Natural Products - Recommendations

[Looney12345]

I am currently trying to cut down on the products I used that have chemical ingredients )Parabens, DEA, cocamide DEA and lauramide DEA, BHA & BHT, Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Petrol derived ingredients etc etc)

I've created another thread where we can discuss benefits/drawbacks of chemical/natural products here.

Can I please ask for that thread to be used for discussion and this thread used ONLY to make recommendations? I'd love to hear about the natural products that you guys use (if any) without getting caught up in a debate about said products.

I'd love to hear all kinds of recommendations, not just shaving related, but have a particular interest in After shave balm (I'm running low) and deodorant.

For example, I can kick off;

Pure Organic Argan Oil - I use it as a face moisturiser after shaving or washing my face. It's great, not oily, soaks in quickly, leaves my face smooth and with a bit of a glow. I'd recommend it for sure.

Lush Face soap - I've also used some lush face soaps Coalface and Fresh Farmacy are two products in particular that I've found to suit me. Just good at getting rid of the grime and leave me feeling clean and not oily.

Lush Gun Powder (deodorant powder) - not the easiest to apply, not keen on the smell and ended up smelling quite "earthy" by the end of the afternoon

Crystal deodorant stick - no scent, does the job for the day though. If doing anything strenuous you start to pong a bit and it starts wearing off late in the afternoon.

Over to you

 

[Shaverrific666]

Hello @Looney12345 !

My homemade Aftershave is dead easy..in fact I don't want to claim it's "made" in the same way real Artisan make soaps and what not. It's simply putting some stuff together!

I put Witch Hazel, Glycerin, pure Aloe Vera gel from plant, Potassium Alum, denatured alcohol and pure essential oils (Peppermint and Eucalyptus ) together and that's it!

Not sure of the measurements (see I'm a total amatuer!) but depending on the consistency if you want it like a balm put more Aloe Vera gel and if you want more a lotion, less. You can put any essential oils in really, though some compliment each other better.

The latest bottle I "knocked up" was about 75ml Witch Hazel, maybe a teaspoon of Glycerin, Aloe and Alum and 10ml alcohol. Then maybe 20 drops of Peppermint and Eucalyptus. These are all "guesstimates" so please don't see me as any kind of expert or competent human !

Hope it is helpful and best of luck.

 

[Looney12345]

Hello @Looney12345 !

My homemade Aftershave is dead easy..in fact I don't want to claim it's "made" in the same way real Artisan make soaps and what not. It's simply putting some stuff together!

I put Witch Hazel, Glycerin, pure Aloe Vera gel from plant, Potassium Alum, denatured alcohol and pure essential oils (Peppermint and Eucalyptus ) together and that's it!

Not sure of the measurements (see I'm a total amatuer!) but depending on the consistency if you want it like a balm put more Aloe Vera gel and if you want more a lotion, less. You can put any essential oils in really, though some compliment each other better.

The latest bottle I "knocked up" was about 75ml Witch Hazel, maybe a teaspoon of Glycerin, Aloe and Alum and 10ml alcohol. Then maybe 20 drops of Peppermint and Eucalyptus. These are all "guesstimates" so please don't see me as any kind of expert or competent human !

Hope it is helpful and best of luck.

Hey!

Thanks for sending that over! I did actually start using some Aloe Vera Gel straight from the plant as a post shave, but wanted to finish off my Speick before committing to that 100%. Your recipe sounds great My Aloe Vera plant is still going strong so I'll definitely go back to that when Speick is all gone and then see if I fancy experimenting if it isn't giving the desired results... I also use Thayer's Aloe Witch Hazel which is a nice post shave as well, but I liked the Speick as it was quite moisturising as well as healing... in fairness, I think I've just persuaded myself I don't have to replace it at all, I've got plenty of post shave products already to hand!

 

[Shave to the grave]

I may have posted something similar in the 'other

Hey!

Thanks for sending that over! I did actually start using some Aloe Vera Gel straight from the plant as a post shave, but wanted to finish off my Speick before committing to that 100%. Your recipe sounds great My Aloe Vera plant is still going strong so I'll definitely go back to that when Speick is all gone and then see if I fancy experimenting if it isn't giving the desired results... I also use Thayer's Aloe Witch Hazel which is a nice post shave as well, but I liked the Speick as it was quite moisturising as well as healing... in fairness, I think I've just persuaded myself I don't have to replace it at all, I've got plenty of post shave products already to hand!

I think Speick is on the 'good' list...

 

[Shaverrific666]

Hey!

