I Make it Myself: Sunscreen

Several years ago, I started looking into the various ingredients in skincare products.  It actually started because someone was trying to sell me Melaleuca and touting its natural-ness.  I started looking at the ingredients in many of their products, and found that they weren't that different from store-bought stuff - at least their skin-care products.  In particular, I started looking at their sunscreen, then any sunscreen, most notably because one year we purchased No-Ad sunscreen and the whole family felt like their skin was going to burn off....not from a sunburn, but from the sunscreen!   We started using Sensitive Skin sunscreens.  They were okay, but even those were a) expensive and b) had some questionable added ingredients.  I decided to start looking into making my own sunscreen.

I found a decent recipe at:  http://green-mom.blogspot.com/search/label/sunblock  and made it with my own modifications based on other research.

I didn't post much until now, because I really hadn't put it to the test.  Yesterday, I was out in my garden for 8 hours (yes, 8!)  with one application of my own sunscreen and I did not burn and I didn't really tan much either.  I confess that I wasn't very concerned with appearance, so I did not rub it in much and looked a little like a mime starting out.

This is my recipe (very similar to Green Mama.)

1 cup coconut oil (you can also use combinations of coconut, shea, and cocoa butter, as well.)
1/2 cup beeswax pellets/pearls
1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
1/4 c. aloe vera
10 drops vitamin E
2 Tablespoons zinc oxide powder
2 Tablespoons titanium dioxide powder

Melt beeswax and coconut oil together, then add glycerin and aloe vera, mix in ZO and TD and vitamin E.  I also bought some coconut scented oil to add in....if you want to smell like Coppertone.

In the Green Mama recipe, I found that the water and oil separated after cooling.  I would add more glycerin/aloe if you want a smoother, more spreadable consistency.  The shea and cocoa butter are harder oils at room temp, so they can push it to a thicker consistency.

Note: there is (was?) some concern over the nano-particles in zinc and titanium dioxide, but that seems to have been dispelled.  There are extensive comments about it in the reviews of the ZO on Amazon.  I believe that the ZO and TD from Essential Depot are NOT nano-particles.

I found the ZO and TD at Essential Depot, as well as, the beeswax pearls and glycerin.

I try to get as natural as I can, but I really do take cost into consideration, so if something says pure, natural, no fillers, etc. then I will use that.  My opinion is that "organic" is just another way of making people pay more money for something that is real.  If it is 100% beeswax, I assume there is nothing else in it.

Enjoy!

Please note:  I cannot be responsible if this sunscreen doesn't work for you.  Just sayin'.

I Make it Myself Guest Blog: Laundry Soap

I would like to introduce you to my friend Sandy Gaboury.  Sandy and I go way back.....

Sandy Gaboury here...you can read about me in my profile on the right side of the blog page.  Recently, Amy and I decided to guest blog and share some of our ideas on each other's pages.  It makes sense.  Amy and I have a lot in common, in many ways...we both blog, we have kids (although I also have grandkids!), we love Jesus, and we do a lot of things ourselves.  We learned to make soap together, and enjoy swapping soap ideas and sometimes materials.  I am enjoying Amy's series "I Make it Myself" because it is a great how-to for folks who are just getting started or who need some encouragement to try new things...like baking bread and making mayonnaise.  For me, making soap and my own deodorant turned into a home business, but that is a topic for another blog!  In this entry, I will show you how to make liquid laundry detergent.  The packages you see in the pictures are from my home business, as I have a pre-measured kit (here) but the recipe in this blog is exactly the same as the one I sell.  So...you will be learning my "secret" which is not really a secret!  Enjoy...and let me know if you try it.

Make-Your-Own Laundry Detergent...

Step by Step

Commercial laundry detergent is expensive.  And has a LOT of chemicals.  
As one of those "crunchy-granola-people" I like the idea of an all natural laundry detergent that WORKS. There are a few options for those who are looking for natural laundry detergent. 

Soap nuts are an organic alternative--you use them with hot water, smallish loads, and use a separate stain remover.  On the plus side, they are extremely gentle and totally organic, and the best for the earth as no chemicals enter the waste stream from their use.  They are also reusable, so they are very cost effective.

