PitRok Natural deodorant review

I like to mix up my deodorant brands as I find that the more I use one product my body seems to get used to it and it works less effectively. I've tried most natural deodorants out there. Some of them work great! Others, not so much. My main routine was changing between my all natural homemade deodorant recipe and my salt of the earth pure aura spray on Alum based deodorant. They seem to be the ones that work best for me. I'm someone who gets a little bored with routine though and as my salt of the earth spray was running low I was looking to try something Alum based but maybe something a little bit different.

This is why I was super excited about the brand PitRok sending me a couple of there products to review! The ones I received from their range were the PitRok crystal fragranced for women, roll on deodorant and the PitRok crystal natural deodorant stick!

The first one I gave a go with for a few days was the women's roll on deodorant. The packaging for this one was most like a standard kind of roll on deodorant which is great for those just starting to get into a more natural kind of care routine. It doesn't look to different from what the vast majority of people are using at school or the gym so you won't really draw as much attention to yourself than if your applying your deodorant from a block of crystal or a tin of homemade gunk. I know it doesn't really matter, but from a perspective of a shy teenage girl, looking like a bit of a hippy weirdo was one of my main concerns when moving into a natural care routine all those years ago.

The design is pretty nice as well which is a welcome change from the standard pink or purple colours most women's personal care products seem to be plastered with nowadays. This product is rather more fragranced and contains a few more ingredients than you'd expect in most natural products but I see this one as more of a transition product from your standard roll on deodorant. The information on the back of the packaging is also very transparent and explains exactly what is in the product, and more importantly, what they've chosen not to include. There is no Alluminium Chlorohydrate or Alluminium Zinconium which are the main ingredients which most people would like to avoid when switching to a more natural deodorant. There are also no parabens, SLS/SLES, Propylene Glycol or Silicones which is also an added plus and where a number of other 'natural' deodorants fail (I'm looking at you Forever Livving).

The directions are pretty standard when it comes to application. Make sure your underarms are freshly cleaned and apply. It's also to be noted that this product can also be applied to feet which is interesting (untried so far) but those of you who want to sort out whatever kind of Eco system your tootsies have started creating in your shoes at the end of a busy day should probably give this a try too!

I also really loved how the packaging acknowledges the use of fragrance and that is probably not going to be one of your best ideas to stick this on any broken skin.

Anyway enough about all of that. It sounds pretty good but does it actually work? I'm pleased to say that for me it did! With all Alum based deodorants though it is imperative that you give your body a chance to 'detox' a little from standard pore and lymph node blocking deodorants before expecting this to work for you. This should probably only take around a week really. In my experience the way I moved to alum deodorants was to start with my homemade deodorant for a while as my underarms were figuring out why they were allowed to breath again and just make sure you clean those pits a couple of times a day to remove bacteria build up. It's also probably not the best idea to be exerting too much energy as you will be a bit stinkier than usual as your body is working stuff out. But once that's done you're probably ready to move to the wonderful world of Alum!

I work in a job that when I'm not writing, I'm out and about on my feet most of the day talking to people. So it's pretty important for me not to be stinky when hanging out with quite a few members of the public. This worked great and I even had a couple of people comment on how they liked my perfume when all I had on with any fragrance at all was this bad boy. To be honest I was relieved with that compliment as it was day one of trying this and although I didn't think I smelt it was nice to get that reassurance from others around me too that my new deodorant change wasn't causing any offended noses. I did find though that after returning home after a busy 14 hour day a shower and change of clothes was probably required. 

The next day though I brought my little deo along with me and one reapplication in the middle of my day kept me smelling totally fresh until I made it home. I kept this going for the rest of the week and I do have to say that this little package is now in my current care routine possibly for good!

The PitRok natural deodorant stick works much in the same way to the roll on deodorant except it only contains one ingredient. Just one big block of Alum! I was particularly interested in this product as its so simple and also has a use in my current shaving routine to help close my pores after shaving and help stop any nicks and cuts I might cause from not paying as much attention or care shaving as I should have. This is also pretty important right now as I'm entering the terrifying world of mastering the straight edge razor.

I am obsessed with the simplicity of this product and the really useful packaging. As you use the product rather than tipping the stone out of the container and getting germy hands all over it there is a push button on the base which allows more of the product to be released. This is also great for my slippy hands and clumsy nature as it prevents the problem of dropping the stone on the floor and watching it shatter into a million pieces. (This seems to be a relatively common problem with Alum stone users online and a quick googling will show this).

Overall I'm extremely happy with both of these items. Thank you PitRok for letting me try these great products! Once these are gone I can't wait to see what the rest of the range has to offer!

