Natural Products to NO Products...

Since my last post on Natural Products, which you can find here, we have managed to cut back even more - so figured I would fill you in.

I will cover, household cleaning, laundry and our kooky little washing machine, what we use to do dishes, and then of course what we use to clean ourselves, deodorant, teeth, hair removal, make-up and skincare, and even what we use to wash Loki (our puppy).

Household cleaning is simple,

we've been cleaning with a reusable wet cloth for so many years, I've actually forgotten what a person would use ordinarily.

For more stubborn dirt or just an occasional purify we will use a wet cloth dipped in a vinegar/water/lemon solution.

I keep a jar of lemon peels and vinegar in the fridge and just use this when the need arises.

But honestly, we are not huge fans of disinfecting things, so we stick to water.

And in order to understand how this works so well for us, I feel the need to mention that when you stop using products,

things like shampoo/conditioner and soap/shower gel,

you quickly notice that because there is no residue from any of these things left behind,

on the walls of your shower or around the drains etcetera,

there is nothing for mould to grow on, or dirt to stick to.

Everything is always already clean.

We hadn't even realised this until we had visitors come and stay, and after they had left, for the first time in years,

we had mould and patchy marks in our shower, and dirty drains caked in suds.

We also don't cook with oil or grease at all, so we don't get grimy counters that need anything other than water to get clean.

We will also just wipe toilets with the vinegar solution and if they need to be scrubbed I will throw a bit of bicarbonate of soda in them and use the brush to scrub them clean.

The need for all these chemicals that are constantly being pushed on us, are so unnecessary, and are really just poisoning us in our homes,

when the real solution is so much more natural, ethical and affordable.

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For the dishes, we use a dishwasher,

so we buy cruelty-free dishwasher tablets, that aren't wrapped in individual little plastic wrappers!

But again, because we don't cook with oil/grease, we actually put the washer on a hot wash only,

and only use a tablet if we have had greasy junk food,

which is so rare, that a box lasts us a really long time.

A hot water wash works really well, and we have not had any issues.

We did debate for a long time whether or not to use a dishwasher or wash dishes by hand, but it was a toss up between using the energy or conserving water, because there are pros and cons for both.

So we ended up with this solution which works well for us.

For the rinse aid filler, we use vinegar and that works great too - especially because it is a natural disinfectant, you know that the dishes are at least getting a good purification rinse.

If we need to scrub something by hand, we use a plant loofah that we cut into inch pieces, instead of conventional scourers.

They work great, and when they get grubby you can throw them in the compost - so zero waste.

For our laundry, we use a cup of vinegar per load and that is all.

No your clothes wont smell like vinegar.

Vinegar is a very effective fabric softener so will leave your clothes super soft.

Vinegar is great for removing stains without discolouring or fading your clothes.

Vinegar is natural and will leave your water at a neutral ph, so that you can use it to water your plants.

No your clothes won't smell like fruit or flowers, but they will be clean and smell like nothing.

Yes it will clean stubborn dirt,

yes it will remove all odour - Vern and I go to the gym everyday and sweat like crazy, and our clothes come out smelling clean every. single. time.

We also purchased a small twin tub washing machine, that I think might actually be for campers.

But we wanted to control where our water was coming from, and where it ended up afterwards.

We also wanted a machine that was easy to fix if anything broke - because we've had conventional washing machines in the past, and those things were not made to be fixed!

We have ended up with a couple of washing machine drum fire pits, so we know.

We also didn't see the need for such long washing cycles.

Most of the regular machines we've owned had cycles no less than an hour and a half? why?

Even if you are a mechanic and are covered in dirt, you could soak your clothes and do a cycle under an hour to get your clothes clean.

We certainly don't need two hour cycles for every bundle we do, especially as most people's clothing is never even that dirty.

We have a strict sniff test in our house.

If our clothes don't smell, they get worn until they do :)

The cycle on the twin tub is 15 minutes, and we were skeptical ourselves at first,

but I cannot express how impressed we are with this little power house of a machine.

It takes a decent sized load and a 15 minute cycle with a cup of vinegar does the job every time.

The spinner is also so efficient, that in 3 minutes the clothes are practically dry.

Which is a huge plus for us, because living in the UK, over the winter months, things struggle to dry completely.

The other perks of using one of these, is that we can control where our water comes from,

so when we are just having quick rinses in the shower, we can collect that water and fill up from that.

We can also choose how many times we want to use that water to wash with, so if it's not dirty after the first load, we will use it for a second load.

What I tend to do is drain the vinegar water (which comes out ph neutral - I checked)

and use that for plants, or to wash other things, like the paving, car, bicycles, muddy boots, or even to fill up the toilet tank,

and then do a rinse cycle, spin the clothes and use that rinse cycle water for the next load.

It's awesome! And it's also pretty fun to use, so Maddie enjoys helping.

Oh and it was cheap!

I'll quickly just mention what we use for our puppy,

we buy him an organic, natural bar soap to wash him with - we like to buy one that comes in a compostable cardboard packaging.

And he gets his teeth brushed with an old toothbrush and coconut oil.

Makes for one happy pup!

Now for everything personal hygiene related.

If you have read my previous posts you will already know that we have been washing ourselves and our hair with water only for many years now.

