A Cosmetic Makeover October 31, 2007

If you’re like me you don’t want to carry around a list of toxic ingredients to try to figure out whether you should buy a particular item. It’s got to be relatively easy and painless or, let’s be honest here, I just won’t do it. And you probably won’t either. 

Skin-care products calling themselves organic are now one of the fastest-growing categories in the U.S. beauty industry. The cosmetic industry is not regulated, however, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the term ‘organic’ has not been defined for cosmetics. So cosmetic labels indicating ”natural,” “botanical” or “organic” are basically useless. Ah, where to start then.

After I checked my current cosmetics against the Skin Deep Safe Cosmetics Database, I knew I needed to overhaul my cosmetics case. I used the Skin Deep Safe Cosmetics Database as a starting point. I filtered results to only include companies who have signed the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics” and who don’t test their products on animals. I don’t want to shop for cosmetics at multiple websites plus I want to take advantage of free shipping if I can. With that in mind, I chose companies with at least half of their products in the “low-hazard” range for additional research. The following is the list I came up with, along with the website and some information about each company.

• Aubrey Organics has 112 cosmetics listed in the Skin Deep database. Of those 83 are rated low toxicity (0-2). They have a section called “Try-Me-Outs” on their website where you can buy 2 oz. of a product to try it. Many of their ingredients are certified organic. Be aware that the products containing sunscreen have PABA in them, which pushes the score for those products into the moderate level range. It just goes to show that you can’t assume that all products from the same company have the same level of toxicity. The company offers free shipping in the contiguous U.S. for orders over $75.
• Badger has 30 products listed in the Skin Deep database, 100% rated as low hazard (0-2). According to their website, more than 70% of their ingredients are certified organic, with a goal of becoming 95% certified organic in early 2008. They also indicate a significant emphasis on being a “green” company and list their efforts on their website. They make body and lip balms, soaps and baby products.
• Bath Petals uses essential oils, shea butter and oils such as olive, coconut and jojoba in their products. They make salt scrubs, bath salts, shower and bath gels, body oil and butter, and aromatherapy candles. The website lists a monthly bath bargain. Of the 38 products listed in the Skin Deep database, 100% rated as low hazard (0-2).
• Burt’s Bees has 114 products listed in the Skin Deep database, 66 of which were rated as low hazard (0-2). Their website says they label every product with a “natural bar” to help customers understand the high dosage of natural ingredients used in our products. Fragrances are phthalate-free. They use only natural colors - some of these include beta-carotene, chlorophyll, titanium dioxide and mica.  Their products contain natural preservatives, like those made from sugar enzymes, that both inhibit the growth of microorganisms and enhance product stability. As a bonus, most of their packaging is created from recycled materials, or is developed with re-use in mind, like their easy-to-recycle aluminum containers.
• California Baby has 44 products listed in the Skin Deep database, 37 of which have a low hazard (0-2) rating. They market skin and suncare products for newborn to adult. Their website indicates that California Baby products do not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or DEA. Their sunscreens are PABA free. Products are also available in gallon sizes. You can get free shipping in the continental U.S. by ordering any of their one gallon sizes or ordering more than $150.00 worth of products.
• Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps are certified under the USDA National Organic Program. Even better, their soap bottles are 100% Post Consumer Recycled plastic cylinder bottles. Their website indicates they will soon offer hand/face and body wash pump/bar soaps and shampoo & conditioner. Of the 42 products in the Skin Deep database, 37 are rated low hazard (0-2). They offer free shipping in the continental U.S. with a minimum order of $20.
• Giovanni Cosmetics makes hair and body products. I’m a hair product junkie and use a lot of different products on my hair, one to wash, another to conditioner, then to detangle and smooth or make curly or straight. Their website indicates they use no laurel/laureth sulfates in their products but was not as informative as I would like. For product ingredients, I used the Skin Deep database but out of the 22 products in the Skin Deep database, 17 have a low hazard (0-2) rating.
• Gourmet Body Treats has 34 products in the Skin Deep database, 100% with a low hazard (0-2) rating. Their website indicates they use as little packaging as possible if any to reduce waste and only use recyclable containers and all of their products are made with 70-100% certified organic ingredients. In addition to soaps, moisturizers and scrubs, they have a line of cosmetics.
• Jane Iredale products contain no talc or parabens, no synthetic dyes, no petroleum-derived products. Their lipsticks are colored with iron oxides and carmine (what, no lead?). Ingredients for each product are listed under Jane’s Guide > Ingredients. Of the 522 products listed in the Skin Deep database, 346 of were rated as having low toxicity (0-2). You can order a sample kit that includes 2 foundations, blush, eye shadow, concealer, lip plumper, lip balm and lip color plus 2 brushes/applicator.
• Larenim (mineral spelled backwards) offers sample sizes of their products for purchase. Their mineral foundations, blush, and eyeshadow contain titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, and iron oxides. Their products contain no talc or parabens. In fact, of the 77 products in the Skin Deep database, 100% are rated low hazard (0-2). They offer free shipping in the U.S. for any order over $24.95.
• miessence is USDA Organic Certified and Australian Certified Organic. The Skin Deep database lists 67 products, 100% of which are rated low hazard (0-2). Their products contain ingredients like beeswax, aloe vera, jojoba oil, shea butter, lecithin, and grapefruit seed extract.
• Pangea Organics products are made with extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, hemp and coconut oil. They leave out synthetic preservatives, petrochemicals or parabens. Of the 38 products listed in the Skin Deep database, 30 are rated as low toxicity (0-2).
• Terressentials offers products that contain 100% USDA Certified Organic ingredients. They offer 2 oz. trial sizes for purchase. The Skin Deep database lists 42 products, 100% with a low hazard (0-2) rating. They offer body washes, oils and creams, facial cleanser and lotion, baby products and a unique “Pure Earth Hair Wash”.
• Trillium Organics are certified under the USDA National Organic Program. Their product line includes body polish, botanical soaps, and body oils. They also offer value sets and fragrance free products. The Skin Deep database contains 41 products, 100% with a low hazard rating (0-2). They offer free standard shipping in the continental U.S. for orders over $100.
• Weleda has 51 products in the Skin Deep database, 33 of which have a low hazard rating (0-2). Their products are free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, colorants and raw materials derived from mineral oils. Their products range from body washes and oils to toothpaste and deodorants.

