How often do you stop to think about what you’re putting in your shopping cart? Do you ever truly study the value of the products you buy or the impacts that these items have on you?
Commercialization is so prevalent throughout the globe that many of us don’t bat an eyelash at running to the store to pick up whatever item we might be running low on. We blindly accept the market price for the sake of convenience or brand recognition.
Although I was once a slave to this system, I was able to find the light. Over the years, my eyes have become open to the benefits of a frugal, simple, cruelty-free lifestyle. This lead me down the path of DIY everything.
Reconsidering my practices saved me loads of money, as most store-bought goods are much more expensive than homemade. But that’s not all- one might argue that the decision saved my health as well.
Many commercial-grade products contain questionable ingredients, including carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Even “natural” products need to be monitored- just because something doesn’t contain known toxins does not mean it is healthy or safe.
When I avoid factory-made products, I bypass the health risks that accompany them.
Now I share with you nine ideas just to get you started. The first six require only seven safe ingredients between them all!
The final three are food recipes, so there’s no liquid soap or borax used there! However, they too are pretty minimal and easy to prepare.
I hope that these recipes inspire you to make more and buy less, seeing just how easy it can be.
Toiletries:
–Shampoo– use coconut oil as vegetable oil (water + liquid soap + coconut oil)
–Toothpaste (coconut oil + baking soda + essential oil)
-Deodorant: Option 1 (essential oil + baking soda), Option 2 (essential oil + coconut oil), or our very own Option 3 (a few extra ingredients)
Household:
–Laundry Detergent– sub baking soda for washing soda (bar soap + borax + baking soda)
- Free of phosphates, sulfates, formaldehyde and VOC’s
–Dish Soap (water + borax + bar soap + essential oil)
- Free of phosphates, sulfates, formaldehyde, VOC’s and triclosan
–Air freshener (essential oil + water)
- Free of formaldehyde
Kitchen:
- Free of carageenan
- Free of carageenan and palm oil
- Free of BPA
Try out these recipes, or maybe create some of your own. It’s about time we get back to basics- for our health, our wallet, and our earth.
Also by Quincy: Minimalism for Beginners
Our favorite DIYs: Homemade Almond Milk
Images: Wikimedia Commons, Kenneth Lu via Flickr, Claire Thompson via Flickr; Bella Gadsby (featured image)
