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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI’d love to hear about people’s favorite natural bath and body products, both packaged and homemade.
For the past couple of months, I’ve been gradually switching out natural skin and hair products for the un-natural versions I run out of. This was working fine, but suddenly my skin has gotten incredibly sensitive to anything chemical, which has given me a push to expedite the process. I know some people go without these products altogether, but I have to admit that I still love the ritual. So I am eager for recommendations!
My favorite “product”: Whenever I cut pineapple, I rub a few slices over my face, arms, and any other areas that are dull or flaky. I leave it on for a while (sometimes I forget about it) and then rinse off with a washcloth. It leaves my skin super-soft and refreshed. It has also completely gotten rid of the tiny little bumps that used to plague my arms. Note: this might be too much for those with sensitive skin (mine is sensitive to harsh chemicals, but is not sensitive in general).
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soignee shampoo and conditioner. they smell great and leave my hair soft and healthy.
bee yummy skin food, from www.live-live.com as a skin cream. it is great. and also smells incredible.
jubb’s coconut rose msm lotion. again, it smells incredible and works really well.
Using these products makes me feel nourished in a way that eating comfort foods used to. i love that.
check out Raw Gaia- the only all organic all raw line I’ve seen- its made in the Uk. www.rawgaia.com- the toner and moisturizer are my favs. For hair- hands down- Morrocco Method!! Hair styling- Max Green Alchemy. Also check out bewellstaywell.com for more products.
I love Lush products lush.com They have vegan, handmade skin, body and haircare products. They have a great henna!! I love Pureology shampoo and conditioner. Like you, I rub fruit skins on my skin. I usually take the inside of orange or grapefruit peels and rub it all over until I hop in the shower. Weleda deoderant is wonderful, especially the Sage fragrance. I use apple cider vinegar as a toner which minimizes my pores and gives me a glow. If I think of more, I’ll post them…
I use practically nothing!
I don’t shampoo or condition my hair any more – just water only washing (I use a very diluted vinegar rinse every once and a while)
I don’t use soap on my body.
I only use a pink Himalayan salt bar on my skin sometimes (under arms mostly)
I use coconut oil on my skin for any moisturizing but normally don’t need it and MSM lotion (from the sunfood site) on my face for acne scars (it works too!)
That is it! I save so much money not using shampoo and conditioner and my hair is doing great! :) No more expensive lotions that don’t work – my skin is so much better not using soap and the coconut oil works nicely if it need it!
My philosophy is to not use anything on me I wouldn’t eat ( the only exception would be the MSM lotion right now!)
I agree with Queenfluff!
Thanks everyone! These are awesome suggestions, and I look forward to trying out your favorites!
Queenfluff and mham, I do eventually aspire to giving up some of my routine, but skin products have always been something I really enjoy, so it make take me a while. :)
Ahhh, like queenfluff, I believe in using all natural “products” or my body. However, as I am transitioning and trying to figure out what works best for me… it seems like I use quite a bit.
Baking soda/ apple cider vinegar for my hair (slowly transitioning to water only)
Olive or coconut oil to moisturize and clean my face (using the oil cleansing method)
A natural 100% olive oil soap from Kiss My Face that I want to use up. It’s wonderful, but I am trying to go water only with my body as well.
As a deoderant I am also using baking soda, until I find something more natural.
What I’ve found really hard is getting off the notion that I need to spend and spend on shiny new products. I have been brainwashed!!
I have a really hard time giving up skin/hair/body products. So instead of giving them up I try to use very natural products most of the time, that are also good for me.
My favorites are:
I use coconut oil for my body moisturizer instead of lotions. I apply this to my face every night before bed. My skin feels baby soft in the morning and I’ve noticed my pores on my nose look a lot smaller.
I use “Keeping Abreast of It” deodorant from Simply Divine Botanicals http://www.simplydivinebotanicals.com/ I still sweat (which I want because sweating is healthy and natural) but I have yet to get B.O. since using this product! Plus, it is supposed to help promote lymphatic drainage. I love, love, love this product! The owner also opened the first raw restaurant in Las Vegas, I believe the Go Raw Cafe. www.gorawcafe.com (which also sells a lot of great products on their website). I’ve tried a few other things from Simply Divine Botanicals and all of the products are nice. The “Amazing Face” facial moisturizer is great.
jenny
There really is no “transitional” period from one shampoo to another shampoo. Shampoo is shampoo. They all strip the natural oils from your hair. I used to use Aubrey Organics too. They only seem to work when I first switch to them and than my hair got dull. They use alot of shea butter in their moisturizing products which was too heavy for my hair. The unmoisturizing products didn’t moisturize enough so my hair was dry and dull – I couldn’t win! I tried many of the shampoos and conditioners and none really made my hair look good for an extended period of time.
A good natural deordant is a spray salt one. Almost all natural foods stores have it – it comes in a blue and clear bottle.
