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DIY deodorant

Eating right is self care but self care is not limited to eating right. Self care, is for want of a more simple description, the act of taking care of yourself. Eating foods that nourish, that help you thrive, that feed you are vital but self care has many strings to its bow. Self care is the sleep you get, the company you keep, the relationship you have with yourself. It is the voice inside you and whether you feel loved or not. Self care is exercise and movement, it what you choose to fill your day doing. Self care is also physical. How you take care of your own physical body. Do you stretch it when it is stiff? Do you listen to it? Do you respond to its calls?

When I coach about health all of these come into play. It is never enough to drink a green juice and be on your way. Health is a mind set, it doesn’t come in pill form. It is inhabiting a mind and body that offers you freedom and joy. One step to self care is being aware of your body and the products that you use on it. Today it is just as easy to buy a chemical, paraben and sulphate free product as it is to not, and so i would implore you to look at the labels.Chemicals are easily absorbed by the skin, our largest organ, and it therefore makes no sense to eat clean, but wash dirty.

It is so easy to make this deodorant and since I have been using it, there has been a rather unexpected side effect… I sweat less! I have tested this in every situation. Packed London tube, coffee date with an ex boyfriend I hadn’t seen in 10 years, morning runs, HIIT training, long days and warm evenings. This deodorant can quickly be mixed up and stored in a jar. I like to keep it at home in a cool place, then simply warm a little on your finger tips and use where needed.

The shea butter has a higher melting point that the coconut oil and so it helps keep the deodorant in a solid state. Vitamin E oil can be bought at health food shops but if you have Vitamin E capsules then just break one open and use that. Adding essential oils helps to give the deodorant a natural smell, but it also gives it antibacterial properties which help fight bacteria and sweat – thats a win win!

Ingredients
3 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
2 1/2 tablespoons shea butter
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (optional)
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons baking soda
10-15 drops essential lavender oil

Method
Place the coconut oil into a clean jar place into a pan filled with boiling water
Let the coconut oil melt and then simply stir in all the other ingredients mixing really well
Leave to cool
Store in the jar in a cool place

 

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Homemade toner

This is a quick ‘how to guide’. A DIY beauty hack to making your own homemade toner. I am very basic with my skin care I always have been. I dont use cleanser or soap, I dont exfoliate or scrub. I wash my face with, I spritz with rose water, I moisturize. It is nothing revolutionary but its what I have always done. Now that winter has set in and I have hit 30, I decided that I needed to add toner into my life. Toner, in its best form, can help balance out your skins pH levels, and dissolve dead skin cells. During the colder months, when you go from cold harsh temperatures, into hot, dry, stuffy indoors, your skin can really struggle.

This toner uses a base of organic raw apple cider vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar has a pH of 3 and when it is diluted, it can help restore your skins natural pH levels. This will help improve your complexion and help your skin function optimally. Our skin is naturally acidic so when our levels are balanced our skin is neither oily nor dry. When you pH levels are out of balance it can cause breakouts, clogged pores or itchy, irritated skin.

This homemade toner will help ward off bacteria and allow your skin to shed dead skin cells at the proper rate stopping your pores from getting clogged and keeping your skin healthy. Many people find that this natural toner helps improve the skins overall appearance and reduce marks and scars.
Apple cider vinegar does have a distinct smell but this dissipates as soon as it has dried. You can add essential oils to your toner – lavender or hazel work well. You can also boil green, white or camomile tea in the water, leave it to cool and then blend with the ACV.

Ingredients
100 ml of raw apple cider vinegar
300 ml of filtered water (you can dilute it further if you have sensitive skin)
4 drops of essential oil

Method
Blend all the ingredients in a sterile kilner jar
Store in a cool place and shake before use
After washing your face, apply the toner using cotton wool
Leave to dry and then moisturize as normal

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