Success!!! All Natural Deodorant

I went through the two week antiperspirant detox process and my old recipe was still not working to my satisfaction. I was sick of having to carry alcohol pads around with me everywhere and finally decided that it was time to tweak the recipe.

Here's what I used:

~4oz. Coconut Oil
~1oz. of Beeswax
~1/2 Cup Arrowroot powder
~1/2 Cornstarch
~2-3 Teaspoons of any essential oil with antibacterial properties. I used lemongrass.

I simply melted down the beeswax (use a double boiler if you have one) and added the coconut oil. Next I added the arrowroot powder and cornstarch. Finally, I added the essential oils and transferred it to my jars. I believe this mixture made about 12oz. This should last quite some time. I use small plastic jars to put my deodorant in and I rub it on my armpit with my finger but you can always use an old antiperspirant bottle or purchase deodorant jars from here if you'd prefer.

I used beeswax for firmness since coconut oil melts at 76 degrees. Beeswax melts at around 86 degrees. I used a half mix of arrowroot and cornstarch but you could simply use 1 cup of arrowroot or 1 cup of cornstarch . I only mixed the two because I ran out of arrowroot powder. Also I can not tell you how much I love the lemongrass scent. It leaves me smelling so fresh and clean. I have used this for a little under 2 weeks now and I have not had to reapply it throughout the day. I even used the Stairmaster for 25 minutes and my deodorant was still hard at work. I am so pleased!

Buyer Beware: Tangle Teezer

If you read alot of blogs or frequent many hair boards you may be well aware by now that the Tangle Teezer has been met with less than flattering reviews after extended use. Some have said that the Tangle Teezer has resulted in breakage and some have reported that they have many more single strand knots.

I would like to say that this has not been my experience with the Tangle Teezer. I have not had any adverse effects from using it that I have been able to tell, but I thought it only fair to share this info with my readers who possibly purchased the Tangle Teezer based on my review.

I have to admit that I am more skeptical of using it now. I use it only when I have a horrible tangle situation on my hands now. This past weekend I had to pull it out and it was a true time saver. I was so completely happy to have it at that time because I probably would have had more breakage than could result from the Tangle Teezer if I was left to use only my comb.

I admonish you all to use this product and any other styling product with caution. If you are met with unfavorable results from any product by all means stop using it. Don't feel the need to jump on every bandwagon or highly raved product especially if it doesn't work for you. At the same time what doesn't work for one may work for another.

All Natural Toothpaste

Now we move on to toothpaste. I decided not to go into the whys of not using conventional toothpastes simply because I didn't feel like it. Lazy? I know. It's interesting stuff though. You should really look into it. Haha. Seriously though. This is a good resource for more info.

I have been using a homemade toothpaste for about 2 or 3 months now. I cam't quite remember when I first started. I have gone through a total of 3 different recipes and although I like the last recipe I think I will combine the 2nd and 3rd recipes for my next batch. I am going to totally omit the very first recipe I made just because I wasn't at all happy with the taste though I'm sure it would have done a great job cleaning my teeth.

First recipe (which is really the 2nd recipe):

2 Tbsp coconut oil (I suppose it's not necessary but I used extra virgin coconut oil)
3 Tbsp baking soda
1 small packet Stevia powder
20-25 drops of peppermint oil (you can substitute this for spearmint or cinnamon oil)

I actually enjoyed the taste of this one the best but the problem I ran into with it is that I had the mixture in a tupperware like container and because of the coconut oil it would solidify making me have to stir it upon every use. I was concerned about keeping it free from any bacteria so I bought a box of disposable spoons to mix it every time. How wasteful is that? Not to mention just plain inconvenient. I put the mix in a squeeze out bottle but it again would solidify when the temperature in the house dropped making it hard to get out of the bottle. This is what prompted me to try the 2nd (really 3rd) recipe.

Second recipe (which is really the 3rd recipe):

I should say that I made enough of this one to be used my my whole family so you could totally cut the mix in half.

6 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tsp salt
1 pack Stevia powder
3 Tbsp glycerin
40 drops peppermint oil
1 Tbsp distilled water

With this second mix I totally solved the dispensing problem. I sometimes have to shake up the bottle in the morning to amalgamate the mixture, but otherwise it works great. The only problem I did run into with this recipe is with the salt. I felt that it was a bit too salty. My husband also commented that the salt upsets his stomach sometimes. Neither me or my children have had that problem, but I just wanted to include that info.
As soon as we finish this batch I plan to make a differnt recipe that is a blend of the two. I want to include the coconut oil from the first recipe. I think it added an element of flavor not to mention it has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. I also plan to omit the salt in the next batch. I figure that the baking soda is enough of an abrasive anyway.

**Let me also add that I have definitely noticed that my teeth and gums are much more healthy looking and feeling. I have even noticed that my teeth are getting whiter. Although this toothpaste does not taste like the conventional toothpaste it is not bad. You just have to know that you are using it to clean your teeth. It's not breakfast. :) My children quickly commented after only about 4 or 5 days that they were getting used to the toothpaste. By the end of two weeks they were coming to show me how they thought their teeth were getting whiter.

Both of these recipes are simple to make. All you need to do is simply mix the ingredients. There is no need for detailed how-to instructions.

These are all the ingredients I use to make the recipes. Also shown are the bottles (pink and blue) that I used to put the paste into and dispense. You can find them at Walmart for under $1.00.

Protective styling

Protective styling is arguably a key component to any successful hair care journey. For this reason alone I'm surprised that I have never talked about it here.I'll attempt to do that now.

Protective styling is simply put, styling your hair in a manner that protects your strands from the harsh elements of the cold, windy, and icy weather as well as just plain over manipulation that we put our hair through when it isn't in protective styles. What do I mean by this? Well I know for me that it took a long while into my hair care journey before I finally got over having my hands in my hair every 5 seconds. Some go even further and comb and brush their hair every single day to several times a day. The problem with this is that our hair strands are much like fibers. Over manipulation of them will cause them to lose their elasticity, thickness, and strength. Because we are striving for (most of us) long and thick healthy hair we have to be mindful of keeping our hair as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
Any style that keeps you from manipulating your hair for a good length of time while the ends are covered or tucked can be considered a protective style. This can be two strand twists, braids, buns, or even wigs and sew-ins. Earlier in my hair journey I used kinky twists as a protective style quite often.

One school of thought on the issue of protective styling is that "I'd rather wear my hair out and enjoy it rather than keep it put away all the time just to obtain length". I totally understand this and at one point even wrestled with this line of thinking myself. To that I will say, as I find myself saying so often, there is a healthy balance that can be struck. I fully intend to enjoy EVERY stage of my hair growth on the way to my goal length, whatever that is. Having said that I want to actually be able to reach that goal length with healthy hair. My fear for people who only protective style until they reach a desired length is that once that reach said length they won't know how to style it in a manner that promotes health because all they've done is protective style and they will lose the length that hid for so long. (Does that make sense?)  In my opinion the right place to be in somewhere in the middle of the two extremes.