and put it on my face. Yes, I know people are probably freaking out, saying “why would you put oil on your face??” Well, seeing as coconut oil is antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti fungal, as well as being loaded with a number of vitamins, it works wonderfully as a skin care agent, it is a great moisturizer, and a great acne fighter. You just have to make sure not to load it on, just use it sparingly.

Instead of resorting to a chemical-based lip balm, coconut oil again is my product of choice. I love that it feels just like a lip balm, moisturizes so well, and has a great taste too!

Lastly, coconut oil is great for oral health, which many people find surprising. There are several studies which suggests that the practice of oil pulling, especially with coconut oil, has numerous benefits to both teeth and gums, and studies further suggest that this practice actually works like a detox. Basically, this is how it works:

• Put 2 tsp. to a tbsp. of coconut oil in your mouth. It sounds gross, and it is, but you get used to it. Let it melt so it’s not lumpy, usually takes a few minutes.
• Swish the coconut oil around for 20 minutes (although it takes a few weeks to work up to this)
• DO NOT SWALLOW THE OIL. IT CONTAINS HARMFUL BACTERIA AND NEEDS TO BE SPIT OUT IN A BAG OR IN THE TOILET. IT WILL CLOG YOUR SINK.
• Immediately brush or rinse your mouth with salt water to destroy any harmful bacteria that is still in your mouth.

It is better to do this first thing in the morning. This supposedly reduces plaque, helps to prevent cavities, heals gums, leads to whiter teeth and better breath, and detoxes your body. I don’t know how much of this is true, but there are numerous claims of the benefits of oil pulling. I’ve only discovered it a few weeks ago, so I’ll let you know how it goes in the coming weeks, but so far my teeth have never felt cleaner, so I’m off to a good start! If you want more info on oil pulling, visit http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/

I swear by coconut oil, you can replace so many different products with coconut oil, and the result (for me, anyways) has been better than those chemical-based products that I used to rely on! Try it, and you’ll see! One last note, try to find unrefined, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil (and organic if possible!). Let me know your results!

I know I should be working on my course…. But as I stare at my two little ones, having so much fun playing in simple buckets of water with natural dish soap, sponges, and ‘dirty’ dishes, I am reminded of another of the many positive aspects of using natural products. Because everything that I use is natural and safe, I can feel totally safe letting them help me with many tasks around the house, which at this age they find really fun, and also gives them a sense of pride and responsibility. As my little four year old puts it, “I want to help you mommy, because I’m a big girl”, as she beams with a huge, beautiful smile across her little face. It is the best feeling in the world to look upon the pride in your little children’s faces as they help you with a ‘big’ job. Here are some of the things that they can do because we use natural products:

• Use vinegar  and water in a little bucket and their chlid-size mop to help me clean the floor
• Use natural dish soap to help me wash the dishes
• Use vinegar and water in a spray bottle to help me spot clean
• Measure out our homemade laundry soap and put it in the dispenser  – and push the button of course, because that is the best part, obviously 🙂
• Use our homemade dusting spray (olive oil, vinegar, and water) to spray the furniture and wipe it down
• Use our homemade baby wipes to spot clean something that they decide is dirty (most of the time it’s not, but they just enjoy being able to reach for a wipe and clean it anyways)
• Pour baking soda or borax (whichever I have a large supply of at the time) and vinegar into the toilet to let it sit before mommy cleans it (no, I don’t let them do the toilet cleaning just yet. Knowing my two, they would end up playing in the water… Seeing as Alyssa went through a phase of trying to flush various things down the toilet, I’m still a little hesitant)

And this list is not simply limited to cleaning jobs, but because we use natural products in most every area of our home, they are able to do a lot of big girl tasks.

• Use our homemade baby wipes to wipe their faces and hands
• Use our homemade coconut oil lip balm to put ‘lipstick’ on (I don’t know why they love doing this because I NEVER wear lipstick, nonetheless it is a popular activity around our house)
• Use our homemade coconut oil moisturizer on their hands and faces all by themselves
• Use our all-natural de-tangling spray as ‘hairspray’ on their hair when they are brushing it in the morning

Not only is it wonderful for our health to use natural products, but it is also wonderful to be able to give your children a sense of independence and responsibility, being able to trust that they are safely able to use these products to ‘help out’. Not only do young children love to do the things that mommy and daddy do, but once they get the hang of things a little better, they are a wonderful help. A warning though, things can be a little messy when they first begin to do these ‘big girl’ (or big boy!) things, and it can be more work than just doing it by yourself, just stick with it, it is worth it, I promise. Plus, you will be spending more time together, and instead of going off by yourself to do some chores and get things done, you will be getting things done while spending quality time with your little ones.

A last note, these moments are also opportunities to tell your children the importance of taking care of our earth and environment by explaining your choices in cleaning and self-care products, showing them that these things are easy changes that you can make, that will make a BIG difference over time. What a great lesson to instill in children while they are young, because they (and their children) are the ones who will be taking care of our earth when we are gone.

It’s been a long time since posting on the blog, with the busyness of a family, along with a million other things, it is hard to find the time! But I’ve promised a blog post on natural soaps/shampoos, and have been itching to start writing again anyways.

I have written a lot on baby skin/hair care, but have not yet covered what us adults could be doing to care for our skin and hair more naturally. If you think about it, and this is especially true for women, we put loads of products on our skin and hair each day, and we barely bat an eye at the list of chemicals written on the various bottles, pumps, jars and containers that house these products. A lot of us wear makeup, we put product in our hair, we wash and condition our hair, we use deodorant or antiperspirant, we use moisturizer, sunblock, hand soap, body wash, shaving cream, and the list goes on. Alarmingly, many studies show that the skin readily absorbs a number of things, which may mean that it is absorbing some, if not all, of the chemical-based products we put onto it every day. And, moreover, what’s absorbed by the skin does not get detoxified by the kidneys and liver like it would if it had come through your digestive system, as they enter the blood without being broken down.[1]

I would like to run you through a scenario here, just to prove a point. I have looked up the ingredients in a number of popular brands of skin/hair care products, and will show you what a typical person may absorb into the body on a typical day.

