Plants Can Make You Smell Good!

Most conventional perfumes are made with harmful synthetic chemicals (pewwee!), but that wasn't always the case.  In the past, simple natural scents were made by steeping fresh, slightly wilted flowers and leaves in a glass bottle with alcohol or oil.  Sounds romantic, but the process was often time consuming. You can do the same, or you can use all natural ingredients to quickly make your own scented waters at home.

Mix 1/2 cup natural alcohol (try Everclear or vodka) with 1/4 cup distilled water in a glass spray bottle.  Add 2 or 3 drops of your favorite essential oils and shake well.  Experiment with different blends to make your own signature scents.  These are lighter than perfume so they're perfect for daytime use and you won't be slathering yourself with all those toxic chemicals either.  Don't forget to give it a little shake before each use because naturally scented waters don't have chemical emulsifiers in them either.

Spritz.  Repeat.  Enjoy!

The Natural Solution to Real Soap Scum

Let's face it. If you use real natural handmade soap, you're probably going to have to contend with soap scum.  This is not a fact that natural soap makers often highlight.  But one that exists, nevertheless.  Synthetic detergents are less susceptible, but who wants to use that chemical laden fake soap stuff anyway?  (If you answered, "I do"  then  you can skip this blog post and go about your unhealthy merry way.)

Soap scum is an informal term for the white solid film that results from the addition of real soap to hard water.  Its most familiar sign is the dreaded "ring around the bath tub".  The one you have to scrub and scrub to get rid of (especially before guests come over). Not an enjoyable chore, to say the least!

But soap scum doesn't have to get you down.  And you don't have to resort to toxic cleaning compounds either.  Make a simple paste out of baking soda and vinegar.  Add a few drops of anti-microbial tea tree or lemon essential oil (optional) and a squirt of liquid castile soap.  Apply to soap scum and let sit for 15-20 minutes.  This will soften the scum so that you can wipe it away.  

OK, you still might have to scrub a little.  But at least this is a non-toxic and affordable way to tackle soap scum.  You're done.