DIY: Hairspray & Live Young’s Youtube Channel

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make your own hairspray.

*If you like your hairspray to have fragrance, you can add in 1/4 cup rose water to your cooled hairspray mixture or boil down 2 tangerines, strain, and add the tangerine water into your cooled hairspray mixture.

*Do Not add alcohol to your hairspray mixture! Not only is it not good for your hair, it is also not good to inhale when sprayed.  Alcohol in typical hairsprays dries out hair, thus causing the hair shafts to weaken to the point of breakage.

 

Earth’s Berries Giveaway! CLOSED

In honor of the holiday season, I’ve decided to give away one 500g bag of Earth’s Berries!

If you haven’t heard about these, check out my review on them here.

Bento Box

Ever heard of it? I first heard of Bento Box/Lunches on NPR.

Basically, a bento lunch is a well-balanced and visually appealing meal packed in a divided, lunch-style box. It’s an artistic way to prepare your food and some would argue, visual appeal makes the food more appetizing.

In Japanese, “bento” or “obento” refers to the actual packed meal, and “bento-bako” refers to the box itself. This is a Japanese creation, similar in concept to the the Filipino baon or Indian tiffin -style lunch.

Here’s what a bento box lunch looks like:

In Japan, bento boxes are traditionally filled with rice, nori (dried seaweed), pickled/vegetables, fruits, and fish or meat.

One of the things I love about the bento box is that traditionally, Japanese mothers make these for their children to take to school with them every day.

Here in the West, many parents feel they only have time to send a Lunchable with their child; but one of the things I love about Bento is that not only is it art/creativity, it’s also a mindset. For the Japanese, this is a way of life. They simply make time for this art form and these mothers take pride in the obento.

Obviously a Bento Box meal takes longer to prepare as it involves some type of creativity or artistry, but as with any type of food preparation, once you get a system down and practice a little, you’ll be making art you can eat. The Bento is actually quite do-able.

Here’s Why I Love Bento Boxes~

• Think sustainability: Bento Boxes are always packed in reusable containers and they reduce lunch waste such as plastic baggies and food.
• Way more fun: This form of food preparation can really ignite the artist in you. And what’s more, children or picky eaters may be more attracted to healthy foods presented in this fashion; you’d be surprised what you can get kids to eat when it looks fun.
• You’ll save money. The savings from less than a week of eating packed lunches makes up for the initial cost of a bento box.
• The basic principle for Bento is 3 parts carbohydrates (such as pasta or rice), 1 part protein (meat, fish, nuts, tofu, beans), 2 parts fruit, 2 parts vegetable.
• It’s nutrition made easy. Bento Boxes should not include junk food, candies, or fattening foods (like chips or processed foods like pudding packs, etc.)
• These boxes are all about balance.                            Balance = Nutritional Value+Visual Stimulation. Use lot’s of colors, textures, and flavors.                                   Many people don’t realize how easy nature makes it for us: fruits and vegetables are designed with bright, robust colors to attract humans’ attention.

If you want to try making a Bento for you or your child, don’t be intimidated. Here are some simpler boxes that are just as healthy and have the same concept:

(and no, those aren’t chicken nuggets)

You can order a BPA-Free Bento Lunch Box for your children at mysweetmuffin.com.

Here are a few of my favorites for kids:

And don’t worry, here are my favorites for grown-ups

(click to find out where to get it)

(Click on image to get it)

*Still have questions? Want more info? This website has everything you need to know to get started in Bento Art.

DIY Shave Cream for Men & Women

The market is overflowing with shaving products: gels, creams, waxes… but here’s the secret: you don’t have to use those to shave. Just because it’s in a store, on a shelf, doesn’t mean that’s your only option, nor does it mean it’s safe for your health.

