Non-Food Consumables

[DrakeMaiden]

psst...I take fermented cod liver oil and I no longer burn, tan or anything in between Even with being in full sun all day.

I've heard about that and I need to try it . . . I'm just thinking about sunblock for my little one.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

psst...I take fermented cod liver oil and I no longer burn, tan or anything in between Even with being in full sun all day.

I've heard about that and I need to try it . . . I'm just thinking about sunblock for my little one.

My baby gets it to. Every day!

 

[Leta]

You asked for it!

Homemade Sunblock



Please note that for the purposes of these instructions, sunblock refers to agents that provide SPF through mineral means, and sunscreen refers to agents that provide SPF through chemical means.



I have a personal history of skin cancer, and I am pasty-asty white. I take sun protection seriously. However, I also have very sensitive skin (yay! I hit the genetic lottery here!) and the sunscreens that are typically found in drugstores and Megalomarts broke me out all over- not just with zits, either, but with raised red patches and oozing sores. Not a good look, and not comfortable. So, I set to work researching. I found out that I am by no means the only one who has a problem with chemical sunscreens, and I also discovered that sunblock can easily be made with a few readily available ingredients.





To make sunblock, get on eBay, and order one pound each zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. (These are white powders. They are naturally occurring and nontoxic, but avoid breathing in their dust if you can. This is not a good project for children.) Add one tablespoon of each to one cup of your favorite lotion for an SPF of ~30. Blend very well. As this sits, it combines better and better. It may make you look somewhat pale, and you need to rub it into your skin really well.



As far as commercial lotions go, I like Queen Helene, because it is cheap, non-irritating, fairly natural, cruelty free, and widely available.





To make your own lotion, combine:

2/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup shredded cocoa butter

a few capsules worth of Vitamin E oil (preservative)

- 1/3 cup distilled water

-1/3 cup shredded beeswax (emulsifier)

a couple drops of glycerin (optional)

1 Tb. Each zinc oxide and titanium dioxide



A double boiler (or metal bowl that sits securely over a saucepan of simmering water) works best for this application. Get your water warming, and add the powders. Whisk to dissolve. Add the beeswax and glycerin, whisk to melt and blend, then add the fats (coconut oil, cocoa butter, Vitamin E). Add more warm water if you want it thinner. (Cold water will cause the emulsion to break, and youll have to whisk your ass off and probably add more fat to get it to come back together. I keep some water in my teakettle for this purpose, just in case my lotion comes out too thick for my liking.)

You can also add insect repelling essential oils to these (see Insect Repellent recipe) to make a nice all in one product.



Making your own lotion has a couple advantages. The coconut oil naturally has an SPF of ~4, so that increases your protection. The beeswax makes the lotion very waterproof. This goes on pretty thick, and since my beeswax is yellow, it goes on yellow, too. It takes forever to rub it in, but it works great better than waterproof California Baby, IMHO.

However, homemade lotion is not full of preservatives, so it may break in very hot temperatures or over time. Mineral sunblocks don't expire like chemical sunscreens do, but the lotion itself may go bad.



If you are really lazy, you can just mix the titanium dioxide and the zinc oxide in coconut oil. I use this as a daily facial moisturizer. Be aware, though, that this is not remotely waterproof.



I have used homemade sunblock on an infant under six months with a doctors approval and no adverse affects. I use homemade sunblock on my children on a daily basis since infancy, and never had any sort of problem. I use it on my face daily, and it is wonderful. All chemical sunscreens, even "Sensitive Skin", and children's formulations, broke me out terribly. The homemade stuff NEVER has.

 

[MsPony]

Grow your own aloe Once established, ya can't kill it! Plus its so much better then bottled. I slice a leaf off, slice the thorns and cut on the horizontal. Rub all over body

(I'm a california girl, I'm always in the sun! Aloe is my bff.)

 

[Marianne]

Welcome Leta!

Interesting thread. I googled homemade sunscreen one time and got nada. Thought about a homemade sunblock using ground clay, but I wasn't sure I wanted to paint myself in mud before I went outside. Thanks everyone for the recipes and tips!

Didn't know about the hens and chicks, either. My aloe didn't like it here, but hen's and chicks seem to be hanging in there.

Our daughter is naturally porcelin white, also has had several bouts of skin cancer. Her line is 'pale - the lighter shade of tan'.

 

[Leta]

I have always been discouraged from growing aloe, everyone says I will kill it as much as I use, but, darn it, I'm trying it now! I'm going to try hens and chicks, too, I know they can survive outside in this climate.

Does anyone know if you can do homemade witch hazel? I'm not sure what the liquifying process is, but we go thru more of that from the first aid bin than we do rubbing alcohol.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Do you have a dollar store nearby - A true dollar store, like everything is a dollar or less? I tend to get my razors there as well as some other things, depending on what they have in stock (sometimes they have oxi-clean!).

