Products we "THINK" we Need in our Life

Ok, so I am soooo in love with www.good.is this is an amazing web page and I feel pretty good about what I realized tonight!  I am on the right path for sure....www.good.is has blogged about the same topics I have been writing about!  Very cool and reassuring.

Tonight I read an article that went into details about products that we have decided that we "MUST HAVE!" in our lives.  This article debunks that idea.  I think this way of thinking is refreshing and is going to save us money!  Woo hoo!!  Click Here. for full article.

Lip Balm  I have to admit it...I have totally been addicted to my lip balm...that is until I realized what was in my lip balm.  Guess what????  Many lip balms/salves contain alcohol, which can dry out your lips. And so you reapply, thinking you're adding in much-needed moisture that can only be provided by the stuff in the tube. Not so. Left alone, most lips can maintain their own moisture balance just fine. If you must use lip balm, however, go for something with just a handful of truly nourishing ingredients like the ones from Buddha Nose or Burts Bees'.

Foot Cream The skin on our feet may feel thicker than the skin on our forearms, but that doesn't mean it needs its own product category. Instead, pick a sustainably harvested allover lotion like Alaffia's shea butter lotions, or Whole Foods' super-affordable Everyday Shea, slather that on your feet, and then put on some cotton socks if you really want to lock in moisture.  I can't wait to try this Everyday Shea from Whole Foods!

"Shaving Cream Another thing you don't need. Yes, it's nice to have something between the blade and your face or legs, to ensure a close shave and the least amount of discomfort possible, but there are so many other things you can use that don't contain harsh sulfates and foam boosters. For legs, I like using the conditioner left on my hands after I apply it to my hair. Shaving oils are also great for face and legs—but so is any old oil you have lying around, if you can get past the putting-oil-on-your-face thing (a stretch for some, surely). Even a simple three-ingredient soap works well."
Body Wash is often packaged in plastic and loaded with chemicals you would not want near you if you knew what they were. Again, simpler is better. An all-purpose soap like Dr. Bronner's can be used for body, hands, hair, clothing, and even your toilet. Right now I am using Whole Foods brand 365 body wash herbal mint and I love it.  I have had a bottle of Dr. Bronner's for a while now and can't wait to try it as my body wash too. 

I am thinking all of this can save me and you some serious money!

The Five Worst Environmental Pollutants in Your Beauty Products

I was researching for a new recipe to try for my hairspray and found this on Whole Foods Markets website.  This info was taken from GOOD.

This is serious stuff.  Read on....

1. Antibacterial Compounds

Triclosan and chlorphenesin are often the active ingredients in antibacterial soaps. They do not break down in the environment and may contribute to bacterial resistance. These ingredients are also known to cause aquatic toxicity. A recent FDA advisory panel report even stated that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than regular soaps. Triclosan and chlorphenesin are not allowed in any products sold in Whole Foods Market stores.

2. Synthetic Chelators
Chelators, such as the commonly used trisodium EDTA, are used in personal-care products to remove impurities from low-quality raw materials. They are problematic for two reasons. First, there is environmental research data showing that chelators do not readily biodegrade in the environment. Second, since the function of synthetic chelators is to remove impurities from low-quality raw materials, there is no real need for these ingredients in high-quality natural products to begin with. So shop wisely and you won’t run into this one.


3. Petroleum-derived Ingredients
One-hundred-percent petroleum derived ingredients, such as mineral oil and petrolatum, come with some unpleasant environmental realities. For one thing, they are derived from non-renewable resources. These ingredients are also bad for functional reasons, since they form a barrier when applied to skin that does not allow it to breathe. Finally, they often contain impurities as a result of the manufacturing processes—which is something consumers have almost no way of knowing about, but should guard against. Other ingredients to avoid in this category are parrafin, lily white gel, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkyl benzoate, and ammonium polacrylate.

4. Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical sunscreens, such as oxybenzone and octyl methoxycinnamate, have some human-safety concerns, since many have been shown to disrupt endocrine activity. Every year, gallons of chemical sunscreens wash off people’s skin and into the oceans, which can be toxic to marine life. Physical sunscreens, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are safer alternatives for humans and the environment.

5. Aerosol Sprays
Aerosol sprays like those used in hairspray are the gases that propel the product out of the can. Fortunately, since the late 1970s, consumer aerosol products made in the United States have not contained ozone-depleting CFCs. All consumer—and most other—aerosol products made or sold in the United States now use propellants such as hydrocarbons and compressed gases like nitrous oxide that do not deplete the ozone layer. While aerosol spray cans produced in some other countries might still use CFCs, they cannot legally be sold in the States.