Products:	Ingredients:	Concerns associated with some of these ingredients:
You wake up and shower, using lovely smelling shampoo, conditioner and a sweet smelling, sudsy body wash.	FRAGRANCE DMDM HYDANTOIN COCAMIDE MEA COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE POLYSORBATE-20 TOCOPHERYL ACETATE SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE GLYCOL DISTEARATE PANTHENOL GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE POLYQUATERNIUM-47 HYDROLYZED SILK BIOTIN NIACINAMIDE ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C) DISODIUM EDTA WATER SODIUM CHLORIDE FRAGRANCE LILIAL BUTYLPHENYL METHLYPROPRIONAL AMYLCINNAMALDEHYDE GERANIOL DMDM HYDANTOIN (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER) LIMONENE LINALOOL HEXYL CINNAMAL PEG-9 POLYSORBATE-20 QUATERNIUM-18 CYCLOPENTASILOXANE TOCOPHERYL ACETATE DIMETHICONE CYCLOHEXASILOXANE HYDROLYZED KERATIN CITRIC ACID AVOBENZONE BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE STEARAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE ISOSTEARAMIDOPROPYL ETHYLDIMONIUM ETHOSULFATE CETYL ALCOHOL PANTHENOL STEARYL ALCOHOL ASPARTIC ACID OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) OIL OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C) NIACINAMIDE BIOTIN DISODIUM EDTA WATER FRAGRANCE DMDM HYDANTOIN (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER) IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE TALLOW FATTY ACID TALLOW ACID STEARIC ACID GLYCERIN SODIUM LAUROYL ISETHIONATE SODIUM ISETHIONATE DISODIUM EDTA LAURIC ACID WATER SODIUM CHLORIDE	Cancer, Allergies/Immunotoxicity, Irritation (skin, eyes, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Neurotoxicity, Ecotoxicology, Endocrine Disruption, Persistence and bioaccumulation.
You dry off, and put on some antiperspirant and moisturizer.	FRAGRANCE ALUMINUM ZIRCONIUM TETRACHLOROHYDREX GLYCINE COMPLEX, ANHYDROUS ALUMINUM ZIRCONIUM TETRACHLOROHYDREX GLY (19%) (ANHYDROUS) PETROLATUM CYCLOPENTASILOXANE TOCOPHERYL ACETATE TALC C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE CYCLODEXTRIN PHENYL TRIMETHICONE STEARYL ALCOHOL PPG-14 BUTYL ETHER PANTHENYL TRIACETATE OZOKERITE ACETYL GLUCOSAMINE HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL BEHENYL ALCOHOL PROPYLPARABEN FRAGRANCE RETINYL ACETATE (VITAMIN A ACETATE) CETEARETH-20 DMDM HYDANTOIN (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER) PETROLATUM LECITHIN METHYLPARABEN TOCOPHERYL ACETATE CYCLOPENTASILOXANE ETHANOL ALCOHOL MINERAL OIL DIMETHICONE SODIUM HYDROXIDE ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE CETEARYL ALCOHOL STEARIC ACID GLYCERYL DILAURATE MAGNESIUM ASCORBYL PHOSPHATE GLYCERIN CARBOMER WATER	Ecotoxicology, Irritation (eyes, skin, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Cancer, Endocrine Disruption, Neurotoxicity Persistence and bioaccumulation, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Biochemical or cellular level changes.
You put some product in your hair.	FRAGRANCE SD ALCOHOL 40 PEG-12 DIMETHICONE CYCLOPENTASILOXANE POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE DIMETHYL ETHER PANTHENOL ACRYLATES CROSSPOLYMER AMMONIUM BENZOATE DIISOBUTYL ADIPATE WATER	Ecotoxicology, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Irritation (skin, eyes, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Endocrine disruption, Neurotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation.
You put some makeup on (for this example, we used tinted moisturizer only, and still look at all the chemicals!).	PROPYLPARABEN FRAGRANCE RETINYL ACETATE (VITAMIN A ACETATE) TITANIUM DIOXIDE (sunscreen grade) (Active Ingredient) OCTINOXATE (Active Ingredient) BHT ETHYLPARABEN METHYLPARABEN PHENOXYETHANOL PEG-75 STEARATE POLYSORBATE-20 PEG-100 STEARATE STEARETH-20 CYCLOPENTASILOXANE TOCOPHERYL ACETATE DIMETHICONE OCTISALATE (Active Ingredient) CETETH-20 IRON OXIDES TETRASODIUM EDTA SILICA, AMORPHOUS RETINAL GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE GLYCERYL STEARATE CETEARYL ALCOHOL BUTYLENE GLYCOL OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OLIVE FRUIT EXTRACT (OLEA EUROPAEA) SCLEROTIUM GUM ISOSTEARYL PALMITATE POLYSILICONE-11 AMMONIUM POLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE AMMONIUM POLYACRYLATEDIMETHYL TAURAMIDE LAUROYL LYSINE ARGININE HYDROCHLORIDE ARGININE HCL ISOPROPYL ISOSTEARATE ERYTHORBIC ACID WATER	Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Ecotoxicology, Endocrine disruption, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Irritation (skin, eyes, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Biochemical or cellular level changes, Cancer, Persistence and bioaccumulation
You put on chapstick and sunblock before heading out the door.	PROPYLPARABEN OXYBENZONE (Active Ingredient) TITANIUM DIOXIDE (sunscreen grade) OCTINOXATE (Active Ingredient) BHT FLAVOR WHITE PETROLATUM (Active Ingredient) METHYLPARABEN TOCOPHERYL ACETATE VITAMIN E ACETATE MINERAL OIL ALUMINA ISOPROPYL LANOLATE SILICA, AMORPHOUS CETYL ALCOHOL PARAFFIN TRIACETIN ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE ISOCETYL STEARATE ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE LANOLIN SACCHARIN ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) LEAF EXTRACT ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT C8-C10 TRIGLYCERIDES MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX BEESWAX WHITE WAX FRAGRANCE OXYBENZONE (Active Ingredient) BENZYL ALCOHOL TRIETHANOLAMINE HOMOSALATE (Active Ingredient) OCTOCRYLENE (Active Ingredient) OCTISALATE (Active Ingredient) PROPYLENE GLYCOL OLETH-3 STYRENE/ ACRYLATES COPOLYMER CHLORPHENESIN AVOBENZONE (Active Ingredient) TOCOPHEROL NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DIHEPTANOATE BIS STEARYL/ETHYLENEDIAMINE/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/STEARYL HYDROGENATED DIMER DILIONLEATE COPOLYMER BIS-STEARYL ETHYLENEDIAMINE/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/STEARYL HYDROGENATED DIMER DILINOLEATE COPOLYMER ACRYLATES/ C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER DISODIUM EDTA WATER	Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Ecotoxicology, Endocrine disruption, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Biochemical or cellular level changes, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Persistence and bioaccumulation, Cancer, Irritation (skin, eyes, lungs).
Before lunch, you wash your hands.	FRAGRANCE TRICLOSAN DMDM HYDANTOIN (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER) PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE FD&C YELLOW 5 SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE POLYQUATERNIUM-7 SULISOBENZONE BENZOPHENONE-4 TETRASODIUM EDTA CITRIC ACID DECYL GLUCOSIDE D&C GREEN 5 WATER SODIUM CHLORIDE	Ecotoxicology, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Irritation (skin, eyes, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Endocrine disruption, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Cancer.
After stepping out of the grocery store, you use an alcohol based sanitizer to disinfect.	FRAGRANCE TOCOPHERYL ACETATE ETHANOL ETHYL ALCOHOL (Active Ingredient) AMINOMETHYL PROPANOL FD&C BLUE 1 BLUE 1 (CI 42090) PROPYLENE GLYCOL ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL FD&C YELLOW 5 ALUMINUM LAKE YELLOW 5 LAKE (CI 19140) ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) JUICE ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA LEAF) JUICE GLYCERIN DIISOPROPYL SEBACATE DIISPROPYL SEBACATE CARBOMER WATER	Ecotoxicology, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Irritation (eyes, skin, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation.
Before bed, you wash your face, and possibly use makeup remover.	FRAGRANCE COCAMIDE DEA DMDM HYDANTOIN (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER) COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE AMINOMETHYL PROPANOL TETRASODIUM EDTA CITRIC ACID SODIUM COCOYL SARCOSINATE GLYCOL STEARATE DECYL GLUCOSIDE LAURYL GLUCOSIDE GLYCERETH-7 GLYCERIN WATER FRAGRANCE CETEARETH-20 CETEARETH-12 PHENOXYETHANOL CYCLOPENTASILOXANE SODIUM BENZOATE TETRASODIUM EDTA CITRIC ACID CETEARYL ALCOHOL GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE GLYCERYL STEARATE CETYL PALMITATE C13-15 ISOPARAFFIN COCO-GLUCOSIDE CETEARYL ISONONANOATE GLYCERIN WATER	Ecotoxicology, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Irritation (eyes, skin, lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Cancer, Endocrine Disruption, Neurotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation.

