My Natural Bathroom!

"There's Lead in Your Lipstick" is a new book hitting top sellers lists quickly and leaving me on a library hold list for longer than I'm used to waiting. It's a great book, and the thing I'm most excited for is the resulting awareness of the public in regards to the chemical toxicity of mainstream make up and hygiene products. I haven't read the whole thing yet, and I don't agree with everything she writes, but it prompted me to write you a list of things I use every morning. Make that, every morning that I actually will myself to get in the shower.

Yes to Cucumbers shampoo and Yes to Carrots conditioner:
I'm a strong believer that your hair is healthier if you don't wash it every day or even every two days, so I get by using shampoo probably once a week and just rinsing with water in between. When I do think my roots need a scrub, and it'll take more than baking soda solution or soap bar, I reach for these products because they are a mix good of decent ingredients and excellent result. Some natural shampoos and conditioners I've used are garbage and I don't think it's worth the effort if they don't have any effect. You can find them in any Shoppers Drug Mart.

Soap Works simple bar soap:
I switch between varieties - I like them all. Right now I'm using their pine tar and I have a bar of chamomile in the shower too. They made good honest soaps, cold-pressed method I believe and they're cheap as heck. You can buy them at Quarter Master or the Bulk Barn.

Homemade tinted moisturizer:
For this concoction I simply saved an old pot from a night cream and filled it with a brew of: face cream, sunscreen and a few pumps of foundation. It doesn't give me a lot of coverage but I don't really need it. I'm particularly prone to sun burning right now (if it weren't snowing) because I'm pregnant, so even though I love my vitamin D, I put a little SPF on the face for good measure.

Lavera Intense Volume mascara:
It was a miracle to find a 100% chemical-free mascara that actually works. It is organic, vegan & cruelty free with no parabens, petrochemicals or toxic chemicals.

JASON Sea Fresh toothpaste:
I'm addicted to this product, I'll never switch to anything else (OK fine, I sometimes use Weleda Calendula toothpaste and Hakeem's herbal). It tastes so good, cleans so well and has great ingredients.

Lastly,

Green Beaver Wild Yam deodorant:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Green Beaver is the best company on the planet. Honestly, they're from Ontario, they made amazing things that work and use all natural ingredients. This deodorant is my recommendation for anyone who wants to get away from cancer-causing ingredients living under their arms. Buy one today!

Easy-Peasy Laundry Soap

Guest blogger: Ashley Long

After my sister-in-law had raved about her homemade laundry soap, she gave me the recipe she found online and told me to give it a try. I finally did and love it! It makes your clothes soft, and whites whiter. Also, I can wash my clothes in cold water as long as i dissolve the detergent in a little bit of hot water first.

So here it is...

1 cup Borax

1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

Some shaved up natural plain soap

Use one - two tablespoons per load. (Heavier or dirtier loads need two.)

You can also add any preferred scented oils, as long as they won't stain. Haven't tried that myself, but I've heard you can do it. Just be careful. :)

Some amazing facts I learned while working on this project.

1. The first two ingredients were found in the laundry isle in the Superstore

2. The soap I bought at the market and it smells ten times better than soaps with harsh bad stuff in them... uh you get what I'm saying I hope

3. The lady selling the soap is really nice and gave me a discount when I told her what the soap was for

4. Putting the ingredients together took 5 minutes... tops

5. I am saving money

Oh Cleaning: Green Methods for a Squeaky Clean House

Guest blogger: Ashley Long

Some would say I am a bit obsessed with cleaning. Afterall, I grew up in a very clean home and for the last three years I professionally cleaned with an employer who taught me to see and clean up dirt in places that no one else might notice.

Many nasty chemicals are used while cleaning and we have no idea the effects they are having on us, our future families, and the environment. The other problem with chemical cleaning is that it covers up smells and dirt but doesn`t thoroughly clean the suface. This is a totally new way of thinking for me. I believed that chemicals made surfaces clean and shiny and smell nice.

It is hard to make adjustments to old habits. Just like the grime in my toilet must leave, so must my unhealthly choices with cleaning. Let`s explore some alternatives, shall we. 

• Vinegar -Let`s be honest. Vinegar is the best solution to any cleaning problem. I`ve been researching a little and here`s the low down on this great smelling liquid.

It`s cheap

Non-toxic for everyone

Deodorizes rooms

With a bit of baking soda it can declog a kitchen sink. (thanks mom)

It`s an all-in-one cleaner - toilets, sinks, countertops, all flooring, windows, etc.

But I will say that it doesn`t remove stains on a white countertop.

So the search continues.

