Soapwort Lavender Shampoo 2 cups distilled water 1 1/2 tbsp dried soapwort root 2 drops lavender essential oil Bring water to a boil, add chopped soapwort and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let steep until cool. Strain through muslin cloth, keeping the liquid. Add lavender oil and store in a cool dry place. Makes enough for 6-7 shampoos. This has a shelf life of only 7-10 days so only make small amounts as needed. Soapwort contains saponins which is similar to soap and lathers when agitated. I grow soapwort in my garden. It’s easy to dry and store so I always have some on hand. I also grow lavender and sometimes will substitute dried lavender into the recipe (during the steeping process) instead of the lavender oil. Option: You can also add 2 teaspoons of catnip (during the steeping process) which promotes healthy hair growth. NOTE This will be watery, not thick and sudsy like regular shampoo. Just work it through hair and rinse well. Epsom Salts Commonly it's known as "Epsom Salt", but its scientific name is "magnesium sulfate heptahydrate." It's made up of about ten percent magnesium and thirteen percent sulfur. This mineral, which resembles clear crystals, was originally discovered in Epsom, England- hence its common name- centuries ago. Since that time, Epsom Salt has been used on humans, animals, and even on plants. Here are 10 ways to use Epsom Salts to improve your health: 1. Foot Soak If you suffer from tired, aching feet; rough, dry skin on your feet; or smelly feet, then Epsom Salt can come to your rescue! Dissolve a half cup of this mineral into two quarts of very warm water. Pour the water into a foot-soaking pan and soak your bare feet for fifteen to twenty minutes, once or twice a day. Then, rinse your feet off with clean tap water and dry them thoroughly. 2. Skin Exfoliator Have you ever used store-bought exfoliators to help remove dead skin cells? Soften rough patches of skin? Or help tone up and stimulate the blood flow to your skin? Many products you buy contain oatmeal or grains of salt or sand, and these ingredients are the roughness you feel when you apply the product. Have you ever tried using good old fashioned Epsom Salt instead? It's inexpensive to buy, and you can readily find it at your local grocery or drug store. (You can even order it online!) The best way to use Epsom Salt as a skin exfoliator is to hop in the shower and wet your body down. Then, pour some of this mineral into your hands and gently massage it across your skin. Keep it away from your eyes, nose and mouth, but massage your neck to your feet. Then, rinse the Epsom Salt off thoroughly. 3. Face Exfoliator Just because you should skip your face when you're exfoliating your body doesn't mean you can't use Epsom Salt on your face too. It's just easier to clean your face with this mineral outside of the shower. Improve the face cleaner you currently use by adding a little Epsom Salt to a dollop of it. Gently massage the mixture across your forehead, cheeks, chin and neck. Then, thoroughly rinse your face with cool tap water and pat dry with a towel. 4. Body Soak/Stress Reducer How many of us don't enjoy a long soak in the tub? Pour in a couple cups of Epsom Salt, and you can easily improve your mental health while you help your skin health too! Magnesium sulfate is a natural muscle relaxer. It also helps draw toxins from the skin to improve your health. 5. Sprain and Bruise Reliever If you or a family member needs relief from a sprained ankle or wrist, reach for the Epsom Salt and help relieve their pain and inflammation. Dissolve a couple cups of this mineral into a foot-soaking pan half full of very warm water. Then, soak the affected joint in the mixture for twenty to thirty minutes a couple times a day until the ankle or wrist feels better. 6. Hair Cleanser and Clarifier Use a lot of hair spray, mousse and gel on your hair, or wash it every day, and pretty soon your hair can suffer from a buildup of products. But, don't worry, you can use Epsom Salt to improve the health of your hair too! You'll need a fourth of a cup of pure lemon juice, a fourth of a cup of Epsom Salt, and one quart of non-chlorinated water- rain water works the best. Mix the ingredients together and use it the next time before you wash your hair. Pour some (or all, if you have long hair) of the Epsom Salt solution onto your hair. Make sure to get all your hair wet, all the way from the roots to the ends. Leave the solution on your hair for fifteen minutes. Then, wash your hair as you normally do. Credit to Kassidy Emmerson, associatedcontent.com 12 December 2006 THE FOLLOWING ISN’T JUST FOR PAMPERING YOURSELF BUT SOME REALLY GREAT TIPS ON USING MORE NATURAL PRODUCTS. Ten Uses for Baking Soda Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, first hit the mass market in 1846, when Dr. Austin Church and John Dwight began selling their red-labeled soda packages. “Not only does baking soda neutralize odiferous fatty acids but it also attacks grease by turning it into — believe it or not — soap,” says the University of Pittsburgh’s Wolke. Fact: More than 100 tons of the refrigerator staple were used to clean the Statue of Liberty’s inner copper walls during its 1986 restoration. Use Baking Soda to: 1. Exfoliate skin. Wash your face, then apply a soft paste made of three parts baking soda and one part water. Massage gently with a circular motion, avoiding the eye area; rinse clean. 2. Erase crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces. Sprinkle soda on a damp sponge, rub clean, and rinse. 3. Unclog a drain. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible). Follow with a gallon of boiling water. 4. Remove tough stains from enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Scrub enameled cast iron with a soft nylon brush and a thick paste of baking soda and water. Clean stainless steel with a soft cloth and 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. 5. Scrub pans. Sprinkle soda on crusted casseroles and roasting pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse. 6. Brush teeth. Use a paste of baking soda and water. 7. Fight class-B fires (flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and grease). Baking soda can be used to smother only a small flame. 8. Deodorize. Dust baking soda under your arms to absorb body odor. 9. Clean up minor oil and grease spills on a garage floor or driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush. 10. Settle a stomach during occasional indigestion. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1/2 cup of water and drink for a safe and effective antacid. Article credited to RealSimple.com
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