I feel you… this was actually me for a long time! Every now and then, I’d find DIY containers at a natural health store but they were often expensive or it wasn’t exactly what I needed. It seemed way too daunting to start making my own products.

There are many reasons why you might want to consider making your own DIY products. As we all know, you can simply buy pre-made “eco-friendly” products.

But keep in mind:

• There’s still a lot of greenwashing out there. Companies make themselves look more non-toxic and environmentally-friendly than they really are…
• Many natural product companies have been bought out by large corporations (think Burt’s Bees and Tom’s of Maine). Do you really trust these big conglomerates who make tons of toxic, synthetic-chemical filled products?

Over time, I discovered that finding containers for storing DIY products can be easy! Here are a few of my favourite hacks.

Watch the video or read on below.

Tip #1: reuse existing containers for storing DIY products

The easiest DIY container hack is to use what you already have around the house. For example, “empties” of the following products:

• Glass food jars
• Lip balm containers
• Glass sparkling water bottles
• Mason jars
• Essential oil roller bottles
• Glass or stainless steel tupperware

Re-using existing containers is also a great way to lower your environmental impact.

Tip #2: store-bought containers for DIY products

If you don’t have any empties ready to use or you need more, you can find many suitable containers at every day stores you might shop at or have nearby.

I’ve found great soap dispensers at a reasonable price at stores like Walmart and Ikea. I’ve also found the perfect dishwasher powder and bath salt containers at the Dollar Store.

If you have something very specific in mind, you might still have to scour the natural products stores in your area.

Tip #3: order low impact storage containers online for DIY products

Nowadays, you can order almost anything online. If you need something specific and don’t want to hunt down natural products stores, it’s likely available on Amazon.

If you just don’t want to leave the house, you can also find a variety of DIY product suppliers online.

Tip #4: reduce your need for DIY storage containers

As you progress along your non-toxic lifestyle journey, you might finding yourself needing to make less and less DIY products. One-ingredient products can be very effective for your skin, as a deodorant and more!

For example, my skin lotion has simply become fractionated coconut oil – no mixing required! I’ll sometime add a drop of essential oil to it straight into my hand.

My face lotion has simply become jojoba oil. I have a pre-made roller bottle of essential oil mixture I’ll often dab in a few key spots on top of the jojoba oil on my face.

For nearly 10 years now, straight baking soda has been my non-toxic deodorant and I haven’t looked back!

Tip #4 is the ultimate in reducing your environmentally impact. If you can find a bulk store to refill your one-ingredient products, even better!

I hope this was super helpful. If you weren’t exploring non-toxic DIY recipes because you didn’t feel set up for it, maybe now you’ll at least think about it.

Because, honestly, one of the best ways to ensure you are using TRULY non-toxic products is to make them yourself.

If you have any other DIY container hacks, please share them with us in the comments below!

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post Storing DIY products | Preserve your non-toxic recipes appeared first on Rustik Health.

These 7 habits will help you do just that. But I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed… Do as many of these habits as you have time for and stick to what resonates with you the most.

Build up to it. As you begin to implement certain habits, they will become second nature and you will find space and flow to implement more of them.

Always remember that the non-toxic lifestyle is not only about reducing your toxic load and swapping out toxic products that you currently use. It’s also about supporting your body in detoxifying itself and helping it remove any toxins you may be holding on to.

These 7 tips are going to address both of these facets. Watch the video or read on below.

(Note: affiliate links appear below)

Peppermint essential oil in your healthy morning routine

A lot of women and mamas out there complain about a lack of energy and general fatigue. Many of us need a big cup of coffee in the morning to get us going.

Although I believe this is part of a much bigger issue, one way to counteract this lack of energy is by taking a deep breath of peppermint essential oil when you wake up in the morning. This is not addressing the root cause but is a natural way to address the symptom.

If you feel like trying to skip the caffeine altogether, you can add in some coconut oil and apply to your temples and the back of your neck to deal with withdrawal symptoms. Just be careful around the eye area!

