Avoiding Chemicals with Herbal Powders

Avoiding Chemicals with Herbal Powders

Making my herbal powders, body and carpet fresheners often happens around this time of year.  February seems like an in-between month as I'm waiting for spring.  I'm itching to start gardening, so I'm looking for a task to do.  And crafting is not my specialty as you know, and these simple herbal recipes fit the bill.  It's an easy enough task---takes barely ten minutes and I'm rewarded with plenty of herbal powders that I know don't contain any harmful chemicals.  I will have body powder (talc-free I might add) scented beautifully at a very economical price so that when the weather turns warm and sticky, I can stay cool as a cucumber.  It acts as a deodorant and shoe deodorizer too.  And it can be customized to suit you and your family.  It seems humidity makes carpets get musty smelling too, so it is a good idea to have some carpet powder to freshen it up.  

So, let's get going on it.  You will need a mason jar with a lid to store your excess powder, and a container to use for quick use like a parmesan cheese jar with a shaker top or old spice jars.  You can also use a lidded container and a puff or old make up brush to apply. Be sure to label your recipe and write out exactly how you made it and tape it to the excess storage jar so you can remember.

Body/Dusting Powder

You will need to mix up:

3/4 cup of cornstarch (or arrow root)

1/4 cup baking soda (for babies just use baking soda with a few drops chamomile or lavender essential oil)

10-30 drops your choice essential oil or combination (this is optional, but lavender, rose and chamomile are all good for the skin)

Combine the cornstarch and baking soda in a bowl or jar and stir to mix.  You'll add your essential oil drops now and shake to distribute evenly.

Herbal Carpet Powder

Use this weekly or whenever you feel the need to make your home, and carpets smell fresh and lovely.   You basically use 3/4 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of your choice powdered herb or double or triple the recipe (dried lavender, rosemary or peppermint are good choices) and 10 drops of essential oil (lemon, cinnamon or peppermint are lovely).

Mix this and put in a closed container and let sit for at least two days before using.  When ready to use, sprinkle lightly on the carpet, let sit for 15 minutes, and then vacuum as you normally would.  The herbal powder also makes the vacuum smell fresh and clean. 

How can you powder your herbs?  A spice or coffee bean grinder works well, or you can use a blender and as a last resort, a mortar and pestle (this method requires lots of elbow grease and you need to keep at it to get the right texture you want).  Grind to your preferred texture, sift it and the result is powdered herbs to use in your powders, or you can make herbed butters, salt or homemade spice blends with it.

Have fun experimenting with the various scents and combinations.  Most people have the ingredients on hand (you may need to get some essential oils though) but if you are on a really tight budget, you can make the powders scentless.  And if I keep busy re-stocking my bathroom essentials maybe February will pass fast enough, and I'll soon be working in my flower beds.  I can't wait.