Showing posts with label Natural Living. Show all posts

Key Lime Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter Recipe

This whipped coconut oil recipe is the perfect moisturizer for summertime (or when you wish it was summertime!). Key lime pie is one of my favorite desserts, so it comes as no surprise that I rather enjoy smelling like key lime pie in the mornings after applying this whipped moisturizer. The sweet, tangy combination of lime and lemon essential oils brightens my mood, lifts my spirits, and makes me dream of lying in the sun on a tropical beach somewhere--even if it's below freezing outside!

A New and Improved Whipped Coconut Oil Recipe

My key lime coconut oil recipe contains a few extra ingredients that weren't in my original whipped coconut oil body butter recipe. One is a small amount of liquid oil, such as olive oil or castor oil. (I recommend a low-PUFA oil because vegetable oils aren't your friend--either in your body or on your skin). Another is aloe vera gel, which is soothing to the skin, and great for treating acne, wrinkles and scars. Both the liquid oil and the aloe vera gel keep the coconut oil on the softer side (even in frigid temperatures).

The lemon and lime essential oils not only give this whipped moisturizer its tantalizingly indulgent aroma, but they have beneficial properties as well. Both citrus oils have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, disinfectant, and astringent properties. I notice they combine well with the moisturizing properties of coconut oil, and tend to keep it from feeling excessively greasy--a common complaint about using coconut oil as a moisturizer. The skin on my face absolutely glows after using this combination!

I'm quite impressed with the results, and am secretly pleased that this coconut oil recipe easily outperforms an expensive facial cream I tried recently. Just imagine: a facial moisturizer that contains only food-based ingredients and costs pennies on the dollar compared to department store creams. What's not to love?

Key Lime Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter Recipe

Ingredients
(Makes About 1 Cup of Whipped Coconut Oil)

1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon olive oil (or try castor or macadamia nut oil)
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
20 drops lime essential oil
20 drops lemon essential oil

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Note: Do not melt the coconut oil first. It will only whip up if it's solid.

2. Mix with an electric mixer on high speed with a wire whisk attachment for 3-7 minutes or until whipped into a light, airy consistency. (After 3 minutes, check back every minute or so until it reaches the right consistency.)

3. Spoon the whipped coconut oil body butter into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your house is so warm it melts the oil.

Tip: An electric hand mixer will work, but my KitchenAid stand mixer did the job quickly and easily with little effort on my part (love it!). A blender or food processor will not work with this coconut oil recipe, because they tend to warm the oil too much and prevent it from whipping up. If your coconut oil is too soft to whip, try putting the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before mixing.

Need a high quality source for coconut oil, olive oil and other real food ingredients? Check out my Resources page to find these products online from companies we trust.

Have you made this whipped coconut oil recipe? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Do you love coconut oil? You might enjoy these posts:

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10 Ways You Can Use Lemon Juice Instead of Toxic Chemicals for Health, Cleaning and Beauty

Contrary to all those catchy commercials, you don't need to use expensive products and toxic chemicals to clean your home, ease a cough, or soften your skin. Lemon juice can replace countless bottles of overpriced chemicals for a fraction of the cost. And I definitely rest easier using food-based products instead of exposing myself, my family and my pets to potentially irritating and toxic substances.

10 Creative Ways to Use Lemon Juice

1. Deodorize and Disinfect Your Kitchen

Surfaces like refrigerator shelves, counter tops and cutting boards need to be clean, but I can't imagine using harsh chemicals where I prepare and store food. Lemon juice is perfect for disinfecting all of these surfaces without leaving behind a toxic residue. It also removes unpleasant stains and odors, so my kitchen is fresh and clean.

2. Remove Grease and Grime

Lemon juice can power through grease and grime throughout the home. I use a mixture of lemon juice and salt to scrub away grease build-up in the kitchen or other work areas. Lemon juice can also help remove grease stains from clothing (but don't use on silks or other delicate fabrics).

3. Tone and Brighten Your Skin

Lemon juice is an astringent, which makes it perfect for treating blemishes and preventing break-outs. It also softens the skin, and over time can lighten scars and dark spots. Mix one part lemon juice with three parts water (or witch hazel) to use as a brightening toner for your skin after cleansing.

4. Aid Digestion and Detox

Adding a little fresh lemon juice to your water during meals can aid digestion. Drinking a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning is said to have a cleansing and energizing effect on the system (some even say it helps you lose weight!).

5. Soothe a Cough or Sore Throat

Stir together equal amounts of raw honey and fresh lemon juice. Take a spoonful as needed to ease coughing or treat a sore throat. I love this because it's so kid-friendly and it really helps! You can also stir the mixture in with warm water or herbal tea to ease cold symptoms. Buy quality raw honey online here.

6. Clean and Deodorize Your Toilet

Yes, the toilet can be icky. But that doesn't mean you have to use heavy chemicals to get your toilet bowl clean and sparkling. Instead, use a mixture of borax powder and lemon juice to get your toilet looking (and smelling!) like new.

