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greenliving Eco-Beauty


Homemade Shampoos, Lotions and Perfumes Make Great Gifts


by Kathleen Barnes


cial shampoos, but it gets hair much cleaner,” she advises.


Homemade beauty products are


a natural outlet for anyone that loves to cook or craft. Make a small batch—ex- periment with an array of essential oils to create a preferred scent to suit individual tastes, and add or subtract the amounts according to skin and hair types. “Take it a step further and make


pretty gift packages with glass bottles, jars or tins embellished with ribbons, personal artwork or anything else that taps into your creative juices,” says Cox. “Your friends and family will be espe- cially happy to receive and use them.”


Kathleen Barnes is the author of numerous natural health books and publisher at Take Charge Books. Con- nect at Kathleen@KathleenBarnes.com.


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any of us have grown disen- chanted with expensive, com- mercial beauty products that


include toxic and even cancer-causing ingredients. Fortunately, safe, natural and affordable alternatives—including homemade shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, bath salts, body scrubs and butters—are stocked at many natural grocers and health food stores. We all want to avoid phthalates, cetyl alcohol, triclosan, sodium laureth sulfate, parabens and many other poi- sonous chemicals commonly found in lotions, creams, scrubs, oils, perfumes and makeup products that may not be listed on labels. “You want to know what’s in your product,” says Janice Cox, of Medford, Oregon, the bestsell- ing author of Natural Beauty at Home and Eco-Beauty. “If you’re making your own, you’re in control.”


Cox remarks, “Ingredients are absorbed through the skin, our largest organ. It’s why some medicines like birth control, pain relief and nicotine patches are effectively applied external- ly; it’s also why toxic ingredients placed on our skin can be so harmful.” Her recommended solution is


simple: The kitchen cabinet harbors solutions to the dry and dull skin that plagues many this time of year, sham- poo residues that result in drab hair,


and less-than-glowing skin due to a suboptimal holiday diet. “Many products require only one


or two ingredients and take minimal time to make,” says Cox. “Plus, they cost only pennies. Who wouldn’t choose that over a $30-an-ounce mys- terious chemical soup?” Honey is a Cox favorite for sever- al reasons, including its antimicrobial effects: a dab on a blemish or insect bite can zap it overnight. “Honey has high potassium content, making it almost impossible for bacteria to survive in,” she explains. It’s also a good source of B vitamins thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid, plus minerals like iron, zinc and manganese. In this case, what’s absorbed through skin is literally nourishing our body’s entire system. Honey is also a powerful humec- tant, helping to prevent loss of moisture from skin and hair. Cox recommends dropping a tablespoon or two in a warm bath to soothe rough skin with- out stickiness, a conditioning mixture of honey and olive oil to produce silky hair and an apple-honey toner to facili- tate glowing skin.


She also recommends an easy shampoo that contains nothing more than natural soap (like Dr. Bronner’s), water and a little vegetable oil for dry hair. “It doesn’t foam up like commer-


natural awakenings November 2014 13 Simple Natural


Beauty Ingredients Here are a few favorite ingredients for home treatments:


n Honey is perfect for conditioning dry, damaged hair and rinses out easily.


n Sour cream makes a great facial mask for softening and cleansing a dull complexion.


n Green tea is packed with antioxi- dants and tones skin with no need to rinse off.


n Oatmeal can be used instead of soap to cleanse all skin types.


n Pineapple juice soothes tired feet and softens rough patches.


n Baking soda works head to toe as a hair rinse, facial scrub and bath soak.


n Olive oil in a nail soak keeps nails clean, flexible and strong.


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