Every condiment or body care product can be replaced with a homemade alternative.

Okay, so it takes a little effort to make these products. You may have to combine a few things and find jars or bottles to hold your finished products. But in the end, anything you whip up will be a healthier choice than any product you are likely to find on a store shelf.

If you need a little inspiration to get motivated, just read the labels on your current store bought items or check out their price tags! Why not see if you can make a better, cheaper alternative?

Related: How to Read Food Labels and Avoid Toxic Ingredients

For many of us, the idea of getting back to the basics and only eating real food seems relatively easy. We can toss out packaged muffin mixes, frozen dinners, and canned goods in favor of real, fresh produce, but what about condiments? If you want real, healthy food, the only solution is to make our own.

1. Ketchup

Heinz ketchup has the following ingredients: tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring. Corn syrup is bad for you even if it doesn’t come from genetically modified corn. And what is natural flavoring? The FDA defines natural flavoring as follows:

The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. Natural flavors, include the natural essence or extractives obtained from plants listed in subpart A of part 582 of this chapter, and the substances listed in 172.510 of this chapter.”

That’s real clear, isn’t it? A quick search of the web shows many recipes for ketchup, both slow cooker recipes, and the instant variety. Here is one of our sugar-free favorite ketchup recipes.

Homemade Ketchup by Cupcakes and Kale

Ingredients:

• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1/4-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (see Note*)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder

See Homemade Ketchup for easy instructions

2. Mayonnaise

Hellman’s brags about their product on their website, saying, “America’s #1 Mayonnaise is made with real*, simple ingredients: eggs, oil, and vinegar.” That statement leads one to believe those are the only ingredients. However, the ingredients list also includes salt, sugar, Calcium Disodium EDTA (a preservative), and natural flavors, (see above).

Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise by Wellness Mama

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tsp regular or Dijon mustard (or ½ Tsp dried mustard)
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup coconut oil (warm) or other healthy oil (macadamia works well)

See Healthy Mayonaise for instructions

3. Salsa

It’s always nice to see a recipe on the Allrecipes site made with fresh vegetables without bad ingredients!

The Best Fresh Tomato Salsa by Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (including seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

See Best Fresh Tomato Salsa for Instructions

• Stir the tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Serve.

4. Salad Dressing

My favorite salad dressing is a recipe created by Michael Edwards, Editor-in Chief of Organic Lifestyle Magazine, aptly named, My Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe. Don’t make a weak excuse for a salad with 2 to 5 ingredients. Go all the way and include 15-20 veggies and make the most of a daily salad habit.

I make salads with spinach, arugula, collard greens, rainbow chard, beet greens, spring mix and cilantro as the base greens. I also add leeks, red onions, red cabbage, cucumbers, and red bell pepper.  Next, we add what we call “the shreds” – though I prefer to spiralize mine – grated beet root, grated carrots, grated zucchini, and grated daikon radish. Then I add more toppings: pomegranate seeds, raisins, sesame seeds, ground papaya seeds, avocado, and fresh chopped garlic. You can add eggs (soft or hard boiled), feta cheese (preferably raw, preferably sheep), extra turmeric, or olives, if so inclined. I also add various other seeds such as flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, etc. (Walnuts go particularly well with feta cheese.)

Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe – Organic Lifestyle Magazine

To make my salad dressing, I start with equal parts oil and vinegar (keep in mind that both olive oil and balsamic vinegar have a lot of imitators).

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of flax seed oil
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons turmeric
• 1 table spoon basil
• Two teaspoons unrefined sea salt
• Two teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• Two tablespoons Dijon mustard

Instructions

Mix well in bowl or blender. Keep in the refrigerator. Check out our salad recipe.

5. Cranberry Lemonade

By now we all know that sodas are either full of sugar or full of toxic artificial sweeteners. What is a healthy alternative? We recommend cranberry lemonade.

Sugar-Free Cranberry Lemonade

Ingredients

• Safe, clean, spring water or distilled water
• 1 cup of unsweetened, organic cranberry juice, not from concentrate
• 3 fresh, organic lemons
• Liquid stevia
• Liquid cayenne

Instructions

If possible, use a glass gallon jar.

