My Laundry Secret - Green Series

I have always planned on making my own laundry detergent... but have found a much better alternative!

"Soap nuts are dried fruit berries that fall from the soapberry tree (Sapindus Mukorossi) found in Northern India and Nepal. Their outer shells contain saponin, which creates a natural soap when agitated in water - use them in place of traditional detergents and fabric softeners. They effectively clean, soften and remove odors from your laundry - naturally! They have been used for centuries as a natural way to clean laundry and much more!"


I know terrible video... but covers all the facts. ;)

If you keep an eye on any of the steal websites... you can get these for really cheap. (Like 20 cents a load!)
http://www.greenbabybargains.com/  is where I got mine from Yoreganics - for 50%, which turns out to be under 20 cents a load! I have heard that you can also purchase them on the Shopping Channel for under 10 cents a load!

1 kg bag would replace 9-32 load plastic bottles of detergent! If your still not convinced Read This:

The Benefits of Soap Nuts

If you're not yet convinced of their benefits or how to use soap nuts, the following information should answer some of your questions:

• Sustainable: It's a renewable resource, easily grown organically.
• All Natural: No funky or harmful ingredients.
• "Green": Less processing, less energy and less packaging.
• Affordable: They can replace multiple cleaners, and last longer.
• Reusable: Each berry can be used up to 6 times before it's spent.
• Hypoallergenic: No skin or respiratory irritation and non-toxic.
• Not Actually Nuts: They're totally safe for those with nut allergies.
• Simple: Throw them in your wash or make a simple liquid detergent.
• Odorless: But you can always add your own essential oils.
• Gentle: Their mild nature won't damage delicate clothing or surfaces.
• No Fabric Softener: They naturally soften your fabrics!
• Save Water: They rinse easier so require less water.
• Save Energy: You can use a shorter rinse cycle in your laundry, too.
• Front-loading Friendly: No suds are perfect for HE machines.
• Works in Any Temperature: Use them in cold, warm or hot water.
• Non-polluting: 100% biodegradable and safe for graywater systems.
• Compostable: Used shells can be thrown in your compost.
• Self-sufficient: You can even grow a soap nut tree yourself!
• Countless Uses: Look below for a few ideas on how to use soap nuts in your own home.

Green Series - Fluoride free natural toothpaste...

Remember my post on fluoridated toothpaste? Here.

Well I have a remedy for you! We have been testing a few natural toothpaste recipes and found Crunchy Betty to have the best one. If you are a Greeny - you may want to check out her blog - it's full of many great tips!

The ingredients required are the following:

- Coconut Oil 3 TBSP
- Baking Soda 3 TBSP
- Peppermint Essential Oil 30 drops

- Stevia 1 packet

- Vegetable Glycerin (optional) 2 tsp

For those who are not familiar with some of these ingredients... Coconut oil can now be found everywhere! I have even heard that Walmart in the US sells it! It is a fantastic oil to cook with, is great for your skin etc... (It really deserves a post of it's own!) Essential Oils should be found in the "natural" or organic section of your grocery store. If not, you can find them in natural health food stores. Stevia is natural sweeter - it is a herb, so it's healthy and safe. It can be found anywhere - check the baking isle. Vegetable Glycerin can also be found in your natural health food store.

Basically, you are going to mash the oil and the soda together like this.

Then add the remaining ingredients and mash until well blended. Initially, we first used spearmint - big mistake. It was not very good! Then we managed to locate some peppermint and made the next batch with it. So much better! In fact, I always catch my son in the jar... actually eating it! Gross - but I must say, his breath is always minty fresh! Ha!

You can put this in a baby jar like I did and then just dip your brush in... or, if you have a clean soap dispenser etc... you can use that as well. Just squirt it on your brush.

We now double this recipe, and as a family of four it lasts us about one month. It does a fantastic job at not only cleaning our teeth, but keeping our smiles white and minty fresh!

Go ahead - give it a try!