I’ve used the below recipe on myself for a very long time. I don’t buy commercial shave cream due to all the chemical and synthetic ingredients (fragrance, lauryl sulfate, stearic acid, triethanolamine, glycerin, alcohol). Also, the cans shaving products come in are a waste of resources in my opinion. This recipe I created doesn’t give me razor burn or dry my skin out. It leaves it soft, hydrated and bright/clean looking. You can use it for whatever body part you shave and you won’t need a post-shave moisturizer (like aftershave or lotion).

Here’s a quick recipe I invented to make your own, sustainable shave cream. It’s safe and it keeps your skin hydrated even a day later after you’ve shaved. You’ll wonder why you ever wasted your money buying synthetic, commercial shave cream in the store; I promise!

**Use within 1-2 weeks.

1. Get a recycled or reused glass bottle with a lid like the one pictured (I use one about the size of a beer bottle. And for travel, I’ve also used an old spice bottle/container).

2. Divide the bottle into 1/4ths,

Mix:

- 1/4 part U.S. Grown & Certified Organic, Peanut Oil

(excellent emollient and lubricant for easy glide and hydration)

- 1/4 part Certified Organic, Olive Oil

(nourishes the skin)

- 1/4 part Certified Organic Almond Oil

(conditions and brightens skin)

- 1/4 part Certified Organic & Fair Trade Coconut Oil 

(softens & moisturizes)

3.  Shake bottle before use to mix oils together.

4. Pour into hands carefully and lather between hands. Once you have a good lather, apply to wet skin/the area you want to shave.

*Note: If you’re allergic to peanut, you can substitute peanut oil for pure vitamin E or tomato seed oil.

Shaving Tips:

-Pour out of bottle slowly otherwise it will be runny (like olive oil when you cook). This isn’t anywhere near the consistency of commercialized shave gels, so if you want it to be a little more thick or lather-y, you can add about 10 drops of Dr.Bronner’s soap into it. I’ve done this before, but I don’t do it on a regular basis.

-First, shave with the direction of your hair growth. Shaving against it right away pulls the hair up and away from the skin, causing stubble or roughness.

-Second, lather up again and now shave ‘against the grain’ if you feel you still need a closer shave.

-If you’re a male and shaving your face with this and have oily-type skin, you can probably skip the aftershave or moisturizer; this recipe takes care of all your hydrating needs.

-So, if it’s made up of oils, won’t these oils make my skin greasy? No. Just give yourself a good rinse with water after you shave and you can even skip moisturizing post-shower (I often moisturize with lotion right out of the shower, but when I shave my legs with this, I don’t always need it). Your skin needs oils and using this for shaving will only serve to nourish it and balance with your body’s natural oils. This is why using essential oils to shave won’t cause acne-prone or oily skin.

-At start up, this recipe costs more than a can of commercial shaving cream, but it will save you money after the initial buy, due to the simple fact that this mixture will go a long way when dispersed properly; my bottle lasts about 6+ months shaving every 2 days. Also, if you’re like me, you might already have olive, coconut, or almond oil in your kitchen already.

Dr.Bronner’s Shikakai Hair Conditioner Review

As promised, I said I’d do a review on Dr.Bronner’s Shikakai Hair Conditioning Rinse.

Here’s why I decided to try it:

If you’re a consumer, the world of beauty and personal care can be extremely daunting and intimidating! have you ever bothered to read some of the ingredients in shampoo and conditioner?

Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate,  Butylparaben, Sodium Laureth Sulfate… no thanks! This Shikakai conditioning rinse is made without the synthetic and chemical ingredients found in most cream rinses or conditioners (yes, even the high-end, professionals ones).

Dr. B’s Citrus Conditioning Hair Rinse is certified by the same National Organic Program that certifies organic food-the USDA (look for the logo on your bottle; it means organic). You probably haven’t seen this certification on your other hair care products.

Organic Shikakai (pronounced “Shee-kah-kye”) comes from the seed pods of a small South Asian tree called Acacia Concinna. Its popular in India because it’s known for making hair soft and shiny. Organic lemon juice, used traditionally here in the west, rinses throughly and tightens hair shafts for better manageability. And my favorite, organic coconut oil and hemp fatty acids, moisturize.

