natural phenomena

laundry soap (liquid)

2011-03-28T14:57:00.001-05:00

Recipe I found here

1/2 cup liquid Castille soap
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
7 1/2 quarts hot water

optional:
3 tsp. essential oil

Mix in a large bucket ½ cup liquid Castille soap, ½ cup washing soda, ½ cup borax, 3 teaspoons of essential oil of lavender, and 7½ quarts of hot water. Still until the soda and borax are completely dissolved.

Pour the mixture into recycled detergent bottles and seal until needed.

Always shake well before using. You need only about ¼ cup of this liquid for one load of laundry.

About to make this and try it out! Soooo excited.

homemade toothpaste

2011-03-25T21:04:00.006-05:00

I made some toothpaste today for the first time, and I am quite pleased with it. After looking through tons of recipes online, I experimented and made my own version. Here is what I used:

baking soda

coconut oil

ground stevia

vitamin E oil

tea tree essential oil

spearmint essential oil

I did not measure any amounts, really just kept in mind all the information I had read online (and my personal knowledge of the ingredients). For anyone wanting to try making their own, just know that this will not taste like manufactured toothpaste. I used stevia to sweeten the flavor a bit, however the saltiness of the soda always wins! (Nor does it foam) I am very happy with the results, though I would like to make other essential oil combination for oral health properties. I just used what I had on hand.

Why I chose these ingredients:

baking soda- a mineral found in nature that cleans & whitens the teeth, and also neutralizes stains and odors. It is softer on enamel and can penetrate deeper into teeth crevices than silica-based toothpaste can. (Many manufactured toothpastes use silica as their whitener/cleaning agent.) Baking soda is completely non-toxic for humans, animals, and the earth.

coconut oil- an oil pressed out from matured coconut milk and kernel. It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. It is also naturally resistant to rancidity, lasting many years unrefrigerated. At room temperature coconut oil is fairly solid, but once heats up to the temperature of our body it melts into its liquid form. The coconut oil provides the toothpaste with its viscosity and moisture, making the toothpaste texture very comparable to manufactured toothpaste. Coconut oil is also completely non-toxic for humans, animals, and the earth.

stevia-a plant in the sunflower family. This plant has a very sweet flavor and is often used as a more natural/healthy substitute for sugar. It is scientifically proven not to cause tooth decay, and the compounds that give stevia its sweet flavor are heat stable, pH stable, and non-fermenting. Actually, the leaves of the stevia plant taste over 30 times sweeter than sucrose (common table sugar)! For the toothpaste, stevia helps combat the salty flavor of the baking soda without encouraging the growth of bacteria (as we all know like sugar breeds bacteria in our mouths).
***Another prime sweetening ingredient would be xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol extracted from fruits and vegetables. Not only is Xylitol also natural and nontoxic, it actually reduces the growth of bacteria. This would be my first preference as the sweetening agent, but I used what I had on hand.

vitamin E oil- found in many f
oods, such as wheat germ oil, sunflower, and safflower oils. Vitamin E oil can kill bacteria, can treat infections, and also acts as a natural preservative for the toothpaste. (As if the coconut oil doesn't preserve it enough!) It is also completely non-toxic for humans, animals, and the earth.

tea tree oil- is an essential oil found in the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia shrub. Tea Tree oil has antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. All these qualities make it a helpful addition to toothpaste to maintain a healthy mouth and freshen breath.
***Tea Tree oil should not be consumed, as it can be poisonous if swallowed in considerable amounts. It is, however, safe to use in toothpaste...and there are many "natural" oral care products manufactured with Tea Tree oil such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and mouth antiseptics. If you are making toothpaste that children will be using, or have a physical condition that makes it difficult to not swallow some toothpaste while brushing, I would highly recommend NOT using Tea Tree oil as an ingredient.
***Tea Tree oil is also great for skin health, and can be used for any sort of cosmetic purpose, skin abrasion, cold sores, wound care, etc... From my experience it does not burn when applied to cuts/wounds, promotes healing, and is extremely helpful in preventing scarring. It can be applied full strength (I use it full strength all the time with no skin sensitives) however it is always recommended to dilute pure essential oils with a carrier oil such as almond, coconut, jojoba, grape seed, olive, etc..

spearmint oil- I chose this oil mostly for flavoring, but it is a great oil to add if you have sensitive gums or gum disease due to its ant-inflammatory properties. It is also has antispasmodic properties, and could help alleviate jaw muscle pains and joint stress.