Argh—-queenfluff, that’s kind of what I was afraid of. I’m definitely experiencing the whole too heavy/not moisturizing enough issue. It’s really frustrating because my hair was looking great being washed every 3-4 days or so with the harsh stuff and with the Aubrey it feels pretty gross after just one day. :( I was hoping to help my hair, not get into a situation where I needed to wash it more!
I’m definitely very inspired by your shampoo thread, and I think I’m going to try going without anything on my next vacation. But maybe an ACV rinse will help me out in the meantime? I haven’t tried that yet.
Another good option for deodorant is essential oils. There are many that have anti-bacterial properties but I’ve used lavendar the most. Apply straight or put diluted into a spray bottle.
queenfluff, are you talking about those deodorant stones?
Hi jenny -
One of the things you can do is to just REALLY dilute your shampoo and do slowly increase the days in between shampoos. So, if you use the Aubrey dilute it with alot of water. Everyone is so used to using shampoo straight (I was – ) because they wanted lots of suds. Well, unless someone dumped mud on your head, your hair doesn’t really get all that dirty in one day which is why just rinsing with water is good enough. So, maybe start increasing the days in between shampoos and use less. Lots of people do this and than one day realize it has been like two weeks since they shamppoed last! On the days you don’t shampoo just rinse with water and maybe use a light conditioner if you feel you need too.
One thing you might want to check on too is to see if you live in an area with hard water. I have been doing some research on this and found out that the areas I have lived in all my life have VERY hard water. This might explain why that even though I haven’t shampooed my hair in over 3 months that my hair is still so dry. Hard water also caused dull hair too. I use a filter but I am now thinking about investing in a water softener just for my shower (of course I might be moving to Cali soon – waters not as hard out there!) But that is something to consider.
The ACV rinse can be drying too. Be careful not to use it too much. It will probably be very useful when you first stop shampooing because the first week is when you get the most oil. Some people are very happy using the Baking Soda/ACV rinse combo – maybe you might want to try that. Sea salt water is also good at getting the oilies out. Coconut oil good for moisturizing.
Avo Cado -
It does come in “stone” variety but the one I have also comes in spray! I like the spray better. Right now I am using up a bunch of deodorants I have so I have the spray and stone. I think I might try making my own after this with just sea salt and warm water. I mean, it is basically what is in the spray. It works OK for me. Here is the one I have. Only my bottle doesn’t say it has Potassium Alum in it?
http://www.taoofherbs.com/products/2658/Natural…
Qeenfluff, thanks, these are great suggestions. It never occurred to me to dilute my shampoo! I’m definitely someone who uses a big handful, so I’ll start backing off that now.
Kauaigirl, I love lavender, so I will give it a try!
Hey guys, I’m very curious about making my own deoderant. The commercial stuff gave me eczema and using baking soda burns a bit. I’m sure I could dilute it, but that’s too much work :p Do you guys think that sea salt and water would be a milder deoderant than baking soda/water??
kauaigirl- does using essential oils come out pricey? This is another really great idea I’d never taken into consideration.
odalys
Mix some corn starch in with the baking soda and it won’t burn anymore. I used to use baking soda/corn starch mix. Baking soda alone started burning my skin after a few days but once I mixed the corn starch in their it was fine.
I only stopped using it because I was sick of wiping up baking soda off the floor. :) I should have gotten a powder puff and applied it with that.
does anyone have a problem with bees following them around when wearing coconut oil?
thanks queenfluff! I hadn’t thought of mixing the baking soda with cornstarch. I imagine it would soak up some of the sweat too. Great!!
blujett8 – lol, I haven’t had any bees following me around personally.
Blujett—You know, I had kind of noticed more bees around me lately, but I hadn’t made the connection. Maybe that is it!
And wow, I just had to post because I finally used papaya as a mask. I feel kind of late to the party on this one, but I don’t generally have papaya around because it isn’t one of my favorite fruits. It really is completely amazing as a skin treatment! It doesn’t sting like pineapple sometimes does, and my skin felt like velvet afterwards. I was totally impressed. Even if the taste doesn’t grow on me, I may start buying small ones just for my skin.
Hey all… these are all really good tips.
I have one question: How do you all deal with your menstrual cycles? Are you using disposable products?
I’ve ordered some new washable pads and a sort of cup that you insert that collects the blood and you just rinse it off and re-insert it.
www.lunapads.com
Saves the environment and is good for your body!
thanks marienord, I’m going to look into that. As for my beauty regimen..wheatgrass juice! After juicing it in my omega juicer, I take the pulp and soak up the juice and apply it all over my face, neck and chest until I’m completely green. I leave it on until it dries (about 5 min) and then wash off well with cool water. My skin glows after and is so soft! At first, it will draw out toxins and make you break out but that’s short lived. Of course, this is all dependant on growing your own grass. I get the seeds from wheatgrasskits.com and reuse those plastic containers that produce, like baby romas and baby spinach come in to grow it in. Other than that, raw coconut oil has replaced Frizzease in my toiletries. Oh and toms of maine’s ginger toothpaste is really nice.