Cons: My hair is naturally oily, so I don’t typically care for moisturizing hair care products. This conditioner left my hair weightless in the fact that there is no build up whatsoever; my hair always felt clean. But, its awesome moisturizing properties work a little too well; they weigh my hair down and make it a little lifeless.

So, I don’t need a conditioner that adds moisture to my hair (because it makes my hair flat), but I’m convinced that if I find a shampoo that compliments this conditioning rinse, my hair will retain its bounce.

The Pros:

The conditioner was extremely nourishing to my hair. It made my hair softer to the touch and I could tell it was protective because it visibly strengthened my hair. By this I mean, for the first time ever, I consistently have no split-ends! I could care less about the appearance of split-ends (if someone’s close enough to notice, they’re too close!), except for the fact that apparently split-ends are a sign of weak or damaged hair. Well, I’ve been using this conditioner for a few months now and pleasantly, no breakage. To me this is a sign that the conditioner works to strengthen and protect my hair (must be the coconut oil!).

Overall, my hair just seemed more nourished. And of course, I’m kinda partial to this product since it’s made from food, it smells delicious! My theory is: if the ingredients are healthy for the inside of your body, you can probably use it on the outside of your body.

All that said, everyone is unique. No matter what, the same product will work differently on each person. I highly recommend this stuff because of its countless benefits. And, moreover, it’s safe! I plan on continuing my use of it.

Enjoy! And if you try it, send me an email and let me know what you think.

Where to buy: Online, your local Co-Op, Target, or Whole Foods.

Deodorant Product Review

Deodorant has always been a product I’ve struggled to be completely satisfied with. I’ve never been a fan of antiperspirants simply because the body is supposed to perspire. However, there’s a reason why we appreciate deodorant. But for me personally, I’ve always had reservations about deodorants because of their common ingredients: meta chelant, tricolosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic chemicals, artificial colors, perfume, fragrance, and aluminum and aluminum-chloride products. There’s been a fair amount of research done on possible correlations between aluminum toxicity and health concerns such as Cancers, Renal Dysfunction, Alzheimers, Allergies, and other neurotoxicity concerns.                                                                                                                                         And so, I choose not use deodorants with these ingredients (even aside from the issues surrounding aluminum, I don’t like the other chemical ingredients).

Like most people (probably), I’ve tried many, many deodorant products and my favorite product that I ended up settling on wasn’t even a deodorant at all, in fact, it’s a toothpaste~

 Thieves Dentarome Plus Toothpaste.  You may be wondering where I came up with the idea to even use a toothpaste as a deodorant? I’ve always loved Thieves’ Brand and I first read a review about man who is an Electrician, who said he used this toothpaste as a deodorant and swore by it. Where he got the idea, I don’t know. But after reading the ingredients in the toothpaste (plant-derived ingredients, such as vegetable glycerin and ionic trace minerals, essential oils, odor-absorbing baking soda), from what I already knew, the idea actually made perfect sense to me: the essential oils the toothpaste is made out of actually act as natural antiseptics (or germ killers) and on top of that, the baking soda absorbs odor. So naturally this toothpaste would also double as a an effective deodorant.

And I have to tell you, once in awhile I’ll try other products I hear about that are supposedly awesome, but I always go back to this stuff. I’ve been using this toothpaste as deodorant for a very long time now and it’s worked better than anything else I’ve ever used and I have yet to find another product that makes me want to switch back. I would definitely recommend giving this a try.

Pros: Reduces underarm wetness, leaves no scent (like deodorants with perfumes do), kills underarm bacteria so it works as good if not better than regular deodorants, doesn’t stain clothes, doesn’t leave residue on underarms. And depending on usage, one tube will last a very long time: I would say at least 5 months.

Cons: I have pretty sensitive skin, so the peppermint/cinnamon oil and baking soda were initially harsh on my skin, but this subsided and I don’t have issues with it.

