Greener Cosmetics

If some of you read my Wednesday’s blog about toxic chemicals in our everyday products, then you might have heard the interview I posted yesterday with the investigator reporter, Mark Schapiro on Fresh Air/National Public Radio.  In the interview, Schapiro told Terry Gross (interviewer) that many of the lipsticks on the market contain lead.  That’s right my sisters lead along with petroleum which I venture to say is not probably a good thing to put on our bodies and faces.  I was reading an article in January 2007 issue of Essence Magazine where one of the celebrities (think it was Nancy Wilson) said that she used Vaseoline petroleum.  Now you could have knock me over with a feather that in this day and age that some people still use this product.  I do not use petroleum on your face or body when can also use it to fuel your car or home, not a good thing.

What I also learned from the interview is that there is no requirement in the United States to test cosmetics.  Have you ever read on the back of the face cream you use that the company doesn’t test their products on animals with the statement “no animal testing”?  Now have you asked yourself how does the company test their products?  I am all for not testing animals, but they should create testing on cosmetics to prove its safety.

I suppose the same the rule for food applies, “If you cannot pronounce, then do not eat it.”  With that said, just as there places like Whole Foods and Wild Oats alternative food markets selling organic products, the same is true for cosmetics.  There are new organic cosmetics companies on the market everyday.   This does not include the 8,000 products that the beauty industry creates each year.  So I am going to write about some alternative cosmetics companies for you do your own research and see what best suits you.  Yesterday I wrote in my blog about a database that gives you the ingredients in cosmetics and a safety rating.  I am going to post it again, so that when you do your research the alternative companies you can rate them as well.  Not all organic products are alike or equal.

Probably one of most largest organic skincare company is Origins (www.origins.com).  The company first started in 1990 and has grown over the 17 years.  Origins has stores across the country and also sells its product in Bloomingsdale’s and Macy’s department stores.  The company sells skin care, make-up, fragrances, and bath & body care.  The next company is Avalon Naturals (www.avalonnaturalproducts.com).  The company sells a variety of body, skin, and hair products, however, does not sell color cosmetics.  A good thing about this company is that it products for babies.   Avea (www.avea.co.uk) is an organic company from Great Britain with an interesting surprise, it sells non-toxic nail polish and herbal hair dyes (the US government does have some requirements about hair dyes).  This may a company worth going on the site and see what it offers. 

One note:  Ladies and Gentlemen from the very fair-skinned to the darkest hue it is very important to use sunscreen if you plan to spend hours outdoors, and this does include people of color as everyone is at risk of getting cancer.  Do you research on the safest sunscreen to purchase and wear.

Here are some other companies you might be interested in taking a look:

Aubrey Organics  www.aubrey-organics.com

L’Occitane - http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Default.aspx?cm_mmc=

Saffron Rouge www.saffronrouge.com

Lastly, The Green Guide had an article published back in April about organic cosmetic and here is the link for you to read www.thegreenguide.com/doc/119/makeup.  All is not lost, we can still look fabulous but our products can be safer and greener.  Enjoy! 

Things are Getting Greener

The other day, I wrote a blog about doing a little laundering on the fabrics we made into clothes and caring for them.  It would be easier to take them the dry cleaners, but there are times when the cleaners can do more harm than good our nice fabrics.  You may have horror stories to tell about that favorite cashmere sweater that the dry cleaner managed to ruin.  However, does anyone ever wonder about the chemicals that are used at the dry cleaners cannot be good for clothes or the environment.

Going green has become a huge trend over the past couple of years with Al Gore’s book and movie “An Inconvenient Truth” has made the public more aware of global warming or the new catch phase climate change that conservatives are more with using.  However, I believe the average do-it-yourselfer is more conscience of using and recycling things around the house.  I recycle as much as possible as it does save some cash.  I know that people who sew, knit and crochet probably has a million ideas about recycling such as using that glass jar originally for pickles turn into a convenient containers for buttons, ribbons and other notions.

I listened to an interview the other day on Fresh Air with Terry Gross (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16616951) with Mark Schapiro discussing his book “Exposed.”  Schapiro is an investigative reporter who examined how toxic chemicals exist in many of the products we handle every day from the gadgets, toys, beauty products, etc.  He also discussed how the European Union requires businesses to minimize toxic chemicals or list them, and the U.S. does not provide any such requirements in its policy, and with an increasingly green economy, American businesses could get shut of the huge market he argues.  You can listen to the interview at the above-listed link.  In fact, Fresh Air is airing inteviews this week pertaining to environmental issues.  FYI, after hearing the interview, you may not want to purchase anymore plastic toys for your children.

Here is the section where I give some web resources about getting a little greener.  There some good resources on the web on being environmental safer and putting some green in yourself, and there are many instances where you save money.  An interesting tipbit that using a dishwasher saves more water than handwashing dishes as we tend to continually run water while washing them.

Now here are the resources:

National Geographic created a magazine called the Green Guide that provide information on green products, make your own green products, and about the environment www.thegreenguide.com.  

The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit organization consisting of a team of scientists, enginners, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know, www.ewg.org.

This one of my favorite websites.  The cosmetics database list beauty products and rates the level of toxic chemicals from 0 being the lowest to 8 being the highest www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

 

Ideal Bite is an website that gives daily tips for green living.  You can also subscribe to the e-newsletter for your daily bite www.idealbite.com.

 

Lime is a great website that provide mass media, TV, Radio, Podcasts, etc.  There is a variety of information concerning alternative health, fitness, green living, etc. www.lime.com. 

 

Of course there is Body and Soul Magazine from Martha Stweart Omnimedia (www.bodyandsoulmag.com, Plenty Magazine (www.plentymag.com), and Verdant Magazine (www.verdantmag.com) are some of the magazines about green living on the market.

 

 Finally, here are some blogs about green living:

 

http://greenliving.suite101.com/

 

http://dannyseo.typepad.com/

 

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/cgi-bin/svblog.cgi

 

www.treehugger.com

 

http://thegreenwayblog.com

 

http://www.greenlivingtips.com

 

http://blog.greenlivingonline.com

 

www.greendaily.com

 

I hope that I gave you something to think about, and perhaps visit some of the website to give some ideas how to make your life safer because we only get one and life is too short to waste.  Now, I know everyone isn’t going to do everything, but maybe not having so many lights on in the house, and remember to turn off the water while brushing your teeth to conserve water.  Finally, being aware of the toxic chemicals in your cleaning and everyday products and use with caution, or find alternative products that are safer.  Have a greener day everybody!