How to make your own deoderant

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Homemade Natural Deodorant Stick

So, we all should know by now how many harmful toxins and chemicals commercial deodorant/sticks/roll ons contain.
I am going to give you our very own natural recipe which is basic to make your very own. 

I love finding cheap recipes. Whether they're for food or for other household products, if the recipe contains natural, frugal ingredients, especially if I have them around the house already, I'm totally psyched.
And if its easy as pie to make on top of all that, then I do a little jig out of excitement. Not that I'm actually afraid of doing hard work, because I'm willing to put in a lot of physical effort to get things done (like my foraging, making food from scratch, canning, etc), but I also enjoy taking it easy in between my bursts of insane productivity.
This recipe is perfect for when I don't want to do hard work, because it takes less than 5 minutes total, involves no complicated steps.
Oh, so I'm talking so much about my love of recipes that I didn't even tell you what I was talking about.
Homemade deodorant. The stick kind.

Homemade Stick Deodorant

And yes, it actually works. Very well. Its not an antiperspirant; it won't stop you from sweating on the hottest days, but thats better, because your body releases toxins through sweating, and if you stop your body from releasing those toxins, you can very possibly increase your risk of getting breast cancer.
This deodorant stops you from stinking. Even doing lots of physical labor in the hottest of summers with no AC, when using this deodorant, I can easily go at least 2 or 3 days without showering, and no, I don't stink up the place- it just works that well!
In case you were wondering, it also works on men with hairy underarms. Just sayin.

This deodorant is totally edible if you should chose to eat it; not that it tastes good or anything, but since it is made with only natural real food ingredients, its safe to put on your skin. Your skin is one very absorbent organ, and ideally you should only be putting things on your skin things that are safe to put into your mouth, as things on your skin can get absorbed and go directly into your bloodstream, without even having the added safety feature of having gone through your digestive system to filter out toxins.

So, how do you make it?

Ingredients
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup corn starch/potato starch/tapioca starch/arrowroot powder
8-10 tablespoons coconut oil

Equipment
Plastic wrap or sandwich bag
Empty toilet paper roll tube (or if that makes you squeamish, a paper towel tube should do, so long as you cut it shorter- not that you'd have something as unfrugal and ungreen as paper towels in your home- you'd borrow from a neighbor, of course)
Mixing container
Spoon
Food processor/blender if needed/desired

Instructions
1. Make sure your baking soda isn't clumpy. If you buy it in bulk and store it for a while like I do, you may find that it clumps into large chunks. If this is the case, whiz it in a blender/food processor until it is broken up.

2. Mix baking soda with your corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder. Make sure its mixed well.

3. Add coconut oil, one tablespoon at a time, until you get a nice, thick paste (almost like playdough).

4. Spoon the paste into a cut piece of plastic wrap or into a sandwich bag.

5. Place the wrapped mixture inside your toilet paper tube. Push it down so that it reaches all the way to the bottom. You'll have enough so that there will be more of the mixture above the rim, making a mound, as in the picture above.

6. Wrap the excess plastic wrap or sandwich bag over the mound and place in the refrigerator until hard.

To use, remove from fridge, remove plastic wrap, and rub on your underarms as you would any other stick deodorant.
When the deodorant mound on top gets finished, push up what remains inside the tube so you have more sticking out.

How does it work? Baking soda stops things from stinking, and is an antibacterial. Corn starch or the like absorb moisture. And coconut oil, in addition to binding the mixture, is good for the skin, and is antibacterial and antifungal, and even stops things from smelling.

Note: If you can't afford coconut oil, or don't have access to it, you can make a deodorant powder just by mixing equal amounts of starch and baking soda, and apply it with a paintbrush designated for that purpose. It works well, but be prepared to get white powder all over your clothes and floor when applying it. The stick eliminates the mess involved.

P.S. I did not make up this idea, so I can't take the credit. Its a conglomeration of a few different posts I read over a few different years in various places.

