Coconut Oil Deodorant

Deodorant - This has been the best thing I have discovered lately! It works wonders! I am one that has always had to use very strong deodorant because the natural stuff never worked. I have been blown away by the effectiveness of this recipe. My husband was a little skeptical at first, and didn’t necessarily like applying it with his hands, but the benefits far out way any extra effort. Ingredients: Arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), baking soda, and coconut oil. Combine equal quantities of arrowroot and baking soda (I started with ¼ cup each). Then add as much coconut oil to the mixture till you get the substance that you desire (2-3 Tbls). Replace your empty deodorant containers with the product or store it in a plastic bowl with lid.

Basic Cold Cream

½ t. borax
¼ c. water
½ c. mineral oil
2 T. beeswax, grated

Dissolve the borax in the ¼ c. water, then set aside. Place oil and grated beeswax in a glass cup. Place the cup in a pan of water that has 1-2 inches of water in it. Heat it until the beeswax is melted. Stir occasionally. It will take around 8-10 minutes for it to melt.

Once the wax is melted, bring the borax/water mixture to almost-boiling. You can put it in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or use the pan of water and heat it like oil/honey mixture. Once it is done, slowly add it to the oil/beeswax mixture, stirring briskly. (This is a neat chemical reaction, so make a science lesson out of it!)

Once it mixes up well, pour into a container that has a lid. To use, wet your face, then massage a very small amount into your skin. Rinse with warm water.

A few drops of essential oil can be added for scent, if desired. Yield: 8 ounces.

I like to apply this to my face and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing. It feels WONDERFUL! You can literally feel your skin drinking up the moisture of it. I also have omitted adding any scent to mine and it does just fine. This is best for normal or dry ski.

For grating the beeswax, I found it easier to use a knife, rather than a potato peeler.

For those of you who are local, I bought the beeswax at the health food store. You will have to ask a clerk to get it for you because it is behind a counter. The beeswax was only .99, and I will get MANY containers of cleanser from that one bar of beeswax! VERY EASY ON THE BUDGET!

Anti-perspirant spray

1 c. water
1-1/2 t. alum powder (very inexpensive and can be found at the health food store)
¼ c. rubbing alcohol

Mix all ingredients and stir well until the alum is dissolved. Pour into a pump spray bottle.

Yield: 10 ounces

Liquid / Gel Soap

* 1 bar of grated soap (I used Dove because that is what I had)
* 4 c. water
* 4 T. glycerin

Mix ingredients together in a large pot or dutch oven. Set over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soap has dissolved. Transfer to a bottle.* For a less thick gel soap, use 1 gallon of water.

*I filled each bottle about 1/2 full, then added one drop of food coloring. I continued with filling the bottle. Once it was filled, I added a few drops of essential oil to each bottle.

The soap will thicken as it cools.

Liquid Hand Soap (I have not tried this recipe.)
1. Grate one bar of soap.
2. Place the grated soap and 1 c. boiling water in a blender and set it on "whip."
3. Add 1 T. honey and 1 t. glycerin and stir.
4. Cool the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes and whip again.
5. Add cold water to the mixture until you have 6 c.
6. Whip the mixture again.
7. Pour it into a storage container and let it cool. Do not place a lid on the container.
8. Fill a pump dispenser with the soap. Shake before using.