To use, spray on damp hair and scrunch with a towel to dry for loose beach waves. Spray on dry hair and on roots for volume and texture without the waves.

How easy it that? This is one of the simplest, natural hair care recipes to make at home, and it literally costs a fraction of the store bought versions. It adds great texture and volume to hair without the chemicals. by making it yourself, you can also customize to your hair type to get the texture you want.

Here's an alternative recipe with a few extra ingredients.

DIY Beach Spray Ingredients:
• 1 cup of hot water (not boiling)- Can also use strong Chamomile Tea as the base if you want to lighten hair or black tea as the base if you want to darken hair, but you will need to keep in the fridge.
• 2 tablespoons  Epsom salts (or more for extra texture)
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan or sea salt (optional but adds stiffness)
• 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
• 1/2 tsp sweet almond oil or jojoba oil
• Optional: a few drops  of essential oil (lavender and citrus are great options)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vodka or alcohol- if you want to lighten hair (the lemon juice lightens and the alcohol preserves)

Put the hot water (or tea) in the spray bottle and add the Epsom salts, sea salt (optional), aloe vera, oil, essential oils (optional) and lemon juice/vodka (if using). Put the cap on the bottle and shake for 1-2 minutes or until Epsom salts and sea salt are dissolved. Store in the fridge if using lemon juice or tea base, or at room temperature if you aren’t. Will last 3-4 months or longer.

As stated above, to use, spray on damp hair and scrunch with a towel to dry for loose beach waves. Spray on dry hair and on roots for volume and texture without the waves.

Let us know how it works for you, and we'd love for you to post before/after pictures!

What a great way to end the year . . . and start the New Year off with a bang!!!

We are extremely excited to introduce our new sister line, RawSum Organics, which has been in the works for quite a long time. We are starting off with 3-ingredient vegan, food-grade, organic products, available in a kit or they may be purchased individually in 1 oz and 4 oz, all in glass containers. The reusable organic cotton Eco-Pads come in a natural laundry/soap bag.

At RawSum Organics, all products are made from scratch using only pure, food-grade, highly effective ingredients. More is not always better, so for this product line, less IS more. The RawSum 3Sum Basics work fantastic and are more potent with just the absolute essentials. You won’t find any synthetics or fillers, and never any toxins. That’s why they are safe for even the most troubled or sensitive skin. Our Back to Basics Kit has only 3 ingredients in each product and, of course, they smell awesome from the natural infusions or have no scent at all, which is also awesome! The packaging is eco-friendly, too!

How do you use the products? Oh, that’s simple! Here are the directions for each product that are included in our kit.

Exfoliant: Mix a spoonful with your favorite liquid to make a paste (cream for dry skin, milk for normal skin, water for oily skin, yogurt for all skin types or your favorite oil). Massage into skin and rinse off with warm water, then cool water to close pores. Use this at least a couple times a week to remove dead skin. (Ingredients: Organic Rose Petals, Organic Almond Flour, Organic Sea Salt)

Cleanser: Massage a spoonful onto damp skin and rinse with warm water, removing daily grime. (Ingredients: Organic Carrot-Infused Sunflower Oil, Organic Grapeseed Oil, Organic Castor Oil)

Toner: After cleansing, use our Eco-Pads to apply to your face. This evens skin tone and balances pH. (Ingredients: Organic Rose Hydrosol, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar)

Cream: Apply to fingertips to warm up, then to damp skin for better absorption to moisturize and nourish. Works great for face and all over your body! (Ingredients: Organic Kokum Butter, Organic Babassu Oil, Organic Meadowfoam Oil)

ALL DONE! Now, wasn't that easy??

The Mini Kit in our organic cotton canvas bag is a wonderful way to be introduced to our food-grade "back to basics" organic skin care.

You'll find out quickly how awesomely effective the products are with only 3 ingredients in each product! Did we mention that they work marvelously,too? 

Going on a trip? The grab-n-go Mini Kit is the perfect travel companion.

Kit includes 1-oz sizes of our Exfoliant, Cleanser, Toner, Cream, some Eco-Pads, and the eco-friendly organic cotton canvas bag.  (See individual products for more details.)

Makes a perfect gift for your favorite guy or gal, too!

Have you already tried RawSum Organics products? Tell us how you liked them. If you haven't tried them, what are you waiting for?

A couple days ago while trimming trees and bushes encroaching on the driveway, I inadvertently brushed against some poison oak. Oddly enough, I'm not reactive to poison ivy, but poison oak is a different story.

If I had known the poison oak had touched my skin, I would have immediately washed the area, an effective deterrent within 15 minutes of contact. I wasn't so lucky this time, but fortunately there were only a couple spots.

Initially, I ignored them, but, of course, they itched, so I finally pulled out my simple DIY calamine lotion recipe. It worked like a charm! Instant relief and the spots healed overnight.

