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Sea Salt Scrub

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As part of this week’s “Sink or Swim” party giveaway, the bloggers participating are all bringing you ideas to host your own Sink or Swim summer party! We kind of ran with the idea of nautical & beach-themed, and I think you’ll love what everyone came up with!

 

 

Cupcake Diaries: Cookie Oysters
Not Picture Perfect: Summer Party Games
Dessert Now Dinner Later: Blueberries & Cream Pie Parfaits
Homemade Toast: Sea Salt Scrub
The Bucket List Girl: Tillamook Ice Cream Sandwich
Clarks Condensed: Summer Fruit Cobbler
Like Mother Like Daughter: 7 Layer Dip
Our Thrifty Ideas: Party Pleasing Potato Salad
Rae Gun Ramblings: Mermaid Cookie Pops

 

Scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter the giveaway, if you haven’t already!

Due to my little soap-making escapade a few months ago, I started running up a collection of oils and butters that have been put to good use making homemade lotion bars, lip balm, sunscreen and bug spray. Its been so fun for me to make things for my family that are completely all-natural and organic. Don’t get me wrong, my recent posts may indicate that I’ve gone all-hippie. But really, I just enjoy creating – especially if it happens to be that whatever it is I am making is better and safer for my girls.

A few weeks ago we stopped in Vegas on our drive home from California. We were walking through the Venetian and were given a sample of this amazing sea salt scrub while walking past some of the shops. I wish that I had caught the name of the place – the product was really outstanding. I remember the girl who gave us the sample told us that there was beeswax and shea butter in it – which turned on a little lightbulb in my head. I could make this!

 And so I did!
Not even kidding – my hands have never felt softer. The sea salt is just abrasive enough to scratch away dead skin and leave your hands so incredibly smooth and the small amount of beeswax helps your skin absorb and retain the moisture of the oils and butters. My husband literally refuses to use it because it makes his manly dry callused hands feel too girly! Men.

Wouldn’t these make the perfect party favors? A great way to send something thoughtful and homemade home with your guests a step-up from a trinket that will end up at the bottom of the toy bin.

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DIY Herbal Bug Spray

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photo credit: Dave Taylor

At first, I was a little hesitant to try out my own bug spray – its not really one of those things that is worth the risk of not working, especially on the kids. It actually sat in our car for about a month before we even used it – but when we did, I couldn’t even believe the results!

We were out at the lake, and on our way home The Hubs wanted to stop for a few minutes to throw in a fishing pole. The place that we stopped at had swarms of these giant-mosquito-looking bugs. I am not sure if they were actually mosquitos – but they were gross and huge and everywhere.

So, I opted to stay in the car with the kids and Vahe set out to face the bugs. What a man won’t do for a fish! 🙂 I was so excited when I realized that I had the potentially-effective bug spray I had made in the car – and, since it was better than nothing, Vahe decided to try it out.

I couldn’t even believe it. I took this first picture of the passenger side of the car – probably 100 bugs just hanging out on my window.

This picture was taken of the driver’s window – where Vahe had sprayed himself down just outside the door, about 5 minutes before. ZERO bugs!

If this doesn’t make you a believer, I don’t know what else will! Since then, we have used it on the whole family around mosquitos without a bite. I would even go as far to say that this repellent works BETTER than a deet-laced pesticide spray that you’ll find in the store. Plus, it smells way better and all of the ingredients are completely natural and safe on everyone!

You’ll find varying recipes online for DIY bug spray, this is just how I decided to make mine. Since it has worked so well for us – I don’t think I will ever try anything different. If you use essential oils, chances are you have almost everything you need to make this bug repellent in the cupboard. The only oil I had to add to my collection was citronella – and it has turned out to be a great investment!

At first, the spray had a really awkward smell to it. When you smell all of the oils separately, you can kind of pick each one out when you smell the entire mixture. But, after a few days it gave off more of a woodsy-lemon scent that actually smells really nice!

So, here’s what you’ll need:

  • 4 oz witch hazel
  • 1 oz sweet almond oil – totally optional, I just added it so that the spray was slightly mosturizing. You can sub it for another ounce of witch hazel, or any another skin-safe liquid oil
  • 12 drops lavender oil
  • 12 drops tea tree oil
  • 12 drops peppermint oil
  • 12 drops lemongrass oil
  • 12 drops citronella oil
Pour all of the ingredients into a spray bottle. Shake well before each use, it will separate quickly!

