DIY Natural Deoderant and Face-Wash

Today I am posting recipes of a different sort. Over the past long weekend I experimented a little with making some of my own personal care products. Why, you ask? Well, toxins are really beginning to concern me. It seems they are everywhere and in everything and I personally don't think we know enough about what they are doing to us. I know I can't rid my life of them completely, but it is a lot easier than I thought to make a switch to using natural, everyday items in place of commercially produced products for a variety of purposes. Not to mention, it is generally way cheaper! 

I have found it very empowering to make my own products. However, I wonder if Brian thinks I've lost it a little. I was so excited to show him what I'd made. His response: What are you now, Amish? (No offense to Amish people. But come to think of it, they wouldn't be reading this anyway.) I know he was only teasing me (I think). Although, he has yet to try any of my concoctions...   

There are several things that I am trying, or plan to try, but I'll share two that I have tried so far and am quite pleased with: deodorant and an oil-based face wash. ( I know that last one sounds strange, I thought so too. But really, it is great.) 

Thanks to my new Pinterest obsession, I find all these great ideas for do-it-yourself projects. See, it isn't a time waster at all...Anyway, one thing I came across was a recipe for deodorant at this site. I have tried buying natural deodorants before and been very disappointed...and, well, smelly. I was pleasantly surprised by this concoction. I've used it for two days now and at the end of each day I am still stink-free. Promise.  

The recipe is quite simple: 

1/4 c organic coconut oil

1/4 c arrowroot powder

1/4 cup baking soda

5+ drops essential oil of your choice 

You mix all of the ingredients together to form a paste. I personally found the coconut oil to be quite hard as it was, so I put the jar in some hot water to melt it and then mixed it in. I added probably a tablespoon more than the above recipe because it still seemed a little dry. Also, I didn't buy any arrowroot powder and just used cornstarch instead. I had bought some peppermint essential oil for the homemade toothpaste I'm trying out so I just used that for the scent, but you could really use whatever you like the smell of. Then I stored it in a small mason jar and I just use my finger to take a little bit and rub it in. Once the oil hits your skin, it softens and dissolves very well.

Another option for deodorant is maybe the simplest thing I've ever heard: 99% isopropyl alcohol. Yep. And you know what? It works. You do not end up smelling like alcohol either.

Now on to the face wash. I am very excited about this one. It sounded very strange to me to use oil to wash your face, but the lady on the site said her skin had never looked better so I was willing to try it. Especially considering it only takes two ingredients! One I already had in my house. 

You simply mix one part castor oil (yes, the stuff in the drug store you take for constipation) with one part either sunflower or olive oil. I used olive oil since I always have some in the house. Since my skin is sometimes on the oily side, I did two parts castor oil to one part olive oil. 

To use, you massage a quarter-sized amount into your skin for about a minute. Then run a wash cloth under very warm water, squeeze out the excess water, and lay over your face for another minute. Next rinse the wash cloth and gently rub the remaining oil, dirt, make-up, etc off your face. 

My skin feels really smooth and not too dried out like with some cleansers. It also acts as a great eye make-up remover and doesn't sting your eyes. It's cheap, does a great job at removing make-up, and makes my skin feel great. I don't think I'll ever go back to using cleanser again.  

It feels really good to know exactly what is in the products I use and know that they are safe. Admittedly, I'm not actually a great environmentalist, but the fact that these things don't hurt the environment either is an added bonus. 

Bonus tip - You can also use coconut oil to shave your legs!   

Update: I had to stop using the deodorant; it was giving me rash. I went back to using regular deodorant for awhile and am now trying out various store bought natural options. I also stopped using the oil face cleansing method. My makeup was not staying on my face during the day and as soon as I stopped using the oil, it was back to normal. Oh well. Worth a try.  

Vegan Potato Soup - with cilantro!

Alright, I confess to being a total liar when I've said that I was going to start posting again and didn't. In my defense, it is so much easier to be inspired in the spring and summer when surrounded by all the beautiful garden produce. It's not too late to make a New Year's resolution, right? Me being an accomplished procrastinator and all, I figure late February  is about the right time. 

So before I get into the recipe, a few things that have been going on with me recently (because I know you are bursting with curiosity. Do try and contain yourselves.)


