DIYs I Couldn't Live Without
Sometimes the best things in life are made at home. Whether they're better for the environment (or you), or just more functional, store-bought doesn't always win the battle over DIY! Here are a few of my must-haves.
One of my all-time favourite blogs to follow is One Good Thing By Jillee. She lives in Utah and has the most helpful blog posts of all time. She actually tries it all out, reports, tries it for a while longer, and reports back again. So you really know how it works short and long term. I'll start with a few of my personal faves from her blog.
Face Wash
Picture from Healthy You with AYU
I've never been a huge fan of face wash because I never feel like my face is fully clean after, and I still break out and have dry or oily skin. Perhaps it's just that I've never found one that works well for me. But I can't truly say that since I have found a solution: washing my face with oil. You read that right, oil. It's seems counter-intuitive since you're trying to get rid of oily skin, but trust me, it works. There's all kinds of oils out there, and they all do something different for the quality of your skin. I'd suggest doing a little research online to see what combination would work best for you. I've played around with mine over the years depending on what problems my skin is having at the moment.
Mix up your oils and apply to a wet face. My favourite way to incorporate this into my "beauty regime" is to wash my face in the shower. I hop in, get my face wet, and massage the oil into my skin. It's a nice little spa treatment as well. Remember to treat yourself! I let it sit on my skin while I finish up my shower. Then, before I get out, I take a rough cloth and wipe it away. It acts as an exfoliant on top of the wash so it's a two-for-one. In fact, it also works as a wonderful makeup remover for your face and eyes. So really, a three-for-one! I find that when I stop using this method of washing my face, I feel really dirty. You've got to try this!
Laundry Stain Remover
Picture from Authorized Appliance
Do you have any stubborn stains that you just can't get out? I'm talkin stains that have been there for a while. Years, maybe. I had a few shirts that had mystery stains that I just couldn't get out, so I went hunting on Jilee's site. And of course, she had something for it. This miracle DIY. It's a mixture of Dawn dish detergent, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. I would always wet the area, apply the mixture and rub it in, then let it sit for several hours. If it was really bad, I'd come back and scrub it again, and let it sit for a few more hours. The stain always came out. It works on white and colours, and you can find the ingredients in most stores! It saved so many shirts that I was going to donate. I was able to re-wear old faves. I practically got a new wardrobe overnight. Try this in place of your standard stain remover next time you're doing laundry.
I'm sure you've gotten lost in the Jilee world. But now I'll bring you back to reality with a few things I've come up with myself that really truly work.
Goo Gone
The first is a DIY Goo Gone. Have a stubborn label, or mystery sticky spot that you just can't seem to get rid of? Try using a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda. Make sure the coconut oil is in liquid form, but not boiling hot. Mix in the baking soda until you have a thick paste. Then, rub the paste over the sticky bit that you're trying to get rid of. Let it sit. Come back, scrub it with a toothbrush (or cleaning brush depending on how big it is). Repeat until it's come completely off. The coconut oil will loosen it up, and the baking soda acts as a scrub and gives it the paste texture. It's gotten goo off that actual Goo Gone and other name-brand products haven't been able to touch. I like to keep a jar of this pre-mixed in my cleaning cupboard so I always have some on hand.
Sugaring / Waxing Paste
Picture from Skin Essentials
I don't know about you, but sometimes I just prefer waxing my legs rather than having to shave them every day. But rather than spending a ton of money to go to a salon, or even to buy your own at-home kit, just make this simple eco-friendly sugaring solution. It's quick, easy, and you probably already have the ingredients laying around. Combine 2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/8 cup water in a pan. Bring to a boil then lower to medium heat, making sure the boiling stops. Cook, stirring constantly until it becomes an amber colour. Let cool for a few hours before reheating to use. The texture should be thick, and when heated it should have a similar consistency to honey. Cut a few old 100% cotton t-shirts into strips of your desired size, and gather a few popsicle sticks from the craft store. Spread on the mixture with a stick, press down a strip of the cloth over top (smooth down with the direction of your hair growth). Hold skin taught and rip off in the opposite direction of hair growth. The sugaring solution dissolves in warm water, which makes clean-up super easy, and means you can clean the cloth strips and re-use them each time. Super easy and super healthy! No harsh chemicals here.