Tag: DIY

Homemade Beeswax Hair Product/Lip Balm

by surfchickareta, posted in cosmetic, natural alternatives

About three years ago I came across a great recipe for a natural alternative to commercial hair product of the wax & pomade kind. It’s been great for travelling as I don’t have to try and find some strange branded hair product in a foreign country packed full of chemicals. It’s inexpensive, very easy and quick to make and it feels amazing to use a product you made with your own two hands and know exactly what ingredients are contained within.

I also use this same recipe as a soothing lip balm without having to alter the recipe.

Ingredientsnatural beauty

2 Tbs. grated beeswax

1 Tbs. Olive oil

1/4 cup coconut oil

Beeswax is usually obtainable from your local market or speciality health store. For those around NSW/QLD border I buy mine from Byron Bay- $3.50 for a solid block of wax in a container that holds 15Tbs or more grated! You’ll also need a container to scoop the finished produce into. I use a small glass container with a screw top lid. You can use an old lipstick tube and scoop the mixture into it if you are also using as a lip balm.

Remember both beeswax and coconut oil have great healing properties (particularly beeswax) so you can also apply the mixture direct to reef cuts or other wounds to help keep infections at bay.

Directions

Slice sections of beeswax off the block or use a grater and measure out 2Tbs. (or thereabouts) of beeswax. You can experiment with the amounts, the more beeswax the more solid the mix. Depending on the season bear in mind that coconut oil solidifies in more cooler temperatures and liquifies in heat.

Heat a small saucepan on low-medium heat and place the grated beeswax in the pan. Measure out the olive oil and coconut oil and pour in. The beeswax will melt into the oil much like butter would. Gently stir until all of the beeswax has dissolved and remove from the heat.

Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture starts to turn cloudy off-white and begins to harden enough to scoop into your container. Allow to cool.

This amount will last me up to six months and is certainly investing the short time it takes to make a safe and chemical free hair and multi-purpose product.

El Naturale Teeth Whitener

by surfchickareta, posted in cosmetic, health, natural alternatives, teeth whitening, wellbeing

The teeth whitening industry is currently estimated to be a whopping $11 billion industry. That’s a pretty high figure considering many people have a fear of being in the dentist’s chair! Aside from a wisdom tooth extraction at an army base in Thailand which cost me about $7AUD (story for another time) I haven’t visited the dentist for around a decade and don’t plan to unless I experience obvious pain or problems with my teeth, mouth and gums. I much prefer to be pedantic about brushing my grills twice a day every day without exception, eat as close to nature as possible to avoid cavities from highly processed, sugary foods and once a week brighten my smile with a simple at home method.

Baking soda & lemon teeth whitener

This little at home teeth whitening trick is relatively new to me but I’m pretty happy with the results. I’ve been using this method for about two months and have noticed an improvement in the whiteness of my teeth (I do love my coffee) and the general smooth natural teeth whitenerfeeling of my dentures after I use the baking soda and lemon combo.

  1. Grab a small bowl and mix in about one heaped teaspoon of baking soda.
  1. Cut open a fresh lemon, only a small end slither of about 2cm and slowly squeeze the lemon juice onto the baking soda which will cause the baking soda to fizz from contact with the citrus. Stir the lemon juice in and gradually add more juice as needed until you have formed a smooth paste.
  1. Place your toothbrush in the mixture until its surface has a nice layer of the paste and lightly brush those grills, reapplying the mixture onto your brush along the way. natural whitener Brush for about two minutes then rinse out your mouth with fresh water.

This is such a simple, easy and cost effective way to whiten your teeth. The baking soda is pretty abrasive therefore you only want to be using the above technique once a week max. The idea of the fresh lemon juice is that it helps activate the properties of the baking soda and increases the effectiveness of the teeth whitening.