Simple Mouthwash Recipes

Mouthwashes are a great way to get rid of the harmful bacteria living in the narrow crevices between our teeth and gums as well as a great way to temporarily get rid of bad breath. Unfortunetly, most commercial mouthwashes mask rather than eliminate bad breath, so after searching on the website planetgreen.com I found two mouthwash recipes made with effective ingredients that you can make at home.

Recipes from:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/

Homemade Mint Mouthwash

2 oz filtered water
1/4 tsp baking soda or sea salt
1 drop of pure peppermint oil

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together and swish like you normally would. This is only for one serving. Make as much or as little as you want.

Rosemary-Mint Mouthwash

2 1/2 cups filtered water
1 tsp fresh organic mint leaves
1 tsp organic rosemary leaves

1 tsp anise seeds

Directions:

1. Boil the water, add herbs and seeds, and infuse for 20 minutes.
2. Let the liquid cool. Strain and use it to gargle. This amount is enough to last about a week.

Men's Cologne

Cologne was invented by Italian Johann-Maria Farina living in Cologne, Germany in the early eighteenth century. It was originally used as a refreshing deoderant and soon became popular for its light and fresh fragrance. You can make your very own men's cologne following this simple recipe. Note that commercial colognes use perfume-grade ethyl alcohol as a base, since this is difficult to purchase in small amounts try to use the highest proof of vodka you can find.

Recipe from:

Farrer-Halls Gill. Natural Beauty Recipe Book. (2006)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp (50 ml) high proof vodka

20 drops sandalwood

10 drops frankincense

20 drops nutmeg

15 drops clove

15 drops petitgrain

5 drops jasmine

10 drops vetiver

5 drops holy basil

10 drops clary sage

2 tbsp (25 ml) linden flower water

1. Fill a dark glass bottle (which can hold 4 fl oz, 100 ml, of liquid) with the high proof vodka.

2. Carefully drop in the essential oils, one by one. Put on the bottle cap and shake vigorously for a few minutes to thoroughly dissolve the essential oils.

3. Top off with the flower water, and shake again. A small amount of essential oil may seperate out and float on the top, so before using the cologne, remember to shake the bottle first each time.

4. Let the cologne stand for a week or two before using it. This allows the cologne to mature and the perfume to settle.

Cedarwood and Juniper Aftershave

Cedarwood is a very popular ingredient in men's toiletries not only because of its' scent but because of its astringent and antiseptic qualities as well, while juniper is cooling and refreshing. Combined together this recipe will create a very familiar masculine scent worthy even for the most manliest of men.

Recipe from:

Farrer-Halls Gill. Natural Beauty Recipe Book. (2006)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp (20 ml) high proof vodka

8 drops cedarwood

6 drops cypress

3 drops juniper

4 tbsp (50 ml) witch hazel
6 1/2 tbsp (100 ml) orange flower water

1. Pour the vodka into a 7 oz (200 ml) glass bottle. Carefully add the essential oils, one by one, and shake vigorously until the oils have dissolved.

2. Add the witch hazel and shake well. Then add the orange flower water and shake again.

3. Label the bottle and the aftershave is ready to use.

4. Make sure to shake the bottle before using each time to disperse the oils.

Sandalwood and Vetivert Aftershave

Since aftershave is usually the only thing most men use as part of their skin regiment I think it would be helpful to show how you can make your own by using more natural ingredients. The essential oils in this recipe not only provide a more subtle masculine woody scent than most overpowering commercial aftershaves, but they also tone and close the pores on freshly shaven skin. This recipe is perfect for men with sensitive skin as well as young men just learning to shave.

recipe from: Farrer-Halls Gill. Natural Beauty recipe book (2006)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp (20 ml) high proof vodka

8 drops sandalwood

6 drops vetivert

3 drops neroli

4 tbsp (50 ml) witch hazel

6 1/2 tbsp (100 ml) rose water

1. Pour the vodka into a 7 oz (200 ml) glass bottle. Carefully add the essential oils, one by one, and shake vigorously until the oils have dissolved.

