Tutorial: solid perfume

at oh my! Handmade goodness

I think it's great that the world is getting more and more aware of that:

a) if it's made by someone, it can be made at home, by you, in some form or another
all the beauty products are just chemistry and cooking, putting ingredients together in a certain order and doing things to them, and that is automatically, almost magically turned into something else.

b) keep it simple.
There is a lot of stuff, chemicals, in the "stuff" you smear on your skin, body, hair, teeth, and it's not good. If you wouldn't eat it, why would you want to smear it in your face?
(well, that reasoning doesn't always work, as I happily "smear" cat on my face, but I wouldn't eat it :-D I mean, I love to sniff cats :-) They smell so wonderful, and are so soft and when they purr... cat radio. my favorite channel .-) Makes me happy. But I wouldn't eat a cat. Also, I wouldn't eat soap either, how ever pure ingredients it's made of. But I brush my teeth with soap.)
When you make your own cosmetics at home, you know exactly what's in there and how fresh it is. Some of the products on the shop shelves have been standing there for weeks, months, even years. Brrr....

Some homemade hair conditioners:

"Lemon Delight"

¼ cup of plain full-fat yogurt
1 egg yolk
2 pinches of lemon rinds

Mix up all the ingredients.
Rub into your scalp and hair before washing your hair.

"Avocado Hair Spa"

1 avocado
1 egg yolk

Mash up the avocado and mix to the egg yolk well.
Rub into your hair, comb it to be sure the mixture is evenly spread and just relax for some 15 minutes. Wash your hair.
(You can also have a facial mask while you let the mash work your hair ;-))

* you can also use the mashed avocado on itself, or mix it with lemon juice, aloe, coconut milk or mayonnaise.

"Tropical Dandruff Conditioner"

3 tbsp pure lime juice
¼ cup coconut oil

Mix and rub into your scalp. Wait about an hour, then wash your hair.

"Banana Honey"

1 banana
½ cup of honey

Mash the banana, mix well with the honey.
Wash your hair, apply banana honey into wet hair and let it be for about 45 minutes. Rinse the hair.

* you can also mix the banana with a little olive oil, comb into your hair, let it stand for 15 minutes and then wash your hair.

* you can also use plain honey

"Egg your hair"

1 egg yolk
1 tbs olive oil

Rub into your hair after having washed it, let sit for at least 5 minutes and rinse. If your hair is really dry, let sit for at least 10 minutes.

* you can also add one tablespoon of mayonnaise into the mixture, for maximum effect.

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* Plain white vinegar works really well as a clarifying rinse.

* If you have an itchy scalp, you can try massaging a little peanut oil on your scalp before shampooing.

* Use beer to rinse your hair for body, fullness, softness and shine

* use chamomile tea or lemon juice as rinse to brighten blond hair

* ketchup removes greenness from chemically damaged blond hair. Comb ketchup into your hair after having washed it and let it sit for 20-45 minutes and rinse it. Repeat until the green is gone.

* you can also use the club soda for that purpose.

* rosemary oil can add luster and shine to dark and dry hair. Use with carrier oil or make your own oil infusion by putting some sprigs of rosemary in a bottle and let it stand in sunlight for a month. Warm the oil slightly and comb in your wet hair after having washed it. Let stand 15-60 minutes.

* sage tea used as rinse hides grey hair

* tomato juice as rinse removes bad smell from hair. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes, then rinse out.

* mint tea or green tea rinse gives lovely refreshing scent

http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/homemadeconditi_sitw.htm
http://www.thebeautybiz.com/90/article/hair/hair-care-products-kitchen
http://www.squidoo.com/Hair-Conditioner

How to make your own drier sheets

Firstly, don't use a dryer. Dry your clothes on a clothes line. They will smell lovely and not be clingy, because they haven't been rubbed together to create static cling. Also, the clothes don't get as worn as in a dryer.

But - there are things one can use the dryer sheets for ;-)

1) Have a pack of wash cloths, old rags, handkerchiefs - pieces of cloth about 5x5 inches (25x25cm)
2) soak them in fabric softener or hair conditioner and let dry.

Simple, huh?

Now, I don't use fabric softener either, so how to get the same effect without factory fabricated fabric softeners?

Now here is a recipes for fabric softener:

1 liter white vinegar
5 drops essential oil (for example lemon, bergamot, or other citrusy scents; citronella or lemon grass, lavender, tea tree
1 tsp vegetable glycerin

this one might work for dryer sheets

One suggested use for dryer sheets is mosquito repellent. Natural mosquito repellents are all lemony scents, especially lemon grass and citronella. Lemon eucalyptus might work as well.
Also, don't use black or yellow clothes - those attract insects; be clean and dry, and stay close the fire.

Here some other suggested uses of drier sheets:

Wipe your television screen, computer monitor and venetian blinds with a drier sheet to keep dust from resettling.

Clean the shower doors with a drier sheet.

Use drier sheets as air fresheners in drawers, closets, cars, suitcases, wastebaskets, laundry baskets and shoes - and every where else.

You can prevent thread from tangling by running the threaded needle first through a drier sheet.

You can eliminate the static cling from pantyhose by rubbing your legs with a drier sheet. (You can also rub your hands with hand lotion first and then "dry" them on your legs)

Collect animal hair by rubbing the hairy area with a drier sheet.

Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sandpapering.

Now, don't use a "good" cloth to dry up sawdust, cat hair or to deodorize waste baskets, but let that be the last use of your sheets. You could also have some diluted fabric softener in a spray bottle and spray that on a paper towel for that sort of use. You can then compost the paper towel.

Four Thieves' Oil

"As the bubonic plague decimated Europe in the year 1413, four thieves were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. They explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and told of a special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples."

Blend equal amount of lemon, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus and rosemary oil, mix, bottle and label.

101 things to do with 4 Thieves' Oil

You can use the oil to scent your soap to create a natural hand sanitizer.