Make your own Natural Deodorant Spray (that works!!)

I've been trying store bought natural deodorants for the past several months now and have been super unhappy with them - they either don't work, are too pasty/messy, or have too painfully irritated my skin. SO after some research and trial and error I have come up with a super simple, all natural deodorant spray that REALLY WORKS.
First thing I want to run by you is the importance of switching to a more natural deodorant - almost all conventional deodorants contain aluminum as the active ingredient, which is a known neurotoxin that has been linked to cancer and Alzheimer's. And this is put right under our arms, where many lymph nodes lie close to the skin. Aluminum effectively blocks our sweat glands, which is why they all use it, but the odor only comes when bacteria mixes with sweat. Sweating is your body's natural way to detox and to rid your body of toxins, really what we should want to do is not block our body from detoxing, but to prevent bacteria growth. And with certain anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory essential oils, you can make your own deodorant spray that is 100% natural and that still allows your body to detox, and that works.
For sake of this post, and any of my DIY posts, the only brand of essential oils I use and trust for myself and my family is Young Living. (If you are interested in Young Living oils, I'd be happy to talk with you more about them and get you started! Please feel free to email me at mummascorner@gmail.com!) My recipe is fairly simple - I left out baking soda because it can irritate your skin, and does in fact irritate my own skin, but baking soda does have super duper effective deodorizing properties, so if you feel like you need a little extra deodorizing and can cringe through the initial sting, feel free to try adding about 1 tsp of baking soda to this.
Ingredients:
-4 oz amber glass spray bottle (amber glass is the best way to store your essential oils - the glass does not absorb the oils like plastic can and the amber color protects from harmful UV rays).
- natural witch hazel (all natural, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and soothing. Also prevents razor burn!)
- distilled water
- ethanol (drinking alcohol, not rubbing alcohol. I used 80 proof or 40% alcohol)
- Himilayan salt. (Salt is known for anti-bacterial properties and inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria and also helps the essential oils bind because they will not mix with water or witch hazel alone).
- 12 drops of each of the following essential oils: patchouli, lime, grapefruit, tea tree, and clary sage. These are all the best eo's with the highest antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.
Directions: Fill your amber glass bottle half way with witch hazel. Then fill up to about 3/4 full with the ethanol. Add your essential oils. Add your Himalayan salt.  Then fill to top with distilled water. Shake well and apply as often as necessary. It can last all day but every person is different and have different bodies and different levels of exercising so depending you may apply once in the morning, or also again mid afternoon.

Hope you guys try this! Don't have the time or ingredients to make this yourself? I am now selling on my etsy shop for only $12! (View listing here). I also have a 2 oz plastic bottle listing in the drop down, perfect for traveling. You can use code "FREESHIP" for free shipping :)

Homemade Blemish Spot Treatment Rollers with Essential Oils

Wanted to highlight a new item up in my etsy shop and teach you how to DIY too! These are awesome blemish spot treatment roller bottles made with the best essential oils for acne with the highest anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, soothing and healing properties. I use this all the time when I start to feel a pimple coming on and usually it won't even surface. (It's that amazing!) If one does surface, I apply this afterwards and the problem area is completely reduced in appearance and redness in a matter of a day. The small little roller bottle can conveniently travel with you anywhere -- I even keep one in my purse in addition to the my make up bag in my bathroom. And best of all, it's completely chemical-free and 100% plant-based and natural.
(If you ever have any questions about essential oils or starting your own membership, please contact me at mummascorner@gmail.com and I'd be so thrilled to talk to you about it more!)
What You Need:
- 5 ml amber glass roller bottle
- 6 drops tea tree essential oil
- 2 drops frankincense essential oil
- 1 drops lavender essential oil
- 1 drops bergamot essential oil
- 1 drops clary sage essential oil
- even amounts of witch hazel and jojoba to fill
Directions:
1. Drop out specified amounts of essential oils into your dropper
2. Fill to top with equal amounts of witch hazel and jojoba oil
3. Shake well before use. Apply as often as necessary to problem areas, before or after they arrive!

My {mostly} all natural skincare & make up

Ever since making the move over to natural skincare for my face via oil cleansing and LOVING it, I've decided to work other all-natural, mostly diy products into my other skincare regimens. I compiled this post back in January of last year and it quickly became the top pinned image image from my blog and received thousands of page views after having gone viral on Pinterest. I've received a lot of follow up questions, and I've also made several changes in the way I've made things, and have explored many new all-natural and organic products since that post, so I'm here today with a revised, bigger, & better explanation of my {mostly} all natural skincare & make up. 

