DIY * Disinfectant and Whitening Mouth Wash

Today I give you a recipe to make a mouthwash at home. This recipe of a DIY mouthwash is very simple: the ingredients are just two, cheap and the result is outstanding!

Why is it important to make the mouthwash at home? Clearly to avoid the bad ingredients contained in most commercially available mouthwashes. These include the fearsome triclosan (we have already talked about it here), parabens (which seem to affect our delicate endocrine system), sodium lauryl sulfate and dyes. The damage greatly outweigh the possible benefits.

The mouthwash is useful to complete the cleaning of your mouth, teeth and gums. My favorite one can be created with baking soda and essential oils.

Here you have recipe and preparation, use and benefits.

Recipe and preparation

1 bottle of water, recycled glass and plastic, 250 ml

1 teaspoon of baking soda

10 drops of essential oil (lemon, sage or mint)

Pour the water into the bottle, add baking soda and essential oil (I'm a fan of lemon essential oil as you know  :D). Mix well.

Use

Shake the mouthwash well before every use; do rinses with it after flossing and brushing. It will laste for a week. It has a disinfecting effect and a slight whitening effect. Since the baking soda dissolves completely in water there is no danger of damaging the teeth.

Benefits

Baking soda: disinfectant, bleaching

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DIY * Customized Body Oil

Customizing your own body oil gives you so much satisfaction - it's easy, fast and you can create the perfect fragrance for your skin! Today's recipe is perfect for beginners with the DIY beauty recipes.

The ingredients required are essentially two: a vegetable oil and a few drops of an essential oil of your choice. The more adventurous girls can customize this oil using more than one type of vegetable oil and essential oils.

Below you find ingredients, substitutions, recommendations and benefits.

If you try this recipe, let me know!

Recipe and procedure

1 container (100 ml)

50 ml of shea oil (or other vegetable oil)

50 ml of olive oil (or other vegetable oil)

25 drops of essential oil

• In a container pour vegetable oil and mix well;
• Add a few drops of essential oil of your choice (lemon, mint, lavender, rose, coconut, sandalwood ... whatever you prefer); I've chosen two different essential oils;
• Mix well and pour into the container (preferably made of dark glass).

I recycled a container of shea oil which was half finished - I added extra virgin olive oil (directly from the kitchen pantry), 3 drops of peppermint oil and 22 drops of lemon essential oil.

Substitutions

It's possible to replace the two vegetable oils with a single vegetable oil. Some ideas: olive oil, rice oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, argan oil ...

The essential oils are good allies of our health and beauty. You can choose one or two and mix them together, as I did.

Reccomendations

It's better to massage your oil on damp skin, just after the shower: the oil will "seal" water onto your skin which help to absorb it better.

Benefits

Vegetable oils

Oil Shea: elasticity, emollient, soothing

Olive oil: emollient, elasticity

rice oil: elasticity, antioxidant

Almond oil: emollient, protective

Castor oil: softening, anti-inflammatory

Jojoba oil: softening, nourishing

linseed oil: emollient, antioxidant

Avocado oil: nourishing, protective

Argan oil: antioxidant, protective skin

Coconut oil: emollient, soothing

Sesame oil: nourishing, emollient

Rose Hip Oil: amolliente, anti-inflammatory

oleolito hypericum: anti-inflammatory, healing

Essential oils

Lavender: soothing

Sandalwood: aphrodisiac

Rosemary: balsamic suitable for skin and greasy hair

Eucalyptus: Balsamic

Peppermint: balsamic, reactivates circulation

tea tree: disinfectant

Lemon: lightening but photosensitizer

Grapefruit: anticellulite

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DIY * Hand Butter with Olive Oil

This butter is amazing: it strengthens your nails, softens your cuticles, it gives you a pleasant sensation on your hands and its scent is adorable! I love it because it is easy to make and you need three ingredients only!

