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Visit here for part 1 of this post.

Here are a few more additional recipes for all natural body products! Enjoy!

Liquid Soap – Fill your empty soap dispensers with Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap. It is rather thin on its own so dilution is not recommended.
Shampoo – Baking Soda & water (approximately 1 Tbls soda to 1 cup water)-make use of your old dispensers! Combine these two ingredients for an excellent shampoo. I make a paste with baking soda and water, massage this into my scalp and rinse well. It definitely does not have the soapy feel of your regular shampoo, but it actually feels like it is cleaning your scalp more thoroughly. This is called the no-poo method.

Here is another shampoo recipe using apple cider vinegar. ACV works effectively as a conditioning agent. This substance must be refrigerated between uses.

Add the following ingredients in a blender:
1 oz. Olive oil
1 egg
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ACV.
Use as you would a regular shampoo

Conditioner - Apple Cider Vinegar (Approximately 1-2 Tbls. cider to 1 cup water) – Spray this solution to the ends of your hair and again rinse well. Cleans and detangles. Makes hair feel very soft. I do not recommend using an old cleaning spray bottle (I washed it in the dishwasher too!). I did this at first and it added a horrible smell (probably not good for the hair, either). Use a small spray bottle. The smell takes a little getting used too, and I increased the water quantity to decrease the scent. It would be worth trying to add an essential oil of some kind to overcome the ACV smell.

Apple Cider Vinegar has not only proved beneficial to take internally but also offer as many topical health benefits too. When you incorporate apple cider vinegar into your body-care regimen, you will quickly find that you don’t need many of the commercial beauty aids. Many of which contain preservatives, and synthetic perfumes. Apple cider vinegar (ACV), on the other hand, is an all-natural remedy that helps the skin/scalp Ph balance. Healthy skin has a protective acid mantle that can be stripped away by overuse of alkaline body soaps. The skin is the largest organ of elimination; so maintaining an acid mantle assists the normal detoxification process.

For refreshing and deep cleansing face wash
Add 1 c. of ACV to basin of warm water to use as a refreshing face wash. For a steam deep cleanse, add 3 tablespoons of ACV to a pan of boiled water and lean your face over it. Cover your head with a towel for five minutes, allowing the steam to open up the pores and loosen any impurities from the skin’s surface.

Hope that helps with a few ideas for natural body products! Any other ideas?

I just came across this website that has many more wonderful body product recipes. Some are similar to what I have tried above. Check it out!

Here is another site a reader sent me on going shampoo free. Very interesting information! Thanks Jerilyn!

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!

My desire through this Friday series (Natural Living on A Budget) is to provide you with ideas and resources to encourage you in more natural living but without paying the extravagant prices out there now a days for organic and natural products. As Christians, we are also responsible to be good stewards of the environment as well…this is not just something left for the world around us to be concerned about.

As far as housecleaning goes, there are many natural products available on the market today that are worthy of your support, but does it have to cost that much? No! Making your own products can serve the needs of your family and household far more naturally and cost effective. Check out Housecleaning on A Budget – part 1 for good recipes for making your own cleaners. Start simplifying your cupboards and your cleaning bucket today!

Here is an even simpler list of ingredients that are environmentally friendly alternatives that are inexpensive and readily available:

All-Purpose: 1/2 c. vinegar, 1/4 c. baking soda, 1/2 gal water
Window cleaner: vinegar, club soda, or the all-purpose cleaner
Disinfectant: 4 Tbls vinegar, 3 cups hot water
Scouring powder: baking soda
Natural Abrasive: salt & toothpaste, apply to scrubby or directly on surface
Dusting powder: vinegar, olive oil
Furniture polish: vinegar, food-grade lemon oil, or 1 c. olive oil and 1/2 c lemon juice
Fabric softener: vinegar
Silver polish: baking soda, salt, toothpaste
Mold/mildew: vinegar or lemon juice at full strength, with small amount of salt
Bleach replacement: spray one coat of vinegar, followed by one coat of hydrogen peroxide (these can not be mixed, so they have to be layered separately). Scrub and wash as desired. Works just as well as bleach without the chemicals.

You can add essential oils to all of these recipes for added scent, cleaning power, and to preserve them. For preservation purposes, try out citric acid, tea tree oil, rosemary oil/extract, and/or grapefruit seed extract.

Did you know you can even make a simple recipe for laundry soap and dishwasher soap?

Laundry Soap: See my homemade recipe here.

Dishwasher Soap: See my homemade recipe here.