A mixture of Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, and Soap is natural because it uses oils and minerals (the minerals make it not strictly organic but they are from the earth), and works well because the ingredients react with water and fabric to remove dirt and some stains.  One recipe (the recipe used here) consists of 1/2 cup Borax, 1/2 cup Washing Soda, 1/4 cup Baking Soda, and 1/2 cup shredded soap.  Always use soap with organic oils, no synthetic fragrances, and food grade lye.  That way you know you have the purest, gentlest soap possible.

Shepherd's Harvest makes a laundry kit with all of the ingredients pre-measured (see it here).  The reason I decided to make the kit was that there were so many people who wanted to make their own, but Borax and Washing Soda come in huge boxes...they cake after a while.  There is a commitment to purchasing huge amounts, and what if you don't like the result?  Also, it is nice to have a little natural fragrance, but really expensive to purchase essential oils.  And what about set-in stains?  A stain stick would be nice... So the laundry kit has everything pre-measured, with some essential oil for fragrance, and a stain stick.

If you want to make your own, go for it!  Use the recipe above, and mix the powdered ingredients together before you begin.  Here is the how-to:

You will need:
Bucket that holds more than 2 gallons of liquid
Large pan
Measuring Cup
Hot Water

Pour soup shavings into a pan.

 

Boil 6 cups of water and pour over the soap shavings.  
 

  

Heat on low setting, stirring occasionally, until soap is melted.  

Add the powdered ingredients and stir until all ingredients are dissolved. 

Pour 4 Cups very hot water into bucket, then Add soap mixture and stir.  If you have a large enough pot, you can just add the water to the pot and bring it to a low boil.  This will ensure a good gel.  (My pot was not quite large enough for all the water.)

 Add 1 Gallon plus 6 cups very hot water and allow to sit overnight.  The mixture will be thick and gel-like, and may be used as it is, or you may add additional water if desired.  Shake well before using, and use the same amount you normally use of non-concentrated detergent.

 

 

After the detergent gels, you can either leave it in the bucket (you will want to cover it) or you can fill old detergent bottles with the liquid.  The detergent will be brownish with a gloppy "wonton soup" consistency.  Always stir or shake it before using, and use the same amount that you would use of a non-concentrated detergent.

Have you ever made your own detergent?  What was your experience, and how well did it work?

 
 
 

I Make It Myself: Bread

It is time for another "I Make It Myself" post.

I make my own bread.

I started making my own bread several years ago.  Sometimes I will stop for a while and buy bread and then start up again.  Home-made bread is just so much better tasting and better for you, than store bought. 

I started out just using whole wheat bread flour to find a good loaf that my family would eat and that would work for sandwiches.  The basic recipe for wheat bread in the bread machine directions ended up being the one I use all the time, even though friends, who also make their own bread, sent me a bunch of recipes.  I do make sourdough bread as well.  

Yes, I use a bread machine.  Is that cheating?  I use it to do all the kneading and rising for me on the dough cycle then I put the dough into loaf pans to get that normal loaf shape.

I start by grinding wheat berries.  I found out the hard way that to make bread, you need to use HARD wheat berries - hard red wheat berries or hard white wheat berries.  My first batch of berries were soft berries, I looked at a bag of a friend's berries, and bought the same thing.  She didn't tell me that those were for pancakes and cookies, not bread.  All of my bread loaves came out flat! What was I doing wrong?  Finally, someone, who makes their own bread asked me what kind of berries I was using and said, "oh, you use that kind of berry/flour for quick breads and cookies."  

I bought my current HARD berries in bulk from Wheat Montana, in a co-op order shipped to the East coast.  A friend of mine went to MA to pick up the order for us.  You can find them in many natural food stores and cooperative stores.

I did a lot of research before buying a grinder.  A friend has a "Whisper Mill" but she said, don't let the name fool you, they are all loud.  So, I bought the same one that another friend uses, the Kitchen Mill by K-Tec, now known as Blendtec.  You may remember their goofy ads for their blender called, "Will it Blend?"  http://www.willitblend.com/  Where they blend everything imaginable.  I digress.  Anyway, it is a good mill and besides I won the bid for a good price on eBay.

About once every few months, I grind a bunch of wheat into flour and then put it in my freezer for future use.  That way I am not grinding wheat every time I am making bread.  I freeze the flour, because unlike store bought flour, mine still contains the germ, which has oils that can go rancid.  That is why they remove the germ, so that most flour has a longer shelf-life....but less nutritional value.

I wear my husband's chainsaw ear protection when I grind wheat and send everyone out of the kitchen.

It takes about 15 minutes to grind 15 cups of flour.  Maybe not even.

