Toothpaste; cheap, researched, homemade

*Drafted and forgotten: September 2012. *

Recently a toothpaste article came to my attention, and I just tried the recipe a couple nights ago. When I went back and read the entire article, I was delighted by the detail of research and care put into this creation. The article also includes the Recipe for Toothpaste by Bulk Herb Store.

*I remade this and shared about it in Mud, Herb Paste, or Bentonite Clay paste for teeth and bug-bite relief. 

See A Gypsy's Herbal Toothpaste & Powder for two other recipe ideas!

Read Toxic as...Toothpaste? Would I eat That? to find out why I prefer to make my own tooth-cleaning products.

A Surprise, pest Problems & Solutions, and some Favorite Herbs!

*Drafted: August 2013. 
**Edited and affiliate links added on June 10th.

A Surprise [to Myself]

   I recently stumbled onto something that I wasn't planning to make use of:  An affiliate program with Bulk Herb Store. Since I was already a walking, talking, typing commercial for Bulk Herb Store anyway, I was encouraged to join their affiliate program - they like to give a portion of regular purchases back to the person linking to their store. So here's my intro/affiliate-link-filled post! (And just to be clear, from now on when I rave about Bulk Herb Store, I'll be sharing affiliate links from which I can receive a commission.)  

My Affiliate link for Bulk Herb Store!

  I currently have 17 now 18 19 items in my own Bulk Herb Store cart. These are the ones I  ran low on--or gave away to the other missionaries when I came home from my last teaching position. (Can you just imagine the conversation I would have had with Spanish-speaking customs people?? "no senor, this white powder- it's not drugs, no it's just an herb, really!" Ha! Didn't sound like a good idea.)

Some of My Favorite Herbs

I can't imagine going back out without: Plantain, Cayenne Pepper, Bentonite Clay, Activated-Charcoal, black walnut hull powder, wormwood, cloves, elderberries ...and my favorite teas.  So, I'll take the rest of this post to tell you about what I'm planning to restock before I leave. These are most of my favorites, which I hope not to be stuck out of the country without. I want you to know why they are so important to me, and what you too can use them for!

Body Care Herbs

Two of the herbs in my cart are bentonite clay and arrowroot powder.  Did you know, with those two herbs you can make some awesome and easy body care products? A 3 month supply of deodorant,  Baby-powder (without the dangers of talc to your baby or yourself) and a 2 month/2 person supply of toothpaste, & the best anti-itch-paste-I could-get-my-hands-on-for-dozens-of-bug-bites. With one bag each of bag of arrowroot powder and  bentonite-clay.

Pest Problems & Solutions

The next place doesn't have the nasty mosquitoes and invisible "midget flies," and doesn't have all those herbs-dear sweet herbs, that I left behind last time. Well, it was hard to get them there in the first place, so taking them back out seemed like a cruel thing to do. 
  Leave those missionaries without the plantain for mosquitoes bites?? Utter torture! (though I did get 20 x as many bites as the locals! I have scars from the ones I scratched open...shoot, knew that was a bad idea! next time, apply more plantain, bentonite, or BHS toothpaste!) 
  [I'd like to try making a black salve, with activated charcoal, plantain, and maybe bentonite clay -but need to research first!- to keep on hand, just in case I ever again have 20+ bites on a single limb!]
  Activated Charcoal-take that from them?? What about the next bout of food poisoning? Seriously, the stuff helps sooo much when you feel like you'll be puking all night from bad food!   
   There was the Bed-Bug scare too. I was so determined to help rid the world (ok, just our corner of it!) of bed-bugs with Diatomaceous Earth, and sent for it so adamantly, that my family packed up every bit of it, a friend sent half of hers, and -well, then Dr. found out it was really scabies! Instead I could have asked for chamomile, comfrey, calendula, and rose! (Had a bit of lavender already). But since they also sent tansy, we were able to make some "scat-sacks" to help with the other pests.

The herbs that "saved the day!"

 And trust me on this last one, you never want to come down with parasites and not have anything with which to kill em and flush em all out including the nasty little eggs! So next, I'm getting some capsules for my black walnut hull powder, wormwood, and fresh ground cloves!

   Oh, and can't forget the elderberries! Elderberries in kombucha, elderberries in my tea (think Double E-immune booster with me now!), elderberry syrup ... oh the delights of all these herbs!! 

Once again, here's the link to my favorite place to get all those great herbs!!

 

A Blog semi-Hiatus: January 2014

Hello! Since my adventure-filled-life is on a new chapter, and I don't know where it's going to go, I will be scheduling some drafts to share with you this month, instead of writing new posts.

 I've started quite a few posts which have been sitting around -like so many piles of herbs- waiting for more work (links, editing, etc.). But not having had time to dedicate to them, they've been "drafted" and forgotten. Since I don't have time now either, I'll pretty much share them with you "as-is!"
 So, fare warning, this month's posts (i.e. some odd drafts) may be missing a few things, contain typos, et c!  (..and maybe, contain a few too may humorous personal stories!)  :D

Loosening Phlegm with a mini crock pot: mullein steam

This handy mini crock-pot worked out just right for soothing a coughing girl back to sleep.  When she suffered a cough and chest congestion, this little crock-pot came in very handy! She got the benefit of an herbal steam, but with the comfort of her bed.

First, a strong tea of cough tea with extra Mullein was prepared, then poured into this little steam producing pot. Then, there we had our very own version of a steamy bathroom, but where she could rest and get some sleep!

I set it far enough out of the way so as not to be turned over if she should reach for a tissue, but close enough that the steam could reach near her face.