Confessions

Since I have blogged about my attempts at natural beauty and cleaning solutions, I feel the need to confess when I use a commercial alternative. Because I know you're all out there hinging on my every thought on the subject. So this blog post is brought to you by my fear of hypocrisy.

Baking soda shampoo - 90% usage rate. It has really helped that I repurposed a big conditioner bottle to use for my homemade shampoo. Because it holds so much, I feel like I can use a lot each time and not have to worry about refilling the bottle every time I bathe. Using more of the solution helps with the itchy scalp. And I don't really mind dousing my head with cold water during the summer.

Homemade laundry detergent - 100% usage rate. Seems to work pretty well.

Homemade dishwasher detergent - 0% usage rate. I think I screwed up the last batch by trying to mix it in the box. I think my ingredients got layered instead of throughly mixed. As a result, I was washing several loads with borax, then several loads with baking soda. My dishes were getting chalky. I got tired of re-rinsing, so I just went back to Cascade. When I get close to running out of that, I may try the homemade again. But this time, I'll mix it in a bowl first, then funnel it into the box.

Lanolin chapstick - 100% usage rate. Love it!

Homemade deodorant - pfththtbth! Let's not even go there in this heat.

Oil-cleansing method for my face - 100% usage rate. Can't say enough wonderful things about this!! Of all the natural things I have tried in the last year, this one sounded the strangest, but has definitely been the most beneficial and worthwhile. If you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out.

Double-edge safety razor - 30% usage rate. I probably feel the most guilty about this one. Every time I use my expensive, plastic cartridge refill, I feel my own words burning in my ears. I confess I was over-zealous on this one. I do love the frugality of the razor refills for the safety razor, but I can go a lot faster with the modern one. Since I rarely have time to gingerly coax the razor across my skin, I find myself bypassing the safety razor for the more expensive alternative. On days when I do have the luxury of more than ten minutes to shower and shave, I choose the safety razor to help save on the expensive refills.

Coconut oil for my hair - 100% usage rate. Seems to work well as a leave-in conditioner for the ends of my hair

Pure cocoa butter for lotion - 0% usage rate. I don't think I even blogged about this one because it was such a flop. I've read great things about the moisturizing properties of cocoa butter and how pure cocoa butter is even better. So I found some and forked over the dough for it, but it's practically impossible to use. It's so solid in it's container, that I have to scrape it out with a knife. Then, I would need to warm it in the microwave in a glass bowl to make it spreadable. Of course, you have to wait for it to cool because who wants to rub hot oil on their skin?! But don't get distracted and forget about it, or you'll have to start all over. Not worth it.

Ah, confession is good for the soul. I know I feel better now.

Not so crazy

I finally found a natural recipe that I'm not so crazy about. It took me awhile to try because it's quite a leap...natural deodorant. I tried this recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand. Even saved my empty deodorant bottle (is it a bottle? can? jar? holder? what do you call that thing?). I knew I would have to refrigerate it because the coconut oil melts at 76 degrees and we keep our thermostat on 78. But I thought that maybe it would be refreshing to apply chilled deodorant.

Well, the first strike against it was the remembering to put it on. Once I'm out of the bedroom, I hit the ground running, meeting demands thrown at me by whoever is loudest. So I often forgot to use it until my pits reminded me that they were bare.

Then strike two and three came at the same time. I had put it on one day when I knew I'd just be around the house, trying to give it a good trial run before taking it public. I went in the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror to re-do my pony tail. With arms above my head, I saw the verdict under both arms....huge oily circles on my gray t-shirt. It wasn't wet, I assure you. I think it must have been the coconut oil working itself into the cotton of my shirt. Of course, I looked like a sweaty construction worker with huge rings under my arms. I hadn't noticed before because I was wearing darker colors that camouflaged the circles. That shirt still needs to be laundered, but I haven't noticed any stains on other shirts. Nevertheless, homemade deodorant is dead to me. I've got to draw the line somewhere and I prefer to keep my dignity and modesty in tact, tucked out of sight under my arms, thank you very much.

