peppermint toothpaste

Cleansing, protective, healing.

This toothpaste is fabulous. 
It is so easy to make, tastes good and is really good for teeth!

I have been researching for a while, alternatives to conventional supermarket toothpastes for a couple of reasons.
My kids are not good at spitting toothpaste and will often eat the tube toothpaste.  This concerns me because of all the potentially harmful chemicals in conventional toothpaste.  Even when used as recommended, the bad stuff has to be taken up into the body.  And I don't want that.
We also have a tendancy to waste so much toothpaste around the sink, sqirted into the tub, spread over the bath toys...!!!  I have very creative and curious kids!  When I can make the same quantity of toothpaste for a fraction of the price of a supermarket tube, if some gets wasted, I don't mind so much.

There is a better, healthier and cheaper alternative to supermarket toothpastes.
I thought it was silly not to give it a try!

Coconut oil is healing and will help the remineralisation of tooth enamel.  It is also said to be antibacterial and will reduce the number of bacteria that causes tooth decay.
Bicarbonate of soda will gently scrub the tooth, cleaning and polishing the tooth surface. The bicarbonate of soda is quite salty so if it is too salty for you, just cut the quantity back some.
Peppermint oil leaves pleasant fresh breath and is reminiscent of regular tube toothpaste.  Try other essential oils for different flavours if you like.
The xylitol has many positive health benefits.  It is a natural sweetener with none of the scary health effects of artificial sweeteners.  Xylitol actively reduces tooth decay, with regular use as the sugar is in a non fermentable form.  It is even said that xyltiol promotes remineralisation of tooth enamel.


Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste
¼c coconut oil
2Tb bicarbonate of soda
10 drops peppermint essential oil (or to taste)
1Tb xylitol (or to taste)

Mash all ingredients together.
Store in a lidded jar.
Use as for conventional toothpaste.


Do you make your own toothpaste?  What special ingredients do you include?

shampoo soap bar - a recipe

One of my green goals for the year was to make my own soap and shampoo products.  I am pleased to tick both of these of the list and I'm really happy with how they work. 

I'd never made any soap before this year, putting it in the too hard basket, but after doing a bit of reading and giving it a go, I've found it quite simple.  I used tools and equipment I already had in the kitchen and sourced ingredients from the supermarket and from a local online store.  And the process is not as complicated as I first thought.

I've been using my home made shampoo bars for about six months now and love it.  My hair feels clean with lots of body.  No need for comercial conditioners either, I use a rinse of diluted white vinegar, which gives all the shine I need.  This shampoo bar is what our whole family uses.  It foams up really well and washes out easily.  It takes a little getting used to, rubbing a soap into your hair and getting the suds all over, but nothing unmanageable.

About soap making

If you have never made soap before, I would advise reading around the net on several soap making sites to get a good handle on the process.  Things like how saponification works, cold and hot process, super fatting and lye ratios. 

Now don't switch off just yet!!

Read a site or two and these terms will become clearer.  Make a batch of soap and they will make even more sense.  It wasn't until I had made a batch of soap that some of these ideas ment anything to me at all.  You don't need to know all the details to make a batch of soap.  It does help to understand the process if you want to modify the recipes or make up your own. 



some of my soapmaking oils



Safety

One thing you will need to be clear on is how to make soap safely.  Caustic soda (NaOH) is used in the process and you must be very careful with it in all its forms until the soap is cured or ready to use.  Wear safety goggles, gloves and long sleeves when working with the caustic soda.  And make sure that children or animals are not under your feet during this time too.  Work in a ventilated area (outside or under a rangehood/extractor fan) when first making the lye liquid.  It gives off some nasty gas, which is not good to inhale.

Basic How To - cold process method

1. Prepare the fats and oils.

Measure out all the fats and oils into a saucepan.

Heat until all are liquid.

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Prepare the lye liquid.

Steep rosemary and mint sprigs in boiling water.

Measure out the caustic soda into a dry container.

Measure out the steeped liquid into a glass heat proof jug.

Pour the caustic soda into the liquid (NEVER LIQUID INTO CAUSTIC SODA)

Stir until disolved. (This will heat up lots and give off a nasty gas.  Work in an appropriately ventilated space)

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Prepare mixing equipment and moulds.

Select a bowl (about 4lt capacity) and stiring utensil.

Grease two 1lt UHT milk or juice cartons.

4. Make soap.

Pour the oil mixture into the bowl.

Pour the lye liquid into the oil.

Stir together.

Use stick mixer (immersion blender) to mix.

Mix until trace is achieved.

(Trace looks like thick custard)

Pour into moulds.

(Still be careful with the mixture.  It is not soap yet.)

Leave overnight or until the soap is set.

Un-mould and slice into 1" thick slices.

Leave to cure for about 4-6 weeks, in a ventilated spot, for the saponification process to fully work.

I leave mine on a cake cooler or on folded tea towels in a cardboard box or linen cupboard.

Shampoo Soap Bar

300g Castor Oil

600g Coconut Oil

100g Jojoba Oil

300g Sunflower Oil

200g Beef Tallow

50g Hemp Seed Oil

589g water (steeped with fresh rosemary and mint sprigs)
219g caustic soda

Follow general soap making instructions to construct.

Have you made your own shampoo bars?  What is your favorite recipe?

Sharing at

Homestead Revival Barn Hop ~ Your Green Resource

one word 365 - sustainable

Earlier in the year I read a bit about  One Word 365.

In their words, this is what it's all about.

************************************

One word can change everything.

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap the long list of goals that you won’t remember three weeks from now anyway. Choose just one word.

One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live or what you want to achieve by the end of 2012.

One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

It will take hard work, and will require intentionality and commitment. But if you let it, your word will shape you and your year. It will guide your decisions and help you grow.

