This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SeventhGenerationFemCare #CollectiveBias

Since becoming a mom, I’ve taken a new approach to the things we all use on and in our bodies. From eating mostly organic foods to more free & clear detergents on our clothes and dishes to even making homemade body soaps and scrubs and things like that. I’ve become more aware of how things are made and the ingredients that are used in some products. That’s one of the reasons I love making my own body soaps. One of my favorites, especially in the colder months, is this homemade lavender oatmeal body soap. It leaves my skin so soft and silky and it smells amazing.

Even with taking all these steps. there’s one thing I never thought twice about. Ok, any men reading this? You may want to switch to another post to read or just skip on down to the body soap DIY because this topic is for the ladies and “that time of the month”.

I never thought twice about the tampons I use inside my body or any menstrual products for that matter. One would think that would have been my first “switch”, but sadly it wasn’t.

It wasn’t until recently that I saw Seventh Generation™ feminine care products at Target that I had an ah-ha moment. It’s about time that my most delicate area gets the same treatment as the rest of my body.

For more than 25 years, Seventh Generation™ has been formulating plant-based products that work. All the ingredients they use are disclosed right on the packaging so you know what you’re getting (and what you’re not).

Their newest product is the Seventh Generation Comfort Applicator Tampons and for me, making the switch was easy. Seriously, it was as simple as grabbing that box off the shelf instead. That’s it. They’re available in regular absorbency & super absorbency so you can find the right one for your needs. The premium applicator is easy to use and the tampons themselves give you effective leak protection.

The smooth, BPA-free plastic applicator is designed for your comfort and made with 95% plant-based materials. The Free & Clear, Certified Organic Cotton Tampons are hypoallergenic with no added fragrances so your delicate skin is not exposed to any unnecessary chemicals.

They also have Free & Clear fragrance-free Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings and pantiliners. So whatever your needs are during that time of the month, Seventh Generation™ has you covered. Literally.

When you see Free & Clear on their labels, that means their product does not have any fragrance, natural or artificial, or any artificial dyes. And for the products that do use a fragrance, those are always plant essential oils and other botanical ingredients.

You can find any of these products at Target in the feminine care aisle or on Target.com. Be sure to check Cartwheel for special offers too!

HOMEMADE LAVENDER BODY SOAP

Now let me tell you how to make this Lavender Oatmeal Body Soap. A friend of mine first introduced me to making my own body soaps a few years ago. I always assumed it was too time consuming and difficult but once she showed me how easy it was, I was hooked.

First things first, you’re going to need a few things:

• An empty bottle to hold the soap. Since it’s a thin soap you’re going to need one of those foaming handsoap bottles
• Lavender essential oils (about 5-10 drops depending on how strong you like your scent)
• Organic Steel cut oats or regular oatmeal works too
• 3 cups of water
• 1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
• 2 tsp. of coconut oil

In a saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.

Once boiling, add oatmeal and remove from heat. Let sit for about an hour.

Strain water and discard the oatmeal. In a large glass bowl mix the water, castile soap, coconut oil and lavender essential oil. Gently whisk ingredients together.

Pour into your bottle and that’s it. You just made your own body soap that not only smells amazing but feels great on your skin.

Have you made your own body soaps before?

Dawn