When we think about doing green and natural things, cleaning our house isn't the first thing that comes to mind. It's a big part of your life you can change towards being greener, more natural and it doesn't have to be expensive! It would be stupid to use natural and green products for your own skincare and health, but not for your home. Here are some easy hints and tips for you to turn it around.
*working with the right tools
If you're trying to remove some hard core lime scale with a very old sponge, you can bet it's not going to be efficient. Using the right tools for the right job means you have to use less cleaning agent, and saves you time. This doesn't mean you should run to the store and buy the most expensive multi functional tools out there. A good sponge, some good microfiber rags and a hard brush will deal with most problems. You can use those old soft sponges for your grandmother's china, and cut up old t-shirts to use as dusting rags. Recycle your old sponges and rags if you can and you can use new ones without feeling guilty.
*clean your home and maintain
Keeping your home clean and cleaning on a regular basis means you will have to work less hard to keep it clean, and you will have to use less cleaning agent. Getting into a habit can save you time and stress.
*Ask grandma for advice
If your grandmother is still alive, ask her for natural cleaning tips. If she's no longer alive, there are plenty of websites out there with old tips and tricks for all sorts of household problems. Did you know you can put onions in some water and use it to clean your windows? It's definitely a lot greener and cheaper than store bought chemical solutions.
Natural cleaning agents
There are quite a few things out that you can most likely buy in your local supermarket that are a great natural alternative. I'll talk you through some of them
*Vinegar
There are 2 types of vinegar, the original vinegar and some vinegar used especially for cleaning. Vinegar is great for removing limescale. Soak a rag in vinegar and leave it around your faucet for a few hours to remove the dark circles. Personally I really don't like the smell, but it works so well I just keep my nose away and use it anyway.
*Castille soap
And other 100% natural vegetable soaps can be used instead of normal soaps to clean your floors and do dishes with.
*Baking soda
This must be my favorite ingredient of all time. It can be used as an abrasive and it can also be used to remove smells from trash cans and carpets.
*Lemon juice
Have you ever noticed how commercial cleaning products use (or claim to use) lemon juice in their products to remove grease? It can also be used as a natural bleaching agent for your laundry and tons of other things. A definitive must have.
*Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil has great anti-bacterial properties and you can use those while cleaning. It can be mixed with water to disinfect and clean, to fight mold and to create a fresh smell in your home.
These 5 easy to get ingredients will help you to create a greener and cleaner home. I would definitely recommend asking your grandmother for advice or to look online for those old housekeeping secrets. They can be surprisingly effective!
zondag 4 augustus 2013
zaterdag 20 juli 2013
DIY cosmetics ingredients: coconut oil
Some ingredients used in home made cosmetics deserve some extra attention because they're easy to find and can be used to a variety of recipes. Today we'll talk about coconut oil.
Coconut oil is made out of the meat of the coconut. It's used in a lot of products such as soaps, toothpaste, shampoos and all sorts of body lotions. Some people use it to cook, that's why you can find it in most supermarkets and Asian supermarkets. It's an easy to find product and not expensive.
The unrefined coconut oil melts at about 24-26 degrees Celcius. This can be a bit tricky when you're making a recipe where you want to coconut oil to stay solid, for instance in a cream deodorant .Keeping your products in a cool place during the summer is a must if you want things to stay solid.
How can we use coconut oil in natural cosmetics?
Sometimes the simplest thing is the best. You can put some coconut oil in your hair before washing it, wrap a towel around your hair and leave it in for at least 30 min. This will make your hair super soft.
Massage your skull with some coconut oil to increase blood flow and reduce itches. Sometimes I just melt some coconut butter in my hands and spread in on my hands or body.
If you're going for recipes with coconut oil, it can be used in cream deodorants (see the link above) due to it's antibacterial properties.
It's also great to add to your body butters, because it's a bit more solid when cold, but easily melts when it comes in contact with your skin. Coconut oil is also used for making home made soap.
Like I said coconut oil is sometimes used in toothpastes and for "oil pulling", where people swish with coconut oil before brushing to remove bacteria from their mouth. I'm testing it, more about it later.
Visit your local supermarket or Asian market and try some coconut oil!
