Magnesium Oil Is An Amazing Natural Deodorant + Why I Supplement Magnesium

Guys, I discovered a really really good purely natural deodorant -- magnesium oil! Firstly, it is very important: I mean magnesium chloride and nor magnesium sulfate. (I tried both).

Magnesium oil is simply Magnesium chloride dissolved in water and is not actually an oil. Apart from working as a deodorant, it can help bring your magnesium levels up (most people are deficient due to high estrogen levels, stress,  bottled water,  coffee and other factors). Interestingly it seems that magnesium is absorbed through the skin better than it is orally.

As a deodorant magnesium oil is surprisingly good. With all natural deodorants I tried so far I need to reapply within 24 hours, but with magnesium oil I smell absolutely clean on the next day. I haven't tested it yet for longer periods of time because showering is one of my favourite things in the world. It does get me through sweaty workouts, my sweat is odourless.

After applying the magnesium oil stings a bit. This usually goes away after a week of use. It also takes a bit to absorb, and I usually wipe away the rest after 10 minutes. You can also apply magnesium oil on the feet or any area that you have smell issues with. Of course you can also spray it on areas that feel tense.

Magnesium oil can be bough in health food stores. To DIY your own magnesium oil, mix magnesium chloride flakes with distilled water in a ration of 1:2. Pour into a spray bottle. Often magnesium chloride flakes are much cheaper than magnesium oil.

    I discovered this use of magnesium oil by accident, while reading up on transdermal vs oral supplementation. I first started occasionally supplementing magnesium when my gyn told me to take a couple of pills at the onset of periods to cut down on cramping; but when I told my holistic doctor about my recurring tension headaches and the pain and tightness in my shoulders and neck, he recommended that I take up to 900mg Magnesium a day. I read up on it and it seems that lots of people are heavily magnesium-depleted, especially women -- which is one of the reasons for chocolate cravings. Anyway, after a few weeks of taking three magnesium pills a day I haven't had any shoulder aches since. What is even more interesting is that the magnesium really calmed me and cut down on the anxiety --  it's like my body doesn't respond to the anxious thoughts, which in turn calms my mind. Again, I read up about this and I found forum discussions about how supplementing magnesium helped people with social anxiety to leave their house to go shopping.
Interestingly I have read that supplementing magnesium also can cut down on body odour.

You can't really overdose on magnesium because the body can easily get rid of the excess -- through diarrhea. So if you are prone to loose stools you need up your magnesium intake gradually.

Have you ever tried magnesium oil ? let me know whether this works for you, especially if you live in a hot place.

DIY: Versatile Makeup Setting Mist

  Today I want to show you how to make a super-simple spray that can make your makeup look less powdery and more natural. This spray is no unitasker, It can be used as a toner, refreshing mist or to foil powder makeup (wet application).

Since a long time I have been using water to set my makeup. This makes the powder nicely sink into the foundation and gives me a smooth, dewy finish. It makes foundation look much more natural, with mineral foundation you can hardly tell that there is a product on the skin. After a while I switched from plain water to hydrolates like rose and orange water and thermal water.

Then I found out that you can buy ready-made products especially meant to set and fix makeup. What is the difference, you ask? Setting sprays help the various layers of makeup blend together into one layer, and get rid of the powdery look. Fixing sprays make your makeup last longer -- you can tell them apart by the fact that alcohol is one of the top ingredients (regardless whether the label says fixing or setting). Anyway, I went through the ingredients. Most setting sprays are based on oils or glycerin.  The problem is of course other ingredients like perfume, alcohol and silicones as well as problematic preservatives.

  So here is a simple makeup setting spray that you can make yourself. It's a super easy recipe and the ingredients can be easily found. Of course I have added variations and tweaks for those of you whole love to tinker with ingredients. However I suggest that you try the basic version first, because if you add everything you can get your hands on and the mist doesn't work for you, you won't know which ingredient is the culprit.

  This makeup fixing mist is also very versatile: you can use it to foil makeup (mix it with powder eyeshadows, blushes, or mineral makeup for a deeper colour). It also works as a simple toner or a refreshing spray during the day for the face and hair.

DIY Makeup Setting Spray

Ingredients:

Water: distilled water is best, or boiled water. You can also use a hydrolate like rose water or your favourite toner (alcohol-free).

Vegetable glycerin or Aloe Vera gel: this makes the product thicker and fixes the makeup. Either one should be 100% pure with nothing added to it. I recommend Aloe Vera over glycerin since it doesn't expire and it doesn't block pores.

 Atomizer / Spritzer bottle: Do disinfect it with alcohol if you are using an old one. Try to find one that releases a fine mist and not a jet spray.

How to: Mix 1 part aloe-vera / glycerine to 4 parts water. If you find this is too thin, you can add more more aloe-vera / glycerine. If it is too thick, add more water. Mix really well, and transfer into your clean bottle.

