Taking An Eco Approach To After Shave

image of a man shaving

Men, especially, look to aftershave to help soothe their skin and prevent razor burn and bumps. While most men use aftershave some women do as well. Typically when women use aftershave it is because they have extra sensitive skin and are trying to prevent razor burn and bumps. Below you will find more natural aftershaves. Not only will they treat your skin better but they will also treat the environment better.

George’s Aloe After Shave
Georges Aloe Vera After Shave is stimulating with a refreshing scent restores moisture to the skin! 78% “Always Active” Aloe Vera.

Thayers Witch Hazel After Shave With Aloe Vera Extra Strength
Thayers After Shave Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula reduces post-shaving irritation and leaves skin supple to the touch. Made of extract from the Witch Hazel shrub (Hamamelis Virginiana) and a blend of other time-tested ingredients – Thayers Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Astringents and Alcohol-Free Toners are soothing, natural treatments that cleanse, tone and soothe your skin.

Earth Science Aloe Herbal After Shave Skin Soother For Men
For dry and normal skin. A unique skin soother formulated without stinging alcohols. Soothes and cools the skin and helps prevent razor burn or irritation. Normalizes the skin to a pH of 4.0 to 6.0. I have bought this brand for someone once before and it worked really well for them.

Reviva Labs After Save Conditioner
Skin Texture will feel and look smoother, while Reviva Labs After Shave Skin Conditioner helps protect skin from dust and pollutants.

EO Products After Shave Tea Tree and Lemon

This revitalizing After Shave Splash refreshes and cools the skin surface. Essential oils noted for their natural crisp scent and healing properties, invigorate and tone skin naturally. Use Daily to awaken, revitalize and revive skin. Paraben and Alcohol-Free, this splash won’t dry skin. Witch Hazel serves as a powerful astringent to tone and balance. Nourishing Algae and Mugwort heal and nourish while Aloe, Panthenol, and Nourishing Olive Wax leave skin soothe and moisturize. Pure Lemon, Tea Tree essential oils and Gentle Organic Jojoba work together to restore moisture and clarify skin naturally.

Looking To Eco Bathroom Tissue

roll of toilet paper

Bathroom Tissue, also called Toilet Paper by an enormous number of people, obviously uses a lot of trees over time. Can you imagine how many trees it would save if we all stopped using toilet paper? Okay, going without the use of toilet paper is obviously not the answer to cutting back on how many trees are cut down, no pun intended. However, there is a way to possibly reduce the amount. How? Well, what about eco-friendly toilet paper? While there aren’t a lot of various companies coming out with eco-friendly toilet paper there are a few, which you will see in the list of toilet papers that I provided for you below, all of which can be bought online.

At the moment there aren’t very many places to purchase eco-friendly toilet paper but there are a lot more than before. Locally, you should be able to find a toilet paper sold under the brand name of Seventh Generation in stores such as Walgreens, Walmart, and Winn-Dixie. If you come across any other local stores that carry eco-toilet paper locally please don’t be afraid to post a comment with the name of the store.

100% Cotton Bathroom Tissue
100% Cotton Bathroom Tissue – 1 double roll. How can something so luxurious be so ecologically friendly? Favored by trees everywhere, this incredibly soft and lint-free tissue is made from 100% recycled cotton. Completely biodegradable contains no dyes, latex, or perfumes, and is ideal for septic systems and low-flow toilets. Manufactured by Purely Cotton.

Seventh Generation Bathroom Tissue
100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue. Made from 100% recycled paper (minimum 80% post-consumer). Buying products made from the recycled paper helps reduce the need for virgin wood pulp. Their paper is whitened with an environmentally safe process, never with chemicals containing chlorine. Features and Benefits: Whitened without chemical containing chlorine, No added dyes, and fragrances, Safe for septic systems, Ideal for low-flow toilets.

Earth Friendly Bathroom Tissue Extra Strength
Made from 100% recycled paper containing a minimum of 80% post-consumer content. Earth Friendly Products toilet paper comes as a four-pack 2-ply 175 sheet count roll.

Natracare Wipes
Made from organic cotton with natural plant extracts of calendula and chamomile. These soft and strong feminine wipes are clinically tested, are alcohol-free, are biodegradable, do not contain any sodium lauryl or Laureth sulfates (SLS), have zero synthetic preservatives, are paraben-free and totally chlorine-free.  The resealable package makes them perfect to pop in a purse or overnight bag. Great for those “oh no, there’s no toilet paper” situations in public restrooms. Each package contains 12 feminine wipes. Ingredients include aqua, glycerin, coco glucoside, organic chamomilla Recutita, maltodextrin, organic calendula Officinalis, sodium levulinate, sodium anisate, potassium sorbate, lactic acid, Hyacinthus orientalis, cinnamyl alcohol, hydroxycitronellal, sodium phytate. Made in Greece.