Tongue scraping when you first wake up

Tongue scraping is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that dates back thousands of years. It involves scraping the white film off your tongue to remove bacteria and metabolic toxins that accumulate while you sleep.

To do this, you can use a tongue scraper tool. If you don’t have one, you can simply use a spoon. Place the edge of the tongue scraper or spoon at the back of the tongue and then scrape forward.

Rinse the tongue scraper or spoon and repeat up to 3 times. Make sure to do this first thing in the morning before you drink or brush your teeth as part of your healthy morning routine.

Dry skin brushing before you shower

I admit, this is a tougher non-toxic lifestyle habit for me to do consistently and regularly.

Dry skin brushing is another great natural way to kick start your morning because it’s invigorating and energizing. It also stimulates the lymphatic system, which is essentially your body’s sewer system. So as you dry skin brush, you help eliminate toxins and detoxify your body.

You’ll want to dry skin brush while your skin is still dry and before hopping into the shower. Always brush from your extremities towards the heart. On the stomach, you can do a circular clock-wise motion.

Hot / Cold shower to move your lymph

This is a relatively new habit for me that I plan on solidifying in 2020. I love that it provides immediate results.

Once you’ve skin brushed, you can hop in the shower and alternate between hot and cold water. I generally start with hot water, wash my hair and body then alternate hot / cold water 1 – 3 times before stepping out of the shower.

This is another great way to boost your energy levels and also stimulate the lymphatic system. It’s also said to strengthen resilience and grit.

Linen spray as part of your healthy morning ritual

One of my favourite things about the non-toxic lifestyle is how it can bring more joy into your life, help reduce stress and make boring mundane chores a lot more enjoyable.

For example, I am obsessed with making the bed in the morning and that’s simply because I’ve started making my own DIY essential oils linen spray and I spray the sheets every day when I make the bed.

I’m sure this is partly due to the essential oils working their magic on the limbic area of my brain but regardless, I just love it.

Also, this habit helps makes up for the lack of strong, lingering scent from switching over to a natural laundry routine. It will help bring back that freshly-washed scent that is so satisfying from taking the sheets out of the dryer!

While I’m at it, I usually also spray the inside of our closets, the laundry I haven’t put away and just anything really… Feel free to go a bit nuts with it.

Diffuse essential oils in your non-toxic ritual

If you have time in the morning before heading off to work, you’ll want to diffuse some essential oils in your home. Again, this will help with energy levels and enhance the general mood in the house.

It’s also a great non-toxic, natural way to bring more joy into your life and help reduce stress.

Get yourself some high-quality essential oils and put 5 – 6 drops in your diffuser. My favourite energizing and mood-boosting scents are combinations of mint and citrus essential oils.

Drink water with citrus to help detoxify your body

Sleep is an important part of your body’s natural detoxification process. It’s a time of deep rest when it can focus on eliminating wastes and toxins from your system.

Keep this momentum going by starting your day with a big glass of pure, natural water and ideally some citrus to pack extra punch. If you want to kick-start your metabolism, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. If you want an extra energy boost, add one TBSP of chia seeds.

When I have more time and a lot of citrus in the fridge, I will stick to a glass of straight water. Then, make myself freshly squeezed citrus juice for its powerful hydrating, astringent and detoxifying properties.

I hope this gave you some useful ideas and tips for starting your days naturally with a more non-toxic lifestyle ritual.

Do you have any healthy morning routine rituals?

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post Healthy morning routine 2020 appeared first on Rustik Health.

Even though new year’s resolutions seem to be out-of-style these days, the start of a new year – or decade, in this case! – is a great trigger to make positive changes in your life. It can be your cue to start swapping out your products for non-toxic options, testing out DIY recipes and reconnecting with nature.

Watch me talk or read on below!

Start with something easy

This might seem obvious but it’s definitely worth mentioning. Plus, “easy” will mean something different if your goal is to buy natural products versus make natural products in 2020.