   If you have used glycerine, the shelf life of your spray should be around two weeks (three weeks in the fridge). To extend the life of the product you can add a preservative, like alum (I break off pieces of my crystal deo for this). DIY cosmetic stores usually store non-toxic preservatives, I use these.

Other ingredients you could add:

Vitamin E oil from a capsule: is a natural preservative. Soothes the skin, moisturises, minimises lines. Avoid it if you have really oily skin or are prone to breakouts.

Essential oils: do look up in which dilution you should use them, and avoid photosensitive ones.

Oils a couple of drops are great for dry skin, or in the winter as an extra layer to protect the skin against cold air (especially if you are prone to broken capillaries). I especially recommend jojoba oil since it is very stable and light.
Alum is a natural preservative. It tightens pores and is antibacterial. If you have been using crystal deos, you probably have pieces lying around.

The ingredients below will shorten the shelf life of the makeup fixing spray, so either make a fresh batch after 2 weeks or add a preservative:

Fresh cucumber juice (squeeze out a chunk of cucumber). This will shorten the shelf life).

Green tea instead of some / all of the water.

Aloe vera distillate instead of some of the water is great for an extra dose of moisture.

Other extracts / vitamins available in stores with cosmetic ingredients.

You can get the ingredients in these places.

How to use your makeup setting spray

   Spray your face with it after you have finished doing your makeup. If you want you can press a paper tissue onto your face. Alternatively spray a bit of the setting spray onto a cotton pad and press (press! Not rub!) it into your face. No, your makeup will not come off. It's like magic!

  Alternatively you can also try misting your face before applying makeup: often makeup goes on better on moist skin.

Store bought makeup setters and fixers I recommend:

   If you need something natural for every day, I'd recommend something with a skin-friendly ingredient list. The one from Alverde is nice and inexpensive. The one from Caudalie has a very nice ingredient list. You can also use thermal water or a hydrolate.

   For special occasions like weddings where you really need your makeup to stay on for a long time no matter what, you might want to invest some money in a good fixer spray, like Kryolan Fixer Spray or Ben Nye, both theater-quality. Other options are Art Deco Fixing Powder, Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray (All Nighter or Dew Me), NYX Makeup Setting Spray and the ones from Skindinavia. Fixing spray should be used at the end, after a setting spray. As it contains alcohol, it should not be used every day.

Do you use a spray to fix your makeup? Or maybe you have even tried the "diving method"? Let me know.

My Best Laundry Tips -- How To Keep Your Clothes Looking (Almost) Like New Longer

Ever since I have been paying much more attention to the quality instead of quantity in my wardrobe, it is important to me that the pieces last longer. I think that nothing ruins your look as run-down pieces.

Learning how to do laundry right is simple, but learning about it took ages. There is hardly any resource with a simple overview of things such as detergent ingredients and temperature. Labels on the clothing are misleading. And did you know that the pH of the detergent is really important?

I sort my laundry into:

White

Coloureds

Woolens and silk

Delicates* and viscose*

Household linens and heavy fabrics 

The basics:

Fabrics and detergents:

Plant based fibers need a basic pH and animal fibers (wool, silk) need acidic pH level detergents.

Animal fibers cannot withstand higher temperatures.
Energy saving washing machines (European ones) don't actually go up to the temperatures on the buttons. So it you are running a 60° program, it will not actually heat the water up to 60°, but it will mimic a 60° cycle through longer washing times etc. This is one reason why detergents like wash-nuts often "don't work" if you just add them straight into the machine.
Wash nuts are only effective if the actual water temperature is at least 40°c, moreover they are very acidic so they are not suitable for plant-based fabrics. Chestnut detergent is pretty good, ivy detergent made my skin itch slightly.

Powder detergent has been shown by many tests to be more effective than liquid ones because they contain ingredients that would deteriorate in a liquid product. Also they are much more environmentally friendly -- less packaging, and you aren't transporting water over long distances.

Perfumes and harsh detergents cause a lot of skin issues, from acne to dryness, so I really would advise you to switch to ecological detergents.
I don't use bleach, it's really not healthy for you or the environment.You don't actually need to disinfect anything you have been wearing on sleeping in, it has bacteria that you already have on your skin. For whitening I use oxygen bleach and the sun.

Newly bought fabric items are literally doused in chemicals, wash at least once before wearing.
Wool naturally resists dirt, and can be worn several times without washing. Wearing a tank top below protects it from sweat. Same goes for woollen socks: wear a cotton one below.

Clothing care labels:

These are misleading, for example you can safely machine-wash most hand-wash-only and dry-clean-only items. I do this all the time and have never destroyed an item. The labels list the most conservative washing method, and have more to do with legal regulations that the actual item.

How I launder my stuff:

My goals:

Keep my clothes nice-looking longer

Be kind to the environment

I own a Miele washing machine, very stable but not very modern and not very fast. There is a clothesline outside and one inside in the cellar (it is illegal to dry clothes indoors due to danger of fungus as the apartments are really well isolated). I don't own a dryer. I have kids so I usually do several loads of laundry per week.

Delicates:

Most of my personal clothes get the royal treatment since I buy them with great care and I don't grow out of them. I actually wash most of my personal clothes (except jeans) on a separate load -- on the delicate cycle. The delicate cycle doesn't spin dry, so the stuff takes longer to dry (3-4 days in the winter), but I don't care as long as it looks better longer. 

I use mesh bags to contain anything with lace or anything extra delicate. I also put anything with a zipper or hooks in mesh bags. Bras go into thicker bra bags. 

The detergent I use depends of the fabric. If there is no viscose I'll use the coloureds detergent, otherwise I'll use one meant for delicates and wool.
I always add one of these reusable colour-absorbing towels into the wash, they seem to catch quite a lot of dyes! It's basically a small white terrycloth towel, it's snow white when you buy it and it turns darker with every wash.
I also put a dash of white vinegar into the rinse cycle, I found that it cuts down on the lint!
I hang up most of my clothes in the shade.

If you want your bras to last forever, you should use a detergent-free lingerie wash, here are some recommendations. The only bra I hand-wash is the Parfait Affinitas Charlotte because I love it so I'm terrified that I won't be able to replace it with exactly the same model and colour.

 

Wool and Silk:

These absolutely have to be washed separately from other clothes. Both wool and silk are protein-based, and need a detergent with an acidic pH level. Moreover neither can stand much agitation or higher temperatures -- wool will felt if you are not careful. So you absolutely must use the wool program on the washing machine and a detergent especially for woollens. Add a bit of vinegar to the rinsing cycle to keep the wool soft and to prevent felting. Do not use a drier!

You can also use wash-nuts for wool and silk, as they are acidic. However the temperatures for the wool program are too low to activate the wash-nuts, so you need to first soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.

To soften wool you can try adding hair conditioner to the rinse. To soften really scratchy items, soak them in a mixture of  hair conditioner and glycerin, and don't rinse out.

Whites:

I use a detergent especially for whites for this, as it does not contain ingredients that prevent leaching of dyes. I usually add a bit more sodiumpercarbonate (oxygen bleach) and allow the clothes to soak (soaking program) for a couple of hours (most whites-only detergents contain this already, but I like to add more). The sodiumpercarbonate works instantly in temperatures over 40°, but it will also work in cooler water if you give it a few hours time (you can test this out with stained coffee cups!). I buy mine in the Müller or organic stores, it goes under Sauerstoffbleiche in Germany, you can also buy it dirt cheap online and it has so many household uses. For example I soak the horribly discoloured cooking stove knows in it and they look snow white.

I love to hang up white laundry on the line in the summer, preferably wearing a white dress and singing. The sun bleaches out a lot of the stains, especially baby underwear.

 

Coloureds:

Household linens, and most clothes of my family members come into this category. 

Again I let the clothes soak with sodiumpercarbonate, interestingly it takes out stains but doesn't affect the colour.  And soaking is always good, I think. I use a colour detergent, it contains ingredients that prevents dyes from bleeding. I use the generic 30-40°c wash cycle, with plenty of spinning at the end. I usually hang up the items outside in the shade, unless it's a really nice item that I don't want to fade.

Viscose:

You can't wash viscose with a regular detergents as they contain cellulase. Cellulase is an enzyme that removes the pills from cotton fabrics but will break up the cellulose in the viscose. That's the reason you see the weird pills on viscose if you don't wash it correctly.
Contrary to what people often say, viscose isn't particularly fragile and I find that as long as I wash it on the delicates cycle it doesn't get misshapen or anything. I usually wash viscose together with other delicates.

Here are two more slightly different methods of cleaning that I thought I'd include because they are really useful:

Sun washing:

The properties of the UV rays of the sun are so underestimated. You know how bedding gets all fresh and crisp when you hang it out in the sun?  The UV rays kill of mites, bacteria, fungus, they dry up moisture and leave everything smelling good. I put all my bedding (pillows, blankets etc) in the sun once a week, once a month I sun my cushions, small floor mattresses, carpets and the removable parts of the sofa. I find that doing this gets rid of the vague unfresh smell that often lingers in homes.

I usually use the weather forecast to play this ahead of time, I don't want to deal with wet stuff if the rain comes.

Snow washing:

If you have a carpet, the snow can be a great (and free) way to clean it. It really works as long as you make sure that temperatures are actually below freezing, and that you let the carpet cool down first. Here is a good tutorial.

   Does this sound like a lot of work? It is and yet it isn't. I make my kids bring up and Konmari-fold and put away their own laundry, so at least that's something I don't have to do myself. I don't wash most of the stuff after just one wear, apart from underwear, socks and things work on very sweaty days. Bedding gets washed only once a week, and again I get the kids to help.
   Finally I wanted to say that I'm sick all week and when writing this I realised that being sick makes me forget how to grammar. So I'm sorry of the English in this post is weirder than usual.

Photo credit: Gratisography