(All of these ingredients as well as their list of concerns was taken from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database, found at www.ewg.org/skindeep. You can also look up any one of your regular products on this website to find out its rating and the chemicals it contains, and you can also look up any one of the individual chemicals/ingredients listed above on the website.)

Although this is just a sample of what chemicals may be absorbed into your body on a daily basis, perhaps you use more, or maybe less, than what has been listed here, this is just provided as a sample/average daily use of skin/hair care products. If you use any/all/more than these products every day, think about what might be absorbed into your body!

I’m not going to tell you to stop washing your hair, using antiperspirant, and putting makeup on your skin, but I want to convert all of you from chemical hair and body care, to pure and natural products. There are SO MANY other options out there, there is no need to continue putting all of these chemicals into your body! The next few blog posts I plan to write will discuss natural hair and body care, and natural cosmetics and beauty products, including which products are safe, and what you can make yourself for a fraction of the cost of those chemical laden store bought products.

Today, I will start with hand soap, because it is honestly the easiest thing you will ever make yourself (and pretty cheap too!).

Hand Soap Recipe

(Note: you need a foaming dispenser for this one! If I need one, I just buy a natural foaming hand soap and reuse the dispenser by making my own refills. Or you can order foaming soap dispensers online)

Here is Environmental Working Group’s list of foaming hand soaps, rated according to toxicity, to give you an idea of which to buy: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=foaming+hand+soap&h=Search

Recipe:

1. Fill your foaming soap dispenser almost all the way to the top with water.
2. Add a few tablespoons of liquid castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s, found in the natural/organic aisle of my local grocery store)
3. If you are not using a scented castile soap, you can add some essential oil for scent (just a few drops is all that is needed)
4. Close the bottle and shake a little to mix ingredients

You are done! Takes maybe a minute, if even that, and the ingredients are pure and natural, non-toxic, and cheap (I know some of you will argue with me that Dr. Bronner’s can be expensive, but you only ever need to use a little at a time, so comparatively, it is cheaper!).

Ta da! A cheap, easy, and chemical free way to keep your hands clean! By the way, this also doubles as a body wash! If you’d like it to be a little stronger, you can increase the ratio of castile soap, and you can add a little oil (olive, almond, jojoba, etc…).

Happy washing!

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[1] http://cincovidas.com/toxic-alert-skin-can-absorb-what-we-apply-to-it%E2%80%94including-cosmetic-chemicals/

Sorry for the delay since my last post, the stomach flu has hit our house recently, and we (as usual) have been very busy! Last time I posted about cloth diapers and their health, environmental and cost benefits (as compared to disposables). This week I’d like to write about the other parts of diapering, wiping and creams.

