BS experiences and pleas

[choperena]

'Sup guys!  I'm one of those people that grew up with Captain Planet and has always tried to lean towards natural solutions, minimize consumption and waste.  But it wasn't until recently that it dawned on me: why try to find all the expensive organic/natural/hippie crap, when there are very basic solutions I can make myself and find in my house

Comments

[weyakin]

Not exactly on topic, but I had to tell you, because I laughed at myself after, when I first read your subject, "BS Experiences", I was thinking it was a completely different kind of BS than you talked about! LOL. Like, over-priced organic shampoo marketing BS. ;-)

[weyakin]

Oh and as for the face washing and dry sensitive skin, perhaps OCM (oil cleansing method) would work for you. I believe there are posts in the memories about how to do it.

[choperena]

I'll look into this OCM thing. There is so much information to wade through! I hadn't looked into it yet because I thought it was for people that already produced too much oil.

[fay]

Not necessarily; my sister has dry skin, I have combination skin, and we both use OCM with pretty decent success.

[tofuowl]

OCM can be great for all skin types. I'm sure you'll come across this in the OCM posts, but for dry skin, just use a higher concentration of your "moisturizing" oil (this would be olive, for me) versus your cleansing oil (typically castor oil). Ever person's skin is different, but for my dry skin, 75% EVOO to 25% CO works beautifully.

[choperena]

I just started with the BS brushing a few weeks ago, so I can't really say. I try to never brush after drinking acids for the same reason. I've also been using an Oral B Cross Action electric toothbrush, so I don't have to press down as hard to achieve a scrubbing.

Is there any benefit to leaving the BS on your face? Is it like a mud mask, that pulls out the toxins or something? I'm very weary of putting any kind of acid on my face or hair, because I've seen too many people get stained with the sun.

[caliginous]

hair and face are actually naturally slightly acidic, you're likely doing more harm with the basic stuff you are adding. Just dilute the acids you use or use only mildly acidic products.

[lunaticbubbles]

I've got some tooth sensitivity issues, and before switching over to BS I was using sensodyne to help with it per my dentist's recommendation. So, whenever I would use another brand for an extended period of time, the sensitivity would increase. But, I've been using BS as toothpaste for the past year and it's helped with the sensitivity as sensodyne would. No warning glances from the doc either.

[caliginous]

BS is way too harsh for my face (I think I fall into very dry very sensitive as well). I use oat flour as a scrub, or even just a damp washcloth. If I feel the need for more cleansing I'll use milk and/or honey in the oats. For moisture I use various oils, most recently it's been shea butter as winter has taken its time in going away. Summertime will probably be apricot and jojoba.

[choperena]

I used to use jojoba to protect my hair when I swam, and would put it on my face if I forgot to pack lotion, but I felt it too slick for my face (it would take for ever to absorb). It was perfect for everything else. I'd be hesitant to try direct shea on my face, since jojoba is supposedly the oil that is most easily assimilated by the body.

I have done oatmeal and/or honey as a masque/scrub, but my main search is for an everyday, leave-on moisturizer. I only do anything more than plain water (the diluted BS scrub) when I didn't manage to shower right after the gym and feel like I really need to get the crud out of my pores.

I think maybe finding some way to mix the jojoba or shea into something better might be a good idea. Thanks for reminding me about the masques, though!

[academicrage]

I would just be careful of the abrasive qualities of baking soda when brushing teeth. My Dad did it for years, but who knows. it could certainly be combined with something else like peppermint oil or something.

Just thinking out loud here.

I used to brush with Dr Bronner's soap, which was great, actually. I haven't done too much reading on that product though since the time when I used to use it.

[choperena]

I've considered the possibilities of BS being to harsh, so I try to be quite delicate with it so that it doesn't abrade more than necessary.

What is the benefit of using peppermint or other mint oils? I've also read many random unexplained comments of people using them, but never a why. I stopped using commercial toothpaste, because I couldn't readily find any without OMGFRESH mints, and they've always made me terribly nauseous. Actual peppermint candies, though, don't. Peppermint ice cream is my favorite in the whole wide world!!! Toothpaste? Not so much.

I know I have some Bronner's in a cupboard somewhere, but I hesitate to stick it in my mouth because, well, I would have soap in my mouth :P

[academicrage]

Yeah, the soapy aspect of Bronner's is an aquired taste, but in many ways it makes sense. From what I recall, it doesn't coat your teeth with anything, but just cleans them. It just takes some getting used to.

As for peppermint, I don't know the qualities of it. It may have some antibacterial qualities, but I honestly don't know. I mostly like the taste :)

You should TRY bronner's for brushing. Just put a TINY bit and see what you think. It's surprisingly not as awful as I figured it would be.

I currently use toothpaste with occasional dipping in some baking soda when I feel like it. I'm not purist.

[dakotakym]

I often use Dr. B's for brushing. It's important to just use a drop or 2 & rinse well afterward (the little sample size bottles are perfect for this). It's good because soap is antibacterial & has a basic pH (which helps inhibit plaque buildup, as plaque is acidic), isn't abrasive, and doesn't coat the teeth like many toothpastes do.