Also could you boil your toothbrushes once a month rather than buy new? You may be able to get an extra month or two out of them this way.

I have to say though, I am very impressed by what you do! You are doing great!!

 

[moolie]

I have always been discouraged from growing aloe, everyone says I will kill it as much as I use, but, darn it, I'm trying it now! I'm going to try hens and chicks, too, I know they can survive outside in this climate.

Does anyone know if you can do homemade witch hazel? I'm not sure what the liquifying process is, but we go thru more of that from the first aid bin than we do rubbing alcohol.

Aloe is easy to grow, I don't have one but my Mom kept one on the kitchen windowsill for years--it got huge. Handy for burns, sunburn, soothing bug bites etc. I think she gave it away when they moved from their house into an apartment condo when my Dad retired--no more kitchen window.

I've never tried this, but a quick search came up with this site that explains how to make your own witch hazel--if you try it, let us know how it works out!

 

[Leta]

An Update:

The biggest switch I've made since the original post is that I have started couponing. On Mondays, DH and I go on a dumpster diving date and rescue newspapers and inserts. I resisted using coupons for years, because most food Qs are for garbage, but then it occurred to me, "I use coupons for toilet paper!".

Since the couponing, I have amassed a year's+ supply of toilet paper. We are almost all cloth, but we keep paper napkins around to clean the cast iron. I realized that, with Qs, paper towels are actually cheaper than paper napkins, and for whatever reason, paper towel Qs are much more common than paper napkin Qs. In order to keep us from the "whee, it's on a roll" phenomenon, I bought the smaller size paper towels and pulled them all apart and keep them in the tupperware container that I kept napkins it (one small size paper towel is the same width as two napkins). So we go thru about one roll of paper towels per month this way. I found Qs for some paper napkins, got three packages, and two 8 packs of paper towels, so we have about 18 months worth. Altogether, I spent about $30 on the paper good stockpile.

I also got three 6 packs of paper towels for nearly free, so I played paper towel fairly with three of my neighbors. That was fun.

I have amassed a year's supply of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss for under $10. I have come to realize that I need never spend more than 25c on any of these items ever again.

First aid supplies also consistently have good coupons, so good that regular price less coupon is cheaper than generics. You don't even have to wait for a sale to save a little money.

I got two huge containers of contact solution for $8, and that should last me a year if not two.

I also found good Qs for zip top bags. I spent $29, but I now have about 400 quart and gallon size bags, which will get us through the next two or three years of harvest.

We were buying SEVEN different kinds of plastic bags, so I decided to focus on that.

I have stopped buying bread bags altogether. I'm using washed, reused gallon zip top bags for homemade bread now.

Trash and recycling bags are mandated by the city, so unavoidable, but I found a cheaper source for recycling bags at the restaurant supply company, $5 for 200. This was surprising, since their price on trash bags is just so-so.

I also had one of those plastic dog poop bag dispensers that attaches to the leash and takes a proprietary roll of bags. It suddenly dawned on me that I could use a key ring for the same purpose. I walked to the thrift store and spent 50c on a key ring and a vinyl (weatherproof) change purse with a zipper. I put the key ring thru the hole in the zipper pull, and attached it to the leash handle. Then I walked to the park and stuffed the change purse full of "Mutt Mitts" that the city provides so that people will clean up after their dogs. The park is closer than any store, so besides being free, this is more convenient.

I still need to figure something out for trash bags and suck 'n seal bags.

I also spent $10 and bought an '50s era safety razor. I am searching online for the least expensive source of Feather brand blades (these are consistently the best reviewed). They cost about 50c per blade, and each blade lasts about 6 shaves, which, in this house, is two to four weeks. So I'm thinking that the $25 box will last us 2-5 *years*, which is awesome. I've been forcing DH into watching "classic shaving" videos on YouTube.

I am still looking for aloe plants, though I have found some hens and chicks. I also found a place online to order a gallon of aloe for $18.

In the past month, I have spent my normal amount on non-food consumables, but I have amassed sooo much that I can't help but think that my next few month's expenses will be very low. The only thing I can even think of that we are low on are cotton pads for first aid kits/nail polish removal, and those cost $1 everyday at the discount store that's within walking distance.

I am hoping to do a bout of online ordering and then be able to stay out of the store for a looong time. Hopefully, my average monthly cost for non-food consumables is very low until at least Christmas. I don't want to buy anything other than dry pet food. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

[Wannabefree]

You've done great! You could check out some of the homemade pet food recipes to cut there as well. You'll have time now...because you're not running to the store so often