Natural Help for Scalp Psoriasis and Dandruff

A few people I know (my daughter included) have a terrible time with scalp psoriasis and several (including me) have issues with dandruff when the weather gets dry and cold. Last year a friend gave me a recipe to help scalp issues; I tweaked it and came up with something that really helps scalp psoriasis. We've had great results so I thought I'd share it here in case someone else is struggling with the same thing.

Use organic ingredients if possible.

4oz unrefined shea butter
3.25oz virgin coconut oil
2T+2t jojoba oil
1t castor oil
1/2t vitamin e oil
1/2t rosemary essential oil
1/8t lavender essential oil
10drops grapefruit seed extract

If shea butter is too solid, gently warm it but DO NOT heat it too much.
Place all ingredients into a high-walled container (like a gallon pitcher) and stick-blend till smooth and well combined. Keep in a clean, glass jar(s).
If it's hot in the house keep this lotion in the fridge for longer shelf life.

Both shea butter and coconut oil leave all the grease behind. I have found that babassu oil is a good substitute for the majority of the solid fats in lotion and penetrates well but I have not tried it in this scalp lotion. Let me know if you experiment with it or any other combination.

To learn more about the properties of each ingredient, please visit the Rose Mountain Herbs website ... they have a lot of good information and it seems their products are high quality, though I do not get everything from them - some of the items I purchase come from Azure Standard, Vitacost, Amazon and Costco. I've heard some mention Bulk Apothecary as well though I have never tried their store ... yet ... maybe I will some day.

But back to the scalp issues!!

What we found helped the most was the following routine: Wash hair with Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash, Tear Free. Now, there is a clear baby shampoo and a milk-colored one; we get the milk-colored one. When a good lather has formed, place 4-5 drops of rosemary essential oil into the palm of your hand, rub on to both hands and then work into your scalp. The lather of the shampoo helps the essential oil to spread better. Rinse. If you can handle it, do an apple cider vinegar rinse (a tablespoon or two into a 12 oz squeeze bottle filled the rest of the way with warm water ... really the amount of vinegar to water will depend on your hair and scalp so you'll have to experiment to see what works best for you). Rinse again with water and towel off.

While your hair is still damp, gently work in the above scalp cream into your scalp. It's best to do this in the evening so you can sleep on it all night. The results will be kind of greasy, so be sure to have a towel on your pillow or wear some kind of cap or covering. In the morning you might need to wash your hair again. We wear head coverings so it's not really an issue to have greasy looking hair because no one can see it anyway.

Repeat every night as needed. When it clears up just do a maintenance application of the lotion as often as you need it (at least once a week?) but continue to wash your hair the same, including the essential oil each time.

For an added bonus, make an herbal vinegar hair rinse: fill a 32oz mason jar half full of rosemary and/or lavender. Add apple cider vinegar (raw, organic) to the top. Cover with plastic wrap and cap tight with the mason jar lid and ring. The plastic wrap will prevent the metal lid and ring from corroding. Keep on the counter and shake once or twice a day for two weeks. Strain. Throw out the herbs (compost them).

Now, what's this about Dandruff? Well, it happened by accident really. I used to get such tight, itchy, dry scalp in the winter time UNTIL I started washing my hair with the Burts Bees baby shampoo/wash and adding the essential oil as mentioned above. No more dandruff, no more tight, itchy, dry scalp.

There you have it. Please let me know if you try any of the things suggested here ... I'd like to know if they work or do not work for you. Also, if you have something that is working for you, please share!!

D. I. Y. Homemade Deodorant that actually works

 After years of trying without results that pleased me well enough I am happy to report that I have finally developed a homemade deodorant that actually works.

Last spring I compared various homemade deodorant recipes, read about others successes and failures, and then developed what I thought would be the best formula. I wanted to do a post soon after using it but decided it would be best to try it out all summer long - the hottest time of the year and the best way to know if a deodorant actually works.

It is by far the BEST natural deodorant I've ever used ... MUCH BETTER than any natural deodorant from the store or online.

I purchased new, empty deodorant containers online but I also thought it would be nice to have a travel size deodorant for my backpack, so I purchased a travel size antiperspirant and attempted to wash it out. HORRIBLE MISTAKE. The junk never did fully come out, even with lots of dish soap and scrubbing, and what's worse, I smelled like the stuff for days. No thank you. I settled for a 4oz mason jar for my backpack.

This deodorant stayed solid until it got super hot. We do not have central a/c and our bathroom gets really warm. It was no problem for me though, I just used my finger and (to my surprise) actually preferred that way of applying it. I did adjust the beeswax amount in the recipe below - that should add a little more 'solidness' to it for the warmer months. If however you are concerned, just keep it in your fridge.

This is enough to fill 5 containers with a little extra (of course the size of the containers you get will make a difference on your yield. I used THESE containers).

Ingredients
180g baking soda
168g coconut oil
64g arrowroot
56g shea butter
45g beeswax
40 drops tea tree e.o.*
20 drops sage e.o.
20 drops rosemary e.o.
12 drops lavender e.o.
8 drops lemon e.o.
1/2t vitamin e oil (or about 4 caps)

* I chose the other essential oils based on their beneficial properties as well, however you may not have them all on hand. If this is the case and you are only able to afford one e.o., go with tea tree. Among other things, tea tree essential oil is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and is a deodorant. Some of the other oils have some of these properties as well, but tea tree has them all.

