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The evils of plastic water bottles get a lot of attention in eco-friendly media, but what about shampoo bottles? With most consumers using traditional hair cleansers, the number of shampoo and conditioner bottles headed to the landfill is astronomical. The Census Bureau predicts the number of U.S. households will reach 115 million by 2010, and according to a Treehugger article from 2007, 23 percent of Americans don’t recycle. If every non-recycling household throws away a shampoo and conditioner bottle every other month, that’s 317 million bottles ending up in landfills every year.

Shampoo Bars: One solution to reducing the number of shampoo bottles in circulation is to adopt the usage of solid shampoos. According to solid shampoo manufacturer Lush, one shampoo bar is equivalent to three 250-ml bottles and can last up to six months. That means that each solid shampoo bar purchased saves at least three plastic bottles from potentially ending up in a landfill. It also saves the resources that would have been used to manufacture those plastic bottles in the first place. Solid products also weigh less, so they require less energy to transport. Lush’s Web site reports that one truckload of solid shampoo is enough for 800,000 washes — or the equivalent of fifteen truckloads of bottled product. (continue reading…)

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It used to be that the wide variety of cleaning, health, and garden products available posed a wonderful choice and bounty for the consumer. But with the economy the way it is, buying lots of different products is no longer a luxury that people can necessarily afford. A better solution is to learn how to use simple products in different ways. Finding one product that can do a multitude of things is cost-effective as well as environmentally sound. Why pay for and dispose of tens of different boxes and jars when one container will do the trick? Why not reuse the containers your old products came in to make new “at home” products of your very own?

Epsom Salt, aka magnesium sulfate, is one of those great products that’s so simple and low-cost that it’s often overlooked. Many people may have bought Epsom Salt just once, after pregnancy, and never used it again. But what they don’t know is just how many kinds of uses this simple product has. Here are some of them. (continue reading…)

The average woman ingests about four pounds of lipstick in her lifetime.  Who knows how much toothpaste and mouthwash we accidentally swallow keeping our pearly whites white?  If that is not reason enough to be concerned about the ingredients in makeup and personal care products, consider that the reason transdermal patches for nicotine addiction and hormone replacement therapy work is that the skin is an efficient absorber of the chemicals spread on it.

Cosmetics in the U.S. are required to state the ingredients on the label. However, there is little regulation about what those ingredients can be. Here are five ingredients to watch out for in your cosmetics and personal care products.
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Information provided by Environmental Working Group (EWG)

Every day children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care product ingredients that have not been found safe for kids, according to a national survey conducted in summer 2007 by Environmental Working Group. Overall, 77% of the ingredients in 1,700 children’s products reviewed have not been assessed for safety.

In July and August of 2007, EWG surveyed more than 3,300 parents to find out what shampoos, lotions, bath soaps and other personal care products their children use. Based on the specific products named by these parents, we found that children are exposed to an average of 61 different chemical ingredients every day, and that on average 27 of these ingredients have not been found safe for children by the government or the cosmetic industry’s expert safety panel. (continue reading…)

By today’s labeling standards, ‘natural’ does not necessarily mean made by nature. Before purchasing a product, search the packaging for phrases like, “paraben free,” “PABA free,” “free of artificial fragrances, colors and preservatives,” and “non GMO ingredients” since it is a good place start looking. Then, look to the back of the product for further information. Being an avid label reader is time consuming at first, but you’ll get the hang of it soon. Don’t rush when grocery, vitamin or supplement shopping. Taking a few extra minutes searching labels may save you a few dollars in the long run. (continue reading…)

Many ‘organic’ & ‘green’ cosmetics and toiletries have been under fire lately because of misleading labels. ‘Organic’ and ‘green’ labels means very little when standards are unclear and unenforceable. Organic Consumer’s Association completed a study with disturbing results. The study is at: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/DioxaneResults08.cfm It showed that big-name natural and organic companies actually have carcinogens in their products. Formulations will probably be changed since the report is out. So, we will only list our favorite companies who passed Organic Consumer Association’s test. (continue reading…)