Thanks for sending that over! I did actually start using some Aloe Vera Gel straight from the plant as a post shave, but wanted to finish off my Speick before committing to that 100%. Your recipe sounds great My Aloe Vera plant is still going strong so I'll definitely go back to that when Speick is all gone and then see if I fancy experimenting if it isn't giving the desired results... I also use Thayer's Aloe Witch Hazel which is a nice post shave as well, but I liked the Speick as it was quite moisturising as well as healing... in fairness, I think I've just persuaded myself I don't have to replace it at all, I've got plenty of post shave products already to hand!

Most Welcome! Have to agree with you and Michael @Shave to the grave I must try Speick actually as there are a few Aftershaves that are pretty decent. Also Thayers is top notch!
Gentlemen..I think we are winning!

 

[Looney12345]

I may have posted something similar in the 'other

I think Speick is on the 'good' list...

It's certainly one of the better ones!

 

[pjgh]

It's not hard to find a very simple soap from France or Italy ... Le Père Lucien, Martin De Candre, Valobra, 3P, Tcheon Fung Sing spring to mind. Aside from vintage and one soap which has a very good reason to remain in my colleciton (MWF), my soaps are pretty much all a handful of ingredients and nothing unpronounceable. Brush? Go boar?

For aftershave, keep it dead simple - witch hazel, perhaps given a whiff of something with steam distilled essential oils. There's home-made Bay Rum and I'm sure overproof gin could be used with the addition of juniper, perhaps cade for a "fougere" of sorts.

Scents? Attars. Do be aware that many cheaper attars are simply EDTs without the alcohol - an evil concoction of "parfum" usually in some mineral oil. More artisinal attars and purer simple extractions are simply steam distilled. Look to Mellifluence or Sultan Pasha. Look also to smoking - not ciggies, but oudh wood which you'll bathe in the smoke. Perfumer's alcohol can be used to convert perfume oils into sprays. Denatured alcohol can also improve homemade witch hazel based aftershaves and scents no end.

Alum can be used as deodorant as well as for brushing your teeth. Coconut oil is good for brushing teeth as well. Teeth need much less looking after on a low sugar/carb diet (read on). Coconut oil can be used for cooking if the thought of lard and dripping puts you off, but do rethink the fats you use for cooking.

Short hair can be kept free of styling products by washing weekly and letting natural oils take care. It's not dirty. It doesn't smell. Daily hair washing is a ruse. On that, washing in cold water is good for you. Good vigorous scrub with bristle brushes and natural soap. I can't help thinking central heating, hot baths and showers don't help us much with illness through winter.

That's shaving, washing, grooming and generally smelling nice.

The rest is really abstinence or decreased use ...

Keep alcohol to a minimum. Dare I say it, mushrooms are a good giggle if you want a seasonal way of getting off your face

Tea is good! You know that ...

Other purification? Organic vegetables, outdoor raised meat, wild fish, ethical slaughter, avoid sugar, avoid grain, avoid soya, avoid anything that comes in a box. Eat 16/8 (all very trendy at the moment, but I've been doing it for decades) ... basically, skip breakfast, eat a light but protein-rich and fat-friendly lunch, then dinner as you would. Eat within 8 hours, "fast" for 16. Drink mineral water, avoiding fluouride and BPA plastics. Filter tap water or let it sit in the fridge and pour off the top 3/4 from any given vessel for drinking/cooking. Steep spent tea leaves in water in the fridge, strain off and enjoy as "ice tea".

Rethink clothes - cotton is good. Cotton socks, especially. Wider toe box shoes and you don't get sweaty/smelly feet. Go barefoot whenever and wherever you can, otherwise khuffs (Islamic leather socks). Barefooting has so many benefits.

Rethink exercise - meaningful activity is always better than programmed exercise and a damn good walk is the best way to start. Park away from wherever you're going and take time to walk, perhaps even walk it anyway. Don't shy away from picking heavy things up. Learn a new sport, something with camaraderie, some combat, something that's done individually and as a team. Learn tai chi.

Rethink sleep - chuck out ALL electronica from the bedroom and get blackout curtains. Avoid harsh light, bright TV, computers and so on for an hour or more before bed. Go to bed and sleep. Initially, use lavender pillows to knock you out!

Keep it simple - most things can be done really minimally and when you then look at what you do use, it's much easier to source better even if it's more expensive as you're not buying a mountain of crap because you're told you have to ... you're just buying a carry bag of gear.

Learn not to concern yourself with things that are outside of your control - just roll with it. Learn to master the things that are within your control and don't sweat the stuff that just doesn't matter. Let it slide ...

