Natural Body Products on a Budget - Part 1
health boosters, natural body products, natural living on a budget Add comments
If I can say one thing…remember to take your time in incorporating a more natural lifestyle into your home. I try to add one new thing on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, so as not to overwhelm myself. It is important to take simple steps towards improving your health and the care of the environment as well. I will not guarantee that pursuing a healthier lifestyle with your food, body products, cleaning supplies, etc. will be a piece of cake, but I will say that it is definitely worth it! Taking good care of our bodies will make us more fit for the Master’s use, and that is an important pursuit!
Now for some recommendations for natural body products!
Coconut Oil
Some of the benefits of coconut oil:
- Promotes weight loss
- Provides an immediate source of energy
- Supplies fewer calories than other fats
- Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health
- Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life)
- Is heat resistant (the healthiest oil for cooking)
Coconut oil has been called the “healthiest dietary oil on earth.” This is the item that I have just started incorporating into our diet. I have been cooking with it, adding it to smoothies, and now I am realizing the benefits to using it as a natural body product. Coconut Oil is a little more on the expensive side, but it definitely extends a long way and can be used for multiple purposes, which makes it a very valuable and worthwhile purchase in my book (I am all for all-in-one products!). Read on!
Take advantage of this awesome oil in the nourishment of your skin and hair.
Hair Conditioner - Using coconut oil for hair conditioner is a great, healthy idea. It not only softens the hair and leaves it shiny, it also leaves your scalp moisturized. It will also absorb into your skin nicely as well without leaving that greasy feeling that some moisturizers have a tendency to do. Applying coconut oil to wet hair is what works best. Make the application after you get out of the shower. Put a pea sized drop in one hand. Better to have too little than too much. Evenly coat hands by rubbing them together. Evenly run fingers through hair and rub coconut oil into hair. Using a comb to distribute oil through hair is also acceptable. Repeat if desired.
Deodorant - This has been the best thing I have discovered lately! It works wonders! I am one that has always had to use very strong deodorant because the natural stuff never worked. I have been blown away by the effectiveness of this recipe. My husband was a little skeptical at first, and didn’t necessarily like applying it with his hands, but the benefits far out way any extra effort. Ingredients: Arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), baking soda, and coconut oil. Combine equal quantities of arrowroot and baking soda (I started with ¼ cup each). Then add as much coconut oil to the mixture till you get the substance that you desire (2-3 Tbls). Replace your empty deodorant containers with the product or store it in a plastic bowl with lid.
Skin Care - Coconut oil is also an excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It is an effective moisturizer on all types of skin.
Read more about the multiple health benefits of coconut oil here.
Bath Soap - I highly recommend Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap bars. I prefer the Baby Mild brand because it works for all of us. Trader Joe’s carries the Peppermint kind for $2.50, but I find it stings the skin greatly. Azure Standard also sells these products for $2.70 per bar. In the future, I will probably try the liquid version, as I believe it would be more economical as it is a concentrate and can be used as regular hand soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cleaning, and laundry. My friend, Kimi, who originally turned me on to this product to me, uses the soap bars as a shampoo bar as well. Ingredients include: Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm and Organic Olive Oils (with Retained Glycerin), Water, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Salt, Citric Acid, Vitamin E.
Any other good body product recipes or recommendations? Please share!
Related Posts
- More Benefits and Sources for Coconut Oil
- Update: Homemade Deodorant!
- Ways that we saved in 2007
- Natural Hair Care: Shampoo Recipe
December 21st, 2007 at 8:47 am
Do you have a rough idea how much the sale is for the Wilderness Family Natural Cocunut oil products is? How often do you ship through azure?
December 21st, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Steph, I believe it is a 10% discount, so you can calculate that off of their online prices. Azure ships on a monthly basis to the drop off spot in your area. A very nice benefit is they always ship free,you just have to pick up. They are a great company, and I have heard is also Christian run. Great prices too! One of the best I have found for products like these. LMK if you have any other questions if you want to get started.
Lindsay
December 21st, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Neither I nor my husband can tolerate deodorants with baking soda in them
I wonder if there’s something else that could be substituted? I’d love to find a natural deodorant that I could tolerate and also not have aluminum in it…
Also, I added your site to my list of blogs, I hope that’s ok
I just enjoy your blog so much!
December 22nd, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Azure actually drops every two weeks- the particular drop site you use just has to have a minimum order amount ($400) for Azure to make the drop. I have a drop site a couple of blocks from me, but she only orders once every two months. And then another drop a little farther from me orders every two weeks (she can do that because she has a lot of people ordering with her). So it just depends.
Thanks so much for all the info, Lindsay! So does your hair smell a lot like coconut oil when you use it as a conditioner?
December 23rd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
We’ve been trying to use coconut oil more lately. I’ve read so much about the health benefits, but it is extrememly expensive up here in Canada. Perhaps I will take advantage of the Azure sale.
I really like to use it as a lotion, because I have very dry and sensitive skin and eczema on my hands. It works well on lips as well, and is very nice and natural on baby’s delicate skin.
Personally, I love the refreshing feeling of the peppermint Dr.Bronner’s, but use the Baby Mild for my littles. We find that the liquid lasts us for sooo long- you only need just a few drops. I use it on my face, and also for my kids body’s and hair (it’s not tear-free, though).