1. Two weeks until the Little Rock Half Marathon...my legs have been sore since Christmas.

2. I have recently become addicted to Pinterest. Seriously, someone may need to stage an intervention. But hey, at least it cuts down on Facebook time and you get so many cool ideas. If only I could get away from the computer long enough to try them... 
 
3. We bought ourselves a juicer for Christmas after being inspired by the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Planning a juice fast in March after the half marathon.

4. In an effort to cut down on toxins from everyday commercial products, I have started researching DIY natural products from laundry detergent to face wash. I'll let you know how it goes. If anyone has any suggestions, please do tell. 

5. And finally, on a more serious note, God has answered some prayers in our life recently concerning various matters. We have been really blessed. 

Now, on to the soup. Admittedly, I don't have a very precise recipe to give for this. I usually just keep adding stuff until it tastes good and I don't always remember what that is. The real reason I'm posting this is because I was so excited by how good adding cilantro to it is! I got this idea from my dad who is trying to watch his salt intake. He said that adding cilantro gave it so much flavor, he didn't really miss the salt. I admit though, I did use salt as well, but I think it helps cut down on what I would normally add to potato soup, which is probably enough to turn Lake Ouachita into the Red Sea...I also use Yukon gold potatoes and cook them in vegetable broth instead of water. The Yukon gold potatoes have a better, creamier texture and more flavor and you don't need to peel them. 

So here is a rough idea of what I use for a big pot:

1 lg onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped 
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
about 5 or 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, (maybe more if they are small) cut into chunks
enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables in the pot (if you run out, you can always add water)
several tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 
salt and pepper to taste  (I also add some Cajun seasoning, season salt, or Greek seasoning depending on my mood, but I could not tell you how much, just keep tasting)
some hot water on hand to thin it out if needed  


Put all the chopped vegetables in the pot (except the cilantro) and cover with broth. On high, bring the vegetables to a boil and then let boil for about 20 minutes or so. You want the potatoes to be soft enough to smash easily. I just use a potato masher and mash until I reach a consistency that I like. It could be quite thick at this point so I add some hot water until it thins out how I like it. Now add some seasonings. I like lots of black pepper in my potato soup. You might want to hold back on the salt and let everyone salt their own bowl after the cilantro is added. Once the soup is in individual bowls, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top and stir in. Then add more salt or pepper if needed. 


I think the potatoes are creamy enough on their own and don't need added cream or milk, but if you wanted to, you could use some soy creamer and stir it in after the vegetables are mashed. 

Adding the cilantro is really tasty and different. So good on cold, winter nights.

BBQ Tofu Sandwiches

Tofu is a scary word to most non-vegetarians it seems. I've noticed it's one of the main things at which people cringe and refuse to try. I honestly haven't used tofu a lot at home, but I'm trying to experiment more with it and use processed soy meats less. 

These sandwiches were so easy and turned out very tasty. Word of advice: it will be as tasty as your BBQ sauce so make sure you choose a good quality sauce. I had some Trader Joe's BBQ sauce in the fridge so I was in good shape. Don't skimp on the quality of the buns either. I also recommend using a sauce with some spice to it but adding jalapenos will do the trick as well (for perfection, do both!). I'm not much for sweet flavors but if I can balance the sweet with some spice then I really enjoy it. 

Ingredients:
1 package extra-firm tofu, sliced somewhat thin
about a cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (enough to generously coat tofu in the pan)
vegetable oil for browning tofu
good soft wheat buns
sliced tomato
jalapenos
Whatever else sounds good as a topping!   

First, heat some oil in a large non-stick skillet on med-high heat. When oil is hot, add the tofu slices and cook on both sides until lightly golden brown (you might need to do this in a couple batches). Set the cooked tofu on a paper towel and drain the excess oil from the pan. Lower the heat to low and add the tofu back plus the BBQ sauce to generously coat the tofu slices. Let this simmer together for several minutes on low to allow the tofu to absorb the flavor. I also grilled the insides of the buns  - yummy. Done! Now you make your sandwiches. They have a ton of flavor and are very satisfying. 

Don't be afraid of tofu. It's your, and your arteries, friend!