7. Soften and Clean Your Hands

Lemon juice can remove stains and odors from your hands. It also softens and brightens the skin. (For really soft hands, try this Homemade Lemon Hand Scrub Recipe.)

8. Get Beautiful Sun-Kissed Highlights in Your Hair

Highlights in a box may sound convenient, but in reality hair color can irritate your scalp, damage your hair, and may not even come out looking natural. Save your money (and your hair) by using lemon juice instead! Simply spritz your hair with lemon juice before you go out in the sun. You can repeat as needed to get the level of highlights you want. As a side bonus, lemon juice rinses away build-up and gives your hair a beautiful shine.

9. Get Glass Sparkling Clean

Use one part lemon juice with ten parts water to clean windows, mirrors, coffee pots and more. Simply give the surface a light spray and wipe away with a microfiber cloth.

10. Remove Tarnish Naturally

Make a paste with lemon juice and salt. Apply the mixture to tarnished copper, chrome or brass. Let it sit for about ten minutes, then rinse and buff to a shine.

Do you have any tips or tricks for using lemon juice around the house? Share them in the comments below!

Photo Credit

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Want to Get Soft Hands? Make Your Own Homemade Hand Scrub!

Want to get soft hands? Yeah, me too. I've often heard that nothing gives away your age more than your hands. But expensive hand creams aren't the answer. They can be loaded with chemical fillers and they always ignore a vital step in getting soft hands: exfoliation. Instead, fight dry, cracked winter hands with a food-based homemade scrub formulated especially for your hands!

How to Make Homemade Hand Scrub

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp raw honey

1/4 cup sea salt

1/4 cup organic sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Need high quality sources for raw honey, sea salt, coconut oil and more? Check out my Resources page!

Instructions:

1. Stir together the honey and coconut oil in a medium bowl.
2. In another small bowl, blend the salt, sugar and lemon juice until it becomes crumbly.
3. Pour the salt mixture over the honey mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Store in a small glass jar or bowl.

Directions for Use:

1. Gently massage a marble-sized amount of homemade hand scrub into your hands for 30-60 seconds. (Don't forget to exfoliate between your fingers!)
2. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. The coconut oil provides enough moisture so you probably won't need to follow up with anything else. If your hands are extra dry, you might want to apply some homemade whipped coconut oil.
3. Repeat 1-2 times per week.

Why These Ingredients?

Coconut oil: provides quality moisture and antibacterial/antiviral/antifungal properties. Helps soften skin so it's ready for exfoliation.
Honey: heals and softens the skin. It's mother nature's best kept beauty secret!
Salt and sugar: both are excellent for exfoliating and can also be healing for the skin.
Lemon juice: brightens, softens, and helps remove odors from your hands (like onion!).

Good-Bye Dry, Cracked Winter Hands!

I always wondered how to get soft hands (especially in the dry winter months), and it turns out I was missing the important step of exfoliation. Since I started using this scrub, my hands look and feel fantastic! They also absorb moisturizer so much better now, I hardly need to use any at all.

Buy high quality coconut oil, sea salt, raw honey and more here.

Photo Credit

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How to Make Homemade Bug Repellent

During the warm months, my mission is simple: avoid bug bites whenever possible. And living in the humid south makes this a challenge. When I was a kid, it meant spraying liberal quantities of OFF bug repellent all over myself. It was greasy and smelled gross, but it was the only way I knew to combat the plague of mosquitoes that seemed view my legs as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Of course, as I got older it began to dawn on me that drenching myself in chemicals may not be the wisest choice. And when I had my own kids who loved to play outside during the summer evenings, finding a natural way to repel bugs became a top priority.

I was delighted when I realized I could make my own homemade insect repellent. I made some right away, and the whole family noticed a remarkable decrease in mosquito bites when we started using it. My kids always remind me to spray them before they go outside!

How to Make Homemade Bug Repellent

Natural insect repellent is incredibly easy to make at home. It requires just two simple steps:

Step 1: Choose Your Essential Oils

Essential oils are the active ingredients in homemade bug repellent. The right essential oils will have bugs running (or flying) in the opposite direction. You'll need a total of about 40-50 drops of essential oils per 8 ounces of bug repellent. You can use one kind of essential oil, or mix and match. The oils you want to use in homemade bug repellent are any of the following:

Rosemary

Citronella

Clove

Geranium

Lavender

Eucalyptus

Cedar

Mint

Lemongrass

Basil

Thyme

Step 2: Choose Your Base

You can choose to make your homemade insect repellent water or oil-based.

For oil-based bug repellent: Simply mix 40-50 drops of essential oils into 8 oz. of your favorite carrier oil (mine is obviously coconut oil!). Store in a small glass jar or tub. This mixture is quite effective and can be dabbed lightly on wrists, inside the arm, behind the knees and around the ankles to keep those bugs at a distance.

