Going Green On A Budget
Carpet Stains:
Mix 2 tbsp. salt with ½ cup vinegar to lift light carpet stains!
Mix 2 tbsp. salt with ½ cup vinegar and 2 tbsp. borax (found at fleet farm or Walmart) to lift dark carpet stains
Oven Cleanser:
Put a heatproof dish filled with water in the oven.
Turn on the heat to let the steam soften any baked-on grease.
Once the oven is cool, apply a paste of equal parts salt, baking soda, and vinegar, and scrub
Stainless Steel Cleaner:
Pour or spray a little white vinegar directly on a microfiber cleaning cloth – not directly on the stainless steel and apply going with the grain of your stainless steel
Simple DIY All Purpose Cleaner:
4 C white vinegar
½ C castile soap
20-40 drops essential oils (lemon, orange, peppermint, lavender)
Disinfectant:
1/2 C white vinegar
2 C hot water
2 tsp washing soda
10 drops tea tree oil.
Mix, spray, and wipe clean
Toilet Cleaner:
Pour 2 cups undiluted vinegar into your toilet bowl, let sit overnight
and flush in the morning!
Window Cleaner:
Mix 2 tbsp. vinegar with 1 gallon of water…pour into empty spray bottle and wash your windows!
Sunscreen:
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½ cup almond or olive oil (can infuse with herbs first if desired)
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¼ cup coconut oil (natural SPF 4)
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¼ cup beeswax
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2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide (This is a non-nano version that won’t be absorbed into the skin. Be careful not to inhale the powder).
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Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Red Raspberry Seed Oil
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Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Carrot Seed Oil
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Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
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Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF 4-5)
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Optional: Essential Oils, Vanilla Extract or other natural extracts to suit your preference
How to Make Sunscreen:
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Combine ingredients except zinc oxide in a pint sized or larger glass jar. I have a mason jar that I keep just for making lotions and lotion bars, or you can even reuse a glass jar from pickles, olives, or other foods.
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Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat.
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Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
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As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally to incorporate. When all ingredients are completely melted, add the zinc oxide, stir in well and pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage.
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Small mason jars (pint size) are great for this. It will not pump well in a lotion pump!
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Stir a few times as it cools to make sure zinc oxide is incorporated.
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Use as you would regular sunscreen. Best if used within six months.
Additional Notes:
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This sunscreen is somewhat, but not completely, waterproof and will need to be reapplied after sweating or swimming
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Make sure not to inhale the Zinc Oxide- use a mask if necessary!
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This recipe has an SPF of about 15, though adding more Zinc Oxide will increase the SPF
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Add more beeswax to make thicker sunscreen, less to make smooth sunscreen
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I recommend coconut or vanilla extract or lavender essential oils for fragrance
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Store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge
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I prefer to store in a small canning jar and apply like a body butter. It will be thicker, especially if you use coconut oil in the recipe.
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remove the Zinc Oxide and this makes an excellent lotion recipe!
An Even Faster Way To Make Sunscreen:
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Get a bottle of your favorite lotion (that doesn’t contain citrus oils!)
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Add a couple Tablespoons of non-nano Zinc Oxide
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Mix well
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Use as Sunscreen
You can also make Sunscreen Bars by using many of the same ingredients and which are easier to apply!
Homemade Foundation
What you need:
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Arrowroot powder (you could sub cornstarch, but it is not quite as good)
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Cinnamon
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Cocoa powder
Add a cup of arrowroot powder to a bowl, and slowly add in cinnamon and cocoa powder, until you come up with a suitable color that matches your complexion. Apply to a clean, moisturized face with a good mineral powder brush.
Homemade Mascara
What you need:
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2 tsp coconut oil
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4 tsp aloe vera gel
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1/2 tsp beeswax
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Vitamin E oil
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1/4 – 1/2 tsp activated Charcoal
In a small mason jar or glass bowl, add coconut oil, aloe vera gel, beeswax and vitamin e oil. Add 1-2″ of water to a small saucepan, and place jar or bowl into the water. Bring to a boil, and allow to warm until completely melted. Remove from heat and add activated charcoal and stir until mixed well.
Natural Eyeliner
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Activated charcoal
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Cocoa Powder
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Coconut Oil
For a black eyeliner, add a pinch of activated charcoal in with coconut oil.
For a brown eyeliner, add cocoa powder to coconut oil.
Apply with an eyeliner brush.
*Be sure to be extra careful when applying products around your eyes.
Make sure you don’t get any products into your eyes, or you may cause damage.