If you are committed to buying more natural products, pick products you can easily buy. These could be from the natural product section of the current stores you buy from or from a natural product store that is conveniently located. Don’t make it hard for yourself by getting a product that makes you go out of your way or that is hard to find.

If you are committed to making more natural products, pick recipes that are easy to make and have minimal ingredients. Don’t make it hard for yourself by choosing recipes that take a lot of time out of your already busy day! You also want to make it easy to refill this product once you run out.

In both cases, starting with something easy also means not swapping out a product you are currently really attached to. Go with something you don’t mind having out of your life right away. Something you buy without really paying attention to what brand you get or something you buy just because it’s on sale, for example.

Swap out products you use daily

To really create a new habit and, ultimately a new natural lifestyle, consistency is key. Start by swapping out products you use daily – like toothpaste or hand soap – so you can develop this consistency and also experience the empowerment that this lifestyle brings on a daily basis.

If you’re not quite ready to swap something out but want to add a more natural, non-toxic product or habit into your life, try layering it into your existing routine. For example, I’ve layered spraying our linens with anti-microbial and great-smelling essential oils every time I make our bed. Every time I go to make the bed, it’s my cue to take out the spray!

Do something that provides immediate benefit

Aim to really get that dopamine going and program yourself to keep living your natural lifestyle goals from the get-go. Swap something out or introduce a new habit that provides an immediate or obvious reward.

Examples of natural lifestyle habits that will leave you feeling amazing immediately:

• Diffuse essential oils to clean the air, enhance your mood and help reduce the spread of illness in your home. Breathe it in deeply and pay attention to how it makes you feel.
• Moisturize with 1 TBSP fractionated coconut or jojoba oil with one drop of lavender essential oil and feel how smooth your skin gets without any nasty synthetics.
• See how clean your dishes can get using simple, all-natural ingredients with a homemade DIY diswashing liquid recipe. Feel the power.

If you can start feeling the joy and empowerment early on, you are more likely to keep going on your non-toxic living journey.

Make your resolutions progressive

If you have many non-toxic living goals, take little steps at first. This is a progressive and ongoing journey. When I started on this lifestyle, I began with simply replacing my face wash and I waited many weeks until I mastered that step before moving on to other habits.

By making your resolutions progressive, you:

• reduce the overwhelm
• build confidence
• can celebrate milestones
• set yourself up for lasting change

Don’t give up on your natural lifestyle goals

Finally, and this is the most important tip, DO NOT give up! Sure, the start of the year is a great cue to make positive changes. But if you slip up anytime during the year, you can absolutely press the reset button on your new year’s resolution and try again!

If you’d like support on transitioning to or progressing in your non-toxic lifestyle, make sure to check out Purify. For more non-toxic living tips, download my free e-book.

Thanks for watching / reading

M.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post Natural lifestyle goals | How to CRUSH your 2020 appeared first on Rustik Health.

Thinking back, these are the top 3 lessons I learned from my natural lifestyle and by reducing my family’s toxic exposure. I’m also giving you my top 5 natural ingredients to have in your home at all time! So read on…

1. A natural lifestyle can reduce stress and increase joy

We often get caught up in our day-to-day routines because they are comfortable and familiar. Even though you feel stressed out most of the time, the idea of changing up your routine with healthy living tips might cause you EVEN MORE stress.

Or you might think that living a natural lifestyle is more stressful because you have to:

• intentionally look for or make non-toxic products…
• spend more money on non-toxic products…
• discover if these non-toxic products are actuallly going to work…

One of the lessons I learned this year is that non-toxic living does not have to be a stressful experience – in fact, it has been the opposite for me. Continuing my family’s natural living journey has reduced stress and even increased joy. Mundane chores, like making the bed, have actually become fun and empowering.

Maybe it’s because of the:

• aromatic compounds from the essential oils and their effect on the limbic area of my brain…
• empowerment that comes from knowing you can easily reduce your family toxic’s exposure by mixing 2 or 3 ingredients together…
• ease that comes from always having everything on-hand to refill your natural cleaning or personal care products…

Whatever reason it may be, going deeper into the natural lifestyle has definitely reduced my stress levels, given me peace of mind and increased the joy I feel each and every day.

