If I can say one thing…remember to take your time in incorporating a more natural lifestyle into your home. I try to add one new thing on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, so as not to overwhelm myself. It is important to take simple steps towards improving your health and the care of the environment as well. I will not guarantee that pursuing a healthier lifestyle with your food, body products, cleaning supplies, etc. will be a piece of cake, but I will say that it is definitely worth it! Taking good care of our bodies will make us more fit for the Master’s use, and that is an important pursuit!
Now for some recommendations for natural body products!
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has been called the “healthiest dietary oil on earth.” This is the item that I have just started incorporating into our diet. I have been cooking with it, adding it to smoothies, and now I am realizing the benefits to using it as a natural body product. Coconut Oil is a little more on the expensive side, but it definitely extends a long way and can be used for multiple purposes, which makes it a very valuable and worthwhile purchase in my book (I am all for all-in-one products!). Read on!
Take advantage of this awesome oil in the nourishment of your skin and hair.
Hair Conditioner – Using coconut oil for hair conditioner is a great, healthy idea. It not only softens the hair and leaves it shiny, it also leaves your scalp moisturized. It will also absorb into your skin nicely as well without leaving that greasy feeling that some moisturizers have a tendency to do. Applying coconut oil to wet hair is what works best. Make the application after you get out of the shower. Put a pea sized drop in one hand. Better to have too little than too much. Evenly coat hands by rubbing them together. Evenly run fingers through hair and rub coconut oil into hair. Using a comb to distribute oil through hair is also acceptable. Repeat if desired.
Deodorant – This has been the best thing I have discovered lately! It works wonders! I am one that has always had to use very strong deodorant because the natural stuff never worked. I have been blown away by the effectiveness of this recipe. My husband was a little skeptical at first, and didn’t necessarily like applying it with his hands, but the benefits far out way any extra effort. Ingredients: Arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), baking soda, and coconut oil. Combine equal quantities of arrowroot and baking soda (I started with ¼ cup each). Then add as much coconut oil to the mixture till you get the substance that you desire (2-3 Tbls). Replace your empty deodorant containers with the product or store it in a plastic bowl with lid.
Skin Care – Coconut oil is also an excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It is an effective moisturizer on all types of skin.
Read more about the multiple health benefits of coconut oil here.
Bath Soap – I highly recommend Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap bars. I prefer the Baby Mild brand because it works for all of us. Trader Joe’s carries the Peppermint kind for $2.50, but I find it stings the skin greatly. Azure Standard also sells these products for $2.70 per bar. In the future, I will probably try the liquid version, as I believe it would be more economical as it is a concentrate and can be used as regular hand soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cleaning, and laundry. Ingredients include: Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm and Organic Olive Oils (with Retained Glycerin), Water, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Salt, Citric Acid, Vitamin E.
Any other good body product recipes or recommendations? Please share!
Find the best price on coconut oil here at Mountain Rose Herbs!
Helpful information. Fortunate me I discovered your site
by accident, and I am shocked why this twist of fate
didn’t came about in advance! I bookmarked it.
now using castille liquid soap lavender & peppermint. i tried a shampoo recipe using the castille & my hair is terrible. i have very fine, soft, thin hair & my hair feels like straw now. whats going on???
Hi, is it ok and safe to use Coconut Oil you can find in Indian stores? The usual brand’s name is Parachute.
Coconut oil is coconut oil, is coconut oil.
Buy the cheapest you can find.
actually coconut oil is not coconut oil… The refined coconut oil is actually really bad for you. If you are going the natural route you should always use unrefined virgin coconut oil. It may be only going on your hair of skin but it is still being absorbed in the skin.
here is 1 of the sources I purchase coconut oil from http://secure.ttpurchase.com/welcome.cfm?ptuid=C2306C3B-1E0B-90B3-0E94C791488883CA They occasionally have free shipping offers & something is always on sale.
Their expeller-pressed is better than the store bought refined coconut oil. Their website explain the differences between their oils.
coconut oils are not all the same the best ones to get is the unrefined coconut oil.
Love your recipes!!! made the deodorant and it really works fine! Just one more natural product added to my home. I already make my own lye soaps and shampoos, liquid and solid bars. I also make laundry soap and dishwasher soaps.
One note though…REAL castile soap is made from ONLY olive oil…no other oils added. So any soap that has coconut oils and palm oils added is not true castile.
Coconut oil as a deodorant? Oh, I didn’t know that! I think I got to give it a try. I’ve been using one from http://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/ I apply it on my skin and hair but not on my underarm. I’ll surely try this! Thanks much!
Do you have any hesitancies with using Dr Bronners products? The label seems so weird to me. Being a Christian, I want to be careful what products I support.
