Skip to main content

DIY Recipes

Okay, here are the recipes for some of the items I have made recently.

1. Homemade Deodorant (my favorite)

The original recipe calls for Castor Oil and Beeswax, but we heard that the beeswax can stain clothes so I made it without it and it works fine.

2 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (I recommend Wildtree coconut oil)
1/8 cup Arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1/8 cup Baking Soda
Essential oils -- I did 8 drops of Lavender and 8 drops of Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea tree oil)

Put the coconut oil into a saucepan and melt over low heat. Remove from heat and add the Arrowroot powder and Baking soda. Stir until it is dissolved. Add the essential oils and stir to combine. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into a clean deodorant container. Put container in the fridge to help it firm up.

This recipe makes one stick of deodorant. I usually double/triple it and make more than one stick at a time. When using the deodorant, you only need to apply a thin layer under your arms. If you roll it up too much, it'll end up making a mess. ;)

2. Homemade Hair Gel

This is SUPER easy to make. You must keep it in the refrigerator and is good for two weeks.

1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (http://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Unflavored-Gelatin-Kosher/dp/B0008D6WBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419274017&sr=8-1&keywords=kosher+gelatin)
1/2 cup hot distilled water
4-6 drops essential oils (I used lavender)

Add the water to the gelatin in a glass bowl and stir until dissolved. Put bowl in fridge for around three hours. Remove from fridge and add oils. Using a funnel, pour into container. I used a glass spray bottle. The recipe is thin enough to just spray it onto your hair. If you prefer something thicker, you can used 1/2 teaspoon gelatin (instead of 1/4 teaspoon) and put it in a glass jar.

3. Homemade Shampoo

Still not sure what I think about it, but feel free to try it for yourself. If you live near me, I can even lend you the ingredients!

This is the basic recipe. I added some peppermint oil and tea tree oil to mine.

1/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup liquid Castille soap (I used the Dr. Bronner's unscented baby mild -- shockingly, I found it the cheapest at Whole Foods!)
1/2 teaspoon JoJoBa oil (or grapeseed oil)

Mix all the ingredients in a bottle. Shake before using. This shampoo is thinner than commercial shampoos, so you can just pour the shampoo right on your head.

4. Homemade Conditioner

This is basic, but the idea is that it balances the pH in your hair from the homemade shampoo.

1 Tbsp raw ACV (apple cider vinegar)
1 cup of water

Mix together in a squirt bottle. Shake well before applying to hair. Gently massage into hair and scalp for a minute or two then rinse it out. The smell rinses away -- don't worry!


I hope you have fun trying these out. I'm having a blast creating new things with my oils and other natural ingredients. :)


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

We Have a Date!

The wedding date is set: Friday, March 2. I've already booked our church, our pastor, and the reception hall. Whew. I've been busy. Luckily, I already knew where I wanted the reception to be held and since I'm doing a Friday evening, it was easier to book the reception hall. My mom, Kara (my sister and matron-of-honor), and I are looking at dresses this Saturday. How fun! I already found one that I REALLY like online at David's Bridal. So, we are heading there first on Saturday. Jess bought me a wedding planning book -- wow! I had no idea that there were so many things to do! Plus, most people start almost a year in advance and I'm doing it in six months. Oh well. The work is well worth the short wait. So, how am I doing with posting so far? Look, Amanda, two blogs in one week! You must be proud of me. Still no pictures as Walter has been out of town and I don't have a camera. Hopefully, I will have some for you soon.

I'M ENGAGED!!!

Saturday night, on top of the John Hancock building in downtown Chicago, Walter asked me to marry him! I said, "Of course I will." The ring is absolutely gorgeous!! It's exactly what I wanted. (We didn't go ring shopping, but I gave him hints of what I wanted). It's a platinum solitare princess (square) cut one carat diamond. I'll take a picture of it and try to post it for you. It looks like our wedding date is Friday, March 2. I have to double check on some things, but most likely, that is the date. Here's the story: Walter was really low key about everything. We had already planned to go to Chicago that day to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I had never been there and we have a list of things we want to do. So, he picked me up at 11:30am on Saturday. He surprised me with a dozen+ (actually 14) red roses. We headed to Chicago and the zoo. Afterwards, we went to Frontera Grill where I have really wanted to go. It's incredibly difficult to get in, so he had call...

Gratitude Not Attitude

  "Gratitude not attitude" became my mantra during the beginning of COVID-19. During that time, I would go for long walks -- listening to music and spending time in prayer. Sounds fine, however, often during my "talks with God" I would find myself complaining about something someone said and how it hurt me or some other situation. I realized that I could continue down that road or end the negative thoughts. So, I would stop myself in the middle of my pity party and say "Gratitude not attitude." I would then think of all the things I am grateful for about that person and/or situation. Was it always easy? No. Worth it? Yes. As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, are you needing to switch your negative attitude to one of gratitude? Where are the blessings in e-learning? In this political climate, where do your thoughts go when thinking about Democrats or Republicans? One party is not all positive and one all negative. BOTH parties have positives and negativ...