-It’s kind of odd to use a toothpaste as a deodorant, but I got over it. It took awhile to get used to the tooth-paste scent (as deodorant), but this scent subsides relatively quickly after putting it on and really, there ends up being no scent at all.

 

Shopping TIP: Did you know that a lot of products can be ordered through the health section in your local grocery store or Food Co-Op? The benefits of doing this are a discounted price, plus you don’t have to pay shipping fees. It doesn’t hurt to ask the place that you shop at to order products for you. Businesses want to make their customers happy, so often times, they are obliged to order something in for you if you ask the right person.

Find the toothpaste @ Sears,

otherwise, Get it here

or here.

*Note: I have tried using deodorants containing essential oils and they were great on my skin, but they acted as more of a lotion than a deodorant, so I wasn’t happy with those. I haven’t tried Thieves’ Deodorant, which they do have, but it’s $12 and based on my experience with other deodorants with similar ingredients, it’s been hard for me to bring myself to try, but I intend to eventually and I’ll do a comparison.                                            If you or someone you know has tried it, send me a review!

Toothpaste Ingredient List:
Baking soda, deionized water, vegetable glycerine, xanthan gum, ionic trace minerals, steviocide (Stevia rebaudiana), and the essential oils of wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), peppermint (Mentha piperita), and the blend Thieves [clove† (Syzygium aromaticum), lemon† (Citrus limon), cinnamon† (Cinnamomum verum), eucalyptus† (Eucalyptus radiata), and rosemary† (Rosmarinus officinalis)].
† 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil.

Do You Know Where Your Products Come From?

The reason I post this video is simple: it’s to get you thinking about where do the products you buy come from? How are they made? Were they made ethically? Did the people who make your product have passion about the product and its origins? Did their hands, physically inspect the product? Is the product organic? Did the same company oversee the product from beginning to end? Did they care about the people who made their product and were the people who made it happy to?

There are a lot of videos I could have shown, but what struck me about the particular video was the passion the French have for the product (linen). I bet you’ve never seen so many people care so much about a plant in a field… It’s hard to say after watching this video that there’s no difference in the quality of a product that’s produced by people who care and companies that have social responsibility, as opposed to companies who don’t practice these qualities. Do you think the things you buy were made by happy workers, who were treated well? Do you think these people cared about the outcome of the final product? Furthermore, was your product produced in a way that was sustainable (safe for the environment and safe for the people creating it)? Research where the things you buy come from. I bet you won’t find these same qualities in products made by big corporations.

Videos like this serve to reinforce the importance of buying local and/or supporting companies that practice social and ethical responsibility.

Know of any companies or products that practice making goods the way they do in this video? Mention it in the comments. The more availability we can find, the more we can support buying things we care about.

The Best Hair Gel for Women or Men

This stuff is flexible, leaves my hair feeling light-weight, and doesn’t leave any build-up or make my hair feel unclean after having it in all day.

• I don’t always need to use hairspray or any other product in my hair since I use this. And best of all, it’s relatively inexpensive and comes from nature.
• It’s rich in B12, Vitamin C, essential fatty acids, and minerals.
• It’s great to tame frizz or it can shape curls.
• It can also be used for Hair Shampooing or Conditioning

Can you guess what I use for hair gel?

Clean Anything. DIY: Make Your Own Cleaning Solutions At Home

There’s a lot of reasons why it makes sense to make your own cleaning ‘products’ at home:

-The Safety of you, your family, and pets.

Read the warning labels on the products you buy, they caution about safety when using. Common sense may tell you that if the directions say “do not inhale” or that you should “open a window to let air in while using product”, that perhaps the product your using imposes risks to the safety of your health. The use of these products with ingredients like formaldehyde, triclosan, fragrances, ammonia, can cause illness, allergies, skin problems, etc. Products (like bleach) not only kill the germs on your counter, but they kill the cells in your body too. Your immune system can manage the everyday germs in your household. But your body can’t always protect itself from the effects of dangerous chemicals in the long run.