Baby Wipes

They are definitely a necessity in diapering a baby, and are very convenient for other things too (wiping sticky/dirty hands while on the go, and even cleaning up a small mess or two around the house when nothing else is handy, I could probably think of a million-and-one uses for baby wipes!). However, most conventional baby wipes also contain a number of toxic ingredients. Boy was I disappointing when I read about this because I used baby wipes ALL the time for a whole bunch of things, but I was definitely not surprised. So, I used up what we had and put them on the “do not buy anymore” list. However, my friend works for this wonderful company that actually cares about what goes into their baby products. They are all organic and natural ingredients, nothing toxic or harmful, and they are fully biodegradable. I must confess as a baby wipes addict,  I do on occasion have a few of these wipes around (they are a little pricey, so I don’t use them everyday), more so  just to keep in the diaper bag for wiping hands and other things while we are out of the house (plus they are great for removing makeup). You can find them here (http://www.alevanaturals.com/website/wipes.html).

If you don’t want to pay for pricey natural wipes, however, they are so easy to make yourself. You just need to invest in a few packs of good quality cloth wipes, and a spritz bottle for spraying on solution. Easy, easy, easy! If you cloth diaper as well, I would aim to have at least 30 or more wipes as some days are messier than others, and you don’t want to be washing twice a day! I have a number of wipes dedicated to diapering, and a number of wipes dedicated for hand and face use (and wash them separately!) Usually when I diaper my little one, I just use a cloth with warm water as this is the least toxic/irritating option and for non-messy diaper changes works just fine! However, for those messy changes, you can fill a small spritz bottle with a squirt of Dr. Bronner’s mild and gentle castile soap, a few drops of lavender oil, and water. Shake it up before each use, and spray the cloth a few times before changing your little one. Some people just stick some solution in a reusable wipes container with their cloth wipes and have their wipes ready-to-go at all times, but I find that the ones on the bottom get sopping wet and find it just a little too messy. For me, the spray bottle works best!

Diaper Cream

When I started using cloth diapers, I found out really quickly that most commercial diaper creams and cloth diapers do not mix. In fact, the diaper cream that I was using began to wreak havoc on my diapers and I had to spend time stripping them so that they were usable once again. I then found out how toxic diaper creams can be, and I am now glad that I do not use those commercial creams anymore! I used a cream called Desitin, which has been around for years and years (my mother-in-law used it with my husband and his brother), and it works very well as my daughters seemed to get rashes quite easily. However, there are concerns about its ingredients, as many of them are quite toxic.

Example of the toxicity of diaper cream (according to the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep Cosmetics Database”). This uses Desitin as an example, but I’m sure if you search up most brands of diaper cream the ingredients will be similar. Here are the concerning ingredients:

• BHA – concerns with this are cancer, ecotoxicology, endocrine disruption, allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and bioaccumulation. In a scale rated 0 to 10 to indicate overall hazard of this ingredient, BHA was given a 10 (very hazardous).
• Fragrance – concerns with this are ecotoxicology, allergies/immunotoxicity, irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), and organ system toxicity (non-reproductive). This ingredient was given an 8 out of 10 for overall hazard (seen as a high hazard).
• Propylparaben – concerns with this are developmental/reproductive toxicity, ecotoxicology, endocrine disruption, and allergies/immunotoxicity. This ingredient was given a 7 out of 10 for overall hazard (seen as a high hazard).
• Petrolatum – concerns with this are organ system toxicity, and also that it may be contaminated with PAHS (overall hazard of which is a 9 out of 10) which is considered highly carcinogenic (causes cancer), and some evidence to suggest possible developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), ecotoxicology and bioaccumulation. Patrolatum was given a 4 out of 10 for overall hazard (a moderate hazard).
• Methylparaben – concerns with this are biochemical or cellular level changes, endocrine disruption, and allergies/immunotoxicity. This ingredient was given a 4 out of 10 for overall hazard (a moderate hazard).
• Phenoxyethanol – concerns with this are allergies/immunotoxicity, irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), and organ system toxicity (non-reproductive). This ingredient was given a 4 out of 10 for overall hazard (a moderate hazard).
• PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate – concerns with this are organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and also that it may be contaminated with ethylene oxide (overall hazard of which is a 10 out of 10) the concerns of which are carcinogenic, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and irritation (eyes, skin and lungs). It can also be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane (overall hazard of which is an 8 out of 10) the concerns of which are carcinogenic, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), irritation (skin, eyes, and lungs), and possible neurotoxicity. PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate was given a 3 out of 10 for overall hazard (a moderate hazard).
• Laureth 4 – concerns with this are irritation (skin, eyes and lungs), and possible contamination with ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane (mentioned above under PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate). This ingredient was given a 3 out of 10 for overall hazard (a moderate hazard)
• Tocopheryl Acetate – concerns with this are cancer, ecotoxicology, allergies/immunotoxicity, and also that it may be contaminated with Hydroquinone (overall hazard of 9 out of 10). Concerns with Hydroquinone are allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and ecotoxicology. Tocopheryl acetate was given a 3 out of 10 for overall hazard (a moderate hazard).
• There are a few other ingredients ranked in the 3 out of 10 range, and I’m not going to go on and list them all because I’m sure you get the point. This stuff is TOXIC!

After finding all this out, I headed out to find ingredients to make my own. Not only would this remove toxins from my home, but also, help keep my cloth diapers in good shape, so I was more than happy to go homemade on this one! I tried a few different recipes, and this one seemed to work best for us. We use coconut oil, but olive oil can be substituted, as I know some little ones are sensitive to coconut oil. Also, we use shea butter, which can cause a reaction if your little one is tree-nut sensitive/allergic, so exercise caution. If you do use olive oil, use ORGANIC! If you use coconut oil, use cold-pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil. This can be a little expensive but it’s well worth it to keep all of the chemicals off of your baby’s bum!