It's particularly suitable for those who have weak nails for the frequent use of nail polish and it's perfect to prepare your nails for spring. Take a break from the nail polish and apply this butter once or twice a day ... you will notice the difference in a couple of days!

Recipe and Benefits are on on ChicVegan ... here you have the link !

Meanwhile...

Interenting articles:

• Complete list 
• DIY * Natural Deodorant
• DIY * Rice and Coconut Face Scrub
• DIY * Purifying Cinnamon Face Mask

DIY * 3 Uses of Baking Soda

Baking soda is an endless source of surprises for me. It seems that almost every day I  discover an exciting new use of this magical white powder. Today I want to share with you three possible uses of it ... but the list will continue in the next future for sure!

N° 1 - Teeth Whitener

Teeth are often defined as "your very own pearls" and I agree! With the passing of time and the intake of dark food and drink, teeth tend to get yellow and stained. The baking soda helps to lighten them! But be careful!!! Never "rub" baking soda on your teeth with a toothbrush because this process damages them! It's better to use the following methods.  I use them both alternating one and the other!

Mouth rinse:

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 glass of water

Mix well, then rinses most once a day, trying to get the solution in the visible part of the teeth (between the teeth and lips).

Teeth cream:

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 drops of lemon essential oil

A few drops of water

Create a paste with ingredients mixing them well. The consistency should be similar to that of toothpaste. With a cotton swab take a portion of paste and distribute it on your teeth without rubbing. Let it sit for a few minutes (as much as possible) and rinse your mouth off.

N°2 100% Natural Deodorant

We have already talked about the effect of toxic deodorant ingredients in this very appreciated article. Here you have the solution: create your own DIY deodorant at home!

Recipe: click here

N°3 Hand and Nail Scrub

This natural remedy is perfect for making your nails and hands strong and healthy. I use it often and I really appreciate it!

Recipe: click here

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DIY * Natural Deodorant

Today I share with you a quick and cheap recipe to create a 100% natural deodorant. You need two essential ingredients: water and baking soda ... but with a third and last ingredient your deodorant will be perfect!

As we mentioned in this article, it is fundamental that you make sure that your deodorant is not harmful to your health and does not contain toxic elements. It is not always easy to understand the list of ingredients written on the products we buy ... The best way is to create your own 100% natural, cruelty free and EcoBio products.

Here's how to create your own natural deodorant.

Ingredients and procedure
1 Spray container
90 ml Water
9 gr Baking soda (about 2 teaspoons)
15-20 Drops of essential oil of your choice (optional)

• Pour the water into a glass.
• Add baking soda and mix well. Let it sit for at least half an hour. You will see that a part of the baking soda will stay on the bottom of the glass.
• Pour water in the spray container; be careful not to make baking soda residue go into the spray container (otherwise it will clog the spray).
• Pour in the same container also about 15-20 drops of essential oil of your choice. I chose the organic lemon essential oil because it is a perfect match to my scented water. But you can also choose a mixed composition, such as 10 drops of essential oil of mint + 2 of tea tree, or 10 drops of lavander + 5 drops of lemon... you can choose what you prefer.

How to use it
This deodorant does not need preservatives.
Shake well before use.
The spray bottles are easily found for sale online or in stores ... I preferred to reuse an old bottle of deodorant.
Some people say they do not use it on the skin immediately after shaving because it tends to burn as deodorants with alcohol; honestly I never tried because after shaving I prefer to use two drops of Shea oil for its soothing properties.

If you try this recipe, let me know how you found it!


Interesting articles

• Deodorants - Ingredients to avoid
• Green Tea Scented Water - I Provenzali
• Wellness in Drops - Lemon Essential Oil

DIY * Rice and Coconut Face Scrub

Today I want to share with you a Grandma’s secret I use quite often … a gentle face scrub made from rice and coconut flour. The ingredients of this scrub are easily available at any supermarket and you probably already have them in your own kitchen.

You can read the ingredients and how to prepare it in my article on ChicVegan.

