emollients et al

i made a homemade body cream the other night since my lotion, though much loved during the time of year during which the temp is regularly above 50 degrees, just ain't cutting it in this dry, dry, bitter cold. it was my first "go" at anything except deodorant and a brief dabbling at a friend's house in lip balm, but i think it went rather well. what i used:

2 parts cocoa butter
1 part shea butter
1 part coconut oil
.5 part Knotty Boy Dreadlock Wax*
2 drops lavender essential oil

*while waxing and rolling khary's dreads, i discovered that this stuff is amazing at moisturizing my hands and it has some serious staying power because of the beeswax. it's also all-natural, which is one of the main reasons i decided to use it on khary's hair, and smells wonderful. as i looked at the bowl i used to melt all my stuff together, i decided i needed another, more solid, addition, and it certainly fit the bill, so in it went! (which, btw, is why the proportions are all off, in case you wondered...)

after my bath last night, i slathered on this greasy goop with some trepidation that i was only going to manage to get my pajamas all gross and greasy without adding a bit of moisture to my parched skin. i awoke to more supple skin and non-stained pj's. sweet! it wasn't a one-shot deal; i'll need to keep at it and use it every night for my hands, especially. i think i'll add more wax and/or cocoa butter next time, and probably skip the coconut oil altogether. since i'm currently broke and refuse to put poison on my skin and have the basic ingredients for most body products, i think it's pretty damn awesome that i successfully concocted a body cream for zero expense.

go. me.

partially-cooled body cream

notice i mentioned deodorant above? i used angry chicken's recipe, only substituting arrowroot powder for half of the cornstarch, and poured it into a deodorant stick so i could use it even more easily. all was well and good until i developed a rash about a month into using it. a mean, mean rash. it looked like chemical burn. it ended up being because i have more sensitive skin than most, and the baking soda just makes that recipe so alkaline that my skin fuh-REAKED out. the same thing happened when i used oyin handmade's funk butter a year ago; also because of the baking soda, i presume. heartbreaking in both instances, since they worked like MAGIC. well, except for that red, raw, peeling skin thing. so  my search for the magic bullet deodorant began. and i found it, believe it or not. if the other stuff was magic, this is MIRACULOUS. terra naturals makes deodorant that is GOOD for you. GOOD FOR YOU--for real. and it works like...well, a miracle. besides all the other good stuff, i think one of the main reasons for its miracle-worker status is the prebiotics in it, which feed and promote the beneficial bacteria on your skin, thus helping those good guys outcompete the stink-producing bad guys. (even my husband LURVES him some terra naturals, and he has to stifle his scoffs at my attempts to minimize chemical/toxic exposure for our family.)

moral of the story? you don't  have to compromise your health OR your hygiene to be clean and green.