A review on Zum Face Wash

Don't waste your money! Unfortunately, this face wash is not everything I had hoped it would be. It is incredibly thin, which makes it very hard to spread on your face. To get it on your face you kind of have to pump it into your hand, close your eyes, and attempt to slap it on your face before the wash slips through your fingers. In doing this, I managed to get it into my eyes (and with ingredients like lemon, it was a nightmare). That day marked my last day of use. Other than the poor texture quality, it dried out my face like craaazy. Overall, this one is a no go in my book.

What I will be making next... Hair wash!

CLICK HERE to view where I got the recipe, and detailed descriptions about why they recommend staying away from traditional shampoos. She also explains why you should use these ingredients, and answers questions about why it may not be working for you right away.

Here are the basic ingredients/instructions :


Use one tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of warm or hot water. You can double or triple the recipe if you have very, very long or thick hair. But do not use more baking soda, your hair will become hard, dry or feel brittle if you use too much. You can put this mix in a recycled shampoo bottle, and apply to your hair with warm water.

The mix should not feel gritty, and should be a liquid. If you have very short or thick hair, you may find it easier to make a paste with a tablespoon of baking soda (or less) and sprinkle it over very wet hair and massage in. Otherwise, spray or pour the mixture onto your hair and work it in. Let it sit about a minute, and then rinse. I personally find it easiest to make a liquidy paste in the palm of my hand with about half a tablespoon, and then sprinkle and massage into dripping wet hair. I have very short hair, so I use less. Experiment and see what works best for you, there are no official rules.


For a typical rinse, make up a solution of one to two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) per cup of water. Apply to wet hair, massage into scalp and rinse off with cold water. Please note, you don't always have to apply a rinse with every wash! I personally find I only need to do a rinse every 2-3 washes.




From what I gather, this is a two-part wash. I am not sure if you are supposed to use it as a substitute for shampoo AND conditioner, or just shampoo? If anyone has any insight on this before I make and use this product (starting 3/1/11) please let me know! Thanks!

First thoughts on making Deodorant

Made deodorant on right and left. Please note: I do make an attempt to not "pretty up" the products I make, or pictures I take. I want it to be portrayed as "real" as possible. I could have spent more time perfectly arching my mounds of deodorant but that would not have been realistic to how I normally make things (the quickest and easiest way!)

Parts and Price:
(All Purchased at Whole Foods)
1 container Baking Soda= I already owned, but let's call it $2.00
1 jar Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil= caught a brand on sale for $5.99
Organic Cornstarch= $2.69
Organic Tea Tree Oil= $5.99
2 Deodorant conatiners= $0.00 we had a couple of old ones laying around.
Total Cost: approx $17.00 for all ingredients. 

*One batch easily made 2 deodorant sticks. Also, this recipe did not make a dent in any of the ingredients. Once purchased, all could be used again MANY more times (or for multiple other uses).*

The Process:
Very easy to make. No boiling, no blending, just mix up the ingredients, pack them in an empty deodorant container and you're done! The one thing I learned quickly while making this was: DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS TO MIX OR PAT. The coconut oil immediately turns to liquid upon contact with the warmth of your skin. As I started mixing with my hands, I noticed that were instantly coated in all of the ingredients, and little remained in the bowl. Use a spoon! Also, I was a bit dismayed that mine never turned into a paste. The instructions call for 2+ tablespoons of coconut oil until pasty, and I ended up using about 4-5 tablespoons before I realized mine just wasn't going to change in texture. I wondered if I had put the coconut oil in a heat bath (not actually touching the hot water, but setting in a glass bowl in the bath), if it would have mixed better with the other 3 ingredients? That being said, I decided to see how my sticky powder held up being put into the deodorant container. Again, I would recommended using a spoon to scoop and pack it in there. Surprisingly, it packed quite well, sticking and holding together nicely. It looked exactly like something you would buy at the store.

Complaints:
How hard the coconut oil was to mix in. Also, you would have to pack this deodorant in a cooler if you were planning on taking it with you while traveling (to prevent melting). Lastly, if you don't own any of the ingredients initially, $17 makes for 2 expensive deodorants.

Compliments:
This is a recipe you have to look at more as an investment. If you decide to continue making deodorant with these ingredients, you will clearly end up saving money, specifically by your third batch. (assuming you are buying 2 deodorants at $3 each). You could easily half the recipe if you are only looking to make 1 deodorant at a time. Finally, no aluminum, or hard to pronounce ingredients in this deodorant!

