Our New Shower, and My Homemade Shower Products
posted by Andrea | 08/22/2011It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any pictures of our bathroom renovations. We’ve made TONS of progress, but after working on projects all day long, I really don’t feel like taking pictures and blogging about them all night long!
However, I’m super excited to show you a few pictures of the brand new, walk-in shower in our master bathroom… and to share a few more of my homemade shower products {they are SO SIMPLE to make!}
Ok, so let’s start with the shower…
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This is the entrance to our shower {the trim is all Bright White and the wall color is Antique White by Behr}.
You can read about what I’m storing in these baskets and other creative bathroom storage ideas here.
And here’s a look at the inside of our shower. I’ve ALWAYS wanted a completely white subway tile shower…so I’m thrilled with how it turned out! You can’t really see the floors, but they are small white hexagon tiles that look really old fashion.
Even though I went with all white tiles {yes, I love neutrals} I think the monotone pallet allows the detailed tile-work to really pop.
Do you see that cubbie hole next to the shower lever? That’s where we keep our shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, and facewash — it’s probably one of my favorite features of our shower because it means that all of our shower “clutter” is concealed!
However, you might notice that those don’t look like traditional bottles of shampoo, conditioner, facewash, etc. — and that’s because they aren’t traditional.
They are my “homemade shower products”!
1 = Homemade {oil} Facewash — you can read all about that here
2 = Homemade Conditioning Rinse — just half water, half vinegar
3 = Homemade Shampoo Wash — nope, it’s not dish soap — just baking soda and water!
**We still have a couple bottles of store-bought body wash left, but after that’s gone, we’ll be switching over to Dr. Bronners soap for our bodywash/shaving cream. I’d also be open to making body wash, but I’m not really sure where to start with that one!
My Homemade Shower Kit:
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Ok, let me go into a little bit more details about these homemade products.
I’ve been using them instead of traditional store-bought products since the beginning of 2011 and have absolutely NO desire to switch back {yes, Dave uses them too}.
1. FACEWASH:
I can’t even tell you how much Dave and I both love the oil cleansing method for washing our face. We’ve both seen our skin improve since we started using this method at the beginning of the year, and my dry skin issues are nearly gone! Plus, now I only wash my face at night and just splash a little water on it in the morning.
You can read all about how I make my oil cleansing facewash here but it’s just a mixture of caster oil and sunflower or olive oil!
2. CONDITIONING RINSE:
I’ve already shared many of the different uses for vinegar — but I really want you to know how much I love using vinegar as an extremely simple, effective, and practically free hair rinse.
All you have to do is find some sort of bottle {I used a small dish soap bottle so it would squeeze out nicely} and fill it half full with water and half full with white or apple cider vinegar {no it’s not an exact science}. Then, after you shampoo your hair {or use my baking soda hair wash} simply squeeze a little over your wet hair and scalp — then rinse well.
And I personally guarantee your hair will NOT smell like vinegar at all!!
3. HAIR WASH:
Ok, I’ll admit that this one was the most difficult for me to comprehend when I read about it over at Simple Mom. I didn’t think it could possibly work — but it does, and Dave and I have both been “converted” to washing our hair with this simple baking soda mixture.
Just find another squeeze bottle {I used a larger dish soap bottle for this since we use it more often} and fill it with 1 T. of baking soda for every 1 c. of water. I have short, thick hair {see picture}, so if you have really long, curly, or extremely thick hair, you might want to add more baking soda.
I can fit 4 cups of water in my dish soap bottle so I add 4 T of baking soda and shake it up until it dissolves. This mixture will last us a few weeks {and we both use it every day}.
Why I’m Using Homemade:
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I’m actually NOT a huge “green” freak — and even though I have absolutely nothing against going green, I definitely don’t go out of my way to live an overly “green” life. Yes we recycle, we reuse, we try to limit our trash, we make lots of food from scratch, I can and freeze almost all our fruits and vegetables, etc. etc.
