Tag Archives: DIY

Homemade Kale Chips

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It doesn’t get much greener than kale chips.

Kale – that infamous leafy green which no one really knows what to do with, right? So back in the ‘Couve, friends used to grow kale and then make us crispy kale chips and OH STOP IT they were delicious. I’m not crazy. They really are delicious.

I’m pretty sure when I pull out massive bunches of unknown greens at home my dad inwardly shudders. And the bunch of kale I bought was huge, but he dared to try the chips and he even ENJOYED them. No lies. All you need is kale, ground salt and olive oil and you’re off and away…

These are seriously addictive! My mah-hoosive bunch of kale made 6 trays (!) of the stuff (which I cooked 2 trays at a time) and I’d almost finished 2 trays worth of the chips before the next 2 trays were cooked. Like I said. Addictive.

HOMEMADE KALE CHIPS (thanks to Kitchen Treaty)

Ingredients: kale, good quality ground salt and extra virgin olive oil.

How to: 

1. Wash your kale well, and pat it as dry as you can get it.

2. Pull the leaves apart from the stem (or cut it if you want to be dainty), and tear them (or cut them) into small pieces (we don’t need perfection, you can be rustic about it).

3. Put them in a large bowl and pour a little extra virgin olive oil over it, and toss gently but thoroughly so the leaves are all coated. (I had to laugh as Kitchen Treaty says ‘You don’t want to bruise the kale, but you want to make sure every single bit of every leaf gets coated‘. Ha ha ha)

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the kale in a single layer on the sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt.

5. Bake at 150 degrees C (300F) for 8-12 minutes. As soon as the kale is rigid and crisp, remove it from the oven. It’ll burn quickly. And if it isn’t yet crisp, keep baking, checking every couple of minutes until it is. It should literally crunch into bits in your mouth – not be chewy.

6. Wait a minute or two for it to cool and then crunch away. This is best eaten straight after cooking. You can store in an airtight container, but I highly recommend preparing it just before you plan to eat it as it doesn’t keep too well.

Bake-until-crispy

So easy and so delicious. Let me know what you think! I dare you to take it to your next get-together and see what your friends think (then go outside a hug a tree for pure entertainment value)…

Enjoy
xxx

Homemade Laundry Powder- DIY

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Some things are worth doing yourself, and some… well maybe not. Making my own laundry powder hadn’t been high on my DIY priority list, but a conversation with a friend turned into an inspired comparison between two different homemade powders – mine and hers (which we then had to get to making).

I never thought much about laundry powder until I had to wash cloth nappies and needed baby-safe washing powder that didn’t clog the (super absorbent) nappies with detergents. Also, I needed something that was safe for baby’s sensitive skin.

I think we’ve agreed that at R60+ for 1kg (exclu essential oils and vinegar) this might be one of those things I outsource – it does seem a tad expensive. But for a green brand… maybe not? Next one I want to try is the Nu-Eco. I do like Better Earth one, and it comes in a 1L and 5L (which works out to be R75 per L). There are a number of good green brands making washing powder, but it’s up to you if you’re wanting the satisfaction of making your own. It is pretty satisfying.

Righteo, so here is the Homemade Laundry Powder I made (by Mommypotamous).

Ingredients:

Additional items handy to have on hand:

  • non-GMO white vinegar
  • food processor

Instructions:

Firstly, you have to turn your bicarb of soda into baking soda, and here’s how:

Pour your bicarb onto (clean and dry) baking trays and bake in the oven on 200 degrees C for about 30min, giving it a little juggle/mix around midway so it all bakes evenly.

When you take it out, it should have changed from a powdery substance (which you can clump together) into tiny individual grains… like this…


Then:

1. Cut your castile soap into small chunks and add it to the food processor along with the washing soda.

2. Blend until you have a fine powder. You may want to lay a dish towel over the top of your food processor to prevent a fine mist of powder from floating into the air. Also, let it settle a bit before opening the container or the powder will float onto your kitchen counter.

3. Pour into a clean container (keep the essential oil next to the jar and add 5 drops with each load)

To Use:

These instructions are for a top loader.

