Amy Ongaro, entrepreneur and former Solcanaut, introduced me to homemade hygiene products recently, and I am hooked. I have been toying around with recipes for all sorts of wonderful DIY health and beauty products, and I am SUPER EXCITED to share this experience with some other health conscious people.
Amy and I will be hosting a natural products workshop on Thursday Jan 29th, from 7:30-8:30 pm and will cost $20 per person, which will cover the cost of the ingredients and tools. Register here! At our workshop, you will learn how to make your own natural and chemical free deodorant, toothpaste and body wash. We will provide all of the necessary equipment, you just bring a sense of curiosity and excitement! You will walk away with three finished products, as well as three recipes you can take home to make your own lotion, shampoo and conditioner.?
Here are Amy’s thoughts on Natural Hygiene Products:
Most people understand it’s important to know what you put into your body. The food you eat is fuel for the body. While everyone has his or her vice (for me, it’s French fries), the concept of watching what you eat is generally well known.
Fewer people realize it’s also important to know what you’re putting ON your body. While your skin does a great job with protecting us from many harmful substances, it is still porous. The personal care products you use on your skin and hair do have an impact on your body, especially with prolonged or daily use. From the soap you use, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, you’re absorbing tiny amounts of the products you put on your body every single day through your skin and into your bloodstream. The more toxic chemicals there are in these products, the greater your body’s toxin load and the more stress there will be on your liver and system over the long-term.
In my personal journey of continuously exploring ways to live a healthier, conscious and intentional life, I began looking critically at the products I used every day. I always hated the idea of putting toxic stuff on one of the most porous areas of my body. So needless to say, deodorant was the first homemade product I tackled in my personal journey of overall health. It started with deodorant, then toothpaste, then my shampoo and conditioner. The range continues to expand as I explore cost-effective and healthy options for myself.
Many commercial deodorants have antiperspirant, which contain aluminum, and potentially other toxic chemicals such as triclosan, TEA/DEA, and propylene glycol. For women, it’s almost impossible to find deodorant without the antiperspirant. Men have some limited options without the antiperspirant, however they may still contain the other chemicals. Of course, there are a few commercial natural deodorants, but from what I’ve heard from my husband and others, they don’t work very well.
Some realizations I have had since I started making and using homemade deodorant:
1) It’s easy
Making my own deodorant is much cheaper and not as much work as I envisioned it being. Believe me, I like less work for maximum results. It took me only about 5 minutes to make a good supply. A little goes a long way, so the modest amount I made lasted me much longer than I anticipated – close to 6 months.
2) I smell less than I used to
It took me about a week or two to adjust, however, I noticed I smelled less than I did before I started using my homemade deodorant (disclaimer: not that I smelled that funky to begin with!). Any smell from your armpits is from bacteria, not sweat. I suppose an exception would be huge consumed amounts of strong smelling food or drink, however that will seep out from sweat all over your body, not just your pits.
It turns out many ingredients used in homemade deodorant are antibacterial in nature, such as the baking soda. Depending on what essential oil you use, many of them also have antibacterial properties. The following formula is what I found to happen for me:
Homemade deodorant + armpits = less bacteria on armpits = less smell
3) I sweat less than I used to
Now granted, this depends on the person, the activity involved, stress levels and how the person’s body reacts. In my experience (and similar to accounts I’ve heard of other people who make and use their own deodorant), I sweat less than I did before I began using homemade deodorant.
I’m not sure if this has to do with the more breathable nature of the ingredients, or if it’s just a healthier reaction of the skin with the use of more beneficial ingredients. Who knows? For me, it’s a happy side effect of using a product much more beneficial for me.
For those of you who are still skeptical, let me tell you a couple success stories.
My husband made fun of me when I first started using my homemade deodorant and was incredibly skeptical the stuff would hold up to his standards. Finally after I had been using it for several months, he tried it one morning, went about his workday and then spent 2 hours at the climbing gym working up a sweat. Sniff test proved it did in fact hold up. He tried it again, and turned into my biggest fan.
When Hannah expressed interest in trying the homemade deodorant, I thought it would be an even better test of its effectiveness. As the owner of a Crossfit gym, she was obviously going to be more active and involved in more strenuous workouts than the average person. She ended up loving it (as well as family members and friends I’ve introduced this to).
Want to learn how to make your own?
On Thursday, January 29, from 7:30 – 8:30 PM, Hannah and I will be holding a homemade products workshop at the Solcana Crossfit gym. We’ll have all the ingredients ready for you. You’ll learn how to make your own deodorant- and go home with a supply lasting you up to 6 months! You’ll marvel at how easy it is, smell less, and sweat less. There will also be the chance to make homemade toothpaste and body wash… All this for $20/person!
Bring family and friends! Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Amy Ongaro is the founder and coach of Uncoveries, a coaching business on uncovering and designing the life you really want. She is a writer, health enthusiast, avid biker (when it’s warm), and currently lives in Minneapolis, MN.
Solcana Fitness 