Hair Update

So I know you're all dying to know how the 'poo-free routine is going. I know this because it is the most frequent question I get from my loyal blog readers...all seven of you. But you keep asking and I keep waiting to answer because I'm hoping to arrive at my final answer. But I don't think I'm going to have one, so here is what I've learned.

I am still using the baking soda/water shampoo. I started in February with one tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water. I was also doing an apple cider vinegar (acv) rinse every time I shampooed that consisted of one tablespoon of acv per cup of water. I quickly realized that this combo turned my hair to straw. Fluffy and soft, yet very much straw. Naturally curly hair does not look good when fluffy.

So I did some research and decided to try a tablespoon of honey in a cup of water for my conditioner instead of acv. Bad idea! It did help with the straw hair, but I had really gross filmy build-up on my scalp. Then I discovered that honey water left in the bottle will grow huge black balls of mold. Even nastier! So that combo went down the drain.

Keep in mind through all of this that each new attempt takes several trials to determine the change it will render. It takes even longer when you accept the reality that mothers of littles don't get a shower every day. I knew going in to this that it was a trial and error process, and a very individual process. I am dedicated to finding the right mix because I like the positive side effects I've seen (more on that later).

The next thing I tried was half a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup and a half of water. That didn't seem to do the trick because my scalp got oily very quick. Now I'm doing half a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water. I've also cut back on the acv rinse, keeping the ratio the same, but only using it once every 3-4 washes, and only applying it to the ends of my hair, not my scalp.

My saving grace has been the natural replacement I found for leave-in conditioner. After I towel-dry my hair, I smooth a finger-full of coconut oil onto the ends. Lots of testimonies I read encourage the organic, pure-pressed coconut oil; but you know me...ever the cheapskate. I paid about $5 for a vat of Louanna coconut oil at HEB. So far, so good. It works wonders on frizzies! And seriously, the tiniest amount is sufficient. Too much produces stringy hair, or so I've been told. It comes solid, but if you scrape a little out of the container and rub it between your fingers, it melts on contact and then you smooth it into your hair. No, it doesn't smell like Hawaiian Tropic; I can't detect any fragrance.

Another factor in the equation is the change in seasons. Now that winter is over and I'm finding cool showers more refreshing than hot showers, I think my formula needs to be a little different. It only makes sense that as my skin and hair get more oily with the heat and humidity, that I would need to take care of them differently. This had never occurred to me before. Why would the same products work year-round when my skin and hair change with the seasons? I like the natural alternatives because they are easy to adapt and if one recipe isn't working for me, it's so cheap that I can pour it out and start over.

I'm going to give a little more information in the name of thorough reporting, so I hope I don't cross a line. I was hoping that going 'poo-free would eliminate my itchy scalp problem. I have had problems with my head being itchy for as long as I can remember. I've tried special shampoos, but never experienced much change. I chalked it up to having sensitive skin. Each new ratio of baking soda/water that I try, I hope will help more; but that has not been the case. Granted, it isn't any worse. I think I am more tuned in to it now than I have been in the past because I am trying to pay attention to degrees of difference with each change in formulation. I'm having a hard time believing that my head is still itchy because the rest of my body is not. That has been the greatest surprise side effect. I think commercial shampoos were stripping the moisture from all the skin downstream of my head. I've noticed that my arms and legs are not nearly as dry as they used to be and don't require as much lotion. So why doesn't that translate to my scalp?!

This is why I have waited so long to give an update. Because I still don't have a solid answer. I still feel good about the cost savings and the simplicity of baking soda and acv. And I really like that I'm in control of what goes on my scalp and how it is helping with the rest of my skin. My hair also feels really healthy. I like the softness when combined with the manageability of the coconut oil. And it seems to behave very well, too. My conclusion thus far is that the natural solutions work as good or better than the commercial solutions. So I'll keep tinkering and trying to find the right mix.

If you're committed to making the switch, you might want to check out a few of these links for more troubleshooting info:

Babyslime (what a blog name, huh?!) - incredible details and helps!