For water-based bug repellent spray: Essential oils don't mix well with water, so you'll need to use witch hazel or rubbing alcohol (vodka can be used as a natural alternative) as an emulsifier. Use about 2-4 ounces of witch hazel or alcohol in an 8-oz. spray bottle, then fill the rest with pure water and 40-50 drops of essential oils.

Have you given up commercial chemical bug sprays? What kind of natural solutions have you tried for bugs and insects? Have you had any success keeping the bugs away? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

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Homemade Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter Recipe

Does your moisturizer make you nervous? Let me guess: it's either filled with questionable ingredients or wildly expensive. Or both. Like you, I've been seeking a natural alternative to those bottles of creamy (but chemical-laden) conventional lotions. It hasn't been easy. Coconut oil has always been a top contender, but it wasn't until I tried a new coconut oil body butter recipe that I finally found my personal holy grail moisturizer.

Whip It: The Secret to Moisturizing with Coconut Oil

I've been having an on again, off again love affair with coconut oil as a moisturizer for a few years now. I love that it's pure, natural and even inexpensive. But we don't always get along, and in the winter things get hard. Literally. I practically need a jackhammer to get enough coconut oil out of the jar to moisturize my dry winter skin. This is a serious problem, because I'm a big fan of convenience, and wrestling with a jar of coconut oil isn't exactly my cup of tea in the wee hours of the morning.

Heating the jar to melt the oil never worked for me, either, because I chronically forgot to do it! So most of the time I'd end up digging it out with my fingernails, or I'd just give up and go back to my old lotion stand-by. But deep down I felt there was a way to work things out. Coconut oil and I were meant to moisturize together. I just needed to figure out the how.

One day I ran across a recipe for whipped shea butter, and this got me thinking: can you whip coconut oil? Well, by golly, I had a brand new KitchenAid mixer sitting on my counter (my husband sure knows how to melt a girl's heart on Christmas!) and five gallons of coconut oil sitting in my pantry. Why not give this coconut oil recipe a go?

The result was a superbly light and fluffy moisturizer that far exceeded my expectations. With a jar of this on hand, I doubt I will ever be tempted to fool around with expensive store bought lotions ever again.

Want to try it out? Here's how you whip coconut oil:

Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter Recipe

I love that this coconut oil recipe only requires one (yes, one!) ingredient. Anything else is completely optional. It also only takes a few measly minutes, and you'll have enough whipped body butter to last at least a month or two. In fact, if you get carried away, put some in an attractive jar and it makes a great gift! It feels sinfully luxurious as a moisturizer, and yet an entire jar of it costs less than $2 to make.

What you need:

1 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)

a few drops of your favorite essential oils for fragrance (optional)\

What to do:

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Note: Do not melt the coconut oil first. It will only whip up if it's solid.

2. Mix on high speed with a wire whisk for 6-7 minutes or until whipped into a light, airy consistency.

3. Spoon the whipped coconut oil body butter into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your house is so warm it melts the oil.

Tip: An electric hand mixer will work, but my KitchenAid stand mixer did an amazing job and I was able to get other work done while it was mixing away. A blender or food processor will not work with this coconut oil recipe, because they tend to warm the oil too much and prevent it from whipping up.

Note: Your whipped coconut oil should stay relatively soft, even at colder temperatures. If it's really cold, it will become a little more solid, but not rock hard like it normally does. I noticed mine beaded into a froth of tiny coconut oil pearls that melt right into my skin. Love it!

Looking for high quality coconut oil at an affordable price? Check out the marketplace!

Have you made this whipped coconut oil recipe? Do you have your own coconut oil recipes to share? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Do you love coconut oil? You might enjoy these posts:

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How to Brush Your Teeth for Gum Health: The Bass Brushing Technique

Recently I shared a list of natural toothpaste alternatives, but did you know that how you brush your teeth can be just as important as what you use on your toothbrush? In fact, the type of brush you use plays an important role as well!

Today Will and Susan Revak from OraWellness share instructions for the Bass brushing technique, an important step in reducing gum disease, improving oral health and protecting tooth enamel.

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Why is addressing gum disease important?

The grim facts speak for themselves:

Over 90% of adults have some active form of gum disease at age 30.
And gum disease isn't just isolated to adulthood--a whopping 65% of 15 year olds already show signs of active gum disease!

Given these statistics, we consider gum disease the elephant in the living room. Mainstream dentistry has by and large dropped the ball on gum disease and has chosen to focus on tooth decay and the drill, fill and bill business model.

What starts as a little tenderness and swelling between molars turns to gums bleeding when flossing and chronic bad breath, then leads to receding gums and loose teeth, and eventually causes adult tooth loss.

