Natural Dental Care

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February 4, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

February is Dental Health Month!

I am so grateful that we receive regular dental checkups very affordably through the military.

It’s super important that we teach our kids about dental health.

Teeth are necessary for healthy digestion, and if we don’t take care of our mouths, it can lead to all sorts of other health issues.

We’ve had a great year with NO CAVITIES for our family of six. I’m happy to report that we’ve switched to all natural dental care and it’s made a huge difference.

{Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of your toothpaste or mouthwash?!}

How we maintain healthy teeth, gums, and mouths:

1. Regular Dental Care

We receive two checkups each year with X-rays, cleaning, and fluoride treatments through our insurance program.

We don’t agree with having fluoride in our water or oral care products, but twice a year, having our teeth “painted” while otherwise keeping fluoride out of our bodies otherwise is good for us.

Our kids have gone to dentists since they had their first teeth! This helps them not to be fearful.

Also, it’s really important to keep up with dental health while pregnant. My gums got very sensitive with all those hormones.

Teeth care is correlative to full body health.

2. Teaching Good Habits

We brush twice a day. We try to floss at least once a day.

When the kids are young, we supervise and help, modeling the proper way to brush and floss.

We learn about teeth and dental care in our homeschool and why it’s important to take care of even our baby teeth so we have strong, healthy adult teeth to last our whole lives.

Our kids know we value our health and they look forward to dentist visits to show off their healthy teeth.

3. Oil Pulling

Use a small spoonful of coconut oil or sesame oil with a few drops of essential oils (I like the Thieves blend). Swish for about 20 minutes. Spit (probably not in the sink since it will re-solidify and clog drains.) Rinse and brush as usual.

Keeps everything clean, bright, and healthy with lots of health benefits.

I don’t get cold sores in or around my mouth hardly ever anymore.

4. Healthy Diet

We limit our family’s sugar intake. We make sure we eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of filtered water.

I like to provide lots of variety so our kids are exposed to lots of different flavors and textures. We work those muscles chewing and smiling!

We’re aiming for a chemical-free lifestyle, and what we ingest has to be all natural and good for us!

We’re teaching healthy habits.

Our usual snacks are fruit, cheese, nuts, yogurt, and granola.

5. What’s in Your Cabinet?

Have you read the labels on your commercial toothpaste? Why does it have a poison control warning if you put it in your mouth twice a day? Why are there unnecessary chemicals, additives, and dyes? Do you know what all those words mean?

We use natural toothpaste.

We make our own mouthwash.

We use baking soda and essential oils (I like Thieves, Peppermint, and Citrus) for quick stain and tartar removal.

For really tough stains, we use activated charcoal or turmeric!

We don’t have fluoride in our natural toothpaste or added to our water, so we don’t have to worry about ingesting it and developing health problems from too much.

How do you teach your children to take good care of their teeth?

Do you have any healthy tips to share?

Linking up: Lori Schumaker, Create with Joy, MaryAndering Creatively, Our Holiday Journey, Mostly Blogging, My Pinventures, Inspo for Moms, Bloggetti, Mary Geisen, Abounding Grace, Timeless Mama, April Harris, LouLou Girls, Home Stories, Meghan Weyerbacher, Purposeful Faith, Trekking Thru, Jessi’s Design, Wise Woman, Jaime Wiebel, Gingersnap Crafts, Our Three Peas, Marilyn’s Treats, My Life Abundant, Sarah Frazer, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Crystal Storms, Susan Mead, CWJ, Firemans Wife, Blended, TOLT, FF, Momfessionals, RCH, CKK, Faithful Pursuit, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, TFT, Lyli Dunbar, Crystal Waddell, Lori Schumaker, Counting My Blessings, Life with Lorelai, Mommynificent, Creative K Kids, Imparting Grace, Apron Strings, Rachel Lee, Spiritual Sundays, SITS Girls, Pam’s Party, Pieced Pastimes, Our Mini Family, Being a Wordsmith,

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10 Gifts for Natural Living

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December 8, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Know someone who has a chemical-free home?