Mint: The Relaxation Herb

This herb is one of my favorites. Its grows fast, its hard to kill, and it grows EVERYWHERE. It grows so much and so fast that you have to be careful or else it will take over your flower beds and yard. I dug up some mint from my grandmothers yard which was growing everywhere and let it grow in mine for a bit then I cut off a few leaves for a mint tea. I just added hot water to the leaves in the mug and let it steep for a few minutes and added honey to it. It really does have a calming affect on you. It makes you somewhat drowsy.  Not only is it a good her for relaxation but it also has many other uses as well. Here are a few that I found on this page:

1. All aBuzz: Growing mint will keep your yard and garden buzzing with beneficial insects. Mint is rich in nectar and pollen, and its small flower clusters keep these sweet treats easily accessible for helpful bugs such as honeybees and hoverflies.
2. Bug Off: While it attracts “good bugs,” mint also deters “bad bugs.” Repel ants and flies by growing pennyroyal mint right outside your door, or spray diluted peppermint essential oil (10 parts water to one part oil) around doorways and windows.
3. Flea Free: Keep pets free of bothersome fleas with this homemade repellent: Bundle 2 parts fresh spearmint, 1 part fresh thyme and 1 part fresh wormwood, and tuck it inside a small pillow. Place the pillow near your pet’s bed or another favorite resting place.
4. Room Refresher: Keep your home smelling fresh by adding a few drops of mint essential oil to your favorite homemade or unscented store-bought cleaner. Try this simple floor cleaning solution, good for wood, concrete or tile floors: Dilute a cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water and add 3 to 5 drops of mint essential oil.
5. Beverage Booster: Mint is refreshing in iced beverages. Add sprigs of fresh mint to a pitcher of water or plain iced tea, let it sit for 30 minutes or more, and serve it over ice. If you enjoy cocktails, mix fresh mint into homemade juleps or mojitos.
6. Veggie Revamp: Enjoy an interesting twist on a vegetable medley by adding fresh or dried chopped mint to peas, green beans, carrots or cauliflower during their last two minutes of cooking.
7. Divine Desserts: Mix 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves into chocolate chip cookie dough and bake as usual for wonderfully minty treats.
8. Breath Saver: You don’t have to rely on mint gum or candies to freshen your breath. A sprig of your favorite fresh mint variety will get rid of bad breath just as well. Simply pluck and chew.
9. Tummy Tamer: Peppermint tea is an excellent way to ease an upset stomach. Peppermint helps calm the digestive tract and alleviate indigestion, intestinal gas and abdominal cramping.
10. Hiccup Help: Try this homemade concoction to help soothe the diaphragm irritation that can cause hiccups: Pour a glass of lukewarm water, then add a couple squeezes of fresh lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a few mint leaves.
11. Steam Clean: A peppermint steam can help clear sinuses and congestion and fight infection. Bring a pot of water to boil, turn off the heat, add a few drops of peppermint essential oil and lean over the pot, draping a towel over your head. Breathe in the minty steam. Mint steams also act as a cleansing and stimulating facial.
12. Nausea Nix: Peppermint essential oil can boost your mood and reduce feelings of nausea. Simply add a couple drops to a clean handkerchief and breathe in.
13. Headache Healer: Apply a few drops of peppermint essential oil to your temple to relieve migraines, as compounds in peppermint oil are known to calm muscle spasms. You can also make a simple compress to get rid of tension headaches: Pour 3 cups hot water over 3 peppermint tea bags. Steep, covered for 5 to 7 minutes; remove tea bags and add ice. To use, dip wash cloth into cold tea and apply to forehead.
14. Fresh Feet: Mint soothes aching feet thanks to the pain-relieving properties in menthol, a compound in mint. Menthol also triggers a cooling sensation, perfect for foot scrubs. Try this one: Combine 1 cup sea salt, 1⁄3 cup olive oil and 6 drops peppermint essential oil. Scrub feet and rinse.
15. Sunburn Soother: Menthol cools and refreshes the skin, making mint a handy herb to keep around in the summer. Use it to ease sunburn pain by making a strong peppermint tea and refrigerating the mixture for several hours. To use, gently apply to the burned area with cotton pads.

