Homemade Hurt-Free Antiseptic

A while back, I posted a recipe for a homemade astringent. Now, several months later, I can tell you that I have found another handy use for the stuff. Johnson & Johnson makes a hurt-free antiseptic for wound cleansing, which we have used in the past quite successfully. I have discovered that my homemade astringent also works quite well as a hurt-free antiseptic for cleaning small wounds, cuts, and scrapes. It doesn't sting like peroxide or rubbing alcohol does.

It is really quite simple to make. Take a bottle of witch hazel, add 25 drops of tea tree oil and shake. Shake well before each use. I have used this with my children, and it effectively cleans their scraped knees and minor owies quite well, all without the added pain of standard antiseptics.

For a little bit of information on how this works, witch hazel has both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. The tea tree oil also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, but in addition is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. As you can see, using this concoction has the ability to thoroughly clean a wound without the additional pain. And really, it's not that expensive at all to make.

Saving Money On Handsoap

In our family, it seems like we go through alot of handsoap. The good side of that is that it means people are washing their hands and having good hygiene. Going through alot of handsoap can add up quickly, though. We have found a way to have plenty of handsoap to use for around $14 per year for our family of 5. Pretty impressive, huh?

Here's my secret, revealed to the public at no cost, LOL. I go to Sam's Club and buy the four pack of Dial foaming soap dispensers for around $7. Then I get a ginormous (is that even a technical word? I keep hearing all the cool kids saying it.) container of Member's Mark handsoap, also for around $7. When the foaming soap dispensers are empty, I refill them 1/4 of the way with handsoap, fill the rest with water, put the pump back on, and shake to mix the soap and water. The pump will then continue to dispense a foamy soap for hand washing. In our experience, the ginormous container of soap stretches for a whole year before we have to buy a new one.

Make Your Own Detangler Spray

Several of us females in our house have longer hair. That can mean knotty hair! One of the ways to ease the pain of brushing hair is to use a detangling spray that you can buy from the store. But I saw several places online that have suggested that you can make your own. We recently ran out of detangling spray, so I decided to give it a whirl. I re-used the detangler spray bottle for this endeavor. Any small to medium spray bottle will do, really. First, take some regular conditioner and fill the bottle to about 1/4 full with it. Then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well. Be sure to shake before each use. So far, it seems to be working out just fine for us. I hope it works for you too!

Natural Astringent Recipe

I have been on the lookout for a more natural alternative to store bought facial astringents. This is quite simple and easy to make, and so far I like it. It consists of two ingredients, witch hazel and tea tree oil. For acne prone skin, tea tree oil is supposed to reduce inflammation and redness. Just buy a bottle of witch hazel from the store, add around 25 drops of tea tree oil. Shake bottle before each use. A bottle of witch hazel around here goes for a dollar or two, and if you buy a bottle of tea tree oil, it really lasts for a long time because a little bit goes a long way.

Homemade Oatmeal Facial Mask

I was in need of a little "mommy pampering" time today. I decided to have my own personal home spa. And it only cost me a few cents. Bonus! And it involved all natural ingredients from my kitchen, no extra added chemicals. Double bonus!

I took an oatmeal milk bath (scented with dried rose petals), you can find the recipe for this at http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/oatmeal-milk-bath.shtml . I also conditioned my hair with a homemade hot oil hair treatment, which I posted previously http://thethriftyhousewifeblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/homemade-hot-oil-honey-hair-treatment.html .

I decided that along with all of that, I wanted to try my hand at making a homemade facial mask. I came up with this recipe using things I had on hand at the house. I think the one I ended up making would probably work best for those that have combiniation skin and struggle with acne (that's me!). After using this mask, I did notice that the redness from my acne was reduced some, and my skin felt fabulous!

Oatmeal Facial Mask

1/4 cup ground oatmeal (grind in a blender or food processor)
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons witch hazel
1/2 tablespoon lemon or lime juice (I used lime because that's what I had on hand)

Mix all ingredients together. Initially, it will fizz a little from the baking soda and lime juice, but not much. Wet face with warm water. Apply mixture to face and leave on for approximately 20 minutes. Rinse off and pat dry.

This facial mask does tingle a little bit, so if you have sensitive skin, you may want to test it on a small area of skin first. To me, it felt very similar to store bought facial products that have alpha-hydroxy in them. Overall, I am very pleased with the results and like it better than any product I have bought at the store. I will definitely be using this again!

Diaper Cream Recipe

I found this recipe today for homemade diaper cream. We are trying it out, so far I like it. I like it because it is made from ingredients in my kitchen, without all of the extra added chemicals and preservatives. Not only that, but it is super thrifty, and it seems to be doing well for my little one's diaper irritation. Super simple, super thrifty!

Diaper Cream

3 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Mix together to form a paste, add more cornstarch or oil to get desired consistency, if necessary. Store in a covered container.

I personally added a little bit extra cornstarch because I wanted the paste to be a little bit thicker. I got the recipe from this website: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=29378.0

Homemade Hot Oil & Honey Hair Treatment

I happened upon a recipe online for a homemade hot oil conditioning hair treatment. I decided to try it out for fun. I have bought the occasional hot oil treatment from the store, but those can be pretty expensive. So far, I am impressed with this hair treatment and I will probably use it again. It is rather simple, I found it here.

Honey Deep Hair Conditioner

1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil

Combine ingredients and heat up in the microwave. Apply to hair and wrap in a warm towel for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo hair.

This left my hair looking and feeling shiny and soft. I have longer hair, so I tripled this recipe. The honey and the oil mix together quite nicely when warmed up. I hope you enjoy this little pampering as much as I did!