Way back when I was a teenager, way, way, way back....I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian. The thought process behind that decision wasn't too thought provoking; I wanted to be a vegetarian because I loved all sorts of cute, fluffy things like bunnies and kittens. And the big fluffies were pretty cool too, like cheetahs and lions. And even things that weren't so fluffy were cute...like cows and pigs. So it seemed like a natural choice to not want to eat these guys and cause them any pain.
That's how it started. Don't eat meat. Pretty easy. But then it dawned on me that I shouldn't use other things that hurt those animals either, so most of the time when I bought beauty products I checked labels to make sure they didn't test on animals. That was harder...and it limited most beauty products. But I tried, I really did. I didn't always succeed, but that's ok because a little effort counted for something. Right??
I remember a long time ago I read an interview with Drew Barrymore and she may or may not have said something to effect that she wanted to live her life doing as little harm to others as possible and I thought, "Yes! That's do-able!" I also want to live my life that way, thanks Drew! In more recent years I've read things like she stopped being a vegetarian because of her fiance, now husband. Sad face. Even more recently I read that she started her own make-up line which was cool at first until I also read that it would only be available at Wal Mart. Super sad face. Wal Mart? Really Drew Barrymore?? That makes me sad, but whateves Drew, it's your life and I still love that Cinderella movie you made.
Anyway, I know how it feels, I fell off the veg wagon for a long time too. But then I climbed back on and have made leaps and bounds. I still fall off the wagon a few times a year, real quick for a few hours, then climb back on and try not to beat myself up too much about it and move on! Falling is ok, like Bruce Wayne's father says to him, "And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." True for so many things in life, so let's move on!
When I climbed back on the wagon, it wasn't just about food. It was about healthier alternatives for everything in my life from the soap that I used to the household cleaning products. I'll just start with one of the easiest replacements, moisturizer! I buy big ole tubs of organic, unrefined coconut oil and raw cocoa butter, mix the two together, and viola, moisturizer!
Not only has making it myself saved me tons of money (cause Lawdy, I don't have much to begin with!) But at least I know what's going into it and I feel good about using it on me, the hubby, and the minions! More importantly, I know what's NOT going into it: a boatload of chemicals and preservatives! And our skin is super soft and glowy to boot! Don't believe it? Give it a try and thank me later, or just smile and thank yourself!!
Because I love recipes and instructions but because I hate things that have lots of steps and take a long time, here's my super simple recipe:
Coconut Oil Moisturizer
What you'll need:
1. Coconut oil
2. Cocoa butter
Sometimes when I'm feeling more lazy than usual, I'll just pour some coconut oil into a container and put it in the bathroom. But I've found that coconut oil by itself feels a little greasy, but mixing it with cocoa butter makes it less so.
1. I grate a few tablespoons of raw cocoa butter into a small saucepan and melt it on low heat.
2. Let the cocoa butter cool a bit then mix it with about 1/2 cup of coconut oil.
3. Put it in a pretty jar (I usually use a cleaned out jam jar).
That's it, you are done! Take a shower, use it to shave & moisturize. Marvel at the super soft, glowy you!
*I've bought coconut oil and cocoa butter from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Costco, and Amazon.