Eco Soft Toilet Tissue
500 2-ply 4 3/8 x 3 3/4″ sheets per roll, carton of 96 rolls. 100% recycled fibers/40% minimum post-consumer waste. Processed chlorine-free and Green Seal certified. “424,000: The number of trees that would be saved if every household in the U.S. replaced just one 500 sheet roll of virgin toilet paper with just one recycled roll. -Natural Resources Defense Council.”

Organic Cotton Swabs

organic cotton swabs

Cotton swabs, otherwise known as q-tips, are used by everyone for the most part. They come in handy for many, many different things aside from giving the ears a good cleaning out. If you look at the list below you will find organic cotton swabs, and also a link to peroxide as well.

Organic Essentials Certified Organic Cotton Swabs
New and improved 180 counts Biodegradable Swab tipped with Certified Organic Cotton! The new stick is made from raw materials which are totally biodegradable and compostable. The new packaging is also more environmentally friendly, made from recycled and recyclable cardboard.

Organic Essentials Cotton Swabs Travel Pack
Organic Essentials Cotton Swabs Travel Pack are a biodegradable swab tipped with certified organic cotton. The new cotton swabs stick is made from raw materials which are totally biodegradable and compostable. Cotton Swabs Travel Pack easy for on the go!

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree + Aloe Vera Cotton Tips

Thursday Plantation, the world’s leading brand of quality tea tree oil products, offers Thursday Plantation Tea Tree+Aloe Vera Cotton Tips. Now you can have the power of 100% tea tree oil plus soothing, 100% aloe vera leaf extract, while you’re on the go – anytime, anywhere! They may look like any ordinary cotton swabs. But that’s where the similarity ends. When you need immediate, soothing relief, simply bend the colored tip until you feel a snap. This saturates the head of the cotton swab with 100% pure tea tree oil and soothing aloe vera. Use the soft, all-natural cotton tip to quickly cleanse the affected areas with premeasured, precise concentrations of tea tree oil and aloe vera.

Organic Cotton Swabs Matchbox Pack

100% Certified organic cotton heads, cardboard holding stick. 100% Certified organic cotton to provide you with the softest and safest materials. Chlorine, dioxin, viscose/rayon, perfume and plastics free to keep our products as Chemical-free as possible. Hypoallergenic to keep your skin 100% irritation-free.

Bionics Hydrogen Peroxide 12%
Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide helps oxygenate the body, is useful in oxygen therapy, helps improve immune function, and may be beneficial in the treatment of chronic illnesses. H2o2 Hydrogen Peroxide Food Grade.

Top 7 Ways To Make Your Car More Eco Friendly

1. Replace Air Filter Regularly

Replacing
a clogged air filter in your car can improve your car’s gas mileage
by as much as 10%. What the air filter in your car does is it keeps
impurities from damaging the inside of your car’s engine. So, what
does this mean? It means that by replacing your air filter when it
needs to be changed will help cut down on the use of gas it needs by
up to 10% as well as helping to protect the engine in your car.

2. Use the Correct Motor Oil Grade

Using
the correct grade of motor oil in your car can increase efficiency by
up to 2%. If you user the incorrect grade of motor oil that should be
used in your specific type of car then it can actually lower your gas
mileage up to 2%. A good tip is to look for motor oil that says
“Energy Conserving” on the bottle, though this isn’t very easy to
find, so best of luck to you.

3. Keeping Your Tires Properly
Inflated

By
keeping your tires properly inflated with the proper amount of
pressure for your tires you can improve gas mileage up to 3%, which
means less gas is consumed. Properly inflated tires do not only
improve gas mileage up to 3% but also are much safer and last longer.

4. Wash Your Car the Eco Way

When
washing your car there is a way to go eco-friendly believe it or not.
You can make your own biodegradable car washing soap by mixing
together 1 cup of eco-friendly liquid dish soap, ¾ cup
eco-friendly powder laundry detergent, and 3 gallons of water. Use
this eco-friendly soap combination to wash your car.

5. Natural Car Air Freshener

This
wonderful project is by Elizabeth Seward:

“First you need some old fabric.
Think about the clothes you no longer wear and towels and blankets
you no longer use. If you’re not inclined to sewing, you can simply
cut out the shape you want from the fabric. Cut out two of whatever
shape you choose. Glue these shapes down to some cardboard (think
cardboard from old shoe boxes, cereal boxes, etc.). You should make
the cardboard the same shape and size as the fabric pieces. After
this is done, you can decorate how you wish. Add sequin, other layers
of fabric, paint, etc. When you’re totally completed, soak the fabric
with your favorite essential oil to your liking. These oils are
incredibly strong, so be cautious at first. The beautiful thing? When
the scent starts to run out, all you have to do is drop some more oil
onto the fabric.”