Keeper of the Home - notice she uses a different ratio of ingredients

Sorta Crunchy - she uses a paste of ingredients instead of liquid

You can also get great ideas by reading the comments on these blogs. Be warned, though, that you could easily get sucked into the loathsome Bermuda Triangle of Time.

Let me know what you are trying. What's working? What's not? I know you're trying it, don't be embarrassed. Speak up and maybe we can figure it out together.

Try It, You'll Like It

I've been cleaning my face with oil for about six weeks now and I loooove it!! Love, love, love, love, love it! (You have to sing that last sentence for maximum effect.) My skin feels great and I cannot say enough times how super cheap this solution is. My inner cheapskate does a little dance whenever I think about it. Like I said about the hair routine, I am definitely more satisfied with this solution because it is simple and cheap. The fact that it is natural is an added bonus.

So here's what I've been doing at night...I start with a dry face and squirt about a nickle-sized puddle of my oil blend onto my fingertips. I started with equal parts olive oil and castor oil and this is working well for me. You can tweak the ratio depending on your skin type, using more castor oil for oily skin and less for dry skin. I gently rub the oil all over my face for as long as it takes for the water to get hot in my sink. Then I get a washrag wet with hot water, wring it out and throw it on my face to steam all the gunk out of my pores. I leave the rag there until it cools off to room temperature. Rinse the rag, wipe oil off face. Done. I don't even need to dry my face. In the morning, I just splash some water on my face and go.

I expected my skin to feel really oily and greasy, but it doesn't. It feels like I just put on good moisturizer. A few times, I have grabbed my commercial face wash for convenience sake and regretted it every time because my face felt like it was going to crack. I remember this feeling and having to slather on moisturizer. Makes me wonder if the cleanser doesn't just strip my skin, then the moisturizer clogs it up in a vicious cycle. I have acne-prone skin and I have not noticed that cleaning with oil perpetuates this problem. I don't think it is going to solve the problem since it doesn't eliminate my hormones, but I have noticed that the blemishes I get seem to heal a little faster.

The beauty of all this is that I originally mixed about eight teaspoons of oil in my 97-cent ketchup squirt bottle. I didn't want to make too much in case I needed to fiddle with the ratio. Well, that eight teaspoons lasted about five weeks! I just recently had to mix up more. My 6-oz bottle of castor oil cost around $4.50 and a 25-oz bottle of EVOO costs $5.80. If my math is right, then I'm spending about $0.68 every month to keep my face clean and moisturized! Every month! Not every wash...every month! Dance, cheapskate, dance!!

You know you wanna try it. Go on...it's not hard. Can't hurt, right? If you don't have an inner cheapskate that thrills to the numbers, then think about all the chemicals you're keeping out of your body. And it really hasn't been a hassle to find the ingredients, mix them up, etc. because a little goes so far. Try it, you'll like it. And let me know all about it.

Shave more off the budget

I have yet another frugal revelation that I think should turn into a revolution! I think it's obscene how much those razor cartridge refills cost and how quickly we go through them. Even if I suffer the effects of trying to stretch their usefulness, they are still ridiculously expensive. I can say this with great confidence now because I have found a solution that works equally well for a fraction of the cost.

Years ago, J decided to try a double-edge safety razor and old-school shaving soap. He really liked the results, but I never thought to make the idea my own until he suggested it recently. I was timid at first because it really is a razor blade snapped into a steel handle. Surely, I'd bleed out on the shower floor. Nope! I got a really smooth shave, no agitation or razor bumps, and maybe two nicks in the month that I've been using it (pretty normal for me).

Here's how it works...the safety razor has a little screw at the bottom that you turn to open the butterfly closure that holds in the blade. Take the old blade out, set a new one in, twist the handle to make it close. We wrap the old blade up in a tissue before throwing it away just so we don't tear a hole in the bag or worse, have little fingers reach in the trash can and get cut. Between uses, I leave the razor open so it can dry thoroughly. I'm still using my can of shave gel because I've got it, but I've tried the shave soap and it seems to work well. As always, I slather up with lotion when I get out of the shower.