Diaper Rash Cream Recipe (makes two small jars worth):

• 1/2 oz. organic beeswax (you may need more or less depending on how hot/cold your house is. The hotter it is, the more you will need)
• 1/4 cup raw shea butter (again just a word of caution, if your baby has a tree-nut allergy, he/she may react to the shea butter so omit if this is the case. I will try to find an alternate recipe that is nut free, it will just take a few more weeks of experimentation)
• 1/2 cup organic olive oil or organic, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil
• OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon calendula oil and/or chammomile oil (to make this simply fill a glass jar with calendula or chammomile (whole flower) and cover completely with olive oil. Let sit for 2 weeks (shake every few days). Then strain using a fine sieve or cheesecloth making sure to get all of the pieces of flower out so that you’re just left with oil).
• OPTIONAL: a few drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Melt 1/2 oz. of organic beeswax with 1/2 cup of organic olive oil or organic, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil, and calendula and/or chammomile oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat until completely melted. While it is melting, take 1/4 cup raw shea butter, put it in a bowl and mash with a fork to make the texture more smooth (raw shea butter is quite hard). Once the beeswax and oil have melted completely, pour into the bowl with the shea butter and mix it all together (don’t put the shea butter in the saucepan to melt with the oil and beeswax because I read that it may destroy some of its natural healing properties). Once mixed, add in your essential oil (a few drops), pour into your glass containers containers and cool quickly (I put mine in the fridge).

Of all of the mixtures I’ve tried, this seems to work the best for us. Our cloth diapers have held up well to this as well. I personally think that the shea butter makes the difference, but if you are worried about a tree nut allergy, you may want to find something with similar properties to put in its place. I will try to come up with a nut free version by next week!

Both of these things, homemade baby wipes and homemade diaper cream, are extremely easy to make and take very little time. I can usually whip up some diaper cream in the time it takes for my little ones to eat a snack, so it is not really time consuming at all. Hopefully these recipes work as well for you as they have for me!

 

 

I wrote last time about baby wash, and the number of harmful chemicals it (usually) contains. Luckily, it’s simple and inexpensive to make your own! Caring for your baby’s little bum naturally, however, is a little bit more work!

We use cloth diapers as an alternative to disposables. Many people think that we are absolutely CRAZY for doing so, as there are so many places where you can buy cheap disposable diapers (COSTCO, for one), and I think a lot of people think that dealing with cloth diapers can be, well, disgusting.

Why do we use cloth diapers? Of course I don’t like the fact that I have to do an extra load of laundry every day or two, and I can think of about 1000 things I’d rather spend my time on than rinsing out an extra dirty diaper and then cleaning the sink. I’m not going to give you a glorious picture of cloth diapering because most of the time it is not so ‘glorious’, and sometimes it is disgusting. However, after learning about the chemicals in disposables and their effects, the risk that they pose to our environment, and the amount of money they cost in comparison, I’ve learned to live with this little bit of extra work. The way I see it, it’s for a greater good!

Disposables may be convenient, and at times cheap, but they are not healthy nor are they environmentally friendly. CBC did a wonderful article on the health risks of disposable diapers which I will briefly summarize below: (here is the link to the original article) http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2010/05/28/f-disposable-diapers.html

Health Risks of Disposable Diapers:

• In a study by Anderson Laboratories in 1999, diapers were shown to emit toxins that have a a serious effect on the respiratory system, as mice exposed to a variety of diaper brands began to suffer asthma-like symptoms.
• Disposable diapers reportedly emitted Xylene and Ethyl Benzene, which are toxic to the human endocrine, neurological and respiratory systems.
• Styrene, a chemical that is linked to cancer, was found in disposable diapers.
• Isopropylene, a neurotoxin, was found in these disposables.
• A variety of the plastics, glues, adhesives, elastics and lubricants found in disposables an cause irritation.
• Many disposables contain sodium polyacrylate, a super absorbent gelling material, which is a potential respiratory irritant and may cause burning, drying, itching or other discomfort.
• Through the bleaching process, many diapers are noted to contain dioxin (this chemical belongs to the ‘dirty dozen’, namely ‘a group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants’. Their side effects are many, but among them include reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, hormonal interference, and are noted to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/)
• The lotions used to coat the diaper liners in disposables often also include petroleum which can be potentially contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, which are linked to cancer.
• Many also contain fragrance, you know, that strong smell that you get when you open a new pack of diapers. These usually contain phthalates, chemicals which disrupt the endocrine system.

Who would have thought disposables could contain so many chemicals? But that’s not all, there are many bigger risks that disposables pose not just to our children’s immediate health, but to our wider world. I found some stunning statistics at the Real Diapers Association website that I’m going to share below. If you’d like to read more, the web address is http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

Disposable Diapers’ Impact on the Environment: (obtained from Real Diapers Association’s Diaper Facts Page)

• Over 92% of all single use diapers end up in a landfill, where they take an estimated 250-300 years to decompose.
• Diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills and represent 4% of solid waste.
• Disposable diapers generate 60 times more solid waste, and use 20 times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.
• The manufacture and use of disposables amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.
• OVER 300 POUNDS OF WOOD, 50 POUNDS OF PETROLEUM FEEDSTOCKS, AND 20 POUNDS OF CHLORINE ARE USED TO PRODUCE DISPOSABLE DIAPERS FOR ONE BABY EACH YEAR!

The last fact just blows my mind. Look at how many natural resources we are wasting, and toxins we are using, on these disposables, especially just for one baby alone! I wonder how much that number would be for all of the babies using disposables, even just in North America?

