Homemade Body Wash with Essential Oils [Recipe]

Posted on October 18, 2016December 7, 2020 by Johann Callaghan

Homemade Body Wash

This homemade body wash is a simple, non toxic easy to make recipe you can make yourself with natural ingredients and essential oils.

Why should you make your own personal care products? Well, you can avoid harmful chemicals by using natural ingredients, reuse containers and it saves you money!

Organic castor oil is known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It helps to soften and hydrate the skin leaving it smooth and supple.

Organic castile soap contains only vegetable-based ingredients such as coconut oil, olive oil, hemp oil and jojoba oil.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Organic Castile Liquid Soap
1/4 cup Organic Castor Oil
15 drops Lime Essential Oil
15 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil

If you like citrusy fragrance, use a blend of lime and grapefruit. You can use orange or lemon instead aswell.

Add organic castor oil to the castile soap and essential oils. Stir slowly with a spoon. Pour the mixture into a container/bottle of your choice using a funnel if required. You can use this homemade body wash for a complete body and skin care treatment while in the shower or bathing.

Instructions

Carefully mix all ingredients by hand with a spoon in a glass liquid measuring cup. Do not use a blender, whisk or had mixer as this will create bubbles and make it impossible to get into a container.
Pour into a bottle and use in the shower as a body wash.

Note: This recipe will last for several months at room temperature.

If you liked this recipe and would like to find out more, visit Johann’s online courses.

What is your favourite aroma blend to use in the shower? Comment below.

How to Make A Natural Cleaning Household Spray [Recipe]

Posted on October 11, 2016December 7, 2020 by Johann Callaghan

What is Green Cleaning

Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients and procedures which are designed to preserve human health and environmental quality.

Why Choose Green Cleaning to Conventional Methods

When we buy commercial cleaning products, we expect them to clean. There are cleaners for everything including the bathroom, kitchen, shower, mirrors and oven cleaners and many more. Many conventional home cleaning products are toxic, non-biodegradable, and and come with warnings such as do “not take internally”, “Flammable”, “Warning. Keep away from children”. Too many companies are using products with specific ingredients to enhance their product performance and this comes with a toxic price. These ingredients can affect neurological functions, cause skin irritations and chemical burns, while other chemicals can act as respiratory irritants, carcinogens or hormone disruptors.

Watch the labels

We are all becoming more conscious of ingredients in our cleaning and cosmetic products with regard to our health and environment. Manufacturing companies are using tactics to make us believe their products are safe and better to use. The term “Natural” is widely used on commercial cleaning products and cosmetics. There’s no standard definition for this claim. The word “natural” can be applied to just about anything including plastic, which comes from naturally occurring petroleum. A study published in the Science Advances found 91% of plastic in the world doesn’t get recycled, and around 79% is kept on landfills or other places of the environment. The Guardian reported that 1000000 plastic bottles are bought around the world in a minute and the number will increase by 20% more by 2021. Refusing to buy items packaged in single-use plastic, you help address our environment plastics problem and eliminate toxins and microplastic from your life.

Natural All Purpose Cleaning Spray

Ingredients

100ml Distilled Water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 drops Pine Essential Oil
12 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Instructions

Make your cleaning spray in a 100ml glass spray bottle. Mix all the ingredients together and shake well. You can use it on surfaces in your kitchen, bathroom, and anywhere in your home. I recommend making this blend fresh every few weeks.

Essential oils are one of the most naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal options for homemade cleaning recipes. Essential Oils are effective alternatives for home cleaning and are easy to make and use. Other essential oils can used such as tea tree, lavender, rosemary, peppermint and orange.

White vinegar is very effective at removing mildew, grease, odours, some stains and wax build-up.

What do you use to clean your house naturally? How did it work out? Please comment below.

If you like this article, and would like to learn more please visit JohannCallaghan.com

Resources and References

15 Ways to Live Zero Waste Lifestyle and Tips to Adopt Trash-Free Living

https://ecolifemaster.com/how-to-live-zero-waste/

Top Tips to Reduce Toxic Ingredients In Personal Care Products

Posted on September 6, 2016December 7, 2020 by Johann Callaghan

Research shows that carcinogenic and hormone disrupting chemicals have been linked to a number of health problems including infertility, lower sperm counts, obesity, diabetes, thyroid imbalance, and certain types of cancers. The knowledge and information you’ll learn here will inform you and therefore help to empower you to make healthier choices for you and your family.

We are exposed to toxins on a regular basis. TOXINS are anything that can interfere with our body’s ability to function OPTIMALLY. They have a major impact on your SKIN! Your skin is the largest organ and it has many functions often not appreciated. The skin can tell you how your body is performing inside from a cellular level. So the skin is a doorway to how your body is working.