Then I just use my whole wheat flour in whatever bread recipe I am using.  I have been using about 1c. of store bought bread flour lately to increase the gluten, this makes for an airier loaf (cheating?).  You can also add Vital Wheat Gluten to improve the texture of your loaf as well.  I have Bob's Red Mill.

I should also mention that I am using SAF yeast - fast acting and long lasting.  A noticeable difference compared to those little Fleischmann's packets.

After I run the ingredients through the bread machine dough cycle, I put the dough (I make the 2 lb recipe) into two loaf pans like this one below.  I also have a regular glass pyrex loaf dish, that's fine too. I let it rise about an hour on top of my stove covered with a clean towel and then bake it.

 Then I have bread.  :)

Some recipes from my Sunbeam Bread machine booklet:

French Bread - 2 lb loaf (or 2 - 1lb loaves)
1 1/3 c. water
2 tsp. butter (not margarine, yuck, why would you use margarine?)
4 cups of your wonderful ground whole wheat flour (substitute 1 c. white bread flour for extra fluff or a few Tbsp of Vital Wheat Gluten)
5 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. yeast


Whole Wheat Bread
1 2/3 c. water
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 2/3 cups of your wonderfully, healthy, ground whole wheat flour  (substitute 1 c. white bread flour for extra fluff or a few Tbsp of Vital Wheat Gluten)
3 tsp. yeast

And a Sourdough Recipe from the King Arthur Flour website King Arthur Rustic Sourdough

Sourdough Bread - I have the King Arthur Sour Dough Starter.  I keep it in my fridge until I want to use it.  The day before I want to use it, I "feed" it and then use it the next day.  It has never died and I have gone for long periods of time without using it.

I put all ingredients in the bread machine and then bake it in the loaf pans or as shaped loaves on a cookie sheet as they instruct in the recipe (linked above).
1 c. "fed" starter
1 1//2 c. luke warm water
2 t. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups of that nutrient-rich ground whole wheat flour (of course, the recipe says to use King Arthur Flour.  I substitute about 1 c. of the 5 with KAF.)

I Make It Myself: Soap

I made soap with two friends today and they said, "you're going to write this down, right?" 

So here is my "I make it myself" post about soap making.  Nothing fancy here, you can find several well-done videos of the process, but I will tell you how I do it.

First I clean all dishes out of my sink and move all food, salt and pepper shakers, appliances, etc. to the other end of the counter so that I have a large clear area to work in. 

What you will need:

A large bowl, a small bowl, a plastic bucket, a large pot, a large spoon with long handle, a plastic long-handled spatula, a digital scale, a stick blender, goggles, gloves, and a mold of some sort.  I also keep an instant-read thermometer handy in case I want to check the oil and lye temps. 

You will need a soap recipe and the ingredients associated with that recipe.  I like recipes that don't call for a gazillion ingredients, so I am not continually running out of this obscure oil but still have plenty of this other oil. You should know, in soap-making, that the oils are not interchangeable.  If you are out of something, you cannot just substitute another.  This is chemistry, not cooking.

If you google recipes,  you can find many, many soap-making recipes.

Here is the soap recipe we used today:

16 oz Olive Oil

16 oz Palm Oil

16 oz Coconut Oil

15.8 oz frozen goat milk (or distilled water)

6.9 oz sodium hydroxide lye

Here's the recipe I used for the shampoo bars I am making in the pictures. 

I have another basic homemade soap recipe that I use when I have collected sufficient lard from my bacon rendering. 

Let's get started.

Measure everything carefully!  If you are off by .1 of an oz, it is no big deal, but overall inaccuracy can lead to all kinds of issues!  

Measure your frozen goat milk or distilled water into the LARGE bowl.  Freezing the milk keeps the chemical reaction from the lye from getting too hot and keeps the milk from curdling.

THEN PUT ON GOGGLES AND GLOVES and wear long sleeves!  

Measure lye into the OTHER SMALL metal bowl. I bought this lye from Brambleberry.com, great prices, expensive shipping.   I believe you can use "Roebic" lye which is available at some local hardware stores.  Make sure it says 100% lye.

Note picture is wrong type of lye!  Buy SODIUM Hydroxide.

Pour LYE INTO/ONTO FROZEN MILK a little at a time, stirring to melt milk and dissolve lye. I usually go outside to do this because the smell can get overpowering inside.  

Set aside where no-one or nothing can get into it. 

