I have been using the no ‘poo method on Ava’s hair and it is working wonderfully.  Her hair is very easy to brush after a bath.  However, some mornings the tangles prevail and I find myself in a battle to brush her hair.  I have wanted to throw in the brush and cut all of Ava’s hair off due to the recent battles of the brush.

I have used store-bought detangler in the past but quit using it once I looked at the ingredients.  Here are a few:  peg-12 dimethicone, propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, chtrimonium chloride, and amino-methyl propanol.  There is not a battle big enough that makes me want to spray that stuff  on my kid’s hair.

I began to research ingredients that would work well in a homemade detangler spray.  I learned about marshmallow root.  Marshmallow root has a slippery texture when you make it into an infusion..perfect for a detangler spray, right?  It softens hair, promotes hair growth, and it soothes itchy dry scalps.  This herb seemed perfect for the job and way better than all of those ingredients listed above!

On the way home from the zoo the other day we picked up some marshmallow root.  The kids were somewhat bummed that it did not smell like the marshmallows they use in their smores!  The bag of herbs sat on our kitchen counter.

Ava came out of her room after a little quiet time in her bed.  Her hair was a mess!  Prior to her rest she had been swimming in the pool.

I decided that today was the day to make the spray!

Here is what you need:

2 1/2 cups distilled water, 1/2 cup dried marshmallow root,  1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon coconut oil  (you could add a drop or two of essential oils if you desire, we did not)

Here is what you do:

Combine the marshmallow root and water in a small pot.  Simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.  Remove pot from the heat and allow to cool.

Strain the herb through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.   Squeeze the strainer in order to extract all the liquid from the herb.  Add the vinegar and oil.

Pour into a spray bottle, shake well, and use as you would any store-bought detangler.

I sprayed and brushed  Ava’s hair.  It worked beautifully.

And best of all there were no tears or sass from my sweet Ava Rose!

To see more of my homemade natural products please click here.

I have been researching homemade toothpaste recipes for a few weeks.  Today I mixed up my first batch of homemade toothpaste.  I am so happy that another chemical filled store-bought product in our home has been replaced with a homemade natural product.  My husband cracks up at how excited I get over these things!

When researching different recipes I came to the conclusion that simple is better. I made my homemade toothpaste using only four ingredients.  The best part is that I already had all four of the ingredients in the house!

By making your own toothpaste you can avoid many of the artificial ingredients contained in commercial toothpaste, such as sweeteners (usually saccharin), emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial flavors.  You also avoid fluoride which I think is a HUGE bonus!

The ingredients that I used in my homemade toothpaste are:  baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, coconut oil, and cinnamon essential oil.

The ratio for the ingredients is:  6 parts baking soda : 1 part coconut oil: 1 part hydrogen peroxide solution : flavor to taste

Baking soda has a natural cleansing ability, you see it in many brands of toothpaste at the drug store. It’s non-toxic and will help polish your teeth.   Some recipes called for table salt but I did not put that it mine.  If you would like salt it should be 3 parts baking soda 1 part salt.

Hydrogen peroxide naturally disinfects your mouth and will also help whiten your teeth.

Coconut oil acts as a sweetener.  Many people use vegetable glycerine but I have read that it leaves a thick coating on your teeth that can take a plenty of brushing to remove.  I have also been reading about Xylitol for tooth and gum health.  It is a natural and surgarless sweetener.  I think that I will pick up some Xylitol in the next few weeks and use it in my next batch of homemade toothpaste.

Essential oil provide taste/flavor and are totally optional.   If you’re not into the cinnamon flavor, some alternatives are peppermint, vanilla extract, fennel, ginger, and almond extract.  Pick a flavor that you like and go with it!

I am looking into natural flavors that my kids would like so I can make their toothpaste as well.  If you do allow your kids to use this homemade toothpaste make sure that they are old enough to spit it out.  The basis of homemade toothpaste is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.  Either one in huge doses can be dangerous, so make sure that they do not ingest the paste!

I currently store my toothpaste in a glass Pyrex dish with a lid.  I am looking for an empty tub or bottle with a squirt top that I can store it in.  There are also dispensers that you can mount on the wall that I may look into.  Make sure that you store your homemade toothpaste away from the sunlight because hydrogen peroxide breaks down very quickly in the presence of UV light.

If you have any tips for making your homemade toothpaste, or storing it, please let me know!

To see more of my homemade natural items please click here.