Here are my Top 10 Gifts for Natural Living!

These are my favorite natural living products that we use in our home almost every day!

1. Wool Dryer Balls

Fabric softeners are irritating to skin and lungs.

Use wool dryer balls with vinegar and/or essential oils instead!

2. Essential Oil Diffuser Necklaces

Love something pretty that smells great and has other great benefits!

3. Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

I love using pretty colored cloths for all our house cleaning needs – with just water or natural products like vinegar and essential oils.

Blue for windows, tan for dusting, silver for stainless!

4. Refillable Spray Mop

We love making our own cleaners and a refillable spray mop with a reusable pad makes cleaning floors easy and healthier and more environmentally sound.

5. DIY gifts with Essential Oils

Here are 10 ideas of essential oils gifts to make for friends and family (or yourself!).

6. Gift certificate to Radiant Life

I love this company for glassware and supplements – especially cod liver oil!

7. Essential Oil Diffuser

We have diffusers in almost every room. I love the scent and benefits!

We use calming scents in the bedroom and attentive scents in the school room. Cleansing scents can get rid of cooking odors.

8. Himalayan Salt Lamp

We love the soft light and qualities of these lamps in our home office and bedrooms.

These lamps can reduce indoor air pollution and allergens, improves mood and sleep quality, and reduces stress.

9. Natural Makeup and Skincare Items

We especially love Lemongrass Spa (please use my code 5450) and Cowgirl Dirt for great chemical-free, pretty makeup. We love the way our skin feels and looks with the natural cleansers and moisturizers.

10. A Happy Lamp

We live where it’s damp, cold, and dim – sometimes year-round! This Go-Lite lamp has helped us the last couple years to improve mood and energy level during those darker days.

What are your favorite natural living items?

Linking up: A Bountiful Love,

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Kombucha Adventures

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September 14, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

I was so excited to get a SCOBY from a homeschooling friend to try my hand at kombucha!

SCOBY is an acronym: Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast. Some call it a mushroom.

I brewed several jars of kombucha to find out what our family likes and to experiment with different strengths, sweetness, and flavors.

Kombucha is great healthy alternative to soda or sugary juices. I am always looking for healthier choices for my family.

Our Kombucha Adventures

My first batch of kombucha was with jasmine green tea pearls.

I love the scent of jasmine green tea and I used muslin teabags. My first batch was too strong: too much tea, not enough sugar or water. Weaker tea is better and can be worked with more easily.

Lesson learned.

I brewed the tea and waited for it to come to room temperature. I then added my SCOBY and covered the jar.

My friend didn’t give me much liquid with it!

I left the kombucha on the counter for a couple weeks.

I was impatient. I could have let it brew longer.

We don’t have air conditioning and only radiator heating, so my kitchen can sometimes be really hot or really cold.

During summer, I have to keep butter in the refrigerator. My coconut oil is liquid.

During winter, I have a difficult time getting bread to rise in such a cold house.

I strained the kombucha with a plastic strainer into a glass bowl.

I then funneled the strained kombucha into bottles for the second fermentation.

I love those pop top bottles!

I left these on the counter in a cold corner for another couple weeks before tasting. The kids loved watching the bubbles!

I experimented with several flavors: fresh raspberries and blueberries, pineapple and ginger.

The raspberry was a huge hit with everyone.

Katie drank up all the blueberry all by herself in one day!

The pineapple ginger was tart.

I also brewed some other kombucha batches with black tea.

Then still more batches with combinations of black tea with bags of raspberry and peach herbal tea. Those turned out amazing!

I lost several jars to mold when the jars got too warm too quickly. I cried.

Lesson learned.

We also mixed the plain kombucha with pineapple or tangerine juice and those were delicious.