2. Add the witch hazel and shake well. Then add the rose water and shake again.

3. Label the bottle and the Sandalwood and Vetivert Aftershave is ready to use.

4. Make sure to shake the bottle before using each time to dispense the oils.

Homemade Organic Toothpaste

So one day I'm in the market for an organic toothpaste and since the store that I'm shopping at has a limited collection of organic products I can only find toothpaste from Tom's of Maine. Which happens to contain Laurel Sulfate (SLS) which is to some people a harsh foaming agent and its also a substance that is hotly debated amoung the natural obsessed with half of people saying it's safe while others are not quite so sure. In the end the whole shopping adventure left me frustraded and a little bit sad, but while I was pouting I had the brilliant idea to make my own. Now I know what you are thinking, maybe denistry should be handled by the professionals it's one thing to make soap it's another thing to trust your teeth soley to nature, to that I say nay! Because if you would research toothpaste further you'll find that the most effective ingredients found in toothpaste have not changed since the 1800's and that the over the years the only thing that has toothpaste companies have added are flouride (that is over consumed anyway, but that is another debate) and factory created chemicals that are ment to artificially color, sweeten, and various synthetic ingredients ment as foaming agents. Not only that, the chemicals in commercial toothpaste are said to disrupt hormone parabens, are possibly linked to the developement of breast cancer, and they are found damaging to the gums and skin.

So after much searching on the internet toothpate recipe from Organic Body Care Recipes (Storey, 2007) by Stephanie Tourles that is not only all-natural, but easy to make, store, and is just as effective as any store bought toothpaste in regards to tooth-whitening, oder-eliminating, plaque prevention. It's also super inexpensive.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, finely ground

1 drop peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, clove, or cinnamon bark essential oil

A few drops of tap water (did you know that tap water is cleaner than bottled water, more on this later.)

1. Add all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and mix evenly with tiny spoon until a smooth thick paste forms that is thick enough to stay on a toothbrush.

2. Place paste on toothbrush and use just as you would a commercial toothpaste.

3. Store excess paste in airtight container, my favorite is an eyedropper that has a dispenser cap . With that you get the perfect amount of paste without the excess clinging to the bottle. Make sure you label the bottle. The toothpaste can be easily stored in the bathroom and does not need to be refrigerated. I use 1/2 ounce bottle and that lasts me about a couple of weeks. This is also perfect for airline travel.

Basic Lip balm

If you were to rob me by picking my pockets I'm sure you would be dissappointed by finding only natural chapstick in there. That is if it was not money that you were after but in fact my natural chapstick, most likely for your badly chapped lips or for your homemade shrine. If that is the case then there is no need for criminal action you can either ask me for it or make your very own by following this simple recipe that I found on marthastewart.com. You can buy empty plastic tubes shown in the picture above on the internet, cosmetic jars and tiny tins are also great to use. Natural chapstick has its' benefits as well, like not only are they based on plant oils which are more natural to your lips they also omit the synthetic chemical ingredients found in the majority of chapsticks.

Most importantly petroleum which is not only a limited resource that is bad for the enviroment it is also bad for you. By using essential oils (like peppermint, lime, tangerine, etc.) you can express yourself with this inexpensive craft in so many ways. These also make neat gifts for Mother's day, as christmas stocking stuffers or for Hanukkah, they can even be given out as children's party favors. And what better way to show your significant other that you care then with their very own unique chapstick.

Here's the original recipe found on:
http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/homemade-lip-balm

(This recipe makes about 1/2 ounces of balm)



Ingredients:

3 teaspoons grated, unbleached beeswax
5 teaspoons carrier oil (sunflower, castor, or jojoba)
6 or 7 drops essential oil
1 teaspoon honey for flavor



1. Melt the beeswax and carrier oil together in the top of a double boiler, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, add honey and essential oil. Mix throughly so the honey does not clump.

2. To add a little color, stir in a tiny dap of lipstick with a coffee stirrer. Pour the mixture into containers; let it sit for 20 minutes before covering or moving. For a glossier lip balm, use 2 teaspoons wax and 8 teaspoons carrier oil.

DIY Lip Stain

A lipstain is a unique substitute to lipstick. It can provide either a hint or a pop of color and looks great with either a natural to a very dramatic makeup style. Lipstain are the perfect answer for a person that is looking for all day coverage, has only minutes to spare, or just wants a low maintance look that looks great and well-put- together. Beet juice makes a great organic lipstain that can outlast eating, drinking, sweating, and even swimming. You can use the juice from either canned or fresh beets.

Beet juice can add a wide range of colors to the lips ranging from a hint of pink to colors such as deep red to even dark purple depending how long and how much is on your lips. To stain lips begin by using a cotton swab to carefully outline and color your lips. Be careful beet juice stains are hard to get off both skin and clothes! Store the remainder of the juice in a container and refrigerate for later use. In order to achieve a pink tint lips can also be stained overnight.