  1. Add 2-3 tablespoons laundry detergent per load. If you are washing in cold water, dissolve it in hot water before adding it in.
  2. If desired, add about five drops of lemon (I used lemongrass) essential oil as a degreaser.
  3. Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the fabric softener compartment.

And, a side note: all of the ingredients in this recipe are considered septic system safe.

I enjoyed making this. And I enjoyed using it (despite dissolving in hot water and adding essential oil and vinegar separately – which I’ll admit requires extra effort). I still need to pre-treat stains, but my linen smells beautifully lemongrassy-fresh.

I guess the jury is still out on if this is something I’m going to add to my day-to-day. What have you tried, which you think might be better store bought? Or is homemade always better?

xxx

Homemade Deodorant

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It gives me great joy to see in our shower currently: honest shampoo and conditioner, pure castile body soap, a homemade face scrub, a coconut body scrub and a natural face wash. I’m slowly but surely swapping out the old and bringing in happy, honest and more natural replacements – slowly, one at a time, in a sustainable manner. Let’s.not.get.crazy.

Something I’ve been meaning to try my hand at for a while is homemade deodorant, but it’s never been at the top of my priority list. Maybe that’s because I’m a mum and I’m more concern about cloth diapering and making the gazillionth batch of homemade wipes, and buying cherry tomatoes by the bucket load (are your kids also popping cherry tomatoes like sweets?)… and and and.

Our underarms (and what we smear on them) are frighteningly close to our breasts. My mom has had breast cancer, and I have previously found lumps (which turned out to be cysts), and it’s scary. You don’t need to be a scientist to see how much awful stuff makes up your sweet watermelon smelling roll on (which, I’ll be honest, at one time I was a little obsessed with). Most deodorants and anti-perspirants contain aluminum, parabens and propylene glycol. WAIT! There is ALUMINIUM in your deo?!? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???

I was inspired when a friend said she’d made a batch and was super impressed with it, so I grabbed a quick moment once the kids were in bed (and after my delicious SOiL shea butter order had arrived) and I got to it. I’d looked at a number of recipes and Homemaker Chic‘s deo sounded seriously convincing. It’s easy as, and quick! Tricky and tedious don’t work for me.

We all sweat, and it can smell. It’s normal. But I’ve noticed, when I’m breastfeeding, I perspire like Federer playing Djokovic and it STINKS. So, this deo needed to be right up there with the best of the best. And it is. Oh man. This is the truth peeps. I absolutely CANNOT smell my underarms, no matter how far into my pits I can get my nose.

Taking Homemaker Chic‘s recipe as my foundation, I made a couple changes, and this is what it came out with…

Ingredients: 

  • 1/4 cup bicarb of soda
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
  • 3 Tbsp (organic) coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (organic) shea butter
  • 10-15 drops tea tree essential oil (or any other EE you’d prefer)
  • Small jar or empty deodorant tube stick

Method:

In a double boiler (or in a glass jug placed in a pot of boiling water), melt the shea butter.

Once the shea butter is melted, add your coconut oil, and your essential oil of choice. You can really use any scent you like – do your research on the properties of certain oils. Some people like to use tea tree oil in their recipes for its anti-fungal properties. Get creative and go wild!

Once your oils are blended add in the icing sugar. The purpose of the icing sugar is that when the sugar combines with your natural body sweat it creates a sort of osmotic substance that then becomes a natural antiperspirant! Madness. I mean what’s not to love about sugar (besides the obvious). I do find that I still sweat a bit, but not excessively. Dissolve the sugar using a small whisk.

Keeping the mixture over the heat, begin stirring in the bicarb of soda, and arrowroot powder, adding it slowly. You will see it start to thicken.

Once everything is well incorporated, you can pour the mix into either the jar or a deodorant stick (I haven’t tried a deo stick – but I think I will try one as I get more daring). Allow it to set up at room temperature for a couple hours. I poured my deodorant into a small mason jar. With the jar you just have to spread about half a fingertip amount of the deodorant on your underarms. It might seem a little firm at first, so you might want to soften it between your fingers before applying but mine sort-of melts onto my skin. Voila!