Related Posts:

• What’s in Your Lip Balm? 
• What’s in Your Toothpaste? 
• What’s in Your Cosmetics? 
• Lead in Your Lipstick

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Green Your Holidays October 30, 2007

Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as compared to any other time of the year. The extra waste amounts to about 1 million extra tons per week. That’s a LOT of extra garbage!

Here are some gift and celebration ideas to help you generate less waste and experience what really matters – the joy and memories of the holiday season:

1. The gift of experience…
   • tickets to a ballet or dance company
   • tickets to a concert or symphony
   • tickets to a sporting event
   • lessons for golf, tennis, skiing, snowboarding, scuba, swimming, cooking, financial planning, painting, sculpting, sewing, dance, foreign language, a musical instrument - something the person has always wanted to learn
   • hand, foot or body massage / spa treatment
   • manicure / pedicure
   • an annual pass to state parks
   • horseback riding
   • gym membership, pilates, spinning or yoga class
   • membership to a swimming pool
   • gift certificate to a bowling alley or skating rink
   • membership to a zoo, aquarium or museum
   • service you can provide like babysitting, raking, gardening, painting
   • gift certificate to a restaurant
   • tickets to the movies
   • subscription to a favorite magazine
   • a bus pass
   • charitable donation in the person’s name
   • edible gift, such as a home-cooked meal or baked goods
2. Creative wrapping…
   • For large, unwieldy gifts, add a large, reusable bow on a large gift
   • Create a “treasure map” to find an unwrapped gift hidden in the house or yard
   • Place gifts inside containers like a backpack, purse, knit hat, flower pots, or baskets
   • Use reusable or re-used gift bags
   • Package small, themed gifts in a larger item – such as plates or table service inside placemats or a tablecloth or kitchen utensils in an apron or decorative dishtowel
   • Start a tradition of Christmas stockings for each person. Stocking gifts are not wrapped and the stockings can be used year after year.
   • Make your own wrapping paper by using pages from the newspaper, comics or magazines.
   • Wrap presents in your own or your children’s artwork
   • Decorate paper shopping bags or cut pieces from maps, calendars or posters.
   • If you do buy wrapping paper, be sure it is recycled-content wrapping paper.
   • Replace ribbons and bows with evergreens, berries, dried flowers, origami or hand cut snowflakes
   • Save cards, bags, boxes and bows to use on future gifts.
   • Make gift tags from last year’s cards.
3. Festive parties…
   • Use washable utensils, dishes, glasses, napkins and table coverings rather than disposable
   • Turn down the heat before guests arrive – the extra people will provide plenty of warmth
   • If you are attending a potluck or bringing an edible gift for the host, package it in a reusable container
   • Decorate with plants. After the party give the plants to your guests to take home and plant 
   • Make it easy for your guests to recycle at parties
   • Send leftovers home with your guests in reusable containers or donate the food to a local homeless shelter
   • For seldom worn party clothes, consider renting or shopping in a consignment shop
   • Take advantage of food waste recycling services where they are offered
4. After the holidays…
   • Recycle your Christmas tree, garland or wreaths. Better yet, instead of cut tree, buy a live tree that can be planted after the holidays. If you don’t have room for it, donate the tree to a school, nursing home, or church.
   • If you received new items that will replace current possessions, donate them to a local charity.
   • Before you recycle all those Christmas catalogs, email or call customer service to be removed from their catalog mailing list.

Related Posts:

• Buy Nothing Day
• Is on-line a greener way to shop?

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Fly or Drive? October 29, 2007

This is not a proverbial question. My husband and I are planning a trip down to Arizona in November. Originally, we thought we might drive. We’d be able to load up the car with household items meaning less stuff to move when we move to Arizona in the first part of 2008. After figuring that it would take 3 full days of driving plus gas, suddenly flying seems a lot less onerous and a lot less costly. Even though the plane will emit more CO2 than our car travel, the plane will be full, unlike our car. I am comforted by the fact that we cancelled our vacation in Hawaii and are going instead to Arizona. Instead of playing tourist in Hawaii, we’ll be toiling in our own home, making it move-in ready.

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Website of the Day: Freecycle October 29, 2007

I’m all about recycling and cringe anytime I think about throwing things into a landfill. On the other hand, I dislike garage sales. My sister loves them, they’re just not for me. Dont’ get me wrong, I’ve had garage sales and I’ve been to garage sales. It just makes me crazy when something is priced for a dime and some cheapster wants to negotiate down to a nickel. It’s a dime, for crying out loud! I’d rather just give it away. 

Enter Freecyle. Here’ a blurb from their homepage:

“The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,142 groups with 4,012,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer…Membership is free.” 

Waste Management, Inc., is their founding sponsor. Hey, these are the folks who pick up my trash! Upon joining my local group, I found offerings ranging from Halloween costumes to books, furniture, fabric, you name it. If you’re nervous about having folks come to your house, you could arrange to meet at a local coffee shop or the parking lot at work during lunch.

Give it Away

When you want to find a new home for something – whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door – send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycle group.

Find Something for You

If you are want something for yourself, respond to a member’s offer. After that, it’s up to the giver to decide who receives the item and to set up a pickup time. Freecycle encourages members to select local charitable groups whenever possible.

How cool is that?

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What’s in your cosmetics? October 29, 2007

With the latest outcry about lead in lipstick, it’s hard to know what cosmetic company or product is relatively safe to use. I’ve made some changes to my personal toiletries arsenal but not enough.