NOTE:  DO NOT pour liquid into lye!  Pour lye into liquid.  

Measure your oils into plastic container.   I zero out the scale after adding each oil. Microwave enough to melt solid oils - about 1 - 2 minutes in my microwave.  Oils and lye mixture should be within 10º  of each other (about 90-100º each).  You can also put the oils in your pot and melt on the stove.

Pour oils into a tall metal pot (I find this prevents splashing out) and then slowly add lye mixture and stir with metal spoon.  Begin using fully-submerged stick blender to mix until mixture reaches "trace" (pudding like consistency).  This should take 15 min to 1/2 hour with the stick blender, longer if something is wrong. :)   In this picture I kept the oils and lye in the plastic container because the shampoo bar recipe uses less ingredients and I wanted to make sure the blender was fully submerged.  It still splashed quite a bit.  Keep your goggles and gloves on!   No one cares how goofy you look, it beats burns and blindness.

This is serious trace!  I realize now that I was sent the wrong type of lye, that's why this picture is chunky.  I'll try to take a different picture next time I make soap.   

I figured out why this is like this.  I had the wrong kind of lye!

Once you reach trace, you can add your fragrance oils or essential oil for scent.  Mix in well with the stick blender.  I have lots of scents....and hopefully lots of sense too.

Pour into lined molds or silicone molds.  

 I found these nifty silicone loaf pans on Amazon.  You can also get long ones, specifically for soap making through essential depot (for 3x the price + shipping....I am not so into this that I can't just use bread loaf pans. ) I also have wooden soap molds that I line with freezer paper.  

Put plastic wrap over the top and wrap in an old towel or blanket to keep it warm.  

Cut into bars after it sets up, after about 24 hours.  You should put your gloves back on for this as it is not cured yet and can be quite stingy to the skin.

Line up cut bars in a box or on a shelf a little distance apart from one another to saponify. The chemical process is NOT done yet!  After about 4 weeks, your soap will be ready to use.  

Clean up your mess.  

I try to keep all of my dangerous lye-laden utensils confined to a single paper towel.  Then that is all I have to clean up.  I wash all of my pots, utensils, bowls and buckets in my empty sink with my gloves and goggles still on.  I do wipe down my counter carefully, but at least I know that my mess was pretty confined to that paper towel.

 Well, that's it!  

UPDATE!  (same-day update):  The reason my soap didn't set up was because Brambleberry sent me a POTASSIUM hydroxide bottle with my order of 5 SODIUM hydroxide bottles! I didn't realize it until I looked at my lye label to write this blog to remember where I had purchased it.  Potassium Hydroxide is used for liquid soap (more complicated) and Sodium Hydroxide is used for making bar soap.  

I Make It Myself: Elderberry Syrup

For several years now, I have been buying "Berry Well" elderberry syrup from www.beeyoutiful.com/. I saw their price going up each cold season (and I see now that it is out of stock!) and ordered another brand from Vitacost.  I noticed that taking the syrup at any sign of sickness either keeps me from getting sick at all, or at least cuts the length of the illness dramatically (could be other factors, I suppose, but I have noticed a difference with taking elderberry.) 

A few years ago, I made Very Berry Tincture (from http://www.bulkherbstore.com/) but I just could not stand the alcohol taste so I did not take it faithfully.  I still have the mix of herbs left, so I may try to make it again as I made the syrup. 

I bought organic elderberries through Amazon.  $12 for a whole pound. 

I found a recipe online to make the syrup, but as usual, I made my own adjustments.  Here's the recipe I found:  http://wellnessmama.com/1888/how-to-make-elderberry-syrup-for-flu-prevention/ 

This is what I used: 

4 c. water
1 c organic dried elderberries
2 - 1" chunks of ginger root, sliced into pieces
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp whole cloves
1 c raw honey

Pour water into a pot with berries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.  Simmer on the stovetop for 1 hour.  Let cool and pour through a sieve.  I also put the berries through a food mill, because I didn't like the idea of wasting any of that goodness.  I think it also added a little thickness.  After everything is cool and processed, add the honey.  

This made over 24 oz of Elderberry syrup.  

If you do the rough math:
$6 for 1 c. berries.
$8 for 1 c. honey.
$4 for herbs.
= $18 for the equivalent of 3 - 8oz bottles.
= $6 per bottle.