Thanks!
That’s why I’ve been trying to avoid Dr. Bronner’s, too, but liquid Castille Soap is kind of hard to find (besides the fact, as someone else already mentioned, true Castille Soap is 100% olive oil based). I personally am now using a bar of Castille Soap made locally (can be grated and melted in hot water), which I find is more economical than Dr. Bronner’s anyways, as I tend to overdo the liquid castille because it feels like it has been watered down so much (am still so used to the thickening agents in chemical soaps
).
Lindsay, thanks so much for sharing all your wisdom. Am going to try your deodorant, as well as the Calendula Salve (my baby has the worst eczema, and am sick of covering her in petroleum grease three or more times a day!)!
Ebeehoney.com has a great Propolis cream which is excellent for skin issues. If your daughter still battles exzema this product wiil surely help.
I encourage you to use Dr. Bronner’s products without hesitation! A documentary was made about his story, called Dr. Bronner’s Soapbox. His sons and grandsons have done a beautiful job of carrying on his legacy. His story is tragic, unusual, interesting and inspiring. His message is one of love, unity and morality for all mankind which is what the best of the world religions preach. I consider myself to be a Christian too.
Thanks for the great website!
Oh, and just to add….the extra virgin coconut oil has the flavor and taste of coconuts, the other types of coconut oil do not.
I use x-tra virgin coconut oil in baking (and for skin care products). Our favorite is using it in pancakes with blueberries, or in banana bread.
It is really a nice and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for all the wonderful tips. To make our baby wash last longer, we’ve been placing it in a foam dispenser. I fill the dispenser about 1/4 full with soap and then 3/4 with water. .
I have enjoyed your view. My research has shown your ideas to be true, then again, I have also read the opposite from different posts like this one. Do you have any thoughts for finding more savvy info on natural health or related topics? I would most appreciate it!
First, thank you for this site! It has been really informative and the fact that you're a believer just makes it better : )
I was wondering about the Dr. Bronner's soaps. I understand using it as a hand or body soap but are there any directions for using it as a dish detergent, toothpaste or other things? Do you just use the product “as is” out of the bottle or are other things needed to use them (such as diluting for household cleaning)?
Yes, check out my recipe index for more uses of Dr Bronners. I have a toothpaste and dish detergent recipe on here. You can also use the search box to find these recipes.
I have problems with the baking soda in deodorant too. I now have permanent brown “stains” under both my arms from using baking soda. So now I use either just plain alcohol that I spritz under my arms or use lavender oil in some “udder cream”. I was looking for something to replace the udder cream and I’m willing to bet that the coconut oil works great! Since I’m out of the “deodorant” that I made with the cream, I’m going to make a batch with coconut oil and see how it works.
Love your blog!
You need to be careful using baking soda as a deodorant. If you are salt sensitive, this could cause blood pressure problems. I was using it for several weeks, it worked great, but all of a sudden I had elevated blood pressure. Anything on the skin will last for weeks in your system.
Thank you so much for posting this information!! I am a relatively new subscriber of yours and I came to this post in a roundabout way via simplemom. I have begun to learn about coconut oil, but I’m wondering if you are aware of any alternatives to it, as my husband is intolerant to coconut and even the scent of it makes him feel ill. I would love to follow this more natural path but I don’t want to do it at the expense of my husband’s quality of life. Thank you for any help.
Are you wanting to use it primarily for skin or consuming? Because if you want it for skin care products, try the refined expeller pressed versions. They are scent free.
Well, I think I’ll use it for skin care first as that’s what I’ll be running out of first (rather than my current supply of cooking oils). I will get the refined expeller pressed oil, and do some very gentle experimentation with cooking to see if he is still sensitive to it. Thank you for the tip, I hadn’t realized there is a scent-free one.
I love your website and have recently tried the deoderant with coconut oil. I was so excited to try it that I bought the only coconut oil I could find. I bought spectrum organic coconut oil. I will buy virgin coconut oil when I can get to a whole foods, but is the refined coconut oil bad to use in the meantime? I’ve been using it as a moisturizer on my face too.
Yes, refined coconut oil is perfectly fine for the skin. The unrefined is just better for eating because of the higher nutrient content. So definitely use what you have!
I love coconut oil and sea salt as a body scrub. I just mix the coconut oil and sea salt to the desired consistency and store in a small jar I can keep in the shower. If you like you can add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice, I love grapefruit. Not only do I exfoliate but it leaves my skin feeling soft an smooth.
I love the liquid Dr Bronner’s peppermint soap & the almond … but, please note Tea tree oil can be poison to cats, can actually be deadly.