Coconut oil is made out of the meat of the coconut. It's used in a lot of products such as soaps, toothpaste, shampoos and all sorts of body lotions. Some people use it to cook, that's why you can find it in most supermarkets and Asian supermarkets. It's an easy to find product and not expensive.
The unrefined coconut oil melts at about 24-26 degrees Celcius. This can be a bit tricky when you're making a recipe where you want to coconut oil to stay solid, for instance in a cream deodorant .Keeping your products in a cool place during the summer is a must if you want things to stay solid.
How can we use coconut oil in natural cosmetics?
Sometimes the simplest thing is the best. You can put some coconut oil in your hair before washing it, wrap a towel around your hair and leave it in for at least 30 min. This will make your hair super soft.
Massage your skull with some coconut oil to increase blood flow and reduce itches. Sometimes I just melt some coconut butter in my hands and spread in on my hands or body.
If you're going for recipes with coconut oil, it can be used in cream deodorants (see the link above) due to it's antibacterial properties.
It's also great to add to your body butters, because it's a bit more solid when cold, but easily melts when it comes in contact with your skin. Coconut oil is also used for making home made soap.
Like I said coconut oil is sometimes used in toothpastes and for "oil pulling", where people swish with coconut oil before brushing to remove bacteria from their mouth. I'm testing it, more about it later.
Visit your local supermarket or Asian market and try some coconut oil!
zondag 7 juli 2013
Animal ingredients in cosmetics: what are they and how to avoid them
A lot of animal ingredients are used in cosmetics. You can find them in store bought cosmetics or when shopping for ingredients. Today I'll share some hints and tips on how to avoid such ingredients.
There are tons of ingredients based on animal products. Some you may know such as lanolin, bees wax, carmine. Some ingredients are made by killing animals such as carmine, while others are just a products produced by animals such as milk and bees wax. It all depends on your personal decision whether or not you choose animal ingredients. It's not up to me to force you into choosing anything, I just want to help people make a decision based on facts.
The internet has a lot of info on this matter, but today I'll share some lists from PETA's website. Often companies will claim their products to be "vegetarian" or "vegan" when in fact they're not. So it's best to check the PETA website or to search the ingredients of the product itself.
Also, not all products that might in fact be vegetarian or even vegan have a label. Companies have to pay to get a certification on their products so in some cases producers may choose not to get one when in fact their products are vegetarian. By checking the ingredients you might be in for a surprise.
so here are some resources that can help you.
A list of a lot of animal ingredients and their alternatives here.
A list of cruelty free and vegan brands here
A website with a search tool on ingredients that also has info on animal ingredients here
I hope these tips were helpful. Always keep a watchful eye when you see a label on your products. It's OK to double check ingredients or to look up labels. Thinking for yourself and doing some research will prevent you from buying stuff you really don't want.
There are tons of ingredients based on animal products. Some you may know such as lanolin, bees wax, carmine. Some ingredients are made by killing animals such as carmine, while others are just a products produced by animals such as milk and bees wax. It all depends on your personal decision whether or not you choose animal ingredients. It's not up to me to force you into choosing anything, I just want to help people make a decision based on facts.
The internet has a lot of info on this matter, but today I'll share some lists from PETA's website. Often companies will claim their products to be "vegetarian" or "vegan" when in fact they're not. So it's best to check the PETA website or to search the ingredients of the product itself.
Also, not all products that might in fact be vegetarian or even vegan have a label. Companies have to pay to get a certification on their products so in some cases producers may choose not to get one when in fact their products are vegetarian. By checking the ingredients you might be in for a surprise.
so here are some resources that can help you.
A list of a lot of animal ingredients and their alternatives here.
A list of cruelty free and vegan brands here
A website with a search tool on ingredients that also has info on animal ingredients here
I hope these tips were helpful. Always keep a watchful eye when you see a label on your products. It's OK to double check ingredients or to look up labels. Thinking for yourself and doing some research will prevent you from buying stuff you really don't want.
donderdag 27 juni 2013
Super easy DIY scrub with sugar and baking soda
I like simple recipes, and this one really is. Because all you need is two ingredients! A 100% natural scrub.
