Natural body care

Mostly I'm talking skin here. You already know my 'golden rules' for natural self care, and those are just as important here. Just as you don't need cleansers to strip your face or hair of oil you don't need body wash to strip your body of natural oils. Now I'm going to tell you straight away that I'm not against showering. In fact I'm pro showering. For goodness sakes people, shower (just keep it short for the fishies sake, eh?)! Anyway, go ahead and shower, shave even, just skip the chemicals. I personally don't use any type of body wash, or shaving gel/cream or lotion, or whatever else they're pushing for body care these days. And no, I'm not a 'dirty hippie'. I don't stink, and I do shave, though that is a personal preference decision, not a hygiene concern. That being said I know not everyone is quite as 'hardcore' as I am so I'm going to address this post by listing commonly used body care products and suggesting alternatives. Here goes:

Body wash - Hubby still uses some on occasion and I *might* use a bit if I had a particularly dirty/stinky day. What we have found to work really well is watered down Dr Bronners Castile Soap. We put a little bit in a foaming dispenser and fill the rest with water. There are all sorts of different versions (almond, lavender, peppermint, etc) if you want something smell good. I prefer the baby mild as I can use it for everything throughout the house... plus it's 'baby mild' hehe.

Shave gel/cream - Personally I don't use anything here, just water. If you feel you need the extra lubrication you can use soap or oil (olive oil, etc). If you want something scented add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to your carrier oil.

Deodorant - Again, I don't typically use any. Neither does Hubby. We've found that once we went through a detox period we didn't need any. Traditional deodorants/anti-persperants build up in your pores and actually cause a smell resulting in a sort of domino effect- you use it so you smell, so you use more so you smell more... My detox period was about a week and I wasn't totally gross, just a bit stinky if you were real close. We do keep a deodorant crystal on hand for extra sweaty days (hiking, dance camps, etc)- just in case.

Exfoliant/Scrub - I don't use this either (can you tell I keep a minimal routine?) but there are a few natural options. You could get a natural bristled scrub brush to dry brush your skin before a shower, or use a washcloth to the same effect. You could use either of those or a loofah in the shower. You could also make your own sugar scrub by mixing sugar and oil (there are a million recipes online).

Lotion - You can use oils (olive oil, coconut oil, etc) or butters (shea butter, cocoa butter) or a combination. Personally I skip it (I know you're shocked).

Remember that your body was built to handle all of this on it's own- you don't need any of these products and simplifying your routine will not only save you time but money as well. There's also a huge environmental savings by skipping the production and processing of those products. That said, if you really are happier having them just chose the most natural option you can handle and forget the rest. Everyone has their weak spot :)