eco skincare
Last Minute Mothers Day Gifts
It’s May 8th. Mothers Day is May 9th. Time to celebrate this excellent occasion with the perfect present for your favorite Mom. Did I mention it is May 8th? Don’t worry! Here are some last minute recipes for eco-friendly gifts or even simple add-ons if you’ve already gotten something for her!
A Clean-Green Basket. Ingredients easily picked up at your local grocery or hardware store. Do your own take on a fruit basket and create a practical gift that your mom will feel proud to use.
Ingredients:
• 1 large basket
• A few leafy twigs
• Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes, multi-surface, and/or bathroom cleaner. Seventh Generation focuses on environmental sustainability and how they can provide products that reduces pollution and keeps natural toxins out of the air. They disclose all of the ingredients within their products to ensure the health of your home by producing safe and effective cleaning supplies. Check out their product coupons as well. › Continue reading
Seven Skin Care Ingredients To Avoid
Our skin covers our
entire body. Every day we have the option to apply lotion, sunscreen, make-up, or hundreds of other products to our skin. What we don’t know is that some of the ingredients lurking in our cabinet can be harmful or even deadly to us. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when revamping our personal care routine, so I’ve listed seven of the worst ingredients you’ll find in your cabinets.
Parabens- These are commonly seen preceded by Ethyl-, Methyl-, Propyl-, or Butyl-. Parabens are used in lotions as a preservative, but they have been connected to so many negative things that I’m amazed anyone is still comfortable using them. Parabens are known endocrine disrupters that affect the hormone balance in your body, and can interfere with fetal development. Also, they have been liked to breast cancer, and are an immuno-toxin that can cause a myriad of allergic reactions.
Polyethylene Glycol- Often shortened to PEG, Polyethylene Glycol is used in cosmetics and face washes as a cleanser or emulsifier. When given orally in large doses to rats, it can cause them to develop tumors. Some claim that this isn’t relevant because the tumors develop when it is taken orally, not when applied topically. However, the reason PEG is used in synthetic cleansers is to allow your skin to draw more moisture (or anything else it comes in contact with), into the skin. This means that whatever you come in contact with can get drawn into your skin, and eventually into your bloodstream.
Genetically Modified Organisms- Commonly seen on labels as GMO, Genetically Modified Organisms are dangerous because they have unknown risks that are just beginning to be understood by scientists. Genetically modified crops have been changed at the genetic level using E. coli or other bacteria to produce a powerful insecticide. This is supposed to kill the insects posing harm to the crop, but has been known to pose harm to any insect including Monarch butterflies and Lacewings. Due to the way crops pollinate, it is virtually impossible to contain genetically modified crops and stop them from spreading and infecting non-GMO’s. For more information on GMO’s watch the documentary The Future of Food.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- You usually find Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in shampoos and other cleansers. This is what gives shampoo the familiar foaming action most people associate with clean. People are often shocked by the lack of foam in organic or non-SLS shampoos, even though they contain the same level of cleaning power. SLS is small enough to easily penetrate the skin, and changes skin’s structure in such a way that allows chemicals to enter deep into the skin.
Biodegradable Natural Sponges
Another Green Festival find were sponges. This may sound odd, but how many of you think of sponges when going green?
Well I have two types of sponges to introduce you to, one is a skincare sponge for your body, the other is a natural scrubber sponge for your dishes and household. Skin and beauty products were well represented at the Green Festival, but the Konjac sponge caught my eye as being a bit unique. It is a product out of Japan that is handmade, bio-degradable and completely sustainable.
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