I encourage you to check out my Al Naturale post to see where it all started.

Needless to say, we still use water only, and I have since purchased myself a really nice hemp body scrubbing glove that I just love.

In this picture is everything that we use for personal hygiene.

Other than what you see here, the only things we buy are large bulk bottles of vinegar, coconut oil and bicarbonate of soda.

We bought 5kg containers of the coconut oil and bicarb about 3 years ago and they are still going strong.

I highly recommend buying these things in bulk, to save not only money, but plastic waste as well.

I shudder to think how many plastic bottle of bicarb we would have used up by now, for cleaning products, science projects, beauty and baking!

I use to, and sometimes still do make my own toothpaste powder, which I love, and you can find a recipe for here.

But we do on occasion buy a flouride-free, cruelty free toothpaste, and are currently trying out this one.

We all also use bamboo toothbrushes, which has become one of those no brainers these days, just like ditching the plastic straws, so I'm pleased about that.

For deodorant we all use magnesium spray.

It is perfect for getting your recommended daily amount of magnesium,

because you can pretty much guarantee it's getting absorbed,

which is not always such a guarantee if you are taking an oral supplement.

You can also tell whether or not you are low in magnesium, because your skin will tingle if you are, so that's good too.

It is odourless, so you won't smell like flowers, and you will still perspire - which is a good thing, because we sweat for a reason - but it is very effective for smelliness I have found, and I've tried quite a few all natural or home made deodorants.

Recent studies have also shown that magnesium is actually more important for healthy bones than calcium, so get your magnesium in!

For skincare we use aloe straight from the plant, and coconut oil if our skin is feeling dry.

I like to tell Maddie that you should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat,

because anything you apply to your skin is being absorbed into your body, so if you don't recognise the ingredients then stay away from it.

Just because it promises you youthful glowing skin, doesn't mean it's actually going to live up to that promise,

and remember that like many things being marketed to us, they aren't telling you what ELSE you are getting.

They aren't exactly going to say 'get youthful glowing skin, with a side of cancer causing chemicals' are they?!

And coconut oil, or avocado oil work really great as a moisturiser.

If I am feeling like an anti-aging boost or skin rejuvenate of some sort, then I will use a jade stone, and massage my face with that and a bit of coconut oil.

Everybody knows that increasing blood circulation to an area helps rejuvenate the skin,

so I'd rather put in a bit of effort while I'm watching tv in the evenings, rather than trusting corporations with one of my most important organs.

I also like to use turmeric masks or other natural food masks from time to time, and eat a diet rich in healthy fats, vitamin A,

beta-carotene, anti-oxidants and zinc.

I also drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun!

For hair removal, it's as simple as ever.

I have used an epilator under my arms for years and it works great.

I don't really have an issue with growing my underarm hair, so will really only use it when I feel like it.

My husband uses an electric trimmer and razor for his beard, and I trim my bikini line with the trimmer.

I find it way nicer to just keep that area trim instead of shaved.

Firstly because I am a woman and I'm not interested in being smooth,

but I do tend to itch a bit if I let things get out of control.

Shaving always caused such skin irritation and razor burn, so I was very happy when I discovered that a light trim was all I needed.

As for my legs - I use a straight razor, with a vegan strop.

I didn't want to use anything that required any kind of blade that would need to be replaced, no matter how much better than conventional razors.

So I bought myself a straight razor and watched a quick tutorial on how to shave with it.

Best decision ever, because I can use it for the rest of my life.

Although like my underarms,

I am not too phased with growing my leg hair,

as I'm quite fair and you can't really see any obvious hair unless I'm in the sun,

so I don't shave very often.

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When I use make-up which is only on occasion,

I found the brand PHB ethical beauty to be very good.

They are UK based, cruelty-free, ethical and really don't put any unnecessary ingredients into their products.

They are free from all the nasties, and their concealer and mineral powder use practically the same ingredients that I use to use to make my own cosmetics.

Their mascara is really good and one of the best I've ever used.

I highly recommend checking them out.

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Last but not least, and probably my favourite out of everything is our toilet paper.

We buy bulk boxes of 'Who gives a crap' toilet paper, which I'm sure many of you have heard of by now.

100% recycled bamboo paper and wrapping, so no more cutting down trees to wipe our butts.

It's also super affordable, and I can't tell you the peace of mind that comes with knowing we aren't tearing down forests, or chucking out plastic wrapping constantly and for the rest of our lives.

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So there you have it, our updated products/no products.

It took us a while to get to this point, but honestly the longer we went without things, the crazier it seemed that we ever thought of those things as essentials.

And the longer we stayed away, the more we noticed how strong all those chemicals really are.

And not only do we have the perks of no chemicals in our home or on our skin,

and no constant stream of plastic bottles, but we have such quick and simple routines that are actually nourishing our lives.

Another huge perk is that we save SO much money not buying all that stuff,

that we have more to spend on good quality, local, organic produce.

So if you have been considering ditching the products, then I say 'Go for it!'

If you have any questions then please leave me a comment or send me a message and I'll get back to you.

Live Green.

#Natural #Ethical #Chemicalfree #Zerowaste #Bamboo #Hemp #Aloe #Organic