It's you care in many ways and if you care for the planet then keep reading. If you don't then don't go away - maybe I can change your mind.

If you already know that taking care of the planet is for you then you might want to skip the next bit and go straight to my recipes for homemade house, hair and skin care. And don't worry if you find yourself licking your lips - some of them look and smell good enough to eat.

And that's one of my points. If it's not the sort of thing we'd want to ingest, if it gives us a whopping headache when we breathe too much in - why would we want to let is slide down our plugholes and off into nature?

Is it going to make a difference if I do my part? you may ask.

It's certainly not going to make things worse in my view.

Of course, the more people do their part, the bigger difference it's going to make. But why should anyone do their part? Well, even if you don't give a hoot about the planet there is the fact that those everyday products we squirt, spray, smother and squeeze from their tubes are all boomeranging back to our good selves. That stuff that slithers down our sinks is going somewhere and if it's not towards the outstretched arms of Mother Nature, where else? And as old Mother Nature is the one that gives us nourishment, where does that leave her offspring?

But a few household products aren't going to have much effect on the environment, you may say. Well, even if they don't perhaps you might consider what effect they might have on you.

Now, I can't provide you with statistics or concrete proof but I can't help noticing that cancer cases are rising all the time. I'm not saying anything - just that it makes me wonder if what we spray, roll and smear on ourselves has anything to do with this rise.  I'm not saying it's the cause but it may be a contributing factor.

There's nothing to back up my theory, as I say, and no doubt any big household brand would crush me in an instant with their statistics proving the contrary - all I have to go on is a gut feeling. Oh, and my nose.

There, I'm off on a tangent again. I just can't stop myself - but, actually, my nose has a lot to do with my decision to look for alternatives to commercial cleaning products. The fact is, one sniff of household cleaning products, perfumes, skin creams and sometimes even shampoo gives me a headache.

Now, I'm not as weak as a new born lamb, neither am I someone riddled with allergies (I don't have any). I always used commercial products until a few years ago and I believe the reason for my headaches is because after some years of not having them round me their toxicity (only word I can think of) slaps me in the face.

I only have what my own body tells me to go on though - nothing else. Breathing in some of those products makes me feel nay too good and that's why I don't want to splurge them all over my clothes, furniture, dishes or my own face and hair.

And as there are alternatives at hand for odd balls like me, I'm laughing all the way to the enviromentally friendly bank.

The best thing about the environmentally friendly bank is that you can invest in your planet's future without great cost to yourself. It may cost you a little more time perhaps but you'll find it a lot more satisfying, sweeter smelling and generally less headachy than before.

Now for household cleaning products, all in all, I could narrow down the basic ingredients to just the following:

• lemons (real ones of course)
• bicarbonate of soda
• white wine vinegar

and that's it. Those are my indispensable ingredients but you may know of others and I'd be interested to hear which they are. So now for a few homemade recipes.

I'll let you into a little secret.

I haven't used washing up liquid for seven years.

Can I come out of hiding now? I know, I know - I didn't even warn you to sit down before I said it. But I'm not a greebo, I assure you. Of all the products that was the first I eliminated - it's the one which gets ingested the most.

So you eat your washing up liquid, do you? you ask.

Well, no. But I can usually taste washing up liquid on plates, no matter how well they've been rinsed. To be honest, to start off with it was purely something I did to keep my food tasting nice.

Ok, so here's what I use. Brace yourself, it's a humongous list:

• sliced lemons
• bicarbonate of soda
• white wine vinegar

Now, I'll keep this brief - lemons are a sort of natural disinfectant (in my eyes anyway), bicarbonate of soda will remove any tough stains when dissolved in water and glass comes up a treat with white wine vinegar and warm water. There.

I should point out here that making homemade cleaning products is usually down to trial and error - constant experimentation to find what works for you.

If you'd like other homemade washing up liquid recipes try the above link for a start.

I'd like to mention a fellow hubber, Green Lotus, at this point and say a thank you for planting the seeds (organic, of course) of thought in my mind. It was this hub http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Live-Green-without-Little-or-No-Effort that inspired me to try making my own washing powder and I can report the results of my very first attempt fresh today.

It was just yesterday that I entered the world of homemade washing powder and I can say this - there's no turning back from now on!

Here's what I used:

• grated mint 'marsiglia' soap http://www.erboristeriedelladda.it/carrello/skart.php?art_cod=480 (a natural washing soap from Italy, you can use any natural soap of whichever flavour you prefer)
• bicarbonate of soda

And that's it but I've heard borax is an ingredient that should be added for even better results. I shall keep you updated when I try adding that to my above recipe.

For now I can tell you my recipe worked like a dream. A batch of very fresh minty-smelling washing and I wasn't left with scratchy hands after touching my homemade powder. Honestly, it's a breath of fresh air and in more ways than one - there were no smelly rogue socks masquerading as clean ones in with my washing today. That alone is worth a big 'hurrah'.

Of course, I'm just a day old expert so maybe it's an idea if I point you in the direction of others with a wee bit more experience. Try the links below for a start:

I admit it - I have an annoying habit of doing everything differently.

I look for an alternative to practically everything and have an almost pathological aversion for every 'accepted' thing. One of those things is face creams. I don't know why but promises like 'have younger looking skin' just put me on my guard. In truth, I manifest my non compliance to the world of beauty in using nothing at all (ok, occasionally eyeliner) but I can assure you that this isn't an act of rebellion but a natural preference.

