The Honest Company: 4 in 1 Laundry Packs

Today I thought I would review The Honest Company’s 4 in 1 Laundry Packs. I’ve been using them now for several months and feel like I finally have a completely formulated opinion on this product that I’d like to share with you, my readers!If you’ve followed the blog for a while you’ll know that back when I first started the blog I posted a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. This is a recipe I’ve been making and using for years and I really do love it. However, I’ve been getting progressively busier over the last year between work and all the Theater related things I do. So when I ran out of laundry detergent this spring I didn’t really have time to go through all the steps to make more right then. I decided to look for a green/non-toxic  laundry detergent that was easy to use. After some research, I settled on the 4 in 1 Laundry Packs from The Honest Company.You may have heard about the Honest Company recently, they’ve been under fire for using toxic chemicals (that they swear they don’t use) in a couple of their products.  These laundry packs though are a powdered formula, so they are not in the contaminated products category.One thing that drew me to these laundry pods was the fact they scored so well on the EWG. I really wanted a product that was actually going to clean my clothes but wasn’t going to have a lot of skin irritants in it. Way back, when I started making my own laundry detergent right after college, the main reason was the fact that a lot of the “cheaper” detergents made my skin itchy and irritated but I didn’t have a lot of expendable income to purchase high-quality detergent. I found that when I made my own detergent I didn’t have those issues so I’ve been making it ever since! Since these pods don’t have much in the way of skin irritating ingredients though I haven’t had any issues with using these to clean our clothes.The one complaint I have about these pods is that the film doesn’t always dissolve completely and sometimes it created large buildup spots on our clothes. However, if I simply wash them again in a less full washer (I have a tendency to overfill the washer) the dried on detergent will go away.Alex swears that these don’t clean as well. However, I think it mainly has to do with the fact our clothes don’t come out of the wash smelling like a perfume factory. They come out smelling like absolutely nothing, which I think is fantastic.One other thing to watch is the cost of these. You can purchase a pack of 50 pods for about $16 directly from them. If you purchase these from VitaCost you will actually pay slightly less than you would directly through the Honest Company. However, if you already subscribe to their bundle service you can add one package of these for no extra cost to your bundle which makes it very economical.I will probably continue to purchase these pods since they are very convenient and do the job, I’m sure at some point I’ll go back to making my own laundry soap since it is so much more economical to do so. These though are great for the time being when I don't really have extra time to deal with making my own soap.

Frosh Cleaners: A Review

In addition to trying to find cleaner makeup and skincare brands, I’ve been looking into green/nontoxic cleaners. Pond and Rory really love to lick things (the floor, walls and windows) so I’ve been searching for cleaners I don’t feel guilty using around them.  Frosh is a European based brand that uses less toxic cleaning chemicals, is cruelty-free and environmentally friendly.Frosh’s dish soap is the first thing we tried. I was incredibly tired of trying all sorts of dish soap and still covering our dishes in toxic chemicals. We’ve been using the free and clear dish soap and it is fantastic! Not only is it free of most toxic chemicals found in dish soap, it also works really well. They have a few other types of dish soap, but those contain parfum and colorants.We’ve also been using the Lemon Toilet Bowl Cleaner. This is an absolutely incredible product. We’ve been in the process of remodeling a bathroom so that toilet isn’t used on a regular basis. This leads to a lot of build-up and this product removed it all after just a few minutes of soaking.The last product I’ve been testing out is their PH Neutral Universal Cleaner. This is a super concentrated, multi-purpose cleaner. In order to use it correctly you do need to mix it with water before you use it to clean. It does a great job of getting gunk off my counter. It also makes an absolutely fantastic floor cleaner.I would highly suggest these three products. I would love to see Frosh come out with more free and clear versions of their products in the future but I will continue to use the great products they currently have!