• Fill the jar to about 85% capacity with spring water (or distilled water).
• Squeeze the lemons and pour the juice into the water.
• Add cranberry juice.
• Add stevia and add cayenne to taste.

The amount of cayenne used is up to you, but the more the better.

6. Nutrition Powder

Once again, you can buy nutrition powder from many sources with a wide range of quality and price. Did you know you could make your own? Doc Shillington shares his recipes, including his recipe for Total Nutrition Powder. (Click on the link to get more information about the ingredients.) I like to buy from Rose Mountain Herbs to get the best organic ingredients. I’ve learned from experience to mix this up outside in a big deep pan. If you don’t, your kitchen may end up covered in a layer of fine dust. And you may want to use a dust mask as well. If you don’t want to make your own, you can also purchase Doc’s Total Nutrition Powder through Green Lifestyle Market.

Total Nutrition Formula Recipe

With this recipe, a “part” means a measurement by volume and not weight. What volume you use is up to you. All ingredients should be organic or wildcrafted.

Ingredients

• 1 part Alfalfa Grass Powder
• 1 part Barley Grass Powder
• 1 part Wheat Grass Powder
• 1 part Norwegian Purple Dulse Seaweed Powder
• 1 part Beet Root Powder
• 1 part Spinach Leaf Powder
• 1 part Rosehips Powder
• 1 part Orange Peel Powder
• 1 part Lemon Peel Powder
• 1 part Astragalus Powder
• 1.5 parts Spirulina Green Algae
• 1.5 parts Chlorella Broken Cell Algae
• 5 parts Yeast Flakes
• 5 parts Yeast Powder

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Store in glass jars away from heat and light.

Yeast (both the flakes and the powder) must be non-active saccharomyces cerevisiae nutritional yeast fortified with B12, which is safe for people with Candida albicans.

Body Care

Sure, we know that anything we ingest or inhale is taken into the body. But many people do not realize that whatever touches the skin is absorbed into our body as well.  Personal care products – lotions, salves, deodorants, shampoos, soaps, and perfumes as well as toothpaste should be organic. Instead, too many of us are blindly trusting the FDA to protect us while we cover our bodies in toxic solutions known to cause cancer and endocrine disruption. Once again, we should make our own organic, toxin-free products.

7. Toothpaste

Remember what we used to do when we ran out of toothpaste? Yes, baking soda and salt is a great alternative to toxic toothpaste! Just make sure the baking soda is aluminum free and organic.

Here’s a simple basic recipe that can be altered in many ways.

Simple Natural Toothpaste Recipe

Ingredients:

• Equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda
• Add essential oil to taste
• Add stevia (if desired) to taste
• Add a pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Conbine ingredients, mix well, dab on the to the bristles and brush your teeth.

If you have some oral health issues that need addressing, we’ve got more recipes and infromation for you, see “related.”

If you’re looking for a great place to buy ingredients, check out Mountain Rose Herbs.

Related:

• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• Three Homemade Toothpaste Recipes – Better Oral Health for Less Cost
• Still Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth
• Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know

8. Deodorant

All Natural Deodorant Recipe DIY

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 5 tablespoons pure cocoa butter (no additives)
• 3 tablespoons of aloe vera juice
• ½ cup baking soda and/or arrowroot
• ¼ cup witch hazel extract
• 4 drops tea tree oil
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil

9. Lotion

The following is only one of the lotion recipes for Wellness Mama. Check out the link below for more alternatives.

Aloe Lotion – Wellness Mama

Ingredients

• 1 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 teaspoons + 1 Tablespoon beeswax pastilles
• 1/2 cup Almond oil or Jojoba oil (or any other liquid oil)
• 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Shea Butter (optional)
• Essential oils of choice – I like 10 drops of Geranium and 5 drops of lime

Instructions

• Melt the beeswax, almond oil (or other liquid oil), and shea butter (if using) in a double boiler or glass bowl over a pan of water.
• Remove from heat and pour into a blender or mason jar (if using an immersion blender).
• Let cool to room temperature. You want it to be room temperature and just barely starting to harden around the edges. This will help make sure that the lotion emulsifies correctly.
• Add the vitamin E (if using) and any essential oils.
• Start blending on low using a blender or immersion blender. Very slowly, start adding the aloe vera gel until incorporated. Use a spatula to wipe down the sides and re-blend a few times until fully incorporated.
• Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to six weeks.

