MGG's Foaming Body Wash

I created this body wash after I decided to get rid of parabens in our life.  I also created it in hopes of easing my youngest's excema problem while we tended to the root of it(diet).

This recipe is completely adjustable, you can add more soap, less soap, more essential oils, less essential oils, you get the idea.  For example, if you have hard water and like your suds, add more Dr. Bronner's to the recipe and cut back on the water.

This recipe was created while using an 7.1 oz foaming bottle.  But the great thing about making your own products, is that it doesn't HAVE to be perfect!  To be honest, I just wing it now, no measuring - I just 'eye' it.

So here ya go:

3 T Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Liquid Soap

1/4 tsp Calendula Oil

1/4 Vitamin E Oil or Avocado Oil (or both!)

1/4 tsp (or less depending on EO) Essential Oil (my faves are Frankincense, Grapefruit, Lavender - basically depends on what skin result I'm looking for)

Water (most liquid soaps have water in it!  Don't worry!) *just fill to top (I use super hot water or boiled/cooled water)

Like I mentioned before, you can adjust this if you want a bit more oil or more suds, more or less fragrance or skin soothing properties from the EOs.

I hope you enjoy this - let me know what you think!

Peace, Love and Go Green!
Rachel

If you like what I'm offering, please feel free to donate and let me know what other kinds of homemade recipes you'd like to see from MGG!

Homemade Powder Detergent

I have had several friends recently ask me for my laundry detergent recipe.  So, here we go...

This recipe was given to me by my friend April, who used to sell it in her store (which she has now sold).  I have tweaked it a bit to keep it easy, as she used to actually MAKE her own soap for it!

I make this a double batch and it usually lasts me about 3 months, family of 4 with 2 of them being young boys who like to play outside.

Here is a picture of the ingredients I use.  I buy the big bag of Baking Soda at Costco just because I use it so much anyway and it's SO much cheaper in the huge 13 lb bag.  I've found all of these ingredients at my local Walmart as well.

For a double batch it goes as follows:

2 Boxes of the Zote Laundry Flakes (no grating, YAY!)(I may up this to 3 boxes to test)
2 Boxes of the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

2 Boxes of the 20 Mule Team Borax

2 Large Boxes of the Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda (or I measure out 8 lbs)

Mix, and use.

I tend to use about 3/4-ish cup per wash.  I do have a water softener and a non-HE top loader though, so someone with hard water may need more soap(add more of the Zote flakes or use a larger scoop) and someone using a HE washer may need to use less.

For tough stains, I like to use Buncha Farmers Stain Stick and that works like a champ!  It has gotten out engine grease from my husband's jeans, blood out of my 3 year old's shirt, grass and iron rich dirt out of my 6 year old's WHITE baseball pants.

If you'd like to remove any residues from your previous laundry detergent choice, Cadie's Laundry Treatment is an awesome additive!

And finally, for the dryer, to help lessen your drying time and to help fluff up and soften your laundry without the harsh chemicals of dryer sheets, add a few Baby Bear Dryer Balls.  If you like scents, you could add a few drops of doTERRA Essential Oils for a refreshingly light scent.

I will admit, though, that I do choose to use Grab Green Laundry Pods on my linens.  They smell just SO good!

Here's to a good clean and harsh chemical free home!

Peace, Love, and Mamas, Go Green!

Rachel

Homemade Deodorant

After figuring out that I was allergic or sensitive to almost all commercially made antiperspirant/deodorants, I decided that I needed to take the leap and find out how to make my own.  Especially, when the one and only commercial antiperspirant/deodorant I could use, left my pits smelling like rotten food by the end of the day.  GROSS!

I had read online from many moms that they were using a concoction of coconut oil, baking soda and corn starch.  For some reason it just seemed so daunting, so I didn't bother, even though I had ALL of the ingredients handy.  But then, for some reason, my friend Erica, said she used that mixture and it was wonderful.  THAT, was it, it did it for me.  Well, it also helped that I saw the bottom of my current stick so I needed something QUICK!

My first batch was a flop.  I added too much corn starch so it dried up and was brittle.  But I didn't give up.  I tried again, adding in some shea butter to help it firm up nicely.  There was no 'recipe' for the deodorant I made, I just winged it.  But it basically went this way:

2 T unrefined virgin coconut oil
2 T shea butter
~2 T baking soda
~2 T corn starch
(you may want to tweak the recipe to work for you, but this one works for me.)
a few drops of a soft essential oil if you like. 

So, pretty much equal parts across the board.  And how I made it:

Melt shea butter and coconut oil (I just used the microwave, doing the shea butter first since it has a higher melting point, then the coconut oil.  I'm sure you can use a double boiler but that's too many dishes for me!)  Make sure to mix well and that all of the butter/oils are melted, then I would start slowly adding in the baking soda and corn starch, 1 T at a time.  Make sure to mix well.  It will still be a very liquidy consistency and will not be ready to put in a deodorant stick yet.  I toss mine in the freezer, checking it every couple minutes to make sure it doesn't freeze, but just firm up to a scoopable buttery texture.  Once that is ready, I take it out and stir a bit more, and then put in my reused deodorant stick.

I've had luck that mine doesn't melt in the warmth.  I think it might be the shea that keeps the coconut oil from melting completely (it has a very low melting point).

Pros:

• Knowing what is in your product
• Keeping nasty chemicals/preservatives off of and out of your body
• No artificial fragrances that may offend your friends
• Easier to shave, since it leaves skin MUCH softer and cleaner
• After a week or two(maybe 3) you will notice you will not sweat as much during regular activities.  True story.  (I successfully used it during a hot spell of 110* in December 2010, while pregnant.)
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Having to buy the products to make it, in more than you need at first.(but is okay, since you'll be making more!)
• Can sting a little if applied too soon after shaving.
• Have to let the pits dry a bit after application.(or just rub your arm/armpit together to rub it in faster.)
• Might melt if left to get too hot.  (I haven't had that problem though.)
• May not completely keep you from feeling wet.  (Over time, I have sweat less and less.  Which the commercial AP/D did NOT keep me dry anyway!)

I hope you enjoy this!  Please leave any comments you have about this, or if you have a different recipe that works marvelous as well.

**I'll add some pictures in the next few days.

Peace, Love and Go Green!