I make my own body moisturizer, facial cleanser, facial moisturizer, toner, make-up remover, & deodorant:

BODY MOISTURIZER:

DIY: I fill an empty 4oz bottle with a mixture of different oils. I personally really like liquid coconut oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, and almond oil. Can also add in a few drops of vitamine e oil, + a few drops of your favorite essential oil. My favorite essential oils for body are lavender, lavender + mint, patchouli + lime and patchouli + orange. 

You can get little bottles anywhere - Target or Walmart toiletry travel section, and even Dollar Stores, although I really like the bottles from Mountain Rose Herbs, as they are specifically designed to contain carrier oils and essential oils, and are also made from recyclable materials. You can find your essential oils at any apocathery, Whole Foods, or online (I like Ananda's Apothecary but Amazon carries pretty much everything too). Whole Foods or a local apothecary is great if it's your first time buying so you can smell the samples and ask questions and talk to the store reps. 

FACIAL:

DIY Oil Facial Cleanser: A post all to itself, here. I also sell my custom facial oil cleansers here if you don't have the time or don't want to make yourself)

DIY Facial Moisturizer: I don't use any moisturizers because my oil cleanser keeps my skin properly hydrated. Sometimes, especially in the winter months, I apply my oil cleanser as a moisturizer and keep on throughout the day or at night. Of course, drinking lots of water helps too.

DIY Exfoliator: Occasionally I will use a homemade brown sugar exfoliator. This I probably do once a month, maybe a little more frequently in the winter months.

Make-Up Remover: Again, my oil cleanser works really great at removing both eye and face make up. Seriously, it's like a 3-in-1 product, and so good for your skin. 

Toner: Mix 2 part Apple Cider Vinegar to 1 part water. Combine in a small travel bottle, shake well, and apply to face with cotton ball after cleansing or before applying make-up. (Read more on various topical benefits of apple cider vinegar here).

DEODORANT:

DIY: Straight up lime juice. Fill in spray bottle and refrigerate. You can either juice fresh limes or use store bought lime juice, both will work great.

A lot of store bought brands use lime or lemon juice in their deodrant already and you will find that just using lime juice will work just as well and also smells really good. I was definitely doubtful and hesitant in trying this out but I am so, so happy I finally did because it really works well. I'll admit that there are a lot of other DIY, all-natural deodorants out there but that I haven't gotten around to experimenting or trying to make or use any others yet, but you really can't beat the ease of this one. 

SOAP:

I love 100% Pure's soap, which as you can guess from their name, are 100% pure and made from all natural ingredients. This organic olive oil & grapefruit soap is amazing, as is their lavender butter soap. I also enjoy castile soap from Dr. Bronner's. This stuff works just as good as bar soap & a little goes a very long way.

HAIR:

Shampoo & Conditioner: I use Pureology (the purple bottle, "Hydrate" line) which is absolutely ah-maz-ing. It contains NO sulfates and is 100% vegan and still top notch salon quality. It is on the more expensive side, but it totally pays off as one bottle will last you forever. You just need a very very small amount to get a really good lather and it leaves your hair so incredibly soft & sleek. 

Deep Conditioner: Coconut Oil once every month or as needed. 

Styling products: Moroccan oil & Argan oil. These are the only styling products I use in my hair. They are full of protein to strengthen your hair, omega-3 oils and vitamins for shine, as well as antioxidants. You can work a tiny, tiny bit through damp hair and then blow dry to lock in moisture and nutrients, and it will simultaneously serve as a de-frizzing, stylizing & volumizing agent as well.

NAILS:

Not all my nail polish is organic or vegan, and I do still love my essies & OPIs, but as far as natural & vegan nail polish goes, you can't beat Butter London. Their nail lacquers are non-toxic & vegan-friendly, go on smooth & have lots of amazing colors to choose from. My favorites are Cream Tea (pictured above) & Teddy Girl. You can find acetone-free removers now at mostly all convenient stores now but Butter also manufactures a nail polish remover pack that is acetone-free with more favorable scents like pina colada or almond.

MAKE-UP:

You should note that I very rarely wear make up anymore these days. I love, love make up, but since becoming a mom, and staying home, I really only put make up on when we go out socially on the weekends. 

I have a lot of make-up, and not all my make-up is chemical-free {yet} but I will run you through my favorite products that I use most often:

Foundation:

This took me a very long time to find, but I use and love 100% Pure Healthy Skin Foundation with Super Fruits. I can't even say enough great things about it. First of all, it is 100% natural and vegan, so I have no qualms about smearing it all over my face. Secondly, the quality of it is really great - it looks extremely natural, and it has a really light and smooth feel & effect while at the same time offers full coverage to even your skin tone out completely. I also put a little bit of my facial oil on my face first before applying so it blends better which works just like a tinted moisturizer.