Toxic exposures

Food: Pesticides (Fungicides, herbicides, insecticides), Dirty Dozen Foods (EWG), Hormones/Antibiotics in Animal products, Additives (Aspartame, MSG, Sugar)
Outdoor Environment:pesticides, electric power plants, factory emissions, cooling systems, and diesel fumes
Indoor Environment: Most indoor air pollution comes from sources that release gases or particles into the air. Carbon monoxide (Blocks the movement of oxygen around the body), Nitrogen dioxide (combustion pollutants- a by-product of gas fires or cookers), Flame retardants in furniture and mattresses, Radon (Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps from the soil and rocks beneath your home). Other sources are Harsh solvents in cleaning products, Mould, Mildew, dust mites and Personal care products.

All of these sources of indoor air pollution can combine to create a toxic mess in the air we breathe. The common denominator is CHEMICALS.

Dirty Dozen These are foods that are sprayed most heavily with Pesticides. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php

Additives are pretty much what you get in processed foods. It can throw things of metabolically and hormonally. And that’s pretty much what a toxin does.

Personal Care Products contain toxic chemicals like Parabens, SLS and Phthalates which we are going to go into more detail about.

We will Never Rid the body of all toxins BUT we can decrease our exposure and their impact.

Personal Care Products

The health and beauty industry is a business and many companies will do whatever it takes make money. Even if this includes using additives and preservatives that are not safe to put on the human body!

Many people ignore this because they are only putting these products on their skin and not ingesting them. However, this is not the case.

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body and up to 60% you put ON your skin goes INTO your body!

The average woman uses about 12 products daily which contain up to 168 different chemical ingredients. This ranges from body wash, shampoo, shaving gel, body lotion, face moisturiser, deodorant, make up, hair spray and more. The average man uses 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients. Kids are exposed to more chemicals than adults in the environment around them including the air, water, food and personal care products. Their immune system is less capable of dealing with chemical toxins. Baby wipes containing bronopol, DMDM hydantoin and fragrance are a very big offender. Teenagers are using more personal care products now from hair gels and strengtheners to make up and tanning lotions. EWG detected 16 potentially toxic chemicals including phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks in the blood and urine samples from 20 teenage girls. These are hormone disruptors and are carcinogenic. Teenagers are now experiencing earlier onset of puberty as a result.

By using essential oils and plant based oils you can reduce your overall exposure to toxins. Use essential oils instead of synthetic air fresheners and spray deodourants. Essential oils help to bring the body back into balance. They are anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and help to boost your immune system. They smell amazing and boost your overall well-being and immunity also. Vegetable oils or carrier oils contain phytonutrients that nourish and protect your skin and fight free radicals, the precursor to pre-mature ageing and other skin diseases.

Build your immune system to help reduce the effects of toxic exposure and open up your detoxification pathways.

Using and making your own skin and beauty products and personal care products are the only way to guarantee that you won’t be exposed to these dangerous toxins. There are friendly to the environment, your skin will love you for it and you’ll not regret it!

Top 8 Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

Parabens

This is also known as Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Isoparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben. These are synthetic preservatives found in many cosmetics and personal care products to inhibit microbial growth and extend the shelf life of the product. They act as oestrogen mimics and thus disrupt the hormonal system. They are known to cause rashes and allergic reactions, so not good if you have sensitive skin.

Linked to breast cancer, decreased sperm counts and precocious puberty (early onset of puberty).

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS)

It is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. It is used in concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, car wash detergents, and just about every soap and shampoo on the market. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. They act as oestrogen mimics and thus disrupt the hormonal system.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and Ammonium Laurel Sulfate (ALS) are in most body care products. According to the EWG review, research has shown that they put you at risk for cancer, skin irritation, and organ toxicity.

Mineral oil/ Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly)

This is a by-product of crude oil and it is used as a very cheap emollient base ingredient. It has no nutrient value and can interfere with the body’s natural moisturising ability. It can not be absorbed by the skin and creates a film on the surface, blocking the pores and preventing the skin from its normal functioning. This petroleum by-product can causes allergies.

Synthetic Fragrance/Parfum

This is a blanket term for hidden chemicals that should be avoided. Phthalates (plasticising agent) are included in this.

Phthalates

Used to retain scent in a product. A plasticizer, used to soften plastic and makes pvc flexible. Used in skin moisturisers and skin penetration enhancers in cosmetics. Linked to cancer.

A study published in the journal Environmental Research analysed urine samples of 1040 men for 8 types of phthalates. The average age of the men was 32 – 36 years old. They each gave two samples for the study. The researchers found that the presence of phthalates in the urine was linked to poor semen quality.

Phthalates are chemical plasticisers that can sneak in almost anywhere from milk (the plastic used on the cows’ udders) to shower curtains and toiletries but you must do what you can to reduce your exposure to them. Make a habit of reading the product labels of everything you use around your home and on your body. Phthalates contain hormone disrupting effects in the body.

Talc (Magnesium Silicate)

A natural mineral found to be a lung irritant. It is widely used in makeup and body powders as well as baby powder. cornstarch powder is a safe and reliable alternative.

Made from the purified mineral bearing the same name. Is poisonous when inhaled or swallowed.