RL Linden & Co – A Review

I found this company when I was looking for additional natural deodorant options. I decided to try them because they have some fantastic reviews and I absolutely love trying products from new companies. I mostly ordered sample sizes from this company because they are very expensive. I’m very glad I only ordered samples because there weren’t many products I really loved for the price.Close to Me – Uplifting Deodorant SprayI found this to be a fine deodorant. It moderately deodorized my underarms and it did have a very nice and pleasant scent. I used this for part of my trip in Dallas last summer so it was definitely heat and sweat tested. However, I found myself having to reapply several times during the day when wearing this. The full size of this product is extremely expensive so I won’t be purchasing it and I probably won’t ever repurchase the sample size. I don’t really suggest you try this product unless you’ve tried just about every other natural deodorant and nothing has worked.Denver Inspired Perfume OilsAgain I purchased several of the sample sizes of these perfume oils. While they smelled extremely pleasant when first applied the scent hardly lasted any time at all. I don’t recommend these since I would have to reapply almost every hour in order to have any perfume on at all.La Bamba RosaI purchased the tube of this and I really think that was a good idea. Even though this didn’t really work for my lips, they seemed to be drier after continued use of this product, I did like the application from a tube rather than a tub. If you’re in the market for a new hydrating lip balm I suggest one of Root’s Pretty Balms or Red Apple Lipstick’s Ralley Balm. They will hydrate much better than this product.Thousand Petals Beautifying MistThis was the only product I really loved in my entire order and it was the free sample they sent with the order! I absolutely LOVED this hydrating toner mist. While the full size is quite expensive, I do plan on purchasing it once I’ve used up a couple of the open toner mists I already have on hand. This product smelled absolutely incredible, like walking through a rose garden. It also gave my face such an amazing refresh. I highly suggest you order a sample size of this to see if it works for you.

Kosmatology – A Review

I decided with this new year that I would post a review of either a green product or company every Wednesday! I’ve been posting reviews occasionally when I find a brand or product I really love, but I decided it was time to make it a regular series on the blog. I hope you’re as excited about this as I am. I’ve found quite a few new green brands and products that I absolutely love and I can’t wait to share them with you.Today’s review is of Kosmatology. I found the brand when I was researching hand soaps, and let me just tell you…they have THE BEST foaming hand soaps I’ve ever tried! I purchased two different types of hand soaps, two different types of body wash, all the types of hand sanitizer the had in stock and the corresponding mini-lotion bars. I also purchased their bug repellent, however I can’t use that until summer so I’ll have to get back to you on that. I also received a free sample of their rose geranium face oil to try out.All of Kosmatology’s products are formulated without preservatives, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfates, sodium laureth sulfates, triclosan, animal derived ingredients and they do not test on animals. Seriously, they have just pure ingredients and essential oils!I gave the hand sanitizers and lotion bars as gifts at Christmas. They made wonderful little additions to the presents I already had. The sanitizers smell amazing and since they aren’t formulated with tricolsan they are fantastic for situations where you need to wash your hands but there isn’t a sink available. The small lotion bars are excellent for in your purse or car. I found them to be a bit oily but if you rub it into your skin it doesn’t matter so much.The face oil I received I really didn’t like. The formulation was alright, however the smell was very unpleasant for me. I’m not a huge fan of lemongrass either so I don’t think I’ll be making regular use of this product from them.The body washes are pretty excellent. I purchased the Herbal Fresh and Spruced Up scents. They come in a huge 8.5oz bottle and have incredibly pure ingredients. Since they aren’t formulated with SLS or laureth sulfates they don’t foam much at all. However, once you get used to this it really doesn’t matter that much. The best part of these washes is the fact that the scent lasts of a long time after you get out of the shower. I have other green body washes that the smell doesn’t really linger.The previous products are all great, however the shining product I’ve found from Kosmatology is their foaming hand soaps. They clean incredibly well, in fact my Mom was at my house a few weeks ago and remarked that her hands felt so clean after using a soap! Currently they only sell in contains with the pump, however they mentioned on Instagram that they plan to offer refills later this year! This is definitely a product you want to try if you’re looking for a greener soap.