Marienord, I have a cup like that, only it is called “mooncup”. There are different brands making it I guess, but I think they look basically the same. It’s really great, I feel very clean when using it. Tampons have never been a favourite of mine, and it isn’t all that good eigther – drying you up, but the mooncup doesn’t do that. Only thing is that you should insert it once you get your period. If you use pads or whatever for the first hours/day and then insert the cup, it may seem like it’s leaking. It’s not, I’ve figured it’s the blood that are below the cup when you insert it that’s “leaking”.
As for my toiletries, I don’t use shampoo (I think I’ve gone like 25 days or something now), but do a bakingsoda/acv rinse every now and then (twice so far). I use an eco bodywash and scrubbing gloves. I use olive oil or other oils as a moisteurizer on my face/body, and as for the antiperspirant I’m trying to quit it. I’ve been without for months before, but got tired of having to wash my clothes after just a few hours use. Now I’m switching on using an organic deodorant, and a mild non-scented anti-perspirant. I’ve tried the “stone crystal” thing before, but didn’t really feel like it did much difference from not using anything. I have to mention that I am not raw, and I’ve heard that when you go 100% raw you eventually won’t need any anti-perspirant or deodorant.
Do any of you know about any european online store selling the “keeping abreast of it” deodorant? Ordering it from the simply divine botanicals homepage will cost me more than $60 just in postage :-O
I’ll add a little bit about the menustral cycle thingy. I tried the “The Keeper” – the original hard brown rubber version. I was a pain to put in and it seemed to be too big and it definately hurt to get out! I didn’t like it so I quit using it and went back to organic cotton tampons.
Since then there are lots of other choices. Here at this site a woman who owns all the different cups does a comparsion of them. I am thinking I want to try doing this again and after reading her comparison I want the Mooncup UK.
http://sew-in-love.com/menstrual-cups.html
Queenfluff, that is an awesome site! It makes them much more appealing to me. I’ve steered clear of the cups so far because they looked quite similar to diaphragms, and having had chronic UTIs my entire life, I had horrible problems with diaphragms causing infections. (I get UTIs much less frequently on raw, but I do still get them more often than most, so I hate to risk it.) I also have really miserable periods, with extremely heavy bleeding (again, better on raw, but still pretty bad), so I hate to add anything to my routine that might make me more uncomfortable.
I’d be very interested if anyone has experience using the menstrual cups with a very heavy flow or a propensity for UTIs!
I love my peppermint Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap.
As far as menustral cycles are concerned, I use a diva cup which is also a menustral cup. I love it. It takes a month or two to get used to but… after that, you reliaze all the benifits! You save money and the environment at the same time! You just insert it in the morning and empty it at the end of the day (perhaps with one afternoon emptying – depending on your flow). I suppose you can sleep with it too. You just need to change it once or twice a day and rinse it with water – that’s it! It’s a lot less of a hassle than pads or tampons. At night, I sleep with old flannel shirts inbetween my legs during my cycle. I love it. It’s so soft, comfy and again it’s saving money and environment too!
It’s true. I’ve been 100% raw for 4 months (except for one slip), and I no longer need to wear deoderant. I use Weleda deoderant sometimes simply because the aroma is so incredible. However, if I eat non-raw foods or animal products, my body odor begins to smell bad again.
This is so fascinating! I have been using natural products for a while now. And I am just beginning my journey with raw. I would have never thought about never having to use shampoo or deoderant. I use deoderant with a cotton right now, just because I sweat so much – it’s not natural though. Reading all of this is so amazing to me, and just inspires me.
So, I was wondering, do any of you use makeups. I have worn makeup so long, like someone else said I’m brainwashed. I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin, I have mixed, oily skin, and I’ve always had darker circles under my eyes. After being on a raw diet for a while, does your skin on your face change? Do you wear anything?
Lapetitemort, my skin has gotten much better on raw (smoother, clearer, etc.), but I still wear makeup to work. I think it’s a combination of brainwashing and also just simple vanity on my part.
I’ve gotten so I don’t wear it when I’m off work or out running errands or goofing off, but my work environment is very formal and conservative, and there’s just something that makes me feel kind of naked about being really dressed up with no makeup on. I am working on that, though!
One thing I have been able to do is to switch to a very light tinted moisturizer from a much heavier foundation. I think that is helping me with the whole “getting comfortable in my own skin” thing. You can still see my freckles and any blemishes I have through it, for instance, so it’s helping me to come to terms with my skin a little better. I don’t feel the need to look “flawless” anymore, but the whole “accepting my skin completely as it is” thing is taking me a little longer to get to.
I haven’t switched to a natural makeup yet, though. I just haven’t been able to find one that even vaguely compares to the products I use now. But I know the sooner I can make this change, the better!