Natural Air Freshener

WOW! I am so happy that so many of you have enjoyed my recipe for natural deodorant! It feels good to use something for your body that is all natural, doesn't it!! Here is another eco-friendly DIY recipe for natural air freshener. I have always been a little 'granola/crunchy' in my thinking and more so after having children. Who wants to spray all those yucky chemicals around their house and bathroom just to get the icky smells out especially with little ones whose little brains and bodies are growing like crazy? This is my version of a better-for-you, less toxic spray that gets rid of the stinky smells in your bathroom, garbage can, diaper pail, etc. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Natural Air Freshener

1 spray bottle (I bought mine at Target for $1...yeah for Target!!)

16 drops of Tea Tree Oil (You can find this at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or any natural foods store)

1 Cup Water

Get yourself one cup of water from your tap...if you don't like your tap water ie. too hard or whatever, you can use distilled water too...drop 16 drops of Tea Tree Oil into it and mix well. Pour into the spray bottle of your choice. That's it! Simple and easy, the way all DIY projects should be, right? Now, go find those icky smells and spray away!!

For the bathroom, I spray directly into the air just like you would with the other store bought sprays. One nice spritz usually does the trick...try it, your stinky areas will smell fresh and clean in no time...and you made it yourself...naturally! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back, you deserve it for helping the environment one air freshener at a time!!

Natural Deodorant

I've been thinking I should do a post about what many of you have been asking me about lately, the natural deodorant I use and make. It's a super simple recipe that smells great and it really works too! You just need a few simple ingredients and this recipe should make enough for 1 person for about 3 months. If you have ever thought about switching to natural deodorant you should do it!! It's much better for your body not to use aluminum which is found in many of your every day general deodorants, especially us ladies since aluminum has been linked to breast cancer. Here is my recipe:

Natural Deodorant

2-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1/8 Cup Baking Soda

1/8 Cup Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch

Mix the baking soda and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) together and then slowly start to add the coconut oil. Mmmm..smells so good...but don't worry you won't smell like a coconut all day! I like to buy organic, unrefined coconut oil so that it is the least processed. Coconut oil will be in a solid state up to room temps of 76 degrees so your end product will be more of a very thick paste. You can store your deodorant in a plastic food container, an old baby food jar (hey, why not repurpose!) or even your old empty deodorant container. I usually keep ours in the fridge since I like it pretty hard and that way I can just rub the "stone" on. But, if you like you can keep it out of the fridge and just rub it on by dipping your fingers into it kind of like a lotion.

Coconut oil is really good for you and has lots of antibacterial properties, that's what makes it work so well as a natural deodorant. You can also use coconut oil as a replacement for butter or vegetable oil in your baking. It has a shelf life up to two years. I hope you try this, it works amazingly well!

The basic ingredients...minus the baking soda...oops, I forgot to take a picture of that one!

A picture of what the thick paste should look like

After I put mine in the fridge it becomes rock-like, then I just pop it out of the container and rub it on...Presto! homemade good-for-you deodorant!