Not only are disposables bad for your baby’s health, and the health of our environment, but they are also significantly more expensive. I know many of you are thinking “cloth diaper sets are so expensive, what are you talking about?” Cloth diapers may be expensive starting out, but in the end, they are MUCH cheaper. Since I make my own detergent, wash every other day to save water, and found my diaper covers online at a heavily discounted price, it beats the price of disposables (even those bought at COSTCO)!

When our oldest was a baby, we bought the Bummis Prefold Kit, which came with 6 diaper covers, 24 cotton prefolds, 3 rolls of bio-soft liners (flushable!), 5 reusable fleece liners and a wet bag, all for around $175. This lasted her until she was around 10-11 months.

Then we went back to the dreaded disposables, as my other little one came along shortly after, when my oldest was 13 months old, and I just didn’t know the health risks that came along with disposables at the time. I thought, I’m busy and these disposables are easy. Had I known, I would have kept with the cloth.

When my youngest was a little older, and we went back to cloth, I bought 5 toddler diaper covers (15-30 lbs) for around $10.00 each at an online store in the clearance section. I used the prefolds that I had bought with my first kit and just stuck them in these new diaper covers, so I didn’t have to buy any new prefolds. And my mom, the wonderful lady that she is, made me some super absorbent diaper liners that work great for nap times and overnight.

So that means that I spend $225 diapering my babies from newborn right through to potty training. That would only be 5 jumbo packs (if that) of disposables, and this will last me MUCH longer. Also, since I only wash them every other day, and make my own (cheap) detergent, I am saving TONS of money.

So, when looking at it, the few little ‘disgusting’ moments you have with cloth diapers is completely worth it when you look at both the risks of disposables, and the money saved with cloth. To me, it’s a no brainer!

Advice on Choosing A Cloth Diaper:

My one piece of advice, though, if you are going the cloth route, invest in some GOOD QUALITY diapers. If you just buy the cheap ones they won’t last you as long, and don’t work as well. You can find good quality diapers for cheaper prices, especially online, you just need to take your time and look. I got mine from http://www.sogreenbaby.com/ during a big sale, and they were so much cheaper than what they would have been full price.

We tried Kushies (bought at Wal Mart) because they were cheap ($8 a cover) but I really didn’t like their diaper covers because the material wasn’t breathable and I found my little one got more rashes than usual. Then we found Thirsties Duo Wraps with Snaps, and the Sweet Pea One Size Diaper Cover (with snaps also), and we love them. They are breathable, and hold in the wetness really well (although we change often anyways). We used the Bummis wraps that we got in our newborn cloth diaper kit, and I found they worked quite well as well. Although, I prefer the snaps because I find the velcro/aplix tends to be less ‘sticky’ after a few runs through the washer and dryer. I’d say invest in the snaps because I think they don’t get worn out as easily.

Advice on Washing your Cloth Diapers:

• Choose a detergent that’s not too soapy/sudsy, or your diapers will start to smell because of detergent build-up. My homemade detergent does the job well, you can find my recipe here: https://ourcrunchyfamily.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/wash-your-clothes-chemical-free/
• If you have a top loader, you’re lucky and they should wash well. If you have a front loader, add in an entire empty detergent bottle full of hot water before starting your load, and wash it on the delicate cycle (or any cycle that you may have that will add more water). More water = better when washing cloth diapers. If they start to smell, you are not using enough (or there is a build-up of detergent or diaper cream).
• Do not use most store bought diaper creams on your cloth diapers unless it specifically says ‘will not harm your cloth diapers’ (and even then I’d be cautious). If you have already done this, you will have to strip your diapers. You can find the instructions here: http://www.litegreenliving.com/stripping-cloth-diapers

Next post, I’ll talk about homemade diaper cream (because it’s better for them – no chemicals – and also, won’t ruin your diapers!).

Sorry for my delay in posting anything for the past week, it has been BUSY around here. The husband is in ‘crunch time’ mode with work, and my littlest one has had an ear infection and is also getting her last few teeth (my poor girl!). On a side note, garlic oil works WONDERS for ear infections (no antibiotics or doctor’s visit this time, hooray!). We made our own garlic oil on our double boiler (thanks to a recipe from my wonderful Aunt!). We crushed a few cloves, covered them in olive oil, and left them on the stove for about an hour (just check the double boiler constantly to make sure the water in the bottom hasn’t boiled dry). And make sure you let it cool before using! We used a few drops in each ear a few times a day. This was Good Friday so all the stores were closed, we were lucky enough to have all the supplies we needed! Then, on Saturday, we bought St. Francis Herb Farm’s Ear Oil, which contains Mullein, Calendula, Garlic and St. John’s Wart (we found it at our local natural vitamins and supplements store), and used that for about a week 3 times a day. I’ve never seen an ear infection clear up so quickly! God gives us such wonderful things to heal our bodies naturally, it’s a shame that we so often rely upon chemicals that have nasty side effects to do so instead.

Ok, so my side note is done! On to the real topic of this post, natural baby care, specifically natural baby wash/shampoo. This will be the topic of my blog posts for the next little while, so if you don’t have little ones, you may know someone with little ones, or may have them yourself in the future, so listen up!

Think of how small and fragile a baby is, especially a newborn, and think of how very sensitive and vulnerable these little ones’ systems are, how much more will they be affected  by toxins in our world? I think that for this reason, we must be extremely careful about what we expose them to.

Johnson and Johnson has come out publicly (a few years ago), after prodding from consumers and others, to affirm the presence of carcinogens in its baby washes and shampoos. The company says that they are slowly phasing out these chemicals (however I just checked the ingredient list to their shampoo and baby wash and these carcinogens are still present), when they will be completely phased out, I don’t know.