The TRUTH about Homemade Sunscreen

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About a month ago I decided to try out homemade sunscreen – initially just for the fun of it. I did my research – a lot of research. Which, overwhelmingly supported my reasoning for buying more crap stuff to add to my ever-growing craft stash of things I will never use up. You know how that goes.

I read up on both sides of the debate (store bought vs. homemade) and everywhere in between. I’ll let you do your own research, because my sources are likely bias, but I’ll try to touch on the aspects of each that I found that are important to me.

With the info I found, and after putting the theories to the test by making and using both a regular and waterproof sunscreen, I came to this conclusion:

Homemade sunscreen is best. Period. 

It’s effective, it’s all-natural, all-organic and completely safe. *But* when I need something waterproof – I’ll take the chemical can. I can have my kids covered in seconds with a spray bottle of store-bought sunscreen, when the homemade waterproof sunblock takes me upwards of 10 minutes to apply. The convenience of the time and sanity saved is worth it to me.

Let me tell you why with a good old-fashion pro/con list…

Store-Bought Sunscreen
+ Waterproof
+ Quick to apply
+ High SPF (up to 60+)
+ Does not whiten skin
– SunSCREEN
– Hormone-altering chemicals

Homemade Waterproof Sunblock (bar form)
+ Waterproof
+ All-natural and organic
+ SunBLOCK
+/- Lower SPF (20-30)
– Takes a long time to apply (the beeswax which makes the sunblock waterproof takes time to spread)
– Whitens skin slightly

Homemade Sunblock (liquid form, not-waterproof)
+ All-natural & organic
+ Quick to apply
+ SunBLOCK
+/- Lower SPF (20-30)
– Whitens skin slightly

First, I should probably let you know that I opt for organic and all-natural when I can, but I also drink 2-3 (read: sometimes 6+) cans of Diet Coke everyday. (Gotta get you 8 glasses, right? If I wanted to cut chemicals, preservatives, or anything artificial out of my lifestyle – sunscreen is way down the list. Baby steps, people.

Also – it’s important to know that my babies have their daddy’s Armenian skin. They tan beautifully. If I had pasty babies like myself, I would be more hesitant to use the homemade sunscreen because of its lower SPF.

Store Bought Sunscreen

The one thing that turns me off from store-bought sunscreen is that it contains ingredients that literally alter the chemicals in your skin (also affecting your hormone levels) to make your skin itself become sun-resistant. That’s why so many sunscreens you buy in a bottle are waterproof – once they have done their job, they are good to go – even if the carrier cream rinses off. Many believe that more people are actually getting cancer from the chemicals in sunscreen than from the sun itself, and that more of us are actually Vitamin D deficient than overexposed.

While I can’t vouch for the cancer proposition – I do believe that we were meant to have a little sun on us. Which, is why the low SPF in the homemade sunscreens are not a problem for me.

(PS – Did you know that an SPF 40 is not equivalent to 2x the strength of an SPF 20? A SPF 20 blocks about 94% of UVB rays, a 40 blocks around 98%)

The one thing that is great about store-bought sunscreen is that you can purchase so many varieties now in an aerosal can and have your baby covered in seconds.

Homemade Sunblock

I love that with the homemade sunscreen, I know exactly what is going into my product. I buy my ingredients organic and make it myself. It is made of an all-natural combination that personally – I have found to be perfectly effective. In waterproof sunblock, I use all-organic coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, zinc oxide (a natural mineral) and tea tree oil. That’s it.

The sunblock is just that – it blocks the sun, forming a barrier ON TOP of the skin to protect it. It does not alter any chemical or hormone in the body and is completely, 100% safe.

Under a microscope, many argue that the particles of an unprocessed zinc-oxide based sunblock do not distribute perfectly. But, from personal use, I have found it to be very effective. Which, personally, tells me more than a microscope could.

Through first-hand use, I have found that the homemade sunblock in both bar and lotion form really do their job. But, you should also know that homemade sunblock does have a lower SPF than what you would probably buy in the store. Personally, I don’t mind a healthy dose of sun and since my girls do not burn easily, it has worked perfectly for us.

