cuticle oil

A few months ago my mom called me and said she was having a difficult time finding a good cuticle treatment that wasn’t filled with chemicals.  She was at the beauty store and started reading me the ingredients on some of the ‘natural’ brands, and they were filled with all kinds of unnecessary stuff.  I offered to make her a cuticle oil, and then began researching what to put in it.

She’s been using it for a while and said it works like a charm.  It also lasts forever.  Since it’s a mixture of concentrated vegetable and essential oils, a little goes a long way.  I gave her a 1 ounce bottle size, and I bet it will last her at least a year.  I decided it was time to share the cuticle oil love, so I made a small batch last week.  I bought the roller ball bottles from a fellow soaper who didn’t need them anymore, so I only have about 2 dozen of them.  They hold .35 ounces of oil.

Recipe  (this makes 1.4 ounces, filled 4 of my little bottles perfectly)

• .75 oz olive oil
• .2 oz almond oil
• .2 oz jojoba oil
• .1 oz vitamin E
• .05 oz lavender EO
• .05 oz rosemary EO
• .05 oz lemon EO

Blend ingredients together and pour into containers.  Couldn’t be any easier!

I used my trusty aromatherapy book for guidance on the essential oils to use.  I chose these 3 because they are known to strengthen nails and are all antibacterial.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to sell these or not.  I have a show coming up this weekend (The Cowtown Indie Bazaar), so I may just make a bigger batch and see how they go over.

I don’t smell like patchouli anymore

I’ve been using ‘natural’ deodorant for several years now, and have tried lots of different brands.  For a year or so I have been using Lush’s aromaco deodorant – it smells like patchouli.  I’m getting a little tired of people telling me I smell like patchouli because of my deodorant (true story – LOTS of people have commented on how I smell like patchouli since I started using this).  It’s time for a change, and since I like to think I can make my own personal care products just a well as any of the major brands, I thought I’d try my hand at making my own deodorant. 

After reading several blogs, and watching lots of YouTube videos, by other peeps who make their own deo (it’s aluminum and preservative free, thank-you-very-much), I came up with my own recipe.  And here it is:

equal parts of the following:

• beeswax
• cocoa butter
• baking soda
• corn starch

2 parts coconut oil

Melt the oils together, blend in the baking soda and cornstarch, then add:

an antibacterial essential oil blend equal to about .15 oz.  I used the following, but there are LOTS of other EO’s that are antibacterial and could be used.  Next time I’m going to try a tea tree blend…this one I used smells like my lemongrass soap:

• lemongrass
• eucalyptus
• lemon
• bergamot
• lavender

I tried to make this not too girly so that Joey could use it too.  I made 3 mini tubes (they each hold about 1 ounce) and we’ve each been using it for about a week now.  So far, so good, and it has been HOT here.  I mean, heat advisory, triple digit, don’t-go-outside-from-9am-9pm hot.  And my new deo is standing up pretty well to the heat.  And I like the way it feels on my skin better than the Lush deo I used to use…the cocoa butter makes it nice and soft.

You should give it a try 🙂

I promise, your hair won’t smell like vinegar

I read this article a few years back about all of the uses for vinegar.  It can be used for cleaning, in the garden, in cooking, medicinally and as a beauty product.  I was amazed – I had no idea the stinky substance had so many uses!  My most recent use for vinegar is as a hair rinse.  Turns out vinegar is really good for hair and skin.  Vinegar helps balance your hair’s pH and gets rid of residue left by products and heavy shampoos and conditioners. Since I am addicted to all things soap, I figured I should try this out.  

 Here’s the breakdown. 

I used an old wine bottle and mixed the following: 

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (white vinegar will work too, but apple cider is best for your hair)
• 2 cups chamomile tea (you can also use water, or I’ve read beer is works too.  Not sure I want my hair to smell like beer though)
• 5 drops essential oil, your choice (I used lavender and rosemary)

my vinegar hair rinse in an old wine bottle. A squeeze bottle would sure work better, but I can't find one this big.

 

After I shampoo my hair, I pour some of the vinegar mixture onto my head and rub in a little.  I usually let it sit for a minute or 2, and then rinse out.  Some people leave it in, but I prefer to rinse.  Rinsing eliminates the vinegar odor faster, which I have to say was a little hard to get used to at first.  No worries – the smell doesn’t linger….as soon as you rinse it’s gone.  Makes my hair feels silky and soft, and I don’t use conditioner anymore.  

If you’re wondering what essential oils you should use, here are some suggestions that are all hair friendly: 

• lavender
• rosemary
• mint
• eucalyptus
• geranium
• parsley

You could also make an herbal infusion and mix that with the vinegar instead of water.  Enjoy!