DIY Brushing Your Teeth With "Dirt"

Hello lovelies! I have had several private messages from people politely asking, “When are you going to talk about tooth powder???”

So, your wish is my command.

We stopped using conventional toothpaste around the time we emigrated to the UK in 2004. 

We had become vegetarian (later transitioning to vegan) and were concerned about the ethical considerations of buying from companies that test on animals.

There is also a concern about the number of harsh chemicals in toothpaste such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) which is an industrial degreaser used as a foaming agent. SLS is a known skin irritant and can cause canker sores. Toothpastes also often contain propylene glycol which is component in antifreeze. 

I had also become increasingly concerned about fluoride.  I mean, you read the back of a tube of toothpaste and it says to call POISON CONTROL if you swallow too much.

HUFFINGTON POST reports that a Harvard study links fluoridated water with reduced IQ and brain damage. 

The facts are :
1. Fluoride is industrial waste from the fertiliser industry, specifically phosphate rock which is often contaminated with high levels of fluoride - as much as 40,000 parts per million, or up to 4% of the raw ore.  

2. Fluoride used to be released by smokestacks, but all cattle and food crops on nearby farms withered away and died due to Fluoride Poisoning.

3. Phosphate Mining Corporations then tried to get rid of excessive toxic fluoride chemicals by dumping them in rivers. This killed all the fish, because fluoride is a bio-hazard. It is now a violation of federal law to dump hexafluorosilicic acid or sodium silicofluoride into the water. To do so is considered an act of terrorism unless that water is used for water fluoridation. Because it is somehow acceptable to poison people under the guise of "trying to prevent cavities."  

Dude, I don’t want to poison myself.

For many years we used fluoride free toothpaste we bought at a Health Food Shop. We really liked it, but it cost like £5 a tube. Five Quid a tube, people!

Two years ago, I started a more holistic solutions to cleaning our teeth. Bicarbonate of soda is a natural ingredient you often find in toothpaste, so I thought, "why not just avoid all the harmful chemicals and make some healthy tooth powder?" 

Bicarbonate of soda is antimicrobial, whitens teeth and makes your mouth more alkaline (the more acidic your mouth, the more chance of tooth decay.) Salt is also an ingredient that can improve oral health and even heal ulcers. Himalayan Pink Mineral Salt is a good choice as it is thought that the high mineral count can help with remineralisation of teeth. (I buy mine at Tiger.) Peppermint essential oil provides a pleasant, fresh taste to your tooth powder.  If you do find it too salty you can add some xylitol (just make sure it is from a birch source rather than corn to avoid GMOs.)

Basic tooth powder recipe:

3 Tablespoons food grade bicarbonate of soda (the sort you would put in a cake)

¼ tsp Himalayan pink sea salt (or other natural sea salt)

10-20 drops peppermint essential oil

Store in a small airtight container. To use: wet your toothbrush and dip it in the tooth powder and brush as normal. It may feel strange in the beginning if you are used to a toothpaste that foams.

Last year, I saw an interesting post about a homemade toothpaste on the blog DON'T WASTE THE CRUMBS. She even has a post about how using a homemade toothpaste HEALED HER HUSBAND'S GUM DISEASE 

                             

The star ingredient is bentonite clay. This clay is known to have an abundance of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, silica, sodium, copper, iron, and potassium. that support oral health as well as the fact that it is negatively ionically charged and binds to toxins and heavy metals in your body when in contact with water so that you can spit them away after brushing. It is important to NEVER use metal measuring implements with bentonite clay or it will reverse the negative ion charge rendering it useless.

Remineralising Tooth Powder recipe:

2 Tablespoons bentonite clay

1 Tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp Himalayan Pink Mineral Salt

10-20 drops peppermint oil

It is recommended to store this particular tooth powder in a glass container. Remember it must not come into contact with metal, so don’t choose a container with a metal lid. Top tip: A small glass spice jar is perfect for this. I bought mine at Tiger.

Glycerine, which is non-harmful  (I use it in my DIY Jizz Face wash) is very slippery and is an ingredient found in nearly every toothpaste, whether regular or the sort you buy in a Health Food Shop. Glycerine coats the teeth and can prevent remineralisation. This tooth powder is glycerine free. It travels well as you don’t have to worry about it spilling or dripping as it is powder form. I store it in glass at home and plastic for travel. But never metal! (sorry to remind you, but it is important!)

