Household and Body Products that I Trust for Our Family

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Around 2012, I really began looking at the ingredients in our home and body products. I researched the possible harmful effects of ingredients such as sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), aluminum, and parabens. These ingredients are common in most home and body products. For example, SLS is an ingredient that makes products foam or “suds up.” SLS is found in soaps, shampoos, body washes, and even toothpastes. Learning about potentially dangerous ingredients in body products led me to seek out companies that do not use these ingredients. I also began making some products myself.

For a lot of home and body products, I did try to make them, but they either cost a great deal of money to produce or the homemade versions were not that great. I found a brand of cleaning products that I love, so I don’t try to make them anymore. The brand is called Better Life, and I truly trust them with my life. I learned of Better Life after watching an episode of Shark Tank. I am including the Shark Tank video and the products I use at the bottom of this post.

One product that I began making and have never looked back on is body lotion. My family uses the lotion several times a day and I feel good about what is being rubbed into our bodies. The lotion works so well that I have given it as presents and had numerous requests for it. Plus, when you make a batch of the lotion, it makes a six-month supply, so you don’t have to make it but a couple of times a year.

I would like to share my body lotion recipe with you. It is non-greasy and very easy to make. An additional incentive to making the lotion at home is that you have control over the ingredients that you make it with. If you have a particular coconut oil or shea butter that you believe in, use it.

A Potion for Great Lotion

1 cup shea butter

½ cup coconut oil

½ cup grapeseed oil

Feel free to add essential oils or any other scents that you would like in the mixing stage

Begin by melting the shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler (Click here for the latest price on Amazon). When both oils have melted, take the bowl off the boiling water and add in the grapeseed oil.

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Stir well. At this point, I pour the mixture into my mixing bowl (the true mixing bowl that attaches to my mixer). Place the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer (I freeze the mixture). If the mixture is frozen, I let it sit for 10 minutes and then attach the bowl to my mixer (Click here for the latest price on Amazon). Use the paddle attachment and begin whipping. If you would like to add a scent, mix it in during this stage. Typically, about 20 drops of oil will scent the entire batch. Mix the lotion until it is fluffy and white.

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Spoon the whipped mixture into containers with lids. There is no need to refrigerate the mixture if it stays in a room-temperature setting. Just a note, during the summer months, the mixture may become liquid if not stored in a room temperature environment (like when it gets hot in my camper… don’t ask me how I know 😉). I keep the lotion in the fridge when we camp, but it is always fine in my house).

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As I mentioned above, I want to include the Shark Tank video and the cleaning products that I use from Better Life. I cannot make these sprays and cleaners for the price that Better Life sells them. The products are quality, and I feel good knowing that no harsh chemicals are used in the cleaners that we use daily.

https://youtu.be/ToX4lHyEMwk

Better Life Products That I Order Regularly

The product that I use the most is their All-Purpose Spray (Click here for the latest price on Amazon). I clean everything with it and I can even spray it into my mouth without worrying (not that I am going to do that).

We wash dishes with Better Life’s Dish Soap (Click here for the latest price on Amazon). It does not foam as much as normal dishwashing soap, but again, it also doesn’t contain chemicals such as SLS, whose entire purpose is to foam. The non-foaming action is my number one cue that the product does not contain harmful chemicals.

Better Life Floor Cleaner (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is what I use on my tile and hardwood floors. I really like that it does not dull my hardwoods, yet cleans them very well.

Better Life Hand and Body Soap (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is used at all my sinks in the house. Since this product is used a lot, I really want to make sure that it is safe for my family.

I use Better Life Produce Wash on all my fruits and vegetables. I get nervous about the pesticides that have contaminated the produce, and this wash makes me feel assured that the produce is as cleansed as it can be.

Better Life Screen Cleaner (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is used for all of my electronics. I have always been anxious about spraying chemicals on electronic screens because I wasn’t sure if any chemicals would harm them. However, I know with confidence that I can use Better Life screen cleaner on my televisions, tablets, phones, and any other electrical device in my home.

Better Life Wood Polish (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is used on all my furniture. Most of the furniture in my house is antique, so I am very careful with any polish that touches the pieces. Better Life’s polish does not dull the furniture, and I feel that it cleans really well.

Better Life Tub and Tile Cleaner (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is used on all of our tubs and showers. It cleans better than typical chemical cleaners.

Better Life Toilet Bowl Cleaner (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is used for our, well, toilets. It clean the thrones very well.

Better Life Glass Cleaner (Click here for the latest price on Amazon) is amazing because it does not contain ammonia like other glass cleaners. I don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals affecting tints or coatings on windows.  It is also smudge free.

Better Life has a host of other products that I do not use daily. However, I trust everything that they make.

I hope you enjoy your lotion and the Better Life products. I truly believe in them with the goal of living our best life!

Do you make any household recipes or have any organic brands that you trust? We would love to hear from you! Please drop us a line in the comment section below!