Home Made Products
Why mix household products yourself?
There are 2 main reasons:
- We can avoid the nasty chemicals
- It’s cheaper
“Soap Operas” attracted a lot of advertising dollars for a reason – profit.
Companies take a bulk chemical and then use advertising and marketing to convince us that it is somehow special in order to sell it for a higher price. They dazzle us with science, and fancy words, and remove us from some of the most basic chemical reactions known to humanity.
Soap was originally just cooking fat that fell out of the pot onto the ash in the fire.
It formed soap.
Someone noticed that soap cleaned things.
In the process of making these household chemicals the companies add extra chemicals; smells, thickeners, preservatives etc. and, of course, lots of pretty plastic packaging.
Why does it matter?
Your skin is not a barrier, it is very porous and it happily carries chemicals into your blood stream. Just rub a piece of cut garlic on the soles of your feet and go down the pub if you’re not sure.
What are the nasty chemicals?
They don’t really tell us, but there is research:
So you can become an expert on every chemical, and stand in the supermarket reading the ingredients (if they even have ingredients), or you can just buy in bulk and make it at home in a few minutes for less money.
Here are a few, but don’t worry, there’s nothing to see here:
| Chemical | Found In | Main Health Risk | Hazard Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,4-Dioxane | Laundry/dishwasher detergents & rinse aids (contaminant) | Probable carcinogen, endocrine disruptor | EWG 10 |
| Phthalates | Fragranced laundry, rinse aids, deodorants | Fertility damage, hormone disruption | EWG 8–10 |
| Formaldehyde & releasers | Laundry liquids, deodorants | Known carcinogen, severe allergies | IARC Group 1 |
| Parabens | Deodorants, fabric softeners | Estrogen mimic, linked to breast cancer | EWG 7–9 |
| Triclosan / Triclocarban | Antibacterial laundry & deodorants | Thyroid disruption, antibiotic resistance | EWG 8–10 |
Which chemicals do I need, and how much do they cost?
We don’t need many:
- Washing soda
- Baking Soda
- Citric Acid
- Castile Soap
- Borax
- Essential Oils: Mint, Orange
…and most of the others are tiny quantities that you can just get at The Source:
- Shea Butter
- Cocoa Butter
…and a few are just hiding in the cupboard:
- Honey
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vanilla essence