This year has been tough for everyone and some of us had seen ourselves in need to be more creative than usual towards an adjustment into saving the little money coming in or the savings already acquired.
Money takes so much effort to get and sometimes not precisely by doing the best job you want to do. My experience has been to save all I could for future times, being alert on where everything goes but not stopping myself from enjoying it.
How did this start for me?
Balance is needed by my point of view and experience to value the things that really matter in my life and give energy to those in particular.
This is an example for cosmetics. I was never a big fan of it. I never used more cream than the summer one. Until my 31 birthday I got my first natural cream from my friends. «What a joke»- I thought. I was lucky to have inherited lovely smooth skin from my grandmother’s side. And by not abusing the use of make-up, it stayed quite stable for a long time.
But years come and I took this present as a part joke and part reminder. The time came when I tried and I loved the sensation before going to sleep. The good thing is that it lasted me almost 2 years! It was expensive but it came a long way and it made me think of the necessity of cherishing my skin in the future years.
How does this come into my personal low-waste movement?
I started making some house products and changes from 2018. The homemade beeswax would come, followed by my micellar water -which I still use- and my deodorant.
Some products are still part of my routine. Others needed adjustment to find my liking. The important thing here is that once I tried some changes it got me creative to either reuse some to my advantage or to acquire the ones I couldn’t make for the moment.
Reminding here that the low-waste movement is one to take lightly, every change has to come when your previous product is gone. I am not implying to throw away all and start anew to look like the Instagram feed you follow. This movement goes into your circumstances. Some people will buy, others will reuse or make what they can.
The main message here, as I always say now, is to basically enjoy the process of discovery.
What kind of products I’ve done so far
Curiosity and love of crafts made me want to explore the products I used and I’d like to make by myself. This would save me tons of money on indie products and the consequent shipping costs from other countries. When I tried local products but did not go with myself I had to look further.
1. Shampoo bar
This is the example of my first shampoo bar, infused with rosemary, nettle and peppermint. It is fresh and it ladders perfectly. And the best part is that it does not leave my hair super greasy as the others did.
After trying 2 or 3 commercial bars I needed to go back to understand my hair and what I was missing. And after some tutorials I learned that I needed to focus on my hair loss and need to reinforce the roots. More nourishing but less greasy oils were considered and used, following a recipe that after trials would give me my first personalized shampoo.
Even though some specialization is needed in the ingredients to add and the better way to use herbs’ properties, I felt empowered with my effort.
2. Castile Soap
I remember when I saw this one being made in a rural town, with ladies stirring huge wooden barrels in the plain air.
It seemed hard work so I never tried until years ago. First tries are rarely good but at the second one, with a bit more wisdom taken we got the product base. This bar would clean our floors, dishes and hands in an extreme need. Even clothes if I get my mind to it one day!
Basics are needed to understand to unravel the way of making the rest. And this case is the best example to show for my beginnings.
3. Goat’s Milk Body Soap
Ok, maybe the jump was high after getting a shampoo bar and a castile soap in the second try. But the rules were integrated the same way, with exception of subtle changes in the making by integrating the milk.
After 5 months, my skin cannot be more grateful for this new integrant in the family of homemade products!
4. Laundry Soap
I have to admit that I saw many videos of the matter and I was not very keen on trying until I made sure that the results were shared by more people.
After giving my trust to a cosmetic club and a person who spent her time looking into the benefits of a gentle product, I decided to try.
My partner has very sensitive skin and the product needed to be trusted. So when this seemed to be one of the principles along with the biodegradable concept, I invested in it. No complaints afterwards.
5. Body Mist
I never was a fan of smelly perfume that numbs my senses and gets me nauseous.
In time I found some body mist bottles in Tesco and I used them all on those days in which my natural odour needed extra help.
In time I learnt that by mixing essential oils with water and conserved in alcohol I was getting an easy and personalized solution for such a problem.
6. Hand – Face – Body Cream (solid and whipped)
A convert who used to not be a big fan of creams until it was really necessary: I’d use cream for my legs in summer when they were really dried by the spanish sun. Or here in Ireland I found that my hands needed extra moisture due to the cold weather.
With an online course entered in 2020 (great year of learning process) I covered my needs to make solid products that would not require jars. One of the best told once was a hand and face cream.
«Solid? This is a new concept of natural products that is not soap!»- I thought internally while watching a live presentation of the course to come.
I gave my money and time to this course and I learnt so much by just getting to understand all the ingredients. Every product I got made the result more professional and less considered a remedy.
And as a present I got an extra recipe of how to make whipped cream! Now there’s no way to stop me from experimenting…
7. Deodorant (solid and cream)
The products I used were always gentle on my skin. But the reminder here is to know that I have strong genes that adapt well to shitty products.
So this also needed to change, even if back then I saw it as a way to reduce plastic (it’s overwhelming to realise how these two terms go together most times).
I created various recipes that nourished my armpits and did not leave traces on my dark clothes. The mentioned course solved the problem by giving me a way to make my own solid one.
But by creating my creamy version I also get away with no using much water to activate the solid formula when in a rush.
8. Toothpaste (solid version)
The greatest of the greatest disappointments has been to change into this product in particular. And I mean the commercial one. I mentioned in my last post on my Instagram feed how a brand in particular damaged my teeth until a point in which I needed my first filling in life.
Thanks to this lovely Course I made my first solid product that goes better on my. Although, it does not have fluoride so due to fear of going through the same experience again, I use it with a irish natural source tube that will give me peace of mind.
This is the one subject I feel I need to do more research into to get one single product that gives me total confidence. Time will say and I am glad to start a new adventure by getting to know better what it goes into my system.
What kind of products I will need to make in the future to cover my necessity
- Lip balm
- Eyeliner and mascara
- Liquid Toothpaste
- Dishwasher liquid soap
- Home cleaning soap
- Shaving Soap or/and Cream
- Lavender infused or/and clay Soap
Which products I learnt by chance and now I am glad to have as part of my Care Routine
- Morning Oil Serum scented with orange (own recipe)
- Night Solid Serum with Vitamin C
- Activated Charcoal face soap
- Micellar water with argan oil, aloe vera and rose water
Which products I did by chance and it’s nice to use but I’d barely use on me and why
- Make-up base with sun protection
- Instant made soap and shampoo
- Conditioner bar
I feel this my life’s work to discover more
I don’t know where I will go from here but I don’t stress (now) about that. The main principle was to create and research according to personal or relatives needs. Shouldn’t it all about that after all?
I also know that this path is not my main one but a very important one that frames my days and makes me more creative and inquisitive in other ways.
Let’s see where the path is to guide me towards. Until then, I hope that you enjoy yours and incorporate something new every now and then.
Have a good one!
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario