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!

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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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21 Home Remedies for Migraines and Headaches

What is it with headaches? While I'm no martyr, I have a reasonable threshold for pain--except when it comes to headaches. That nagging pain just seems to pierce right through my defenses, and frankly turns me into one heck of a grouch. And don't even ask what I turn into when a bonafide migraine sets in. Trust me, you don't want to know.

I used to get headaches all the time. Between me and my husband, it wasn't uncommon for us to go through a bottle or two of ibuprofen in a given month. Fortunately, changing our diet and lifestyle has taken care of most of those pesky head pains. But the problem is, we still reach for the ibuprofen when we get hit with the occasional headache (even though we probably only go through a bottle once or twice a year now). I don't really like using medication if I don't have to, but where do I find an effective natural remedy for headaches and migraines?

It occurred to me last week that this question could probably be answered best by my fellow health renegades, so I asked my Facebook fans what they do when a headache strikes. I was overwhelmed by the response this question received, and even remembered a few tricks I have up my own sleeve, so I thought this topic was more than deserving of an official blog post:

21 Home Remedies for Migraines and Headaches

1. Peppermint oil. Rubbed on the forehead, temples or back of the neck, peppermint essential oil has a way of dissolving headaches into nothingness.

2. Willow bark. Known as the natural alternative to aspirin, willow bark is actually what aspirin was originally made from. It contains the pain-relieving compound salicin, and is one of the most common natural remedies for headaches.

3.  Take a nap. Ever notice how the world seems renewed after a nap? Sometimes just a simple power nap is enough for your body to reboot and squash your headache.

4. Eat something! Headaches are often a sign that you've gone too long without eating a balanced meal. In fact, my last headache is a good example: I'd gotten caught up in working and hadn't eaten in a while. Next thing you know, I had a raging headache pounding my brain. Needless to say, I couldn't work much after that. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure in this case! 

5. Acupuncture. This increases blood flow to tissues and is shown in studies to prevent migraines. 

6. Water. Headaches can be a sign of dehydration. Sometimes drinking a tall glass of pure water is enough to stop a headache in its tracks. Staying hydrated is also a good way to prevent headaches from occurring in the first place.

7. Massage. A good massage improves circulation and is obviously relaxing, and it might be just what you need to melt away that headache. In any case, we all need more excuses to get a massage!

8. See a chiropractor. Being out of alignment can definitely give you head pain. Many report that regular visits to the chiropractor is highly effective for relieving headaches and migraines. 

9. Feverfew. This herb has been used since ancient times to treat pain, including headaches. 

10. Hot showers. As with a massage, I'm always up for an excuse to take a hot shower. I always feel more relaxed and rejuvenated afterward, which goes a long way in relieving headache pain. 

11. Baltic amber necklace (milk and butter color). I don't know much about amber, but Health, Home and Happiness wrote an excellent post on it recently.

12. Acupressure. Not quite the same as acupuncture (no needles), one suggestion is to pinch the spot between your thumb and index finger. Gently increase pressure until there's a dull ache, then hold until your head pain subsides.

13. Magnesium. If you're deficient in magnesium, it could very well be the cause of your headaches and migraines. Correct the deficiency, end the migraines. And magnesium supplements can get rid of a headache that's already begun as well. Learn more about magnesium here.

14. Cold packs. Whether an ice pack or a cool washcloth, cold can definitely ease headache pain.

15. Yoga. The benefits of yoga include improved circulation, relaxation, healthy blood pressure, and heightened neurotransmitter levels. All of these combined make for a great headache remedy.

16. Cherries. Cherries contain the active compound Quercetin, which is a powerful antioxidant and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Users report that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice helps tremendously with headache pain.

17. Get outside. Let's face it: the air inside of our homes and other buildings isn't ideal. Fresh air is vitally important for health, as is getting adequate sunlight. A few minutes outdoors can be surprisingly refreshing, even enough to relieve your head pain.

18. DLPA. This supplement (a form of the amino acid phenylalanine), naturally increases dopamine levels, which can help ease pain of all kinds.

19. Salt loading. This one sounds interesting (haven't yet tried it myself), and has to do with detoxing bromide from the body. Read more about it here.

20. A cup of tea. Not only is a warm cup of tea relaxing, but a tea that uses herbs like peppermint or willow bark can also directly help reduce your headache pain. Green tea is also especially helpful, as it contains a small amount of caffeine, which some people find helps with headaches and migraines.

21. Eliminate the cause. This is more of a long term approach, but it's by far the most effective. Food additives like aspartame and MSG can cause migraine headaches. So can food allergies like gluten intolerance. Find out if your diet is causing your headaches, and you'll be on the road to real recovery.

Do you know of any more headache and migraine remedies? Do you have a story to share about overcoming chronic headaches? Please share in the comment section below!

Need a high quality source for some of the ingredients in this post? Check out my Resources page!

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

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