Life in balance.

... and get a cat. Who will unbalance all of the local wildlife, but that aside they're really therapeutic.

 

[Shave to the grave]

It's not hard to find a very simple soap from France or Italy ... Le Père Lucien, Martin De Candre, Valobra, 3P, Tcheon Fung Sing spring to mind. Aside from vintage and one soap which has a very good reason to remain in my colleciton (MWF), my soaps are pretty much all a handful of ingredients and nothing unpronounceable. Brush? Go boar?

For aftershave, keep it dead simple - witch hazel, perhaps given a whiff of something with steam distilled essential oils. There's home-made Bay Rum and I'm sure overproof gin could be used with the addition of juniper, perhaps cade for a "fougere" of sorts.

Scents? Attars. Do be aware that many cheaper attars are simply EDTs without the alcohol - an evil concoction of "parfum" usually in some mineral oil. More artisinal attars and purer simple extractions are simply steam distilled. Look to Mellifluence or Sultan Pasha. Look also to smoking - not ciggies, but oudh wood which you'll bathe in the smoke. Perfumer's alcohol can be used to convert perfume oils into sprays. Denatured alcohol can also improve homemade witch hazel based aftershaves and scents no end.

Alum can be used as deodorant as well as for brushing your teeth. Coconut oil is good for brushing teeth as well. Teeth need much less looking after on a low sugar/carb diet (read on). Coconut oil can be used for cooking if the thought of lard and dripping puts you off, but do rethink the fats you use for cooking.

Short hair can be kept free of styling products by washing weekly and letting natural oils take care. It's not dirty. It doesn't smell. Daily hair washing is a ruse. On that, washing in cold water is good for you. Good vigorous scrub with bristle brushes and natural soap. I can't help thinking central heating, hot baths and showers don't help us much with illness through winter.

That's shaving, washing, grooming and generally smelling nice.

The rest is really abstinence or decreased use ...

Keep alcohol to a minimum. Dare I say it, mushrooms are a good giggle if you want a seasonal way of getting off your face

Tea is good! You know that ...

Other purification? Organic vegetables, outdoor raised meat, wild fish, ethical slaughter, avoid sugar, avoid grain, avoid soya, avoid anything that comes in a box. Eat 16/8 (all very trendy at the moment, but I've been doing it for decades) ... basically, skip breakfast, eat a light but protein-rich and fat-friendly lunch, then dinner as you would. Eat within 8 hours, "fast" for 16. Drink mineral water, avoiding fluouride and BPA plastics. Filter tap water or let it sit in the fridge and pour off the top 3/4 from any given vessel for drinking/cooking. Steep spent tea leaves in water in the fridge, strain off and enjoy as "ice tea".

Rethink clothes - cotton is good. Cotton socks, especially. Wider toe box shoes and you don't get sweaty/smelly feet. Go barefoot whenever and wherever you can, otherwise khuffs (Islamic leather socks). Barefooting has so many benefits.

Rethink exercise - meaningful activity is always better than programmed exercise and a damn good walk is the best way to start. Park away from wherever you're going and take time to walk, perhaps even walk it anyway. Don't shy away from picking heavy things up. Learn a new sport, something with camaraderie, some combat, something that's done individually and as a team. Learn tai chi.

Rethink sleep - chuck out ALL electronica from the bedroom and get blackout curtains. Avoid harsh light, bright TV, computers and so on for an hour or more before bed. Go to bed and sleep. Initially, use lavender pillows to knock you out!

Keep it simple - most things can be done really minimally and when you then look at what you do use, it's much easier to source better even if it's more expensive as you're not buying a mountain of crap because you're told you have to ... you're just buying a carry bag of gear.

Learn not to concern yourself with things that are outside of your control - just roll with it. Learn to master that things that are within your control and don't swear the stuff that just doesn't matter. Let it slide ...

Life in balance.

... and get a cat. Who will unbalance all of the local wildlife, but that aside they're really therapeutic.

Wow. Great post!

 

[Looney12345]

It's not hard to find a very simple soap from France or Italy ... Le Père Lucien, Martin De Candre, Valobra, 3P, Tcheon Fung Sing spring to mind. Aside from vintage and one soap which has a very good reason to remain in my colleciton (MWF), my soaps are pretty much all a handful of ingredients and nothing unpronounceable. Brush? Go boar?

For aftershave, keep it dead simple - witch hazel, perhaps given a whiff of something with steam distilled essential oils. There's home-made Bay Rum and I'm sure overproof gin could be used with the addition of juniper, perhaps cade for a "fougere" of sorts.