Unfortunately, gum disease isn't just about chronic bad breath and bleeding gums. Besides being the #1 cause of adult tooth loss, research clearly demonstrates a link between active gum disease and the main diseases in our society. Regardless of whether we are talking about arthritis, heart disease or diabetes, research has found links how the "bad bugs" in our mouths contribute to suppressing immunity and the breakdown of the system, resulting in disease. And rightfully so! If you think about it, gum disease is a rampant bacterial infection that has direct access to the whole body via the bloodstream!

While we can't only brush our teeth to create optimal health, we can support greater immunological health by effectively lowering the incidence of bad bugs in our mouths and the risk of rampant bacterial invasion of the body with specific oral hygiene habits.

Clues from history...


Dr. C. C. Bass (photo credit)

Thankfully, we can look back in history to find evidence unvarnished by greed or political agendas of how to address gum disease. Like other notable figures in health history such as Weston A Price, Max Gerson, and Edward and May Mellanby, we have Dr. Charles C. Bass to bring light on the subject of gum disease.

To help place him in history, Dr. Bass was the youngest person to become a dean of a medical school and the first person to carry a microscope west of the Mississippi River.

Dr. Bass was diagnosed with advanced gum disease and instructed by his dentist to have all of his teeth extracted. Dr. Bass had already discovered many parasites using his microscope, so rather than take his dentist's advice, Dr. Bass put his skills toward figuring out what was causing the destruction in his mouth.

Using his microscope, he easily identified the same '"bad bugs" that plague most mouths today. He then set out to figure out a technique that would help to disrupt and remove the bad bugs from his mouth. Through extensive trial and error he created a toothbrush and technique that effectively disrupt and remove the bacteria from the teeth and gums.

As an example of history, Dr. Bass died an old man with all his natural teeth in his mouth. So, given the diagnosis from his dentist, Dr. Bass must have done something right!

Why the Bass Brushing Technique Works

The Bass brushing technique works because the focus is on disrupting and removing the bacteria that accumulate along and under the gum line and between the teeth. Created by extensive trial and error, the Bass brushing technique is very effective at reducing gum disease when used properly.

To be able to effectively use the technique, we must understand that the "bad bugs" related to gum disease organize along and under the gum line, especially between the molars. So, our focus has to be to gently wiggle bristles down into these areas to break up the bacteria's colonization efforts.

Unfortunately, signs of early gum disease are swollen, red, tender gums. Without conscious awareness that these are signs of gum disease, most people avoid brushing the infected area due to discomfort around the swollen gums, which allows the infection to continue unhindered.

The Right Tool for the Job

What we have from Dr. Bass' life are the Bass toothbrush and the Bass brushing technique. The Bass toothbrush differs from most toothbrushes in two ways:

First, the bristles are more spaced out and there are fewer bristles in the brush head. What Dr. Bass found was most toothbrushes had too many bristles to effectively wiggle between the teeth and down into the gum line. So, he created a brush with much fewer bristles to be able to get down where the bad bugs thrive to disrupt and remove the bacteria. The same is true today as most conventional toothbrushes have too many bristles to effectively use the Bass brushing technique.

The second way the Bass toothbrush differs from other toothbrushes is the bristle tips on the Bass brush are rounded, polished and very smooth. See the photos below to compare the rounded bristle tips of the Bass toothbrush and the jagged, rough cut bristle tips of many other toothbrush bristles.

Left: rounded, polished bristle tips of the Bass toothbrush

Right: jagged, rough cut bristles of other toothbrushes

Instructions for The Bass Brushing Technique

First, hold the toothbrush gently! We like to joke, we're not cleaning a grout line! So, rather than hold the toothbrush like a scrub brush, hold it gently so your arm can relax and apply the small movements required for the Bass brushing technique.

Here's how to brush:

Hold the brush at the commonly recognized 45 degree angle to the tooth and gum line.
The main difference in the Bass technique is how small the movements are. The Bass brushing technique uses very small lateral strokes along the gum line.
It's almost like you aren't "brushing" your teeth. Rather, you place the toothbrush at a spot along the gum line and gently wiggle using very small, fine back-and-forth motions to get the bristles down between the teeth and under the gum line.
Count to 5, then move to the next place with your brush and repeat.
The small motion takes practice, but in time, you will be amazed at how much healthier your gums will feel!

Your Teeth Will Thank You Too!

Another big problem with conventional brushing methods is that they damage the protective outer layer (enamel) of your teeth:

Research has shown that many folks brush their teeth too hard and damage their enamel.
Many toothbrushes have rough cut bristles (rather than the rounded tip bristles on the Bass brushes) that can scratch enamel and irritate gum tissue.
In fact, a main cause of receding gums is brushing the sensitive gum tissue too hard--with a toothbrush with rough cut bristles!
Many name brand toothpastes use hydrated silica as an abrasive which has been shown to etch teeth and damage enamel.

Putting these all together creates a situation where many people may be doing more harm than good when brushing!

So, rather than dragging your toothbrush over the surface of the teeth, try out the Bass technique and see how it feels!