An article about the topic notes that ‘for the past two years, health and environmental groups have been urging Johnson and Johnson to remove two potentially cancer causing chemicals from its baby shampoo. One of these ingredients is quaternium-15, which releases formaldehyde, a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant, and a known carcinogen (formaldehyde exposure has been associated with leukemia specifically)… The other, 1,4 dioxane, is a likely carcinogen… according to the CDC, 1,4 dioxane is ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’, and is toxic to your brain, central nervous system, kidneys and liver”. I have just taken out a few quotes from this article, but if you want to read the entire thing (it is very informative) you can find it at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/14/johnson-johnson-baby-products-toxic.aspx

I do not mean to pick on Johnson and Johnson, as many brands out there are equally guilty of these harmful ingredients in their baby products. The above article lists a number of ingredients to look out for in your baby’s soaps/shampoos that are associated with formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane as by products. Look out for quaternium-15, DMDM hydantion, Imidazolidinyl urea, and Diazolidinyl urea which are likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde; and PEG-100 stearate, Sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myreth sulfate, polyethylene, and cetareth-20, which contaminate products with 1,4 dioxane. You can read the whole article (link posted in the above paragraph) for a more extensive list of ingredients to avoid.

I admit it, I am guilty of using Johnson and Johnson baby products in the past with my little ones, as I was completely ignorant of its ingredients, and completely trusting in it’s “#1 Choice of Hospitals” tagline and, well, it’s reputation as a ‘family company’. After I found all of this out, I felt almost double-crossed with this misrepresentation. I’m happy to say, however, that I have changed my ways and now use ONLY non-toxic soaps for my two little ones. Instead of paying tons for the ‘natural’ brands, however, I make my own (which is cheaper (BONUS!), and I can control exactly what goes into it (no sneaky ingredients!).

A word of caution, my formula is NOT TEAR FREE, so avoid getting it in baby’s eyes. The reason it is not tear free is because tear free does not equal gentle but instead means it probably is quite the opposite and just contains chemicals that temporarily numb or paralyze baby’s tear ducts to the sting of the harsh chemicals.

Foaming Baby Wash

– You will need a foaming soap dispenser (you can usually find one at your local dollar store, grocery store, or wherever it is that you do your shopping. Just empty out the toxic soap inside and wash it out REALLY well, and refill it with your non-toxic baby soap).

– 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby mild liquid castile soap (if you are using a really small dispenser, use a little less, it’s really concentrated).

– Enough water to fill the rest of the soap dispenser.

I chose a foaming soap dispenser because this soap is really watery and not really sudsy, so the foaming dispenser makes it nice and ‘soapy’. You can use essential oils if you want, but they can irritate sensitive skin, so I choose to leave them out. Lavender, however, is a fairly mild one though, so if you choose to use essential oil, I would recommend lavender (only a little bit though!).

That’s it! Easy, cheap, and non-toxic! Dr. Bronners can be pricey (we buy it for $17.99 CAD a bottle, but the bottle is HUGE and it takes a long time to go through, so it actually saves us money in the long run).

Next time I will talk a little bit about baby bum care, until then, stay away from those harmful bum creams!

This is a little off topic for my ‘crunchy’ blog, but I really wanted to share my Easter cupcake idea nonetheless! Being Christian, it is important for me to teach my little ones the meaning of Easter (aside from all of the candy and chocolates, which to little ones is pretty much all there is to this joyful occasion).

I began searching for a way to explain this important holiday that wouldn’t be too gory for them, as I don’t really think explaining crucifixion would be suitable subject matter for a 2 and 3 year old. Also, atonement can be a difficult subject for even adults to understand, I thought, how am I supposed to correctly relay this to preschoolers?

Well, the good Lord always comes through with an answer, because out of the blue, Phil Vischer, one of the founders of Big Idea Productions (the creators of Veggie Tales) came on the radio and explained the best way to talk about Easter with little ones. His advice, keep it simple. Jesus paid a debt for us that we couldn’t pay on our own. That’s it, no gory details or intense discussions on the subject of atonement, sounds good to me!

You may be asking, now what does all of this have to do with cupcakes! Well, my little girls (as do most little ones) love cupcakes! Well, actually, one sometimes loves cupcakes (she’s our picky one), but our other little one is actually obsessed with them, so I thought what better a way than to explain Easter with cupcakes! I’ve posted the recipes I’ve used below for any of you interested in trying this.

I made a batch of vanilla cupcakes, and once they were cooled, took an apple corer and cored the cupcakes (not all the way to the bottom though). Then I took aside the ‘core’ (cupcake piece) that I extracted and placed a chocolate coin inside, then I replaced the chuck of cupcake that I had taken out to cover the coin. I then iced the cupcakes so no one could see that the cupcake had been cut into.

I spoke my favorite Bible verse to the girls “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and then gave them their cupcakes (although they had enjoyed a few earlier before mommy had a chance to explain them, so they already knew about the coin). I said that each cupcake has a special gift, just like Jesus gave each of us a special gift. When they got to their coins, I explained how our special gift from Jesus was that he paid our debt so that we can live forever. They got the message, and enjoyed some cupcakes in the process, I’d call that a success!

I got my vanilla cake recipe here:
http://kitchensimplicity.com/moist-vanilla-cake/

I got my icing recipes here: (I used chocolate to ice the cupcake and vanilla tinted with natural dye to make little crosses)
http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/
http://savorysweetlife.com/2011/04/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/

Enjoy!

The little ones are sick yet again with another cold. We have been plagued with cold after cold since October, it has been almost endless at our house (probably something to do with my little one starting preschool). It is hard to see the girls sick so often, but I know this constant barrage of viruses is helping their immune systems become stronger and healthier!

Since we have seen so many colds lately, we have built up somewhat of a repertoire of things that seem to really help us when we are feeling under the weather, so I thought it would be a great thing to share! Just a side note though, I am not a doctor, and these are just things that I have found helpful for our family.

I think plain old healthy eating helps us more than we think. I think there is a tendency to bust out the cold medicines before even thinking about how to nourish our body naturally so that it can fight off viruses quicker and more effectively.

We try to eat very healthy all the time, but when we are not feeling well I try to add extra garlic, onion, and a variety of fresh herbs into recipes. Garlic and onion are very good foods to eat when sick, and a variety of herbs including (but not limited to) oregano, dill, sage, thyme, and basil are great for easing cold symptoms and strengthening the immune system.

