Homemade Toothpaste

Who doesn’t want clean, white, sparkly teeth? I’ve always had white teeth, not movie star white, but I always felt my teeth were something to be proud of. After having my son, chemicals in baby products became a HUGE concern to me. Now, not only do I worry about the products I use on Jayce, but also what I use on myself.

One of the first products I made for myself was homemade toothpaste. I have been using this toothpaste for about 6 months now, and I will never go back.

What you’ll need:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 cup coconut oil: kills bacteria, whitens teeth, freshens breath

1/2 tsp. of baking soda (you can use less if you don’t like the taste): whitens teeth

1 dash of salt (optional): creates an environment that is difficult for bacteria to survive in, promotes healing in the mouth

10 drops of Young Living essential oil (Thieves, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Lemon, Citrus Fresh, Orange, Lime are some good choices): kills bacteria, whitens teeth, adds flavor, freshens breath

Small glass container with a lid: essential oils should not be put in plastic

In small glass container mix coconut oil, baking soda, salt, and essential oils with a fork. Make sure that it looks “whipped” and that all ingredients are evenly mixed.

Put cover on and store at room temperature. That’s it 🙂 Enjoy healthy, white, natural teeth!

• Since I’m the only one who uses this toothpaste, I just dip my toothbrush into the container, but if you share this with other people you can use a spoon or Q tip to transfer it from the container to your tooth paste.
• Initially this tooth paste takes a while to get used to primarily because of the coconut oil, but as time goes on, it gets better
• I’d love to hear how this toothpaste worked for you. As always feel free to email me at ilikefreebabystuff@yahoo.com or by commenting on this post.

Homemade Baby Lotion

From the time Jayce was born, I’ve loved using coconut oil and essential oils on my little bundle of joy. I LOVED the smell, and I like knowing what I was rubbing on my sweet little man. You would not believe the load of chemicals that are in some store bought baby lotions. I found this body butter lotion for babies, and I am hooked!

What you’ll need:

1/4 cup of coconut oil

1/4 cup of shea butter

2 oz. of sweet almond oil (jojoba or olive oil would work too)

8-10 drops of Gentle Baby essential oil (Lavender or Peace and Calming would work too)

Place coconut oil, shea butter, and sweet almond oil in a stove pot on medium heat until all ingredients are melted. It should become a clear liquid.

Place mixture in a bowl and let sit in the refrigerator until contents harden and become white. This should take about one hour.

Use a hand mixer to mix the mixture until it becomes whipped. This should take about 5 minutes.

Place essential oils into the mixture and stir in so your oil of choice is evenly mixed in. Place this in a glass jar (essential oils degrade plastic) with a lid and refrigerate for another hour.

Enjoy your new lotion 🙂

 

I Just Really Love Coconut Oil

I LOVE LOVE LOVE coconut oil. I even wrote a blog about all of the things it can be used for (see here). I’m convinced that if coconut oil can’t fix it, nothing can. So here’s some memes to show my LOVE of coconut oil with you all 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all love coconut oil as much as I do, and if you don’t you really should get some of that in your life 😉

 

 

Homemade Baby Wipes

*UPDATED*

A while back I found a recipe for homemade baby wipes on Pintrest (I LOVE PINTREST!) for homemade disposable wipes.  Anyways, I decided to give the homemade ones a whirl and just go for it for four reasons: I HATE the terrible chemicals in most store bought brands (looking at the ingredients list made me cringe), my son has VERY sensitive skin, I had just about all of these ingredients at my house already, and I hate how much money I spend on wipes. I really like them! They smell fresh and clean, and Jayce’s diaper rash has completed disappeared since I began using them! That means less diaper rash cream.

What you’ll need:

Glass container with lid that closes tightly (I got mine at Good will for $4)

1 roll of Bounty paper towel (It is VERY important that you use Bounty. Cheaper brands break apart. I bought a roll of Bounty Basics from Dollar Tree.)

1 cup of purified water

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 Tbsp. baby wash (I made my own for this recipe. Let me know if you would like me to share it with you all)

2 drops Tea Tree essential oil (I do not recommend the brand pictured. Use Young Living brand)

2 drops Lavender essential oil (I recommend Young Living brand)

 

Cut paper towel in half and place one half into the glass container. Using an electric knife worked the best for me.

On medium heat in a small stove pot, mix water, coconut oil, and baby wash. Stir these ingredients together until all of the coconut oil has melted.

Pour mixture over the paper towel. Add lavender to glass container.

Add Tea Tree to the glass container.

Close lid, and allow to sit for ten minutes. After the ten minuets is up, flip container over and allow the container to sit for an additional ten minutes.

Open container and remove cardboard ring from container, and use away 😉

50 of the Many Uses of Coconut Oil

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE coconut oil? No? Well I do! It smells AMAZING, and it works for literally everything. If you’re contemplating buying coconut oil, DO IT, like right now! DO IT! (Maybe I’m too hopped up on caffeine to be blogging)! Read this for a looong list of the uses of coconut oil! 🙂

#1. Toothpaste: It’s antibacterial and whitens teeth.

#2. Diaper Rash Cream: It cleans up those little red butts.

#3. In Place Of Butter: I constantly use coconut oil instead of butter. I fry everything it!

#4. Shaving Cream: I make my own shaving cream with a few ingredients, and coconut oil is one of them!