Even though the Skin Deep: Cosmetics Safety Database contains nearly 25,000 products by company and product name, cosmetic companies formulate new products each season so you may not find a specific product. In order to simplify the process, I resorted to the following guidelines:

1. Company signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, part of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.  
2. Product was rated 0 -2 hazard out of 10, the lower the better.
3. Company does not perform animal testing, as listed in the Cosmetics Safety Database. Google “animal testing” videos. Most of them are so horrific I can’t even watch them.
4. Product is fragrance free. Phthalates routinely masquerade as fragrance. Many years ago I used some cheapie eye makeup and ended up with burning, itching skin. A dermatologist did numerous patch tests and discovered I’m allergic to Balsam of Peru, a carrying agent for fragrance. Not once have I ever seen it listed as an ingredient in a cosmetic. I just have to avoid fragrance to be on the safe side.
5. Sunscreen product containing Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
6. I can purchase multiple cosmetics from the same company and multiple products from one store. For example, I can buy Alba Hawaiian shampoo and conditioner as well as Kiss My Face Olive Oil fragrance-free soap at the same store. I want to be mindful of the cost in terms of time and resources to get it.

The following lists are invaluable:

• The list of companies that have signed on is here. L’Oreal, Avon and Revlon aren’t on the list but then some are missing that surprise me, for example, Tom’s of Maine and Beauty Without Cruelty.
• Top 20 brands of concern - L’Oreal’s products (Dark & Lovely, Bioterm, Garnier and L’Oreal), make 4 of the 20. St. Ives, Revlon, Coppertone, Nivea, Banana Boat, Avon, Clairol - all product lines I’ve used in the past.
• Top 20 companies of concern - L’Occitane is #1

These companies are fighting regulation tooth and nail, because it will cost them money. It’s so much cheaper to continue to poison us. Just remember, if you don’t buy it, they won’t make it.

If you don’t see your favorite product or company in the database, use the Breast Cancer Fund’s product safety tip card – a wallet-sized guide listing cosmetic ingredients to avoid.

 What’s in your shampoo?

Related Posts:

• What’s in Your Lip Balm?
• What’s in Your Toothpaste?
• A Cosmetic Makeover
• Lead in Your Lipstick

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Ditch the Garbage Disposal October 27, 2007

Mom knows best, they say, and sometimes it’s true. My mom has a covered compost crock that sits by the side of her sink. She throws in eggshells, lettuce, and assorted kitchen scraps — whatever the dog hasn’t eaten. When it’s full, off it goes to the compost bin.

After a recent trip to eastern Washington to visit my mom, I did some research. Turns out mom is spot on. 

While garbage disposal units are installed in about half of the homes in the United States, they are not a ”green” solution to food waste. In fact, New York City outlawed the devices for many years until they lifted the ban in 1997. Ground up food waste passes through the sewage treatment system, which removes any nutrient value with chemicals. Additionally, grinding up food uses a lot of fresh water, which we cannot afford to waste.  According to Mark Jeantheau of the popular eco-website Grinning Planet, sewage treatment plants are a main source of “nutrient pollution”—one of the main causes of coastal dead zone in estuaries, gulfs, and bays. Adding your nutrient-rich food waste to the sewage stream only makes the problem worse.”

Those with septic systems should minimize the use of a garbage disposal, unless you have look forward to scum and sludge buildup in the septic tank and clogging in the soil adsorption field. In other words, a homeowner’s nightmare.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to recycle food in your yard waste bins. When I checked the Waste Management Northwest website, they started food recycling in August 2007. Or, do as my mom does, compost it yourself.

Resources: 

• Kitchen Compost Containers
• Clean Air Gardening
• GREENculture

Related Post: 8 Ways to Save Water Without Spending a Dime

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Website of the day: swaptree October 27, 2007

If you’re looking to trade books, CDs, DVDs, and video games you don’t want for books, CDs, DVDs and video games you do want, swaptree has it all. It’s green, it’s convenient and best of all, it’s free. You only pay for shipping. Swaptree has that covered too, with their automatic shipping label feature. The fact that you don’t have to got to the post office makes using swaptree easier to use than services like ebay or craigslist.

All you have to do is enter the UPC or ISBN code on the back of the media and swaptree fills in the details. Once you’ve listed items for trade, swaptree does the rest. Instead of spending time searching for potential trades, bidding in an auction, or negotiating a trade with another user, swaptree shows you everything you can get for your items. Here’s a way to get that Harry Potter book you’re missing or trade “The Little Mermaid” movie your child has outgrown.