IMG_1854

And there you have it! Happy, honest, homemade deo. Who would have thought! Let me know if you’ve tried something similar and how it worked out for you…

x

Homemade Fruit (Ice Cream-ish) Dip

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Since the fudge post was such a hit (almost toooo much of a hit for a greeny blog like this one), obviously you’re all a little sugar crazy and so I thought I’d turn up the heat (or cool) and bring forth an even more decadent recipe… Homemade Fruit (Ice Cream-ish) Dip.

I’ve been waiting for Paleo with Me August to end (and wowzers, I had to wait a while) before throwing myself into the pit of suggary coma-ness, but I simply HAD to try this recipe (in small spoonfuls).

The idea of a fruit dip was a new one to me, but when a friend introduced me to it overseas I was SOLD. Picture the sweet, styling, trendy older sister version of crudite’s with a ranch type dip.

TRUTH BE TOLD this started out as a trial ice cream recipe I heard on the radio (which promised to be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted) and while it was knock-it-out-the-park delicious, it didn’t really turn into ice cream as such. It was thick, and VERY rich, so I turned it into a fruit dip – and voia al! Amaze.

Recipe:

1 x 250ml double thick cream

1 x tin full cream condensed milk

150g custard (this can be homemade or store bought)

Optional: 2 (or 3) grated crunchies

Method:

Beat the double thick cream (barely, it’s so thick already! It will thicken FAST so watch it carefully), and then add the condensed milk and the custard. If you’re wanting some decadence then go ahead and chuck in the grated crunchie bars and freeze. Pop it in the freezer so it thickens.

ice cream body

Heyyyooooo! To the stranger on Cape Talk who called in with this recipe – I owe you my utmost thanks. Let’s be friends so I can dig into your recipe books for more delicious secrets…

Picture credit: www.chelseasmessyapron.com

Tam’s Natural Homemade Face Scrub

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Roll up your sleeves, we’re getting our DIY on.

Recently a friend of mine in Durbs sent me this recipe for a homemade face scrub she was making for her boyfriend who had really sensitive skin. Every now and then we send each other a quick message about what essential oils to buy or where to get witch hazel – you know… those kinds of things.

This scrub includes old used coffee grinds (from the bottom of the Bodum) and so in a moment of inspiration as I was washing out the plunger (preparing to make myself another cuppa), I grabbed an empty jar and threw it all together.

Now, I have heard horror stories about scrubs and while I’ve made my own body scrub before, the delicate skin on your face is a different ball game. So I spoke to my Beauty Blogger friend Emmy at Rouge Beauty, and she gave me some really insightful info into the benefits and dangers of exfoliating.

Baaaaasically, (let me summarize), using a scrub is important for the health of your skin (face), but OVER exfoliating can scratch and cause damage to your dermis. So don’t be getting all over-excited, and make the scrub and then go nuts like there’s no tomorrow. Exfoliating gets rid of  old and dead skin, which has often collected pollutants and general nonsense in the air. It is recommended that you gently exfoliate (or use a scrub) about once a week, and less frequently as you get older. Also, she emphasized, to use a sunscreen (always), but especially the day following. Got it? Good!

Here is what you need:

– 2 T old coffee grinds (yes, the stuff at the bottom of your plunger!)

– 2 T of honey (you can use sugar or molasses, but I prefer honey)

– 2 T olive oil

– 1 T almond oil

– 15 drops of an essential oil (Tam recommends tea tree oil). Essential oils are always optional as they can cause sensitivity. Since my skin is not super sensitive, I added in lemon tea tree. Ohhhhh fresh! 

And then in her words: ‘I added two squirts of my dermalogic face wash to make it a bit more “face washy” for him’. Ha ha ha. You could use castille soap, but I left this out.

I have LOVED using this scrub. I keep my jar in the shower and as prescribed, scrub gently once a week. I also love the natural oil-on-oil method of cleaning and have found my skin to feel really soft, clear and healthy after. Yay.

Thanks Tam!