2. Nature and humanity are undeniably interconnected

Inevitably, as I’ve progressed on this journey, my connection to nature has strengthened and the environmentalist within me has be reborn. I was hyper earth-aware but, as I grew up, became more disconnected with Mother Nature around me.

I got caught up in the rat race, conveniences of the modern world and my focus was elsewhere for a long time. Even when my focus was on my family’s health and nutrition, I wasn’t really considering my impact on the earth.

Sound familiar?

But 2019 is the year I reconnected and my motivation to help save our planet was further solidified by our non-toxic lifestyle. At first, this journey was all about me and my family but now it’s part of a larger mission – including helping the planet.

Some accomplishments I’m particularly proud of:

• Finally finding a super natural DIY dishwashing liquid and powder that works well and that I get excited about.
• Turning our large garbage into our compost bin and our small compost bin into our garbage can.
• Putting a deposit on an electronic car to trade in our current gas guzzling SUV next fall.

There are small steps you can take and also big steps. They are all equally valuable!

3. The simplest and cheapest products are the best

I used to roll my eyes at DIY products, especially when the recipes were too complex. Actually, I still roll my eyes at complex recipes! That’s because living naturally is NOT complex so why make it so?

In fact, the vast majority of the natural products I use in my home – whether to clean the house or for personal care – are simply a mixture of 2 or 3 ingredients. Some are even just 1 ingredient! These ingredients are also super easy to find (you likely already have some in your pantry) and not expensive at all.

The more I researched and experimented with recipes (don’t worry, I’ve done all that work for you), the more obvious this became.

The 5 natural ingredients to always have in the home:

1. Baking soda: deodorizing, exfoliating, scrubbing and alkalizing.
2. Vinegar: streak-free cleaning, unclogging, restoring PH balance.
3. Soap nuts: washing, washing, washing!
4. Castile soap: all-purpose cleaning, hair care and body wash.
5. Essential oils: detoxifying, natural fragrance, physical and emotional support.

Keep these on-hand at all times so that when you run out of something, you can quickly whip up a new batch within a matter of minutes.

Watch me talk about what I’ve learned from my natural lifestyle journey in 2019.

I hope these healthy living tips were useful

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post Healthy living tips I learned from 2019 appeared first on Rustik Health.

The other day, I read a quote about “romanticizing your life” and I completely fell in love with this concept. It encouraged us to find excitement, fun and all-around joy in the simple, mundane aspects of our life.

I fell in love with the concept because it’s what I preach and teach about the non-toxic lifestyle. I just never had such a beautiful label for it. Your success in transitioning to a healthier way of living will be influenced by your ability to find joy in using cleaner + greener products for your body and home.

Every time you exfoliate with your coconut salt scrub, take a moment to recognize the nourishment you are providing to your body – free from any synthetic chemical that could disrupt the functioning of your cells and endocrine system. Every time you spray that essential oil + vinegar mixture onto your counters, feel the satisfaction of knowing there’s no harm being done to yourself or the earth – in fact, you are getting side health benefits!

I recently shared in my social media stories how I like to turn making the bed into a more enjoyable chore by spraying my linens with a non-toxic DIY linen spray. This is just one of the super simple ways you can romanticize your non-toxic lifestyle. This is how I do it.

This idea is so much easier to implement in your life once you master your health, mindset and habits. I support you through this with Lead Your Health and Mastering Emotional Intelligence for Health.

Non-toxic DIY linen spray recipe

• Take a 4 oz stainless steel spray bottle
• Add 15 drops of high-quality essential oils
• Fill with water

I go crazy spraying the pillows, sheets and comforter with this non-toxic DIY linen spray. I even open the closet and spray our clothes. And I feel gosh, darn amazing and powerful doing it. I actually look forward to making the bed in the morning!

My favourite essential oil mixture is 5 drops of a citrus oil, 5 drops of a flower oil and 5 drops of a mint oil. The citrus provides a fresh scent, the flower smell is romantic and the mint is energizing.