This recipe is really soft on your skin and it also leaves your skin really soft. It's a scrub that has helped reduce my acne.
What do we need?
*baking soda
*sugar
*a container
I chose granulated sugar to get a mild scrubbing action. If you want to use brown sugar or get a more intense scrub I would suggest using this recipe.
All we need for this recipe is equal amounts of baking soda and sugar mixed together. One good tablespoon of the mixture should be enough for one scrub.Mix it with a tiny bit of water to get a thick paste. You really only need a tiny bit of water for this! You don't want the mixture to get too wet.
The thing I like about this recipe is you can make large quantities of the mixture and store it. Because of the dry powder it has a long shelf life. Just store it in a big jar and you can take a tablespoon every time you need it. I use this scrub once a week.
Enjoy your soft skin!
This recipe is really soft on your skin and it also leaves your skin really soft. It's a scrub that has helped reduce my acne.
What do we need?
*baking soda
*sugar
*a container
I chose granulated sugar to get a mild scrubbing action. If you want to use brown sugar or get a more intense scrub I would suggest using this recipe.
All we need for this recipe is equal amounts of baking soda and sugar mixed together. One good tablespoon of the mixture should be enough for one scrub.Mix it with a tiny bit of water to get a thick paste. You really only need a tiny bit of water for this! You don't want the mixture to get too wet.
The thing I like about this recipe is you can make large quantities of the mixture and store it. Because of the dry powder it has a long shelf life. Just store it in a big jar and you can take a tablespoon every time you need it. I use this scrub once a week.
Enjoy your soft skin!
vrijdag 21 juni 2013
Ditching your shampoo - going no poo
About a year ago I decided to stop using shampoo, or as some call it: going no poo. There are plenty of alternatives for shampoo that still keep your hair silky and shiny!
Most commercial shampoos contain some ugly ingredients (SLS, parabens and more) Of course you can still buy greener alternatives, there are some good ones out there but always beware of green-washing.
I chose to ditch shampoo altogether. After doing some reading on the internet about alternatives to shampoo I decided baking soda would best for me.
So how do you wash your hair with baking soda?
You need an empty shampoo bottle or some other bottle. The best option is a bottle with a small opening.
You mix one part baking soda. this can vary from 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 5 parts of water to 1 part to 9, 10 or however many parts of water you choose.
In the beginning you might need more baking soda in your mixture, but as time passes your hair will become less greasy and you can add more water. There might come a point where you have so much baking soda water that it's easier to just start using a smaller measure for your baking soda and water.
You mix it together, and spread the mixture it on your scalp. gently massage it over your entire head. This is where most of the grease and dirt will be. The grease in the rest of your hair will was away as you rinse your hair. You can finish with a conditioning rinse of apple cider vinegar, lime or lemon juice mixed with water. I personally never do this, but it's recommenced in a lot of posts I've read on the subject. For me it doesn't really work, it just leaves my scalp feeling itchy and uncomfortable. You can use a conditioner for your hair afterwards if you want to.
what's different about washing your hair with baking soda?
There are several things I've noticed about washing your hair with baking soda. First of all washing my hair has become a more mindful experience. You can't just put some shampoo on your hair and wait for tons of bubbles to appear and have clean hair. You have to be in the moment, really pay attention to every part of your scalp. When it comes to my hair I've noticed it has more volume and looks very shiny. I was really surprised about how much volume my hair has. According to my hairdresser my hair still looks really healthy.
I've also noticed my hair has become 90% less greasy. When I started this I had to wash my hair every other day. Now I wash my hair once a week.
There are other options though: herbal rinses, clay masks, or just stopping washing your hair. There are several ways to stop washing your hair. The first is to just go die hard and stop washing it. Your hair might look greasy for a few weeks, but your body will adjust and stop producing so much oil. After that you can just rinse your hair with water. You can also go for a more gentle approach and start mixing shampoo with water until you end up with mostly water. It's similar to the first method except for the fact that your hair will look less greasy during the transformation and it will also take longer.
Do you know more alternatives for shampoos? Don't keep them to yourself, please share in the comment section below.
Most commercial shampoos contain some ugly ingredients (SLS, parabens and more) Of course you can still buy greener alternatives, there are some good ones out there but always beware of green-washing.