Bronzer & Blush: Not vegan/organic, but currently using Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess & Elizabeth Arden's Radiance Blush in Tearose.

Eyeliner & Mascara: Not vegan/organic but currently using "They're Real" mascara by Benefit & a thin black eyeliner from Maybelline. For big nights out, I love Stila's Smudge Pot in black for a more dramatic liner.
*EDIT just started Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Black Tea by 100% Pure and LOVIN it.

Lips:

Burts Bees tinted lip balm in color Hibiscus. This is a staple that I always have on me, looks good with or without make up, is the perfect color, and is 100% natural.

Chanel rouge allure velvet lipstick in #42 (my fave) - not organic but I only wear for special nights out and it is truly the best lipstick product I have ever known.

For a basic chapstick at night with no color I use plain old petroleum jelly as well as Lansinoh lanolin. I know that sounds kind of gross but it is the purest thing out there and safe for even the tiniest of babies to ingest and works really well to moisturize and protect severely dry lips/skin.

Other natural chapsticks I love are Dr. Bronner's 100% organic lip balms (the peppermint is my fave)

*Not pictured, my new favorite bright red lip, Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Tesoro.
Also not pictured, my favorite casual pink, Lancome's Rouge in Love lipstick in Corally Pink

FOR BABY:

Bath Wash & Shampoo: Love Everyday Shea, California Baby, & Burt's Bees. 

Moisturizer: Currently use my Extract body oil to moisturize & massage the babes with after baths. It works great and is 100% organic & a gentle moisturizer for their sensitive skin. A follow up from the earlier version of this post regarding Landon's ezcema - ultimately not a single topical cream worked. We finally cut out milk from his diet and he only drinks almond milk and coconut milk now, and low & behold, his eczema is gone :)

Diaper Cream: Burt's Bees diaper ointment all the way. I've pretty much tried every single ointment out there (organic and non-organic) and Burt's Bees works the best by FAR and also smells so, so good. If you are looking for all-natural, some mamas like the organic Budreaux's Butt Paste - I haven't had much luck with it but I know it's popular amongst other health/product conscious mamas. I've also heard lots of mamas using Coconut Oil for diaper rash, this hasn't worked well for us but reportedly does for many.

Got any other all-natural diy or vegan products that you currently use & love? Leave a comment and share! I'd love to hear more :)

Also, if you are interested in learning more about why you should make the move from conventional OTC skincare products and cosmetics to all-natural DIY products or certified vegan/organic products, please watch this short youtube video:

New Extract Items!

Finally ordered new supplies & have been a busy little bee working in the lab at Extract on my new skincare products, now listed up in the shop! Originally I started off with just my organic facial cleansing oil & body oil, and now I am proud to announce the arrival of an organic body scrub, bath salts, & eau de toilette. Every item was handmade with so much care and love and is made with all naturally derived, organic, vegan, toxin-free, and the finest pure therapeutic grade a essential oils.

I put together a gift basket of all my current products for an auction item for a charity event my SIL is having for her twin daughters who were both recently diagnosed with autism.
I've already reached out to my facebook network, but I just wanted to spread the word here as well -- They are trying to raise money for an autism assistance service dog, so please check out their website and event, if you can make it, this coming Saturday. If you aren't local or can't make the event, you can make a donation here.  Go ahead and "like" their facebook page and check out their site to learn more about the girls, autism, 4 Paws, and ways you can help the cause and show your love :)

New Stuff :)

Spent my weekend tending to a sick babe & working on Extract and got some new labeling and packaging underway plus a new body oil up in the shop! I think you are all going to absolutely love this new body oil - it's perfect to add into your bathtub or massage directly onto your skin just like you would body lotion to achieve a flawless, moisturizing, nourishing, & glowing effect all day long. And not oily or greasy at all!!
It's made up of entirely 100% organic expeller pressed oils (avacado oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, vitamin e oil, & lavender essential oil) and works for all skin types and especially well on dry skin. I have a special promo listing up for a custom oil cleanser as well as the body oil both for only $16 if you're interested!
And once we get some more money coming in next month I'm excited to purchase more supplies to extend my line to include bath salts, bath bombs, eau d'toilettes, and body scrubs -  Very excited :)

Oh & Landon? He was up all night Saturday night coughing and came down with a fever and 102 temp yesterday....Up sick again last night but finally caught some peaceful, cough-free Zzzzs at 4am and slept until 11, waking up fever-free and cough-free. Finally :) We'll be spending the rest of the day low key & enjoying the sunny 65 degrees together outside B)