Tina

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Homemade almond milk recipe

I don't always drink much milk but when I do (usually in an occasional coffee) I love to make it myself. It's so simple to do and if you have a couple of minutes and a blender then you can pull this off pretty easily. It tastes so much fresher and creamier than the stuff you get from the shop. It's also great that you know exactly what's in it too. This recipe is for 1/2 pint of almond milk which I find is great for my very low consumption of alternative milks. If you want more however just double up on the ingredients! It lasts probably the longest out of most homemade milks, 7 to 10 days which is great. You could probably get away with a couple of days longer but the fresher the better

Ingredients:

1/4 cup almonds

1/2 cup water

2 dates

1 cup water

A couple of pinches of salt

A teaspoon of vanilla extract

Equipment:

Small bowl

Blender 

Cloth/teatowel

First start by soaking your Almonds for 6-12 hours in half a cup of water and a few pinches of salt. It may be best to do this overnight or first thing in the morning before you leave for work. Soaking the almonds helps soften them and makes them much easier to peel.

After your almonds have soaked remove them from the water, discard the water and peel them. This should be relatively easy to do and becomes simpler the longer you soak them for.

Once you're done put the almonds and the remaining ingredients in your blender. Blend for 60 seconds to make sure you've blended all of your milk finely enough.

After that use your cloth to filter out the pulp of the mixture. It'll reach the point where you need to squeeze the cloth to remove all the liquid from the cloth. 

Once you've done that pour your milk into an bottle and store in the fridge!

I hope you enjoyed the recipe. I know I love it!

Tina

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Elephant Box

Plastic isn't the best material. It's porous which means not only is it a possible breeding ground for bacteria, some levels of chemicals can even leach into the food your storing in there. It's also not great for the environment. Plastic never really biodegrades  which is pretty terrible for the environment. 

It was definatley time to get myself a lunchbox that was a lot healthier, better for the environment and lasts for years. Bringing a packed lunch also greatly reduces the amount of waste in packaging you'd normally use buying lunch every day.

This is where the company elephant box come in. They have a great ethos about being Eco friendly and even reading about them impressed me greatly.

Elephant box say, "At Elephant box we believe in making things to last. It's better for the environment and it makes people happy too. This box is made out of stainless steel which, unlike plastic, need never end up in a landfill." That sounds good to me so that's why I couldn't wait for my elephant box to arrive in the post.

The tin itself is 2 litres which is huge particularly in comparison to many other stainless steel lunch boxes on the market. And the clips on each side of the box keep it pretty air tight which is also great. It holds up really well in my handbag too and doesn't open or spill while I'm going about my daily business which was my main worry.

To be honest I can't really fault this item. It's light but also very strong and sturdy and is the perfect addition to my kitchen. And look at the cute little elephant logo on the top of the box! I can't wait to buy myself a couple more for extra food storage in my fridge.

The elephant box is priced at £25.99 and available at elephantbox.co.uk

Thanks,

Tina

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Super chocolatey vegan Oreo milkshake

This is my favourite recipe even though this is the definition of junk food but it's so good!

I mean just look at it I bet you can taste the chocolatey goodness already! This is the easiest and simplest chocolate milkshake I've ever made. The almond butter gives it such a creamy consistency and really adds to the 'milkshake' flavour.

Ingredients:

- 6 Oreos 

- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

- 2 bananas

- 1 tablespoon almond butter

- dairy free milk or 3 tablespoons oats

-  1 tablespoon hemp seeds (optional)

- water

Throw everything apart from two Oreos in your blender and fill with water. Blend for a couple of minutes. Crush up the remaining Oreos and use as topping. Simple as that! 

I hope you enjoyed this super quick recipe!

Tina

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DIY scalp treatment

In winter find my skin gets rather dry and I need to exfoliate and moisturise a lot more. But what do I do about my equally dry and a little itchy scalp? I use this scalp treatment whenever I feel my hair needs a little TLC. I just melt the treatment in my hands and massage it into my scalp. I leave it for around twenty minutes to work its magic and then A quick rinse sorts it out. 

This is a great DIY for beginners as it requires few ingredients and so little effort.

The coconut oil is conditioning and the rose water (optional) is calming. Tea tree and lavender essential oils help clean the scalp and sort out any dandruff that might be lurking.

Here's how you make it.

Throw some coconut oil into the container you've chosen to store your mixture in. Add a few drops of rose water into the mixture. Then put in a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oil. It really is that easy! You may wish to melt your coconut oil a little if you live in a cold climate but I feel that mixing alone softens the coconut oil enough to sufficiently combine the ingredients together.