Hi Lindsay – How do you store your open container of coconut oil? Do you keep it in your pantry or in the fridge? Also, how long will it keep? Thanks!!
I keep my coconut oil in a gallon size glass jar in the pantry. It will keep for at least 6 months to a year.
Regarding the deodorant – do you add the coconut oil in while it is solid, or do you melt it down before adding it to the other ingredients?
You can combine while it is solid just fine.
Are you talking about the coconut oil that is sold in the grocery section near the olive oil. I just recently bought some and it’s solid at room temp. Do I just rub it between my hands until it is soft and then apply to my hair?
I use Mountain Rose Herbs coconut oil as it is extra virgin cold pressed organic and best for your skin and for cooking. If you can find this at the store go for it, but it will be most commonly found at health food stores or online. Yes, it is indeed solid at room temperature. It will melt between your hands as you rub it together and can then apply freely to your hair.
Mabel’s Miracles sells a wonderful liquid castile soap as well and the cotton lavendar is amazing when doing laundry makes my whole house smell amazing and the lemon is great for dishes and in the dishwasher!
I decided to try your suggestion for using coconut oil as a hair conditioner, but I took it one step further on a whim. I have curly hair like yours and generally use a curl gel to keep my curls in place and from frizzing, but I worry about my 5mo who likes to grab mommy’s hair and suck on it. So after my shower, I towel dried, applied a bit of the coconut oil to my hair, and skipped my usual curl gel. It turns out that my hair is shinier, less frizzy, and actually curlier than it is when I use the chemical stuff. Thanks for the tip! (I hope my baby likes the taste of coconut…)
Great idea Valerie! I had yet to replace my curling product, and its wonderful to hear that it worked for you! You’ve inspired me!
I’m trying this tomorrow!!!
I have done the same thing- it works awesome! I have used expensive Aveda hair products for my curly hair and recently became sensitive to their ingredients. I tried using the coconut oil and it works awesome – I feel like I am saving so much money as well as simplifying my routine! Thanks!
A vinegar rinse also works well for conditioning hair. I just pour an inch or two of apple cider vinegar into a tall drinking glass, fill the rest with water, and rinse my hair with it just before getting out of the shower. Once your hair is dry, the vinegar smell is gone.
Yes, vinegar works WONDERS for hair. I use it daily along with baking soda and totally skip shampoo and conditioner. My daughter has very curly hair and I use an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse on her locks and they come out shinier, curlier, springier and no frizz/fly aways.
soap-lady.com has good natural soaps and shampoo bars for good prices, especially if you buy wholesale(if you spend at least $90 you can get soap for 45 cents an ounce and shampoo for 50 cents an ounce). she has a castile soap bar as well. I bought enough shampoo bars to last my husband and me three years with a $90 purchase.
thanks for the deodorant recipe. i’m excited to try it!
Lyla,
This past year I also phased out commercial cleaners and started making our own cleaning products. We’re just starting to make our own body care products. Two helpful books are Beauty Secrets of the Bible (for body care), which is where I was made aware of some of the beauty benefits of coconut oil, and Clean House, Clean Planet (for cleaning products) which highly recommeds Dr. Bronner’s soaps. Your kitchen decorations are beautiful and so creative as well as economical. Thanks for sharing.
Those are great recipes!! I’ve been trying to use natural products more often but many of the health food store brands are sooo expensive!! These are some great solutions!!
Lyla,
Regarding the Dr. Bronner’s liquid soaps, I use a teaspoon each of liquid soap and baking soda in the cup of my dishwasher. I live in a soft water area but I know the water of Phoenix, so start with 1/2 teaspoon and see how it works for you and your brand of dishwasher. I love the mixture of the almond with a couple drops of tea tree oil for disinfecting, or the peppermint–so energizing. You can even use the eucalyptus in your dishwasher if you have a stuffy nose! That way, when the dishwasher starts “puffing” steam at the end of the cycle, it is NOT the chlorine that is so bad for you! My dishes are perfectly clean and sanitized without the use of deadly chemicals! (And whoever was it that said you couldn’t use soap in the dishwasher? The dishwasher detergent manufacturer’s??) As long as you use a small amount with the baking soda you will be fine.
I have also used the Dr. Bronner’s for my hand dishwashing too! I love aromatherapy while I am cleaning the kitchen!
We use the Dr. Bronner’s for everything from shower soap, to shampoo, dishes and cleaning, to the wonderful eucalyptus for bathing the dogs.
It is a good product.