You can find straight-up Elderberry syrup on Vitacost for about $8 a bottle.
If you want added goodness, like bee propolis and raw cider vinegar, like in Berry Well, it will cost you $22.

I Make It Myself: Mayonnaise

Another, "I make it myself" opportunity came up more quickly than I thought.  I make salad dressing for my husband (oh, there's another one...) and I needed more mayonnaise for the recipe, so tonight I made mayonnaise.  It is so easy and cheap to make, never will I spend nigh $4 for a jar of it again.

I know this is not new for many of you, but it hasn't been on my blog, so here goes.

I got my recipe from my Fanny Farmer cookbook, but I made a few alterations.

You will need: 

1 c. olive oil

1 egg (preferably fresh from your own chicken)

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. dry mustard

1 1/2 T. vinegar or lemon juice
1 T. whey - (see update at the bottom of this post)

In a food processor place:

egg, salt, dry mustard, about 1/4 c. of the olive oil  

Turn on the processor and leave it going. 

SLOWLY drizzle in 3/4 cup more olive oil in a very thin stream (do not get impatient and dump it all in at once at any point!) 

Keep drizzling.....

I know your hand is getting tired, but don't dump the oil in, just KEEP DRIZZLING!

Once you have drizzled in the last drip of oil, you should have a nice creamy emulsion.

Now with processor still going, add 1 1/2 T. vinegar or lemon juice (I prefer the vinegar flavor). You can also add more salt if you like. 

Voila' Mayonaisse!  This will keep as long as the egg would keep in your fridge.  Since I am using a fresh, fresh egg, I would consider it good for a month, but it doesn't last that long anyway.  

UPDATE:  I had read somewhere that whey will increase the life of your mayonnaise and I finally researched it (since I routinely have gallons of whey!)  Just adding 1T or so to the mayonnaise and letting it sit for a few hours lacto-ferments the mayo making it last for 6-8 weeks!  Here's the link:  http://www.cheeseslave.com/homemade-lacto-fermented-mayonnaise/    I basically use my own recipe and add 1 T. whey, since her recipe is about double mine.

I Make It Myself: Deodorant

I got a private message this week asking me how I make my own bread.

I got a private message about 3 weeks ago asking how I make my own soap.

I got a message about a month ago asking me for my recipe to make my own mayonnaise.

So, I decided to start a new blog series called: I make it myself.  I don't know how consistently I will post, but I hope to write the posts as people ask me whatever it is I am currently making myself.

Yesterday I ran out of deodorant and was scraping the last of it out of my container this morning, so I said, I MUST make some more deodorant today!  So, even though no one asked, I will write about making your own deodorant.

I started making my own deodorant because I read somewhere about the connection between aluminum and Alzheimers and breast cancer.  It got me to thinking about smearing aluminum in my armpit every day, maybe several times a day since puberty.  That would be already about 35 years now!

So I googled how to make my own deodorant.

I found: A Sonoma Garden

I have adjusted the recipe somewhat.  I use less baking soda because it can scratch the skin and leave a rash.  Some people prefer to use all organic ingredients. You can use also arrowroot instead of corn starch.  I am cheap, so I am currently just using corn starch, but I will probably switch eventually.

Homemade Deodorant

3 T. shea butter
2 T. cocoa butter, grated fine (a micro-planer works well.  I grate a bunch into a plastic container for future use.)
1 t. olive oil or coconut oil (for a softer, spreadable texture. Omit for jamming into a "bar" dispenser.)
2 1/2 T. baking soda
2 T. corn starch or arrowroot
5-10 drops of vitamin E (or 2 gel caps squeezed in)
3 probiotic pill-powder (open capsule and mix in)
1/4 t. essential oil of your choice for fragrance (I am currently using fragrance oils because it is what I have.)

All these amounts are rough.  I grate the cocoa butter fine; I mush the shea butter into a tablespoon; both I would consider heaping tablespoons.  Melt butters and oil in a glass bowl or measuring cup in microwave (or on stove), add baking soda and corn starch.  Stir until completely combined. When no longer hot to the touch, add vitamin E, probiotic, and scented oil. Makes about 1/4 pint.  Put in fridge to set up, then keep on shelf at room temp for easy application.  I take about a dime size amount and smear it on with my fingers after I shower.  I do know some friends who make it harder (probably with more cocoa butter) and mash it into an old deodorant container to apply.)

Keeps me smelling.....or rather NOT smelling all day long, even without reapplication!  Aluminum deodorants never worked so well.