Living Clean Pt. 2 - Baby

Ben. This is where it all began. My quest to detox our home all started with baby sunscreen, and next thing you know I was tossing every product from our bathroom (into the recycling bin of course!)

I want to make sure I squeeze this in somewhere. A lot of people (myself included) have said to themselves "We grew up using this old stuff and we're fine, it's probably all ok!". Not true. In the chemical world, thousands and thousands of new chemicals are created every year. So the Johnson's and Johnson's shampoo of our childhood is nothing like the the one shelves today. And, look around, we're not that fine. A lot of people aren't well at all. But, I digress...

I searched through many baby products, and there are lots of great choices out there if you look for them. I really, really recommend that you look up each and every product on EWG's Skin Deep and don't settle for anything higher than a 2. Not just the brand, but the actual product itself. 

After a lot of research, I decided to go with Badger for Ben's bath and body products. Do you know this company? They make some seriously wonderful products for the whole family (more on stuff for us grownups coming soon). Fun fact - Badger allows new Moms to bring their babies to work for the first six months after they are born, allowing for hours of baby care time each day, in order to facilitate the bond between Mom and baby. AMAZING. Apart from being such a cool company, their ingredients are perfect. This is what we are using now for Ben:

(Yay! Fun lists of products! This is more like it...)

Badger Chamomile and Calendula Soap - EWG Rating 0 - Lovely delicate soap that can also be used on baby's hair. 

Badger Baby Oil - EWG Rating 0 - This stuff absorbs SO quickly (you can slip pjs on within minutes) and it's so gentle. There is a very delicate smell that comes from the essential oils used (which is the ONLY place any sort of fragrance should ever come from). Love this stuff.

Badger Baby Balm - EWG Rating 0 - Great for little extra dry patches of ezcema or on diaper rash. 

Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen - EWG Rating 1 - A completely safe sunscreen for baby. I'm actually going to use this too. 

Desert Essence Organic Diaper Cream - EWG Rating 1 - A great little tube to carry around with out (I much prefer this to the Penaten tin) and it's free of all the scary stuff.

Note: I love using Badger soap for Ben's hair, but another great product out there is Baby Hugo's Chamomile and Vanilla Shampoo and Bodywash - EWG Rating 1

I had a tough time finding a good place to order this stuff online where I could get delivery to Canada at a good rate, and I ended up going with Uncommon Scents. If you're in the US you'll have a much easier time, and can order from Badger directly. 

Next up in this series...bath and body stuff for us grownups! 

Simple DIY Exfoliating Foot Scrub Recipe - Brown Sugar, Baking Soda and Olive Oil

A while back I shared this DIY Exfoliating Baking Soda Face Mask Recipe, and I thought I would come up with a little follow up. I'm hoping to do a few more of these as well!

This foot scrub is SO easy to whip up before a bath or shower, and you probably have everything you need in your pantry already. Perfect!

Mix together 1 tablespoon each of brown sugar, baking soda and olive oil. Use the scrub on your feet, knees, elbows, or any other rough areas, and rinse off well. For even better results, use an acrylic foot file on your heels before you step in to the shower (on dry feet). This one is the BEST. After your feet are nice and dry, finish off with a really thick foot lotion (I love this one) and that's it!

Update - DIY Baking Soda Face Mask

I've had some emails in the past while about this mask, including some great feedback and questions, so I thought I would post a little update with a few more notes.

Just as a reminder, here is the mask recipe and how to from the original post:

• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of water

That's it. Mix it together in a little bowl until a nice thick paste forms. This will give you enough to cover your face, neck, chest and the top of your hands.

Starting with clean skin, cover each area slowly using a GENTLE circular motion (it may not seem like it, but this is exfoliating your skin majorly, so go easy, you'll feel it after). I LOVED the texture of this, it felt like velvet. 

Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes, and gently rinse away. After your skin will feel a bit tingle, and it will be in need of some moisture. Slather on your face lotion (I like Aveda's Botanical Kinetics™ Hydrating Lotion) and that's it!

Now for my update! I have been using this mask about once a month, and I am loving the results. Here are some notes on how I've been using it:

• With occasional use, I feel like my pores look better. You can't ever shrink them, but you can keep them clean, and this does that for me.
• I feel like I can go a little lighter with my daily routine now. I wash my face morning and night (I use Dove Sensitive skin bar soap with the Olay Cleansing Brush, and I LOVE them both). I also use day and night cream, but I don't really worry about anything else. 
• I do NOT have perfect skin, but I do feel like using this routine makes my skin look  as good as it can. In the past I have tried every face product you can buy, and I don't bother with new ones anymore.
• If I didn't stress it enough in the initial post, you really need to be gentle. This feels deceivingly smooth, but in actuality it's really taking off that dead skin. If you scrub too hard, you will feel very sensitive afterwards.
• I actually have sensitive skin, and this works for me, but I'm careful to be gentle and I always follow up with a healthy dose of moisturiser. 
• This is best used every few weeks, not every day! This is a special treatment, and you have to find what works best for your skin. Some people may be able to do this weekly, and some may not be able to use it at all. Be careful and don't overdue it!
• Using it on your hands is really amazing. I mentioned that initially but I can't stress it enough. Us ladies are tough on our hands with the dishes and cleaning, so give this a try. In fact, you can probably use this more frequently on just your hands. Here's the best way - make this mask and work it over your hands for a good couple of minutes. Follow up with a really heavy hand cream (I like this one) and them slip on some moisture gloves. I like to do this right before bed and it's amazing!

Ok, I hope that answers all of the questions I've received! I'm planning another DIY beauty treatment that's pretty awesome too, hoping to have it up soon!

Simple DIY Exfoliating Baking Soda Face Mask Recipe

I'm trying to take better care of my skin these days, as I mentioned in this post. I actually think I'm too late, sleepless nights have aged me a good decade, but better late than never.

One thing that I NEVER use are face masks. I never thought they really did anything, I never had time, yadda yadda yadda. 

Not too long ago I started looking into them, and found a million recipes online. I like the idea of there being just a few ingredients, and better yet, ingredients I already have. I also didn't like the idea of using honey or egg or anything gross and sticky. Ew.

So, I experimented a little, and came up with the most simple recipe ever, and the results were AMAZING. Here's all you need.

Exfoliating Baking Soda Face Mask Recipe:

• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of water

That's it. Mix it together in a little bowl until a nice thick paste forms. This will give you enough to cover your face, neck, chest and the top of your hands.

Starting with clean skin, cover each area slowly using a GENTLE circular motion (it may not seem like it, but this is exfoliating your skin majorly, so go easy, you'll feel it after). I LOVED the texture of this, it felt like velvet. 

Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes, and gently rinse away. After your skin will feel a bit tingle, and it will be in need of some moisture. Slather on your face lotion (I like Aveda's Botanical Kinetics™ Hydrating Lotion) and that's it!

If you have extra time, try mixing up a bigger batch (just triple the recipe) and use it all over. It's like a spa in a box of Arm and Hammer. Bam.