If you had told me 3 years ago that I would be making my own detergent and toothpaste, or that I would be dry brushing, I would have laughed heartily in your face and then changed the subject due to disinterest. However, life changed drastically for me when my health issues took a turn for the worse. In my quest to figure out what was ailing me, I realized that I needed to not only change my diet, but also my daily living, specifically how I cleaned my body and house. I went from a dismissive attitude toward holistic living to a an open one.
Over the last 6 months, I feel like I have overhauled many aspects of my life. It’s good for me to remember this because in the rabbit hole of research, it becomes all too apparent that our current lifestyle and conveniences are literally corrupting our bodies every day. It’s overwhelming to think of all that one must do to have a healthy body, family, and household. But you gotta start somewhere and even small steps forward to healthier living is progress.
I won’t profess to know all the answers or tell you that I’m a Holistic Guru now, but I will tell you that I’ve made some lifestyle changes for my family that I feel really good about. Even better? I’m teaching my kids what I’m learning, so they can have a head start on their health. It is a frightening, sobering truth to know that our current generation of kids will not outlive their parents, so it’s important to me to make the effort towards a green, holistic household.
So where do we begin?
I’ll cover healing our bodies at a cellular level in a future installment, along with creating our own household products. For this installment, I’ll focus on what I have found to be good for the body up-keep, stressing products I’m using and am happy with.
My favorite go-to website for health info and know-how is Wellness Mama. You will see many of her links in this post. Like me, she has health issues she is overcoming and her website is downright amazing. There are many websites similar to hers but for now, her site is my favorite.
Now, let’s get to work!
For the body:
I use olive oil to remove my make-up.
I discovered dry brushing to be a cheap way for us to help our lymphatic system drain. Our skin is our largest eliminating organ so it’s important to make sure pores are clear to help your body rid itself of toxins. I often suffer itching because of liver issues, so dry brushing feels good to me. You want to make sure that your brush is made of natural fibers. I bought this one and I like it. This vid that taught me how to dry brush.
After dry brushing, I take hot-cold showers like this.
To wash my face, I use this and this is my new fave moisturizer. Interestingly, different oils absorb at different levels. This chart can help you decide which oil you might like to try. I leave my oil in the fridge to help it last longer and I only need one drop to cover my whole face and a bit of my neck.
I love, love, LOVE this tasty toothpaste! I’m a bit lazy though, so I amended this recipe by grinding the xylitol and afterwards blending all the ingredients together in a glass bowl, not the blender. It’s so good I want to eat it and I don’t stress any more about the dangers of unnecessary and dangerous chemicals in the paste my kids might swallow, like fluoride.
I have not made my own mouthwash just yet, but after a bit of research I currently feel comfortable with this brand.
Believe it or not, I use this for deodorant. A little dab will do ya! Make sure it’s “original” flavor and don’t worry–it works on your husband’s hairy pits! My own hubby was very skeptical about this working, but has reported he’s happy with it and does not suffer body odor.
Our new household soap is Dr. Bronner’s…I use it for hand-washing, body wash…the scents are delicious and it cuts through grease/oil well.
There you go! Try some of these out and let me know what you think.
Writer Bio
CJ Heath likes to think about what how her body will feel in 5 years. She also muses over the lifestyle and household changes she’s made to better the health of her family. She thinks about her friend, Beckie, and hopes that these articles will help her and others who read these blogs. A votre sante!!