Under His Wings,
Barbara
How much baking soda do you use, if you’re using 1/2 tsp of Dr. B’s soap? I thought I would maybe try this, but I don’t want to put too much, nor too little. Thanks!
i’m delighted with the info you’ve given here….and, i’m doubly delighted that FINALLY azure is coming to the phoenix valley!
i was wondering if you’d expand on this post…specifically as to what you buy from azure, why you buy it and how you use it.
i’ve got a friend in prescott, who has used azure for years. i’ve asked her the same. as a matter of fact, i’m going to head up there next week to sit down with her and get hands on with the same questions i’ve asked you. i’ve looked through the web site and am overwhelmed.
so, dear friend..this would be a great blog post. i will post what i learn from my prescott friend and would like to add a link back to yours.
blessings…lylah
Lindsay,
I think that it is because my hair tends to become greasy to easily. But I think that it would work very well for people who have more dry hair.
I love coconut oil! I eat it, cook with it, and put in on my face everyday. I do have to admit that my hair did not take well to using it as a conditioner.
I am so glad that you ended up liking Bronner’s soup.
I was so afraid that you wouldn’t like it when you decided to get it based on my review!
I also have the liquid soap. I must use too much of it, because I go through it too fast! I should try to use a smaller amount. I have wondered if I could water it down, since it is concentrated.
Have you tried putting it in a foamer soap bottle?
I water this down a lot and it still works fantastic…a little goes a long way! I also squirt it on a buff puff and it gets a wonderful lather.
Mrs. T – Unfortunately, baking soda is the natural deodorizer in my recipe, so I don’t know of any other solution to your problem. There are a lot of natural deodorants on the market w/o aluminum, but I have not had much success with them. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
Amy – the coconut oil does not really make my hair smell like coconut. Probably because you are using such a small amount. I also use a curly mouse so that may cover up the smell in my hair. It definitely makes your hair look more greasy after a day, but they say this is not a bad thing.
Stephanie – I used tear free shampoo a lot with my younger siblings and have never found it to be truly tear-free (any baby or child hates the shampoo in their eyes, it seems). I think tear-free must be a scam!
It is nice to hear that the Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap lasts a long time for you. Thanks for letting me know!
Do you use it for anything else besides soap and shampoo?
God bless!
We’ve been trying to use coconut oil more lately. I’ve read so much about the health benefits, but it is extrememly expensive up here in Canada. Perhaps I will take advantage of the Azure sale.
I really like to use it as a lotion, because I have very dry and sensitive skin and eczema on my hands. It works well on lips as well, and is very nice and natural on baby’s delicate skin.
Personally, I love the refreshing feeling of the peppermint Dr.Bronner’s, but use the Baby Mild for my littles. We find that the liquid lasts us for sooo long- you only need just a few drops. I use it on my face, and also for my kids body’s and hair (it’s not tear-free, though).
Looking forward to more recipes!
Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home
Almond oil is also great for your body and hair!!! and it’s cheaper. (I live in Canada too) I don’t know if coconut oil is supposed to be “the best” but everyone has different ideas about what that is anyway. So almond oil is definitely worth a try! And you can research it to find out it’s health benefits….
Azure actually drops every two weeks- the particular drop site you use just has to have a minimum order amount ($400) for Azure to make the drop. I have a drop site a couple of blocks from me, but she only orders once every two months. And then another drop a little farther from me orders every two weeks (she can do that because she has a lot of people ordering with her). So it just depends.
Thanks so much for all the info, Lindsay! So does your hair smell a lot like coconut oil when you use it as a conditioner?
Neither I nor my husband can tolerate deodorants with baking soda in them
I wonder if there’s something else that could be substituted? I’d love to find a natural deodorant that I could tolerate and also not have aluminum in it…
Also, I added your site to my list of blogs, I hope that’s ok
I just enjoy your blog so much!
I, too, have a bit of a problem this deodorant recipe. Have you discovered any natural deodorants at this point that do not involve baking soda? (I am really only assuming that’s my issue too.
)
I recommend trying less baking soda and more arrowroot powder/cornstarch. I have experienced irritations myself and have come up with a better combo. Less baking soda, and add shea butter. Love it!
what is the ratio? or measurements when adding shea butter? thank you
Hey there! I know these questions were posted a while ago, but for anyone having problems with the baking soda try just using coconut oil as a deodorant. I was skeptical, but it truly works well by itself.
Steph, I believe it is a 10% discount, so you can calculate that off of their online prices. Azure ships on a monthly basis to the drop off spot in your area. A very nice benefit is they always ship free,you just have to pick up. They are a great company, and I have heard is also Christian run. Great prices too! One of the best I have found for products like these. LMK if you have any other questions if you want to get started.
Lindsay
Do you have a rough idea how much the sale is for the Wilderness Family Natural Cocunut oil products is? How often do you ship through azure?