However, the main reasons I make our own facewash, shampoo, and hair rinse are not because it’s “green”, it’s because…
- They are WAY cheaper — like practically free! A box of baking soda will probably last you over a year if you made your own shampoo — and I can find boxes of baking soda for $0.50 or less! Vinegar and caster oil aren’t much more.
- They are SO quick and easy to make. I was shocked at how simple all three of these products were to make. It takes me less than 30 seconds to whip up a new batch, and one batch lasts several weeks/months.
- They don’t have strong chemical smells. I’ve always had a pretty sensitive nose, but being pregnant has made it even more sensitive. So the smells of traditional toiletries really started to bother me. My homemade products don’t have any smell, besides the vinegar, but that rinses right out.
- They are better for our shower and our drain. Since I clean my shower with vinegar and I clean our drains with baking soda and vinegar, I figure these products will be great for our shower and drain! They don’t leave soap scum like regular products so I honestly don’t have to clean the shower as often.
- I know I’m doing something good for my body. I’m sure you’ve all heard how putting chemicals on your skin isn’t great for you. Well, even though I’m not totally organic and natural, I feel like this is one simple, inexpensive way I can do something great for my skin, my body, and my health.
So that’s it — our new shower and my super simple homemade shower products!
Do any of you have a great “recipe” for homemade beauty products — especially body wash???
If you do, please share!!
Filed under: Going Green • House and Home • Living Simply • Our Farmhouse
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos
22/08/2011There’s a semi-homemade body wash on Crunchy Betty : http://crunchybetty.com/super-semi-homemade-body-wash. I’ve not personally made this…yet. She has a really great site of things that are truly good for you!
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Andrea Reply:
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:25 am
Thanks Becca, I’ll have to check that out!
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Rebecca
22/08/2011I’m totally going to try this. All of it!
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Carlen Ensley
22/08/2011I tried the baking soda thing for my hair but didn’t love it. Now I use a mixture of Dr. Bonner’s Castile Soap and water and LOVE it. Beyond love. I also use that as body wash, and for my three year old’s hair and soap. My hair is so much prettier, fuller and easier to style. I always buy Dr. Bonner’s from drugstore.com- it goes on sale fairly often plus I have some coupon codes and they have free shipping for purchases over $50. And $50 worth of Dr. Bonner’s will probably last a whole year. (I also use it for cleaning my counters and doing the laundry).
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Andrea Reply:
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:24 am
Carlen, I would assume the baking soda wouldn’t be for everyone {I was SOOO skeptical at first!!} I have heard of others using Dr. Bronner’s for shampoo too so I might try that once I actually buy some. I’m guessing it will be able to replace several cleaning products around my house!
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cassie
22/08/2011Your shower looks great! Ya’ll did awesome. =D
I’m going to have to try the shampoo and conditioning rinse. I already use the face wash. =D
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Andrea Reply:
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:22 am
thanks cassie!!! Yes, you’ll definitely have to try the shampoo and rinse!
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Telula
23/08/2011I’ve been using Apple Cider Vinegar as a rinse for a few months now. (1 part ACV, 3 parts water) And it works great! I started using it every time I showered (every other day) but it was too much for my scalp, so I use it once a week and it works amazingly well. My hair has never been so soft.
I’ve been thinking of using baking soda as shampoo for a few weeks now, and as soon as my current shampoo is used up I’ll make the switch.
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Maria
26/08/2011It does my heart good to see reused bottles of homemade cosmetics in such a gorgeous shower.
I use lemon juice as conditioner. It does the same stuff as ACV but smells so much better.
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Ann
28/08/2011You are really going to pay $64 for 2 32 oz bottles of body wash?