No "Poo" Shampoo - Green Series

Finally, I have time to start the Green Series that I've been saying I would get to weeks ago.
Yesterday the kids and I made a couple batches of shampoo and some toothpaste. We will start with the Shampoo.

Why would you want to make your own shampoo?

Better for my hair - I don't know about you, but my hair gets disgusting after using one type of shampoo for too long. I always buy those bottles (of the good stuff) from the salon, and by the end of the bottle my hair is always greasy and weighed down. I don't use conditioner because this problem has gotten so bad. It typically clears up once I switch brands or types, but then the problem starts all over after a couple months.

All shampoos strip the sebum from your hair. Sebum is natural oils that are good for your hair and protects the hair shaft. Because a shampoo strips the sebum, ingredients are added to replace them. Silicones like dimethicone are added to coat the shaft of your hair. When your sebum is stripped, it tells your hair to make more - thereby creating more grease than necessary... while the silicones slowly build up on your hair, weighing it down.

Because it's healthier! Have a look at the ingredients in your shampoo. All those words that you can't pronounce are chemicals, and some are toxic. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, so when you apply shampoo to your scalp, your pores just soak all those nasty chemicals in to your body. Here are some chemicals to avoid:


Common Ingredients

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate
TEA Lauryl Sulfate
Sulfur (in dandruff shampoos)
Selenium Sulfide (in dandruff shampoos)

Less common ingredients
Magnesium Sulfate
Sodium Thiosulfate
Sodium C14-16
Olefin Sulfonate
Alkyl Sodium Sulfate
Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
TEA-Dodecylbenzene
Sodium C12-15 Alkyl Sulfate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate

Some of these ingredients not only cause allergic reactions, cancer, nerve damage, hairloss etc. (the list goes on...), but they are also very bad for marine life and the environment. Which brings me to the next reason:

It is better for the environment! The chemicals that go down your drain do end up in the rivers, lakes and oceans. By making your own shampoo, you are using less plastic and just less consumption all around...

What can you expect from using no "poo" shampoo?

Your hair is going to go through a detox period for a couple weeks. It may get greasier as it adjusts back to "normal". After this breaking in period, you can expect that your hair will become:

• shinier
• have more body
• less frizzy
• less greasy!

And your pocket book will be heavier!

Ready to learn how?? It is so easy... you won't believe it!

First, get your ingredients.

Baking Soda

Apple Cider Vinegar
Water

Essential Oils/cinnamon stick (optional)

Empty shampoo bottle

Mix one cup of hot water to 1 tbsp of baking soda.
That is it for the shampoo! Of course, if you like, you can add an essential oil or a cinnamon stick to give it a nice smell. I used cinnamon the first time, and this last time I added a bit of lemon juice and citrus oil to help combat with the grease... and it smells fresh!

For your conditioner, you are going to mix 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water. I also add a couple drops of essential oil, just for a nice smell. You don't need to though. Don't worry, you won't smell like vinegar.

To use it, you shake the shampoo and add it to your dry hair (I've done it on wet hair, and it worked fine too). Squirt it all around your scalp and rub it in. This is not going to feel right at all! No suds, no lather... but trust me, it's working! After a good scalp massage, rinse it out with water. Your hair will feel amazingly squeaky clean! You will be surprised!

To condition - rinse just the ends of your hair with your vinegar solution -if you are prone to greasy hair. If you have dry hair, go ahead and rinse your whole head. Rinse with water and your done!

I was so happy with the results the very first time! I took this picture right after my hair dried. It was the first time in a long time that my hair was light and shiny.

I just love this discovery! Not only is it working so much better for my hair, but I am saving a lot of money not buying those expensive organic shampoos in addition to keeping my family healthy! I really encourage you to try it! Let me know how it works out for you!

*EDIT - May/2011 - I have recently died my hair darker and have discovered that the baking soda will strip the color! (Yes, my roots were getting lighter! - lol) So, I have had to switch back to an organic poo until I go au natural again.