Homemade Shampoo Recipe for Itchy Scalp and Dandruff + A little Herbal Magick

If you do not yet know (and if you cannot tell by my photo on the right of the page...) I have dreadlocks. :)

I am in absolute LOVE with them.

And, as I type this, I have just realized that my locks turned 6 months old a few days ago, November 1st!

Wooo!!

(Oh, and I'm a "Woo! Girl", aka something my husband made up because I say "Woo!" alot. But, that's for another post, isn't it?)

And in sticking with being off-topic in general this morning... 

I would like to give a shout out to the lovely Dread Goddess, based out of Portland, OR. 

~*~ 

Wooo!! Dread Goddess!!! LOL

Stephanie and who she affectionately refers to as her "bestie", Charity, started the business together, and they are changing lives every day. 

While I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Charity, Stephanie is amazing!

She will get your dreads started, keep them maintained, and mesmerize you by simply being herself. 

The essence of her very nature is sure to inspire. 

Seriously.

Start by visiting their site!

Dread Goddess

And when you make an appointment, please tell her I sent you!

Furthermore, if you have any questions about dreads, please ask! I wish I had someone to hold my hand when I started researching.. The information can be overwhelming, but it does not have to be.

Ask. And ye shall have peace of mind.

:)

This is when my dreads were still BABIES!!
Only 5 weeks old... Awwww!!

Now back to the topic of this post....

Contrary to popular belief, most of us with dreads DO in fact wash our dreads.

In fact, washing them actually helps them tighten and mature, in my experience.

It is a sort of art, finding the balance of how often to wash. 

Wash too much.. Itchy head.

Wash too little.. Itchy head.

And, finding the perfect washing solution is just as important. 

A lot of the common shampoos have a lot of sulfates and chemicals, leaving filmy residue on the scalp. They do make special shampoos specifically for dreads, but I tend to try making things myself before going out to buy something.

So, today I wish to share with you my very own homemade shampoo recipe for dandruff, itchy scalp, for those with or without dreadlocks, or just for anyone who would like to ditch the chemical-infused commercial products.

This stuff is for you.

Natural Anti-itch Shampoo Recipe: 
You will need:
3 tablespoon each of -
 Dried lavender flowers, mint leaves and rosemary leaves.
2 cups water
Small pot
Unscented liquid castile soap
Essential oil of your choice (optional)

Bring the leaves to a boil in the pot, reduce to a low simmer and let steep for 5-10 minutes.
(**If you want to experiment with hydrating your hair on your own as well, now would be the time to add in an oil, such as grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba, etc. Start very small, (such as 1/4 tsp) and if you are not satisfied with it after the first use, you can always add more. As for me, I have dreads!! Oil would prevent my locks from willfully dreading = no bueno.)


Remove from heat, strain through a fine sieve, and set aside for 10 minutes. Then, add in 1-3 Tablespoons unscented liquid castile soap. (**I say 1-3 Tablespoons, as it really depends on you and your hair. I like to use 3 Tablespoons because I like a good lather, and since I only wash every 3-4 days, I like to be sure I get my dreaded locks super clean. I would wash more often but my scalp punishes me and makes me itchy if I wash too little or too much. It's a delicate balance!!)

Now is the time to add in the essential oil(s) of your choice. I sometimes do, but not always.

Essential oils are not only great for aroma, but each one has its own individual properties and a variety of benefits for both skin and hair.
Lavender is healing with antiseptic properties, and smells floral, yet earthy.
Tea Tree oil has a medicinal smell, and is incredible for scalp health and anti-itch.

But you do not need the essential oils for scalp health, itchiness or simple shine. The tea leaves do that for you, and essentially leaves your hair smelling "clean", with no significant odor, really.

Store in a glass jar with a lid or cork (I like vintage-y bottles with corks, just because they are pretty.)
Keeps for up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

A word about Scalp Health: 
For some of us, washing our hair and massaging with our fingers is enough and not much more is needed for comfort after that. But for the rest of us, (especially those of us with dreads!!) could benefit from a little extra care and attention.
I have found that one of the keys to keeping dandruff and annoying itchiness at bay, is to be sure my entire scalp gets fully stimulated by massage while washing.
Since my fingers cannot really get to every part of my scalp that easily, I have befriended a wide shower comb. It is has these big plastic balls on the end of the comb and a handy hook to hang from my shower head.
After applying my homemade shampoo and lathering up really well, I take the comb and gently massage each part of my scalp in a circular motion.
Ensuring the scalp gets massaged well in this way every few days, stimulates the pores, and gets the needed, natural oils producing and keeping your scalp from getting too dry (aka, ITCHY!!)
Stimulating the pores in this way, also stimulates growth, and promotes healthy shine (for those of us without dreads ;) }


Magical Uses for herbs in my recipe are as follows: 
*Remember, as a Natural Witch, everything you do can have a little added magic to it, so focus your intent while making this recipe, and remember that intent each time you use it in in the shower, and visualize your intent being so. Use the water in your visualization and see any negativity being washed away, and rinsed down the drain. Believe it to be so, and so it will be!

