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08.03.30 | Posted in: Frugality, Natural Living

At the end of each week (pixels or picas), I’ll revisit some of my favorite posts from the past that I’ve starred on Google Reader.

This Week: Ten Budget Beauty Products You Can Make At Home

The idea of making products I usually purchase at the store was a new one to me when I discovered the practice this Christmas. I took the Etsy challenge of only buying handmade/making all of my gifts and, I have to say, it yielded spectacular results. Everyone was quite impressed and happy with what they received.

When I saw the article above, it made me want to take things a step further and attempt to make the products it showcased. I haven’t gotten an opportunity to try them all, but I can attest that the hair clarifying treatment is wonderful!

What about you guys? Have you attempted to make any of these products? How did they turn out?

08.03.25 | Posted in: Frugality, Natural Living

This is part 1 of my homemade cleaning series. This article covers links and facts about homemade cleaning. Future articles will cover trials and comparisons.

I do my best to live naturally, especially as natural living and frugality often go hand-in-hand. As I’m preparing to graduate and strike out on my own, it’s important to me to try to utilize the natural living tips I’ve picked up over the past few years on blogs such as The Good Human and Being Frugal. The first of these concepts I’ve decided to explore is homemade cleaners.

The Background

David at The Good Human has an extensive series on natural cleaning and it’s a great read for those new to the idea. To jump straight into the solution, check out Lynnae’s homemade cleaning tips at Being Frugal.

The Main Ingredients

Vinegar

Vinegar is somewhat of a super-ingredient, and talk of its merits abound: it cures acne, makes hair shiny, lowers cholesterol, kills weeds, and more. What makes it effective as a cleaner? Due to its high level of acidity, it cuts through grime, grease and germs effectively.

Baking Soda

Technically named sodium bicarbonate, the chemically reactive and tangibly gritty nature of baking soda makes it a great cleaner. In addition to its use in baking, it’s also used in cosmetics, antacids, itch relievers, and more.

Borax

Borax, or sodium borate decahydrate, is equally as multipurpose as vinegar and baking soda, with uses from fungicides to slime. It cleans both by converting water molecules to hydrogen peroxide and by maintaining a stable pH and is more effective when used in hot water.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the background and the main ingredients, stay tuned for trials and comparisons. Let’s make nature work for us, instead of letting ourselves work against nature.