#5. Hair Masks: I mix coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, and essential oils and leave it in my hair for a couple hours.

#6. Lotion: It clears up dry skin so well!

#7. Add Flavor to Beverages: People tell me that coconut oil is amazing as a coffee creamer. Although, I’m not a coffee drinker (I used to be, but pregnancy changed my taste buds), I LOVE putting coconut oil in my hot chocolate. It’s soo yummy.

#8. Face Moisturizer: I make my own face moisturizer with coconut oil.

#9. Chest Rub: I make a chest rub that’s safe and natural that I use on Jayce when he’s sick. It works great to get rid of colds.

#10. Nipple Cream: If you’re a breastfeeding mom, you know that it takes a toll on your nipples. I always put a little coconut oil on my nipples before pumping. It smells much better than Lanolin I think!

#11. Deodorant: I have yet to try this, but I know some people who uses coconut oil in their homemade deodorant.

#12. Clean Piercings: My ears are stretched, and coconut is the way I clean them!

#13. Chap Stick: Instead of spending money of chemical loaded chapstick, I just use a little from my big tub of coconut oil.

#14. Cradle Cap: If you have a little one, many people can attest that coconut oil clears it right up!

#15. Lactation Recipes: I think every recipe I’ve ever read to increase milk supply calls for coconut oil.

#16. Dog Treat: Use coconut oil as a treat for dogs!

#17. Oil Pulling: People swish a tablespoon of coconut oil around in their mouth for whiter and brighter teeth.

#18. Lubricant: It doesn’t upset vaginal flora, and works great as a natural lubricant.

#19. Get Rid of and Prevent Stretch Marks: I always rubbed (and still do) coconut oil anywhere where stretch marks can and do appear to prevent and treat them.

#20. Teething Cream: My little one is teething, and I use coconut oil as an anti-inflammatory on his gums.

#21. Baby Snack: My son loves eating coconut oil, so every now and then I dab a little on his tongue. He literally licks his lips. LOL!

#22. Stimulate Hair Growth: If you’ve ever heard of Inversion Method, it’s supposed to help hair grow rapidly. Using coconut oil is just that much more beneficial.

#23. Tanning Oil: Use coconut oil in place of tanning oil.

#24. Tummy Ache Rub: I make my own tummy rub with an essential oil, and I use coconut oil to dilute it.

#25. Dilute Essential Oils in Baths: I like to mix my essential oils with coconut oil before placing them in the bath, especially when it’s my son taking a bath.

#26. Natural Infection Cream: I make my own natural “Neosporin” with coconut oil.

#27. Eczema Cream: Just rub some on an eczema patch, and it helps eliminate it.

#28. Help Nails Grow: You can place it on your cuticles to help your nails grow.

#29. Avoid Chlorine Exposure: Place in on skin before swimming in a pool, and it protects the skin.

#30. Makeup Remover: It helps makeup, especially eye makeup, rub off easily without making skin/eyes sore.

#31. Massage Oil: It works great as a natural, yummy smelling massage oil.

#32. In Smoothies: I always mix coconut oil in my smoothies for a yummy taste with great health benefits.

#33. Homemade Mayonnaise: You can make your own mayonnaise, and use coconut oil in place of vegetable oils that are awful for you.

#34. Soothe Sore Throats: Coconut oil can coat your throat when it’s sore, and it tastes much better than store bought cough drops.

#35. Keep Eggs Fresh Longer: You can coat eggs in coconut oil, and it keeps them fresh longer!

#36. Wrinkle Reducer: People place in under their eyes to reduce wrinkles.

#37. Grow Eyelashes and Eyebrows: Placing it on your eyelashes and eyebrows can make them grow longer and thicker.

#38. Bath Bombs: You can make homemade bath bombs with coconut oil.

#38. Salt/Sugar Scrubs: Many recipes call for coconut oil in homemade salt and sugar scrubs.

#39. Colored Lip Gloss: Mixing coconut oil with cocoa powder and other ingredients can give you a cute tinted lip gloss.

#40. Cellulite Eliminator: You can mix coconut oil and essential oils and rub on skin to remove cellulite.

#41. Hair Detangler: You can use a small amount of coconut oil on tangled hair to get tough tangles out.

#42. Exfoliating Face Scrubs: You can mix coconut oil and other ingredients to get all of that dry skin off of your face.

#43. Clean Makeup Brushes: You can soak makeup brushes in coconut oil for a couple hours to eliminate bacteria on them.

#44. Replacement Hair Gel: You can use coconut oil in place of commercial hair gels.

#45. Homemade Candles: Many homemade candle recipes call for coconut oil.

#46. Grease for Zippers and Chains: Rubbing coconut oil on zippers and chains that are stuck can loosen them and help them function properly again.

#47. Furniture Polish: This helps coat furniture and protect it for dust. Make sure you try a little spot on furniture first, so you don’t ruin anything.

#48. Calms Frizzy Hair: Coconut oil helps tame crazy fizzy hair.

#49. Cleaning Baby Toys: I use coconut oil to clean my son’s pacifiers and teethers. The antibacterial properties kill germs.

#50. Soothes Itches: It can soothe itching from bug spites or other things that make you itch.

*Also, if you would like me to share any of the recipes I use that I’ve mentioned above just comment and let me know! I would LOVE to share them with you :)*