Performance:
No comments yet, as the instructions advise you let it set 1-2 days before use (I am going to be chomping at the bit to try it!) I will take this time though to talk about my first experience with coconut oil. It TOTALLY won me over while making this. Yes, it was a bugger to try and mix in with the other ingredients, but it feels so stinkin luxurious on your skin. I have attempted using a few different oil on my dry skin (and I do mean dry) but I always have a hard time getting them to spread. Coconut oil spreads wonderfully. Depending how much you apply, it can initially feel almost greasy immediately after application. Literally within seconds, however, it dissolves nicely into your skin leaving it baby soft and smooth. I also thought it was cool how it transformed from a solid to liquid. It makes it incredibly easy and nice to rub in.

I got so excited I chased my family members down looking for any visible dry spots. "OK, we get it" my Husband said after being covered without warning in the oil (you have to apply it quickly once in your hand because of the melting). "C'mon, just let me try it on your knuckles or something" I protested. "You could rub it into my feet?" he kindly suggested, at which point I lost interest. I did rub it into my own feet though, then pulled my socks back on to create some insulation. "If this works," I declared to an uninterested audience, "I will never use anything else." Not all of my audience was disinterested, I sat on the couch with my legs bent in a frog-like position attempting to keep my dog from licking my feet as I applied. It was one of those "what would someone think if they walked in now?" moments. I am hoping I am equally as pleased with the deodorant!

Displaying the difference in coconut oil's texture when cool (on spoon) and warm (on finger)

Final Reviews on All Purpose Cleaner

Picture from Zombie Lace

CLICK HERE to see my review on price, products, and process while making the all purpose cleaner.

My final thoughts:
Cons- The vinegar. Granted, I am pregnant, so almost every smell is overpowering to my bloodhound schnoz... taking that into account, the vinegar smell bothered me. I barely noticed it when "spot cleaning" (using little sprays here and there to wipe up a mess) but when I did some heavy duty cleaning with it Friday (testing it on every surface to see just how "all purpose" it was) I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I should throw on an Easter Sunday appropriate dress to finish scrubbing down the shower. Other than the vinegar smell, I noticed that the cleaner left a film on some surfaces (i.e. glass and wood). It is very necessary to clean with circular motions while using this cleaner on most surfaces, mostly because you have to really rub it in to prevent streaking.

Pros- The first thing I have to brag on with this cleaner is that it really works! It got put to the test in my home almost immediately. My 18 month old had a pen explode in her hand and in an attempt to get clean, wiped her hands all over the bathroom. From the toilet, to the cabinets, to the walls, and door our bathroom looked like that blueberry chick from Willy Wonka exploded. I knew I would have to act fast, so I grabbed the first thing I could reach (which happened to be my little homemade cleaner) and put it to the test. It IMMEDIATELY got the pen out of the vanity, cabinet doors (faux wood), door, and toilet. It also easily pulled the ink out of the tile floor. The only place it did not work instantly was the door frame. I was immediately sold. I then fell in love all over again as I stopped mid-scrub to see that my project manager (the aforementioned 18 month old) had picked the cleaner up while my back was turned and stuck it in her mouth. I went to grab it out of her mouth, but I didn't have to, apparently the taste of vinegar works even quicker than Mommy. My first thought was "wow, what if that had been bleach or some other chemical cleaner?" I am in NO WAY condoning giving your child this cleaner as a lollipop, but I was instantly reminded how important it is to rid my house of chemicals and toxins. As I am learning, there really is no need for them. While the cleaner worked wonderfully in my kitchen, I still reverted to my Lysol wipes for areas that were near or touched by raw meat. I wasn't sure of the disinfectant powers that this cleaner had. Upon further research, I found these articles (CLICK HERE and HERE to read) which gave me a little more clarity. Anyone who has further information on this fact, please share!

Overall- I would recommend this cleaner. I think recommending it as an "all purpose/surface" cleaner may be stretching it's capabilities a bit, but I think "most purposes/surfaces" cleaner would be an accurate description. It is ridiculously cheap, ridiculously easy to make, and mostly effective... what more is there to say?!? It's a great cleaner to have on hand and feel safe about. You can clean highchair trays, plastic toys, counter-tops, most bathroom fixtures, and most "non-wood" and "non-glass" surfaces spectacularly. Plus, I get the feeling it's going to last forever. 1-10 this product gets an 8.5 from me.