Natural Cold, Flu,and Pretty Much Everything Else Remedy

I was on Face Book one day I saw one of those memes that had a pic of a few items that you may have in your kitchen that was purported to be good for just about everything from colds and flu to stomach upset to arthritis. The items pictured were honey (which I forgot to add to MY picture on the right), garlic, ginger, lemon, and apple cider vinegar. I did a little searching around and heres what I found out.

Some top doctors have revealed that the combination of ginger garlic lemon apple cider vinegar and honey is a wonderful drug that can cure everything from Cancer to Arthritis, and makes you lose extra body fat and weight. Also home Remedies for Alzheimer disease, arthritis, cancer, asthma, high blood pressure, headaches, hemorrhoids, toothaches, obesity, Remedies for heart diseases by Natural Benefits Of Ginger Garlic Lemon Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey. Amazing studies from respected universities around the world prove the miracle home remedy that costs just pennies a day to make, a super way to fight just about any affliction. Experts have verified that this health restoring trick of garlic, ginger, lemon juice, vinegar & honey can wipe both our common & not so common ailments.

Success also includes acne, Alzheimer disease, arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, excessive cholesterol levels, gas and indigestion, headaches, heart and circulatory problems, hemorrhoids, infertility and impotence, toothaches, obesity, ulcers, and many other diseases and conditions.

In a study of arthritis Dr. Angus Peter of the University of Edinburgh’s Arthritic Research institute found a daily dose of vinegar and honey reduced pain by 90%.

A daily dose of garlic ginger lemon apple cider vinegar honey has proved to be a powerful and fast weight destroyer and reducer, according to Dr.Raymond Fisk of of London’s  Lamsus University Research Center. The prestigious British Medical Journal Lancer reported that cholesterol levels plunged on average from 237.4 to 223.4 in three hours after volunteers consumed 60 grams of garlic and four ounces of butter. The study proved adding garlic to your diet could neutralize the dangers associated with high fat.

A study of 261 adult patients by the German association of general practitioners indicated thatcholesterol and triglycerides levels factors associated with the risk of heart disease are significantly reduced by regular use of garlic in the diet.

Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Institute in Houston, the Pennsylvania State University and ULSA, support earlier evidence that certain ingredients in garlic block agents that cause cancers of the breast, colon, skin and esophagus. The National Cancer Institute found in a study of 1600 people that eating a lot of garlic is linked to a reduced risk of stomach cancer. Dr. Erik Block of the State University of New York atAlbany has discovered that garlic release at least 100 sulfur producing compounds all of which are powerful medicines.

THE MAGIC POTION

There appears to be little doubt that this astonishing potion made by mixing ginger garlic lemonapple vinegar honey can extend life by protecting you from many proven killers. Dr. Han Len Tsao writes in China’s respected Journal of Natural Medicine, that “patients when given this miracle drink before breakfast showed a remarkable reduction in high blood pressure and cholesterol in less than a week. The Italian nutritionist Emilio Stefan adds, “Years of scientific investigation by experts around the world have proven beyond doubt that garlic, honey and vinegar are nature’s magic potion. The powerful ingredients are available every where and cost only pennies a day when consumed. Considering all what these natural substances can do for the human health is amazing.

Dr. Jack Soltanoff, who is a national expert at New York, praises the benefits of apple cider vinegar. He recorded remarkable success stories involving arthritis sufferers. He says, “I have seen many arthritis patients start to loosen up at once”

Some even call it (apple cider vinegar) a natural arthritis tonic that frees them from stillness pain and aches within just a few weeks, and most pain wrecked patients can pertain normal activities because of this simple tonic. The boxing legend Muhammad Ali took a daily dose of this potion to fight the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and many other athletes are heard to be taking it for having a competitive edge.

“Honey has been described as the perfect food” notes a respected researcher, “it contains a lot of nutrients and minerals, the important part of nine vitamins, six acids and four key enzymes in their most natural state. The patients who took the daily dose of this magical drink were more vigorous, had fewer infectious disease and in general even healthier than those who didn’t. “There’s no question that this astonishing elixir can lend life by replacing from many proven killers.”