All trades are one-for-one, which means every item is valued the same for trading purposes. The best thing about swaptree is that it can automatically calculate and create three-way trades. This increases the number of items you can receive in trade exponentially. 

But wait, there’s more… 

You can download and install the swaptree toolbar add-on for your web browser that will instantly notify you as you are browsing other sites, if you can get the book, CD, DVD or video game that you are looking at for free on swaptree. The toolbar notifies you if you can get the item for free on swaptree and works with retailers such amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, among others.

In a word, sweet. Sign up at swaptree.

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Buy Nothing Day October 25, 2007

I’m not sure when the holiday season kicks off anymore. There was a time that Christmas shopping didn’t officially start until after Thanksgiving so you could enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving without worrying about how many shopping days you had left until Christmas. Now it seems that the Christmas season takes up half the year. I’m not sure when I first noticed Christmas toys and decorations in the stores this year but it smacked me in the head today when I spotted a life size plastic Santa figure in a store. In recent years, it seems that businesses try to extract as much money as they can out of the holidays by heavy advertising, easy credit terms, enticing sales and discounts. It reminds me of  the line in the movie, Jerry Maguire, “Show me the money”!

That’s where “Buy Nothing Day” comes in.

According to Wikipedia, the first Buy Nothing Day took place in September 1992. In 1997 it was moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year in the US. Outside of the US, Buy Nothing Day is the last Saturday in November. According the the UK Buy Nothing Day site, we should question the products we buy and the companies who produce them. As consumers we can talk with our pocketbook when we buy fair trade products, seek out companies who are good stewards of the environments, consume less and recycle more.  There are over 20 countries who participate in the yearly event with the movement growing each year.

As for me, I’ll be visiting family the day after Thanksgiving. No shopping required. 

from verdavivo.vodpod.com

Related Post: Green Your Holidays 

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iWalk to School October 25, 2007

This morning a news program reported on a local school participating in “iWalk”. What’s this? Sounds interesting.  

According to Wikepedia, iWalk started in the United Kingdom by Living Streets, a charitable organization dedicated to pedestrian advocacy. It has evolved into an international movement, with October now designated as “International Walk to School” month. Schools can participate for a day, week or for the entire month.

“More than a third of youth aged 9 to 15 years live within a mile of school, but less than half of these students walk or bike to school even 1 day per week.”

That’s disturbing. But if parents are concerned about the safety of their children as they walk to and from school, who can blame them? iWalk is an opportunity for children, parents, and communities to turn the trend around. Walking communities are healthier and safer – for everyone.

The main reasons to support walking and biking to school are to promote:

• Healthy children - lack of exercise and skyrocketing obesity is a problem for children as well as adults. Parents who walk their children to school benefit from meeting other parents, their children’s friends. Want to see who your kids are hanging out with? Walk with them.
• Improved air quality - fewer cars on the road means less air pollution. Leaving the car at home just two days a week reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year. 
• Reduced traffic congestion - As much as twenty-five percent of morning rush hour traffic can be school-related. If children aren’t walking, that means either parents are driving them or schools are transporting them. This translates to more congestion and less safe walking or biking conditions for children. It takes a community to reduce the “vehicle only” trend in school transportation. 
• Safer walking/biking routes - key elements in safety is slower vehicle speed, improved crosswalks, sidewalks or bike paths that connect homes to schools, and schools that are within walking/biking distance. iWalk promoters work with community officials to identify safe routes for children. The National Center for Safe Routes to School assists communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school. Safer walking routes in communities mean we all benefit.

So go ahead, get out there and walk.

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Green Videos October 24, 2007

While I like to research and read a lot of articles about “green” topics, sometimes I just want to kick back and watch a good “green” video now and then. I don’t mind if I’m entertained while I’m learning some new stuff either. So, Verda Vivo Videos is born. They are posted in the sidebar of my blog or you click on Verda Vivo Videos to view them. I search the internet for educational videos that, in my opinion, are educational, interesting, funny or just plain cool. Of course they’re about my favorite topics: green living, water quality, recycling, global warming, the environment, plastic bags and bottles and so on.  As of today there are 25 videos for your viewing pleasure. My latest favorite is “Recyle or Die”.

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