Junk Your Purse Challenge

It’s time for another junking challenge! We’ve already taken the Junk Your Bathroom and Junk Your Kitchen Challenges.

It’s time to junk your purse! I asked you what you carry in your purse, and you responded. Below, I’ve listed the most common items—along with their natural alternatives—so you can have a toxic-free purse!

#1 Lip Balm

Did you know that Burt’s Bees has soybean and canola oils in it? Yuck! Believe me, I used to carry it, too! But it’s so easy to make your own or find a more natural lip balm, so why not do it? I’ve been making my own peppermint lip balm for months now, and dare I say, it’s BETTER than Burt’s Bees!

If you’re interested in purchasing peppermint lip balms from me, they are $3.50 each plus S+H, and I require a minimum order of 3.

Ingredients: Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Unbleached Beeswax, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Essential Oil of Peppermint.

If interested, just shoot me an email: courtney[at]thepolivkafamily.com. Or learn to make your own here.

#2 Lotion

I spent SOOOO much time crafting this recipe that it’s going to blow your mind. Just kidding. It’s so easy! You can make your own body butter at home using only three ingredients and a few minutes of your time.

My all-purpose hand cream / body butter / face cream / anti-aging cream

Makes about 6 oz.

Here’s what you do. Melt the shea butter and coconut oil on low on the stove. I add the olive oil in the winter time to keep it fluffier and more spreadable. I leave it out in the summer so it’s less melty. Make sense?

Anyway, after the shea butter and coconut oil melt, remove from heat, and add your essential oil of choice. I like geranium essential oil the best because it’s soothing to the skin, and it’s also good for eczema.

Now, transfer the mixture to the fridge for 5-10 minutes. You want it to start getting more opaque and soft to the touch, but not a solid mass. We want it to thicken so we can whip it.

The last step is simply whipping the butters on high with a hand mixer, until it forms stiff peaks, gets pretty fluffy, and doubles (triples?) in volume.

You can also try…

This chocolate coconut body butter recipe from Holistic Squid, which uses cocoa butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.

Or…

This mint chocolate body butter from Mommypotamus.

#3 Deodorant

I don’t know about you, but I live in the SOUTH, where it is hot and humid for most of the year. A good deodorant can become your best friend. And a natural antiperspirant? Even better. I’m not saying that this will keep you from sweating, but the arrowroot powder does help. The baking soda neutralizes any odor and lasts all day long. Best of all, it’s much more solid at room temp than other homemade deodorants. You don’t need to keep it in the fridge all the time. I haven’t left it in the car during a hot summer day yet…it would probably melt, to be honest. But after many trials and errors, this is the best recipe I’ve come up with for a GOOD, SOLID deodorant that lasts all day.

Fills one standard deodorant container (approximately 2.4 oz)

Melt beeswax and coconut oil in a pan or double boiler over low heat. Whisk in the baking soda and arrowroot powder. Remove pan from heat, and stir in essential oils. Add more if it isn’t fragrant enough for you. Pour into deodorant container. Leave uncapped for 24 hours or until cool. Then cap.

#4 Mascara

Junk the toxic mascara in your purse! It’s so easy to make your own from natural ingredients using this all-natural mascara recipe from Thank Your Body.

Conventional mascara, like Maybelline and Covergirl contain harmful ingredients like:

CETYL ALCOHOL

A thickening agent/emulsifier created by the hydrogenation of vegetable oils that is sometimes irritating to people with eczema.

PHENOXYETHANOL

A toxic, oily preservative that depresses the central nervous system, can cause vomiting, and skin irritation. Read more here.

Maybe making your own mascara isn’t for everyone, but if you really want to get rid of chemicals, then DIY mascara is something you can try!

#5 Acne stick / toner

This one is so easy! Your skin’s pH is naturally more acidic. Apple cider vinegar works great as a toner. I put mine in a little roll-on applicator. You can also put a few drops of tea tree oil in there, to further help combat acne!

#6 First Aid / insect repellant & bite relief / odor remover / and more…

Essential oils are great to have on hand when you’re away from home. The two I always keep on me are Young Living Purification oil blend and Thieves oil blend. I’m not a rep for Young Living. I just really like their oils. However, if you’re into blending your own, Purification can be made using citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree, lavandin, and myrtle oils. It’s great as insect repellent and removing unwanted odors. Thieves oil is famous historically (and gets its name from) the grave looters during the Plague. The thieves used this oil blend to ward off the plague, and it still works today for many ills! I’ve even used it on a spider bite and wasp sting. Pulls the poison right out. It’s amazing. If you want to make your own Thieves oil, click here.

#7 Blush

This homemade blush recipe from Thank Your Body is chemical-free and uses only 2-3 ingredients. Super easy! Click here for the recipe.

#8 Feminine hygiene

Do you hate having to carry around a purse or “stashing” your stuff during that time of the month? No worries! What if you didn’t even have to carry a purse at all? Now, wouldn’t that be something! Enter: the menstrual cup! These nifty little guys (girls?) are cheap on the wallet, discreet, last for years, and are better for soooo many reasons than dried out, pesticided cotton! If you haven’t read my post on why I love my Mooncup, it’s worth taking a look!

So are you ready to junk your purse?