This non-toxic DIY linen spray lasts me a couple of weeks and I have just as much fun coming up with a new scent combination.

How do you romanticize your non-toxic lifestyle?

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the The Health + Mindset Collective group.

The post Non-toxic DIY linen spray and romanticizing your lifestyle appeared first on Rustik Health.

That’s because I had a hard time finding a DIY non-toxic dishwashing liquid that I like and worked for me. This is going to be an honest review of the different ingredients and recipes I’ve tried and used to clean our dishes.

I have to say dishwashing soap, whether in liquid form for handwashing or as tabs for the dishwasher, has been one of the MOST difficult products to replace on this non-toxic lifestyle journey.

You’ll notice these are all DIY or single-ingredient options. I could have explored store-bought products but, in all honesty, a lot of them have ingredients I don’t recognize, are expensive and just bring unnecessary extra packaging into our home.

More and more, I am seeing that my non-toxic journey is not only about reducing toxic exposure but also about lowering our environmental impact, living a minimalist lifestyle and keeping things all-around simple.

Our current dishwashing products

• Homemade, DIY dishtabs for the dishwasher
• Vinegar for the dishwasher rinse cycle
• Castile soap with essential oils for dishwashing liquid

I’m happy for the most part with these products. Except, I was finding the Castile soap to be a more expensive option and it runs out quickly so I was finding myself buying bottles often. (Hello, plastic waste!) Plus, it’s not super effective at cutting grease.

I had to keep looking for a better non-toxic dishwashing liquid solution…

Some of the challenges

• Getting lip balm stains off glasses
• Cleaning bowls that have dried oatmeal in them
• Ridding dried up smoothie from our cups

So this past weekend, in an effort to address these challenges, and to step it up by reducing the ingredients I use and plastic bottles making their way into our cupboards, I started experimenting with washing soda and soap nuts (AKA soap berries).

Almost right away, I regretted making the washing soda. Turns out, it is super caustic and can irritate your lungs and skin. If using, you need to wear gloves to avoid making contact with it. No thanks.

The washing soda won’t go to waste, however. I do plan on testing it out to whiten laundry and in certain bathroom cleaning products.

Was there any hope in finding an effective non-toxic dishwashing soap?

What has been working

But I’ve been super impressed with soap nuts. I already loved them for doing laundry but hadn’t thought about trying them as dishwashing liquid. I ended up making the more complex recipe for using soap nuts, which involved boiling 10-12 nuts for an hour and making liquid. Next time, I plan on simply leaving the nuts in a mason jar filled with water and infusing overnight. Even less work!

So far, I tried the soap nuts liquid in the dishwasher and it worked as well as the dishtabs I was making. Unfortunately, it did not conquer the three challenges…

I also tried it to hand wash dishes with some added grapefruit essential oil to it. It worked well and was WAY more effective at cutting grease than the Castile soap. So I think I found my cheaper, more environmental option to Castile soap for liquid dishwashing.

(Oh, and I used some of the soap nuts liquid with extra water and essential oils to wash our floors. It made an amazing lather and worked great!)

So no need to say it but… I’m going nuts for soap nuts. Literally, folks.

I will keep trying to find the solution to the famous three challenges but, in the meantime, I will keep rinsing or soaking grimy dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I will also keep rewashing those 2-3 items that aren’t as clean as I like them. All in all, it’s still an extremely SMALL PRICE to pay for the health of my family and of the environment.

What are your favourite non-toxic dishwashing products and ingredients?

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post Non-toxic dishwashing liquid appeared first on Rustik Health.

I was that girl that used to shave her legs dry. Creepy, huh?

I wasn’t intentionally being non-toxic then. I just couldn’t be bothered to even put shaving cream on my legs! Nowadays, I’m much more mindful of my skin

Here’s an amazing self-care protocol for your legs and feet: apply the bergamot foot mask in the bath. While the mask is setting on your feet, use the DIY natural shaving cream to shave your legs. Once complete, wash off the foot mask and apply the serum to both legs feet.

