Natural (chemical free) Soap, lotion, deoderant, etc..?

[Vintergatan]

I also use Lush and I´m happy with their body product Their shampoos thought don't work for my demanding hair and I´m still trying to find a natural shampoo that will

Some great tips here though i´ll be keeping my eye on this thread ^^

[Eskara1862]

Oooh... One of my favorite topics.  I've recently been turning into a hippie, and there's nothing wrong with that! 
 
On my quest for clear skin (is that even possible?), I have stopped using most lotions/cleansers/toners. Now, I use the oil cleansing method, which is working great!  My skin is the clearest it's been since I started puberty. I use 75% Sunflower Oil and 25% castor oil.  After a shower, I dab a little on my face for a moisturizer. No, it does not leave my skin shiny/oily.  No, it does not cause more zits or blackheads. Yes, it makes my skin look glowy and awesome!
 
I clean my toilets with 1 cup white vinegar and a scrub brush.  It does a great job getting rid of the hard water build up!  Oven gets cleaned with baking soda and vinegar- does the job and no fumes. I use the Aroma-All Purpose Cleaner for my kitchen counters and sink.
 
A note on Burts Bees.  For those of you who have been using it for years, you may have noticed that the quality isn't quite as good as it used to be.  That's because they were bought out by Clorox in 2008.  While Burts Bees is crulty free, their parent company is not.
 
Now, if you reaaaaaaaaaaaaallllly want to go natural, stop using maxi pads and tampons.  This part is spoilered because some may find this topic a little gross/embaressing.

Spoiler

I don't use pads or tampons!  I use the DivaCup. It's a little silicone cup that you insert you-know-where during your period.  It does take a little getting used to how to properly insert it and knowing if it's sealed properly.  When it's in right, you don't feel it at all and it doesn't leak. This thing is HEAVEN for traveling; no worries that you might spot if you can't get to the bathroom on a plane or road trip. I will admit, it took about three months for me to get the hang of it.  I had to trim the stem down so it wasn't poking me, which is apparently a common thing.

 
This is something that you should really research before making a decision on.  It may seem pretty gross at first, but once you get over the fact that your fingers are going to get a little bloody and realize that it's all natural and coming from you, you can handle it easily. Handling your period this way also helps you get to know your body a quite a bit better.

This website has a really awesome review on it.  If you want to buy one, I reccommend Amazon. And, if you do get one and need help, there are a ton of websites to teach different folds and adjustments that can be done to customize it to your body.  Just google it;)

Hope that helps out a bit! I know I'm loving reading everybody elses replies.  There are a few makeup companies I'm going to go investigate now.

[wystearya]

I also use the Diva Cup!  I've used it for years and I would never willingly go back to pads or tampons!

[CrimsonEtClover]

I've been a faithful customer of an etsy seller for natural deodorant for a few years now. She was called Spa Therapy Works, but sadly, she recently retired. She gave all of her recipes to another B&B, http://www.etsy.com/shop/rachelrene

Now, I haven't yet ordered from this new girl, but I will as soon as I run out of my current hoard. My favourite scent is the pink cupcake,  then lemon cupcake, and my boyfriend is obsessed with Pumpkin Pie.  They smell so yummy and you smell good for a long time! It's made of plant enzymes that eat bacteria.

[bewilderness]

I haven't tried this yet, but I really really need to, my oven looks terrible.  http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-clean-oven-glass-it-seriously-is.html

[SurfStar]

I get my soap from Rose of Sharon Acres. I've also got an etsy seller that makes a foundation -> though I haven't tried it, I do like her soaps. I'll grab the link when I get home.

Goats Milk Soaps (also offers tooth chips and shampoo bars, lotions, etc) - www.roseofsharonacres.com

[bewilderness]

This page has a recipe for homemade hairspray.  Uses only 4 ingredients.
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/make-your-own-homemade-hairspray-and.html

[hyenacub]

Diva Cup..  O_o    Okay.  First reaction was LOL...but that's actually a pretty damned good idea!  Green and cost-saving. 