Silly me for waiting so long!

I snapped a quick shot of what the mixture looks like - no fancy photo here, but you'll get the idea of the proper consistency.

Now, here's the formula:
1 part sea salt
1 part baking soda
1 part bentonite clay
1 1/2% essential oils (use one or a combination of lavender, geranium, chamomile, yarrow, peppermint, and/or tea tree)
enough distilled water to make a paste

Be sure to add the water a few drops at a time or you may make it too thin and will have to increase the dry ingredients and essential oils to get the right consistency.

If you only need a tiny bit, for each part, use 1/2 teaspoon each for the dry ingredients and about 5 drops of essential oil.

Be sure to use up your calamine lotion within 10 days and keep it refrigerated.

Best advice . . . leaves of 3, leave them be . . . but if you do get a rash, give this recipe a try. You'll be glad you did!

Do you have a favorite calamine lotion recipe? If so, please share!

You never know what kind of pesticides, insects or dirt may be lurking on the surface of your favorite fruits and vegetables. That's why it's always a good idea to thoroughly wash all your produce before eating it. Although washing with plain water can accomplish a lot, adding some natural sources of acid (namely lemon and vinegar) to the wash can provide a bit of additional, natural disinfecting power. Follow these easy steps to find out how to make a fruit and vegetable wash that is both inexpensive and completely organic.

You may choose from an selection of kitchen ingredients to make your homemade fruit and vegetable wash, including purified water, vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar), baking soda, lemon, salt, and essential oils.

You can simply fill your sink with water, add a cup of vinegar and a couple tablespoons of salt. Place the fruit and/or veggies in a colander and place in the water mixture. Allow to soak for a few minutes.

Another option is to create a spray with:
2 cups purified water
1 cup vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp baking soda
juice of 1 lemon
10 drops lemon or orange essential oil (optional)

Put all ingredients into a spray bottle (be careful as it will foam up) shake gently to mix, then spray on produce. Allow to sit for about 2 to 5 minutes. If it's a fruit or veggie that can be gently scrubbed, use a scrub brush specified for produce washing only. Rinse thoroughly and enjoy your freshly washed and cleaned produce!

Be sure to store your wash in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks before having to make another batch. You can always cut recipe in half to make a smaller batch.

Research suggests to use the spray for hard-skinned fruits and vegetables and soaking for soft-skinned produce.

These are not hard and fast recipes, so feel free to experiment with the ingredients to find the perfect formula for you!

Why This Works
The acetic acid in vinegar cleans, kills bacteria and helps to dissolve the wax and pesticide residues. The salt draws out any little bugs, dirt, other small unwanted things and will remove some of the wax.

Why pay for the expensive wash at the store when you can make your own?

Check out the EWG's 2012 list of Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen to help know the produce that you need to buy organically and the produce that is safe to buy conventionally, but that needs to be washed thoroughly.

Click here for a free printable of the guidelines that's great to take shopping.

Do you believe it's important to wash your produce? What do you use to wash your fruits and veggies?

Who doesn't want white teeth?  Unfortunately most of us have been taken in by the need to use commercial toothpaste which may contain chemical fillers and ingredients such as glycerin and fluoride. Did you know that fluoride is a toxic waste by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry or the aluminum or steel industry? We are beginning to understand the harmful effects of fluoride on our bodies. Glycerin coats the enamel on your teeth and prevents re-mineralization from saliva.

We can prevent and even heal cavities by the food we eat. It's best to eliminate processed foods and eat more free range eggs, raw milk and butter, fish and good vegetables.

With a good diet and using tooth powder, you will greatly improve and strengthen your teeth.

Try this simple tooth powder recipe:
4 Tablespoons aluminum-free baking soda
2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Baking Soda helps whiten teeth. In saliva, baking soda buffers & neutralizes plaque acids,  helps clean your teeth and counteract acidity in the mouth. It's slightly abrasive consistency works as a cleanser of teeth and gums, so brushing your teeth with baking soda, with its high pH and disinfectant and antiseptic properties, will reduce harmful oral microbial flora by killing off acid-loving bacteria.

Sea salt whitens your teeth and is good for firming the gums and keeping them healthy.

Add essential oil: clove helps heal gums; tea tree is a great all around antiseptic; peppermint is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and astringent; spearmint is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and astringent; clary sage helps tighten and whiten teeth and they have astringent/antibacterial properties.

Optional: montmorillonite ore bentonite clay is great for polishing teeth and clearing up stains.
Optional: stevia powder for sweetness
Optional: myrrh gum powder for its excellent antiseptic properties and overall oral health capabilities

There are many other options, but this will get you started if you haven't made your own tooth powder before.

Do you have a favorite tooth powder recipe?  If so, do share with us!