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Andrea Reply:
August 28th, 2011 at 9:28 am
no way Ann!! I can get a pretty good deal through Amazon and have already gotten 2 32 oz bottles for $15.00 total. Plus I get 15% off through “subscribe and save”, free shipping through “Amazon Moms” and I can use my swagbucks to purchase the items so they are essentially free! So that’s a much better deal than $64
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Kelli M
02/09/2011Great ideas. Here are some great looking bottles for refilling again and again. I found over time, the ones that I had recycled were wearing thin and looking pretty bad…and the pumps wore out. These seem durable and they make my shower look pretty…bonus!
http://www.showernichekit.com
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Dianne@Baking4Six
26/10/2011Hi Andrea,
Here’s a link to homemade body wash etc… using castille soap. (Tips for washing cloth diapers, too.) Anyway, I’m new to blogging and I’ve chatted with Stacy over the past few months – she’s really nice & really funny. She’s close to your age – both of your blogs are similar -yet very different. Stacy’s daughter is 2 – so she’s relatively a new “mama”, too. Anyway, I think you might enjoy reading this post.
Dianne
http://www.stacymakescents.com/castile-soap
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Andrea Reply:
October 26th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Thanks for the link Dianne!
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Tracy
30/12/2011I put my baking soda/water mixture in a condiment type squeeze bottle. You know those red and yellow bottles with the long nozzle? Walmart carries clear ones for about a dollar each. I make it fresh each time I wash my hair, so that it is warm. I found that I hated pouring it over my head when it’s cold! Brrrrr….
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Nikki K
04/01/2012I’d love to try the shampoo and conditioner, but I’ve got issues with dry scalp/dandruff. Do you know if this will help with that at all? I’d love to be able to break away from the nasty chemicals in the store bought dandruff shampoos.
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Andrea Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Nikki, I’m honestly not sure how this would work with dandruff. You could always try it for a week or so and see what happens??? Sorry I can’t be of more help!
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Nikki K Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
No problem! I bought a jug of ACV and have baking soda on hand already. I’m going to try this out in the shower tonight. I also made your facewash and used it this morning and am in love!
I did do some searching online about the dandruff and some places say baking soda is good for getting the flakes out of your hair and ACV helps with the scalp. So fingers crossed these will get the job done!
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Liz
25/01/2012Maybe this is a silly question but are the hair rinses safe to use on color treated hair? I have highlights and I’m nervous about making them brassy with the vinegar.
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Andrea Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 8:51 am
Liz,
unfortunately I don’t really know the answer to this. I have light brown highlights in my hair and have never had a problem with the vinegar — but of course every hair type is different so I can’t say 100% for sure!
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Margaret
29/01/2012Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am making most of my products now to save money. Here are two of my absolute favorites.
Bathroom cleaner (but you should see what it does to a stainless steel kitchen sink.
12 oz white vinegar heat and pour into squirt bottle.
12 oz blue Dawn dish soap.
I use it to clean everything sink, toilet, and shower. I keep it in the kitchen too for the stove and sink. Degreases
Body soap. This is really a no poo shampoo recipe but I like it to wash with.
8 oz water
3 oz castile soap I love Bonners almond scent
1 oz jojoba oil ( I think any would work)
20 -60 drops essential oil. I dont use this.
It seperates so shake well before using. I have it in a squeeze bottle. I just squeeze a couple drops in my hand and swab my body then rinse, quick easy and cheap. I mostly just wash smelly parts and let the water clean the rest. I am 70 so I am all about not drying my skin. I put a few drops on a cloth for my face but I think Ill try your oil face cleaning.
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Stephanie
04/02/2012I have been using this method for a 3-4 months and I’m finding it is making my hair look greasy and very flat. I’m wondering if anyone else had this trouble? Or how to fix it?
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Jane Mcclure
11/03/2012I have been reading the baking soda/Apple Cider solution, been wanting to try. But I have colored hair, what would it do to the hair color? make it disappear sooner? Any ideas? Looking to hear from all of you. Thanks
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Andrea Reply:
March 12th, 2012 at 8:08 am
i’m honestly not sure. I have highlights and it doesn’t seem to affect them at all, but I don’t have experience trying it on fully colored hair.
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