I Digress.
This blog is not about the vegan baking I did this weekend. However, both the cinnamon coffee cake and the chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing were delicious. I have a container of the chocolate icing leftover in my refrigerator. I have every intention of taking it, dipping my Annie's honey wheat bunnies in it and enjoying that delicious snack. Yes. I'm a 26-year-old with a full-time job, but we all have a childish side. Mine just involves food that looks like Teddy Grahams with icing. Back off.
That was a shameless plug for my baking.
Last weekend, I was sick all weekend. Three days of gross. On the first day, I had a fever so high I was seeing people in my bedroom. They were telling me to go throw-up. I thank these hallucinations, otherwise, God only knows what would've happened. On the second night, I went out to play glow-in-the-dark ultimate frisbee. I lasted five minutes and then sat in the grass. On the third day, I made homemade beauty products. Sometimes, I bake when I'm sick. I decided that's not a good idea since I tend to give what I bake away - spreading disease the old fashioned way.
Why did I make my own beauty products?
- I don't find it necessary to spend a good deal of money on products full of chemicals to make my hair shiny and my face smooth.
- I might have a little hippie in me.
- I just wanted to, OK? Everyone else is doing it! Right? They are, right?
- I might have still had fever and not realized what I was doing.
Let's start with Shampoo.
I already pride myself in having very healthy hair. It's quite nice to look at and touch too. I'm not humble about my hair. It's amazing. Not only is it soft, shiny, and thick; it's red. BAM! I'm done bragging about my hair.
Last weekend, I mixed Castile soap, almond oil, full fat coconut milk, and some lemongrass essential oil into a squeeze bottle. That's it. That's my shampoo. I shake it up, put it in my hair and BAM! Works like a charm. The almond oil and the coconut milk kind of work as a conditioner, so I don't have to condition my hair every time I wash it now.
I've gotten a lot of compliments on my hair over the past week, and I believe it's from that shampoo. Why, this morning, my boss almost gave me a real compliment: "You look really nice today. Your hair looks really shiny. Like a horse's tail." That's a big deal, you guys.
Also, I accidentally bought the peppermint Castile soap. Mixed with the lemongrass essential oil, it gives off a lovely scent. Seriously - smells amazing and it clears your sinuses in a hot shower. Amazing. I'm winning all around with this shampoo. My life is better.
Moisturizer, Conditioner, and Shaving Cream all from the same thing.
Coconut oil is nature's magic. Organic, unrefined, coconut oil can be used for a little too much. I don't think I've ever used it in the kitchen. My jar of coconut oil is in my bathroom.
Moisturizer: It's pretty basic. Take a little bit (I mean a little bit. Don't get crazy. This is an oil...) and use it on your hands and your face. And then rinse it off. I cannot stress enough that this is an oil. Rinse it off. I also pride myself in having great skin and I credit many things and one of those is coconut oil. But, it is an oil. Rinse it off. I'll explain why:
Conditioner: I've been putting a little coconut oil in my hair every once in a while for quite some time. It helps keep it shiny and smooth, but I usually use conditioner anyway. I hate tangles and dry hair. Hate it. I don't hate much, but that's something. Coconut oil as a conditioner works, you guys. It also moisturizes your hands in the process. No joke, I just said that. However, I can't stress this enough: It is an oil. You have to wash that stuff out. You can rinse it off your hands, you can rinse it off your face, but you cannot rinse that out of your hair. Wash it! (With you coconut milk shampoo *wink*)
Last Sunday, I put about a dime-size amount of coconut oil in my hair. I have a lot of hair, and what I'm about to tell you will give you an idea of the power behind not washing out coconut oil. I put that dime-size amount through my hair, pulled it in a bun, and forgot about it because I'm an idiot. I think my brain's ignition turns off when I'm sick. I then rinsed it out as best as I could and went to bed (at 8:30...that's where I was at in life, you guys).
The next day I awoke to hair that resembled the bottom of a bucket of KFC. I didn't have time to wash my hair, so I had to go to work like that, and I have bangs! If I didn't have bangs this wouldn't have mattered. I would've pulled off that sleek, tight, ballerina bun business. But instead, I had bangs that could have deep fried chicken on my forehead. The only solution: I left work on my lunch to wash my hair. And guess what? After blow drying my bangs, my hair (bangs really, I had to leave the rest of my hair wet), looked amazing.
Wash out coconut oil.
Shaving Cream: Self-explanatory. It doubles as a shaving cream and moisturizer so you don't have to use lotion right after shaving. BAM!
I also made Deodorant, and you can't judge me.
Deodorant scares me because it helps prevent you from sweating under your arms. I've never read the ingredients on deodorant because I'm afraid. Plus, some of them can be irritating to the skin. So, last weekend, in a mason jar I combined melted coconut oil, cornstarch, baking soda, and some lemongrass essential oil. Let it solidify and you've got deodorant. No joke - it works and it lasts. I used it Saturday morning before I ran six miles, and it was still going strong after. Just saying...
Other things I use that are normally used in the kitchen but are in my bathroom cabinet.
Apple Cider Vinegar: I use it in my hair once a week. After I shampoo my hair, I'll pour two cap-fulls of it on my hair. Moisturize it through, pull it up, leave for five minutes, and rinse it out. It works as a conditioner as well and leave your hair nice and shiny.
I also use apple cider vinegar as a toner for my face. Dilute it with water first. I learned the hard way.
Baking Soda: Once every two weeks, I mix it with water and exfoliate my face. It feels like microdermabrasion.
Sea Salt: I put it in a spray bottle with warm water and spray it on my wet hair. It makes it look beachy and therefor I don't have to fix it that day.
I'm not going to stop shaving and whatnot, but I'm just letting you know that these things work. I won't try all natural toothpaste. I have before and I wanted to die. I don't trust myself making any of my own makeup, so you can count on that being store bought.
If I made my own makeup, it's have to be made out of bleached, white flour to match my skin tone.
I'm no hippie, but I want this dog in my life:
I think that dog is Hershey, he has come back as a hippie dog!!
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