(Be careful getting out of the bath, and make sure to put on socks or slippers. Your feet will be slippery!)

DIY Natural Shaving Cream

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup shea butter
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup fractionated coconut oil
• 5 drops each:
  • sandalwood essential oil
  • peppermint essential oil
  • tea tree essential oil

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients except for essential oils in double boiler.
2. Once melted, remove from heat and let sit three minutes.
3. Add essential oils and stir until combined. 
4. Let shaving cream rest until hard. Tip: You can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
5. Using hand or stand mixer, whip shaving cream until light and fluffy.
6. Place in container of choice.

(Source)

Razor Relief Serum

Ingredients

• ½ cup fractionated coconut oil
• ¼ cup rosewater
• 5 drops each:
  • frankincense essential oil
  • lavender essential oil
  • tea tree essential oil
  • helichrysum essential oil
  • myrrh essential oil

Instructions

1. Place fractionated coconut oil and rosewater in glass spray or pump bottle. 
2. Add essential oils and shake.
3. To use, spray directly on skin or place two to three pumps in palms and rub on affected skin.

(Source)

Bergamot Foot Mask

Ingredients

• ½ cup organic Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons organic raw honey
• 2 squirts of fractionated coconut oil
• 1 stalk organic celery
• 6 drops bergamot essential oil

Instructions

1. Grate stalk of celery and drain excess moisture in strainer or with paper towel.
2. Add celery and remaining ingredients to food processor or blender.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Ready a wet washcloth or sit by tub.
5. Apply mask immediately to entire foot with fingers or brush.
6. Let sit 15–20 minutes while enjoying mask’s cooling sensation and the calming effects of bergamot essential oil.
7. Rinse off and enjoy your nourished and moisturized feet.

(Source)

While you’re at it, revamp your whole bath routine to the non-toxic lifestyle. Here are my non-toxic bath tips.

Enjoy!

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post Natural shaving cream and foot mask appeared first on Rustik Health.

Since going no ‘poo several years ago, I do tend to notice a lot more buildup and flake on my scalp. For one, I go 7 days or more without washing it… so I guess that should come as no surprise.

I also don’t do the no ‘poo method perfectly. Apparently, one of the steps in between washes is to pull the oils from the scalp all the way down your locks every night. This also helps moisturize your hair completely naturally. I’m just way too lazy to do this!

All this being said, through my obsessive research on acidosis and detoxification, I’ve learned that this crud on my head could actually be my body’s attempt to eliminate bad stuff from my body. Specifically, metabolic waste and toxins that are accumulating in my head. Yikes!

I like to take a holistic approach to everything so, on top of tweaking my food choices to address what may be going on in my body, I’ve been doing this non-toxic DIY scalp buildup recipe (source: doTERRA website).

Hair buildup recipe

• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar (I haven’t tried ACV yet)
• 8 TBSP purified water
• 8 drops rosemary essential oil (some claim this oil can also stimulate hair growth!)
• 6 drops of lemon essential oil (great cleansing and dissolving oil)
• 4 drops of grapefruit essential oil (also great for cleansing and dissolving)

Mix everything together, apply to scalp and leave on for 20 minutes.

The first time I made this recipe, I mixed it all together in a glass measuring cup and poured it on my head. It was a bit awkward and a lot never ended up even making it on my head so the next time I used this handy applicator.

Also, the first time I did it, I left it on for more than 20 minutes and my scalp started itching. Make sure you apply this when you are sure to be able to hop in the shower after 20 minutes!

On top of removing buildup, this recipe will make your hair super shiny and silky!

I hope this helps you in figuring out how to remove hair buildup. Enjoy

M.

Get my top 5 non-toxic living tips.

Join the conversation in the Non-Toxic Living Collective group.

The post How to remove hair buildup | No ‘poo non-toxic lifestyle tips appeared first on Rustik Health.

The easiest way for me to define it is by explaining what it is and what it is not in my view.