You might be wondering where to get all of these ingredients? I can tell you where I got mine, however you might have better options available in your area. I purchase from Rose Mountain Herbs (in this recipe, the shea butter), Azure Standard (baking soda, arrowroot, lemon, sage), Vitacost (tea tree and lavender), Costco (coconut oil), and Amazon (vitamin e and rosemary). We harvest our own beeswax.

Directions
The first thing you'll want to do is assemble all of your ingredients.

Next, weigh them out, putting the solid fats and wax together into a glass, heat-safe dish (such as Pyrex brand) or a double boiler. I do not have a double boiler, so I put my pyrex dish on top of a large mason jar ring in a pan of water. This elevates the dish enough and acts as a homemade 'double boiler' in a pinch. I've read in several places that microwaves may also be used, however we do not have one (nor do we want one).

Weigh the dry ingredients together and combine the essential oils and vitamin e into a smaller bowl or ramekin. Set aside until ready to use.

Now the next task is a bit tedious but once it gets going it goes rather quickly, so be careful! Gently stir your hard fats/wax in the double boiler/glass dish over steaming water (medium heat or so), until the wax and fats are melted. I started with just the shea butter and beeswax and added the coconut oil later since it was already liquid (it was pretty warm in my house).

The shea butter will melt before the beeswax. My beeswax is solid; you might purchase beeswax that is in little 'pebbles' called pastilles or pellets. These will melt much quicker than a solid chunk!

Once everything is melted and well combined, add the dry ingredients and mix well till thoroughly combined.

Allow this to cool a bit before adding the essential oil / vitamin e blend - you do not want to harm the beneficial properties of the essential oils with too much heat. Whisk these final ingredients in and pour into your chosen deodorant container. This will cool quickly,

Allow to cool completely before using (it's best to let it sit over night to be sure it's totally set). Store finished deodorant in a cool, dark place. If your home is warm, you may prefer to store in the refrigerator.

Frugal health and beauty

This post is going to be about toothpaste, soap and shampoo.

TOOTHPASTE
I cannot even remember the last time I regularly used 'normal' toothpaste, though I know it has been well over 10 years. Just like diet in general, my experimenting with toothpaste has been through some changes over the years. Baking soda, just water, Dr. Bronner's, homemade paste (made with baking soda, coconut oil, essential oil and a few other things), back to baking soda, just water, and so on, but none of these things ever really seemed to work satisfactorily. 

A few years ago I met a brother who only used salt water for his teeth and he said he's never had a problem since. I gave it a try and that is what I have been doing ever since. I LIKE IT A LOT! He uses a plastic water bottle, fills it with water and adds in a teaspoon or two of salt. I like to just wet my brush and sprinkle on a little salt each time (I use RealSalt). My teeth and gums have never been better. I even use salt water (just regular sea salt) in my hydro floss.

Toothpaste rabbit trail:
Several years ago I discovered the Tightwad Gazette. Have you ever heard of it?? Lots of interesting ideas in there!! I checked out the 3 volume set from the library and that was the first book I ever read about cutting corners and saving where you can. Amy had a tip in there about 'how low can you go' - I think I even mentioned it on this blog before? The basic idea is: keep using less and less of something until you get to the point where you are using as little as you can and are still pleased with the results. Toothpaste was one of the things I experimented on and discovered that I really did not need a huge blob of paste on my brush like the ads and commercials showed! So, the first thing I did with toothpaste was cut down my use of it from a good sized blob to about a small pea-sized amount.

SOAP
Lately I've gotten in to making my own soap. Though the upfront cost can seem a little much, the ingredients last a long time and make a lot of soap. I especially like that I know exactly what is in my soap and only put things in there that I want on my skin and in my body. (Anything you put on your skin goes right into your body! My general rule is, if I would not eat it, i do not want it on my body ... thought I am not obsessive about this rule.)

Maybe the next time I make soap I'll post a video of how I do it? But for now I can only offer you the title of the book I used and appreciated to help teach me: Smart Soapmaking by Anne Watson. Her detailed instructions and lists can seem a bit intimidating at first, however after the first time through you'll be much more comfortable the next time.

SHAMPOO
Ok, I will admit it ... it's been a long time since I've used shampoo. I just do not like the stuff. No matter what brand I use, there always seems to be a bunch of build-up left behind in my brush! Honestly, this grosses me out. I switched to 'no-poo' and have not looked back. It's really simple and cheap ... and best of all it works great for my hair and is not toxic!!

Shampoo (or 'no-poo'): Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda with one cup of warm water into a squirt bottle of some sort. I found soft plastic squeeze bottles for a dollar at walmart in the kitchen gadget isle (these bottles would normally be used for ketchup or something - they have a pointed spout and a tiny little cap). Shake well before using.

Rinse: 1T vinegar to one cup warm water. Shake well before using.

To use: Squirt baking soda mixture all over scalp, concentrating more on dirtier areas. Gently rub with fingers and rinse with water. Now squirt the vinegar mix all over your scalp and rinse well with water.

That's it.

Tip: I tried mixing a larger batch of soda and water but the soda ended up clumping at the bottom. It would eventually (mostly) mix in if I shook it long enough, but I found it not a very fun thing to stand in the shower and shake a bottle of soda and water. Now I just keep some soda in the bathroom and mix it up each time.

Another tip: I am the only one in my family that does this. My boys just use Dr. Bronner's for everything and my daughter uses a few different kinds of shampoos. She is hoping to find something more natural that works for her, however she has not found it yet. So, I guess the tip here is ... don't expect everyone to jump on board!!

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What are your frugal health and beauty tips?