While kombucha is ok plain, we prefer it infused with fruit or juice.

Kombucha Tips:

Allow tea to come to room temperature before adding SCOBY
Use only glass and plastic
Include at least 1 cup old kombucha with new SCOBY for best results
Use flavored or herbal teas with green or black tea bases for yummy combos!
Temperature should be just right – not too warm or too cool for fermentation.
Cover the jars loosely with cheesecloth, a tea towel, or loose lid to keep out dust and insects.
Refrigerate bottles for second fermentation.
Add fruit, herbs, spices, or juice to second fermentation for fun flavors!
SCOBYs can be kept in the refrigerator in jars until needed.

Linking up: Life of Faith, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Burlap and Babies, Written Reality, What Joy is Mine, Diamonds in the Rough, 3GLOL, Time Warp Wife, F. Dean Hackett, Cornerstone Confessions, True Aim Education, Los Gringos Locos, Hip Homeschooling Blog, Hip Homeschool Moms, A Little R&R, Raising Homemakers, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Mind Body Sole, The Modest Mom, A Proverbs 31 Wife, Christian Mommy Blogger, The Deliberate Mom, Frogs Lilypad, Imparting Grace, I Choose Joy, XOXO Rebecca, Design Dining and Diapers, The 36th Avenue, Alayna’s Creations, A Bountiful Love

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Homemade Hair Spray

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May 22, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 4 Comments

I seldom use products in my hair.

I have a teen daughter and she’s been begging me to find a way to make a natural hairspray for some of her parties and events.

Have you read the labels on hairspray?

We strive for a chemical-free home, and I have to provide great natural alternatives to the commercial beauty and personal care products out there.

And most commercial hair sprays are bad for the environment, especially the aerosol sprays.

My daughter complained of choking on all the hair spray applied on her at a salon for an updo and when she was getting done up backstage for a play. She has lots and lots of thick hair and going hairspray-free isn’t an option for her to hold some styles.

Here’s a simple hair spray that held my daughter’s hair so well and smelled great – with no chemicals!

Hair Spray Recipe

Essentials:

2 cups boiling water (I used my water cooker)
2-3 T white sugar
1-2 T vodka or isopropyl alcohol (I wonder: would witch hazel work?)
10 drops essential oil (I love Citrus or Bergamot or Ylang Ylang– something fun or floral)

Optional Additions:

1-2 T juice of orange (for dark hair) or lemon (for light hair)
1/4 c aloe vera juice

Dissolve the sugar in the water.

After cooling, mix in the vodka and essential oil.

Add juice if using.

Pour into a sprayer bottle and enjoy!

I misted my daughter’s hair before hot rollers, and then liberally spritzed the rollers to set. She had gorgeous waves!

Her hair definitely felt like it had hairspray in it, but smelled great and wasn’t sticky. I could run my fingers through it. It didn’t hold up the whole evening, but her hair doesn’t hold a curl super well. I think it would hold an updo just fine.

Homemade hair spray saves money, protects the environment, and makes your hair healthier!

Linking up: Simply Rachel

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Homemade Bug Spray

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April 20, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

I am one of those people who must have a neon sign to bugs that screams, “Come and get it!” Bugs like to chew on me and I used to spend most of the warm months scratching and itching.

I like prevention.

I don’t like using those chemical bug sprays. They smell disgusting and aren’t good to put on your skin. Whatever you put on your skin eventually makes its way into your bloodstream. So, those nasty chemicals in commercial repellants have DEET and other poisons. Do you want that in your blood or your kids’ blood?

We like to natural methods that bugs don’t like.

Sick bugs. Healthy kids.

We have the added fun bonus of icky ticks running rampant here in Germany. I don’t want ticks on us. I know people who have contracted Lyme disease!

Homemade Natural Bug Spray

One oil will do the trick. We like to create a fun blend that’s just right for our family.

