Life sounds easier when you have a regular income. But what happens when the regular income only comes once a month and you’re stuck in the middle of the month without any money? Sure we have a few essential ingredients in your kitchen pantry so you can still cook nutritious meals like suggested in this post.
But what about other things like shampoo, soap, dishwashing liquid, and laundry detergent? Can you make them yourself? Sure you can. Here are some ideas:
DIY Shampoo
The benefit of making your own shampoo is that you know exactly what goes there. There’s no suspicious and/or potentially carcinogenic chemicals like what we may get when we buy shampoo from the supermarket.
Perhaps running out of shampoo and having to make your own is a good opportunity to start making one yourself and stop buying one.
No Poo Method – With Water
No poo means no shampoo. No traditional shampoo, that is. The simplest one is the one with baking soda and water. Simply mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a cup of water and pour it to your scalp while massaging it gently. More complete direction can be viewed here on DIY Natural.com . Note that baking soda shouldn’t be used every day as it can irritate your scalp.
This website, No Poo Livejournal goes deep with the method of no poo, including the effect of the ingredients used, and how to solve what problem with which ingredients. Have a read when you have time. It’s packed with important information.
No Poo Method – Without Water (Known as Dry Shampoo)
This method is usually for people who are in a hurry. They have no time to wash and dry their hair so the fastest method is to absorb the oil produced in the scalp area. Not only it gives a fresher smell, but the oil also instantly ‘vanishes’. It does not clean your scalp or hair. It’s just a quick fix when you want a fresher look and smell on your scalp and hair.
The simplest ingredients are those that absorb oil.
Corn flour is one of the most common ones used for this method. Some people combine it with lavender oil to give a nice fragrance. I personally use this method whenever I’m in a hurry for a quick video conference with a client. Applying the ingredients to my scalp and brush it briefly only takes 5 minutes or less.
All you need for dry shampoo: mix half cup of cornflour with 10 drops of essential oil of your choice (I always use lavender, it smells lovely!). If your hair is of darker colour, you can replace half of the cornflour with cocoa powder. Rub your scalp gently with the mix and brush with a comb to even it out.
Soap Based Shampoo
The most common ingredient when making a DIY shampoo is castile soap. Castile soap is made from olive oil and some are made with hemp, avocado, or coconut oil. The most basic one doesn’t have any fragrance.
To make a quick one:
As directed by MapleHolistics.com, mix a quarter liquid Castille soap, 20-40 drops of essential oils of choice, half cup of water, half teaspoon of carrier oils (e.g. avocado oil, olive oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil).
Some of the benefits of castile soap, as described in EraOrganics.com are gentle skin without toxins, safe for sensitive skins, and naturally hydrating.
However, be aware that some DIY shampoos have their downsides, including the absence of preservative, which means when left at room temperature, microbial is likely to grow. Here is a list of what’s wrong with some DIY shampoos.
DIY Dishwashing Liquid
The simplest dishwashing liquid is made out of 1 ingredient: castile soap.
If you don’t have castile soap, then you need to use three ingredients that clean grease (if that’s the purpose) and kill bacteria.
These three ingredients, coarse salt, lemon juice and baking soda, have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can help fight harmful bacteria. Lemon and vinegar help remove grease.
To make it, mix the following:
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
I got that recipe from ehow.com but as I didn’t have borax at home, it works just fine without borax.
DIY Laundry Detergent
When I run out of laundry detergent, usually I’ll just hand wash a few clothes that I need the most with a soap bar. I simply rub the soap onto some parts of the shirt like the armpits and neck, then use soft brush to remove any stains or dirt.
Ingredients for DIY Laundry Detergent
2-5 oz castile soap bars any variety
3 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
Optional: 30 drops lavender essential oil or other cleaning oil such as: tea tree, lemon, or orange
Watch this video how to make it “Homemade 5 Minute Powder Laundry Soap“
If you’d prefer not to use borax, you can replace it with washing soda, as suggested here on LiveSimplyMe.com.