Relaxing Foot Soak

If you follow me on social media you will remember a couple months ago I was stage managing a community theater production of Carousel. After just the first week in Tech my feet hurt like crazy! I decided to make a foot soak to help soothe my tired feet.This soak is amazing! It not only calms those agitated foot muscles, it also smells amazing! I found that once I soaked my feet I could then go several days without doing it again. It relaxed my feet pretty completely and left them feeling very soft.You can make this recipe without the essential oils if you don’t have them on hand. You will still have some relaxing benefits. The EO’s simply provide additional relaxation to the muscles. I highly suggest using them if possible, especially the peppermint and rosemary. These EO’s will provide your tired feet with the most comfort.I used my laundry tub to soak my feet, I don’t happen to have anything smaller that I could have used. I put in ½ cup of soak into the entire tub. You can feel free to adjust how much you add based on the size of your container.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:88]

Natural Ant Repellent

This summer while we were painting the outside of our house I had, for the first time, issues with ants in our kitchen. It seemed to be a combination of the wet conditions early in the summer and the lack of paint on the outside of our home. I tried several things before I found a solution that actually worked.I tried cleaning with vinegar, Dr Bronners soap and I finally resorted to Lysol spray. However nothing seemed to work. Whatever I used would clear the ants out for about five minutes then they would be back. I really did not want to try any sort of ant trap since those contain highly poisonous chemicals. I finally was able to track the ants down to a single hole at the base of the kitchen backsplash and that’s when I decided to try something drastic. I decided to try cayenne pepper. I had seen this fix in a couple of places on the internet but it seemed too good to be true.I placed a small amount of cayenne at the opening of the hole and used a paper towel to spread it up and down the backsplash. I wanted to make sure the ants could not just skirt around it and come in another way. Once I had placed the cayenne I used my homemade cleaner to clean as much of the counter as possible.This remedy has worked incredibly for me! I have not seen any more signs of ants, at all, in my kitchen. I noticed an immediate difference and have not seen any additional ants in my kitchen since placing the pepper. One thing to note, cayenne pepper while not toxic to furry babies, can burn them if they get too much on their paws or noses. You will want to be very careful if you have pets or children around that they do not come into contact with this ant remedy. Since the hole I was covering is at the base of my backsplash and pretty much continually covered I felt very comfortable using this method. Keep the cayenne to the smallest portion of your counter possible to avoid it coming into contact with people or pets.

Moisturizing Hand Soap

Recently I had the chance to write a couple of guest posts for another blog, and the first post is up today! Check out Poverty Luxe for a hand lotion recipe if you're interested.  You won't want to miss it! I've had so many compliments from people who I've given jars of this lotion to. If you've found my blog from Poverty Luxe, welcome! I'm glad you've taken a moment to stop by.Hand soap is a super easy thing to make at home. The base is simply soap flakes and water. I personally use Dr Bronner’s Castile bar soap when making this but you can use any soap you have laying around. You could use those bits of leftover soap you might have laying in a drawer, or even those little bars of soap from hotels. This soap will have a gel like consistency. I find I prefer that since it makes me feel like I’ve actually washed my hands.By using coconut milk and shea butter in the soap it is highly moisturizing. It is completely optional, but you do get a smoother product that counteracts the drying effects of the castile soap if you use it. You want to make sure that you don’t use the coconut milk from the refrigerated aisle. You want the real stuff from the can, you will get far better results this way.Vegetable glycerin is a natural substitute for Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS). SLS is an ingredient found in commercial hand soaps to make it foamier. It also happens to be a know carcinogen so I've been trying to remove it from our household products. Vegetable glycerin gives a foamier product while still being completely natural and organic. It is not necessary to add this to the soap, however you will get a more "soap" like feel if you do use it.The essential oil blend I’ve created for this shower gel is a wonderful smell as we are heading into autumn. If you don’t have these EO’s on hand you can substitute whatever you do have, just make sure to add 35-50 drops of oils. Make sure to include Tea Tree or Lavender oils since they have antibacterial properties.If you are interested in the container, I found the lid at the Target dollar spot. The jar was leftover from last year's canning and I purchased the pump on Amazon. Any size regular mouth canning jar will work. I used Kerr brand because that is what I had on hand. The pump fit through the pre-made hole in the lid. I simply trimmed the straw to the appropriate length before attaching it. Due to the tight fit of the pump through the hole I did not need to add any sort of adhesive to the lid. If you are worried about them separating you can always add something to seal it up. The recipe below will make one 8oz container (pint canning jar size) of hand soap.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:86]