If you try it, let me know.

Have a nice day!

Deodorants: Ingredients to avoid without mercy

I've been looking for a natural deodorant since I read many articles about the possible damages to my health caused the majority of deoderants on the market ...  breast cancer is on the list. It seems ridiculous that such a common product can cause severe health problems, right? Wrong.

Let's go into it.

Harmful substances found in deodorants penetrate the skin (our largest organ) and are absorbed by the cells of a delicate area: armpits, home of the lymph nodes. Groups of lymph nodes are found near the breast under the armpits, above the collarbone, in the chest behind the breastbone and in many other parts of the body. Lymph nodes capture bacteria, cancer cells and other harmful substances.
In brief: we do not want that harmful substances are deposited near our breast tissue!

Furthermore, most deodorants occlude the pores preventing the skin from breathing. This disrupts the natural process of regulation of the temperature in our body, therefore the body is not working as it should be. And we want our body, a perfect mechanism, to function at its best.


How do we know that our deodorant is harmful?

First of all by reading its ingredients: avoid without mercy those products containing ingredients even remotely harmful.
Secondly by doing a simple test: stop using your deodorant and see what happens: if you have a very unpleasant smell, it means that your deodorant is not good for you. This happens because the harmful substances stay on your armpits (they are not washed away) and thus occlude the pores.

The best solution is to produce deodorant at home with simple, natural ingredients.
There are many recipes online to experiment with. I will publish my favorite in a couple of days.
Meanwhile let's learn what to avoid.

Substances to be avoided

Triclosan
Antibacterial ingredient that is often found in products for personal hygiene such as liquid soaps, cleansers and toothpastes (in products for babies too!!). Triclosan can damage the liver and cause liver fibrosis and tumors (read this article). Avoide them!

Parabens
The use of drugs or cosmetics containing parabens increases the occurrence of serious diseases like cancer and melanomas. The most common parabens are: Methyl Parabens (E218; its sodium salt E219) Ethyl Parabens (E214; its sodium salt E215) Propyl-Parabens (E216; its sodium salt E217) Butyl Parabens, Isobutyl -Parabene, Isopropyl-Parabens, Benzyl-Parabens and their salts. (read this article). Avoided them!

Ethanol
Or alcohol; it irritates the skin especially the delicate areas of our body.


Deodorants to avoid:

- With alcohol. Alcohol prevents the proliferation of bacteria but it is a very aggressive substance  because it degreases the skin from its natural oils and irritates it, especially after shaving.

- "Classic" antiperspirants (eg. Nivea and Dove etc ...) with aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum sesquicloroidrato. They restrict the channels through which the sweat comes out, hence the sweat ducts become inflamed.

- 48 hours antiperspirants they are normal antiperspirants made of aluminum with the addition of triclosan. Very bad for you.

- Antiperspirants they have such strong contraindications of use that I do not want them on my skin at all.


Acceptable deodorants:

- Weak antiperspirants (alum, also called potassium alum) is a salt formed from aluminum and potassium. It works but it is not fragrant. All-natural, non-polluting, non-aggressive.

- Bicarbonate deodorants they work because baking soda deodorizes very well (it tends to maintain the pH of the area where it is applied). These deodorants are environmentally friendly, natural and very easy to do at home. Some say that slightly irritated after shaving; to me it never happened.

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DIY * Hands and Nails Scrub - Strengthening and lightening

Today I want to share a quick and easy recipe for your hands and nails. Having perfect manicured hands naturally boosts your mood - you know that - not to mention that your hands are really important on a first impression so they must always look their best!

This scrub is great: it strengthens and whitens nails, softens cuticles, makes your hands silky, lightens stains on your skin, it is easy to prepare and it is so cheap ... I mean, you have no excuses: you have to try it at least once!

Below is the list of ingredients, the process, any replacements and benefits of the various ingredients on your skin.