*Have you made/used this cleaner? Will you? Do you have a cleaner you have made and love, or do you remember one your parent or grandparent used to use? Please share! Comment below or e-mail me at  naturallynourishing@gmail.com. "Subscribe via e-mail" to receive updates whenever a new product is made. Thanks!!*

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts.  It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all. 

-William Temple

*Thoughts on this quote, other quotes, or other posts? Always feel free to comment below or e-mail me at naturallynourishing@gmail.com. Subscrie via e-mail to receive updates when new posts are added!! Have a friend who would like this post or similiar posts? Click an icon below (e-mail, twitter, facebook, etc.) and share!!*

What I will REALLY be making 2/15 DEODORANT!!

CLICK HERE to see the blog (with ingredients and instructions) that I got this recipe from.

If anyone ends up making the lip balm, please let me know!! I would be interested to hear how it turned out.

A snag in the plan... (No lip balm for Lucy)

Image from: Marie Claire

Well, unfortunately, I will not be making lip balm. I went to Whole Foods, eager to swoop up my ingredients, when I realized they carried close to none of them. I decided to go with plan B (making the body lotion I was going to make March 1st). As I started grabbing those ingredients, it became apparent that I would not be making that either. Whole Foods does not carry bees wax, which was an essential ingredient in all of my lotion recipes. Struggling to think of what to make next, I vaguely remembered reading a blog about making deodorant. I pulled up the recipe in the middle of the aisle (thank goodness for smart phones!) and found that all 4 of the ingredients were either in my cupboard at home, or a couple aisles over.

Feeling relieved (especially since this recipe is waaay easier than the lip balm) I decided that I had some extra time to browse and dream. Whole Foods has the same effect on me that a craft store does. Almost every aisle I go down sparks a desire in me to create and explore. Each essential oil I smell takes me on a journey to a different place. From lavender making me want to curl up in a candlelit room and quit taking life so seriously, to spearmint and lemon making me want to try something new and fresh. Needless to say, I probably look like a freak to any potential onlookers. To emphasize the point (of my freaky/creepiness) let me give you a little back story on my appearance tonight...

I was already not feeling up to the task of heading out to the store. The cold air + snow + "all day" sickness that has accompanied me for the past 3 months of this pregnancy have left me with little to no motivation for anything. I gave myself a little pep talk and decided that I would go, but only if I could go "as is." "As is" meaning; not a lick of make-up, uncombed hair, and stretch pants. These are special stretch pants, so old and worn that the drawstring that once pulled them tightly to my body is now missing, creating an awkward quality that is the antithesis of everything attractive. I warn my Husband against lovingly patting me on the hind-side in these pants, for fear his hand may drown in the material.

So with this picture of beauty painted, you may be surprised to hear that I was waltzing around the place like the Bell of the ball. After asking several employees where several products were located, I became the person that mistakes kind employees for friends. I took their kindness as I sign that they were secretly wishing we hung out in real life...because that's what I was secretly wishing. All of the workers there are just so earthy and trendy. To top off my night, an employee who I spoke with earlier checked back on my status "did you find the coconut oil you were looking for?" she asked. I confirmed, and this led into a conversation about what exactly I was making. She immediately asked if she could purchase any of the products I had made. Surprisingly, this isn't the first time I have been asked this, but it always shocks me. I entertained the thought at one point of selling products, but it kind of defeats the purpose of why I started this blog. I started it in order to inspire everyone to become more dependent upon the earth (and themselves!) for products they are already using daily. Kind of an "if you give a man a fish or teach him to fish" thing. I understand that everyone's life is different, and many people are much busier than I, but I think if everyone stops thinking of natural living as optional, and instead as a necessary part of life (in whichever way you can integrate) then making your own  cleaners, skin care products, etc. would just be a part of life! I told the Woman how cheap and easy they are to make yourself, but told her if I decided to start selling them I would keep her posted. I then gave her a creepy wink (a nervous habit that I have started and hate) and walked off. Somewhere in the conversation she had complimented my skin, so needless to say, I was floating as I walked up to the check out counter. I came back to reality as the cashier apologized for being "ridiculously hungover" after going out last night and getting a little "cray cray" I'm assuming that's short for crazy? At that point, I became aware again that Whole Foods is just a store, and I was just a pregnant lady in awkwardly unadjustable pants...

Moral of the story: May be time to start ordering certain ingredients online (which means collecting said ingredients earlier than the night before). Also, have someone who's not quite as dreamy as me, accompany me whenever I make a trip to Whole Foods, or any other pretty organic store :)