We are *in love* with this tooth powder. Your teeth feel so CLEAN after brushing. Squeaky clean. Seriously, after you brush rub your finger over your teeth and it makes an “EEeeEEeeEEee” sound! 

We really like it the way it is without sweetener. But if you are just transitioning from artificially sweetened toothpaste, feel free to add a bit of xylitol (but be warned, it is kind of expensive.)

So, your next question is bound to be How much does bentonite clay cost? We bought THIS ONE from Amazon and we still have about half a container left, even after a year. Perhaps you could get it cheaper, but this was the one that so many DIY blogs recommended. 

If you are new to the natural scene or the DIY scene, start with the bicarbonate of soda one before you invest in the bentonite clay. 

I bet you will find that you never go back.

DIY--Soapy Stuff

I do a lot of DIY.

That's Do It Yourself, in case you don't know.

Not building stuff. Although I am a dab hand with the power saw.

No, the DIY I do is making natural, cruelty free, animal free personal care products.

I have been meaning to blog about this for ages. I have been making my own tooth powder and deodorant for a year or so. I have had friends over to the flat to make their own tooth powder and deodorant.

But I have become more and more sensitive to chemicals over the years. Everything (even the natural products) seem to smell like a French whorehouse. No offence to French people or prostitutes.

And when you want to buy the natural (albeit smelly) cruelty free personal products, you have to buy them from a Health Food Shop and they cost an absolute FORTUNE.

You've got to sell a kidney just to buy a bottle of body wash.

So this year, for 2018, I have vowed to replace as many of our products with homemade ones as I can.

I was planning to blog about the deodorant and tooth powder, but I have found a soap that has been a game changer for me and set me off on making my own face wash and body wash, so I am beginning here.

For years, I heard about how amazing Castile soap is. It;s natural, animal free and super gentle. The most famous brand is Dr Bronner's but it costs £13.99 for 946 ml from Amazon. I cannot afford that even if it is great.

But then I found this at Wilko.

Wilko's website has this to say:

Wilko Liquid Soapflakes contain only pure soap with no additives or fragrances, making them a great choice for those with sensitive skin. They don't contain any animal products and have never been tested on animals, making them suitable for vegans. The soap comes from coconut and sunflower oil and is palm oil free. 

And it costs £3 for 750 ml. 

Supposedly, Dri-Pak makes some with what looks like an identical formula, but this was the one I found. 

So I started researching recipes online. 

I had previously been washing my face with olive oil, which was good but not perfect. I found THIS recipe and have been using it successfully. The recipe calls for 15-20 drops essential oils, but I didn't want anything smelly near my face. 

The recipe also calls for distilled water, which I can't find here. Yes, with water you risk bacterial growth, but i feel if you make this small amount and use it up within three months you should be fine. 

The recipe also calls for vegetable glycerine. I have some which I ordered online, but have found some in the past at Boots by the cough syrup. In the US i used to buy it on the soapmaking aisle of Hobby Lobby. Make sure it says VEGETABLE glycerine (spelled without the final e in the US) or it might be animal derived. 

This is AMAZING. My skin feels clean and soft. It takes off makeup. It is gentle. It makes a lovely, creamy white liquid which ....and there's no polite way to say this.....looks and feels a bit like semen. But don't let that put you off. 

Jizz Face Wash

Blend in a food processor or blender until a creamy liquid forms.

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TB liquid soap (like the one above or Dr Bronner's)

2 TB vegetable glycerine

2 TB water (distilled if you can get it, boiled and cooled if you can't)

Put it in a small spray bottle or a small pump bottle. Using a funnel will help you get in in the bottle and not all over the counter. Learn from my experience, people. Use a funnel. Give it a little swirl before you use it as it may have separated. 

If you'd like, follow it up with a toner made from equal parts apple cider vinegar and water (plus a little extra splash of water). 

I was so buoyed up by my face wash, that i started to research a body wash recipe. I came across THIS recipe which contained all things I already owned. I had an empty shampoo bottle to put it in. I decided to give it a go and I have been really pleased. 

I don't mind a bit of lavender essential oil in the body wash because I can control how much to use. 

Again, this recipe calls for distilled water, if you can find it--great. If not, use this within three months.

This recipe also calls for aloe vera gel. I buy it at Holland and Barrett when they have their Penny Sale so you can buy one and get the second for 1p. 

It is not tested on animals and has a short ingredient list. Plus it isn't green. Why do some companies add green dye to aloe vera gel??? It should be clear. This one is clear.