What it is

Non-toxic living is about avoiding any man-made chemical in the products we consume internally, put on our bodies and use in our homes. It is also about ensuring our bodies are functioning optimally to metabolize any existing toxins we have stored over the years and the toxins we can’t avoid exposure to in our daily lives.

Non-toxic living is a continuum. You can take it as far as you want to go… and you can make it a quick journey or a slower, ongoing journey. Personally, I hopped on the bandwagon about a decade ago and made some drastic changes initially but have kept a more moderate pace ever since.

Non-toxic living is a LIFESTYLE. It is a practice that weaves seamlessly into your everyday living. And while it may seem daunting at first, you will soon realize that it is WAY:

• SIMPLER – no more driving across town to various natural health stores to get all the products you need. When you do run out, you can usually quickly whip up a new batch.
• CHEAPER – many of the ingredients can be found at discount stores and they often serve multiple purposes.
• GREENER – again, one product can serve multiple purposes so less plastic bottles make their way into our homes (and, ultimately, landfills).

What it is NOT

Non-toxic living is not about perfection. Nope… I don’t own an organic mattress (yet!) and I haven’t replaced my stash of nail polish (I just avoid wearing any as much as possible) and I’m still searching for an effective DIY dishwasher machine soap (working on it!). It’s about focusing on the positive changes you are making and not on the places you fall short.

Non-toxic living is about accepting certain social constraints and, especially, not judging others. Yes, I will use that toxic-ingredient-filled hand soap at the restaurant and won’t dart out of a room sprayed with synthetic fragrance (although I may hold my breath for a while… lol!). We’re not all of the same mind or beliefs and that is TOTALLY OKAY.

Non-toxic living is not about knowing and understanding all of the questionable toxic chemicals out there. Honestly, I used to try to remember them all… then I figured why on earth would I bog down my brain with that useless information?! At the end of the day, all you need to know is they are either: neurotoxic (super bad for your brain), endocrine-disruptive (they mess with your hormones) and/or carcinogenic (screw up your DNA).

When you live a non-toxic lifestyle, you frankly couldn’t care less about the names of all those toxic ingredients in our foods and products because they are no longer part of your world… they become completely IRRELEVANT.

Innocent until proven guilty

People will argue that in many cases there’s no proof these man-made chemicals carry negative effects. I say that’s exactly why I avoid them as much as possible. I’m not going to be a guinea pig (and neither is my family), plus there’s no good reason to use most of them. Nature has provided us with the powerful and safe tools we need.

While I see value in the notion of “innocent until proven guilty” in the context of criminal justice, I see ZERO value in it in the context of the safety of man-made chemicals.

What steps have you taken lately towards a non-toxic lifestyle?

M.

PS – I’ll soon be offering group challenges to help you either get started on your non-toxic lifestyle or push your existing journey one step further. Sign up below to BE THE FIRST to know more!

The post What is non-toxic living? appeared first on Rustik Health.

Since going “no ‘poo”, I’ve been relying on essential oils a lot to add punch and variety to the mix. And when my hair smells beautiful, I tend to feel that way too

Here are my favourite 3 essential oils for gorgeous hair.

Tea Tree

Tea tree, being one of the most anti-microbial of essential oils, is a great addition to your hair care routine to address dandruff and (for those of you with children, especially) lice.

I add 2-3 drops of tea tree to my baking soda and water mixture to keep my hair super clean.

Geranium

While geranium is a great support in balancing your hair’s natural oil production whether it’s oily OR dry, I mainly use geranium for its super “femme” smell. If you sniff it straight from the bottle, the floral scent can be intense. But, in your hair, I like that it’s strong enough to smell for a long time.

I also add 2-3 drops of geranium to my baking soda and water mixture.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is my natural leave-in conditioner. After rinsing with water and apple cider vinegar, I run a drop or two of this oil through my hair. It is great for dry scalp and I enjoy the hippie smell. It’s woodsy and earthy with a hint of sweetness.

What essential oils do you love for your hair?

M.

The post Top 3 essential oils for beautiful hair appeared first on Rustik Health.