Making more of your own personal care products

     Making your own toilette means trying old recipes in a new way or finding new uses for old ingredients.  Either way, we are back to talking about those Super Prep Items, the items that do so much more than the label claims.  
     The basic Super Items are Vinegar, Baking Soda and Salt.  For the toilette, the super items are vinegar, baking soda and olive oil.  If you try these tips and like them, remember to stock more of the super items in bulk.  

Baking Soda:

       For shampoo, or rather, a replacement for shampoo is baking soda. 

   Dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda into a cup of water.  Wet hair thoroughly.    Pour the mix onto the scalp.  Rub gently as you would lather shampoo, pouring in enough to massage the entire scalp.
   Working into the  hair is only needed if you have oily hair.  If your hair is oily and you can't risk getting wet, as in the winter, sprinkle dry baking soda on the hair.  Comb it through to absorb oils.  Sprinkle some baking soda in your brush to absorb oils too.

    For the cleaning of teeth, make a paste.  Add just enough water to make the baking soda stick together in a paste, a few drops.  Dip your brush in the paste and brush teeth for two minutes.  Spit as needed, do not swallow, unless you have an acid stomach!  Rinse teeth, brush with clean brush and spit. 

    For acne and acne scars, make a paste!  Put a spoon full of baking soda on a plate, add a drop or two of water.  Make a dry paste, like clay.  Massage it into the oily acne areas.  Let it dry a few minutes.  As the water evaporates, it will turn bright white.   Rinse and pat dry.   

Vinegar

    For rinsing hair to give shine and remove oils use a vinegar rinse.  Mix a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of water.  Pour over wet hair and rinse after a few seconds.  Don't like the smell of trace vinegar?  Add a few drops of essential oils or a few drops of some of that vanilla extract you made for Christmas gifts!  

    For acne and sudden breakouts.  Dab vinegar onto the white head with a cotton swab before bedtime.  Keep a few swabs soaked in vinegar in a zippered bag in your make up bag.  When you see a White head rising, swipe it. 
    For an acne toner use equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water.  Mix in a bottle, and apply with a cotton ball.  

Olive oil


     Use olive oil as a night time skin cream.  Olive oil contains vitamin E.  It is in all your high end skin care products.  Use extra virgin olive oil.

     If your hair is dry, use a teaspoon of olive oil in your hair.  Wrap with a hot towel.  Then give it a quick, light vinegar rinse.  

     Use olive oil as a skin softener.  Use it as a replacement for baby oil.  

      It takes 15 years for an olive tree to bear fruit. It is native to the Mediterranean.  If you can grow it in your zone, try now.  It will fruit for generations.