I chose to ditch shampoo altogether. After doing some reading on the internet about alternatives to shampoo I decided baking soda would best for me.
So how do you wash your hair with baking soda?
You need an empty shampoo bottle or some other bottle. The best option is a bottle with a small opening.
You mix one part baking soda. this can vary from 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 5 parts of water to 1 part to 9, 10 or however many parts of water you choose.
In the beginning you might need more baking soda in your mixture, but as time passes your hair will become less greasy and you can add more water. There might come a point where you have so much baking soda water that it's easier to just start using a smaller measure for your baking soda and water.
You mix it together, and spread the mixture it on your scalp. gently massage it over your entire head. This is where most of the grease and dirt will be. The grease in the rest of your hair will was away as you rinse your hair. You can finish with a conditioning rinse of apple cider vinegar, lime or lemon juice mixed with water. I personally never do this, but it's recommenced in a lot of posts I've read on the subject. For me it doesn't really work, it just leaves my scalp feeling itchy and uncomfortable. You can use a conditioner for your hair afterwards if you want to.
what's different about washing your hair with baking soda?
There are several things I've noticed about washing your hair with baking soda. First of all washing my hair has become a more mindful experience. You can't just put some shampoo on your hair and wait for tons of bubbles to appear and have clean hair. You have to be in the moment, really pay attention to every part of your scalp. When it comes to my hair I've noticed it has more volume and looks very shiny. I was really surprised about how much volume my hair has. According to my hairdresser my hair still looks really healthy.
I've also noticed my hair has become 90% less greasy. When I started this I had to wash my hair every other day. Now I wash my hair once a week.
There are other options though: herbal rinses, clay masks, or just stopping washing your hair. There are several ways to stop washing your hair. The first is to just go die hard and stop washing it. Your hair might look greasy for a few weeks, but your body will adjust and stop producing so much oil. After that you can just rinse your hair with water. You can also go for a more gentle approach and start mixing shampoo with water until you end up with mostly water. It's similar to the first method except for the fact that your hair will look less greasy during the transformation and it will also take longer.
Do you know more alternatives for shampoos? Don't keep them to yourself, please share in the comment section below.
vrijdag 14 juni 2013
DIY ingredients: Baking soda
There are some ingredients you can use in home made cosmetics that deserve some extra attention. They can be used in many products and are easy to obtain. Today we'll put baking soda in the spotlight.
Baking soda has been around for a long time and is used for a lot of things. Around the house it can be used for baking, deodorizing, as a relief for heartburn and it's also used in toothpaste. It's also a great green cleaning alternative.
When it comes natural cosmetics baking soda is a must have. It's cheap, available in supermarkets and Asian food stores and has a long shelf life. Here are some examples of the usage of baking soda:
Head and face
masks, cleaners, scrubs, toothpastes and powders.
Hair
It can be used to wash your hair (more about that in a later post)
Body
A soft scrub, bath salts, deodorants (both body powder and cream deodorants)
a recipe for cream deodorant with baking soda can be found here
Store your baking soda in a dry and dark area.
Baking soda has been around for a long time and is used for a lot of things. Around the house it can be used for baking, deodorizing, as a relief for heartburn and it's also used in toothpaste. It's also a great green cleaning alternative.
When it comes natural cosmetics baking soda is a must have. It's cheap, available in supermarkets and Asian food stores and has a long shelf life. Here are some examples of the usage of baking soda:
Head and face
masks, cleaners, scrubs, toothpastes and powders.
Hair
It can be used to wash your hair (more about that in a later post)
Body
A soft scrub, bath salts, deodorants (both body powder and cream deodorants)
a recipe for cream deodorant with baking soda can be found here
Store your baking soda in a dry and dark area.
zondag 9 juni 2013
Suggestions + update
I've been quite inactive lately, on my blog, my dA page and Etsy. School, work and the nice weather that has finally arrived have kept me busy. I have some ideas for new posts and DIYs in mind, and I hope to be a little more active in the near future. In the meantime I would like to hear some of your ideas. What type of posts do you like to read? Are there recipes or ingredients you want to read about? Do you want to read more about creative ideas? Let me know! Let's fill up the comments section.
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