Oxybenzone

An active ingredient in chemical sunscreens that accumulates in fatty tissues and is linked to allergies, hormone disruption and cellular damage

Formaldehyde

A known neurotoxin and carcinogen and irritant found in personal care products. DMDM hydantoin-(formaldehyde releaser) It increases the shelf-life of cosmetics (e.g. shampoos, skincare products, hair gels, baby wipes etc) by “releasing” formaldehyde and thus killing bacteria.

Conclusion

Don’t be fooled by companies claiming that their products are “all natural” or even “organic.” Empower yourself by not assuming that something is 100% safe. Be a voracious label reader and make sure that you’re not putting dangerous chemicals onto your skin!

If you liked this article, find out more at courses.therapeutic-healing.ie or download my free ebook. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know below.

As I am so passionate about this, I am looking for your much needed support for something I am so passionate about. If you know me, you will understand this. I have just entered a competition to win an Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Scholarship. I have until 25th Sept 2016 to get as many votes in. Go to this link: http://wshe.es/T2YgYcoS and click the ‘like’ button beside my picture. Scroll down to see my entry. Thanks for all your support. <3

Back To School: How to Make a Natural Hand Cleaner [Recipe]

Posted on August 26, 2016December 7, 2020 by Johann Callaghan

Back To School: How To Make a Natural Hand Cleaner [Recipe]

It’s that time of year again and the kids are heading back to school. It’s a perfect time to make an effective hand cleaner with essential oils to help ward off those pesky germs.

This hand cleaner is quite different to the alcohol based cleansers which can contribute to breaking down the skin surface layer and drying out the skin. It is also free of triclosan, a known anti-bacterial chemical ingredient found in hand soaps and body washes which is linked to hormone disruption. This hand cleanser is much gentler and is made with skin nourishing ingredients aloe vera gel and essential oils of Tea Tree and Lavender, full of anti-bacterial properties. Aloe Vera gel is probably best known for treating sunburns and for healing minor wounds. It contains anti-bacterial properties and vitamins and minerals so it is a great one to have for cuts and scrapes. Just what every kid needs!

Ingredients

50ml Aloe Vera Gel (Organic Aloe Vera Gel)
5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
4 drops Lavender Essential Oil or Orange Essential Oil

Instructions

Mix all ingredients and store in a squeezable tube or pump bottle. (iNeibo Silicone Travel Bottles)
Use as needed to naturally remove germs from hands.

Use a small funnel to transfer into your bottle. If you wanted to make a spray version of this hand sanitiser, all you have to do is use half distilled water and half aloe vera gel and mix together with the essential oils.

The blend is safe to use on children five years and older. This is a fun and very simple recipe that you can even make with your children. You can use this for cuts and scraps and even as an after sun gel or spray.

Have you ever made a hand cleaner? How did it turn out? Please comment below.

If you like this article, and would like to learn more please visit my online courses page.

Protect Your Skin This Winter

Posted on November 27, 2015November 27, 2015 by Johann Callaghan

If you suffer with any kind of skin condition especially dry skin related, it can really flare up at this time of year. There are many things that you can do to protect your skin this winter and reduce itchy skin and minimising the damage of scratching.

Psoriasis affects over 100,000 people in Ireland. The condition causes the skin to become itchy, dry, scaly and sometimes can be very painful. Psoriasis is commonly found in areas such as knees, elbows, back and scalp. It can be managed with medication and a good diet. Overuse of steroid creams however, may lead to the skin thinning out. This will further impede the skin’s natural ability to fight bacteria and breaking down the skin’s defence barrier. Allergens will be more likely to get through the skin’s barrier causing more skin sensitivity. In the winter months it is important to keep the skin hydrated and as moisturised as possible. After taking a shower/bath, apply your moisturiser while the skin is still damp. This way the moisture is trapped on the skin. When you buy new clothes, wash them first in a non-biological washing powder to remove any chemicals or irritants. Avoid synthetic fabrics and wool. Cotton bedding and clothing allow the skin to breath and thus reduce irritation.

Eczema is the most common skin condition in Ireland and worldwide affecting many young children. It is a dry, scaly skin condition and is also triggered by the weather and central heating. Use a diffuser with your favourite essential oils. The extra moisture in the air will help prevent your skin drying out and also help with sinus sensitivity.

LEAH Psoraisis and Eczema Ointment is an oil based moisturiser. It may help relieve some of the discomfort associated with these dry skin conditions. It contains organic Shea butter and organic virgin Coconut oil which are rich in vitamins, fatty acids and anti-oxidant properties. They are extremely nourishing and repairing to the skin. Organic Wheatgerm and Organic Calendula oil has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and aids in wound healing. Bergamot absorbs slowly into the skin which will help with repairing the skin as will Benzoin. Cajaput contains the anti-microbial properties. Even if you are not diagnosed with a skin condition, this is a deep moisturiser with skin repairing and nourishing properties in an all natural plant based product with essential oils of Bergamot, Cajaput and Benzoin.