Dishwashing Soap: Use baking soda and liquid soap, add 2-4 Tbls of vinegar to the warm, soapy water for though jobs. Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap diluted along with some vinegar and tea tree oil works as well.

Wow! Isn’t that easy. If you have vinegar, baking soda, and some essential oils you are pretty much set to go! You can buy 1 gallon of vinegar for around $4 (which is the price of one small container of all-purpose cleanser), which will extend very far for you.

Try using t-shirts or cloth diapers for all your cleaning needs! Eliminate the need for paper towels. I stopped using these a few months back and I have not missed them. I just have a pile of rags in the kitchen and in the closet at easy reach for any messes.

I just found this website recently which has a huge supply of more ideas for homemade cleaning products: Clean and Green.

Welcome to my first post in the series on Natural Living on A Budget. I am learning so much in the process of thinking of creative frugality ideas in the home. Since this week, I have been pursuing making my home a haven and doing lots of cleaning around the house, I thought it might be fun to address housecleaning ideas on a budget. The cost of commercial, chemical-based cleaning products can be very high. Plus they promote a separate cleaning product for every project you have. One product to solve your floor stains, another to wash your windows with, and of course another than really does the disinfecting job well. In addition to this, these toxic cleaners can affect the long term health of you family and the environment is being polluted in the process of manufacturing these items.

The average American uses about 40 pounds of toxic household cleaning products each year. These cleaning products contain dangerous ingredients, including neurotoxins, carcinogens, allergens, central nervous system depressants, heavy metals, and other agents that cause or contribute to cancer, respiratory problems, reproductive abnormalities, allergic reactions, and behavioral problems, among other issues.

How can we solve these problems?

Make your own cleaning solutions!

Save on your housecleaning projects by making your own solutions and also protect your health and be a good steward of our environment at the same time!

WHAT YOU NEED:

A few spray bottles - these are available anywhere! I bought mine at Wal-Mart.Old t-shirts – no need for buying special cleaning rags. Grab an old t-shirt and cut it into separate rags. These work the best for deep cleaning, washing windows, and anything else. The thin fabric of t-shirts allows you to clean deep and in the crevasses really well.

Vinegar
Baking Soda
Lemon Juice
Old toothbrush – so useful for getting in the groves around your sink or toilet

RECIPES:

All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc. Can we used to clean stovetop, countertops, appliances, and the floor.

Carpet stains: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.For a heavy duty carpet cleaner, mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and vinegar. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum.

Disinfectant: Mix 4 tablespoons vinegar and 3 cups hot water. For stronger cleaning power add 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap.

Window Cleaner: Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter (qt) warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Don’t clean windows if the sun is on them, or if they are warm, or streaks will show on drying. The All-Purpose Cleaner (above) also works well on windows.

Hardwood furniture: Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon juice and you have a polish for your hardwood furniture.

A few final tips for the harder jobs

Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings. Flush the toilet to allow the water level to go down. Pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim. Scrub down the bowl.

Vinegar can be used as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families with sensitive skin. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener.Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action.Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits.Put a whole lemon peel through the garbage disposal. It freshens the drain and the kitchen. Orange peels can be used for the same results.

Stay tuned for some helpful information (hopefully!) in a new series, titled Natural Living On A Budget. I will be posting on topics such as meal planning, housecleaning, decorating, eating healthy, etc. every Friday for awhile. I have been learning a ton in the process of preparing these posts. If you care to join me as I seek to become a better steward of our resources for the glory of God and supplying our bodies with the nutrients we need without excessive spending….Frugal Fridays here we come! Contributions are always welcome!

From the start let me state my position on frugality. Frugality is something that all woman, it seems, love! Almost to an extreme sometime. We must guard against raising the saving of every penny to a pedestal of idolatry in our lives. Personally, it became an idol in my life due to a lack of contentment in the resources I had to work with and an unthankful spirit for the hard work my husband was doing to provide for us. I realized other areas in my life and home were lacking proper attention because I was overly focused on saving my pennies. It caused stress, worry and anxiety which did not allow for peace and joy to enter in my home, for they were running out the window! We cannot serve God and money; therefore, saving money should always come after strengthening our relationship with the Lord, serving our husbands, and families. I began asking myself: Am I causing more stress in my family by my overly focused attention on frugality? Is my household lacking peace and attention because I am fretting about money or the lack of it? Am I too focused on saving money over serving the needs and desires of my husband?