DIY Reusable Rice Heat Pack

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It’s winter and we have Eskom running the show. So, I’m loathed to spend any more money on electricity and at times my human hot water bottle (who, every night I’m thankful for) is not enough. I’ve never loved rubbery hot water bottles and (call me crazy) I’m a little nervous of electric blankets. Also, well I’m just not 100% stoked with electric current under my body (ESP since I’m sure I’ll forget to turn it off and then will worry and and and).

If you’re new to the greenish world, this is the PERFECT project for you. It’s easy, cheap, and pretty darn satisfying. Making a reusable rice heat pack is a total win.

You can use heat packs in so many ways:

They keep you warm on a cold night, they’re helpful during labour, they help relieve sore muscles and even help you sleep. You can also pop this bag in the freezer to make a cold pack.

The only downside to is that you need a microwave to heat it (which I don’t looove, and isn’t very green), but hey, 2-4min in the micro is better than boiling water on repeat or hours of pumping heat into your electric blanket.

All you need:

– Scraps of cotton fabric (we used old 1000 count percale sheets that had ripped – they feel heavenly) and cotton thread.

– Rice (I bought the biggest, cheapest bag I could find since we were not eating it).

– Essential oils (optional) if you want to add a scent to your bag. Recommended scents are mint, eucalyptus, cloves or lavender (I’d suggest lavender to help encourage relaxation and sleep).

Errrr… That’s it. Easy huh?

Sew the fabric together (in a square or rectangle) leaving a gap for you to fill it with rice. Fill it around 2/3rds full, leaving enough empty space whereby you can move the rice around within the bag to form shapes and where it can hug the body. Add a couple drops of essential oils into your bag (optional) and sew it up.

Pop it in the micro for 2-4 min and throw it in your bed as you wrap up your late night TV series binge watching. If you want to go extra fancy, you can design your own fabric, add lace or make different shapes. We made mini ones for the kids that won’t maintain too much heat so they can’t burn them.

Voila! Now, get to it.

Photo credit: Fellow Fellow Blog 

Homemade & Happy Baby Wipes

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Have you ever read the ingredients in commonly used store-bought wipes? It’s terrifying. When my bub had his realllly bad bum rash back in the day (yes, you’ve heard this story a million times), I was told to use NOTHING on his bum other than water – and so this sparked my first homemade challenge… baby wipes.

Wellness Mama’s homemade baby wipes were the first thing I made myself when I started on this journey towards better health, reducing chemicals in our home and saving the earth (can you picture my super woman t-shirt?), and it has since become second nature.

Of course, while moving countries I fell off the wagon completely and am now fiiiiinally picking myself back up. Shame on me. My poor number 2 has had store-bought wipes with all their yukkiness for so long, the mom-guilt in me was screaming to do something, and FAST.

First and foremost these homemade wipes are safe for your child. To me that’s the most important thing. And secondly, even with an initial outlay on all the tupperware, gels, soap etc. this will most certainly save you money in the long run if you go through wipes like we do. Health, saving money and the environment. Winning at life.

Here’s what you need:  Adapted from the Wellness Mama recipe. (I bet she has multiple superwoman shirts).

WIPES All ingredients

INGREDIENTS

– Paper Towels (R33.50). OF UTMOST importance: You cannot use cheap paper towel – it will tear and you’ll be left with a sludgy mess. Essential Green work well.

– A Container. I use these amazing Tupperware wipes containers (large wipes containers, as seen here, R109 or R89 for small – ideal for school bags) or a 2l ice cream container with a hole punched in the top will also do. (An excuse to eat some ice cream while you protect your family from harsh chemicals).

– 1 3/4 cups boiled water (or distilled), cooled but still warm. (You can just use regular water if you use them in less than a week like we do).

– 1 T Castille Soap (I use Dr. Bronners from overseas. I use this to wash my kids too).

– 1 T (pure) Aloe Vera Gel (see my note about aloe below).

– 1 T Witch Hazel (Pharmacy R42).

– NEW ADDITION (for me):1 t natural oil such as Baobab Tissue Oil (ohhh, yes I did). This is optional, but highly encouraged. 

METHOD

1) Have your wipes container ready. Open your box of paper towels and divide them into 4. You will use 1/4 box of paper towels per wipes container, and so, since I make two batches, I use half the box.