Homemade Bug Repellent

Alex and I really hate using bug sprays with Deet. However, it seems to be necessary, especially when we go to Northern Minnesota. There is a running joke among Minnesotans that Minnesota‘s state bird is not the Loon as commonly thought…it is in fact, the Mosquito. While I have yet to be able to test this big repellent in Northern Minnesota, it works fantastically in the southern half of the state and here at home in Iowa.This recipe will make 2oz worth of bug spray. I’ve included quite a list of essential oils for this recipe. However, you may not have all of these on hand. If you do, great! Use them all. If not you can pick and choose what you have on hand and use those. In my option one of the reasons this recipe works so well is the fact it includes citronella essential oils. This does make it smell strongly, but in my opinion it’s worth it. Here are a few EO’s that work well:

• Mosquitoes: Peppermint, Lemongrass, Lemon, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Geranium, Clove, Sage
• Ticks: Geranium, Eucalyptus, Myrrh
• Gnats: Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Spearmint
• Horse Flies: Tea Tree, Rosemary, Peppermint, Lemon, Lemongrass, Thyme

I purchased these blue glass spray bottles from Amazon. It is highly suggested to use glass bottles when your blend contains EO’s. This will keep your oils from breaking down and will help your blend stay potent for longer. When you go to use your blend simply spray liberally all over your body and clothes as you would with a regular bug spray. Simply make sure that you shake the bottle each time before you spray.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:87]

Homemade Dryer Sheets

In my quest to find more ways to save money I decided that I wanted to do something about my dryer sheet problem. They were just so expensive I was having a hard time justifying purchasing them. So after I made my own laundry detergent I decided to try my hand at dryer sheets.I was skeptical at first that this would actually work, but wikihow knows its stuff! This softener is economical to make and will last you a very long time, especially if you are just making dryer sheets. I can’t speak to how it works in the laundry since I never actually use fabric softener in my loads.The dryer sheets work just as well, if not better than the store bought ones. I also really love the fact that I can use one sheet in more than one load.

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Homemade Fabric Softener:6 Cups Water3 Cups Vinegar2 Cups Conditioner OPTIONAL: 25-50 Drops of Essential Oils that compliment your scentMix ingredients being careful not to make suds. Store in an airtight container.If you want to add this straight to your wash use about ¼ of a cup per load. You can use any type of conditioner you have on hand. You also do not need to use the essential oils, they will simply intensify the scent of the softener. (I used Suave Rosemary Mint conditioner and Rosemary/Peppermint EO’s because I saw the scent combination on another blog and thought it would be good.)  If you’re looking for an unscented dryer sheet just use an unscented conditioner and don’t add the oils.

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Homemade Dryer Sheets:Squares of fabric – These can be washcloths, small squares of fabric or just about anything you have on handHomemade Fabric Softener Soak the squares of fabric in the softener.Squeeze out so they are just damp.Let them sit out until they are completely dry.Use as normal in your dryer. One sheet will last you approximately 12-15 loads. I’ve used extra homemade potholders that I had on hand. They were the right size and easy to use. I’ve also found that adding a safety pin to the dryer sheet helps prevent static cling!