On the other hand, we are called to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. There must be a proper balance. Fretting will get us nowhere…but purposeful planning will take us far, and keeping Christ the center will promise us success! My goal with this blog has been to keep a proper balance between seeking to edify and encourage my sisters in godliness as well as being wise frugal homemakers. But please don’t allow this topic to become a point of stress and frustration for you. Seek to do your best, do what you can, but don’t become consumed to the point that you have no peace or contentment because you are always worried about where the next dollar is going. We serve a mighty God who will provide all of our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus! If he provides every need of the sparrow, how much more will He provide for your every need!

If you would like to suggest an additional topic to be covered in this series, please comment below. Look forward to growing in frugality with you all!

NEW NOTE: I thought I would add one last thing…I have learned that I need to allow my husband to take the leadership in our finances. I must set aside my worrying and allow him to make the final call. When I was managing the books up till a month or so ago, I knew where the money was going and he did not. It didn’t work! I fretted and would get frustrated when he wanted to buy this or that. Don’t you know we don’t have the money for that! I thought. This was a burden I should not be carrying. Let the men do it! They don’t worry like we do!

Lately, I have been dwelling a lot on the importance of being good stewards. Now I am not referring to being good stewards of our finances and resources as we often think of when this is said, but I am talking about being good stewards of the world around us.

In the cultural mandate of Genesis 1:26-28:

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His image…God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

There is a truth in this first command that is often overlooked! God has made us rulers of the earth and we are to be stewards, caretakers of the world around us. What does that mean? As Christians, we cannot ignore our environment. I often made fun of those environmentalists out there to save trees…but the more I meditated on this passage, the more I realized the significance for us as Christians to take the lead in caring for the world around us. How can we play a part?

I find the more I become environmentally friendly, the more money I save too! Isn’t that interesting? Frugality and good stewardship of our environment go hand in hand! These are a few ways that I am seeking to play my part:

1. Cloth diapering!

2. Use cloth/canvas tote bags for all your shopping! I bought three large canvas bags at $1.50 ea. from IKEA the other day and have been using them like crazy for all my shopping, everything from groceries, clothes, etc. They are continually reusable and no need to use those plastic or paper bags at the store. I just keep them in the car when I’m done. Easy! No more clutter of excess plastic and paper bags around my house. Every little bit helps!

3. CFL bulbs. I am replacing all my standard light bulbs around my house for CFL’s. They save me energy costs and better for the environment. They last 10x longer than regular light bulbs and use 13watts instead of 60 watts.

4. Cloth napkins & towels. Not only are they nicer to use and elegant for guests, they are saving trees. I am no longer using paper napkins or towels. Just use kitchen towels to dry those hands!

5. Reusing plastic zip lock bags.

6. Recycling.

Now…I might be sounding a little crazy by now, but I think this is important. Christians need to lead the way! How can we think to share the truth of the gospel with others if we are not concerned about the things they are concerned about.

7. Hang your cloths to dry!
Speaking of washing clothes, try using a cooler cycle than what you are used to. Nine times out of ten your clothes aren’t so dirty that they absolutely require the hot wash, and you’ll save 30-60% of the energy consumed using the hot cycle. When it comes to drying, don’t over-dry your clothes, and consider using the cool-down cycle to utilize the residual heat in the dryer. Try hanging them to dry! This will make your cloths last longer anyway.

8. Turn off the lights when you are not in the room.

9. Eliminate the use of chemical cleaners.

10. Limit trips to town to 1-2 times a week. Don’t run out every day for that little thing you need. Start a list at the beginning of the week, post it on your frig, and add to it as you realize a need. Do this with your grocery needs as well and save yourself the extra trip…plus the gas!

11. Pay all bills and charity gifts online. Eliminate the extra use of paper, envelopes, stamps, etc.

12. Don’t buy bottled water. It isn’t good for you anyway!
The environmental impact that the bottled water craze is having on our planet is staggering:

“Bottled water is responsible for an enormous increase in world production of plastic bottles. Surging sales of bottled water coincided with and may help account for a 56 per cent increase in U.S. plastic resin manufacture in the U.S.A. between 1995 and 2001 (from 32 million tons to over 50 million tons annually). Consuming critical supplies of petroleum and natural gas, plastic bottle factories create and release toxic wastes, including benzine, xylene, and oxides of ethylene into the environment.”

13. Buy locally. Buy as much food as you can from local farmers around you. This food will be so much fresher than what you can find in the grocery store. It will hold and preserve more nutrients as well. Lastly, you are supporting local agriculture!