Oops… as you can see, they don’t quite fit. Not to worry. Once I poured the warm liquid over them, I gently, but firmly, shoved them in – and made them fit. Voia la.

2) In bowl or 500ml jar mix the water, aloe, witch hazel, castille soap, and oil and stir.


As you can see, t’was the perfect day for some afternoon outside DIYing.

3) Put the paper towels in your container and pour the liquid over until they are well soaked (remembering to divide the liquid mixture in two). You can flip the containers over to make sure they’re soaked through.

IMG_0461.JPGDon’t forget to halve the liquid (since you’re making two batches). You don’t want very watery wipes.

4) Open it back up and pull the first wipe out – it might be a bit tricky but go with it.

5) Use as you would regular wipes, and smile, knowing you are not causing your beautiful children any future health problems! I use these wipes for EVERYTHING: from grubby hands and food covered mouths to bums and sandy feet – I know what I’m using on my kids skin is safe and effective.


Isn’t it beautiful? 

Let me reassure you: 

This might sound like its fairly complicated and a lot of work. It’s not. Once you get going, it literally takes 5 minutes to make. I buy the paper towels in bulk and then always have them on hand. You know that terrifying, panicky feeling when you realize you’re almost out of wipes… well you’ll never have that again (as long as you have the ingredients on hand). All you need each time you make a batch is water, soap, witch hazel and aloe vera. Mix and pour. Done.

Let me break it down:

– The castille soap cleans and makes the wipes slippery and easy to use. (You can use less if you find them too soapy),
– The witch hazel acts as a mild astringent and antibacterial,
– The aloe vera has long been an important and indispensable ally for all skin conditions or maladies. It’s just the most perfect soft, loving and caring ingredient for a precious bum.

WIPES 3 liquid ingredients

ALOE VERA 

Hold the (proverbial) phone. Let’s crank this up a notch.

While thinking about this post and driving to pick up my kids, I was AS-TOUN-DED as to how many aloes I saw growing freely in the Southern Suburbs. My friend who lives in Sun Valley had about 20 in her garden at one stage. It is easy-PEASY to make your own aloe vera gel – and cheap as. If I had not had the boys in the car I would’ve jumped out the car and nicked a big fat leaf from off the side of the road, but didn’t think that was very role-model like. Fortunately I got my thrifty paws on some samples from Alcare Aloe.

‘Whoaaaa, hold up’, you’re saying. ‘I’m barely able to wash my hair one a week and brush my teeth twice a day. I’ll never be caught dead making my own aloe vera gel and even these wipes are a push’. That you? Then, breathe a sigh of relief and read on…

Store bought Green Eco Wipes I’m loving…

Cherubs Eco Friendly Baby Wipes: Cherubs baby wipes contain aloe vera (we love aloe vera) and are gentle on delicate skin and the environment. They are flushable, biodegradable and alcohol, paraben and fragrance free. Yes please. (R31.12)

Cherubs-EcoTravelwipesn

Cherubs have brought out a wonderful eco range. They have hand and face wipes, cotton rounds (nice puffy, durable rounds) and cotton buds (with a unique paper-based stem which is 100% flushable and biodegradable!).

Must be honest, I have a phobia about squeaky cotton rounds. A bit like I have a phobia about teeth and wool (together). Gives me the absolute grrrills. I’m happy to report Cherubs’ cotton rounds passed the non-squeak test. Phew.  

Pure Beginnings Baby Wipes with Baobab and Aloe Vera. (Are you starting to see some familiar ingredients appear here?). These gentle bamboo baby wipes are 100% biodegradable. With organic aloe extract and baobab fruit extract, they are very gentle on delicate skin. (R39.50)

One small change is one small change. Do it!

xxx

‘How To’ Essential Oils: Eucalyptus

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Continuing my exploration into the mysterious world of essential oils – I thought, with winter now in full-on mode, my next essential oil I’d like to unpack is eucalyptus.

We’ve all heard of eucalyptus and no doubt you all know the smell. If our cuddly Koala friends love this plant, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t. I mean look at him…

koala on tree

Eucalyptus

Here are a few suggestions on how to make the most of eucalyptus, thanks to our friends at SOiL and DoTERRA.