Ditch your toxic cleaners for good.

-Save Money. By using ingredients you already have in your own home/kitchen, you won’t have to go to the store to spend extra money on product.

-Sustainability. Using natural/food products in your cleaning means the environment isn’t being harmed (because your ingredients in your cleaning supplies come from nature). So  you don’t have to worry about disposing of bottles/containers that once held your toxic cleaning chemical. Or dumping out excess cleaning product down your drain or into your local water supply.

Here are recipes and solutions for you to clean your home safely with. (Remember, if you have a food allergy or are allergic to oil ingredients, you obviously wouldn’t want to use those ingredients, but you can always substitute ingredients).

Here’s my Shopping List~

These are basically all/the main ingredients I use in all my home, car, or outside cleaning:

-Essential Oils: Jasmine, Rosebud, Lavender, Almond, Lemongrass oil, Tangerine oil (whichever scents you want your home to smell like).

[*Note: Be sure you're buying certified Organic, Essential Oils.

There's a lot of watered-down, commercialized products on the market. For oils, I love Thieves, Young Living Brand, but I can rarely afford to buy this brand, so I buy mine locally at my Food Co-Op. You can find essential oils in the health market section of your grocery store, at health food stores, or online.

Also, be a conscious consumer. Look for certifications like USDA, Fair Trade Certified, or made in the USA].

- Tea Tree Oil. Tea Tree contains terpenes and other phytochemicals that are naturally powerful antiseptic and fungal killers. Tee Tree oil is often added to natural soaps because it is considered a safe germ killer.

-Lemon Juice from Lemons.

- Baking Soda

- Tap Water

- 1 Bottle Club Soda

- Dr.Bronner’s Liquid Soap

- Table Salt

- Distilled Vinegar

- Recycled Newspaper for polishing away smudges and cleaning glass surfaces.

- Rags from old tshirts or repurposed clothes.

- Recycled Pouring Containers, glass bottles or Spray Bottles to hold your cleaning solutions. Here’s how I mix mine:

If you have a few of these ingredients on hand, now you too can learn How to Make Your Own Green Cleaning Supplies; read how after the jump

Earth’s Berries: Laundry Review

Introducing,

Earth’s Berries, Soap Berries.

If you’re searching for an environmentally-friendly or healthy & safe laundry line, search no longer. You can’t get much closer to nature than Earth Berries. Earth’s Berries successfully clean your clothes all while helping people across the world.

Economical, Eco-Friendly, and Humanitarian, it washes my clothes over and over again beautifully~

I have no reason to go back to using commercial laundry detergent. Earth’s Berries remove scents and stains from my clothes and allow my clothing to hold its color longer. One bag of Earth’s Berries lasts me months longer than a standard bottle of [Tide] laundry detergent. Not only do laundry detergents have ingredients that aren’t good for you or your children’s health, they also pollute our water systems. Using Earth’s Berries means I don’t have to worry about detergent on my skin or allergies. Plus, I’m not contributing to filling up the landfills or polluting water supplies.

Earth’s Berries has such a nice website explaining their story & philanthropy, I wanted you to see for yourself:

“I am loving the Soap Nuts! Economical, ecological, village building, planet saving, people saving! Karen’s story about a whole village being employed touched my heartstrings – a small change in my habits could mean a huge change in someone else’s life. My clothes come out clean, soft and with no fragrance and a family is able to put food on their table – it’s a win-win situation.”
-Jan

“I was amazed to discover that those natural little nuts where able to take the stink out of our our workout clothes. I have noticed that our clothes are softer without having to use a softener and keeping one more bottle of chemicals out of our home is wonderful. It’s a very cost effective way to do laundry especially with our HE washer the commercial detergent is expensive, plus no big plastic bottle to throw out every month, and it’s earth and body friendly. Everyone should try them.”
Sarah