Amazing Body Wash
In a bowl, carefully whisk all the ingredients starting with the aloe vera.
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1/2 cup water (distilled if you can get it, boiled and cooled if you can't)
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup liquid soap (as above or Dr Bronner's)
Up to 25 drops essential oil

Careful when you get to the soap, whisk slowly so it doesn't foam up excessively. Then decant into an empty squeezy bottle using a funnel.

Give it a shake before you use it in case it separates. I find you need to use a little bit more than commercial body wash when you squirt it on your puff. But it works and it feels amazing on my sensitive skin.

I follow it up with body oil made from half almond oil and half sunflower oil and a few drops of lavender oil. I store it in a small dark coloured spray bottle.

My spray bottle looks like this but is black not clear. I got it from B & M Bargains for £1. I use the same style bottle for my Jizz face wash.

That's my handmade soapy things. If you give them a try, let me know. I'll blog soon about the tooth powder and deodorant. 

Rosemary for Remembrance (and other things)-Part 2

I go back and forth about deodorant.

I don't mean I go back and forth about wearing it.

I mean, I go back and forth about making it.

Many times over the years i have become fed up with commercial deodorants that contain  harsh chemicals and ingredients that may contribute to illness like breast cancer or Alzheimer's. I get worried that it has been tested on animals because they are owned by a company like Unilever.

So I start to buy the sort you can only buy in a health food shop that aren't tested on animals and have slightly less bad ingredients, but cost an arm and a leg. But they don't really work.

So i go back to buying cheaper commercially made deodorant that has the leaping bunny symbol, but stinks like a French Whorehouse. I wasn't too cut up that they discontinued it.

So i try my hand at make something.

Some were successes. The aloe vera gel, witch hazel and lavender oil one worked alright, but was really sloppy and difficult to put on. The gooey-ness seemed to cling in my pits for ages.

The coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch one made my pits turn red like they were on fire after about a week.

So the cycle goes around again and I start to use a commercial one full of chemicals and I am unhappy.

So....when i was making up the rosemary vinegar for cleaning I wondered if you could infuse rosemary into something else and make deodorant?

I saw several testimonials from people who used half a lemon or lime rubbed into their pit and the acid killed the germs. But I don't have money to throw away by using half a fruit every single day.

I found lots of recipes that just used neat vodka as the alcohol killed germs. I thought about buying the cheapest vodka I could get and infusing the rosemary in that, but then i had a thought.

What if I just used the rosemary vinegar? 

If it didn't work, I haven't wasted anything because I already have it made and if I don't like it, it can go for cleaning.

I needed something to put it in and I wasn't sure if I wanted to use essential oils or not to give it a boost. If I did want to use essential oils then i would need a dark glass container as essentials oils degrade in plastic as well as in light.

I priced a bottle like this and found it out of my range.


So i bought one of these at Wilkinsons for 60p. You are meant to put vinegar in it as vinegar is a table condiment here in the UK like salt and pepper. Salt and vinegar chips....mmmmmm....

Then I covered it with layers of a purple-y blue tissue paper and lots of watered down white PVA glue to seal it and hot glued a bead over the little hole in the lid.

I used 1/3 cup rosemary vinegar and 1 Tablespoon witch hazel which is a pore tightener and helps reduce sweating. I might up it to 2 Tablespoons in the summer if I need it.

But so far....it works. I use the same cotton ball I use to apply toner to my face since the toner is just watered down apple cider vinegar. I just rub a bit under my arms and let it dry while I finish getting ready and then swipe on a second layer to dry before I leave the bathroom. Yes, i am sure if you shave your pits then it might sting, but since I don't shave this is not a problem for me.

It smells good. I ended up not adding any essential oils as I liked the rosemary smell and I haven't needed any extra oomph. Maybe I will in the summer. Who knows.

It passes the sniff test. Spiderman has been kind enough to be the chief sniffer and has detected zero offensive smells or any smells at all. I smell completely neutral.

Not like a French whorehouse.
Not like a chemistry class.
Not even like rosemary vinegar as the smell evaporates.

I just smell clean.

Is this too weird? Maybe. But it works and I am not being poisoned or spending all our money either.

Would you try it?

Dragon Breath

There was a cartoon we saw --probably 20 years ago--that we still use as a joke. It had a dragon talking to another dragon saying, “Your breath…it’s so minty fresh…I can’t stand it.”  Spiderman has a love of all things peppermint and so often has quite minty breath. I always think of dragons when I think of minty fresh. 