The only inconvenience is that I'm using J's razor handle since I haven't splurged on my own yet. So I toss the blades after each use so he doesn't have to deal with a dull blade. But I'm okay with that, because the blades cost less than $0.20 each!! That's right...10 blades for about $1.84 at the handy-dandy Wal-Mart. Eventually, I will need to invest in my own razor, like this one or maybe this one with a little extra bling to it. Aw, who am I kidding? I'm not paying extra for little blue stars.

So, rise up and revolt! Refuse to pay exorbitant prices for frilly razors in cute colors that promise airbrushed legs for real women! I will not pay extra for cucumber melon fragrance or a "lotion strip" that still leaves my legs requiring lotion, and I certainly don't need my disposable razor to require batteries! No ma'am, I will not buy into your ridiculous marketing. I can handle a real blade, thank you very much, and I'll keep the change. Who's with me?

Goin' Natural

Count me in! I'm joining the shampoo-free bandwagon! Well, I'm giving it a good try, anyway. I'm not saying that I'm a die-hard believer yet, so let's just call it an extended experiment. I started with simplemom's recipe for one tablespoon of baking soda in one cup of water for shampoo, and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one cup of water for conditioner. (J asked if I was going to go around smelling like feet because of the vinegar, but I made him do a sniff test after the first rinse and he said there was no smell at all.)

I use a lot of product in my hair because it is naturally curly, so I was skeptical that baking soda would wash out all the mousse, hairspray, anti-frizz goop, etc. But I actually got a clean squeak! That hasn't happened in a long time because of the super soft water here. I always felt like I couldn't get all the shampoo out of my hair, but it rinses quite clean now. Ditto with the cider vinegar conditioner. I didn't believe it would actually untangle my nest of frizz, but I can comb my fingers through my hair after using it. Who knew?!

I bought some 97-cent clear ketchup bottles out of the kitchen section at WalMart to use as my experiment beakers. They work great because they have a wide mouth for filling, but a narrow squeeze nozzle for applying. They also have a little attached lid, so I don't have to worry about spills or extra shower water going in. And since they're clear, I can tell how much I have left. FYI, for my mane, I think the one cup of solution will last about three washes.

So how does my hair look? I don't think anyone could visually tell a difference. I honestly think it feels a little dry, leaning towards the straw effect. I've always been heavy on the conditioner, though, using it in the shower and then a leave-in conditioner as part of the product regimen. Simplemom warns that there is a transition period, so I'm trying to be patient and see if my scalp starts to compensate. She also says to tweak the formula to your own hair type, so maybe I need to tinker with the amount of baking soda or try honey as a conditioner and see if that helps. I can't tell a difference at all in the way my hair styles. Of course, how hard can it be to style a ponytail?

By far my biggest complaint about the new system is that the mixtures are freezing cold when I go to use them. Since it's basically just water, it stays room temp. In the winter, that's about 68 degrees at our house. So, I'm in a nice hot shower, then have to douse my head with freezing cold water to wash it. Brrr! I have found that if I put the bottles on the floor of the shower and let the water run over them for a while, they warm up a smidge. Still takes some getting used to. The new routine also takes a little longer than regular shampoo, too. Come to think of it, if I used a trigger spray bottle, both of these problems might be alleviated. A finer mist wouldn't be so cold and it might go faster, too. Might also use less. So much to think about.

I would love to say that I'm intrinsically motivated by the green-ness of this idea, but to be honest I'm still putting plenty of chemicals on my head to produce reasonably tame curls. I can't imagine that the natural potions will allow me to do away with mousse and hairspray any time soon. I'm sure it's healthier for my hair to eliminate as many chemicals as possible, and I'm always a fan of the simplest solution for any problem. Bottom line is that I'm a cheapskate and far more motivated by the savings. I think I also find it quite empowering to know that I have options beyond what is being marketed to me, to know that I have investigated my options and made an informed decision. If only I felt the same way about politics.

Stay tuned for more adventures in going natural, as I'm also trying the clean-your-face-with-oil razzmatazz!