[bewilderness]

I stumbled across a page the other day that had a pattern for sewing and knitting your own reusable tampons.  O_O

[Water_Fire]

I also have to big up Lush, I love their stuff! I use their liquid shampoos (sadly the solid ones make my hair a static horror), soaps and henna to dye my hair. Love it! They're usually very lovely in the stores too.

[Eviecorn]

Diva Cup..  O_o    Okay.  First reaction was LOL...but that's actually a pretty damned good idea!  Green and cost-saving. 

Yeah ... at first everyone gets that look about it, but when you're a user (or if you're a guy and just think about it, haha), you really discover how wonderful it is. 

[Bee-chan]

I've been speaking about this very topic with my local artist friend, Heather ( also a fellow pony fan! ). She introduced me to using a baking soda / water blend as a natural, non-toxic hair cleaner, and apple cider vingerar and water as a rinse / softener.

I'm still playing with the balance of baking soda to water for my hair cleaner, and have added rosemary oil. The rosemary acts as a tonic and natural conditioner, and it also helps darken the hair a bit if the baking soda starts lightening the hair.

So I guess in one week, you can say I've gone shampoo free for a month, and to be perfectly honest, my hair has NEVER felt healthier! NATURALLY healthier and clean. It's a different feeling kind of clean. With store bought shampoo and conditioners, even SALON brands, my hair would go all french poodle frizzy because of how thin it is and the natural curls I have that tend to have a mind of their own. It also ALWAYS felt and looked thinner. But that's because it was being stripped of it's natural oils and proteins.

My hair feels THICKER, softer ( took a LOT of tweaking with the ACV / rosemary oil / water mix to achieve that ), stronger, smoother, and MUCH less frizzy. I haven't had to use a flat iron to control my frizz, no need to touch the hair dryer, NO dandruff, NO itchies.

I DO have to tweak the recipes every now and then, as my hair tends to be as temperamental as a little spoiled brat, but that just means using less or more ACV or more or less baking soda. Easy peasy, and SO nice on the wallet.

I DO, however, want to try out one of the handmade organic shampoo bars from sellers on Etsy, so I just purchased this from MilkandHoneyNaturals: http://www.etsy.com/listing/65009234/creamy-coconut-milk-solid-shampoo-all

Creamy Coconut Milk Solid Shampoo

Not really, "shampoo", though. It's SOAP for hair. Big difference! And coconut oil and coconut oil is REALLY good for hair and skin ( I use an organic coconut oil as a skin moisturizer after taking a shower ).

[babystarz]

I really love the Seventh Generation brand. All of their products are based on the Native American saying that before undertaking an action, you should consider how it will affect your descendants seven generations in the future. Their products are plant-derived wherever possible, avoid harsh chemicals and unnecessary fragrances, fillers and dyes, and they make a big effort to be environmentally friendly in their packaging and waste. I think everything they make is biodegradable too, they even make biodegradable diapers! Also they try to use post-consumer recycled materials. I use a lot of their kitchen cleaning stuff, and their laundry detergent is great - I have super sensitive skin and it doesn't cause any problems for me. It's also reasonably priced, it's only about a dollar more than the cheapest free & clear brands.

If you want to know more about chemicals to try to avoid and organic cosmetic recommendations, the Skin Deep website is super helpful! It has a database of all kinds of cosmetics, shampoos, and personal hygiene products with listings of their ingredients and which ones are potentially carcinogenic or otherwise dangerous: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.

[hyenacub]

Yeah ... at first everyone gets that look about it, but when you're a user (or if you're a guy and just think about it, haha), you really discover how wonderful it is

Hehe I bet.  There's a book I recommend looking for, if you want natural stuff...it's for the home, though, not the body.  Folk Remedies for a Natural Home.  It sounds boring as heck but its one of my favorite books.  It's got cool background information, cool ideas, and cool recipes.  I'm gonna try the lavender floor polish!

[Eviecorn]

Oooh yeah, home-made cleaning products!  I have a cook book, La Dolce Vegan, that has a ton of home-made cleaning product instructions in there.