 I love the idea of mouthwash, but have you seen what goes into commercial mouthwashes these days? Artificial colours anyone? Plus a whole host of ingredients from artificial sweeteners to fluoride.

 

I fall into the anti-fluoride camp because I know it is a by-product of the fertilizer industry. It is illegal to dump it in rivers as it kills fish and so the fertilizer industry did a deal with the dental industry and the rest is history. Personally, I don’t think I want to put something in my mouth that tells you to call poison control  if you ingest too much. Actually brushing  and flossing (not toothpaste) is what cleans teeth. I use a natural fluoride free toothpaste and I’ve got lovely teeth.

 

I started looking for  a mouthwash free of artificial muck and poison, but they cost a packet for a teeny bottle and I thought…hang on a minute…I could make that at home. For practically free.

 

You’ll need to find a small glass bottle with a lid (I used a mini wine bottle) and a shot glass. I bought my shot glass for 30p at a charity shop.

Dragon’s Breath Minty Mouthwash

 1 cup warm water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Peppermint essential oil

 

1. Dissolve the bicarb into the warm water. Bicarbonate of soda is excellent for killing bacteria.

2. Add  drops of peppermint to taste. I like 12 drops.

3. Funnel it into your bottle. That’s it! It’s ready!

 No weird stuff. No nasties. No artificial sweetener. Just pure minty freshness.

As  it doesn’t have any emulsifiers, you’ll need to give it a good shake to distribute the oils right before you want to use it.

 

If you find you need a bit of sweetness then add 1tsp vegetable glycerine--available at the pharmacy. It’s used here for sore throats. If you need a more medicinal mouthwash then add a few drops thyme oil (thymol is the key ingredient in Listerine) or essence of myrrh (myrrh is quite astringent and good for tightening loose teeth)  or use a few drops of clove oil if you have a toothache. Incidentally, a few drops clove oil put right at the gums of a sore tooth does wonders. It is sold here on the dental aisle.

 

Now isn’t that better than all that lime green Listerine?

I’m cuckoo for cocoa (or maybe just plain cuckoo)

There are many needless vanities I have left behind. I wear plain clothes to help me focus on my spiritual journey rather than my outward appearance, I don’t wear any make up except some lip balm and I don’t shave my legs or my pits. That’s right, I’m a hairy fairy. I do still pluck the witchy hairs that seem to grow out of my chin as I get older, I do have some pride left. But mostly I am happy to be naturally me and I am radiant with happiness and the love of God and rude health and so I glow.

But hair seems to be my downfall.  When I went to plain dress I seemed to focus all my negative vanity issues on my hair. My hair is fine and straight and refuses to lie down where it should or stick up in a punky style the way I want it to in this damp climate that we call England.  My lowest point was Spiderman catching me checking myself out in the back of a spoon--the only reflective surface I could find. Sigh….so I started wearing a head covering. It really did help because now the part of my hair that refuses to behave cannot be seen. Problem solved, right?

Not really. I have issues with hair colour. I really, really, really hate my natural hair colour. It is a mouse brown the exact shade of a cardboard box. It has a way of making me look a bit pale with dark shadows under my eyes. I feel ugly when I see it. Growing up my mother constantly voiced her opinion that it didn’t suit me. I have no idea if it really suits me or not--maybe I am just really pale with dark shadows under my eyes. But having been told all my life that it is wrong I have a very hard time shaking that feeling. Spiderman says I am the loveliest woman in the world and I agree with about 95% of that. Except for my hair colour I seem to always add as a mental addendum to every compliment he gives me. How sad is that?

I have been dying my hair since I was 15. I’m now 42. You do the maths. It has been various shades of red from shiny conker to Ronald McDonald orange (that was an accident!) as well as black for a while in my “goth“ phase, blonde for a while the first year we were married, purple for a while in the 10^th grade (I got put into in-school suspension for that one--apparently my hair colour was against the dress code) but mostly in the last few years I have been a medium brown called “golden chestnut.”  In recent years I have switched from the cheap ones that you buy at the chemist full of nasties to the one you buy for twice as much at the health food shop that has considerably less nasties, but still has its share of them.

I was dyeing my hair every 5 weeks at £9 every time. That’s just about £90 a year. I am in frugal mode once again so I set about trying to think if there was a way to tame the beast that lurks within (who keeps saying ugly stuff about my hair) and a healthier, cheaper solution.