Lavender:  to aid in sleep, anxieties, & overall purification; promotes visions, gives protection, brings peace and clarity. 

Mint:  to promote healing, strength and lift moods; also to attract money and luck. 

Rosemary:  to promote awareness, moods, healing, memory, protection, and intellectual strength.

Enjoy and let me know how any and all of this works for you! 

*~*~*~ Blessings, and Healthy Hair! ~*~*~*

~MoonsWay )O(

Natural Constipation Relief for Your Baby or Toddler

As a self proclaimed 'natural witch', I take great pride in that my go-to response for nearly any situation, injury, ailment, etc., is to make something from scratch, and more importantly, to make it all natural and organic.

As a child of this earth, I do not put just anything on or inside my body, and that especially goes for my children's bodies! We try our best to live in, what I like to call, karmic harmony with the Universe, with the moral code to do 'no harm' to any living thing, if it is in our control, and that includes our own beings.

We truly believe that we are what we eat, and that also includes what we use to care for ourselves externally. Such as, creams, soaps, and even laundry detergents. The chemicals, preservatives, GMO's, pesticides... They are all toxins that enter your blood stream, whether ingested or applied topically. And in our home, we take that seriously.

This lifestyle was once just a dream. For so long we yearned to live a more natural and toxin free life, but it was not until we had our youngest child when we decided, anything that goes into his body must be pure and organic. And so followed the rest of our lives.

Now, we make our own bath soaps, laundry detergents, shampoos and cleaning supplies. And, we also make most of our food from scratch, and turned our backyard into our very own organic garden, where all of our produce comes from. It is very rewarding each day, knowing exactly what is going into our foods, body care products, etc.

Today I want to share with you a couple of recipes I use when our toddler is constipated.

Anyone with a baby knows, when they are constipated, we as  parents suffer as well!
Even though our toddler is still breast-fed, he does still suffer from constipation every now and then, and it can be a troubling experience that can last for days sometimes.

They are too little to know what is wrong, and their discomfort is difficult to handle for us, as we want to help them, yet we feel helpless in the moment. One may think, "Why not just give him a laxative?"

Laxatives are very harsh on their little system, and not to mention the horror they face when they cannot seem to stop poo-ing their little hearts out. Laxatives are by far a last resort. And even then, there are very natural and baby-safe ways to give the same effects.

Here are a few tricks of mine that are tried and true~ 

Frozen Grapes:
That's it! Just frozen grapes. They are like little balls of slushies. If you have not tried them, you are missing out on life. Plain and simple. And they are great for little tummies! 


Berry-Sauce: 
This is my play on traditional apple sauce. Simply take about a cup of mixed berries (we use a frozen, organic berry medley from Costco) and heat them over medium-high heat in a small pot or saucepan. Add about 3 tablespoons of minced organic pear to the mix; it helps add sweetness, and pears also helps move things along in their little bellies! 
Bring to just a gentle boil and reduce to simmer, stirring continuously. Don't let it burn! 
Let the juices in the pan thicken a bit, and even encourage more juice by squishing the berries with your spoon or spatula. Toward the end (about 7-8 min), I add about a tablespoon of honey. 
The honey helps the tart-ness of the berries soften a bit. 

My 21 month old LOVES this recipe, and this gets his little system working in no time. 

Carlin enjoying his Berry Sauce

"Help Baby Poop" No-bake Cookies: 
Okay, the title does not sound appetizing, but hear me out! These little balls of fiber are so yummy, your little one will not suspect you are dosing him or her with just the right ingredients to help their tummies. 
Heat 1/2 cup agave nectar or honey (optional... but if it does not taste yummy and a bit sweet, your odds of getting your toddler to eat it are against you!) in a small pan or pot. Add 1/3 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup Non-GMO almond milk. Stir and mash all ingredients together and remove from heat once all is softened and well mixed. Add in 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract and stir well. 
Add 1/2 cup organic golden flax see meal, 1/2 cup Scottish (or, crushed) oats, 1 cup whole, organic oats, 1/4 raisins, and 1/4 cup thin sliced almonds (and then crushed a bit more for little mouths with few teeth to chew; we buy ours in bulk, already sliced).
Mix until well blended, and then spoon out balls, about an inch tall, onto a plate or cookie sheet. 
Leave to sit for 20-30 minutes before you serve. 
A yummy treat for the whole family! In fact, I just made some last night and 3 quarters of them were eaten up in less than 3 minutes! 