Discover the big impact one word can make.

One word.

365 days.

A changed life.

source

************************************

I liked the idea of having a general goal to work toward, something that tied together the initiatives (fads) I was working on.  Nothing too specific, but something I could still keep a direction on.

I decided my own word would be sustainable.  I think it sums up the new focus I have for myself and my family for this year.

In thinking about this year and the seemingly huge list of things I want to tackle, I began to look at the start our family made on this journey in 2011 and before.  It made the 2012 list seem not so daunting, because we have already achieved so much.  So over the next couple of days I will be sharing my Toward Sustainable Living lists.  Things we have already achieved toward sustainable living and sustainable living goals for 2012.

Toward Sustainable Living
(things we achieved before 2012)

Garden
-grow limited varieties of organic veg; corn, tomatoes, broccoli, herbs
-have planted out young fruit trees, nut trees, berry plants; apples, olives, pear, nashi, plums, nectarine, apricot, guava, quince, walnut, almond, blackberries, loganberries, strawberries, black & red currants.
-sorted an area for housing backyard chickens
-use recycled materials for building and landscaping projects
-have and use two compost bays
-moved to a property with more available land for growing produce
-learning about permaculture ideals

House
-installed insulation in roof space
-reduced use of clothes dryer
-purchased HE (high efficiency) washing machine
-purchased some second hand furniture
-installed low flow and dual flush bathroom fittings
-use both inside and outside clothes lines for clothes drying

Personal
-reduce clothing, based on inspiration from project 333
-purchase and swap second hand clothing; school uniforms, kids play clothes, my clothing
-accept hand me down kids clothes and shoes
-use home made and natural remedies for minor illnesses
-use oil cleansing method to clean my face, see crunchy betty for more info

Kitchen
-make home made yoghurt.  I use the easiyo maker.
-use vinegar as rinse aid in dishwasher
-use towel offcuts as general kitchen wipes to be washed and reused
-compost kitchen scraps
-recycle plastics and paper in council bins
-cook many meals from scratch
-use wholefoods
-actively reduce the consumption of preservatives, artificial colours and artificial flavours in prepared foods
-menu plan weekly
-reduce the consumption of meat
-use reusable fabric bags for shopping

General
-make handmade gifts for family, friends, teachers...
-purchase Christmas gifts from Tear Australia's Really Useful Gifts, instead of buying more stuff!
-do kids birthday parties at home, with no plastic junk loot bags!
-choose to own only one car
-give away items no longer needed; toys, clothes, furniture, building materials



Writing everything down made me see that we have already done alot and that we are not starting from scratch in this. 
We do still have a way to go to be living the sustainable life, but it is not an impossible dream. 
It is something that we are working towards one small thing at a time.


What are the small things you have done to improve your lifestyle and become more sustainable?


I'm linking up to Your Green Resource at Sorta Crunchy.  Check out the other great sustainable ideas there.

diy deodorant

Well I finally got around to making the frugal and friendly homemade deodorant that I pinned a while back, from passionate homemaking.  I did make some modifications to the recipe, I just can't help myself.  I added a probiotic powder to the mix to add to the good (read - not smelly!) flora that should be on the skin and thickened the mix slightly with bees wax.  I think it will undergo another slight modification next time, but this is it as of now... my natural deodorant dots.


Step1 - Sift 1/4c bicarb soda and 1/4 c cornflour into a small bowl.

Step2 - Melt 150g coconut butter and 1Tb bees wax in a medium glass bowl. I did this in the microwave, but you could do it the proper way in a double boiler!

I wanted my mixture to be more set than the original, which was to be spread on with the fingers, therefore the addition of bees wax.  I wanted a product I could pick up and rub under my arms.  It didn't quite work out that way, but I am still more than happy with the result.  

                               

Step3 - Mix bicarb and cornflour into coconut butter until smooth.

Step4 - Sit bowl in sink of cold water and stir until cool. It will start to solidify around the sides.

Step5 - Open 2 capsules of shelf stable probiotics and add to mixture.  Just the powder, throw away the capsule.  Also add 10 drops of lavender oil.  Stir through.

Step6 - When a little cooler and thicker, spoon into mini paper patty cases.  Leave to set. 
Again this is where my recipe differs.  I wanted a rub on type dot, instead of a smooth on cream.  This works, but my fingers melt the dot still.  So either I need to add more bees wax to make a more rub on product or leave the recipe as is, pour it into a glass jar and smooth the cream on.

Now stand back and look at what you made!!

This whole process only took me 20ish minutes, in someone elses kitchen, with all the kids around who were hungry for lunch, so if I can do it, you can too!

I have been using it for several months now and am so happy with the product and the results. 
It works!!

This recipe cost about $4.50 and lasts about twice as long as my old commercial products, which cost twice as much!! 
Savings all round!!

Edit:  I don't use the dot version of this anymore.  I found that applying it from the dot was messy.  So now I pour the solidifying cream into a lidded jar and leave to set.  I scrape out a portion to rub on my under arms and just wipe my fingers after!!  So much for trying to make it easier than the original!!  When it aint broke, don't fix it!!

Recipe - Natural Deodorant Dots
1/4 c bicarb soda
1/4c cornflour
150g coconut butter
1Tb bees wax
2 capsules shelf stable probiotic
10 drops lavender oil

Sift bicarb soda and cornflour into bowl.
Melt coconut butter and bees wax over low heat.
Cool.
Stir in probiotic powder and lavender oil.
Spoon into paper mini patty cases.
Leave to set.

That's my latest small thing.  How about you?

Do you use any home made natural beauty products?  Will you try this natural deodorant?


Linking to Frugal Days - Sustainable Ways Wk18