Homemade Deodorant

One of the key factors I feel helped to eliminate the migraines I suffered from was adopting a diet that supports my body in its natural detoxification processes.  So by drinking a good amount of water every day throughout the day, eating lots of plant foods, especially leafy greens.  Generally eating a nutrient-dense diet to give my body the tools it needs to do its job, and eliminating the things that will inhibit that process - refined sugars and flours, chemically and heat processed oils and other processed foods.

I also feel it's important to reduce where I can the 'toxic load' that my body needs to deal with.  So becoming more aware of what's in the products I use everyday and switching to products made from natural ingredients.  I use coconut oil, or olive oil to moisturise my skin and I've been experimenting with more natural cosmetics and hair-care products from my local health food store.

This homemade deodorant is simple and it works!  It won't stop you sweating but you don't want to do that because sweating is one of the body's pathways of detoxification.  I've been using this for about nine months now and on hot humid days when I get a bit wet under the arms I just wipe the moisture away with a tissue, but even then, there's no smell!

This recipe comes from twenty8.com

Equipment/Ingredients

Clean dry empty spice jar

Aluminium-free bicarbonate soda

Essential oils of your choice.  I used jasmine and sandalwood.

Method

Fill the spice jar about one third full of bicarbonate soda, add a few drops of essential oils, replace the lid and shake to mix.  Add another third of bicarbonate soda, a few more drops of essential oils, cap and shake again. Finish with some more bicarbonate soda and a few more drops of essential oils but make sure you leave a bit of space so you can still shake to mix it through.

To use 

Wet your fingers on one hand and sprinkle on a little of the deodorant.  Wet the fingers on your other hand and rub your hands together to form a thin paste.  Smooth this paste under each arm and allow to dry before getting dressed so you don't get white powdery marks on your clothes. You actually don't need to use much. That's it.

I actually think that straight bicarbonate soda would work just fine.  The essential oils just give it a nice subtle perfume that's pleasant for the user.

Source: http://www.twenty8.com/twenty8-blog/the-best-natural-deodorant-ever

Suggested further reading on this topic:  

http://chriskresser.com/toxic-skincare-products-soap-shampoo-and-lotion/

http://chriskresser.com/are-your-skincare-products-toxic-makeup-and-cosmetics/

http://chriskresser.com/are-your-skincare-products-toxic-deodorant-and-antiperspirant/

http://chriskresser.com/are-your-skincare-products-toxic-sunscreen/

More homemade ideas:

http://hellonatural.co/category/diy-natural-beauty/-skincare/

http://hellonatural.co/category/diy-natural-beauty/diy-bath-body/

http://hellonatural.co/category/natural-home/green-living

                   

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Nutrition For The Soul

"The most wasted of all days is that during which one has not laughed."

I love this quote.  This is the front of a birthday card I was given some years ago.  I have it pinned up on a notice board in my office at work.  I love the picture too because I just can't look at it without at least cracking a smirk!

Did you know that a positive outlook on life, always looking for the best in situations, promotes health but negative thoughts can promote disease?

I listened to an interview with Dr Jillian Teta.  The topic of the interview was actually about the Dr's book, "Natural Solutions for Digestive Health" but during the interview Dr Teta said some interesting things about how thoughts effect health.  The interviewer read a quote from her book:

"It is often your own narrative, the story you attach to a situation, person or event, that causes you to experience the greatest amount of stress rather than the actual situation or person."

Think about that for a moment.  Read it again.

Dr Teta went on to discuss how thoughts can create disease:

"Thoughts create emotions and strong negative emotions generate physiologic changes.  What happens is that stress hormones are released, and cortisol is released,  and adrenal and nor-adrenal hormones are pumped out.  The consequence of these is sympathetic nervous system stimulation,  heart rate increases and blood vessels constrict.  These physiologic changes have biological effects and if those changes last long enough these things become chronic and you can essentially create a disease state. "

Dr Teta also mentions something a friend if hers once said:

"You may not control the events that happen in your life but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

She explains that we always have a choice about how we react to a situation.  "Our reactions are typically learned but we can train ourselves to have a different reaction. "