Scents? Attars. Do be aware that many cheaper attars are simply EDTs without the alcohol - an evil concoction of "parfum" usually in some mineral oil. More artisinal attars and purer simple extractions are simply steam distilled. Look to Mellifluence or Sultan Pasha. Look also to smoking - not ciggies, but oudh wood which you'll bathe in the smoke. Perfumer's alcohol can be used to convert perfume oils into sprays. Denatured alcohol can also improve homemade witch hazel based aftershaves and scents no end.

Alum can be used as deodorant as well as for brushing your teeth. Coconut oil is good for brushing teeth as well. Teeth need much less looking after on a low sugar/carb diet (read on). Coconut oil can be used for cooking if the thought of lard and dripping puts you off, but do rethink the fats you use for cooking.

Short hair can be kept free of styling products by washing weekly and letting natural oils take care. It's not dirty. It doesn't smell. Daily hair washing is a ruse. On that, washing in cold water is good for you. Good vigorous scrub with bristle brushes and natural soap. I can't help thinking central heating, hot baths and showers don't help us much with illness through winter.

That's shaving, washing, grooming and generally smelling nice.

The rest is really abstinence or decreased use ...

Keep alcohol to a minimum. Dare I say it, mushrooms are a good giggle if you want a seasonal way of getting off your face

Tea is good! You know that ...

Other purification? Organic vegetables, outdoor raised meat, wild fish, ethical slaughter, avoid sugar, avoid grain, avoid soya, avoid anything that comes in a box. Eat 16/8 (all very trendy at the moment, but I've been doing it for decades) ... basically, skip breakfast, eat a light but protein-rich and fat-friendly lunch, then dinner as you would. Eat within 8 hours, "fast" for 16. Drink mineral water, avoiding fluouride and BPA plastics. Filter tap water or let it sit in the fridge and pour off the top 3/4 from any given vessel for drinking/cooking. Steep spent tea leaves in water in the fridge, strain off and enjoy as "ice tea".

Rethink clothes - cotton is good. Cotton socks, especially. Wider toe box shoes and you don't get sweaty/smelly feet. Go barefoot whenever and wherever you can, otherwise khuffs (Islamic leather socks). Barefooting has so many benefits.

Rethink exercise - meaningful activity is always better than programmed exercise and a damn good walk is the best way to start. Park away from wherever you're going and take time to walk, perhaps even walk it anyway. Don't shy away from picking heavy things up. Learn a new sport, something with camaraderie, some combat, something that's done individually and as a team. Learn tai chi.

Rethink sleep - chuck out ALL electronica from the bedroom and get blackout curtains. Avoid harsh light, bright TV, computers and so on for an hour or more before bed. Go to bed and sleep. Initially, use lavender pillows to knock you out!

Keep it simple - most things can be done really minimally and when you then look at what you do use, it's much easier to source better even if it's more expensive as you're not buying a mountain of crap because you're told you have to ... you're just buying a carry bag of gear.

Learn not to concern yourself with things that are outside of your control - just roll with it. Learn to master that things that are within your control and don't swear the stuff that just doesn't matter. Let it slide ...

Life in balance.

... and get a cat. Who will unbalance all of the local wildlife, but that aside they're really therapeutic.

Fantastic read, it'll take time but there are a number of things on there I would look to do myself.

A cat is on the list. The Mrs wants to steal your Maine coone... Yes I showed her your Maine coone... Yes I know where you live...

 

[pjgh]

A cat is on the list. The Mrs wants to steal your Maine coone... Yes I showed her your Maine coone... Yes I know where you live...

Haha! I have another one ...

No, really ... it's quite simple (on paper) to remove the nasties.

Soap is a simple process and it's really not hard to find really good soap. Beyond that, you want to smell nice - again, that's not too hard to find something that works.

Last year I sorted my soaps out so that in the main, my soaps are literally a short list of fat/s and hydroxide. I have one or two that break that rule, but there are reasons ... MWF is just so good! This year, I really think my EDTs will dwindle. They don't have the staying power of the natural attars that I have, nor do I like them as much now that many of the active natural ingredients (musk, oakmoss, etc) are synthesised. I think that will be the trigger to ditch aftershaves, too, as I really don't get anything more than I would with a mix of witch hazel and denatured alcohol. I can make up scented concoctions easily enough with essential oils. Again, I'll keep one or two to break that rule ... for good reason. Old Spice & Brut, most likely, and seek out vintage EDTs of a vintage that I know I'll like. Find a good deodorant, replace toothpaste (coconut oil, baking soda, alum, Dr Bronner's soap for suds), remove/lessen the requirement for everything else and you're practically there ...

