When I first tried to learn more about going zero waste, I had read about the products I used to use in my home and what I learned was pretty scary. They are highly toxic and could cause health problems such as dizziness, respiratory problems, skin irritation, and more.

I have been using this all purpose cleaner recipe since moving out of my parents house to save money. I use it to wipe surfaces and floors. There are actually two recipes here: the one with castile soap is great for granite and marble surfaces.

• Water
• Distilled white vinegar or castile soap
• Tea tree oil
• Essential Oil (optional)
• Spray Bottle

This might be too much information about me, but I am choosy when it comes to deodorants. They either darken my underarm or make me smelly by the mid or end of the day.

But since going zero waste, I do not have that much access to purchase local plastic-free or sustainable deodorant. So I decided to make my own!



Ingredients:

- 4 tbs cornstarch
- 3 tbs baking soda
- 3 tbs melted coconut oil
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 10 drops of tea tree oil
- a few pumps of sunflower beauty oil
- glass jar with lid

Simply mix all of the ingredients and place everything in the glass jar.

Review:

I've been using the DIY deodorant for several days. On the first day, I was walking around the city for several hours and my armpits were sweating. I was a bit bothered because I might be a bit smelly but I was also concerned with the massive sweating. But as I checked, there was no odor. And then I checked again by the end of the day, no odor.

I am honestly amazed how a simple product made from ingredients found in the kitchen could make this happen. I'm still observing if this deodorant can whiten the armpit. The reason I added sunflower beauty oil was for whitening and skin tightening (to prevent chicken skin).

Since embracing a zero waste lifestyle, I searched for recipes for a DIY skincare routine. There were ingredients that were in our kitchen cabinet and ingredients that I had to find and purchase online. But as a beginner, I started doing easy zero waste DIY swaps and create skincare products with accessible ingredients.

The first one I tried was an ACV toner. If you have been searching for DIY toners, an ACV toner is the easiest and most popular DIY toner.

Benefits of Using Apple Cider Vinegar Toner to the skin:

Apple Cider Vinegar has antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. However, it may cause irritation to the skin, burns or blisters when undiluted. Hence, it is advised to use it with caution when applied to the skin. It has been reported help treat acne, minimize wrinkles, prevents or treats sunburn, exfoliate dead skin cells, fight foot odor and remedies bug bites.

What you need:

• Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, preferably with the "mother"
• Distilled or filtered water
• Container. In my case, I like to have my toner in a spray bottle