One drawbacks of both the homemade lotion and bars is that it leaves your skin looking a little white. For the kids, this isn’t even a problem for me – if anything, it’s actually a benefit. I know where the sunscreen has been applied. And, it’s not even that noticeable, really – just a slight difference only Mom will notice.

The only thing that is a deal-breaker for me is with the homemade waterproof sunblock. It takes much longer to apply. I have found it easiest to break off a little chuck of the bar and massage it in my hand until it has softened. Once soft, it smooths out onto the skin pretty easily – but it does take a while to rub in all the way.

It would probably take me about 10 minutes to cover my kids head-to-toe, which neither me or my girls have patience for – which is why I go for store-bought at the pool.

The regular, lotion sunblock applies just like any other lotion-based sunscreen. Rub it in, and you are set. You get all of the benefits of the chemical-free, all-natural sunscreen and don’t have to put in too much elbow grease or bribery to get it on the kids.

There is so much information out there that will sway you on either side of the sunscreen debate. Decide what is best for you and your family – it may be completely different than what is best for mine.

I went a little overboard in making the waterproof sunscreen bars – that probably won’t get all used up this summer. But, I have found them great for calming itchy bug bites and have also been using them as chapstick – they work great!

If you are interested in making your own homemade sunblock, here are the recipes I used to make my own:

Homemade Sunblock – Waterproof Bars (~20 SPF)
1.5 oz beeswax
1.5 oz shea butter
1.5 oz coconut oil
1 oz zinc oxide
~10 drops of tea tree oil

1. Melt the beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil together. (I put all of the ingredients in a mason jar, and set it in boiling water until melted).
2. Remove from heat and stir in zinc oxide. Pour into molds. (I used empty deodorant containers and ice cube trays.)
3. Let cool completely. Remove from molds – refrigerate until use.

Homemade Sunblock – Lotion (~20 SPF)
2 oz shea butter
2 oz coconut oil
1 oz zinc oxide
~8 drops of tea tree oil

1. Melt the shea butter and coconut oil together. (I put all of the ingredients in a mason jar, and set it in boiling water until melted).
2. Remove from heat and stir in zinc oxide. Pour into container.
3. Let cool completely before use. Store at room temperature.

The Best Playdough Ever

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My girls love playdough, and the store-bought kind just doesn’t seem worth the price for the (ab)use it gets in our home. I have tried a handful of playdough recipes, the classic salt dough and a few others that I had found on Pinterest. This recipe, by far, is the best – way better than store-bought playdough. It is soft and smooth, and even leaves your hands more moisturized, rather than dried out like many other doughs do. It does not dry out easily, and will keep for months and months!

I found this version on the blog adelynSTONE, check out her post for great step-by-step instructions. I have seriously made at least 30 batches of this stuff- it’s wonderful! You probably have most, if not all of the ingredients in your cupboard right now. Each batch takes just over 5 minutes – start to finish – to make.

The Best Playdough Ever 

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 Tablespoon oil (any type – I have used both vegetable and olive oil)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
food coloring or a kool-aid packet

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan.
2. Stir the dough constantly over medium heat, until the dough comes together into one ball.
3. Knead a few times for uniform consistency.

A few tips & tricks I learned along the way:

I initially bought a bunch of kool-aid packets to color the playdough with, thinking that they would add a fun scent. While you can smell the flavors, it is very very subtle, and personally it didn’t really seem worth the 10-cent investment for each batch. I would suggest just using regular food coloring, and adding in a drop or two of essential oil to create a scent, rather than the kool-aid. But, if you have extra packets laying around – they do fine at adding fun color to the dough!

The first few times I made this playdough, I whisked together all of the ingredients until no flour clumps remained before bringing it to heat on the stove. Later, I tried just stirring everything together as it was heating – I didn’t notice any difference. The clumps made their way out of the dough just fine as it thickened up.

Your dough will become slightly darker color once it is done, then before.

If you are making multiple batches, no need to clean out the pan each time – just start with the lightest color, and work your way through your palette.

I would not suggest making more than a double-batch at a time – it will take much longer to cook, and will be very hard to stir!