Keepin' Clean, the Natural Way

One of the biggest sources of chemical exposure in our daily lives is the bath and body products we use each day. Just think about all the products the average person slathers all over their body and hair every day... cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, styling products, deodorants, shaving creams, and so on, and so on. The idea of all the chemicals in these products seeping into my skin really freaks me out, so over the years I've made a lot of changes to my personal care routine, in an effort to minimize my chemical exposure. I've stripped everything down to a few homemade products and a few natural store-bought products. In addition to being chemical-free, my new personal care routine takes way less time, costs WAY less money, and works amazingly well. Here's how it all works in my real life:

Evening: I start by using the Oil Cleansing Method on my face, then I have a nice hot shower to wash away the grime of the day using my homemade body wash. I shave using coconut oil instead of shaving cream, and my legs end up so soft I don't even need a moisturizer. For my hair, I still use the Natural Hair Care method, except I have found that my hair behaves better if I use an all-natural conditioner in place of the vinegar rinse. I think as I get older, my hair just needs more moisture. Sometimes I use a bit of coconut oil as a deep conditioner, if I feel like I need it. I no longer use a moisturizer on my face at night, since the oil cleansing method doesn't strip my skin the way cleansers used to. Every now and then, I treat my dry knees, elbows and feet to some homemade sugar scrub.

Morning: My morning routine is very quick. My mornings can sometimes really busy, so I don't have a lot of time to get myself ready for the day. I take a quick shower, no hair washing, since I just washed it the night before. My face just gets a quick splash of warm water, no cleanser. I use my own homemade deodorant (finally got the recipe right for this, after many attempts, and will share it here soon) and a spritz of homemade body spray or a dab of diluted essential oil. If my hair is seems a bit frizzy, I'll rub a tiny bit of coconut oil between my hands and run it through my hair. This is the only hair product I use. Since I have very sensitive, pale, freckly skin, I do use a daily moisturizer with sunscreen. I currently use Say Yes to Carrots brand, and I LOVE it. A smidge of homemade lip balm and, if I'm feeling really sassy, a little mascara, and I'm ready to start my day.

I'm not sure exactly how much I spend on ingredients to make my personal care products, but I do know that I spend WAY less than when I was buying everything ready made from the store. Plus, it's nice to know that almost everything I'm putting on my body is safe enough to eat.