I'm a believer in using natural products as much as possible but sometimes it seems hard to make something that is the same as or better than store-bought. But commercial products generally have way too many weird chemicals or can be expensive so this is why I look for alternatives AND this time I think I've made better than anything you can buy and it's healthy too!!!

Popcorn flavoured toothpaste!

Well okay, not quite popcorn flavoured but it is quite close to the butter flavouring found on popcorn and is quite easy to make. First day I made it I brushed my teeth five times just for the taste! Oh, and it works very well too.

Three simple ingredients are needed:

One part salt (a mild abrasive)

One part baking soda (neutralizes the acids produced by the bacteria that cause cavities)

Enough coconut oil for make a thick paste, to a mashed potato consistency

(Ignore the dark flecks. They are pieces of a peppermint plant and they did nothing)

So all you have to do is mix the ingredients (make sure the coconut oil is liquid), just enough that you'll use for a week or two, dip your brush, and enjoy! The coconut oil does not leave a greasy feel in your mouth once you rinse. You could even swallow this but there is a high salt content so it is not recommended.

I've been using the salt and baking soda mix for years and it does work, in fact tooth powder from years ago was simply baking soda. The only problem I found was it was a little annoying to pour the powder into my hand, wet the toothbrush, and dip, so I got a little lazier and came up with this.

Enjoy!

Step 1: Body Lotion

This actually works quite well and moisturizes your skin instead of stripping away the oils. Plus it will help your skin out as it cleans. I've also been using this for a few years, well except for the addition of the coconut oil. That is new.

The ingredients are:

One part baking soda (for cleaning)

One part olive oil (moisturizes the skin)

One part coconut oil (simply because I wanted to add coconut oil. And yes, there are benefits.)

One quarter part castor bean oil (this is an astringent and helps get into the pores, cleaning them out)

Mix all of the ingredients together (you may have to turn the coconut oil to liquid first) and put in a container. I had put the mixture in the freezer to see if I could make a bar of soap but then it melted and I called it body lotion instead.

Get wet and spread this on your body. Then use a pumice stone but don't worry, the oils help the pumice stone glide over the skin. Then wash off with a washcloth and remove as much body lotion as possible. Then dry. Your skin will feel very soft and not oily. Even if it feels a little oily don't worry you can wash it off some more or just let it be. The oils are helping your skin.

If you leave out the baking soda you can make a very nice massage oil. Massage it in and wipe off with a warm cloth. Believe me, people do like it.

Oh yes, this is also good for shaving.

Step 2: Hand Soap

This one is simple and does an excellent job of cleaning. I've even washed paint, engine oil, and grease off of my hands when solvent didn't work. Besides, solvent dries out your skin and it's not even close to being good for you. This is.

Ingredients:

baking soda

one part olive oil

one quarter part castor bean oil

Mix the two oils together and add to the baking soda. The oils should just be enough to make a thick paste with the baking soda so that is why there is no amount for the baking soda.

Step 3: Vinegar

Just wanted to add that vinegar is an amazing thing and I use it for a lot of things. It kills mold down to the roots and takes the soap residue out of laundry. But the thing I like the most about it is using it as a natural deodorant. Just spray or wash your underarms in a little bit off vinegar, let sit for a few seconds and then wipe off. Don't wash it off, just let it dry. The vinegar smell goes away quite quickly.

The vinegar creates an environment that is too acidic for the bacteria that cause the underarm odour and kills them. Eventually they come back but it takes quite a while. I've used this and done hard trance dancing for six hours straight and although I was sweating there was no smell.

There you have it. Using a few simple natural ingredients can work wonders.

Enjoy!