Ingredients and procedure
2 teaspoon olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar (I use only to cane but white sugar is fine as well)
3 drops of lemon essential oil (optional)

Mix the ingredients until you get a thickish consistency (if it's too liquid you can increase the amount of sugar; if it's too grainy add more oil). Massage the scrub starting from the nails, then go onto the cuticles and finally on the hands. Let it set for about 5 minutes, then rinse it off with warm water. Use this scrub once a week before applying nailpolish.

This scrub can also be used on your feet. A great idea is to increase the amount of ingredients and give yourself a perfect manicure and pedicure!

Benefits
Olive oil: nourishing, strengthening, restructuring
Baking soda: whitening, purifying
Sugar: exfoliating, smoothing
Lemon essential oil: strengthening and lightening

Purifying Cinnamon Mask * DIY

This is an excellent purifying mask against pimples and black heads. It reactivates the circulation and speeds up the process of eliminating skin impurities. Be careful - those who have a very delicate skin need to be careful with this mask: it is better to test it on a hidden area of your body and see how your skin reacts; you may decide to use it on the "T-area" only.

Since it reactivates the circulation, thanks to the presence of cinnamon, you may experience redness and tingling - it's normal. 

Below you will find: the list of the ingredients, how to use the mask and finally the properties each ingredient. I use this mask especially on my nose and I really appreciate it.

Ingredients and procedure
2 teaspoons of chickpea flour (or white flour)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of apple juice (last time I used 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of water)

Add ingredients following the order and mix well. Then apply it on your face with your fingers or an old make-up brush, and wait until the mask is dry. Finally rinse with warm water.
To apply it no more than once a week.
This compound is perishable. 

DIY Facial Toner
To soothe the skin after the mask, you can use a DIY chamomile toner. Before starting the preparation of the mask, boil water and prepare a chamomile. Separate the liquid into a bowl and a cup. Let the content of the bowl cool down. Once you have rinsed the mask out, soak a cotton pad or the corner of a towel in bowl of chamomile and pat your face. Chamomile is soothing, brightening and refreshing on our skin.

... What about the content of the cup? Drink it while waiting for the mask to dry ... for the ultimate treatment of pampering and relaxation!

Cosmetic Properties
Cinnamon: antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory
Turmeric: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Chickpea flour: natural cleanser
Lemon juice: purifying, lightening (see also lemon essential oil)
Apple juice: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, purifying

Other interesting articles:

• How to - White Teeth
• DIY Facial SuperEasy Toner
• Quick Fix - DIY Dry Shampo

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Oil Cleansing Method - for Radiant Skin

Oil Cleansing Method is a way to cleanse your face. Lately it has become very popular because it is very gentle and effective at the same time. It can be used both as a makeup remover (great!!) and as a detergent. It helps to cleanse the skin and combat pimples and black heads.

This method is based on the idea that water removes the water (and other hydrophilic substances) and fat removes fatty substances (lipophilic): the oil imprisons the fat in your pores and allows you to remove it - unlike many cleaners on the market which rub off the fat from your skin stimulating it to create another layer of " fat protection".

What you need:
Castor oil
Olive oil (or sunflower or coconut)
A small towel
Hot water.

How to do it:

1) Mix castor oil and olive oil in a container and shake the two oils. Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and has a nourishing, firming and anti-aging effects. Castor oil removes impurities and strengthens the lashes. It is advisable to adjust the amount of oil according to your skin type:
Oily Skin: 2/3 castor oil + 1/3 olive oil
Normal skin: 1/2 castor oil + 1/2 olive oil
Dry skin: 1/3 castor oil + 2/3 olive oil

2) Gently massage your face with the cleanser for at least one minute.

3) Once you have soaked and wrung the towel with hot water, place it on your face. The heat opens the pores, the oil penetrates and purifies the skin.

4) Rinse your face with water.

It's a great makeup remover: powerful and delicate at the same time! Miraculous for blemished skin! If you try it, then let me know how it works on you!

