Homemade Dry Shampoo

Do you want to know my secret to having fab hair and extending to a weekly wash? Two words - Dry. Shampoo. 

Dry shampoo has been buzzing around for quite for some time. But, just in case you haven't heard of this magical product, it helps keep your hair full of life and free of grease between washes. At the drug store it typically comes in a powder or spray form. You dust or spray your oily roots with the powder, let it sit for a minute or two and then massage it in. The powder will help absorb the excess oil in your hair and give your some lift at the root.  You're left with clean, voluminous looking hair. And, no one has to know you slept in instead of washing your hair.

Sleep > Hair

I first discovered dry shampoo while doing Gypsy. My hair was looking a little oily for the performance and someone handed me a bottle of baby powder. It was MAGICAL.... other than the fact I smelled like baby powder. There's something about the smell of baby powder that makes me want to vomit.

Next time I saw my stylist, I asked her about something similar. She recommended a fabulous product that gave a lot of lift to the root too. Southern girls do love big hair. But, at $30 for a small bottle there had to be a better way. For a while I used just organic cornstarch which does a fine job, but I found that it faded quickly and did not cling to the roots as much as I would like. But, I'm happy to announce; I have found an awesome recipe!

Dry Shampoo

5 minutes

• 1 Tablespoon Bentonite Clay
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder
• 1 Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder

I keep it in a salt and pepper shaker for easy application. If you have light colored hair, omit the cocoa powder.

To apply the dry shampoo you'll want to section your hair. I always part my hair a little bit further left and sprinkle. Then I part it a little too far to the right and sprinkle. Then I save the crown for last. By sprinkling the powder underneath the greasy hair you're also adding a little extra lift to your hair. We all know that hair can become quite limp when greasy - and no one wants that!

Have you made dry shampoo? What are some of your favorite beauty products.

Homemade Febreze

Febreze was my favorite scent in college. Didn't have time to do laundry - febreze it. Stinky dance shoes - febreze it. Going somewhere - febreze yourself. 

While I want to believe my home is beyond the need of a product like this, I have a majestic beast who loves to roll in the mud and use my pillow as a paw mat. 

What do you mean - this isn't my bed??? 

But.... what is febreze?

According to proctor and gamble, it doesn't remove odor molecules. Instead it traps them inside of a chemical shield to mask the bad scent with a fake chemical smell. Um - what?  

P&G claims it uses only four ingredients: water, alcohol, odor eliminator derived from corn, fragrance.

Unfortunately the ewg found 89! Here are the findings: 

University of Washington study found that U.S. air fresheners released an average of 18 chemicals into the air. On average, one in five of these chemicals were hazardous substances highlighted in federal and some state pollution standards. 

When EWG conducted more sensitive testing of the air freshener Febreze Air Effects as part of a 2009 study of cleaning supplies used in California schools, we detected a total of 89 airborne contaminants, including acetaldehyde,  a likely human carcinogen according to the EPA.

Some of those chemicals include: 

• BHT — a known neurotoxin, a hormone disruptor, immune system toxin, and irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
• Propylene Glycol — also a known carcinogen, propylene glycol is toxic to the immune system, is linked to allergies, accumulates in the body and irritates the skin, eyes, and lungs
• Acetaldehyde — a known carcinogen, that has reproductive and development effects immune system toxin, and irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
• Fragrance — This is one of the four disclosed ingredients.  However, on its own, it can contain up to 400 ingredients, most of which 95% are petrochemicals. Exposure to fragrances can damage the central nervous system and cause depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, behavioral damages, headaches, dizziness, rashes, hyper-pigmentation, vomiting, coughing, and skin irritation. the most common chemicals in fragrances are ethanol, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, a-pinene, acetone, benzyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, linalook, a-terpinene, methylene chloride, and a-terpineol.  Most of these ingredients were found in Febreze.  
• 1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol — known carcinogen

Woah. Scary right? But, what if I told you there was a cheaper, easier, and safer solution? 

Being in the theatre most of my life, there is always a need to freshen costumes. There isn't enough time to wash them in between each show. So, how can we freshen sweaty actor costumes on a theatre budget? 

Vodka Spray

1 minute

1 part vodka

1 part water

In a spray bottle pour it half full of vodka. For the other half pour in distilled or filtered water. Give it a good shake and spray.

It's that simple. Vodka is a disinfectant. When it hits your carpet, dance shoes, or sweaters, it will destroy the bacteria causing odor. 