Looking forward to more recipes!
Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home
December 24th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Mrs. T - Unfortunately, baking soda is the natural deodorizer in my recipe, so I don’t know of any other solution to your problem. There are a lot of natural deodorants on the market w/o aluminum, but I have not had much success with them. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
Amy - the coconut oil does not really make my hair smell like coconut. Probably because you are using such a small amount. I also use a curly mouse so that may cover up the smell in my hair. It definitely makes your hair look more greasy after a day, but they say this is not a bad thing.
Stephanie - I used tear free shampoo a lot with my younger siblings and have never found it to be truly tear-free (any baby or child hates the shampoo in their eyes, it seems). I think tear-free must be a scam!
It is nice to hear that the Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap lasts a long time for you. Thanks for letting me know!
Do you use it for anything else besides soap and shampoo?
God bless!
December 26th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Lindsay,
I think that it is because my hair tends to become greasy to easily. But I think that it would work very well for people who have more dry hair.
I love coconut oil! I eat it, cook with it, and put in on my face everyday. I do have to admit that my hair did not take well to using it as a conditioner.
I am so glad that you ended up liking Bronner’s soup.
I was so afraid that you wouldn’t like it when you decided to get it based on my review!
I also have the liquid soap. I must use too much of it, because I go through it too fast! I should try to use a smaller amount. I have wondered if I could water it down, since it is concentrated.
December 27th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
i’m delighted with the info you’ve given here….and, i’m doubly delighted that FINALLY azure is coming to the phoenix valley!
i was wondering if you’d expand on this post…specifically as to what you buy from azure, why you buy it and how you use it.
i’ve got a friend in prescott, who has used azure for years. i’ve asked her the same. as a matter of fact, i’m going to head up there next week to sit down with her and get hands on with the same questions i’ve asked you. i’ve looked through the web site and am overwhelmed.
so, dear friend..this would be a great blog post. i will post what i learn from my prescott friend and would like to add a link back to yours.
blessings…lylah
December 30th, 2007 at 5:31 am
Lyla,
Regarding the Dr. Bronner’s liquid soaps, I use a teaspoon each of liquid soap and baking soda in the cup of my dishwasher. I live in a soft water area but I know the water of Phoenix, so start with 1/2 teaspoon and see how it works for you and your brand of dishwasher. I love the mixture of the almond with a couple drops of tea tree oil for disinfecting, or the peppermint–so energizing. You can even use the eucalyptus in your dishwasher if you have a stuffy nose! That way, when the dishwasher starts “puffing” steam at the end of the cycle, it is NOT the chlorine that is so bad for you! My dishes are perfectly clean and sanitized without the use of deadly chemicals! (And whoever was it that said you couldn’t use soap in the dishwasher? The dishwasher detergent manufacturer’s??) As long as you use a small amount with the baking soda you will be fine.
I have also used the Dr. Bronner’s for my hand dishwashing too! I love aromatherapy while I am cleaning the kitchen!
We use the Dr. Bronner’s for everything from shower soap, to shampoo, dishes and cleaning, to the wonderful eucalyptus for bathing the dogs.
It is a good product.
Under His Wings,
Barbara
January 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
[...] Visit here for part 1 of this [...]
January 4th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Those are great recipes!! I’ve been trying to use natural products more often but many of the health food store brands are sooo expensive!! These are some great solutions!!
January 11th, 2008 at 10:00 am
[...] I am in process of gradually fading out all store bought cleaners and body products and making my [...]
January 13th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Lyla,
This past year I also phased out commercial cleaners and started making our own cleaning products. We’re just starting to make our own body care products. Two helpful books are Beauty Secrets of the Bible (for body care), which is where I was made aware of some of the beauty benefits of coconut oil, and Clean House, Clean Planet (for cleaning products) which highly recommeds Dr. Bronner’s soaps. Your kitchen decorations are beautiful and so creative as well as economical. Thanks for sharing.
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:54 pm
soap-lady.com has good natural soaps and shampoo bars for good prices, especially if you buy wholesale(if you spend at least $90 you can get soap for 45 cents an ounce and shampoo for 50 cents an ounce). she has a castile soap bar as well. I bought enough shampoo bars to last my husband and me three years with a $90 purchase.
thanks for the deodorant recipe. i’m excited to try it!
January 26th, 2008 at 11:41 am
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May 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
A vinegar rinse also works well for conditioning hair. I just pour an inch or two of apple cider vinegar into a tall drinking glass, fill the rest with water, and rinse my hair with it just before getting out of the shower. Once your hair is dry, the vinegar smell is gone.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I decided to try your suggestion for using coconut oil as a hair conditioner, but I took it one step further on a whim. I have curly hair like yours and generally use a curl gel to keep my curls in place and from frizzing, but I worry about my 5mo who likes to grab mommy’s hair and suck on it. So after my shower, I towel dried, applied a bit of the coconut oil to my hair, and skipped my usual curl gel. It turns out that my hair is shinier, less frizzy, and actually curlier than it is when I use the chemical stuff. Thanks for the tip! (I hope my baby likes the taste of coconut…)
Lindsay replied on June 16th, 2008:
Great idea Valerie! I had yet to replace my curling product, and its wonderful to hear that it worked for you! You’ve inspired me!