Antimicrobial Bathroom Cleanser

The bathroom is the bleachiest part of the house. And I don't use bleach. I use this stuff:

Ingredients:
14 oz. water or rosemary hydrosol
3 tbsp castille soap
15 drops of tea tree essential oil
15 drops of oregano essential oil

Use this cleaning spray to disinfect your bathroom surfaces. You can use the Super Surface Spray to rinse away any residue left behind by the castille soap.

Calendula Compress

Rather than use a compress these days, most people just slather on neosporin and a bandaid. The problem is that the poison remains in the wound and you only applied stuff to heal the skin. Calendula really is a miracle flower that most people call a pot marigold. You can be apply it to burns, cuts and scrapes, bee stings, bug bites, inflammations, and other skin irritations for people and animals alike. 

Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
dried calendula flowers
clean cloth

Pour  boiling water over fresh or dried calendula flowers, cover, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, strain out flowers and reserve the remaining liquid.  Create a compress by soaking a clean cloth in the herbal infusion and placing it on the skin.  This process is gentle and may be repeated several times a day.

Wood Safe Mopping Solution

I've only had wood floors once- and boy did they need love. I had to patch, scrub and baby those planks to get it to look like it wasn't the bottom of an old barn. So many cleaners will either streak wood up or pull away the oils and wax that you need to keep the wood 'healthy'. This mopping solution is safe fr wood floors and will help you preserve the needed healthy oils without you breaking your neck on a slippery floor.

Ingredients:
20 oz. spray bottle
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. vegetable glycerin
20 drops lemon essential oil
Water

Spray, mop as usual, and quickly buff dry to protect your floors. They will be glossy and clean with a lovely lemon scent!

Rose and Lavendar Facial Toner

You can spend a lot of money on facial products that are safe for skin allergies. I all but gave up on everything except simple rose water and oil oil for a long time because I just couldn't afford it. This toner is a light, hydrating forula that will help remove make up and dirt and shrink your pores.

Ingredients: 
2 oz. Rose Flower Water (Hydrosol)
1 oz. Witch Hazel Extract
1 tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel
1/2 tsp Vegetable Glycerin
7 drops Lavender Essential Oil
4 drops Chamomile Extract (Tincture)

Place all ingredients into a clean 4 oz. bottle, top with a fingertip mister, and shake to blend. Shake a little before each use as the contents will naturally separate.  This toner should keep for at least 6 months without refrigeration.

To use: Wash your face with water and gently dry with a soft washcloth. Then, mist with Rose & Lavender Facial toner and allow to air dry or gently pat dry.  Finish by applying a moisturizing lotion, oil, or cream.

Tropical Carpet Powder

Personally I don't keep carpets. They are allergen magnets. Icky stuff gets trapped in the fibers. Brackish water collects under it. And sometimes they stink- oh lord! Some of my past rental places, however, wouldn't let me tear out the carpets, so I had to improvise.The powder below is full of deodorizers that won't kill your sinus allergies.

Ingredients:
1 cup of baking soda
10 drops of lemongrass essential oil  per cup
10 drops of mandarin essential oil  per cup
10 drops of ginger essential oil  per cup

Mix together and sprinkle the aromatic blend onto your carpet, let sit for 30 minutes, and vacuum as normal. Wonderful mattress deodorizer, too!

Simple Herbal Castille Shampoos

Homemade shampoo is not as thick or lathering as store-bought varieties, but it will effectively clean hair with nourishing ingredients and botanicals. Because this shampoo is so much gentler, you can expect that your hair will not feel as squeaky-clean after washing. This is because it will not be stripped of its natural oils!

Ingredients:
8 oz water
3 oz liquid castille soap
1-2 tablespoons dried organic herbs of choice (see list below)
20-60 drops essential oil (see list below)
1/4 tsp  Jojoba or glycerine oil (adjust as needed – use more for dry hair or may omit for oily hair)

Make an herbal infusion by pouring boiling water over the herbs, cover, and allow them to steep for at least 4 hours. Strain the herbs out and pour the reserved liquid into a bottle, then add Castille soap and oils. Your herbal shampoo is now ready to use! Always shake well before use since the contents will naturally separate.

Herbs for Hair Care

Normal hair: basil, calendula, chamomile, horsetail, lavender, linden flowers, nettle, parsley leaf, rosemary, sage, watercress

Dry hair and scalp: burdock root, calendula, chamomile, comfrey leaf, elder flowers, horsetail, lavender, marshmallow root, nettle, parsley leaf, sage

Oily hair and scalp: bay leaf, burdock root, calendula, chamomile, horsetail, lemon balm, lavender, lemon peel, lemongrass, nettle, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, witch hazel bark, yarrow leaf and flower

Scalp conditions (dandruff, sensitive skin, inflammation, itchiness, dermatitis): burdock root, calendula, chamomile, comfrey leaf, eucalyptus, horsetail, lavender, marshmallow root, nettle, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme

Hair loss/thinning: basil, nettle, rosemary, sage

Golden highlights: calendula, chamomile, lemon, sunflower petals

Dark highlights: black Tea, black Walnut hulls (crushed or chopped), comfrey root, nettle, rosemary, sage

Red highlights: calendula, henna, hibiscus flowers, red clover flowers, rose hips, red rose petals

Essential Oils for Hair Care

Normal hair: carrot seed, cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemon, orange, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, thyme, ylang ylang

Dry hair: carrot seed, cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, jasmine, lavender, orange, rosemary, sandalwood, ylang ylang

Oily Hair: basil, bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, orange, peppermint, rosemary, sage, tea tree, thyme, ylang ylang.

Scalp Conditions (dandruff, sensitive skin, itchiness, inflammation, dermatitis): cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, lavender, lemon, marjoram, myrrh, orange, patchouli, rose, rosemary, sage, thyme, tea tree, ylang ylang.
  
Hair loss/thinning: basil, cypress, lavender, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme, ylang ylang

Sick House Mopping Solution

For a light mopping I use a mix of vinegar and hot water only. That kills most germs just as well as lysol without putting poisons on the paws of your animals and the mouths of your children. If I really need a good anti-microbial sick house cleanse, I use the following solution:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup liquid castille soap
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
20 drops of tea tree essential oil
20 drops of sweet orange essential oil
2 gallons of hot water

This is the perfect liquid cleaner for tile floors, vinyl, or linoleum. It cuts through grease and urine very well.