By Seaswept
Society today makes it somewhat easier, yet more expensive, to be environmentally friendly when it comes to personal care. There are so many companies out there who sell natural cleansing products and cosmetics. If you have time and space, I would recommend trying to make some of your own things. Soap bars are not difficult to make. I started it as a hobby a few months ago. This way you KNOW what ingredients you are using, on yourself and for the earth. There are also many substitutes to everyday products we use that may be toxic to our earth. I have provided some “recipes” below for substitutes. Antiperspirant and Deodorant
Apply baking soda under arms after drying off
Add cornstarch or white clay if baking soda alone feels too abrasive
ASTRINGENT
Apply buttermilk with a cotton ball; wait 10 minutes, then rinse. A cotton ball dampened with rubbing alcohol will also work.
DISPOSABLE DIAPER
Use 100% Cotton Cloth diapers
DISPOSABLE RAZOR
Use a rechargeable electric razor or a recyclable long-lasting razor blade
HAIR DYE
Wash your hair with one of the following rinses. Pour the selected rinse through your hair 15 times, re-rinsing with the same liquid. On the final rinse, wring hair, and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing with clear water. Blonde: Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice in 1-gallon warm water. Brunette: Rinse hair with a strong black tea, or black coffee. Red: Make a strong tea of rosehips or cloves, or use strong black coffee. Covering Gray: Simmer 1/2 cup dried sage in 2 cups water for 30 minutes, and then steep for several hours. Apply to hair and leave on until dried. Then rinse and dry. Repeat weekly, until desired shade, then monthly to maintain color.
HAIR SPRAY AND MOUSSE
Hair Spray: Chop one lemon (or an orange for dry hair). Place in a pot with 2 cups water. Boil until half of the initial amount remains. Cool, strain, and place in a spray bottle. Store in the refrigerator. If it is too sticky, add more water. Add one ounce rubbing alcohol as a preservative and then the spray can be stored for up to two weeks unrefrigerated.
Mousse: dissolve 1/4 teaspoon plain gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Let sit at room temperature until slightly set. Rub into dry or wet hair, and blow dry.
MOUTHWASH AND TOOTHPASTE
Mouthwash: Very strong, cooled mint tea. Toothpaste: Use plain baking soda, or abrasive fruits such as mashed strawberries, pears, or apples.
As far as clothing yourself, it’s easy. Wear clothing made of organic cotton, hemp, or flax. I can’t even count the number of places, especially on the Internet, that sell these products. Usually, these stores also provide environmentally friendly soaps, cosmetics, etc. I will provide a few links at the end of this article. Most of this clothing will be in its natural color, white, off white or a tan. If you want colored clothing, there are non-toxic dyes out there. I have learned, though, that there are natural ways to dye also. Some of these include: Black Beans, the water you boil black beans in turns a purplish color. If you make it strong enough you can dye fabric in it. Black berries: smashing the berry and making a pulp will provide a good dye. Pomegranates: the inside “meat” of the fruit can also be smashed and made into a substance that can be used as a dye.
Cosmetics and skin care products are a natural concern for us “earth goers”. Numerous companies over the years have used animal testing and so on. I suggest finding out what process and ingredients your brand uses before buying it. Some tips on what to look for:
Find brands that produce products without causing harm to any living being or to
the environment.
That use only the most beneficial herbs and other natural ingredients
Some ingredients: unchlorinated spring water, allantoin, avocado, calendula, chamomile, Echinacea, rosemary, sage, St. John's Wort - oils of sesame, peanut, coconut, carrot, jojoba, macadamia nut - plus naturally occurring vitamins and antioxidants.
No raw material obtained from dead animals should be used!!!
The packaging is ecologically sound.
All products are readily and rapidly biodegradable and no pollution of the environment occurs during the manufacturing process.
You probably assume that products labeled "natural" are healthier or safer. Unfortunately, "natural" does not mean non-toxic. Because ingredients like chlorine, a toxic chemical, occur in nature, they are therefore misleadingly called "natural" on product labels. Additionally, labels commonly promise "natural" ingredients, but may actually include less than 1% natural substances in the fine print. So, KEEP A LOOK OUT for this. And keep in mind, you don’t have to clean out your house and go buy all new stuff. That gets expensive! This is something you can do one step at a time. By changing just one product, or one habit can help the earth. So the next time you go to buy eye shadow or toothpaste, keep in mind what to look for!! And do that every time. Speaking of buying environmentally friendly products, here are the links I promised you. I have provided five different places to shop, there are TONS more just do a search for them.
Earth Republic
EcoGoods
The Earth Shop
The Green Marketplace
Abundant Earth
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