Saving money & living better while roughing it old school: Part 2

I'm just going to continue right along with installment two. No fluffy, wordy intro because this post is long enough.

Beauty products/hygiene alternatives: I was a bit taken aback when I first checked out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database that I've posted about before. The Environmental Working Group took it upon itself to rate thousands of the products we use on our bodies every day. The ratings span from 0-10, with zero being least toxic and 10 being most. I couldn't believe that the mousse I use on my hair every day was rated a 10 and that the "organic" body wash we were using on Ben was a 3, or a moderate hazard. I set out to find some safer alternatives, and in the process I cut costs, too.

Photo by Tabiii

Dr. Bronner's is a fabulous line of products. I highly recommend them. I use the baby mild bar soap on Ben and it's not only cheaper than the organic body wash we were using, but it will last longer and is rated a 1 in the Skin Deep Registry. I also switched out my body wash with this bar soap. Read the back of your body wash before you suds up again. Are all those detergents, fragrances and preservatives really necessary? I like to remind myself that just because I'm putting it on my body doesn't mean it won't enter in my body.

The large containers of Dr. Bronner's pure castile soap are great for frugal families. Not only is the soap safe, it's concentrated, meaning it will last ages. And the even better part? It has too many uses to list. You can use it in place of your body wash (though it's pretty watery), or you can recycle a foaming soap pump (like my Bath & Body Works one, above) into a home for a safer soap. I mixed about equal parts water and soap in my pump and had a rich, moisturizing, yummy smelling hand soap in seconds. You can also use it to clean dishes, wash clothes and more. Some people use it as toothpaste (there is a peppermint version), but I can't brush my teeth with straight soap. I do use a little bit of it, however, in my toothpaste recipe, which I'll share next time.

If you're feeling more adventurous and don't mind the upfront costs associated, you could certainly make your own soap. I would love to do it at some point, but I'm not ready to drop the ball on purchasing the materials needed yet. If anyone here has tried their hand at soap making, I'd love to hear about it!

photo by lemontwist301

The No 'Poo Method

My next step was finding a better alternative to shampoo and conditioner. I'd heard about the No 'Poo method before, but I was quite skeptical that stopping my use of shampoo and conditioner would somehow make my hair look better. Forgoing my old standbys for baking soda, water and vinegar? As. If. And then I just bit the bullet one day, tired of struggling to find a safe shampoo that wouldn't land us in the poor house (kind of kidding here). What could be the harm, right? If I hated it, I hated it. End of story. If I liked it, well, then I've saved us money and added another healthy routine into my life. Amazingly, I became a believer in...er...no 'poo. It could use a better name, that's for sure.

The concept is fairly simple. While shampoo does clean, it also strips the scalp of oils that are there for a reason: to protect the hair. Ever wonder why we use conditioner? To fix the damage created by the shampoo. And then we use more products to fix the problems that conditioner leaves in its wake. It's a never-ending cycle.

Baking soda will become your new shampoo. It's the weakest of all alkalines and it gently clarifies the hair. The standard recipe is 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water. Shake it up and you're ready to go. This solution works for me, though you can feel free to tweak it to your own preference depending on your hair type. I keep this solution in an oil & vinegar-type container in the shower. You use it much the same way as shampoo. Apply it to your scalp, massage in and let it naturally clean the ends of your hair as you wash it out. I leave it on for a minute or two before rinsing it. In the beginning, I found myself using tons of this solution because I didn't feel like my hair could possibly get clean any other way. The longer I go, the more I realize that it doesn't take too much to do its job.

Apple cider vinegar will become your new conditioner. You can feel free to skip this part if you don't feel you need it. Apple cider vinegar is a mild acidic and it serves to de-tangle the hair follicles, seal the cuticle and balance the hair's pH balance. I keep mine in a water bottle (squirt-kind) and apply it to the ends only. If you let it get on your scalp or use too much, you might find your hair becomes oily. The standard recipe for this is the same as the baking soda solution: one tablespoon vinegar to one cup water. You can tweak this to your liking, too. If you find your hair is too oily, cut back on the vinegar. If you find your hair is too dry, add a little more.

Many, many people have transition periods when switching to this method where they find their hair is quite oily. The average seems to be a week or two, but I was lucky in that mine was only a few days. This is normal as your body adjusts to the sudden lack of oil-stripping. Remember that it was having to constantly replenish the oil supply in response to shampoo's stripping effect. Cut your scalp some slack. ;)

My final word on the matter of No 'Poo is that it really does work. I still find myself slipping back to my shampoo ways when I long for the "smell good" experience, but my hair looks and feels so much healthier without it!
The Oil Cleansing Method

In short, this method uses oil to clean. Sounds quirky, huh? As well as insane. Who uses oil to clear up acne? Breakouts are actually caused by bacteria, dirt and hormones, not oil. Just like the no 'poo method, the oil cleansing method breaks the cycle of stripping your skin of the oils it needs. Think about it: why would your skin produce oil if it didn't need it? If you use a cleanser, you're stripping away those important oils. And to compensate, your skin produces more oil. This isn't the case for everyone. I have really dry skin, and I discovered that it's dry because I'm stripping away the oil it needs. And I guess my body sucks at replenishing. And I'm a great example to use. I never (as in EVER) had breakouts in high school, but come adulthood, BAM. I think they started around 22, and they got pretty bad. And I don't have oily skin. Okay, point proven. Acne isn't caused by oil.

By cleansing your face with oils (the right ones, of course), you are ridding your pores of the dirt and bacteria that gets trapped there and you're replenishing your skin with helpful, healthy oils that will protect and heal your skin.

Now, where to start? Grab yourself an empty container (a glass jar is nice, just make sure it's thoroughly cleaned each time you refill) and some castor oil and extra virgin olive oil. Castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties and it helps heal and cleanse your skin. But because it's a thick, potent oil, you must balance it out with a thinner oil. I use EVOO (as do many people practicing this method), but I've also heard great things about sunflower seed oil. You can use any natural, cold-pressed vegetable oil that you have in your house. Now, before you decide what ratio you need, you probably want to evaluate your skin type. Those with oily skin typically do best with a ratio of 30% castor oil to 70% EVOO (or other vegetable oil). Those with a balanced skin type (equally oily/dry) do best with a ratio of 20% castor oil to 80% EVOO. Those with dry skin (Me, me!) do best with 10% castor oil to 90% EVOO. As with the no 'poo method, play around with the percentages until you find what works. If your skin is too dry, use less castor oil. Too greasy? Less EVOO.

Now, the brass tacks. Apply a quarter-sized amount of the oil to your face at night and gently massage it in to dry skin. You'll want to massage for about a minute. Hey, this is pampering, folks! Next, soak a washcloth with hot, steamy water. Lay it over your face. A mini-facial! Leave it there until it cools down - room temperature is good. Then wipe the oil away, rinse out the washcloth in hot water again, and again lay it over your face. Let it cool. Voila! Done!

Most people find that this only needs to be done once a day, usually at night. In the morning, a simple splash of water should do. Your skin will become clearer and WILL glow - in a good way! And yes, this method removes make-up. And the best part? Many, many people swear that it clears up acne better than any facewash on the market.

Stay tuned for toothpaste, moisturizer and lip balm next!