Now it's ready to use straight away! I hope you enjoyed this super quick recipe and this great DIY you can make in less than two minutes!

Tina

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Three simple Low waste swaps bathroom edition

Want to reduce your environmental impact but with as little effort as possible? Make some of these easy swaps today!

Shampoo bars

Stronger, cleaner hair not coated in plastics and silicones? Sounds good right. How about also knowing it'll help you save the environment one bar at a time. Shampoo bars are my new holy grail and have saved my hair no end. A quick online search shows that you can get them almost anywhere. Even if you don't feel ready to brave the no poo movement just yet you can get bars made from more traditional shampoo ingredients from brands such as lush and Tigi. They are also great for the frequent flyers and travellers among you. Not messing around buying travel sized bottles of shampoo sounds good to me!

Safety razors

Disposable razors make up a huge amount of waste every year. They also aren't that great for your skin or bank balance either. It might be simpler to just banish the razor from your life for good but to be honest I prefer being a little more smoother. Safety razors can be reusable for years and the only thing you need to change are the blades every few weeks depending on how often you use them. Also no plastic in sight! You can buy good quality safety razors online for as little as £8.99 and razor blades can cost you less than £1 a pack depending on which brand you choose.

DIY or solid toothpaste

Solid toothpaste comes in so many flavours from cola to rose. Even if you prefer a more traditional mint flavour you can also get that too! Lush used to offer solid toothy tabs in small cardboard boxes however the newly repackaged toothy tabs now come packaged in plastic bottles which can be recycled in store. If that's still not quite your cup of tea you can try your hand at making some yourself and storing it in a glass jar or a silicone squeeze bottle. Recipe to come soon!

I hope you liked this post and look out for my other simple and easy low waste swaps.

Tina

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Safety razor shaving - ladies edition

So you want to start shaving with a safety razor. You've heard about how much better it is for the environment, your sensitive skin, a closer shave and your money so what exactly do you need to get started.

Below I'm going to share with you my safety razor kit and what I've learnt you really need if you want to get started.

The first thing you are going to want to buy is a safety razor. But which one and does it matter how much you spend? You want a nice heavy blade made well as this baby is supposed to last you a lifetime. For anyone considering shaving with a safety razor, it is relatively important not to start too cheap as anything under 8 quid will probably not last too long before it starts rusting and falling apart. A really great brand for a good price is the Merkur razor. I would suggest getting something with a slightly longer handle and would suggest either the Merkur 33c or the Merkur 25c as these are probably my favourite styles of Merkur (33c is pictured in this post).

Now you have your razor what else do you need? Razor blades to go in it of course. Not all razor blade brands are created equal however and each one offers a different level of shave. I find the personna blades, although really sharp, a little too close for my skin and they tend to give me razor burn pretty easily. But brands such as Astra, Shark and Derby tend to offer me a close shave with very minor cutting and burning. Blades are usually purchased online and a quick search will show you many offers of trial blade packs which offer you a selection of single blades from different brands to try at a pretty decent price. I find a razor blade lasts me around two to three weeks depending on how often I shave.

A pre and post shave is the next thing on the list. You can get many fancy scented ones available to you but to be honest I prefer a product which is simple and can do both jobs. Almond oil with a little tea tree and lavender essential oil thrown in. The oil softens the hair nicely pre shave and posh shave the tea tree and lavender help to clean out any cuts I may have made on my skin which I can't see. For me sometimes the simplest are the best.

Oh and what if you do really cut yourself? Well there is a handy remedy to stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound almost immediately. Alum. Yes that stuff you can also use as a natural deodorant too! I love items that can do more than one job. It definitely cuts down on my spending no end and saves me a lot of space in my bathroom. The cool thing about this is that the industry has made tiny alum matchsticks which are such a handy little and very cool part of any kit. Simply snap of a stick use on the effected area and you're done. These however aren't what is call an 'essential' but they will probably come in handy more than a few times.

The last two things you really need are a shaving brush and some shaving soap. There are so many shaving brushes on the market some animal hair and some synthetic. I personally use an old unwanted brush of my fathers which is a good 20 years old and I do believe is some kind of animal hair.

If I were to buy new though (and I am in the market to) I would go for a much more animal friendly synthetic brush as you don't have to break them in, they're cheaper and the work similarly to animal hair brushes.

Now for the shaving soap. I personally use shaving soap from the brand Funkysoapshop.com as it's very natural and gives a great lather and moisturises my skin when I'm shaving and I also have a diy natural shaving cream recipe which I will post at a later date for you guys.

So that's everything that you need to get yourself started safety razor shaving! If you have any questions feel free to message me or comment below

Tina

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