Toothpaste

Simple to make! Easy to use! We've been using this toothpaste for years. We got this recipe from Matt & Betsy at DIY Natural. (By the way, they have a great website with great do-it-yourself ideas!)

What you need:

 2/3 cup Bob's baking soda (I get mine from Thrive)

 1 tsp. good quality sea salt

 Peppermint essential oil

 Pure water

What you do:

 In glass bowl, combine baking soda, salt and about 10-20 drops peppermint oil

 Add water little by little to desired consistency

 Store in glass jars (I use small Mason jars)

 To use, dip dampened toothbrush in toothpaste and brush teeth as usual
 Enjoy this simple, non-toxic toothpaste!

Tallow Lotion

I love this lotion! Though it's a bit greasier than conventional lotions, the benefits are many. Great information on tallow lotion can be found on The Weston A. Price website.

What you need:
 1  11 ounce jar of Epic Beef Tallow (from Thrive)
 1 to 2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
 Your choice of essential oils (I have used geranium with lavender and also lemon and orange)

 Equipment:
 2 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup
 Shallow pan

What you do:
 In a glass Pyrex 2 cup measuring cup, scoop out all of tallow
 Place in a pan filled with about 1 inch of water
 Heat on medium until tallow is melted
 Let tallow cool
 Add 1 to 2 ounces of olive oil and desired amount of essential oils
 Mix thoroughly (I use my electric hand mixer) and store in glass containers (an empty Organic Valley ghee jar is perfect)
 Place in refrigerator to harden a bit, but not too much
 Enjoy!

Caution: Be prepared for dogs to lick your legs. ;-) They love this stuff!

The BEST Deodorant

For about the last five years, we have been switching out our store bought personal care products for homemade, non-toxic ones. This deodorant was the first thing we made. It's easy to make...and it works!

What you need:

 3/4 cup coconut oil (for this, I use the TJs brand)

 1/2 cup Shea butter (from Thrive)

 1/2 cup arrowroot powder (from Thrive)

 1/2 cup baking soda (Bob's from Thrive)

What you do:

 Place a Pyrex glass measuring cup in a sauce pan containing about an inch of water

 Heat the coconut oil and the Shea butter in the measuring cup on medium heat until melted

 Remove from heat and place melted oil and Shea butter in bowl

 Add arrowroot powder and baking soda and stir to combine

 Place in 3 separate 4 ounce Mason jars 

 Cover and place in refrigerator to harden a bit, but not too much

 To use scoop out deodorant (about the size of a shelled peanut), rub together in hands

 and rub under arms

If you develop a rash under your arms, try cutting back on the amount of baking soda. We had problems with rashes more often when we were not using Shea butter. No problems since adding it!

Also, this deodorant melts in warm weather. We haven't noticed any change in its effectiveness.