So I recently had my first experience in entrepreneurial retail. My sister Jaydene organized a "Baby and Bump" fair, and convinced me to try selling my cleaners. So I tried selling my "healthy disinfectant", and my hand soap. Both are completely non-toxic, and are recipes that I found online and have experimented with. I now use this hand soap, my healthy disinfectant for everything from toilets to high chairs, and when I need to scrub I use some baking soda in my tub or sink. I encourage you to make your own recipes with some of the links I've listed below! It's so easy!
EWG (Environmental Working Group) comes through with more help for those of us still confused with what sunscreen to buy. Here is their handy dandy little chart that can help you, regardless of the brands available in the store you choose.
When my eyes started itching from my mascara, I started to wonder what I was putting onto such a sensitive part of my face everyday? Did you know that cosmetic companies have very little regulation as to what chemicals their products can contain? Did you know that cosmetics are full of chemicals that disrupt our natural hormone balance, are carcinogens, and are toxic to our liver and kidneys? There is a fabulous database called Skin Deep that rates the safety of hundreds of cosmetics and their companies. Check it out: www.ewg.org/skindeep
I feel as confused as the next person about how to figure out a find a less toxic sunscreen. Which is worse: sun exposure, or the chemicals that absorb into your skin from sunscreen? The Environmental Working Group, has done the research for us, and has ranked all kinds of sunscreens to help us know which are better and worse. Click here for their sunscreen guide. Unfortunately, many of the good alternatives are difficult to find in Canada, so we probably have to visit a health food store to find brands like Jason, Aveeno, or Earth's Best. Otherwise, the best way is to buy online with an American site such as Amazon.com If you want to know how your favorite sunscreen rates, you can search by brand. Happy hunting for safe and effective sunscreens - the best of both worlds!
One of the problems with the recent "green" fad, is that many consumer cleaning products that claim to be "green" are still full of toxic chemicals that you cannot pronounce. These chemicals may be a little more biodegradable, but how do I know that they are safer for my 6 month old to touch? These "green cleaners" still have to have emulsifiers and preservatives in them to give them a very, very, very long (and required) shelf life. It is nearly impossible to get a completely natural cleaner in the store. In fact, the best way to get a truly natural cleaner is to make it yourself. That is what I have done, and it works fabulously and is so easy. Visit your local dollar store for some spray bottles, and take a look at the recipes on this website: http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/ It has a wide variety of ideas, and all the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store!
Castile soap is one of nature's most natural and multi-functional cleaners. It is made of vegetable oils - usually olive, but can include coconut or others as well. It doesn't remove the glycerine from the oils, so it is also moisturizing. Because it is made of vegetable oil, it is so safe it is edible! It can be used in small amounts, diluted with water, to clean floors, bathrooms, hands, faces, hair, dishes, etc. If you google "castile soap" you will find many, many blogs and sites on how to use it. The most common brand I am aware of is Dr. Bronner's. www.drbronner.com It is certified fair trade, organic, and easy to find. It is often sold at health/vitamin stores, but my favorite place to buy it is at Trader Joe's in The States. A 1 quart bottle is around $10. www.traderjoes.com My favorite use for it??? I recycle old foaming soap containers (like from Bath and Body Works), add two good squirts of castile, fill the rest up with water, and it is the most perfect nontoxic, non-drying hand soap.
Interested in reducing toxins in your home, but not sure where to start? My most favorite resource for non-toxic living is Slow Death by Rubber Duck, by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, two of Canada's leading environmental activists. They wanted to find out if some common toxins, such as mercury or parabens, would show up in their bodies if they consumed a lot of products containing the toxins. So, they experimented on their own bodies. Not only is this book a personal and candid exploration of common household toxins, but it is also an easy, fun, and informative read with Canadian information. For more information, go to http://slowdeathbyrubberduck.com or http://environmentaldefence.ca
