As I strive to live simply and stop looking to large corporations to provide the things I consume, I’ve replaced all of my bottles of goop with body care products from the kitchen. I wouldn’t eat a bottle of store bought lotion, no matter how much it cost, or how good the branding, and I also hesitate to apply it to my skin. I don’t have any plastic bottles in my bathroom, and this also keeps it clutter free. It’s taken me years to settle on my favorite kitchen staples as body care alternatives, so I thought I’d share them with others who might be seeking alternatives.
Shampoo
Baking soda. Mix a couple of tablespoons into a cup of water. No need to be exact. Mix it up in the shower before applying. Pour over scalp from temple to temple, rub and run fingers through. Rinse thoroughly.
I’ve use baking soda as shampoo for a decade. You can read else where about the sadly named “no poo method”. Basically, your scalp is used to store bought shampoos so your hair gets greasy faster because your body is working harder to replace the grease it lost. To convert to baking soda as shampoo, you must endure a couple of greasy months while the scalp learns to stop panicking and overproducing grease. After this point, the baking soda becomes enough to clean your hair. In my case, my hair stayed clean longer, and I only have to shampoo weekly.
Moisturizer
Avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
Wet face, hands and neck (or any area to be moisturized). Apply 2+ drops to hands and rub into skin, rub and pat onto neck and face.
Avocado oil and grapeseed oil are light and noncomedogenic, which is why they are often touted on the little plastic bottles in stores. I skip the preservatives and keep a dainty glass jar of oil in the medicine cabinet. Pouring it into the palm means you aren’t putting your fingers into a jar and introducing bacteria. When I visit family, I don’t pack my avocado oil. I’ll substitute with an oil from their kitchen instead for a day or two.
Exfoliant
Coffee grounds or baking soda.
I find coffee grounds more moisturizing and baking soda more drying. So I adjust depending on how my skin is behaving. Since I stopped using goop, I don’t find I need to exfoliate much. There just isn’t the same build up.
Toothpaste
Baking soda.
I use this for travel, but recommend diluting baking soda into a mixture for daily use. many natural pastes combine with Castille soap and other ingredients.
I use baking soda for toothpaste when I visit family so I don’t have to pack much, but for daily use, you’ll want to use something less abrasive.
Deoderant
Baking soda, vinegar, fresh lemon or lime wedge.
Apply baking soda to dampened pits. Or allow vinegar or citrus to dry before dressing.
For years I used baking soda as deoderant and really liked it. No more marks on clothing, and I didn’t need to wait for it to dry. One day my skin became sensitive to it, so I had to switch. My area has so many citrus trees, it’s easy to keep a lemon or lime on hand. However, you must wait until your underarms dry when using citrus or vinegar because they can bleach your clothing.
Honorable Mentions
Studies show green tea has sun healing properties. I like to drink it and apply it to my skin when I know I will be in the sun. I can’t recommend it because I am not a scientist, but I believe it helps. Also, this may not be in your kitchen, but I never set foot out the door without a big hat.
I continually return to these body care products in the kitchen because they take the DIY out of body care alternatives. I prefer not to spend my time mixing up special batches of lotions and salves with a short shelf life. These solutions last a long time, and without preservatives, dyes, or manufactured perfumes. What are your favorite goop alternatives?