We love the scent of Lemongrass. A great fresh blend is Rosemary, Lemon, and Lavender. We diffuse that all the time at home!

We always diffuse Lemongrass when we go camping. Our campsite is the only one with no flies or mosquitoes!

I created my family’s bug spray with Rosemary, Lemongrass, Lavender, Lemon, and Citronella.

It smells divine – not at all like those chemical bug sprays that I can almost taste after spraying. Yuck!

We haven’t noticed any problems with our recipe and it smells amazing. So amazing that people compliment us on our perfume!

My kids love to get all sprayed before we head out. They’re happy scents. Be aware that citrus oils are photo-sensitive and can lead to skin burning in sunlight.

These also work great diffused or sprayed where bugs like to enter our home or gather. We get fruit flies in the summer and don’t have screens on our windows. Rolladens don’t keep all the flies out. We often spray diluted peppermint around our windows and sinks to get rid of ants and spiders.

You really just need two ingredients to make a natural bug spray. It’s super simple.

(Have you read the list of ingredients in a commercial bug spray?!)

Carrier oil:

Coconut oil for a cream or lotion – mix 8 oz. with 40-50 drops of essential oils. In hot weather, this will become liquid, so keep it in a cool place like the fridge or cooler for travel.
Witch hazel (or vodka) for a spray – mix 4 oz with 40-50 drops of essential oils. The witch hazel offers an added dimension to skin health and keeps the water from developing bacteria.

Add water to fill a spray bottle. You could make everyone his or her own personal blend in little bottles. Or make a larger family batch by multiplying the ingredients. With 6 of us, we go through a lot of spray. You can also add vitamin E if the spray dries your skin out.

Essential oils we love:

These essential oils can work as repellants to insects:

Rosemary
Citronella
Clove
Geranium
Lavender
Eucalyptus
Lemon
Cedarwood
Peppermint
Lemongrass (has been known to attract bees, so be aware of that)
Basil
Thyme

Be sure to use glass spray bottles and jars with essential oil products so you can reuse them again and again. Plastic will work for short-term use, but some of the oils will eventually corrode plastic.

If a sneaky bug does make it through that 1-millimeter-squared bit of space on your skin, Lemongrass works like a charm on the itch. Also Lavender with witch hazel is a great skin-soother, if you happen to step in an ant colony or some other tragedy.

Bugs also don’t like vinegar. I clean my counters with white vinegar often in summer to keep ants away. Also, some recipes I’ve seen call for EOs with ACV. I don’t know if my kids would go for that!

Isn’t it wonderful that we can smell nice and be healthy while making it uncomfortable for creepy critters with our natural bug spray?

Also, check out our natural sunscreen recipe!

Linking up: Burlap and Babies, Mommy Crusader, Happy and Blessed Home, xoxo Rebecca, 123Homeschool4Me, Hip Homeschooling, All Kinds of Things, Wife Mom Geek, Kids Activities Blog

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Making a Chemical-Free Home

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April 8, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Our journey to being chemical-free began years ago.

I never would have thought I would be a crunchy mom, but I am proud!

We’re on a journey – often with baby steps, sometimes doing the cha-cha or completely backsliding (and regretting it), but we realize that we’re so much healthier now than we were just a year ago. We’ve come so far!

We’re making a chemical-free home for our children to grow up healthy.

Chemical Free Food

We first eliminated dyes and chemicals in our food about seven years ago to help our eldest daughter with her focusing problems.

We knew it was a good decision and saw immediate results. We learned how to eat better and our pantry looks very different than it did ten years ago!

It was a gradual process with many ups and downs. We had to learn a new way of life. Some days were really hard.

We often do a cleanse after holidays or trips with a Whole30.

We mostly drink water. The kids know any juice is a treat. Homemade soda (in our Soda Stream) is a very special treat. I am thankful that the German foods and drinks are less chemical than the American ones.