• Charlie`s Soap - A vegetable based, biodegradable cleaner which comes in an all-purpose spray as well as laundry detergent. Retail stores only in the U.S. Bummer, I know, but you can order online. I have not used this product, although my friend does and swears by it. A little on the pricey side if you are frugal like me.
• Norwex microfiber cloths - These cloths have silver particles in them that disinfects surfaces and the cloth itself. Use only water with these cloths and a deeper clean can really been seen.Stained countertops can finally be clean again with no bleach! I will be attending a Norwex party the end of the month to see this magic myself. If anyone is interested in attending, email me. ashley.j.long@gmail.com
• Baking Soda -I use some vingar and baking soda on my cutting boards. Just let the mixture sit for a little bit and scrub off. Also good for deodorizing the fridge and cleaning stuff animals touch, like a water bottle. (rinse thoroughly)
• Hydrogen Peroxide- Good for cuts on guinea pigs and humans; only if consent is given. Also good in your bathtub and sink. Peroxide kills germs. Try it out! Pour some around your bathroom sink drain and see if it starts fizzing. It is so much fun.
• Fresh Wave spray- odour neutralizing spray. All natural, smells a bit like pine needles. Works great to get rid of crazy smells like urine, stinky socks and shoes, and bad hallway closet smells. Find this amazing stuff at McHardys Vacuum.

That is it for the list but if I may rant quickly...Stick to the green method that is affordable and works best. Dont get suckered into buying products on the shelf at the store that are supposedly green and double the price as normal cleaners. Rip-Off. Ok I had to get that out. Im done now.

Ponder these ideas. Test them out. Save some money and your lungs. Yay!

Ashley Long is my long-time, always-willing lead acoustic guitarist. Her immense vegetable garden would make your garden shudder in awe. She serves coffee by day and crafts it up like no one's business by night, and one day hopes to open a charity coffeehouse. If you've never tried her berry muffins - you aren't living.

Homemade Toiletries! You can too!

Toiletries are some of the Earth’s worst and greatest inventions. On one hand, I like the smell of a freshly showered person the same as the next guy (although my opinion on perfume and cologne may stray from the norm). On the other hand, the shampoos, conditioners and other cosmetic products we’ve come up with are a chemical stew of water pollution and body damage. SLS for example, a common additive in ‘foamy’ products like shampoo and toothpaste, has been proven by the NIH to cause severe, dangerous irritation and to be a carcinogen, and studies show that the liver cannot metabolize it, making it toxic in our system. Most conventional toiletries are unsafe for waterlife (that’s fish and other sea creatures) once we rinse it down the sink. Besides the offensive ingredients, it does seem excessive to spend what we do on making parts of our body smell nice, after all doesn’t brushing our teeth with a little baking soda do the trick in a pinch? Baking soda is a few cents per 100g last time I checked.
About a year ago I read a book called Sleeping Naked is Green (which I recommend to anyone) and it challenged me to give up some things in my life, including shampoo. After doing a lot of research online about how people go about making these “no-impact” or “footprintless” changes, I discovered homemade toiletries. And now I use them. I also share them, so here goes:

Photo by: Sarah Goertz

Shampoo can be made from 1 tsp baking soda diluted in a 500 ml squirt bottle full of water. To use simply squirt the mixture deep into the roots of your hair, then work in gently, and rinse out. You will notice over time your body becomes used to this new mild treatment and will produce less oil therefore making your hair less greasy naturally.
Conditioner can be made from diluting 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar in a 500 ml squirt bottle full of water. Splash the mixture over your hair, concentrating on the roots, and rinse out. I’ve added a cinnamon spice essential oil to my mix for a nice scent. You will not notice the vinegar smell once you dry.
A mix face scrub can be made from fine sugar mixed with a carrier oil (like sweet almond or apricot kernel) and a nice smelling essential oil like eucalyptus or bergamont. I’ve used the same basic idea for a body scrub, substituting the fine sugar with a coarser sugar or ground coffee for a more intense exfoliation.
Remember, no matter what do you, reuse containers! A well cleaned shampoo bottle can make a nice home made dressing bottle. Am empty nail polish can be run through the dish washer and then filled with tea tree oil for a more efficient foot treatment if need be.

Update (August 9th, 2010): In the name of transparency I'll let my blog readers know that for the past week or so I've been challenging myself to use one bar of soap for all cleanliness activity (body wash, shampoo, face wash, toothpaste - yes, toothpaste) so if you check my shower there won't be a bottle of murky off-white brew. But fear not, apple cider vinegar has not seen its last days on my head and I continue to clean my kitchen with it! Much to Calvin's dismay!