Oatmeal: 
This is a simple way to get the same amount of fiber-goodness into your baby's body as with the no-bake cookies I make. 
Mix 3 tablespoons organic golden flax seed meal, 5 tablespoons organic whole oats, 3 tablespoons crushed/Scottish oats, and a multi-grain hot cereal that you can find in the cereal isle at the grocery store. 
We buy ours in bulk at our local grocer (WinCo), and the cereal we buy is a . Add water and-grain mix. Heat in microwave (or on stove top if desired) for 2:00 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon honey, and serve. 
Our toddler is more likely to eat them if they are formed into little balls (much like the no-bake cookies), so I form them into bite-sized balls and place them on a plate in the freezer for about a minute and a half, just to give them a form that holds, but does not actually make  them cold. 
*** I also sprinkle a little probiotics on the tops of them to sneak in just a little more nutritional-aid for his digestive system. :)

Water: 
This is not a recipe, but rather an essential part of the process to helping the digestive system. Toddlers who breastfeed still want something to drink from the refrigerator every now and then. Be sure to hide any juices or sodas (we no longer keep any in the house), and any dairy milk, and only serve water, or almond milk if they decline water. Dairy and juices will only make constipation worse. Juices have added sugars that are not good for the body or belly.


Fruit: 
Instead of juice, serve fruit! A chopped fruit salad is easy for them to eat and gets all the needed nutrition and fibers baby needs to activate their digestive system. The sugars in fruit are natural and much easier for them to digest. 

These are some remedies that are natural and safe, and have proven effective time and time again for us.

HOWEVER.... Sometimes they need just a little more help, in addition to a healthy, fibrous diet.

So I have come up with.....

Coconut Oil Suppositories: 
Coconut oil will not only be soothing to baby's bum as a natural anti-itch, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial agent (just take some softened coconut oil and gently dab on affected area), but is gentle, safe and effective when used as a suppository.
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it makes it easy to mold and work with.

Take a long piece of tin foil (about 2 inches wide, at least 6 inches long) and form a 'V', being sure not to crease the bottom of the 'V' and leaving it sort of rounded.
Spoon some coconut oil into the concave you have made, and gently place in freezer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from freezer and break off a small piece, about an inch long.
Round the edges simply by rubbing them between your fingers. Your body heat will soften the ends as you rub them, and making the ends rounded make for a easier insertion.
Also, smooth out any hard angles, until the entire thing is a rounded, oval shape.
Place back in freezer for a minute or so to regain its strength (we don't want it too soft or it will not go in!).
Remove when you are ready to change baby's diaper. Do not wait too long or the coconut oil will soften too much.
Clean area (never rub; just dab or splash with water and dab dry).
Apply any non-petroleum ointment you have (again, coconut oil works great) to the little affected bum before inserting suppository.
Hold ankles, roll baby to right side, trying to keep legs together, and gently push suppository in. Immediately put  legs down and put diaper on.
It is OK if the suppository does not stay. Baby will most likely be very resistant to this process and fighting to keep it in will only distress you both. Most of the time, the simple act of stimulation is enough to get things going.
ps. This works great for adults as well!

I know this was quite the extensive post, but I have taken the time to type all of this out with the hopes of helping a desperate Mama out there somewhere!!!

So many times I have spent hours looking, reading, researching ways to help my baby, and usually ended up coming up with something myself as nothing was "natural" enough, or viable for our particular family, so it was my intention of making this a well informed article, all in one place, for that Mama who needs a bunch of answers fast!

Please let me know if you have benefited from any of my remedies!! It would bring me great joy to know these tried and true ways have brought peace and comfort to your little ones (and yourself). :)

Peace and Endless Love & Light~

~MoonsWay )O(

3 Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu Season

For Sniffles, Cough and Sore Scratchy Throats, The concoction is simple - It's soothing and it coats:

Mix 1 tbls honey
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
A dash of Cayenne or minced garlic (optional; opens airways)
Heat for a few seconds in microwave. Drink warm but not too hot! Repeat 3-5 times per day. 


To Open Airways:
Boil water, remove from burner.
Add drops of Peppermint or Eucalyptus or Lavender Essential Oil. Lean over steam with towel on your head (at safe distance to not burn your face), eyes closed... and just breathe.

To Break up Congestion:
Make some Peppermint Tea with fresh leaves crushed, Add a tbls of honey and a tbls of Apple Cider Vinegar. Drink hot/warm, 3 times a day.

Caring for my family for these last few days in this way, and wanted to share some of my tricks with you~ 

Blessed Be ~*~*~*~MOONSWAY )O(