10 Ways to Ease Into a Natural Body (Pt. 2)
6. Learn about sweating and deodorants.
Look up the deodorant you’re using on the Skin Deep website. Deodorants seem to be one of the most unhealthy beauty products we all use! There are several alternatives to the nasty deodorants, including a brand called Crystal Body. I’ve never used it, but a trusted source has, loves it, and it’s a “0″ on Skin Deep! My source suggests the roll on.
A note on sweating: Nobody likes to sweat, I know. However, sweating is the way that God designed our bodies to get rid of the nasty stuff it doesn’t need. If you have a serious sweating problem (like I used to) you’re probably using the harshest chemicals you can find to combat the “problem.” Can I give you a suggestion? Stop trying to combat it. Pick two weeks where you don’t have anything super strenuous or way stressful (yea, right, I know), wait until it’s fairly cool outside, etc. and try a natural deodorant. It’ll probably take a good two weeks for your body to level itself out and get the nasty chemicals (usually aluminum. seriously.) out of your body. You just may see that you sweat way less than you thought you would. It’s just like everything else natural–once you stop striping your body of the way it’s supposed to be naturally, your body straightens itself out!
7. Figure out what fluoride really does & find a better toothpaste.
“Fluoride is any combination of elements containing the fluoride ion. In its elemental form, fluorine is a pale yellow, highly toxic and corrosive gas. In nature, fluorine is found combined with minerals as fluorides. It is the most chemically active nonmetallic element of all the elements and also has the most reactive electro-negative ion. Because of this extreme reactivity, fluorine is never found in nature as an uncombined element.” -Andreas Schuld in his Fluoride: Worse that We Thought for the Weston A. Price Foundation
Unfortunately there are very few inexpensive toothpastes on the market that are fluoride-free. Hopefully that will soon change as consumers begin to learn what fluoride really is and really does, but for now, it seems we’re resigned to making our own. My favorite recipe for toothsoap (safe for kiddos one year old and older! Just don’t use anything but water until your babies are one!) uses Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (again, we use the Baby Mild).
Dr. Bronner’s Toothpaste Recipe:
- 1 Tbsp Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Liquid Soap
- 5 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp or more olive oil or water – to get the consistency you want – this makes it pourable to put in the soap dispenser
- Essential oil (20-25 drops), use spearmint or peppermint or orange—or a combination. For a while we didn’t se any oil and it was . . . okay . . .
- Stevia, to sweeten to your taste – a few dashes or so works
Directions: Mix together and store in a pump bottle.
8. Make-up your face healthy!
Ahhh, make-up . . . so difficult to live without it, but, as you now know because you’ve studied it on Skin Deep, it’s really so bad for you! I love my make-up, though. I get all my make-up from Everyday Minerals. They get a 1-3 for all their products on Skin Deep and it’s actually a great product! I used the huge, gigantic mineral make-up company’s makeup for years before I switched to Everyday Minerals, and I think it covers my face much better than the big nasty company!
9. Only wash your hair every other day.
This is the same idea behind not washing your face and being okay with sweating. Your scalp has natural chemicals that need to get out. By washing your hair with man-made chemicals every day, you’re stripping your hair of its natural oils, your body is over-compensating, and creating way more oil than it needs to, and your hair is probably much greasier than it would be if you cut out half the shampooing. Again, it will take your hair a couple weeks to regulate itself, but it’s worth it!
You may be wondering where my fantastic alternative to shampoo is? I don’t have one. I’ve tried everything: natural companies, baking soda, apple cider vinegar—everything. I’m just not satisfied with any of it. So here’s a secret: currently I’m using Pantene Pro-V! Wait, that’s like a FOUR on Skin Deep! It’s unnatural! It’s unhealthy! I know! But I just can’t find anything natural I like. And natural living is a preference—it’s a choice—it’s not even a “gray area!” All that to say, no. I have no natural alternative to shampoo. It’s bummer, yes, but that’s the way it is. I’m still going to Heaven, chemical-ridden hair and all!
10. Take it slow! Be patient. Find a balance.
The hardest thing for me about easing into natural living is that I didn’t ease into it at all. I tried to jump in head first and I just ended up getting frustrated because I either didn’t understand or couldn’t afford whatever it was I wanted to do. Learn from me! If you’re just starting out, go slow! Pick one or two things to switch this month. Then maybe add a third next month. Be patient! The most important thing is not that you switch to a natural deodorant. You’ve been using aluminum since you were 12. A few more months—or even a year—won’t kill you. Find a balance!
This list does not include every singe alternative or every single thing you might want to know about. It’s just a starting point. There’s so much more to learn about when it comes to natural living for your body and it’s my hope that in the coming months I’ll be able to help you think through even more aspects of a natural body. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave a comment!
If this is your first time to visit Desiring Virtue you may want to join our growing community of passionate homemakers by "liking" DV on Facebook, following DV on Twitter, or subscribing to DV's email delivery via Feedburner.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
Wow! I’be always heard of natural living when it comes to foods, but I never stopped to think about what I’ve been using on my body! I went and read your past articles and I’ve enjoyed reading about your transition, especially how you took it slow. I must say, it is a little overwhelming, but this is definitely something I would like to research more about! And I am definitely checking out that website today!
In Australia fluoride is added to our water supply, has been for years. Almost impossible to avoid. I also think most of our toothpaste contains it to.