We all know that personal care products such as shampoos and shower gels not only contain harsh chemicals but also harm our planet with excess plastic packaging. While eating healthy raw vegan foods and enjoying a meditation routine are the best way to ensure healthy body, skin and hair, through the power of consciousness we can use completely natural, homemade, organic, ethical, vegan and plastic-free products for personal care and do our bit to save the world, one day at a time… and save money too.
- Body Wash and Scrub: A great homemade alternative that can be easily incorporated in our bath is ‘ubtan’ or a gentle paste of oatmeal or gram flour (besan) mixed with a little water, to which we can add a sprinkle of ground turmeric for its wonderful antiseptic qualities. As we apply and scrub our body with these all natural ingredients we feel relaxed, healed and cleansed at the same time.
- Hair Wash: We may not need to search far and wide for shampoo alternatives. Going ‘poo’ free is easier when we can have all natural and organic Shikakai or hair-fruit, a few pieces of which added to warm water can give us a mild lathery and fragrant concoction for washing our hair. Herbal teas such as nettle and rosemary can make excellent rinses for the hair too.
- Detergent: Laundry can smell wonderful and be really clean with a small muslin bag of soapnuts (reetha) tossed into your bucket or washing machine.
- Hair Conditioner: All those expensive brands of conditioners can be easily replaced with pure and natural organic oils such as coconut oil, olive oil or gooseberry (amla) oil which can be lightly applied to the hair follicles before washing to result in clean as well as balanced hair.
- Skin Care: Our skin loves the feeling of fruit pulp such as organic avocado which can give most skin creams a run for their money. Expensive brands or beauty parlors may not be necessary; mashed banana applied on the skin with cucumber slices on our eyes can make a great home based beauty treatment. Most natural organic vegan oils such as coconut oil can bless our skin with moisture and that nourished feeling.
- Ear Cleaning: Ear buds are terrible for they push wax back into our ear canals to block our ear drums causing infections and the plastic in them is unhelpful to the environment too. Simply add a drop or two of olive oil in your ear canal and leave it in for a few minutes before repeating this for the next ear so that within a few days the excess wax is released naturally.
- Hair Color: Harsh bleaches and chemical dyes in our hair color and treatments are not only expensive but also damaging to our health in the long run. A homemade paste of organic henna leaf powder with a bit of water can be easily applied all over our hair and washed off after an hour for a gentle and natural color that is easy on the eyes and leaves the hair soft with a beautiful natural fragrance.
- Mouthwash: Fluoridated and alcohol based mouthwashes can be harmful in the long run. A small piece of cinnamon bark can cleanse the mouth effectively with its anti-microbial action. You can also boil it in water and cool it to prepare a fresh home-made mouthwash in minutes. Chewing a pod of cardamom can freshen breath in an instant without any of the sugars or plastic of chewing gums or lozenges.
- Teeth Cleaner: While toothpastes without fluoride and sulfates can be hard to find, we can try to cleanse our teeth with a home made paste of powdered cinnamon and clove. Chewing a neem bark or ‘dantun’ as a natural toothbrush has germ repellent effects. Chewing a clove can be extremely effective in warding off tooth aches too.
- Skin Detox: Acne, eczema and skin problems can be easily remedied at home with the help of neem leaves, a few of which boiled in water, strained and cooled can be added to bath for an effective skin detox. A paste of neem leaves can cleanse and purify skin as a face pack. Herbs such as basil, lavender and chamomile are not only great as herbal teas, they can also be great for skin care when added to bath for a fragrant and chemical free spa experience at home.
- Lip Color: Wax, chemicals and plastic in lipsticks can be harmful for the skin and environment. Organic dragon’s blood tree sap or ink can actually be healing for our skin as well as provide a beautiful red or pink tint at the same time. Lip gloss can be easily made at home using by grinding and straining beet juice and adding a bit of coconut oil to it which can even be solidified.
- Perfume and Sprays: Highly devoured brands of fragrances and body sprays not only cost much more than they are actually worth, they might have artificial fragrances and harmful ingredients too. Simple and pure essential oils that can be safely dabbed on to our clothes include lavender, geranium, rose, patchouli and many more. Essential oils such as peppermint, citronella and eucalyptus can also be sprayed or diffused in rooms for deodorizing and repelling insects sans chemicals.
Earth Healing Network 
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