DIY Sugar Wax Hair Remover

"Finally a Working Homemade Hair Removal Solution!" 

This is one of those ideas I debated on blogging about, but after asking fans over on our facebook page if they wanted more "it works but it's...ehhhh" posts, I decided to go ahead and share.

Sugar Wax. A long-time touted hair remover, and something you can easily make in your own kitchen. With a few simple ingredients you can be on your way to being hairless for a fraction of the cost of waxing kits you buy in the store. Right?

It's not that simple. I decided to test this out myself after reading a lot of mixed reviews on it. I found this YouTube video and decided to spend an evening testing it out.

The first batch didn't turn out. Neither did the second. Or the third. I told myself one more try, and then I was going to give up. Well wouldn't you know it, fourth time's a charm I guess, because this time to turned out like the video suggested it would.

So how well does it wax? Not as harshly as the store bought wax I normally use. Which was nice. I tested it out on my eyebrows, upper lip, and arm. It wasn't as easy to control, so my brows didn't turn out as cleanly as I like them, but the upper lip was nice (and it didn't make me break out, which most waxing does when I do my upper lip) I did have to apply and remove it many, many times to get most of the hair, unlike the one time application I do with other waxes. I have dark thick body hair though, so my fair haired followers might not have to apply it as much as I did.

I wrapped the leftovers in plastic wrap, and then went back a bit later to try it again. Unfortunately, it stuck something awful to the bag, and despite briefly microwaving it and trying to warm it with hot water, I could not get it off the plastic wrap. What I did manage to pull had changed in texture and consistency and was pretty much useless.

Personally, I'm sticking to commercial waxes (this is the one I normally use). At the end of the day, this was such a hassle, a mess, and countless hours in frustration that I just can't get into it. Does it work? If you can manage to get it the right consistency, yeah. But is it worth all the hassle? For me, the answer is no.

So has any of our fans tried this before? What were your results like?

Color Code on Tubes Warns of Danger

"Good to know! Learn how to read the markings on all tubes so you can check what you are using before you use it." 

Imagine if at a glance, you could see how natural that toothpaste you're about to use really is? According to this image and others like it, it's as simple as that. On the tops of most tubes you will find an colored square, usually of only a handful of colors: red, blue, green, and black. Are these really secret markers allowing you to tell just how natural that cream or toothpaste is? 

Nope, not at all. If anyone has seen shows like "How It's Made", you probably already can guess the answer. Those "color code" makers are actually just color markers to let the sensors know where to cut and crimp the tubes in manufacturing, nothing more. In fact it's already been busted by snopes. And as they say, if you really want to know what's in the produce you're using, reading the ingredients label might be a tad more helpful. 

Soap to Deter Squirrels From Your Yard and Garden

"Irish Spring and a cheese grater. Apparently squirrels hate the smell of the soap, so they'll stay out of your garden. "

I saw this on Pinterest last week and was rather curious. After a bit of a search on gardening forums, the majority of them say it doesn't seem to work. It's been tried on everything from squirrels to deer and even rats, but for the most part it doesn't work as much of a deterrent. I also wonder about the effects of having shaved soap in my flower beds or garden as I wonder if the various additives could affect the plants at all. 

Over at the source of the image, The Cape on the Corner, I decided to ask and see how it was working for her. She let me know that she didn't believe it was all that successful for her, but she only tried it once. 

So what can you do if you're being harassed by squirrels? My biggest suggestion is to try to set up a squirrel feeder if you can. Generally if they have a steady source of food, they'll leave everything else alone. If that's not something you're interested in, the Humane Society has some great suggestions on what you can use around your house and on your plants to prevent squirrel damage.

Listerine for Blisters

"Home cure: Listerine Use it for: Blisters The classic breath freshener—and powerful antiseptic—can also do a number on blisters. Moisten a cotton ball with Listerine and dab it on your blister 3 times a day until the area dries out and no longer hurts"

This is another one of those that is commonly seen in a large strip of home remedies on Pinterest. I have no doubt this would work, but it still seems silly. Unless you're out camping and forgot the first aid kit and have been walking barefoot through a swampy lake only to realize your blisters have popped, in which case I could understand using this. You see, the main ingredient of Listerine is Ethanol. Yep. It's basically booze. Sure it has a hint of other things, like menthol, thymol, and a few other herbal flavors, but at 26% pure alcohol, that's what's really getting the job done. Really, you're probably better off leaving the listerine on the bathroom shelf and reaching for the rubbing alcohol (a solution of either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol), or even a bottle of rum or vodka in a pinch. Due to its natural antimicrobial properties, tea tree oil is another, more natural route you could go that will help fight germs and dry the blister out if need be. 

I've also seen this pinned stating that "Listerine contains antiseptic and disinfectant ingredients; it has been used for everything from curing gonorrhea to cleaning floors." and that's true--or, at least, it was over 100 years ago when it was created and used as a surgical antiseptic. But when at looking at the turn of century, it's important to remember that it was the era of Cure-Alls; it was fairly common for a lot of items to be toted as a universal solution for anything and everything. For example, Lysol was originally created as an antiseptic disinfectant to fight against cholera. Soon after, in the 1920's it was recommended as feminine douche and preventive for pregnancy after all. Interestingly, this was around the same time as Listerine was suggested as a mouthwash to help fight bad breath (which, prior to that time, wasn't considered such a terrible thing).

So all in all, yes you can use this for blisters, but it's so silly I don't see why anyone would want to.

Magic Toilet Cleaner

Magic Eraser uses... did you know you can cut a piece off and float it in your toilet overnight and voila! no more toilet ring! The website has a list of about 100 uses!

Magic Erasers.. they clean like magic. I honestly love these things and use them in place of typical sponges on most everything. (Though I personally prefer the generics.)

But will they be so magical as to do the work for you? 

No. No they won't. You can't just cut up a sponge, toss it in the toilet, and expect to wake up to having the bowl cleaned for you magically over night. The way these sponges work are that they are basically like super fine sandpaper (which is why they tell you never to use on skin. Though I'm surprised I haven't seen it posted a great DIY micro dermabrasion facial on pinterest yet.) So you actually need to scrub with these. Plus you still need to fish that out of your toilet come morning anyways so wouldn't it be easier just to clean it the old fashion way?

Honestly if you keep your toilet fairly clean then in a pinch you can add anything from your usual bowl cleaner, bleach, or even baking soda and let it sit over night and then just flush in the morning to get rid of the ring.  I've also read where people have had good results with the old 3rd grade science fun of mixing equal parts baking soda and vinegar to clean with out scrubbing. However if you have hard water or mineral build up that isn't responding to the usual cleaner and brush it's best to slap on the industrial rubber gloves, grab a pumice stone and get scrubbing.