Well, I dont know about you, but all that sounds like a winner to me! So I went and added all the ingredients to my food processor and blended them. I had a large ginger that I used, skin and all and let me tell you, that bad boy is HOT!! I had no idea that ginger was hot!! While I was making this is smelled so good, almost like a marinade. I take a teaspoon everyday and I get my children to take one when I can. I must say since I have been taking it, I dont seem to get sick  since so yep. This is a winner!

Gripe Water for colic - made my way

Gripe Water? What in the world is THAT??? That was the first thing I thought when someone suggested I buy this for my colicky baby. Me and Chris spent an entire night laboring with our baby whos stomach must have felt like razor blades cutting thru it. Thats how gas feels, I know. I have had gas get stuck in my guts and let me tell you, it feels worse than razor blades cutting your middle. It breaks my heart to hear a baby screaming with gas pain because essentially theres not much you can do.

Theres the Mylicon drops you can buy but I have had 3 other children and those drops never worked one iota for any of them. Then I got hip to this Gripe Water. I Googled it to see what it was and what it was made of. Its basically herb infused water that acts to sooth and calm the stomach and intestinal tract. The ingredients vary according to the manufacturer but they generally include dill, ginger, fennel, and chamomile. Some of them have alcohol in it as well as sodium bicarbonate, sugar and water. Well, what do you know! I had some of these ingredients in my pantry so I decided to just make my own.

Of course I wasnt going to put alcohol in it and I dont have any sodium bicarbonate but I did have the ginger, fennel, chamomile, and I also threw in some catnip too. I just put the herbs in my coffee maker and percolated it into a tea. My baby is on formula ( unfortunately :-c) so when I make her bottles I put one part tea to 3 parts water and I then add the powdered milk.

I have to say that ever since I started giving her this herbal blend she has not had one instance of colic. Sure, she lets plenty of farts go, but they dont hurt her stomach at all and shes always calm and hardly ever fusses. She no longer screams at night in pain and me and her father arent up all night long in pain right along with her. Now this is how she sleeps at night and all thru the day.

How to make an herbal tincture

"What is a Tincture?
A tincture is a solution of herbs in alcohol. Apple cider vinegar may be used in some special preparations. The alcohol dissolves all of the chemical principals of the plant and acts as a preservative for future use."
http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-A-Tincture?&id=243706

I have been making these for over a year and let me tell you, it has replaced all commercial medicines in my house. My family rarely gets sick but when things do come up I pull out my ready made tincture and dole it out and in less than 12 hrs all complaints are usually gone.

You can get tinctures at health food stores but you usually will end up paying $15 for about 2 or 4 oz. Its much cheaper to make your own. Its very simple to make actually. Heres what to do.

I used Burdock Root, Echinachea Root, Chapparral Leaf, Dandelion Root, and Yellow Dock Root in this tincture.

Root herbs are the best to use b/c it contains the most potency. I always use 100 proof vodka. You should see the looks and comments I get when I buy this at the liquor store.

I put my mixtures in Mason jars. Put half water, and half alcohol in the jar. I used 1 1/2 cups alcohol and 1 1/2 cups of water.

Then I put 1/2 cup of each herb in the alcohol/water mixture. Make sure you watch it b/c the dried herbs will swell when it gets wet so make sure you dont run out of room in your jar before you finish adding all your herbs.

Then after everything is added, cap the jar and give it a good shake. Label your jar with the contents and date it. It takes between 4 and 6 weeks before all the properties of each herb is dissolved into the alcohol and water. Every now and then shake it to agitate the herbs in the solution. Store it in a cool, dark place and it'll keep forever!

Last year my baby who was 1 at the time was lethargic and laying around all day long. She laid on the couch and did not move. So I said hmmm... I'll mix her up some of my tincture and see what happens. As God is my witness, after 15 min my child jumped up off the chair and started running around playing and laughing. I have NEVER seen anything like it.

Oh I forgot to mention, if you want to take your tincture without the alcohol in it, all you have to do is pour a small amount of water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, pour in your tincture and let it boil for a min or two. The steam will carry the alcohol out of your tincture but will leave all the good stuff behind. I hate alcohol so I always take mine that way and if you mix it with orange juice you wont even be able to taste anything in your drink!