Raw garlic works wonders for us, if you can handle it that is! I like to put it in a veggie dip, as we all love veggies and dip in our house. I’ll put the recipe that I use below. We also use this with tuna cakes and homemade sweet potato fries.

Garlic Dip
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 cloves garlic (or more if you’d like!)
• optional 1/4 tsp. cayenne (added kick to help ease congestion)
• optional handful of chives (I just love chives in veggie dips)

Aside from lots of garlic, onion and fresh herbs, we eat a lot of vitamin C rich foods when we’re under the weather, like red peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, and lots of fruit. I find chilis, soups, stews and homemade pasta sauces are great for sneaking in extra vegetables. My toddler hates onions and peppers, and if she finds them in her food forget about it! She is not touching any more of whatever was on her plate. However, she loves spaghetti, so I can sneak in quite a bit of onion, garlic, and red pepper if I dice them small enough!

Aside from healing our bodies through nutritious foods, we also break out the vitamins, supplements and homeopathic meds when we’re sick. Our mainstays are:
• black elderberry extract (I can’t stress the amazing features of this one enough, it works wonders for us!)
• zinc to help aid immune function (for myself and my husband, I can’t find one that says its ok to give to toddlers and preschoolers)
• oil of oregano is great for fighting infections and viruses and boosting the immune system (but prepare yourself, tastes awful!)
• vitamin D is a great immune system booster
• cod liver oil is also a great immune system booster
• for my toddler and preschooler I use Boiron homeopathic cold medicine and Bricosin homeopathic cough medicine

We have found that humidifiers are a great tool to ease congestion, and for an added boost I put in 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil (check your humidifier’s instructions first to make sure this is ok). We also use Breathe Easy Cream, made by Aleva, a healthier alternative to petroleum based vapour rubs. I am in the process of looking for recipes to make some homemade vapour rub, but still have tons of breathe easy cream left so I haven’t attempted it yet.

I think that’s about it! As I’ve tried so many different things this winter with all of the various viruses that my little one has brought home from preschool, these ones seemed to work the best and so have become part of our ‘get better’ regimen. Hopefully they will help you as well!

As much as natural eating and cleaning are important in our household, natural play is very important to us! Natural textures and materials can be great learning and play experiences for the curious toddler, preschooler and child.

One thing we love to do is goop, it is wonderfully messy but makes for a really good time!

The recipe is simple:

• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup water

Mix them together in your container of choice and have fun! We used natural food dyes in ours to make it a little more interesting!

Have fun!

Laundry detergents are wonderful, they clean stains, and make our clothes smell like they have spent the last hour being dragged through a flower patch. Laundry detergents can also be highly toxic to our bodies and our ecosystems.

Among the lovely chemicals found in your average laundry soap are petroleum distillates (linked to cancer and respiratory problems), phenols (HIGHLY toxic chemicals that have a variety of side effects including but not limited to organ damage and cancer), optical brighteners (known to trigger allergic reactions and cause bacterial mutations), phosphates (which wreak absolute havoc on ecosystems), bleach (highly toxic and carcinogenic and can cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders), and artificial fragrances (very harmful for our environment and can trigger allergic reactions). Read more about it at http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/06/the_toxic_dangers_of_typical_laundry_detergent.htm. Wow, if that doesn’t turn you off of commercial laundry detergents I don’t know what will!

Luckily, it is supremely easy (and cheap, bonus!) to make your own laundry soap that is both effective and smells great! This recipe takes literally 5 minutes to make and lasts for a few months. Most wonderful recipe I’ve ever found! I got this recipe from http://mymerrymessylife.com/2012/03/diy-homemade-laundry-detergent-cheap-and-green-free-printable-2.html , however I made a few alterations based on what seems to work best for our clothes. Since we cloth diaper, our detergent needs to be particularly strong! I’ve posted the recipe below:

Homemade Laundry Detergent

• 3/4 cup Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap (I buy mine at Zehrs in the natural soaps/beauty products section but you can find it at most natural food stores as well, or online). I use lavender scent. Just a side note, it is also organic and fair trade. If your clothes need a bit of a cleaning boost, use up to a cup of this stuff.
• 1/3 cup washing soda (can be found in the laundry aisle). A word about washing soda. It is highly caustic as it has a pH of around 11 so exercise caution around this powder. It can also be harmful if inhaled. However it is a safer, less toxic degreasing and stain fighting alternative than what is available in most commercial laundry soaps. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I reduce mine to 1/3.
• 1 cup baking soda
• 20-50 drops essential oil (I love lavender or citrus oils in my laundry. Don’t use vanilla, you need to empty the entire jar into your detergent just to get a small hint of the scent, not a very cost effective option!)

Supplies:
• A 2 gallon bucket
• Measuring cup
• Funnel (makes things a lot easier but I don’t have one, I just pour the solution into my containers using my measuring cup)
• Old washed out detergent bottles

Directions:
1) mix together dry ingredients in your 2 gallon bucket. Exercise caution when working with washing soda.
2) add enough hot tap water to cover your dry ingredients and mix until they are completely dissolved, a few minutes. If they are not dissolved the mixture will be very clumpy after adding your soap, so ensure they are completely dissolved.
3) fill your bucket up to the 2 gallon mark with hot water. For those of you like me who have no clue what a gallon is, 2 gallons is equivalent to 32 cups. I just made a mark on the outside of my bucket with permanent marker indicating 2 gallons so I don’t have to measure out 32 cups every time I make this.
4) add your Castile soap and stir well.
5) pour into your detergent bottles and start washing!

You need to use approximately 2/3 cup per load, and shake your detergent bottle a little before dispensing your soap. That’s it! Super easy, super healthy, super effective, as promised! Plus it saves you tons of money, and who doesn’t like that?

Hope you like it as much as I do!