Having said that my skin does get treated from time to time but not with anything that's come out of a little pot and cost quite a few bananas. In fact, bananas are one of the things it's treated to but only rarely. If I use anything it's olive oil, lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and occasionally fresh milk.

All right, stop that chuckling at that back. I know - my skin has a three course meal and I can't expect people to nip off to the salad bar every time their skin feels dry.

So why not use nothing at all?

I've found the more you leave your skin alone the better it is. I would say this was just another one of my notions but I have seen a few examples of fifty year old women who have never used any skin products and have, I don't like this word but I have to use it, radiant skin.

It's a bit like having a headache and not taking headache tablets - after a while your headaches go away naturally because your own body sorts them out on its own. The skin naturally looks after itself and keeps itself fresh. That one is my own notion, by the way, but I do firmly believe it.

Of course every now and then the skin could do with a good clean and that's why I find bicarbonate of soda pretty good. You can mix it into a paste, slap it on your face and rinse it off again pretty soon afterwards. You don't want to be keeping it on too long or using that mask too often as it can pinch a bit but I've heard it's good for getting rid of dead skin.

I can vouch for that.

But if your skin feels dry afterwards after all that exfoliating you might want to try this recipe which juices it up again:

• one teaspoon of Acacia honey
• one egg white (free range please)
• one teaspoon of almond oil

Whisk the egg white until it's stiff then blend in the honey and oil until it's all blended together. You just apply a bit before beddy byes every night for a week (it keeps in the fridge for a week) and your skin will be brighter and firmer.

Yes it will.

You could, of course, just try slapping on a few dabs of olive oil - but perhaps not before you go out or you will smell like a salad. Try not to get it in your eyes either although it's not end of the world if you do.

Those are just a couple of recipes. There are so many - I don't want to bombard you but rather give you some starting points.

Of course, skin care is a very personal thing and with homemade products experimentation is the key. You can have fun mixing things up until you find what works for you. You could try the sites at the top right for a few recipes.

Try listening to the nice lady below if you're interested in a tutorial.

Ok, so if you've got this far you might be wanting some recipes.

Again, hair care, like skin care is a very personal thing and what's right for one person may not be right for another.

This is why experimentation is the key.

Again, I can point you in the right direction with the links on the right and I can also tell you what works for me.

So what works for me?

In a word - egg. In another word lemon and in another bicarbonate of soda. And just two little words more - olive oil.

The key factors here are firstly, getting the quantities right; secondly, not applying your concoctions too often otherwise the hair will become dull and lifeless.

Here's what I use and I can tell you it's been adapted from the original recipe I read quite a few times to suit my own hair. It may work for you as it is already though:

• one beaten egg (free range)
• a couple of drops of olive oil
• a generous squirt of fresh lemon
• bicarbonate of soda to rinse afterwards (optional)

The first three ingredients should be whipped together and then splodged on your hair. You should pin up your hair (if it's long) wrap some cling film over it and then a towel and leave it ten minutes or more.

Now, bicarbonate of soda. I can feel myself going off on one about the benefits of bicarbonate of soda but I'll try to contain myself. For me it's the answer to everything - hair clogged up with too many products? it will zap them away. Likewise if you go heavy on the oil in the above recipe and you find yourself with hair as oily as a moody teenager you can rinse it through with bicarbonate of soda and warm water and the mistake is rectified.

Another thing with using egg is the pong factor. I don't notice it myself but my boyfriend turns into a blood hound when I use my egg shampoo and bicarbonate of soda helps to rinse off the smell. Another way to counteract the eggyness is adding a sprinkling of ground cinnamon to the bicarb. on the last rinse. Some say white wine vinegar is good as it also give a shine but I find it makes my hair greasy afterwards.

As you see it's all down to trial and error.

The egg mixture should be used about every two weeks in the place of shampooing but I find as a regular substitute to shampoo bicarbonate of soda and warm water works well (ok I know - I'm firmly in the bicarb. camp) and I have tried stout (dark beer) but always with the bicarb rinse afterwards of course. If you're interested in trying recipes you have to see what works for you.

And there really are an awful lot to chose from. Even if you want to go back to using commercial shampoos you might find your hair doesn't.

Ok, I realise this hub is rather female orientated and I apologise for excluding any males but honestly - you can try those recipes too if you want to. We won't laugh. (chortle)

To be honest, my brother uses the egg recipe every now and then and has got on well with it.

Ok, perhaps I ought to wonder into the realms of shaving although I admit that it's not my area of expertise. I do know there are alternatives to shaving foam - very complicated, intricate alternatives that can only be summed up in one little word. Soap.

Before all the men out there start booing me and chucking their shaving cannisters at me, let me defend myself. All right, I am not the bearded woman and I don't know anything about shaving but I can only pass on my boyfriend's experience. Soap works just as well as those cannister products, according to him. Then again, he doesn't have dry skin and this might be taken into account. All the same, I'm convinced that if we girls can find alternatives to skin creams you lot can find alternatives to shaving foam.

Ok, I'm going to run and hide from all the cannisters hurtling my way.

Perhaps I can redeem myself by pointing you in the direction of some homemade shaving cream recipes. What do you say? See the links below:

So as you might have realised it isn't too difficult to do one's part for the environment - a commitment perhaps but well worth it.

And of course my suggestion for alternatives is by no means exhaustive. I didn't mention toothpaste, handcreams, hair gels and many many more. But my research is ongoing and I'm hoping that people might point me in the right direction too via their own experience and ideas.

I'm open too all suggestions (just as long as they don't end in 'off').

Thanks for reading.