A year or so ago I had discovered that you can boil some tea, sage and rosemary and let it cool, strain out the bits and then thicken it with cornstarch and heat it up until it became a gel, then let it cool, then rub it into your hair, then wrap with cling film, then let it sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and it made your hair darker. Whew! Did you get tired of reading all those steps cos I sure as shit got tired of doing all that because you had to do it EVERY WEEK. I tried making up a big batch to last a couple of weeks but it went all funky as it had no preservatives. So I went back to old standby of “golden chestnut” in a £9 box. But now at week 6 with no golden chestnut to be found I decided to try the natural way again.

So I went back and did a bit more research. Thank you Google. I read that the same mixture of black tea, sage and rosemary could be made, strained and put in a spray bottle to cover grey by “staining“ it. Just make a new batch once a week. It makes sense--think how tea stains the bottoms of mugs.  Hmmm… I don’t actually have grey yet but that might be useful. Then I read that if you mix equal amounts of cocoa powder and shampoo together to make a frosting and you wash your hair with it, it will brown up lighter hair. Hmmm.. That sounded really good so after exercise I tried it and followed it up with a spray of the tea and herb solution.

Ya know what? It worked.  It is not dark like I dyed it, but it *is* slightly warmer…slightly browner…slightly nicer. And this is just day one. I think the colour will get richer and darker with cumulative use.

Now what I really wish is I didn’t feel like I needed to do this--but I do. Overwhelmingly I do.  Lately I have been thinking about what I need to feel happy. Darker hair makes me happy and then helps me to go on and do other things that make me happy like play the ukulele and not sitting around all po-faced every time I catch sight of myself in the mirror.

And cocoa powder and tea and herbs are much better for my body as well as my purse. So I guess I am cuckoo for cocoa or as Spiderman often reminds me--just plain cuckoo.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall…

I love lotions and potions. That’s a fact. Somedays our kitchen is more like a chemist shop. I love nice smelling stuff, but what I don’t love is Petroleum. Or funky hormone disrupting chemicals. I try to subscribe to the theory that you shouldn’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t put in your mouth. After all your skin is your largest organ. I think I manage this with everything but shampoo. But even the shampoo we use doesn’t use Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is very strong surfactant (making things all bubbly) and is used as an industrial degreaser. It is also extremely irritating causing us for years to think Spiderman had dandruff when it was just eczema. It also doesn’t include Propylene Glycol who is a cousin to antifreeze. No thanks. Our shampoo hardly lathers but really cleans. And I never use hormone disrupting Paraben preservatives. Several studies have found traces of parabens in women with breast cancer. They are not sure there’s a link, but I’m taking no chances.

But anything I put on my face or body I want to be edible. Enter coconut butter. This stuff is amazing. It is solid at room temperature, but melts on contact with your skin. You only need a dab to make your skin feel all silky smooth. In the hottest summer days (which admittedly were not many this year) I kept in the fridge. You can scent it with some essential oils like lavender. I order mine from http://aromantic.co.uk/   and I get 1kg for £7.95. It lasts for ages. I just store some in the bathroom in an empty salsa jar. I also make deodorant with it. Did I mention that it is antibacterial as well?

And it is food grade so you can cook with it. Here is a recipe for raw brownies from one of my favourite blogs. This recipe will feature in Dreena Burton’s new cookbook that will be out in about a year. I can hardly wait. http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/dreenas-frosted-b-raw-nies.html .

As for my face I wash with a mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil. Ewwww I hear you cry. I’ve got oily skin I don’t want to put oil on it. Actually you might. I have combination skin and the oily bits used to be in a vicious cycle of clean with overdrying cleanser, follow up with sea breeze (remember that stuff that felt like it was burning your skin off with its alcoholic peppermint stink???) and having dry tight patches that need moisturising. Then when you put a dab of oil free lotion--PRESTO! Zits. Or spots as they are called here. Whatever you call them, nobody wants them so you wash your face ever more vigorously and the whole cycle starts all over again. Not so with oil. Oil actually attracts oil and dirt and rubs them away without over drying. Then follow up with rosewater. Not alcohol which dries the skin and forces it to produce more oil to compensate for the protective oil you stripped away. Then a few drops Vitamin E on my face and neck to counteract the signs of aging. I am 40 and it is slightly beginning to show. That’s it. I have been told over and over how good my skin looks. How clear. Some of that is a healthy diet and exercise, but most of it is down to washing with stuff you can eat.

You are what you eat.