You can watch the instructional video showing the Bass brushing technique below to get a clearer picture of how you should be brushing:

Check out more video tutorials about oral and holistic health here.

About the authors:

Will and Susan Revak are the founders of OraWellness. They began their journey to creating greater oral health in their own lives over 15 years ago. Check out Susan's story of how she reversed the damage of advanced gum disease.

OraWellness offers tools and educational products to help you take control of your oral health using organic ingredients and inexpensive natural solutions. Chronic bad breath, bleeding gums, and other signs of oral imbalance can be a thing of the past. Whether you are looking for gentle, effective daily care or a complete solution to effectively address oral imbalances (even advanced gum disease!), OraWellness can help. Learn more at www.OraWellness.com.

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Elizabeth's thoughts: I've been using the Bass brushing technique for the past few months, and I am always surprised at how the gentle wiggling motion leaves my teeth feeling so smooth and clean. And I spent all those years thinking I had to scrub my teeth to death to get them clean! Now I realize the gentler method is not only more effective, but protects my teeth and gums in the long run.

What do you think? If you have any thoughts or questions, comment below!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

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The Best Homemade Toner for Acne Prone Skin

A homemade toner for acne prone skin should be two things: simple and economical. No long list of required ingredients, and no sourcing ingredients all over town (or all over the internet!). And of course, it needs to be effective for problematic, blemish-prone skin. Luckily, all of these requirements are fulfilled easily by two simple ingredients: green tea and apple cider vinegar. (See below for the recipe.)

Why not use commercial toner?

More often than not, commercial toners contain ingredients that irritate the skin and disrupt its natural balance. These ingredients include things like propylene glycol, harsh exfoliating acids, alcohol, mineral oil, glycerin, fragrance, and dyes. And if you're lucky enough to find a quality toner that doesn't contain unwanted chemicals, you'll usually find a hefty price tag attached.

Personally, I don't feel like you need to sacrifice quality or hard-earned cash for something like facial toner. Instead, get the best of both worlds by making your own homemade toner.

Two Important Ingredients for Homemade Toner

My experiments with homemade toner led me to two primary ingredients: fresh green tea and raw apple cider vinegar.

Why green tea?

Green tea has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that repair skin damage and reduce redness. I personally notice a decrease in inflammation within minutes of applying green tea to my skin. As a bonus: the antioxidants in green tea may also fight the aging process. So banish blemishes and wrinkles in one fell swoop!

Why raw apple cider vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar helps restore the natural pH balance of your skin. Healthy skin is protected by what is called the acid mantle, a natural barrier that guards against pathogenic bacteria. In her book The Truth About Beauty, Kat James says this about the acid mantle:

"It can easily be obliterated by skin products that contain detergents, soaps, or antiseptics, and in many women--and even teens!--it is never given the change to recover or perform its intended function. Its absence inevitably leads to skin problems that can only be controlled but never resolved until we restore the acid mantle."

Homemade Toner for Acne Recipe

3/4 cup strong green tea
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

That's it! Simply pour the green tea and apple cider vinegar into a glass bottle or jar with a lid. Use a cotton ball to apply toner after cleansing or as often as desired. Store this toner in the refrigerator--it should keep for a week or two this way.

Looking for a quality source of green tea leaves? Check out my Resources page.

While these two ingredients alone are enough to make a spectacular homemade toner, you can also experiment with adding things like:

Orange essential oil (astringent, oil-reducing, stimulates collagen production).

Lavender essential oil (antimicrobial, soothing, anti-inflammatory).

Lemon juice (brightening, toning, helps reduce red marks).

Aloe vera juice (anti-inflammatory, soothing, healing).

Have any other suggestions for homemade toner ingredients? Share your insights in the comments below!

Read more!

You may be interesting in trying out more natural skincare for acne:

Coconut Oil for Clear Skin

Raw Honey Mask for Acne

Also, check out this post: Exploring the Root Causes of Acne

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

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Raw Honey Mask for Acne

The best face mask for acne can't be purchased at a pricey department store. In fact, it only contains one ingredient and it's probably already in your pantry! It's one of my personal favorites: the raw honey face mask.

Raw honey has been prized for its healing properties since ancient times--it was even used like a modern-day antibiotic ointment on burns and scrapes. The raw honey mask for acne is an excellent alternative to conventional acne treatments that often do little more than make your skin dry and scaly. Raw honey, on the other hand, softens the skin and gives it a natural glow. Over time, honey's natural antibacterial properties can help prevent breakouts, but you will notice a difference in the suppleness of your skin right away!

Instructions for a Raw Honey Face Mask

One of the reasons I think honey makes the best face mask for acne is that it's so simple:

Use about one teaspoon of high quality raw honey.

Gently spread it over the entire face.

Leave the honey face mask on for about 15-60 minutes.

Rinse with lukewarm or cool water and pat face dry.

