Slathering sunscreen on your skin is a good idea right?
Not necessarily. What you put on your skin may be even more important than what you eat, as 70 to 80 percent of topicals go straight into your bloodstream. So you need to know WHAT is in your sun screen.
Some studies have even found a link between melanoma and the use of commercial sunscreen! Chemicals such as dioxybenzone and oxybenzone are some of the most powerful generators of free radical known to man. Other studies have linked some chemical UV filters to the transsexualation of male fish and the degradation of the coral reef.
For a safe alternative, use only a natural sunscreen with safe, non-toxic ingredients.
Try one of our Alba Botanical Organic Sunscreens: all-natural, water-resistant protection from UVA and UVB rays, with varieties including aloe vera, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, and green tea to soothe, repair, and protect your skin.
Organic bedding is usually softer, lasts longer, repels dust mites and mildew, and doesn't have any of the harmful chemicals generally used in traditional bedding. Non-organic bedding is made using toxic chemicals that steadily weaken our immune systems and cause additional problems to allergy sufferers.
Start with changing your conventional pillow case for an
organic, hypo-allergenic one. Your face rests on on your pillow all night; regular pillowcases expose you to the odorless fumes used to treat conventional bedding. A
simple, organic pillowcase means you breathe cleaner air every night.
*Also remember to wash your organic sheets and pillow cases in
organic detergent to prevent polluting your new, pure linens.
While most of us enjoy a rich, lathering shampoo and thick bubbles in our tubs, we may not enjoy the potential long-term side effects of the ingredients. SLS, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and SLES, Sodium Laureth Sulfate along with Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Myreth Sulfate make great-looking foam. These chemicals are also so strong they are used to scrub garage floors. There are even studies linking them to cancer.
We are often careful about what we put in our bodies and on our children’s bodies. We watch what we eat, but don’t even think about what we put ON our bodies. Research has shown that up to 70% of what we put on our bodies is absorbed directly into our blood stream. SLS stays in the body for up to five days, with residue remaining in the heart, liver, lungs and brain.
There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, but only a fraction are tested for safety. Some ingredients to look for and avoid include:
• Parabens – Found in deodorants and cosmetics
• Phthalates – In a majority of bath & body products
• Artificial fragrances
• Methylisothiazoline (MIT) – Used in shampoo
• Toluene – Made from petroleum and found in nail polish and fragrances
• Paraffin and Petrolatum – Coat your skin like plastic and found in moisturizers
Do not despair! There are many all-natural and organic products which actually work. Try an
all-natural moisturizer such as those from
Alba or
Red Flower.
Organic acne fighters like Juice Beauty’s work! We even found an
organic deodorant that actually works – try our Crystal roll-on. Replace your family’s
shampoos, conditioners and
body washes with a recommended organic alternative. It’s easy to toss these hazards out of your home and replace them with healthy, fresh, effective products.
Sources:
Organic Consumers Association, Oct 1, 2009
FoodMatters
US News and World Report, Nov 10, 1997
Terrific article
here on what makes green products green, and why you should care about it. There are 7 qualities shared by green products:
1) Full disclosure of ingredients
2) Ingredients should be plant based – fruits, vegetables, essential oils, vinegar, and baking soda
3) Must be certified as readily biodegradable
4) Must be third-party certified to verify environmental claims
5) Must be cost competitive
6) No animal testing, no animal ingredients, cruelty free
7) Must be safe for septic tanks (gray water safe)
Thank you all for a great holiday season. Wishing you a great start to 2011. Happy New Year!
Our skin is our biggest organ and absorbs approximately 70% of what we put on it. We really need to pay attention to the ingredients in our cosmetics, body washes, bug sprays, and lotions. Pick a body scrub that has naturally-sourced granules like crushed almonds or walnuts. Synthetic beads are not as healthy for our bodies and may not biodegrade, so are not the kind of fish food we want our marine life consuming. Check the chemicals on your body washes and shampoos. And, while your pores are still open apres shower, apply an emollient, organic body lotion.
Use recycled / organic
cotton pads and q-tips because they do not contain synthetic fibers. They are softer on the skin and have less chance of causing microscopic tears on your skin, especially around the delicate eye area.