Due to the many influential compounds found in eucalyptus, it is a common ingredient in throat drops and chest ointments. Eucalyptus is used widely both for its calming and clearing properties as well as to support breathing.

Here’s how you can use it effectively…

Sleep: Put one drop on the bottom of  your feet before you go to bed for a more restful sleep. (I’m trying this tonight!)

Baths: Add 5 – 10 drops of essential oil(s) to a warm run bath. If skin is sensitive, blend the essential oil in a teaspoon of carrier oil first. Close the door so the vapours don’t escape. Soak for at least 10 minutes relaxing and breathing deeply. For added moisturising dilute the oils in 10ml of carrier before adding to the bath.

Massage: Add 5 – 6 drops of essential oil per 10ml of carrier oil. Mix thoroughly and apply liberally to the skin.

Inhalations: Add 4 – 5 drops of essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Place a towel over your head, close your eyes and lean over the bowl. Inhale the vapour for a few minutes.

Burners and Diffusers: Fill the bowl of the burner/vaporiser with water and then add 3 – 6 drops of essential oil. Light the candle and the oil will evaporate as the water heats up. Do not let the bowl dry out. Eucalyptus blends well with Wild Orange, Lemon, and Peppermint essential oil.

Compress: Recommended when the area is too painful to massage. Dip a towel or cloth in 4-5 drops of essential oil and 200ml hot or hold water and wring out. Cover the affected area with this compress. Then place a plastic wrap over this and a towel or blanket on top. Leave the compress on for 2-4 hours.

Cleaning Spray: Mix water, Lemon, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint in a spray bottle for a cleaning spray.

Before Exercise: Rub onto chest or bottom of feet before exercising, using a carrier oil if you’re nervous about the intensity of an EO directly onto your skin.

As always…

Safety Information: Essential oils are highly concentrated and should always be used with care. They should be diluted in a suitable carrier oil when applying to the skin and should not be used on children under 18 months. Essential oils are not recommended for use during pregnancy. Do not take internally, and if ever uncertain consult an aromatherapy practitioner for professional advice. Be wise!

TRY THIS RECIPE:

Here is a recipe (thanks to Wellness Mama) that I have used when making my own Natural Vapour Rub. I couldn’t bring myself to use a store-bought vapour rub (full of petroleum and nonsense) on my kids when they were babies and so I made my own. I love it, and feel confident when using on the bubs when cough season comes round.

Homemade Natural Vapour Rub

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Melt beeswax with oil of choice in a double boiler until just melted.
  2. Add the essential oils (use half the amount for a baby version or dilute with coconut oil before using)
  3. Stir until well mixed and pour into some type of container with a lid to store. Little tins work well, as do small jars. I also always make a few in lip chap sticks to keep in my purse or use on baby feet.
  4. Use as needed to help sooth coughing and congestion.

Photo credit: Wilson Promontory National park in Australia, and NAHA.

A Natural Health Kick

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Thinking back now, it is bizarre how life has led me to this point of valuing wellness in a new, more natural light.

Back in 2008, I randomly worked for a Health and Wellness company and saw some pretty incredible things. I was (and still am) completely convinced by how important healthy food and correct supplementation (if necessary) can be, along with rethinking simply jumping into medicine and how natural approaches can absolutely change lives. Not only did I see fairly sick people become well, but I saw healthy people flourish. I have the utmost respect for medical science and am constantly amazed by the breakthroughs happening in that realm, but when it comes down to what we mere non-doctors can do, I’ll opt for the natural until intelligently instructed otherwise.