Tip: Don't be tempted to use too much honey. About one teaspoon is plenty. Any more than that and you'll be dripping honey all over the place! I had a problem with dripping at first, but once I cut back on the amount of honey I used, the problem resolved itself. Not to mention that it's a little more economical that way, too!

Question: What honey is best for a honey face mask?

Answer: Any honey will do, but I highly recommend using raw, unfiltered honey for your face mask because it retains more of the potent healing properties. I can even tell the difference between raw honey brands I use for my honey mask. A high quality local raw honey made my skin glow in a way I didn't notice with the other raw honey I tried. You can find a great source of high quality raw honey here on my Resources page.

Have you tried the raw honey mask for acne? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

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12 Natural Toothpaste Alternatives

Natural toothpaste alternatives are all the rage these days. So, what's wrong with toothpaste? Well, like most commercial health and beauty products on the market, toothpaste has been industrialized over the years. Here are just a few of the questionable ingredients commonly found in commercial toothpastes:

Fluoride. While fluoride is supposedly the ingredient that prevents cavities, it doesn't do that job very well and can actually be very toxic to the body. In fact, if you suffer from acne outbreaks around the mouth and chin area, fluoride toothpaste may be the cause! (If you haven't already, check out The Case Against Fluoride and The Fluoride Deception for more information.) Fluoride-free toothpastes are becoming more common, but unfortunately it's not the only ingredient in toothpaste you should be avoiding.

Titanium dioxide. There are some concerns that titanium dioxide is carcinogenic. The biggest problem is that nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide can be absorbed through the mouth and may cause toxic damage in the cells of the body.

Glycerin. This is found in almost every toothpaste on the market (even the natural ones). Glycerin helps give toothpaste its pasty texture and keeps it from drying out. But it can also leave a coating on your teeth that prevents them from remineralizing.

Sodium lauryl sulfate. It gives you the foamy cleaning action we all expect from toothpaste, but sodium lauryl sulfate is also a strong chemical surfactant that doesn't belong in our bodies.

Artificial sweeteners. I don't know about you, but I generally avoid chemical sweeteners like sorbitol and saccharin. Unfortunately, these are commonly used in commercial toothpaste to make them taste sweet.

So, what are some natural toothpaste alternatives? I asked you on The Nourished Life Facebook Fan Page what you use instead of commercial toothpaste. And as I expected, you all gave some great responses--so many that I really couldn't list them all! But here are twelve ideas to get you started:

1. Sea Salt

How much more natural can you get than brushing your teeth with salt from the sea? It's easy, too: just dab your toothbrush in sea salt and brush away as usual. Concerned about abrasion? Me, too. You can also dissolve the salt in water first and then dip your brush in the saltwater before brushing.

2. Baking Soda

This has got to be one of the most popular toothpaste alternatives. Like sea salt, you can just dip your toothbrush in baking soda and brush like normal. Or you can dissolve it in water first and use the brine for brushing (just like the sea salt). A lot of people use baking soda as a base for homemade tooth powder. You mix it with a few drops of peppermint essential oil and stevia to give your mouth a minty fresh feel.

3. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is known for keeping teeth clean and white, and many people use it instead of toothpaste. Jessica on Facebook suggests, "Dip your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide and then in a 50/50 mixture of baking soda and fine sea salt." The only potential problem with hydrogen peroxide is if you have amalgam fillings: peroxide may leach mercury from your fillings.

4. Herbal Tooth Powders

Herbal tooth powders can be used in place of toothpaste. They do a good job of cleaning, and the herbal ingredients can also help ease inflammation, pain and infection throughout the mouth.

5. Dry Brushing

It doesn't get much more simple than this. Tired of looking for a natural toothpaste alternative? According to some, there's no need to use anything at all: dry brushing does the job. But while it does seem to work well enough, there's no minty mouth feel (like we're all used to, of course) and might feel a little strange.

6. Brush with Pure Water

If dry brushing doesn't quite cut it for you, try brushing with pure water. This also works surprisingly well for clearing debris from the teeth, but you still don't get that minty mouth feel.

7. All Natural Soap

Yes, you can brush your teeth with soap. I've tried this one a few times, and while it does work, it also tastes pretty, well, soapy. Not exactly the experience I was looking for personally. But if you decide to try it, trying a natural soap like castile soap and then add peppermint oil for flavor.

8. Tooth Soap

For those who aren't keen on using actual soap in their mouths, there are quite a lot of brands of specially designed tooth soaps on the market. Just try to find one without additives.

9. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another great natural toothpaste alternative. Its antifungal and antibacterial properties come in handy for mouth cleaning. Coconut oil can be used alone and combined with other ingredients listed here (like baking soda and essential oils). For a great source of quality coconut oil, check out the marketplace!

10. Oral Irrigation (Waterpik)

Getting a Waterpik has been on my to-do list ever since I read Cure Tooth Decay by Rami Nagel. But I don't have one yet, so I can't speak from personal experience about using one. According to user reports, however, this little device can work some wonders cleaning teeth and gums. Some say the results are nothing short of miraculous. Rami Nagel suggests in his book that you use salt water for oral irrigation, which can enhance the benefits.

