Going Green

So for about the last 2 years or so, I've been making a move towards living a more green life. I quit smoking, I became a vegetarian, I started crafting and making my own gifts. I have really enjoyed these things so far, but lately I've been feeling like I need to do something more. I have started researching homemade household cleaning products and personal hygiene products. Aha! Jackpot! With all my new recipes, I've been cooking up some cool things!


Soap


As I'm already using Zum Bar's Patchouli Natural Soap, I am putting soap on hold for right now. I love it and my skin looks amazing. They have tons of scents and I L-O-V-E love the Patchouli. Sea Salt and Rosemary also smell delicious. I highly recommend. My sister, Jennifer (my going green/becoming a vegetarian/becoming a crafter guide) has made me really great bar soap, so I'll probably try that in the future.

Lotion 


I have been heavily involved in a love affair with Kiss My Face's Peaceful Patchouli lotion for about 3 years now and it is definitely my favorite. Gone are the days of Bath and Body Works lotions for me. But the thing is, when I look at the ingredients in my beloved patchouli lotion, I don't know what half of them are. I started using coconut oil from Trader Joe's and though it makes my skin look and feel amazing, it felt like it took forever to soak in. So I have started looking into making my own lotions. A lot of the recipes I found have a pretty short shelf life. Since my bathroom gets pretty hot (I swear, the mold grows by the second), I didn't think that was smart. Finally, I found this recipe from A Sonoma Garden. Easy peasy! Well, I ran into some...snags. First, I didn't have as much olive oil as I thought I did (I substituted in coconut oil) and then I couldn't find the beeswax pastilles and think I accidentally used too much of the solid brick I was cutting from. The end result was a very thick, heavy lotion. The beeswax covered up pretty much the entire patchouli smell, but that's ok because it has a very pleasant light smell. I recycled a spaghetti sauce jar my friend K gave me to store it in. Score! I've used it twice and my skin looks and feels great!! 


Shampoo 


This is the big one. Since high school, I have pretty much been using the same shampoo and conditioner: Biolage Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioning Balm. It worked miracles on my hair and I'm pretty sure it kept my hair from falling out during cosmetology school. I recently looked at the ingredients and of the first 5, 2 are alcohol and 1 is used in antifreeze!! Eeek! No wonder my hair was so greasy every morning when I woke up. My scalp was working overtime to stay moisturized. Plus it itched. Yup. Super hot. An itchy, greasy head of hair. Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little. Anyway, I started doing extensive research. I'm pretty vain about my hair and I wanted it to look good and feel good! I have a friend who washes with apple cider vinegar. I tried that...greaseball city. I kept searching. I found multiple blogs saying to try baking soda and water, with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Here's the recipe: No 'poo shampoo! It's just baking soda and water! I recycled an old dish soap bottle to store it in. Every blog stated that I would find out what my actual hair texture is. The first day I did it and went to bed with wet hair. I woke up with a head full of ringlets. Score!! But here's the thing, after a week my hair is super shiny but it's....straight...? Straight. Well, straight-ish. Surprised me too, y'all!!! I thought for sure my hair would get curlier. So anyway, it's super cheap and my hair looks great. I think I'll keep it! 


I still have a ways to go. I need a face lotion and I'm toying with the idea of homemade deodorant and toothpaste. I'm still not sure how I feel about those. Seems a little crazy! 


So that's my green mission for this month! Stay tuned for more! 


Peace and love, Nicole 


You know why I smile a lot? Uh, cause its worth it.