Okay, not really, really. One day, I’d love to generate all the power our household needs from renewable resources like the wind and the sun. But what I am talking about here is, becoming a little more self sustainable and making my own bath and body products.

I used to think about shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, and mouthwash came in plastic bottles with commercial labels. Now, I am changing my perspective about the chemicals, additives, and preservatives that go into these commercial products. And I’ve decided I don’t want these things on my body or for my family.

:: Toothpastes are foamy. Why? Sodium lauryl sulfate. This foaming agent is a skin irritant.

:: Mouthwash is blue. Why? FD&C Blue aluminum lake. Although FDA approved, there is strong scientific evidence that consuming this coloring can lead to neurotoxicity.

:: Shampoo doesn’t become yucky…ever. Seriously…I just tossed a bottle I’d had in the back of a closet for more than 16 months…and it still smelled, and looked the same as if it had just come home from the store. Why? Methylchloroisothiazolinone. This anti-fungal and antibacterial preservative is an immune system toxicant, and its use is restricted in Japan and Canada.

If these additives, colorings, and preservatives are no good for your body, how can they possibly be good for the environment? Additionally, think of the packaging waste going on here! If I were to use one plastic bottle of body wash in 2 months, that is 6 plastic bottles I’d toss out in a year. So between now and retirement, (age 62) that would mean I’d toss 168 plastic bottles on top of the toothpaste tubes, shampoo bottles, conditioner bottles, lotion bottles, facial cleanser bottles, shaving cream cans, okay, you get the idea. While some of these are recyclable, recycling still requires energy. How can I consume less? How do I diminish our carbon footprint? I am making my own. (A note…all these bottles shown here actually contain enough ingredients to make bath and body products to last our entire family for about a year. Many of them are small, and none of them contain colorants, preservatives, or other chemicals. Additionally, I intend to use, and reuse, glass containers to hold all our lotions and soaps. )

If you are a regular reader here, you probably already know I have been sticking my nose in some natural body-care recipes. Or rather, I have been making a few organic, preservative-free, lotions, balms, oils, and shampoos in the comfort of my own home. I’ve been doing so much nose sticking, I have more lotion than I know what to do with. (I suppose I could have a worse problem certainly.)

So my One Small Change goal for the month of May is to “go off the grid.” That is to say, make all of my own bath and beauty products at home and not purchase any from the store. Shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, toothpaste, mouthwash, face wash, facial lotion, body lotion, lip balm, hand and foot cream, cold remedies, and bug-repellent. (Okay, I am not going to try to make dental floss, but if you have an idea, let me know. And I am going to stick to a commercial facial sunscreen. Sans nanotechnology though.) I wonder if I can do it? I wonder if I can make a few of my own recipes? If I do succeed, or if I don’t, I know I will learn a lot.

So, here is the deal. Over at Hip Mountain Mama’s blog One Small Change, the community is extending things. This challenge was to make one small change a month to help the environment, and green your lifestyle. Though the challenge was to last through Earth Day, the community decided to continue efforts and keep on making small green changes. So join in and click on over to see what other bloggers are doing in their homes to help our Earth!

Check back in here at the end of May and see what I did to succeed in doing my part to preserve our precious earth!

Sources:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient/706089/SODIUM_LAURETH_SULFATE/

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient/702409/FD%26C_BLUE_1_ALUMINUM_LAKE/

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=703924