Now, you want to use the cheapest vodka you can find in a glass bottle or on tap. Save the good stuff for drinking. But, isn't it cool knowing you could safely drink this if you wanted to? Try drinking febreze. 

What do you use to freshen your home?  

 

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Zero Waste, All Natural Deodorant

So, back in May I wrote about my deodorant. It worked SO well, until the full heat of summer hit in July. 

If you're new to to world of natural deodorant, you'll have to detox first. Your skin is so used to relying on unnatural chemicals that block your pores and the natural process - your body needs to purge. After using these products for years there is build up and residue under the skin that takes time to pull out. 

With conventional deodorant your armpits are most likely accoustomed to: 

• Phthalates – a hormone disruptor and linked to infertility
• Aluminum – linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s
• Parabens – a hormone disruptor and can found in breast cancer tissue
  • ethyl, methyl, propyl, butyl, isobutyl, benzyl
• Formaldehyde – a known carcinogen
• Antibacterial – a hormone disruptor and adversely effects the immune system
• Propylene glycol – an antifreeze agent 

It will take several weeks for a complete detox. During that time, it's suggested not to wear any deodorant. If you try to skip the detoxing phase and immediately switch to a natural deodorant you will most likely experience noticeable irritability and more sweating with a stronger smell.

With such chilly weather, doing a detox now is ideal. After your detox, you'll notice less sweating, less stink, and less irritation without using deodorant. My detox lasted around three weeks.

PRO TIP: If you want to speed up the process mix some bentonite clay with apple cider vinegar. Apply with a rag on your armpits after a shower.

In July, when things were getting bad, I tried to use some of the conventional deodorant (Secret) that I had leftover. And, it was a disaster! My body had already detoxed, and I had lost all of the build up. It completely prevented it from working. (But, after reading that ingredient list - it's a good thing!) 

Then I tried several other homemade deodorants. Most called for the use of coconut oil. Now, I'm about to commit wellness heresy. But..... I don't like coconut oil. I think it's just OK.

Also, the major problem with an oil base is if you sweat AT ALL. You have oil stains on the pit of your clothes.

One day of oil stains was enough for me - NEVER AGAIN. Then I looked into getting a crystal deodorant. But, the solid crystal came in plastic #6 and I couldn't bring myself to buy it. Then I noticed the store also sold a crystal deodorant spray. I read the ingredients:

Water, Natural Mineral Salts, Alum

Ammonium ALUM to be exact. Do you know what that is short for/contains? Aluminum. Exactly what I was trying to avoid in my deodorant. And, it's used only for molecule distribution. So you don't have to shake it up before using it. 

Well, I have natural mineral salt and water in my kitchen and I don't mind giving my deodorant a little shake before I use it. Do you? Thus a new recipe was born. 

I still use baking soda, but if you're sensitive you could try and swap it for bentonite clay. 

All Natural Zero Waste Deodorant

Makes 2 oz

2 oz of Water

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

• Absorbs moisture
• Natural deodorizer that helps neutralize odor
• Is alkaline and helps prevent excess sweating
• Lowers your pH level to counteract the acids in sweat.
• further reading

1 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt

• Provides essential minerals and trace elements
• Helps eliminate toxins
• Balances the bodies pH
• Helps to increase blood circulation

Heat 2 oz of water in a double broiler. Bring the water to a boil for five minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. While it's still very, very warm, add the baking soda and salt. It should mostly dissolve in the warm water. There will be some particles left over and you'll have to shake before using. Pour into a spray bottle. 

If you would like to add some scent you can use 2-3 drops of essential oil. I recommend tea tree because of the antibacterial properties. But, I'm not a huge fan of the scent. 

And, just to prove that my deodorant works I went 10 days (YES, 10 DAYS) without showering. On day 10 I went to a party and hugged all my friends who are honest enough to tell me if I stink. And, I asked them to smell my pits; what are friends for!? The verdict is in - NO SMELL. 

I spritz before bed and in the morning. Have you tried any natural deodorants? What are some of your successes or failures? 

 

*UPDATE*

Some people have had difficulty with the spray nozzle clogging. Please make sure you're using fine salt. Also, I have tested this in a roll on bottle and it works great! You can skip the spray bottle all together and use a roll on bottle. The recipe is too large for this. So, I would keep a small mason jar in the bathroom and refill it. The deodorant will last a long time. With application twice a day most days - it should last 5 months and is shelf stable.

Illustration by Meggie Ramm check out her blog here.

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