More Aloe Lotion from Wellness Mama

10. Shampoo

You can stop using shampoo altogether. If necessary, you can rinse (wash) your hair with baking soda followed by vinegar. Or you can make many shampoos yourself.  Try this one for dry, damaged hair. See the link below for more recipes.

Organic Shea Butter Shampoo Recipe

Ingredients

• Liquid castile soap – 200 ml. (about 7 ounces)
• Organic shea butter – 15 ml. ( ½ ounce)
• Lavender essential oil – 8 to 10 drops
• Sodium bicarbonate – 1(1/2) teaspoons
• Distilled water – 50 ml. (about 2 ounces)

Instructions

• Melt solid shea butter by placing it over boiling water. Let it cool to room temperature.
• Mix water with sodium bicarbonate to make a solution.
• Pour this solution into liquid castile soap. Stir for a few seconds. Avoid forming too much foam.
• Add melted shea butter.
• Add lavender essential oil to the bowl.
• Blend everything together.

Check out our shampoo article for addition shampoo recipes.

When you try out these recipes, please leave a comment and tell us what you think. And don’t hesitate to share your own recipes!

Recommended Reading:

• Sustainable DIY Laundry Solutions: The Secrets Detergent Companies Don’t Want You To Know
• How To Make Natural Body Butters That Actually Moisturize Your Skin
• How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money
• Make Chocolate Healthy Again: Fast and Easy DIY Homemade Chocolate
• How to Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clean Your Home

Sources:

• Heinz Ketchup
• CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 – FDA
• Hellman’s Products
• Hellmann’s, To Go Real Mayonnaise
• 80% Raw Food Diet – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Total Nutrition – Make Your Own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally With Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste Recipes Included- Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Reverse Cavities And Heal Tooth Decay With These 5 Steps – Healthy Life Style
• Luxurious Homemade Lotion Recipe – Wellness Mama
• Five DIY Organic Shampoo Recipes for Beautiful Hair –Organic Lifestyle Magazine

With the rise in concerns over the safety of antiperspirants, many are seeking natural deodorants as alternatives. Aluminium has had bad press lately in relation to cancer and neurological diseases. Add to that, the other toxic ingredients such as parabens, triclosan, and artificial fragrances, and a natural alternative seems an obvious choice.

Aluminium

Antiperspirants work by placing a layer of aluminium under the skin. The aluminium swells when combined with perspiration creating a barrier within the skin that blocks sweat from getting through. There are real concerns over this process. Aluminium within the body has been linked to disease. Some research suggests that after aluminium is absorbed through the skin it has estrogen producing properties (1). Obviously, in close proximity to the breast area, this is a real concern for the development of breast cancer tumours.

There are also neurological diseases linked to aluminium within the body. Several studies have linked aluminium to Alzheimer’s. Professor Exley of Keele University says in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, “… aluminium may cause a particular condition to be more aggressive and perhaps to have an earlier onset – such occurrences have already been shown in Alzheimer’s disease related to environmental and occupational exposure to aluminium.”(2)

Aside from the possible dangers of aluminium, blocking the skin’s sweat ducts stops the release of perspiration and toxins from the body. Perspiring is a natural, healthy process.

Parabens

Parabens are synthetic preservatives found in many cosmetics including deodorants and antiperspirants. Parabens have also been found in breast cancer tumours and are reported to be hormone mimics. So is this another ingredient common in antiperspirants that we should be avoiding?

Parabens can mimic hormones in the body and disrupt endocrine system functions. The Silent Spring Institute summarising a paper studying parabens and breast cancer tissue (5) says, “The chemicals are considered estrogenic because they activate the same estrogen receptor as the natural hormone estradiol. Studies have linked exposure to estradiol and related estrogens with an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as reproductive problems. As a result, the use of parabens in consumer products increasingly has become a public health concern.”

Breast Cancer UK is campaigning for all parabens to be phased out from cosmetics due to associated health risks (3). With deodorants and antiperspirants being applied to the underarm area, switching to a paraben free deodorant would be a sensible first step towards eliminating parabens in your personal care products.