11. Essential Oils

These can be bought at a local health food store or from a reputable online store like iHerb.com. Check out this post for some great recipes for homemade tooth powder, mouthwash and more using essential oils.

You can also find an excellent essential oil formula for brushing here at Ora Wellness.

Sometimes I just use a drop or two of peppermint oil on my dampened toothbrush if I want a quick and easy way to get my mouth feeling clean and minty fresh.

12. Oil Pulling

Never heard of it? Here's a post that explains what oil pulling is and how to do it. Basically you swish about one tablespoon of oil (I use coconut oil) for several minutes. Then brush with plain water or use one of the methods listed above. Trust me, your teeth have never felt this clean!

Want to learn how to brush your teeth? Check out this post about the Bass brushing technique!

Need to source some of these natural ingredients? Check out the marketplace!

Do you have a favorite natural toothpaste alternative? Please share in the comment section below!

This post is part of Fight Back Friday and Real Food Wednesday.

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Join Me This Spring for a Gardening Adventure!

I have a confession to make: I'm not a very motivated gardener. I wasn't born with much of a green thumb, and to be honest I haven't done much to develop it. I mean, I've dabbled in gardening a wee bit. A handful of homegrown strawberries and tomatoes have made it to my kitchen table. But as for really growing our own food? That's always been something I'll do next year.

Well, this is the year I'm going to make the jump into organic gardening. And I'm not the only one. The Seeds of Change Organic Seed company just gave away over 100 million seeds (seriously--100 million!) to inspire home gardeners to grow their own, too.

I'm excited to announce that Seeds of Change has teamed up with Real Food Media bloggers. Ten of us received packets of organic seeds from Seeds of Change, and we're going to be blogging our way through our gardening experiences throughout this spring and summer!

Join Me This Spring for a Gardening Adventure!

Join me and other Real Food Media bloggers along with our readers this year as we share our gardening experiences on our blogs. We'll also be sharing photos of our beautiful vegetables, herbs and flowers on the Seeds of Change Facebook Page.

How to Participate

To participate in the garden challenge, please shop on the Gardening Supplies and Seeds section of my Resource page. Order your seeds and let’s get planting!

Then you can become a fan of Seeds of Change on Facebook. When you have photos of your garden, post them on their wall! Be sure to include a photo caption and a link to the Virtual Garden photo album here: http://bit.ly/seedsofchangevirtualgarden

Next you can follow Seeds of Change on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/seedsofchange (If you want to Tweet about the campaign and encourage your followers to join in the fun, remember to use the special hash tag #sowingmillions.)

Our Real Food Media blog posts will go out through these Seeds of Change social media channels, so you can keep up with what all the Real Food Media gardeners are doing, and even learn tips for container gardening or growing herbs in your kitchen!

And if you're a gardening rookie (like me!), this is the perfect time to start your own garden. Being a part of a real food gardening community is just what you need for motivation and helpful advice. This is a team effort, and together we can become home gardening pros (or at least green up those thumbs a little bit).

Please note: I wrote this post while participating in the Sowing Millions Project by Real Food Media on behalf of Seeds of Change. I received product and exclusive content to facilitate my post. My thoughts and opinions are my own and not those of Real Food Media or Seeds of Change.

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Green Cleaning Tips for the Holiday Season

Ah, it's that time of year again. A time for giving, a time for mistletoe... and for many of us, a time for opening up our homes to others, whether for a Christmas party or for relatives from out of state. And while that can spell fun for some of us, getting the house in order for guests can be overwhelming. The last thing I want to do before having family and friends over is to fill my house with toxic cleaning chemicals. Green cleaning has become (almost) second nature to me over the years, but I'm still finding new ways to tackle the mess without resorting to toxic cleaners or expensive "green" alternatives. Today's guest post offers a ton of helpful (and economical) ways to clean your house the natural way!

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Green Cleaning and Lifestyle Solutions for a Healthy Home

By Marie Stegner, Consumer Health Advocate for Maid Brigade, Mom of three healthy children, Chief Home Operator

Winter, and the holidays in particular, bring many of us indoors. As we gravitate inside, becoming knowledgeable about green cleaning practices and natural home products that will keep our loved ones safe and healthy is an important step towards enjoying the season’s special times.

Consider this: cleaning chemicals, air fresheners and disinfectants contain chemicals that are proving to cause health problems, including asthma and allergies, behavioral and developmental disorders, and damage to blood, organs and central nervous systems, according to recent medical research.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. One of the main contributors to poor indoor air quality is VOCs emitted from toxic chemicals in common cleaning products.

One way to create a healthier, more nourished home is to use natural, homemade cleaning solutions. This includes things like vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and borax that do a better job than chemical infused cleaning products and without the hazards to your family’s health.