We eventually adopted a way of natural eating that works for us. I don’t freak out too much if someone hands my kids a fruit rollup or cup of Kool Aid.

My kids are learning better choices and often choose the healthier alternative without being prompted because they know how the dyes and chemicals negatively affect their bodies. They prefer to feel good in lieu of the instant gratification of the fun flavors. And they read labels. They’re learning to be good stewards of their bodies.

We’re getting into fermenting now with kombucha and kraut!

Chemical Free Cleaning

Most of the commercial cleaners available in stores are very unhealthy and exacerbate allergies and illness.

When we quit using those, we felt so much better!

We use natural cleaners for most of our home cleaning. We often make our own glass cleaner, laundry soap, and dish detergents.

Vinegar and baking soda are favorite cleaning staples. I add essential oils for extra clean scents.

We use fragrance-free and dye-free laundry detergent. We love Seventh Generation or the Costco alternative, but we need to make our own since I can’t find those here. I hang dry all our clothing – except underwear. We don’t use fabric softener.

We don’t use air fresheners, scented candles, wicks, wall plugs, or wax melts in our home, office, or cars. I diffuse essential oils. Diffusers are safer than hot wax or messy chemical liquids. My husband gets very irritated to the scents in chemical air fresheners but he loves the diffused essential oils! Check out these diffusers for under $50!

We also like having houseplants to freshen the air and make it pretty.

Chemical Free Body Care

This was our most recent change in our journey to being a chemical-free home.

We started using the natural laundry soap when our second child was born and had such sensitive skin.

We realized the chemicals we use on our skin can be just as harmful (or more so) as the chemicals we could ingest.

Several of us have suffered from dry and irritated skin for years with no explanation. Removing the chemicals from our body care helps.

We love natural products for hair, face, and body.

Liz and I use natural makeup from Cowgirl Dirt and Lemongrass Spa.

I make DIY products for skin and face with natural ingredients and essential oils for our family and friends.

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Homemade Hair Wax

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March 17, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

My son has been bugging me for months to make him some hair gel. I scanned Pinterest and researched recipes. Simple is best. I think this solid hair wax is better than gel for what he wants: “I want my hair up, Mama!”

Alex is super happy with the result!

I put a glass jar in a pot of water, cuz who has time for a double boiler?

Add beeswax. You want this melted absolutely molten or it won’t be smooth. I messed up on my sunscreen recipe because I didn’t do that. So it’s a little bumpy.

Then add shea butter to the molten beeswax.

I took the jar out of the water and added jojoba.

I mixed it with a wooden stick and added essential oils. It hardened in my cold kitchen pretty quickly.

Hair Wax Recipe

1 ounce beeswax
1 1/2 ounces shea butter
2 ounces jojoba oil
10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils

Directions:

Melt beeswax in a glass jar in a pot of water or double boiler. Add shea butter and melt. Add jojoba. Add essential oil. When it cools, it will solidify.

Great essential oils for hair:

Rosemary, peppermint, chamomile, copaiba, cypress, and sandalwood are great for dry hair.

Basil, melaleuca, lemongrass, lavender, patchouli, eucalyptus, myrtle, and citrus (lime, lemon, orange) are great for oily hair. Citrus could lighten hair in direct sunlight so take care.

Rosemary, cedarwood, geranium, lavender, copaiba, and hinoki are good for hair loss. (I know some people mix these in a spray bottle with distilled water and spritz their heads daily!)

Melaleuca and eucalyptus are especially helpful with dandruff.

I scoop some wax and rub it with my fingers into his hair and style it. Just look at his little faux hawk. He is so stylish!

Alex only wanted orange oil in his hair wax. He loves the scent of orange!

Linking up: Mind Body and Sole, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Home Stories A to Z, Your Homebased Mom, Blooming Homestead, The 36th Avenue, Happy and Blessed Home

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The Benefits of Green Carpet Cleaning

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December 26, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

When it comes to getting your carpet clean, there are few things more important to consider than the cleaners you use.