***for making your own toothpaste flavors/recipes, the essential oils (collectively) should be in about the same proportions as what I used. For the size batch I made, I used less than 30 drops of essential oils total. The coconut oil also functions as the carrier oil for these pure essential oils, making them safe to use topically without skin sensitivities/reactions. If you are wanting to experiment but concerned about using too much essential oil, search online for the recommended ratios specific to the essential oil you are using and the carrier oil (coconut oil).

Other essential oils to consider, with brief oral health benefits:

cardamom- disinfectant, antiseptic, antimicrobial, treats halitosis

clove- antiseptic, antiviral, anti-infectious, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory

cinnamon- antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-infectious, antifungal, strong oxygenator

eucalyptus- anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-infectious and antifungal

lemon- antiseptic and immunity booster
peppermint- anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and pain blocking properties

rosemary- antiseptic and anti-infectious

sandalwood-astringent and strengthens gums

neem- anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and antiseptic

***DO NOT use Neem oil if pregnant or attempting to conceived. Neem is an emmenagogue, meaning it stimulates pelvic and uterine blood flow. Emmenagogues can prevent and terminate pregnancies.

vetiver- antispasmodic and creates a warming sensation

diy painting canvas

2011-03-22T15:19:00.004-05:00

This is an instructional how-to powerpoint.
I made it as a part of my teaching preparation, so it is a bit...schoolish. Still, quite useful!

click here to watch

armpit talk

2011-03-22T14:09:00.002-05:00

female merit badge by Mary Yaeger

What a great first conversation ;)

I work at a vegan restaurant, and every time I wash dishes at work it gives me abundant time to contemplate. Over the past few years I have been slowly trying to introduce new things into my life that are more healthy, and cut out things that are unhealthy. I also have been participating in a local mutual aid collective...a kind of formal social group compromised of liberal, mostly young, artistic, eco-friendly minded people that work together as a community to help each other accomplish our goals. Since I have built friendships with some of the collective members, they have really got me thinking about what things in life I accept/subscribe to. The whole experience has been positively transformational.

Yeah, yeah, what about the armpits? A couple weeks ago, I decided to start making my own natural products...household cleaning, toiletries, etc..in an effort to minimize my interaction with harmful chemicals on a daily basis. I've tried many "natural" manufactured products before, but there are still unpronounceable chemicals in the ingredients list, they are extremely pricey, or ineffective. Especially deodorant! So, I have been experimenting with deodorant recipes and alternatives. While I was washing dishes, thinking about how to make my recipe better, I thought about how my homemade deodorant/alternatives would affect my skin in relation to shaving my pits. Nothing is worse than irritated sensitive skin when you have to shave.

And then I thought: the problem is the shaving, not the deodorant.

I then started thinking how when I was a little girl and my armpit hair started growing, my mother taught me how to shave my armpits. I have spent my entire life following this practice without questioning it usefulness to me. Also, and more intriguing, is the fact that there is a part of my body I have never had a relationship with. Shaving costs money, produces landfill waste, puts chemicals down our drains and into our drinking water, and is a nuisance on my body and my time. And, what are the downsides for me to not shave my pits? Generally socially unaccepted, and possibly the hair will retain more odor and/or bacteria. But, come on...men get along just fine without being "smelly" or being considered "unhygienic."

I know this is nothing new, but having these thoughts...and deciding to grow out my pip hair is such a satisfying experience. It was been a few days now, and the stubble is starting to turn soft. I can't wait...

the journey

2011-03-22T13:04:00.000-05:00

I have never kept a consistent journal of any sort. For me, I always felt as though the subjects I wrote spanned too broadly for any other individual's interest but my own (or were too juvenile). However, lately I have started to see my life inquiries and experiences merge in a coherent and matured way, and have decided to document at least a portion of them in a format that others may access. General topics that readers can expect to find in my blog:

Art, info & how-tos
trade/craft
health topics
herbal and natural healing
vegetarian/vegan
natural living/interfacing with nature
alternative thinking/living
various personal interest/academic topics