Hygiene (aka the practice of cleanliness) is a must in a world full of sickness and disease around every corner. Bacteria is something we learn to live and cope with on a moderate basis that are present in our bodies for balance. But what about the imbalances? How much of something is too much? What about the chemicals we use to clean and wash our bodies? Are they necessary and if so how much?
When we are learning to take care of our health, often we are taught things like “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” to brush our teeth after every time we eat, make sure we are eating balanced and healthy meals, or don’t eat too much sugar, ect. But what about the things we put on the outside of our bodies? The soaps and lotions? The creams and glitters, and even ointments and cleaning wipes? These are all things the body is still absorbing to ingest and intake to “eat” and consume to use to protect and grow our vessels.
Everything we use comes from the earth and nature itself in some way shape of fashion, even soap. Soap is made through a chemical process called “saponification” quite literally combining oils (such as coconut, olive, or any plant based or animal based oil) with sodium or potassium hydroxide. Sodium makes bar soap and potassium makes liquid soap. That combination then combines, and the chemical hydroxide therefore is no longer there. It is quite like making any baked good you need to combine eggs, flour, and sugar. Once combined it’s no longer eggs, flour, and sugar, its cookie dough or brownie mix. Same thing with soaps. Once that combination occurs, scents and colors can be added. This is where creativity can take its course. You can keep it as simple as a coconut vanilla scented bar to a rainbow colored strawberry kiwi scent. All of which can be up to you to make sure each ingredient added is monitored and controlled by your desired effect. If you want more lather (soap suds) coconut milk or oil tends to enhance that well.
Oils and scents such as the essentials can be used in soap and boy butters or directly to the body that come from the many trees and plants we use to consume in our bodies for herbal and medicinal purposes. The thing about homemade and natural uses is if it can be used for multiple things, such as on hair, body or be consumed. If all of those things can be done then it is safe to say something with such an all purpose use can be trusted and has many benefits either way you apply it.
Fragrances are all good, but you must use discernment on how much chemicals are used and how much of it is still present. If there is a warning label of flammability, then might want to rethink putting it directly on your skin or even consume for any reason. There are so
many essential oils from plants that not just smell good but provide many benefits to the body and mind. There are many flowers that we think are just for show and eye entertainment but in all actuality, all have their own purposes that provide many healing and nourishing properties to the body internally and externally. For example, the Blue Iris flower can not only be taken as a tea but it can be infused and extracted as an oil and provides anti-inflammatory and helps the body to get rid of excess body fluids that don’t belong. Amongst many other plants, trees, and herbs that provide many of the medicinal and health benefits that a lot of chemically processed medicines provide just without the extra step of unnecessary chemicals.
If you are willing to be patient and allow something that may take a little over 7-14 days to see results, then you will not only reap the benefits of learning and growing in patience but actually allowing time and the very natural earth to heal you all because you applied the Art of Hygiene.