:)

Source of inspiration

Health&Beauty - Salute&Bellezza # 5

No, non hai bisogno di 

morire di fame. 

Ma non hai nemmeno bisogno di

mangiare quelle patatine fritte.

Condividi se sei d'accordo!

Share if you agree!

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Health&Beauty - Salute&Bellezza # 4

Se viene da una pianta, mangialo.

Se è stato fatto in una fabbrica, evitalo.

Condividi se sei d'accordo!

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Health&Beauty - Salute&Bellezza # 3

Non sei nato desiderando cibo industriale.

Ti è stato insegnato che lo vuoi.

Hai imparato a volerlo. 

Puoi disimparare.

Condividi se sei d'accordo!

Share if you agree!

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Health&Beauty - Salute&Bellezza # 2

Se pensi che il cibo biologico 

sia costoso,

hai calcolato quanto costa il cancro ultimamente?

Condividi se sei d'accordo!

Share if you agree!

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Quick Fix: DIY Dry Shampoo

Image

We all know we should not wash our hair too often because it damages it. However it may happen that you go to bed with your decent hair and wake up next morning with that horrible greasy patina on the roots! The rest of the hair is ok but the roots are in a no-no situation! What's the solution?

Baby powder! Put a small amount onto your fingertips and massage it on the scalp; you let it sit there for a little bit whilre you are doing the other things (make-up, breakfast, brushing your teeth ...) then brush your hair (preferably with a wood comb or brush). Et voila! 

Roots are perfect, emergency is over.

P.s.
Baby powder can be substituted with baking soda .

(you should always have backing soda in your house: I've got two bags, one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen).

P.p.s.  

There are those who use the dry shampoo. But what are the ingredients of a dry shampoo?  

If you do not know them, avoid them.

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Health&Beauty - Salute&Bellezza # 1

Se non riconosci un ingrediente,

nemmeno il tuo corpo ci riuscirà. 

*Infiammazione*

Condividi se sei d'accordo!

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ENG: Why I eat AVOCADOS... end you should do it too!

Avocados are beneficial to cardiac system, nervous system, liver, colon, skin, hair and eyes. 

Avocado is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acid.  It balances the level of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) in blood, thanks to its vegetable fats: it good for the entire cardiovascular system (in particular for blood pressure). Contains vitamins: A (eyes), B1 (antinevritica), B2 (growth and well-being), and also D, E, K, H, PP. 

Perfect for pregnant women for the presence of folic acid (half fruit contains about 60 micrograms, approximately 15% of the daily requirement). 

The benefits of avocado on the skin are amazing: it helps to keep it hydrated and soft. You can make excellent face and hair masks with it!

Futhermore ... Avocados are delicious! Lately I've been loving vegan quesadilla with avocados, tomatos and lettuce! Gnam !!

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Eng: Why I eat GOJI BERRIES and you should do it too!

 

Goji Berries are also known as "The Himalayan Superfood". 

They have been used for thousands of years in China, Mongolia and the Tibetan Himalaya Mountains for their health benefits. They are a rich source of antioxidants such as flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids and vitamin C, E and A. 

They say that the goji berry contains 500 times more vitamin C per weight than an orange and on average have more beta-carotene than carrots. The antioxidant value of goji berries contribute to improving immune system and support overall eye health. 

... and they taste gooood!! :D 

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Benefits of seeds * Benefici dei semi

Benefits of flaxseed:
Complement Omega3,
Facilitate intestinal transit,
Increase levels of "good" cholesterol,
Complement minerals such as manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium and vitamin B.

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Benefits of Sesame Seeds:
Integrate calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and proteins.

Quality and Quantity * Qualità e Quantità

500 calories of high fat unhealthy food 

are very different from 

500 calories of fresh ripe fruit and vegetables.

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500 calorie di cibo malsano ad alto contenuto di grassi

sono molto differenti da 

500 calorie di frutta e verdura fresca e matura.