Natural Gel Dishwasher Detergent

I’ve been looking for an alternative to regular dishwashing detergent for a while. I wanted something that was more natural and also more cost effective. After a bunch of research and trial and error I finally came up with this detergent that works well for our house.When you’re making dishwashing detergent you need to understand that every recipe won’t work for you. There are several factors that include your water and the age of your dishwasher. We have soft water and a newer dishwasher.  If you have hard water this may not work for you.I’ve also found that using white vinegar as a rinse aid helps dissolve any leftover soap spots. This is because the vinegar de-saponifies the castile soap. This is why you never want to include vinegar in a castile soap recipe. You will actually un-soap your soap!You also want to make sure to shake the mixture throughout the day. It will take a while for the washing soda to absorb the water and castile soap. When it has been fully absorbed it will form a gel detergent.  Shake it before each use if you don’t quite mix everything together.  I find it easiest to use a tablespoon to load the dishwasher and then stick the tablespoon in the dishwasher before I start it.

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Gel Dishwashing Detergent:4 Tablespoons Castile Soap3 Cups Warm Water1 Cup Washing Soda15 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil25 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil25 Drops Lemon Essential Oil

Mix ingredients in a large mason jar.

 Shake throughout the day until the mixture gels.

 Use 1 Tablespoon per dishwasher load. Use white Vinegar as rinse-aid.

Natural Cleaner

I’ve been using vinegar as a natural cleaner for a while now, since Pond and Rory like to lick everything in sight. When we adopted both of them I decided I wanted to transition into natural cleaners to keep them healthier. I tried a bunch of different natural cleaners from the store but I just didn’t like the way they cleaned. So I decided to try vinegar as a cleaner.Using just vinegar as a cleaner kind of makes your house smell like a pickle factory for a little bit; I came up with this cleaner mixture to ease the smell when you use it. The essential oils mask a lot of the vinegar smell and the citrus oils helps loosen gunk.You can use this cleaner on just about anything. I’ve used it on counters, stove tops, windows and glass, and bathroom fixtures. I find this to pretty much be a multi-purpose cleaner

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Natural Cleaner:1 Cup Water1 Cup Vinegar8 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil16 Drops Lemon Essential Oil16 Drops Orange Essential OilMix and store in a spray bottle. Shake before each use. Use as normal.

Homemade Laundry Detergent (Powdered)

Several years ago after I had just graduated college I started making my own laundry detergent. I was sick and tired of purchasing expensive detergent and I wanted something less expensive since I had just begun working full time and money was tight. After looking through several detergent recipes I came up with one that I enjoyed.When I recently made this the total cost was about $25.00. The amount of detergent this makes will last Hubby and I about two years. We do about 8-10 loads of laundry every two weeks. This means that we will get approximately 400 loads of laundry out of this recipe making our final price per load around $0.06. I would say that’s not a bad price for a load of laundry! The detergent I was purchasing before tended to be between $0.11 and $0.22 per load. As you can see it is much more cost efficient for me to make my own.Now you may wonder how it does on extra grimy clothes. Hubby does a lot of work on the car and other household projects. We’ve always been happy with the way this detergent cleans and it always seems to get his extra greasy or dirty clothes back to squeaky clean. For extra bad stains you may want to pretreat. Since it does not suds at all it is ok to use in an HE washer.

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Ingredients:1 (4lb 12oz) Box of Borax1 (3lb 7oz) Box of Super Washing Soda1 (3lb) Container of Oxy Clean2 (14.1oz) Bars Fels Naptha Soap (Zote Soap will also work)4 (1lb) Boxes Baking Soda1 (55oz) Bottle of Purex CrystalsDirections:Grate the Fels Naptha bars (I use my food processor to do this). Combine all of the ingredients well and store in an airtight container. I use the leftover Purex bottle to store the detergent for easy access and I refill it from the airtight container when it’s empty. I use about a half a Purex cap for a normal load, and a full cap for Hubby’s overly dirty work clothes. 

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I’ve used both the Oxy Clean brand and the Target brand Oxy Clean for this recipe and have not noticed a difference in the cleanliness of our clothes. I will probably use the Target brand again since it is considerably less expensive.The only downside to making your own detergent is that you don’t really get that overly fresh clean laundry scent. I have found our clothes to be pretty scentless when I’m done. However, that is something I am willing to give up for the savings when I make my own.