Triclosan

Triclosan is used in deodorants and soaps and a number of other products for  its antifungal and antibacterial properties.  Like parabens, triclosan has been linked to hormone disruption and estrogen mimicking properties. Although the FDA approves triclosan as an ingredient, they also state that “…animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation”.

Triclosan has also been linked to decreased muscle function. A study on mice found that after one dose of exposure heart function was reduced by 25% and grip strength was reduced by 18% (6). Putting triclosan onto your underarms on a daily basis is surely best to be avoided.

Artificial Fragrance / Parfum

Artificial fragrance has serious health concerns. The Environmental Working Group reports artificial fragrance to be a known human immune system toxin and gives it a danger rating of 8/10 (4).  Artificial fragrance, also known as parfum, is found in most conventional deodorants and antiperspirants and even in some deodorants that claim to be natural.

Always check the ingredients list. It’s worth bearing in mind that some fragrances that sound natural are synthetically derived. Many natural deodorant manufacturers reject synthetic fragrances, choosing instead to use essential oils to scent their products.

The Alternative

Making the switch to a natural deodorant is a positive step for your health and wellbeing. Remember, natural deodorants are not antiperspirants. This means that your body will perspire. However, if your natural deodorant is working well, you will not notice any body odour. Sweating is a natural process with a genuine function, one that we all need to start getting a little more comfortable with.

If you don’t sweat much, you may find that coconut oil applied to the armpits daily works well as a simple, natural alternative to deodorant. You can also try rubbing a lemon under your arms in the mornings. If you perspire a little more heavily then you may need something a bit more hardcore to tackle body odour.

There are many types and forms of natural deodorants. It may and it can take some trial and error to find one that suits you. Be certain to check the ingredients to ensure that any scented products contain truly natural fragrances – whole essential oils. Also, be sure to check that your choice is an aluminium free deodorant, as aluminium can still be found in many natural deodorants.

Further Reading:

• How to make your own Natural Deodorant at Home – Recipe
• Is Your Deodorant Drugging You Through The Armpits Daily With This Neurotoxin?
• Triclosan – Avoid This Antibacterial Chemical in Soaps and Hand SanitizersSources
• The Soap and Shampoo Conspiracy
• The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Sources:

1. Underarm Cosmetics and Breast Cancer – NCBI
2. Why Industry Propaganda and Political Interference Cannot Disguise the Inevitable Role Played by Human Exposure to Aluminium in Neurodegenerative Diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease – Frontiers in Neurology
3. EDC Free Europe – Breast Cancer UK
4. Fragrance – EWC Skin Deep Database
5. Parabens and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Ligands Cross-Talk in Breast Cancer Cells –Environmental Health Perspectives 
6. Triclosan: The Soap Ingredient You Should Never Use — But 75% of Households do – Mercola.com 

Microbeads were introduced into products like face washes and toothpaste as an extra scrubbing agent. These tiny pieces of plastic were originally added to personal care products as a cheaper replacement for natural exfoliators like walnut husks and diatomaceous earth.

What Are They?

Microbeads are usually made with polyethylene or polypropylene, two of the more commonly used plastics. A single tube of face wash can contain more than 300,000 beads. In a 7oz bottle of face cleanser, roughly three-quarters of an ounce is microbeads. Each of these beads is smaller than 1mm, which is 5 times smaller than the traditional definition of microplastic. Deliberately designed to be rinsed down the drain, their tiny size allows them to slip past water filtration services. This is how they end up in bodies of water, fish stomachs, and our own bodies.

Related: How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

Environmental and Health Issues Caused by Microbeads

Much of the data regarding microbeads and their effect on the environment comes from the Great Lakes. The New York state attorney general released a report on microbeads that stated, they found as much as 19 tons of microbeads are discharged into NY waters. In Lake Ontario, the most contaminated of the Great Lakes, 1.1 million microbeads per square kilometer were found in the lake bed. It is believed that wildlife mistake the tiny plastic particles for fish eggs and get them lodged in their digestive tracts. Not only do these beads cause damage as they end up in the environment, but the damage is magnified by the plastic’s ability to absorb pollutants like industrial chemicals, phthalates, PCBs, and estrogen-disruptors. These toxins are then passed on to the animals that consume them – seagulls, turtles, fish, and humans.