All of us like our nails looking beautiful, but do we really know what is in our polish? We have found the greatest natural nail polish resource -
PRITI nails. The polishes are soy based made without formaldahyde, toulene or DBP. They are beautiful. They last. And, they do not stain or discolor your nails. They also make a soy based polish remover. And, yes, it really works!
Some things to consider before beginning your spring cleaning:
- Store winter clothes with an organic, green dry cleaner, so that those heavy coats, sweaters and woolen garments are not treated with chemicals when they are returned to the closet.
- Toss out all of those harsh, toxic cleaning products and replace them with green ones instead:
- If you don’t want to invest a lot of money in green cleaning products, at least purchase an all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent and dish-washing liquid to begin cleaning everything in the home from bedding to dishware with non-toxic, chemical free, organic cleaners.
- For washing wood and tile floors, try ECOVER floor soap.
- White vinegar and warm water also works great on tiled surfaces, as well as wood floors.
- If you want to make the bedding smell as fresh as outdoors and aren’t quite ready to replace all of the linens with organic ones:
- At least replace the pillow cases and sprinkle with one or two drops of essential oils in rose or lavender fragrances.
- Each week place the pillows in a hot dryer for at least 10 minutes to kill dust mites and throw in a lavender scented natural dryer sheet for an added soothing fragrance.
- Check the bathroom:
- Replace the soap, body washes, shampoos and conditioners with organic products that are chemical-free.
- If your towels are worn and ready to be replaced, consider buying organic towels that are free of toxins. They are extremely soft and feel great on the skin.
- In the kitchen:
- Cutting boards are great places for toxins to dwell and bacteria to form.
- Only use serving and cutting boards and platters that are made from 100% recycled glass or bamboo.
- To eliminate odors, toss a lemon in the garbage disposal for a clean citrus scent.
Going green can be easy. Here are ten of my favorite eco-friendly and chic products:
- Priti Nontoxic Nail Polish – “Priti nail polish remover is one of my best finds ever – it’s completely free from formaldehyde. And their Magic Man Iris polish is compliable to Chanel’s Vamp!” Priti nontoxic nail polish is fast drying, chip resistant, non-yellowing, contains a UV inhibitor, and is super durable and glossy. It is even safe enough for pregnant women and little girls!
- Red Flower Room Diffuser Sticks – “These room diffuser sticks come in a beautiful flattened recycled glass bottle.”
- Laundry DROPPS – While Laundry DROPPS provide a powerful scrub for your duds, it isn't the harsh kind of cleaning found in other detergents. Instead, our kindly formula gets ferocious on the dirt, but is easy going on your clothes, perfect for babies, kids and sensitive skin.
- Bambu Lacquerware Bowls – “You should go with glass or bamboo in the kitchen.” Each piece of a Bambu lacquerware bowl is hand coiled, shaped and finished with food-safe natural lacquer creating a beautiful, durable waterproof finish accented in modern colors.
Shelly Brown, Founder and Creative Director of planitgreenhome.com, states where and how her idea came about for the creation of her eco-friendly shopping site:
“The idea for Planit Green Home came to mind when I had my babies. I became much more aware of the harmful toxins that can creep into our everyday household products. I made it my mission to seek out quality, organic products that were safer for my family and the environment. But after moving from Southern California - where we seemed to have unlimited organic resources - to lots of cities around the country, I found it increasingly difficult to find eco-friendly products to use in our home. I would spend hours hunting down non-toxic cleaning materials, organic bedding and safe dishes for the baby food. Some items could be found on-line, but usually it was only one category per website, so it became a very time consuming project.”
“My vision for a one-stop-shop for family friendly, environmentally safe products blossomed into this website. Planit Green Home has searched all around the world for unique green products for our bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen and brought the best, greenest choices to you - through our website. We have done the research so that you don't need to. And you also don't need to spend hours driving from shop to shop - which saves you valuable time and is better for the environment too.”
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Planitgreenhome.com has taken the guess work out of going green, and the legwork out of going shopping! This website offers you a convenient, easy way to select top-quality natural products so that you and your family can live happier, healthier and greener!
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Planit Green Home is committed to providing eco-friendly products to better our health and our community. In supporting our sustainability values, we will bring these products direct to our customers- exclusively through our website. Our online one-stop-shop eliminates printed catalog waste, and it also eliminates unnecessary trips to the store by allowing customers to shop for all their home products 24/7 in the comfort of their homes.
Our goal is to make your life easier, healthier and greener.