In the old days...

When I was young my mother was de-lighted with Tide. She thought it was a dream come true compared with the lye bar at the river and rocks or even the washboard. We packed our laundry around the corner to the laundromat and spent the entire Saturday washing, drying and folding. The best part was going to the dairy after for ice cream. Yes, I lived in a town with a dairy, bakery, fish market, grocer, pharmacy, and five-and-dime. It was the old days.

This came up as I was washing my hair. I stopped using shampoo more than six years ago. I get my hair plenty wet and use conditioner to wash and a tablespoon of honey in a quart of water for a final rinse. I have long thick locks and avoid repeating this process as long as possible. In the old days, the really old days people didn't wash their hair according to the advertising industry. We washed our hair every two weeks, on Saturday morning and got it "done" Saturday evening for church on Sunday. In between washings, we "oiled" it with some commercial preparation and if it needed "cleaning" we used a dry towel to rub out whatever accumulations needed removing. For oily hair, corn starch or baby powder worked wonders.

I think shampoo was some new fangled consideration. Sometimes we had it and other times not. It could have been about money or oversight, but things were very particular (peculiar) and running out of shampoo happened. My mom would mix powdered Tide with water and use the paste to wash our hair. More than once I bend over the side of the tub having the hot formula rubbed into my scalp. Tide and water gets hot as paste. Back in the day, all soaps left hair dry and brittle. We countered that with some petroleum based concoction and scalp massage. It worked out, most of the time.

When I grew up and could buy my own products I made different choices. One day I permed my hair. Previously, heat processing was preferred. When I left home I cut all my hair off and was called bald-headed while sporting my TWA (teeny weeny afro). My hair journey follows my increase in knowledge and shift in understanding around nutrition and health. Once I gave up petroleum products the door opened to all manner of natural oils, that have been around always, but hidden from the very people who rely on them. Petroleum products are cheap and accessible.

We used Pompey Virgin Olive Oil for religious purposes. It was applied to our foreheads and blessed clothes, in prayer and healing. We drank it for internally healing. And applied it to our skin for chicken pox. (I think that virgin made it special. Could that be?) I couldn't stand the smell of olives for the longest time. I was pregnant with my first child before I knew the benefits of olive oil for general skin care and made the leap to not apply any commercial products to my baby's body. Not even soap. Her fresh body anointed with olive oil, massaged and wiped clean was sufficient.

This has gotten rather long-winded. The point was that we are so influenced by mainstream advertising that we have forgotten there are many ways to manage that are far superior to the chemical crap being hawked. We are happily, knowingly buying snake oil. Then one day that TV doctor says, hey go in your kitchen (or grocer shelf) and get this everyday product. You can use it to condition your hair, shave your legs. moisturize you skin, even mix with sugar, salt, or honey for an exfolliant. Then low and effing behold, every body is talking about what TV doctor said and racing to the store. But wait, next week he will promote some commercial products that will fix you better than ever. Why do we buy in?

If what we need is in the kitchen or at the grocer, why do we insist on having tiny pots and bottles of ingredients we need to google to understand?

Back in the old days we knew what we were eating and what we smeared on our bodies. And before that we didn't put anything on our bodies that we couldn't eat. The health and beauty industry address that idea as well by adding aloe, olive oil, vitamins, and food essences to our hair and body products. With greater understanding and a bit of commitment, be can easily have more for less. But perhaps its it the ease we are being markets and my suggestion is the effort...

Tell me about the good ole days?

Coconut Oil - Head to Toe

Coconut oil is great for the body - head to toe. I included a photo of the actual products I use rather than offer a generic discussion. 

Coconut oil is great for hair care and treatment. It contains fatty acids that act as anti-microbial agents at the scalp and hair roots. Used regularly it can help get rid of dandruff. Because it retains moisture, coconut oil helps prevent hair breakage and damage. Coconut oil contains Vitamin E. It keeps scalp and skin healthy and hair rejuvenated.

Coconut oil is great for cleaning and moisturizing the face. It is naturally antibacterial, calming, and moisturizing. Coconut oil melts at 72 degrees, and a little dab will do you. Apply to face with fingers and then wipe away with a warm cloth. Scoop out solid oil and place in the palm of your hand, it will melt. It only takes a little. Coconut oil is perfect for removing make-up. When coconut oil is absorbed into the skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep connective tissues strong and supple.

Apply coconut oil to your body for skin care and healing. It is known to improve skin elasticity, is great for shaving, and serves a perfect "glide" for massaging tired muscles. Coconut oil is rich in proteins. These proteins keep skin healthy and rejuvenated, both internally and externally. Coconut oil also helps in the treatment of psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and other skin infections. When applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Coconut oil will aid in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues.

Apply coconut oil before or after baths to shift the effect of drying soaps. Use as the base for body scrubs (which can be made at home, easily, by combining sea salts or sugar with coconut oil). Used after sunburns, coconut oil can help reduce redness and limit some of the damage done by sun exposure. 

Coconut oil is great for digestion. The saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-bacterial properties that help control, parasites, and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. Coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.

Use coconut oil for a natural sexual lubricant. When moisture is desired in personal areas or for vaginal dryness, coconut oil holds its glide longer than commercial lubricants and without strange unidentifiable ingredients or sugar (glycerine) which can cause yeast infections or promote them. Coconut oil is anti-viral and antibiotic, an added advantage during sensual activities. Remember, oils are incompatible with condoms and diaphragms.

Pamper your feet. Coconut oil is an effective cure for athletes foot because it has anti-fungal properties. As a moisturizer, rub coconut oil on your feet either after taking a bath or before going to sleep. It will cure your cracked heels and soften your feet. Corns and calluses will also be softened by applying coconut oil. Soak your feet in warm water with a sea salt and a teaspoon of coconut oil. Coconut oil softens and moisturizes while removing dirt from the outer layer of skin, leaving it shiny and smooth.

Coconut oil has been a well kept secret. We tend to only get the marketed bit. There is so much more to know.

About the picture. These are my body care products. I own some commercial products, but can't justify replacing them when they run out because I already own what I need. Dr. Bronner's is made from coconut oil and is Kirk's Castile soap. I included the cost for comparison to other body products on the market. We have a choice. 

I save where I can, to splurge when I want.