The initial push for legislation against microbeads came from the dental industry after professionals began finding bits of blue plastic stuck in patients’ mouths. Microbeads leave the mouth at greater risk of infections like gingivitis and periodontal disease due to their ability to absorb industrial chemicals and bacteria. Microbeads also may be hormone disruptors, which makes it even more upsetting to have them lodged between your teeth and gums. The American Dental Association cites a lack of clinical evidence supporting the health risks of the microbeads, conveniently mirroring the stance of major retailers.

Related: Microplastics in Sea Salt – A Growing Concern

How to Find and Avoid Microbeads

The FDA maintains that microbeads are safe and they are even approved for uses in food (Think about it; the FDA is totally cool with you eating bits of plastic). The good news is, many companies are noticing the public and state pressure concerning the safety of microbeads and are removing them from their products. Many of them are still in the process of removing them, though, and knowing how to read your ingredients can help you avoid microbeads right now. Polyethylene is the most important ingredient to look for. Other ingredients that indicate the presence of micro beads are polypropylene, poly-e-terephthalate, and polymethyl methacrylate. Some of the major brands using microbeads in their face wash, body scrubs, and toothpastes include:

• Proctor and Gamble (this includes Crest and Olay)
• Johnson & Johnson (this includes Neutrogena and Aveeno)
• L’Oreal (this includes Garnier and the Body Shop)
• Proactiv
• Nivea
• Estee Lauder (this include Clinique)
• Discount lines from Walgreens, CVS, and other retailers

Obviously not every product has them, which makes it even more important to check out the ingredients of personal care products you use. Using wildcrafted or organic personal care products from a trusted business also eliminates the health and environment pollution of microbeads.

Legislation Regarding Microbeads

Illinois is the first state to have legal action in place concerning non biodegradable microbeads. Starting in 2017, microbeads will be phased out of all products until the total ban of them in 2019. Colorado, Maine, and New Jersey have laws resembling Illinois’. Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin are close behind with similar bills having been presented to their legislation. One issue with these bills is the fact that they leave the possibility open for companies to claim that their microbeads are actually “biodegradable.” California is addressing that issue by approving a bill that will ban microbeads in all forms. If that bill makes it into law, it could be the end for microbeads because of the prohibitive cost of making microbead-free products for only one state. The businesses that don’t see anything wrong with microbeads despite growing evidence otherwise are only going to stop using them when it becomes too costly to use them in their manufactured products.

Internationally, non-government organizations have been quicker to sound the microbead alarm. In 2011, a Dutch NGO, the North Sea Foundation, began asking major businesses to remove microbeads from their products due to their negative environmental impact. Companies responded to initial entreaties with vague, unsubstantiated claims about the safety of their products. In 2012, the North Sea Foundation joined with the Plastic Soup Foundation to create Beat the Microbead, a campaign to end the use of microbeads. This campaign has met success worldwide, with the biggest coup coming when international corporate giant Unilever agreed to stop using microbeads in its global portfolio with 2015 as its target year. This campaign is a great example of how grassroots activism can make a difference using consumer pressure to have a positive impact on harmful business practices.

Microbeads might seem like a tiny thing to be worried about, but the ripple effects from them can have a big impact. The wildlife in the Great Lakes is already feeling it, as every time they mistake a microbead for dinner they ingest a piece of plastic that will add to their demise. In the human health arena, maintaining your oral health is important to your overall health. Digestion starts in the mouth, and wedging teeny tiny pieces of plastic along your gumline is a horrible way to treat yourself. States are slowly coming around to the idea that these microbeads are not only dangerous, but unnecessary. There are alternates to these products, and who doesn’t want to feel good about the personal care products they use?

Sources:

• Your Toothpaste May Be Loaded With Tiny Plastic Beads That Never Go Away – Mother Jones
• Why dentists are speaking out about the plastic beads in your toothpaste – The Washington Post
• Plagued by Plastics, Microbeads in the Great Lakes – Watershed Council
• Unseen ­Threat: How Microbeads Harm New York Waters, Wildlife, Health And Environment –(404) State of New York
• Plastic Microbeads: The Newest Threat To The Great Lakes – EWG
• International Campaign Against Microbeads In Cosmetics – (404)Beat the Microbead