We all know that it’s important to use natural ingredients in our cosmetics and household cleaners. And, most people try to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh organic ingredients. We’re also reminded how important it is to avoid chemicals while cleaning our homes.
Taking care of yourself includes each of these things — eating a good diet, using non-toxic products at home, and getting some daily exercise. Regular medical check-ups are also important. Getting a regular check-up will help you stay ahead of potential issues so you can get ahead of them.
While all of these things are important for living your best life, you also want to prepare for emergencies. You may also want to look into getting life insurance quotes, especially if you have dependents.
Making changes can seem overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. Most can be accomplished with minor changes, and they don’t have to break the bank. A few simple ingredients and a small kitchen garden can go a long way toward helping you get started on a healthier lifestyle. So let’s start with cooking.
Improve Your Health
Most of us have heard a TV or radio show or seen articles about the best type of diets for health and longevity. Many nutrition experts and health professionals advise eating a Mediterranean diet, or some variation of Asian and Mediterranean. This approach relies on eating so-called superfoods. The top five superfoods include a variety of fresh vegetables, generous use of herbs and spices, and limited meat intake.
Planting a small patio or dooryard garden can be enjoyable and beneficial. Not only will you have fresh herbs and veggies, but you will also save money and have a sense of accomplishment. Depending on your budget and space available, you might want to plant pepper and tomato plants.
You can also keep such plants as a pot of fresh mixed leaf lettuce and several pots of fresh herbs. You can save money and enjoy watching the plants throughout the seasons. They also add nice scents to summer nights — especially sage, rosemary, mint, and thyme plants.
Other important ingredients to add to your diet include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Fresh berries, nuts, and olive oil are all proven to benefit your health when regularly included in your diet. Fresh herbs add another dimension to your cooking but also have other household uses.
If you enjoy trying out recipes, you may know that herbs and spices can add new dimensions to recipes. Spicy foods have added benefits to health, aiding in digestion and helping to reduce inflammation. The benefits of eating spicy foods are many, but it is an acquired taste for some.
Enhance Your Beauty
Cosmetics and beauty products can be costly, but many of the best ingredients for your beauty routine can be inexpensive and found at the pharmacy or supermarket. For example, natural carrier oils can significantly affect the health and condition of your skin. This is because they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants essential for healthy skin.
Carrier oils and essential oils are made from plants. Essential oils are derived from different parts of certain plants. They have concentrated plant extracts and have properties that can benefit people. However, because essential oils are concentrated, they are not safe for your skin. Carrier oils, however, aren’t concentrated and are OK to put on your skin.
These are much less expensive than essential oils. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and carry them to your skin. Common carrier oils include sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, and grapeseed oil. There are many carrier oils as well as carrier oil blends.
The power of all natural ingredients is endless
Other moisturizers commonly used in cosmetics include shea butter and cocoa butter. They can both be purchased online or at some large grocery stores. Other common products are used to make beauty products at home include oatmeal, Epsom salts, coffee grounds, and sugar.
Mix the coarser products (for example, coffee grounds or Epsom salts) with cocoa or shea butter and add a few drops of essential oil to make an excellent exfoliant to use when you shower. Use a carrier oil with a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle to moisturize, especially after a shower.
You can experiment with these ingredients. If you’re more curious about using natural ingredients, there is information available online or at your pharmacy from Canada https://www.sunjournal.com/xanax-online/ local library to learn more. Just remember that it takes a tremendous amount of plant material to make essential oils. These are potent oils and should be used sparingly.
Making your own soaps, lotions, lip balms, body washes, and creams at home can be a fun, creative way for you to save money. These products also make thoughtful and inexpensive gifts. Other helpful, inexpensive ingredients to keep on hand include raw honey, beeswax, oatmeal, vitamin E oil, and pink Himalayan sea salt.
Add to Your Savings
You may have seen a lot of cleaning products on the grocery store shelves lately that claim to be safe for the environment, children, and pets. If you look at the ingredients, you may notice that many include common household ingredients. Some of the very best natural cleaners are also inexpensive and widely available.
White vinegar, baking soda, borax, lemon oil, orange oil, or thyme oil are excellent ingredients for general household cleaners and disinfectants. You can easily make a safe and effective glass cleaner by mixing 16 ounces of water with one-fourth cup (2 ounces) of distilled white vinegar. Add one-half teaspoon of Castile soap or dishwashing liquid.
These kinds of cleaners can be used both in your house and in your car as part of your maintenance routine.
Let’s see how…
Pour into a 24-ounce spray bottle and use. You may want to add a few drops of essential oil like lemon, orange, or thyme. Add a couple of tablespoons of isopropyl alcohol for mirrors and especially big jobs to help cut through greasy films. You can use similar ingredients to clean and disinfect your bathroom.
To make an effective bathroom cleaner, you’ll need another 24-ounce spray bottle. Use the distilled white vinegar with a Castile or dish soap. For soap scum, you’ll want to add more soap to your spray bottle. Also, add essential oil to freshen the area as you clean. You’ll know exactly what you are spraying on surfaces and save money.
To get started with your natural cleaning and beauty routine, stock up on basic household cleaning ingredients like distilled white vinegar, borax, and Castile soap. Then, as spring approaches, consider planting a few pots of herbs and perhaps making room for a tomato or pepper plant or two.
You’ll save money, eat better and maybe have fun getting creative.