Green cleaners not only help to protect the environment against the potential for harmful chemical pollution, but can also cause respiratory and skin irritation for your family and pets.

Chemical Exposure

Traditional carpet cleaners use a bevy of chemicals to remove stains and make your carpets smell good. While they are effective in cleaning your carpets, they have also been implicated in the contribution to a number of health conditions including asthma and various allergies. They have also been shown to cause certain neurological conditions, immunosuppression and even cancer. These conditions have been seen in both humans and many pets after prolonged exposure.

Steam Cleaning

Professional carpet cleaning services often use steam cleaning as a form of green cleaning solution. When using steam, most carpet cleaning professionals don’t use chemicals at all to clean your carpets. The higher temperature and steam infusion loosens dirt and debris, allowing it to be removed manually. Steam has also been shown to be highly effective in the removal of dust mites, which are often the culprit for triggering allergic reactions.

Green Cleaning Preparations

There are also a number of green cleaning solutions that are used in conjunction with traditional hot water carpet cleaning and low flow carpet cleaning solutions. These products aid in the removal of pet stains and other stains by using naturally occurring enzymes and other certified green cleansers. Both surface cleaning solutions and pre treatment solutions are available in green cleaning preparations in order to ensure that there is no harmful chemical residue introduced into your home during the carpet cleaning process.

It is important to understand what carpet cleaning preparations are being used in your home before the technicians begin work. For example, if you are looking for Green Choice carpet cleaning Brooklyn and the company wants to use a surfactant that includes harsh chemical ingredients, it is important to know this ahead of time and find another company.

No matter what type of carpet you have, getting it cleaned regularly is the key to ensuring that your home is as clean as it looks on the surface. However, in order to ensure that you are cleaning your carpets rather than contributing to your indoor air pollution, using green carpet cleaning techniques is a must. When deciding on what carpet cleaning service to use, make sure you inquire about the company’s green carpet cleaning services.

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Homemade Face Serum

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November 12, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

I LOVE using essential oils in my beauty routine.

I don’t like all the chemicals in commercial beauty products.

My teen daughters and I typically use coconut oil and some essential oils after morning cleansing.

When we want something with a little more moisture and nourishment, we add several essential oils to a blend of nourishing carrier oils.

Here’s the recipe for my favorite face oil:

1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil (Hydrates, brightens, reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Use another carrier oil if you’re allergic to tree nuts!)
3 Tsp. Vitamin E Oil (Nourishes. Antioxidant that protects and repairs your skin.)
3 Tsp. Castor Oil (Moisturizes and stimulates lash growth. Reduces puffiness and helps eliminate wrinkles and scars.)
5-7 drops Frankincense essential oil
3 drops Lemon essential oil
3-5 drops Lavender essential oil
1 Evening Primrose Oil capsule (Hydrates the skin and increases circulation. Also reduces inflammation and clears pores.)

Mix the carrier oils together in a dark glass bottle (I typically use a dropper bottle). Puncture the Evening Primrose Oil capsule and squirt it in. Add essential oils. Attach dropper lid and mix gently.

Apply every night all over face (especially the sensitive and thin eyelids!), neck, and décolleté before going to bed.

It smells heavenly and nourishes the skin.

Here is another option that can suit your skin’s needs:

Nourish from Within Sacred Body Oil

1 oz (30 ml) vanilla-infused jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
6 drops Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
4 drops Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)
3 drops Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens)
2 drops Rose (Rosa × damascena)

Experiment. Have fun. Smell great! Have gorgeous skin.

(Be aware of any nut or other allergies when you choose carrier oils.)