Here are a few common home cleaning and maintenance tasks you can accomplish using natural ingredients and green approaches:

In the Kitchen

Baking soda and water: Clean counters by sprinkling with baking soda, then scrubbing with a damp cloth or sponge. If you have stains, knead the baking soda and water into a paste and let set for a while before you remove. This method also works great for stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, containers, refrigerators, oven tops and more.

Kosher salt and water: If you need a tougher abrasive, sprinkle on kosher salt and scrub with a wet cloth or sponge.

Natural disinfectant: To kill germs, mix 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. Spray on countertops and other kitchen surfaces.

Ovens: Oven cleaners are loaded with toxic ingredients, like ethers, ethylene glycol, lye (sodium and potassium hydroxide), methylene chloride and petroleum distillates. The products are harmful to skin and eyes, and the fumes are unhealthy. Use baking soda and water instead. Coat the inside of the oven with a paste made from water and baking soda. Let stand overnight. Wipe off grime with a moist cloth.

Sink Clogs: Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water. If the drain is still clogged, pour a 1/2 cup of vinegar and cover tightly, allowing the vigorous fizzing of the chemical reaction to occur. Flush with one gallon of boiling water.

Mopping: Why not clean your floors with the same type of mop being used by hospitals. Hospitals love microfiber mops because they clean well, get washed in between uses, and prevent cross contamination. By using a microfiber mop you can avoid using heavy, toxic cleaners since the microfiber does the work.

Silver Polish: Try using an old fashioned way to clean your silver. Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of your kitchen sink and fill it with 2-3” of boiling water. Add a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt. Place your silver in the sink so each piece of silver touches the foil. The tarnish will disappear off the silver and onto the foil. If you prefer to rub your silver with a paste, use toothpaste to make it sparkle.

Floors

Carpets:

Beat rugs. Take any removable rugs outside and beat the dust and hair out with a broom.
Club soda. Club soda works well on carpet stains if you attack the mess right away. Lift off any solids, pour on club soda and blot with a rag. The soda's carbonation brings the spill to the surface, and the salts in the soda thwart staining.
Cornmeal. For big spills, dump cornmeal on the mess, wait 5 to 15 minutes, and vacuum.
Spot cleaner. Mix 1/4 cup liquid soap or detergent in a blender, with 1/3 cup water. Mix until foamy. Spray on, and then rinse with vinegar.
Deodorize. Sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on the carpet, using about 1 cup per medium-sized room. Vacuum after 30 minutes.

Hardwood: Whip up a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar and 30 ounces of warm water. Put in a recycled spray bottle, and then spray on a cotton rag or towel until lightly damp. Mop.

Around the House

Dusting: Instead of using a typical dusting product, try using a light dusting spray made from 2 tea bags, lemon juice and three cups of water. Boil the water, add the tea bags and leave them in the water until it cools completely. Put the tea mixture in a spray bottle with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Lightly spray the mixture on a microfiber cloth and dust. Put your curtains in the dryer for a few minutes to remove dust and also kill dust mites. This is faster than trying to wash, dry and iron your curtains and they will look just as fresh and clean.

Windows: Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water. Spray, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels. Paper towels cause streaking. If you don't like the smell of vinegar, you can substitute undiluted lemon juice or club soda.

Laundry: Launder your tablecloths, napkins, and dish towels that you will be using for dinner in a homemade laundry soap using items like soap flakes, borax, washing soda or baking soda. You can find these items at your local grocery store. Your linens will be clean and fresh without any lingering fragrance from a detergent.

A Few More Tips

The safest way to disinfect involves no chemicals at all. Where available, dry steam vapor treatments, such as VapurClean® Advantage provided by Maid Brigade, penetrates deep within surface pores where germs hide and multiply and kills them on contact. Dry steam vapor is proven effective against MRSA, avian and swine flus, salmonella, e.Coli, staph and other infectious diseases.

Remember that when cleaning to eliminate germs, spraying and wiping isn’t enough—the disinfectant needs to remain on the surface being cleaned for up to 10 minutes to effectively kill lingering germs and bacteria.

Also, just because a product is “non-toxic” doesn’t mean it can’t harm your health. You can learn more about healthy cleaning products from the Household Products Database by visiting www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov.

When all else fails and you run out of time, green cleaning expert Maid Brigade cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning visit www.greencleancertified.com or www.maidbrigade.com. For more information on your home’s toxicity watch the Maid Brigade video: “Is Your Home Toxic?”

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Do you have any time tested green cleaning tips or formulas? I personally love vinegar water for cleaning practically everything. I add a few drops of lavendar or citrus essential oil to make the house smell fantastic without using chemical fragrances. If you have any green cleaning tips, please feel free to share in the comments below!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

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Pages

A New and Improved Whipped Coconut Oil Recipe

Key Lime Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter Recipe

10 Creative Ways to Use Lemon Juice

Whip It: The Secret to Moisturizing with Coconut Oil

Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter Recipe