Thursday, June 4, 2009

Foaming vegan soap and other homemade bath products

For those of you who are newly-converted Castile Soap enthusiasts, like me, you may have already noticed that when diluted, the soap is rather watery. I've found that this causes me to use more soap than I normally anticipate to use during a washing session. This afternoon, while trudging through the netherworldly cabinet underneath my bathroom sink, I came across a foaming soap dispenser. A lightbult subsequently went off and I dashed to my soap stash in my room to pull out my favourite Dr. Bronner's hemp peppermint liquid castile soap. I dumped about 2 oz. of castile soap into the bottle, and then filled the rest of it with water. The moment of determining my success or failure would come after the test...

*Teesha presses down on the pump*

What elated me thereafter was the pouring out of thick, frothy, cloud-like foam that emitted a heavenly peppermint aroma.

"SUCCEEEEEEEESSS" I shouted, as my words triumphantly echoed in the bathroom. I then raised my fist in the air for victory.

From hereonafter, there will be no watery castile soap mess. My frugality is furthermore sustained, as more soap will be saved with the glorious foaming dispenser *inject maniacal laughter here*

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I no longer use any chemically-infused products on my body. Why not? Since I've decided to stop using chemicals in my hair, why not go all the way and cease to use them everywhere else? All of my cleansers are now castile-soap based; and my black and ashy skin now loves me back for it. I never wear make-up, almost as a rule, because I find the daily face-beating ritual silly, frivolous and addictive because of the way the cosmetic industry feeds from women's anxieties as well as they create them. Hell, I never even wore make-up to my high school prom, five years ago.

Here are some of the concotions I've been whipping with things I've had in my organic stash and kitchen for a while now.

Honey-Peppermint Facial Cleanser
Thanks to Towards Sustainability for sharing this gem!

1 cup of vegetable glycerin
6 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. liquid castile soap

Sugar Body Scrub (I don't remember the measurements that I used, but whatevs. I listed the ingredients from greatest to least)
White sugar
Almond Oil
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil (You know you're of west indian descent if you have this in bulk! =p)
Vegetable glycerin
Honey
Loose green tea leaves

(you really don't need all of the ingredients in here, just moisten the sugar with whatever oil you've got. The rest are just frills. I got curious, that's all)

Shower Gel (in a 750ml bottle)
1 cup of vegetable glycerin
6 tbsp of honey
4 tbsp of Almond Oil/Olive oil infused with essential oils
Fill the rest of the bottle with Dr. Bronner’s castile soap

::UPDATE::

I forgot to mention what's currently in my shampoo

Castile Soap-based Shampoo
8 caps full of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Hemp Castile Soap
2 cups (or three?) of water
Half a cup of rosemary tea
1 tbsp of olive oil infused with about 8 drops of Rosemary Oil (yeah, I caved and bought some)

I'd say, keep the sugar body scrub in a cool dry place when you're not using it. But as for the shower gel and the facial cleanser, they're good to be kept in the shower for a long while without having them spoil on you.

Revolutionize the world by making your own cosmetic products. It's cruelty/oppression-free and hella cheap. Up yours, inhumane and unrelentingly capitalist cosmetic industry!! Product junkies, free yourselves!

-t

4 comments:

  1. I felt like i was reading one of my own posts for a minute there. love the blog.love your attitude. love you!

    Peace

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  2. Hehehe, soul sistas!!
    Thanks for the positivity!

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  3. Wow. What an awesome naturals post. I'm going to try some of these things. I make my own hair conditioner and I would love for you to try some. Send me an email behind the scenes and i'll get some to you. I am searching Blogger for people of my mindset (naturalists) so now consider yourself followed!

    My best, Lynn

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  4. Thanks for reading!
    Also, thanks for the offer of conditioner; however, because I'm locking my hair, I'm staying away from conditioner for about a year.

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