So my boss back in the day had this magic potion he used to make when he started feeling sick. Recently I shared this little gem with a colleague of mine who was starting to feel under the weather and she bounced back almost instantaneously. I had forgotten how effective it could be, and now with winter upon us and new bugs coming home from play school, I’m stocking up on these 4 very simple and easy to find ingredients:

– honey (as local and natural as you can find)
– fresh garlic (crushed)
– fresh ginger (crushed, or cut up as finely)
– brandy (preferably not for kiddies)

Garlic & Ginger (foodathonindia.blogspot.com)

All you do is mix equal portions of the above together to make a paste. Yes, its gross, and yes, you will smell of garlic, and you do need to throw this towards the back of your mouth and try swallow it without gagging, but it works. I consider it a healthy dose of a natural antibiotic. Do this as often as you need to, when feeling a bit gross.

lemon hot water www.med-health.net

As far as drinks go, there’s always the good old HOT TODDY: Honey, ginger and lemon in a cup of hot water, or you can add crushed ginger to hot water for a sore throat. No brainer.

I keep all of the above at the office and at home. While I can easily consume a roll of cheery flavoured Halls lozenges in one go, it won’t do half the work that those 4 beautiful natural gifts can provide.

Wishing you a warm, safe and bug-free winter.

xxx

Trash is for Tossers’ Toothpaste

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I’ve gently broken into the world of natural, homemade products and have recently been (profoundly) inspired by Lauren Singer, a blogger who writes the blog called ‘Trash is for Tossers‘. Too funny.

So, besides being ULTRA incredible, she makes her own toothpaste. And my fave blogger (you all know by now, Wellness Mama), well she makes her own too. So I compared recipes and read a bunch of reviews and did a teeny bit of research and have decided to give it a go. Disclaimer: I’m not busy writing medical journals or my biochemistry PhD thesis so I have no rock solid scientific backing behind any of this. Just bear that in mind.

I’ve used natural toothpaste before and from the outset – you need to expect it to be different from the usual foamy, beautifully flavoured and freakishly-perfectly-striped Aquafresh or Colgate experience. And while we’re on that – the magic that makes your toothpaste all flavoursome, foamy and beautiful-to-look-at, is not the stuff you really want in your mouth, or your body, or your home. Ever thought about that? I recently tried Earthsap’s toothpaste and it was great. It wasn’t nearly as textually satisfying as the usual bubbly, spearminty, smack-your-lips toothpaste from a regular grocery store, but going green means changing the way you think. You can’t expect to change your ways and use different products and have your experiences stay the same… If they do, something must be wrong…

We use toothpaste every day, and most of the toothpastes we use contain sulfites, sulfates and/or flouride (apparently more toxic than we’d like to know – a controversial topic…). Ermmm.

We now have more than enough reasons to rethink this one. Shall we?

Lauren’s recipe is ridiculously simple:

Zero Waste Toothpaste Recipe:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
25-30 drops Organic food grade peppermint essential oil (totally depends on how flavoursome you want it – that seemed like a LOT of essential oil to me, so we used less)

Mix all three ingredients in a glass dish (I use a mason jar).

To use, scoop out a little bit with a spoon and put it onto your toothbrush. Add more or less peppermint or coconut oil depending on your textural preference. Voila!

Photo cred: Lauren Singer from Trash is for Tossers

The outcome: Great! Besides it being preeetty salty (which our new bestie Lauren does warn you about), it works well! My friend Marcelle (who I made this with while we fed our children hot chocolate and marshmallows) liked it too. It is definitely an adjustment to regular toothpaste, but remember change is good.

Wellness Mama’s recipe includes stevia powder, which, while it might be a nice addition, if it is not necessary I’m going to keep this one simple and avoid going to the shops for another hard-to-find item. If you’d like to view Lauren’s YouTube toothpaste demo (where you can see she’s beautiful, normal and not a weirded out hippie creature), you can view that here.

IMPORTANT: Pregnant or nursing mums should avoid using peppermint essential oil, as well as babies and children. Also, if your teeth start getting super sensitive then maybe just calm down and get your pearly whites checked – we don’t want enamel issues. With the kids, I’ll stick to Pure Beginnings’ Baby Berry Toothpaste (Clayden can eat this like ice cream, which is okay, because he now loves brushing his teeth and it’s not full of junk) and Pure Beginnings’ Kids Vanilla Toothpaste.

If you’re not keen to go all Suzy Homemaker on us and want to make a change but don’t have the time, energy or inclination to don the old apron and get your hands messy, well fair enough. Why not try Earthsap’s range or Pure Beginnings’ Fresh Mint Toothpaste?