Pick a Carrier Oil:

Carrier oils for Normal skin: Almond, Hazelnut, Apricot kernel, Jojoba, Evening Primrose
Carrier oils for Dry skin: Almond, Olive oil, Apricot kernel, Soy bean, Avocado, Wheatgerm, Jojoba, Carrot, Evening Primrose
Carrier oils for Oily skin: Almond, Hazelnut, Apricot kernel, Grapeseed, Jojoba
Carrier oil for Mature skin: Almond, Hazelnut, Apricot kernel, Wheatgerm, Evening Primrose, Carrot, Rosehip, Pomegranate, Borage

Pick the Best Essential Oils for Your Skin Type and the Scents You Love:

Essential oils for Normal skin: German Chamomile, Lemon, Geranium, Fennel, Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Frankincense, Carrot Seed
Essential oils for Dry skin: German Chamomile, Lavender, Calendula, Sandalwood, Geranium, Patchouli, Rose, Rosemary, Neroli
Essential oils for Oily skin: Cedarwood, Geranium, Clary Sage, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Lemon, Peppermint, Frankincense, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Juniper, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Neroli
Essential oils for Mature skin: Rose, Geranium, Myrrh, Patchouli, Lavender, Citrus, Frankincense, Neroli, Fennel, Clary Sage, Sage, Cypress, Sandalwood

I see an improvement in my skin texture and clarity, especially as winter approaches with its cold air, drying wind, and indoor central heating.

What are your favorite scents?

Linking up: Kids Activities Blog

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Homemade Sunscreen

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March 31, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert 13 Comments

It’s ironic to make sunscreen when it’s snowing outside. The end of March and we get snow all day long! I am getting depressed with winter.

I long for sunny days and warmer temperatures and the need for sunscreen! I’m preparing and wishfully thinking.

I love the scent and texture of this natural homemade sunscreen.

It works great, smells great, moisturizes, doesn’t break our skin out, and doesn’t have any of those nasty unpronouncable ingredients.

It’s pretty water-resistant too.

Water Resistant Sunscreen Recipe:

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Coconut Oil (natural SPF of 10+)
1/4 cup Beeswax (try to get some locally for even more health benefits!) This makes it water-resistant.
2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide powder (natural SPF of 20+)
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (I love the scent of this stuff!)
2 Tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF of 5+)
40-50 drops of Essential Oils (I use about 10 drops each of Lavender, Helichrysum, Myrrh, Roman Chamomile, Carrot Seed)

Melt the oils (except vitamin E and essential oils) over medium heat in a double boiler or in a glass jar and fill the pot halfway up the side of your jar with water. Stir with a wooden spoon. I sometimes just use a disposable plastic spoon or even wooden chopstick! I typically don’t use metal spoons when dealing with essential oils in case they react.

Let the oil mixture cool to almost room temperature, but not yet solidified, then add the vitamin E oil, zinc oxide, and essential oils. After an hour or so, it will solidify to a nice creamy lotion. If you keep it really chilled, you could put this into pretty shaped molds and have a lotion bar.

I found this glass jar in the container section of Walmart. Hobby Lobby has a nice selection too. I love pretty glass jars with good sealable lids!

This homemade natural sunscreen has at least 30 SPF with the essential oils and all those natural ingredients! It smells amazing and is good for your skin – with no scary chemicals. I have so many friends and family members who are allergic to commercial sunscreens and they have to be really careful when they go out on sunny days. With this, they won’t have to worry so much! And it smells great and doesn’t leave our skin greasy.

We do have to reapply this a bit more often than commercial sunscreens if we’re spending the whole day at a pool or beach.

TAN ENHANCER: You need the sun’s exposure, but not to the point of burning. Try this simple recipe to nourish your skin with healthy oils, while resisting some of the harmful UV rays. As always, use care and common sense with the amount of time your skin is exposed to the sun. RECIPE: Mix 6 T coconut oil with 1 T sesame oil. Rub into the skin. According to Sue Frederick, author of A Mother’s Guide to Raising Healthy Children, sesame oil resists 30% of UV rays while coconut oil blocks out about 20%. Info has not been evaluated by the FDA.