DIY Deodorant

Today I tried my hand at making my first all natural deodorant! I've been using natural deodorant's for over a year now and wanted to finally try my hand at it. I got a recipe from a friend who uses it so I tweaked it a little and tried it for myself.

Here's what you'll need:

Let me put a disclaimer saying I take great pride in a clear picture but somehow seemed to have missed this one and it came out terrible. Sorry.

• 2T - Baking Soda
• 2T - Arrowroot Powder
• 1T - Witchhazel 
• 1T - Coconut Oil
• 1T - Shea Butter (or Cocoa Butter)
• 2T - Beeswax (I used local beeswax which is best...good luck cutting it up)
• Essential Oil (I used several drops of Tea Tree Oil and a few of Eucalyptus - Tea Tree is great because it's antibacterial)
• Empty Deodorant container (save one from a previous use)

Use a double boiler to melt the oils (Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Beeswax, Essential Oils), then add Witchhazel, Arrowroot, and Baking Soda slowly to the oils off the heat. It's preferable to use a real silver spoon (I found a great one at an antique shop for under $10). The reason is it doesn't pick up any bacteria and is a clean metal perfect for mixing.

Once you've mixed everything, drop it into the deodorant mold (container). Then refrigerate for a bit and it's ready to use =)

Remember, it won't be as pretty as the one's you buy in the store, but you know and see all the ingredients that go in it and it's beneficial for your skin and body.

Enjoy! =) Feel free to share in comments other ingredients you've used or other recipes. I'd love to try it!

I made soap!

My hubby got me a great gift for my birthday this year: a soap making class for both of us! We didn't use it until last week (my birthday is in July), but it was worth the wait!

I ended up making two boxes because I loved it so much and wanted two different types of ingredients. I can't remember each ingredient we put in our soaps but between the three some of the ingredients are:

• Saffron
• Chili powder
• Indigo
• Calendula
• Lavendar
• Poppy Seeds
• Mint
• Rosemary/Basil essential oil
• Citrus essential oil
• Lemon essential oil

There's a few more and I'm just forgetting which ones so instead of making it up, I'll just stop at that. Our base was coconut oil and olive oil.

It was so much fun and will be ready November 7th, four weeks after we made them =) Some of you may be getting them as Christmas gifts ;)




Lucas cutting his soap



My first soap

Can't wait to use them!!!

The Right Oils.

When cooking, it is important to understand that while you may have healthy food ready to cook, saute, or fry (the latter not my favorite), if you cook with unhealthy oils, it is all for naught.

Most people have a negative connotation when they hear "fatty acids". Let's clarify this. There are bad fats, but there are good fats that our body needs.

Our body requires omega-6 fats, called linoleic acid, derived from fatty acids. But, where are most people getting fatty acids from? Refined oils, such as corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. Many restaurants and fast foods process their foods in high refined omega-6 fatty acids. The result of refined fatty acids in the body is inflammation, obesity, heart disease, and oxidized cholesterol leading to clogged arteries, to name a few.

Instead of refined oils, choose good omega-6 fatty acids such as grape seed oil, walnut oil, sesame seed oil, coconut oil, and my favorite extra virgin olive oil (evoo). Unlike refined oils that are high in saturated fat, good fatty acids are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The latter can actually help decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels, while refined oils can also lower bad cholesterol but they also lower good cholesterol and cause the oxidized cholesterol discussed earlier.

There is just too much to cover about the benefits of all these oils, but especially evoo. The benefits of evoo are extensive. "In Italy, physicians usually recommend olive oil to patients after they have had heart attacks. Olive oil helps decrease the stickiness of platelets, thus helping prevent coronary thrombosis and blood clots (What Would Jesus Eat?, Dr. Don Colbert, pg. 118)."

The three oils I use are Extra Virgin Olive Oil (of course), Grape Seed Oil (because this can handle heat at 400 degrees, unlike evoo), and Coconut Oil. The best part about these oils is not only their health benefits internally, but externally as well. I use evoo and coconut oil on a daily basis as body lotion and they're amazing!