6. Avoid Excess Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon
of gas. Over 30 seconds of idling in your car can use a lot more gas
than restarting the engine in your car. Try not to idle as often as
possible so that you reduce the use of fuel.

7. Observe Speed Limits

By observing the speed limit you
can increase your gas mileage up to 23% depending on how fast you
drive now. Not only does it help to conserve gas but it is also much
safer to drive the speed limit rather than to go over the speed
limit. Over 42,000 people die every year due to traffic crashes in
our nation. That doesn’t include those who were just injured.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 3 –
33.

 

 

 

 

Homemade Deodorant To the Rescue!

So far we have seen how to make both eco-friendly toothpaste and mouthwash, which are two obviously useful items. Another useful item that comes to mind when thinking about our “Hygiene Health Week”. Not only is deodorant a great item to learn to make but it is also something that we use every day, which makes it an extremely useful item. If you are interested in learning how to make your own deodorant please keep reading…

Follow the following recipes to learn how to make your own deodorant:

Basic Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tsp. zinc-oxide powder
2/3 cup witch-hazel extract
2 tbsp. aloe-vera juice
30-40 drops essential oil(s)

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir the zinc-oxide powder into the witch-hazel extract, and add the aloe-vera juice and essential oil(s). Fill an 8-oz. dark-glass spray bottle with the fluid.

For Daily Use

Ingredients:
Basic Recipe
30 drops rose-geranium essential oil

Directions:
The rose geranium oil is high in terpene alcohol, which inhibits the proliferation of odor-causing bacteria.

For Sensitive Skin

Ingredients:
Basic Recipe
30 drops calendula extract
10 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:
Calendula and lavender oils are mild yet potent fighters of bacteria and odor.

For Excessive Sweating

Ingredients:
Basic Recipe
30 drops sage essential oil

Directions:
Sage oil inhibits sweat-gland activity by as much as 50 percent. It also is antiseptic and astringent and gently constricts pore size.

These recipes are by Natural Beauty. Please visit their website for the full article on these recipes along with other ideas.

Herbal Stick Deodorant

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbspn beeswax (yellow is best)
1/2 tbspn cocoa butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
15 drops white thyme essential oil
15 drops rosemary essential oil
25 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops castor oil

Directions:
Melt beeswax in a glass jar standing in hot water, add the cocoa butter,
and when it has melted, add the oils. Stir to mix thoroughly, then pour
into a clean, discarded deodorant stick case and leave to cool and set

This herbal stick deodorant recipe is by Snow Drift Farms.

 

 

How To Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Mouthwash

So, we’ve already taken a look at making your own homemade eco-friendly toothpaste so we will have a look at homemade eco-friendly mouthwash now, which not only helps to fight bad breath but is also great for promoting really good mouth and gum health. There are many great mouthwash recipes out there, so I hope that the ones you find here work out great for you.

Follow the following recipes in order to learn how to make your own eco-friendly homemade mouthwash:

Homemade Rosemary-Mint Mouthwash

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups distilled or mineral water
1 tsp fresh mint leaves
1tsp rosemary leaves
1 tsp anise seeds

Directions:
Boil the water, add herbs and seeds, infuse for 20 minutes. Cool, strain and use as a gargle/mouthwash. If you wish to make up a larger quantity, double or triple the recipe then add 1 tsp of tincture of myrrh as a natural preservative.

Homemade Spearmint Mouthwash

Ingredients:
6 ounces water
2 ounces vodka
4 teaspoons liquid glycerine
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
10-15 drops Spearmint essential oil

Directions:
Boil water and vodka, add glycerine and aloe vera gel. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly. Add spearmint oil, shake well. Pour into bottle, cap tightly.

Baking Soda Mouthwash

Mix 2 ounces of Water, 1/4 Teaspoon of baking soda or Sea Salt, 1 drop of Pure Peppermint Oil, and 1 drop of Tea Tree oil. This Homemade mouthwash recipe leaves a great refreshing minty taste in your mouth and helps prevent bad breathe.

These recipes can be found at Ultimate-Cosmetics.


Minty Mouthwash

Ingredients:
16 floz/450ml water
1 tablespoon fresh or dried parsley
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions:
Boil the water in a small saucepan and then remove it from the heat. Add the remaining ingredients and leave them to infuse in the water for 5-10 minutes. Strain off the liquid and keep it tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe is by Make Your Own.