Herbistry.

I've been a fan of herbs whenever possible for quite some time now. The process of learning to use them well, however, has been slow but steady. The main source of my knowledge is a book called the Ten Essential Herbs, which clearly and enjoyably lays out ten basics that are a help for almost every problem. Other than that, I've just spent a lot of time researching and learning. I believe this is the start of something awesome. Okay. Below you have the first two homemade items. Best part? several ingredients can be used for multiple things. Cha-ching! 

(Coconut oil for toothpaste and facial moisturizer)

(Apple Cider Vinegar for drinking, face wash, AND can be mixed with the clay (from toothpaste recipe) for a steller facial mask!)

The Facewash!

This was an invention of my own that I came up with while reading the Ten Essentials. As I was reading about each herb and it's personality, I put two and two together in my head and invented the wash. After one week, my face is a new creation! 

 You probably just want me to list the recipe and be done. However, I have something to say first:

1. Some of the powerful ingredients of this recipe are chaparral leaf and apple cider vinegar.  They are extremely amazing and potent. Chaparral literally cleanses the blood of toxins when taken internally and the vinegar is amazing for about a hundred things. One of my first suggestions for clearer skin is to do a chaparral cleanse by way of tea and to drink some apple cider vinegar daily. (Mixed with water, of course. And probably honey-it's gross!) There's a wonderful method of doing this if you're interested. Let me know. Okay. On to the recipe. Which I need to name, by the way. Any suggestions?

2. If all this seems daunting to you, try just washing with honey and/or apple cider vinegar first. This alone will do wonders. The recipe below is for harsher acne problems. (Obviously I had some!) 

Facewash ingredients:

-Chaparral Leaf

-Slippery Elm 

-Raw Wild Honey 

-Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Procedure: (Keep in mind this is my first shot. I kind of threw it all in together. Any suggestions are more than welcome!)

-Taking a small pot, I poured 1-1.5 cups of apple cider vinegar into pot on the stove. 

-I placed the heat on the lowest "simmer" setting

-I added honey-quite a bit. Didn't measure. 

-I placed 3-4 tablespoons Chaparral in pot

-I placed 3-4 tablespoons of Slippery elm in pot

-You can probably add any choice other antiseptic herbs here. Goldenseal, Willow Bark (guess what salicylic acid is made  of?), you name it. Find what you like! Just keep it simple. Too many ingredients are often what agitate our skin!

-I let concoction simmer on lowest setting possible  for 15-20 minutes. 

-I set pot aside to cool down.

-I poured liquid (Including herbs) into squeezable travel containers. 

(That way the herbs don't come out when I squeeze out the facewash. It's less messy.) 

-I keep in in the fridge. Keeps it fresh and thick! 

If you try this, talk to me! Let me know how it goes for you! 

(Also, as a moisturizer, I suggest organic pure coconut oil. A tiny bit goes a long way. 

And it surprisingly has antiseptic qualities that clear acne!)

The Toothpaste!

The deal with the toothpaste is that store bought kinds have chemicals that aren't only toxic, but actually weaken the tooth enamel.  And those crest whitening strips we're all so addicted to? Yep. Eating away at those pearly whites as it bleaches. The sensitivity to hot and cold? Caused by your paste. This recipe actually can reverse these problems due to the calcium that builds the enamel back up. Oh, and the baking soda actually whitens even better than those stupid strips. Oldest and cheepest trick in the book.  I have brushed 6x so far & already feel and see a difference. Seriously. This is awesome! If you're in Modesto, you should be able to get everything at Sprouts or Village Health foods. Otherwise, whole foods should be good.  (P.S. the clay mixed with raw apple cider vinegar is a stellar facial mask. ) Trust me on this. Your mouth and wallet will thank you. 

Squeezable Remineralizing Toothpaste Ingredients:

-5 Tablespoons Calcium powder
-3 Tablespoons Xylitol Powder- This ingredient is not completely necessary, but just keeps it from tasting bitter. (We don’t cook or consumer Xylitol, but there is some evidence that it is beneficial orally)
-4 Tablespoons coconut oil at room temperature
-1 tablespoon baking soda
-2 Tablespoons Bentonite Clay or you could use additional Calcium powder
-3 Tablespoons Distilled Water or slightly more to thin
-40+ drops of essential oils of choice: Peppermint, Cinnamon, Oregano, Lemon/Lemongrass etc (I used almond)
-optional: 20-30 drops of trace minerals

How To Make Natural Remineralizing Toothpaste:

-Mix all ingredients except clay well. Once smooth, slowly add in the bentonite clay and mix by hand with a plastic utensil (bentonite clay should not come in contact with metal).

I put my paste in a ziplock & cut the tiniest hole on the bottom corner to squeeze. Any travel shampoo container should also work great!