 

[Looney12345]

Haha! I have another one ...

No, really ... it's quite simple (on paper) to remove the nasties.

Soap is a simple process and it's really not hard to find really good soap. Beyond that, you want to smell nice - again, that's not too hard to find something that works.

Last year I sorted my soaps out so that in the main, my soaps are literally a short list of fat/s and hydroxide. I have one or two that break that rule, but there are reasons ... MWF is just so good! This year, I really think my EDTs will dwindle. They don't have the staying power of the natural attars that I have, nor do I like them as much now that many of the active natural ingredients (musk, oakmoss, etc) are synthesised. I think that will be the trigger to ditch aftershaves, too, as I really don't get anything more than I would with a mix of witch hazel and denatured alcohol. I can make up scented concoctions easily enough with essential oils. Again, I'll keep one or two to break that rule ... for good reason. Old Spice & Brut, most likely, and seek out vintage EDTs of a vintage that I know I'll like. Find a good deodorant, replace toothpaste (coconut oil, baking soda, alum, Dr Bronner's soap for suds), remove/lessen the requirement for everything else and you're practically there ...

Oh you bugger, she's going to fall in love now! Though I'm the one singing the praises of two instead of one cats... but Maine Coons are so bloody big!

What happened to the top ones rear left leg? Patch of fur missing?

I am working on the entire list to be honest and already do quite a bit of stuff, but I've got a long way to go. I wouldn't do EVERYTHING you've suggested, but there are a number of things on there I want to work towards...

 

[pjgh]

What happened to the top ones rear left leg? Patch of fur missing?

She'd been a breeding cat, retired, came to live with us ... that's post-operative from the spaying. She'd been long enough inside, so we sent her out with Mimi (the young one at the front) to look after her.

Yeah, they're lovely animals! Very placid creatures in the main. When the blood's up, though and the best part of 3 stone of melded moggy is pinballing its way around the house, two are most certainly a handful. We've had bannister posts knocked out! I kid you not ... maybe just the one for now

If you're serious, give me a shout and I can put you in touch with our breeder ... who will no doubt know somebody reputable and ethical nearer you.

I am working on the entire list to be honest and already do quite a bit of stuff, but I've got a long way to go. I wouldn't do EVERYTHING you've suggested, but there are a number of things on there I want to work towards...

Jump on in where you do ...

Regressing products is a very worthwhile step, regardless of whether or not there are other steps. Cosmetics and grooming products are possibly the most dangerous and most surrounded by "they're safe" evidence. Until they're not ...

 

[Looney12345]

She'd been a breeding cat, retired, came to live with us ... that's post-operative from the spaying. She'd been long enough inside, so we sent her out with Mimi (the young one at the front) to look after her.

Yeah, they're lovely animals! Very placid creatures in the main. When the blood's up, though and the best part of 3 stone of melded moggy is pinballing its way around the house, two are most certainly a handful. We've had bannister posts knocked out! I kid you not ... maybe just the one for now

If you're serious, give me a shout and I can put you in touch with our breeder ... who will no doubt know somebody reputable and ethical nearer you.



Jump on in where you do ...

Regressing products is a very worthwhile step, regardless of whether or not there are other steps. Cosmetics and grooming products are possibly the most dangerous and most surrounded by "they're safe" evidence. Until they're not ...

That's exactly it, bloody bannister posts?! How does that even happen! Please do PM me the details of your breeder and the story of how that happened I think the Mrs needs to see one in person in a home environment to really understand if it is the right breed for us. I've done loads of research on cat breeds, the Maine Coone was not a breed I expected the Mrs to like!

Yes, agreed cosmetics are the worst for false advertising, because that is most definitely what goes on.

 

[pjgh]

Meißner Tremonia do various lines of natural bathing products from shaving gear to bath soaps, shower pastes, shampoos, but also deodorant:

http://shop.meissner-tremonia.de/en/FACE-BODY-CARE/Organic-Deo-cream/

I've not used this, but I can certainly see it working - it's alum, delivered in a scented cream.

 

[celestino]

I have been using natural products for the past 25 years, as much as possible.

I started with Mike's and Mystic Water shaving soaps and I have added a few more artisanal ones as they seem to have the most simple ingredients.
Furthermore, I use unrefined shea butter as a balm/post-shave and essential oil blends for my AS/EdT.