Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Homemade Toothpaste

I know I'm not the only one out there with sensitivity to SLS & SLFS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate).
I have already cut them out of my haircare and am using the "No'Poo" Method
Simple Mom
Crunchy Betty

Unfortunately, I am not one of those "I thought I had oily hair and skin . . . .but then found out otherwise", but I knew that . . . my mom and dad both have oily skin . . . as does my brother . . . you see where I am going here.

Any who . . . I have been 'poo free for 6 weeks now.  I did have an initial surge of oil production, but it waned in 10 days.  For weeks three and four I could get away with washing every 4 days.  Now that I've settled in, it's every two to three.  As a "conditioner" I add a 50/50 blend of Apple Cider Vinegar/Organic Lemon Juice, adding 3 tsp to 3 cups of water.  My hair looks great!
My counselor (a guy) remarked on it and wrote down all of the nitty gritty (ha ha, the reason I even mentioned it to him is I had NOT rinsed properly and had leftover baking soda paste behind me ear . . . gritty! :)  )details . . . .

Ok, back on topic . . .

Tooth paste.  My mom had always used a blend of salt and baking soda.  Kept it in a little yellow Tupperware container on her bathroom counter.  She has always had amazing teeth.

I had to cut out a majority of commercial toothpastes due to SLS and SLFS.  So I figured I'd try this:
3 T. Organic Coconut Oil (melts at 76 degrees F)
3 (or more) T Baking Soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves (you can also substitute with 10 drops of peppermint essential oil; I was out, so I used cloves)

Coconut Oil is naturally antimicrobial.  As are cloves and peppermint oil . . .

I'll let you know how it works for me!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Grey hair . . .

Grey strands aren't new to me . . . I found my first three ten years ago . . .
However, until recently, their texture was smooth.

Now, I have wiry strands floating above my crown.  This morning after washing my hair, I went to tweeze my eyebrows and discovered a white eye brow hair!  I called my husband into the bathroom to show him the offending hair before I plucked it out.  He goes, "Maybe it is because you are on chemo?"

He doesn't like that I take MTX, but he understands that it is helping.  He always refers to it as "chemo".  He's scared and rightly so.  It's a serious drug.

I had a follow up with my rheumy on Wednesday.  It went really well.  On physical exam, my feet are still no better, but they were also the first place this disease hit.  Probably where the worst damage is.  She says my condition is stabilizing and feels we can stretch my next follow-up out another month.  So I don't have to go back until June. YAY!  I had a chemistry panel drawn before leaving the facility; I had a CBC a month ago.  They came back completely normal!  So my liver is handling everything well!  As are my kidneys.

Therefore, I guess it is worth giving up a few glasses of wine a week and gaining a few more unruly greys!
Aside: I did do a bit of research and apparently grey hair is a side effect of methotrexate. Boo!