Essential Oils - Not just for Crunchies, Hippies, or Wiccans Anymore!!

Essential Oils are a hot topic. EOs are becoming more popular and people are very passionate about their "brand."

When I told my pastor father that I was using essential oils more and more, he was a little apprehensive about me using them. He went through the 1970's - the Hippie Era - and also a time of the New Age Religion; a reliance on self and Mother Earth. Essential oils were and are popular with the New Age religious body. I spoke to him about my uses and he seemed a little more at ease. So, it's no just for Wiccans anymore!

The "brand" of EOs is hotly debated on the web. I followed one blogger on her journey to find the best brand, and it took her ten months!!! I'm not that patient. I read with interest her findings and thoughts: Her number one caution is to find out the distillation process. This is how the essential oil is processed. Steam distillation is the best. Distilling the leaf, stem, or flower on the first distillation yields the best quality oil. Some companies dilute this distillation with water or chemicals. Others distill the original product a second and third time, squeezing out the remaining oil. These are called second, third, and complete distillations - which are not as good as first distillation.

So, to make a long story short, I have come to the conclusion:
If I'm using the EOs in a cleaner, I'm not too concerned about first or second distillation.
If I'm using the EOs as a topical solution for my body, I want a first distillation.
If I'm using the EOs in a room spray, in my laundry, in a diffuser, I'm not concerned about distillation.
Some people ingest EOs. I'm not that advanced yet, and haven't done enough research.

 Essential Oils can be pricy. They come in .5oz or 1oz bottles, and even larger. But, one only uses a small amount at a time, making even the smallest bottle last a long time. They also have a fairly long shelf life - one to two years at least.

I ordered my Essential Oils from the Vitamin Shoppe. I also have bought a bottle at my local health food store for about $0.50 more, but I saved on shipping costs. I bought Aura Cacia (a decent brand at an affordable price), NOW (a not so decent brand at a great price), and some other oils at decent prices. This was before doing a ton of research, so I went with price over distillation process. After doing some research on my own, I am going to advocate on behalf of Mountain Rose Herbs. The oils come from first distillation AND are affordable. Native American Nutritionals come in second, but are a little pricey.

There are some MLMs (Multi Level Marketing) companies out there. DoTerra and Young Living are the two popular companies. The benefit of a company like this is that you have a representative who can answer questions about their essential oils.

I will post about my uses in upcoming blogs.

Home Made Deodorant - Thought this was too crunchy for me...

I never thought I would use, let alone make natural deodorant. I love my stick deodorant I currently use. No mess, no fuss. Just buy it for a couple of bucks at the store. Plus, those "Crunchy" people who make their own often smell a little...

But then I started reading up on all of the debates about the ingredients. It actually turns out, they're not that bad (my opinion only). There are studies done on the cons with no glaring toxins or amount of dangerous toxins screaming out to me. The main ingredient is aluminum chlorohydrate which is the antiperspirant ingredient. Some people say the aluminum gathers in the blood stream and too much aluminum exposure can lead to neuro diseases, including Alzheimer.

To be safe and cheap, I decided to make my own deodorant/antiperspirant. My main concern was how it would hold up on me - would I stink? Would my armpits be soaked? Also, could I convince my husband to use it?

After looking at a few recipes, I decided on the following:
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil - Mine is organic from WalMart. About $7 for a pint. Found next to the other oils. I ended up needing a little more than 1/3C.
1/4 Cup Baking Soda. Some people suggest finding organic and without aluminum (b/c this is the chemical we are trying to stay away from!). But, I just used a generic $0.40 brand that was in my cupboard.
4 Tablespoons Cornstarch. Again, generic brand at WalMart. Some people prefer Arrowroot - which is more expensive. I'll try that on my next batch to see if there is a difference.
5-10 drops Essential Oil of your choice. I ended up using more. I chose Lemongrass. Smells like Fruit Loops!

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add coconut oil and use a fork to blend. (This part was tough. I semi-melted  some of the coconut oil. I then had my hubby help me mix it. He had the perfect touch). Add 5-10 drops of Essential Oil. Add more oil or baking soda or coconut oil to achieve the desired consistency. You want a paste like consistency. I think I ended up adding 20 drops of EO!

Keep in mind that coconut oil easily goes from solid to liquid, without needing much heat. For this reason, I keep my deodorant in the fridge. I put some in an old deodorant container for ease of use. I put the remainder in a glass bottle. It's a little chilly going on, but I'm sure I'll love it in the summer!

So, I asked my husband to try some, and to my utter surprise, he did! Now, he is not normally a smelly guy. He works out a lot and sweats, but his sweat is not bad. He LOVES it!! At the end of the day, he has no odor!

I tried it. Works well on me too. Keep in mind, it is the middle of winter, so I'll be curious to see how my stink holds up in the summer. It did not keep me completely dry though. I might add some cornstarch to my "pits" for added dryness. But, when I'm not doing anything strenuous except taking care of my eight month old, it keeps me dry.

Conclusion: I love it, my husband loves it, and it seems to work. We are going to keep using it. I will have updates on further testing!

 The above picture shows how I'm storing it. I'm using an old deodorant canister and I put the leftover in a glass bottle. I will transfer the deodorant in the glass jar to the canister when needed. I'll have to let it melt a little first.

 This is a great idea. Easily twists up and down to dispense the deodorant. Some people put it on straight out of the jar; I'm not ready for that much crunchiness yet.

My leftover, waiting to be used. I store this in the refrigerator too.

I have NOT thrown out all of my store bought deodorant. I'm not that confident yet. Plus, I need more canisters...

Introduction - A Little Bit Crunchy

I created this blog to mainly help me keep track of me becoming a little bit crunchy.
I hail from California, the Land of Fruits and Nuts (so I've learned we are called from living in the Midwest). We are all viewed as crunchy out there. But, the fact is, we are not all crunchy or granola-y (tree huggers, nature freaks, you get the idea). In fact, I kind of am the opposite. Except, I have always recycled. But since having my son, I have come to a few conclusions:
1. I do care what goes into my body; GMOs, artificial things, etc. I especially care what goes into my son's body.
2. It's economical to recycle and upcycle.
3. I care about the chemicals in my house.

So, I am on a new journey. One where I will recycle and upcycle (which are sort of the same thing. I will post the definitions of each soon), and one where I will use more natural products in my food, body products, and cleaners - even when dealing with upchuck.

I will take things slowly. I believe in order for a change to stick I have to take one thing at a time, even if that means one thing for a few days or a few weeks. I will report on what works, what doesn't, and list where I buy/order products and prices. Part of my journey is to save money for my family. I will be brutally honest, especially when I don't understand things. But I will always try to research things.

I will write about:
Using vinegar as a cleaner. Maybe as a health benefit...
Essential oils
Homemade deodorant
Homemade shampoo, soaps, etc
Replacing plastic with glass
Using pallet wood to upcycle
Seeds/Heirloom seeds
Herbs
and much more as I think of them.