Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, September 30th, 2007, 10:59 am

Britney wants more, Paris needs less and everyone wants Jennifer's. Hair tops the list of what women obsess about the most. A great hair day gives us confidence and a little bounce in our step. I mean how often do you hear "I'm having a bad skin day"?

But what price do we pay for gorgeous hair? Does great hair have to be a byproduct of rubbing dangerous chemicals into our scalp that seep through skin and blood, to circulate to every corner of our bodies? If you are a regular reader, you know that nature is on the way to save you and your hairdo.

This review is a bit overdue. After Shampooing with Antifreeze, I realized how critical it is to use natural hair products that don't use sodium lauryl sulfate or other chemical surfactants. This is a manmade substance manufactured from a toxic petroleum derivative, ethylene oxide gas, that believe me is neither ecological nor sustainable. To bring nature back to my hair, I started experimenting and sampling months ago and used 10 different organic and all natural hair products on a random basis, switching brand shampoos/conditioners/hair gels each day. So when I developed a very itchy dry scalp and clogged hair follicles (nasty scalp pimples!) for the first time in my life, I had no idea which product I had reacted adversely to. So it was back to the drawing board with a strict 4 consecutive days of one brand experiment before I switched to another. I learned which ones I must avoid, which ones really worked, and now can say my hair has never looked so shiny and healthy and clean.

After weeks of experiments in my shower laboratory, I have discovered hair products that are 100% natural and 100% gorgeous. And since I like a good lather, I prefer products that still allow me to make my soapy hair soup without sodium lauryl sulfate or other chemicals. I'll confess that I am blessed with pretty great hair - dark brown, shiny, slight wave, normal to oily, shoulder length and overall easy to manage. So I don't have major hair issues except that my hair is sensitive to change. It can lose its shape pretty quickly in a strong wind, after a good head tossing nap or 4 hours in an airplane. So I added these factors to my natural experiment and exposed my hair to the elements and as many naps as possible.

Recommended natural hair products:
- Max Green Alchemy: all pure plant origin products, certified vegan and cruelty-free
o Scalp Rescue Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair gel: shampooed into a great lather, conditioned well to strengthen and shine, gel is alcohol-free without waxy build up; 100% plant derived, chemical-free, paraben-free and this amazing trio cured my itchy dry scalp while proving gentle enough for everyday use; $16 for 8.8 oz; $12 for 8.2 oz. gel
o Skin Deep score: 0.7!

- Dr. Hauschka: this company practices sustainable, eco-friendly business practices from recyclable and biodegradable packaging to organic and naturally derived ingredients, all free of synthetic fragrances
o Nasturtium & Lemon shampoo: for normal to oily hair; $13 for 8.4 oz.
o Apricot & Sea Buckthorn shampoo: for dry to damaged hair; $13 for 8.4 oz.
o Jojoba & Marsh Mallow Conditioner: $14.50 for 8.4 oz.
o Skin Deep score: not rated

- Burt's Bees: an earth friendly, natural personal care company making a wide range of natural products formulated to help you maximize your well-being and protect your environment - and to make our busy lives easier, these winners are widely available in health food and drug stores.
o More Moisture Raspberry & Brazil Nut Shampoo: uses coconut and sunflower oils to naturally clean, raspberry extract antioxidants to protect hair from sun and pollution and naturally smell "Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific!"; $8 for 12 oz.
o More Moisture Raspberry & Brazil Nut Conditioner: marula and brazil nut oils provide a deep conditioning without product build up; $8 for 12 oz.
o Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment: take the time to do this once a week for at least 5 minutes before shampooing, this treatment of avocado and olive oils soothe your scalp and rosemary, almond oil and nettle provide a glossy shine; $9 for 4.34 oz.
o Skin Deep score: 1-3

While conducting this experiment, my friend supermodel Carol Alt told me how she has washed her long luscious hair with a flower. Yes. Just flower petals and water. I'm sure that there are many other natural ways to clean your hair. Let us know if you have your own homemade solutions. Our chemical-free ears are open.

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007, 10:44 am

We all take it for granted...how could we not? We've been using it every day since we were teenagers and it becomes so routine, we don't even think about it. But despite our blasé attitude, we need to take a closer look because these products we think are so helpful have a more insidious side and pose potentially serious health risks.

Did you know that nearly all commercial deodorants contain aluminum salts, usually aluminum chlorohydrate. Manufacturers like aluminum because it effectively suppresses perspiration but the metal has a dark side once it makes its way into our body. Aluminum toxicity is a serious issue, but fortunately, for most of us one that can be easily avoided, I turned to my doctor husband, a cancer researcher, for the facts.

Dr. Nick Gonzalez:
Thirty years ago researchers first detected significantly elevated aluminum levels in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, and subsequently proposed a link between the heavy metal and the disease. Though scientists still debate the connection, certainly aluminum is a toxic heavy metal that has no useful biological function, and which we don't want building up in our bodies, ever.

Manufacturers long discounted any such effect from aluminum salts in deodorants, which they claimed would not be absorbed through the skin. This assumption has proven wrong, and over time users of commercial deodorant do accumulate the stuff, sometimes in significant levels. A recent medical report described a woman who ended up with severe aluminum toxicity directly as a result of her deodorant use.

Most commercial deodorants also contain parabens, which act as preservatives and stabilizers, but which like aluminum can be absorbed with systemic effects. Parabens mimic estrogen, and though the amounts we absorb on a daily basis might be small, over time, the accumulation can be significant. A report from England in 2004 documented a relationship between parabens and breast cancer.

Fortunately, natural, organic alternatives abound, containing neither dangerous aluminum nor the dreaded parabens. I spent a long time trying to find the perfect natural deodorant and the trial and error testing was at time embarrassing. Some natural deodorants work just fine for an ordinary, low stress, low humidity day. But I'll still turn to my basic alcohol prep swab when I think I'm facing a particularly tough day. Yes, alcohol swabs, applied directly to the underarms (but not right after shaving, ouch!). Alcohol doesn't inhibit perspiration, but it kills the bacteria. Bacteria lives on sweat, and creates the odor that can be embarrassing. So kill the bacteria, kill the smell! Alcohol may not be an elegant answer, but it's cheap, it's natural and it works.

Natural, Paraben and Aluminum free deodorants:
- Kiss My Face Active Enzyme: $4.99; Fragrance Free, Patchouli, Lavender, Skin Deep score: 1
- Dr. Hauschka: $19.95; Fresh (sporty) and Floral; Skin Deep score: not rated
- Avalon Organics: $5.95; Peppermint, Wild Yam, Lemon and Lavender, Skin Deep score: 0-1
- Nature's Gate Organics: $5.99; Chamomile and Lemon Verbena, Skin Deep score: 1

Hope this helps you keep fresh and cool in the safest and most natural way possible.

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, September 16th, 2007, 11:03 am

I don't know about you but I live in a pretty dirty world and I'm not just talking about the latest political mud slinging. Getting clean is a tricky subject. Many personal care products in the general marketplace use harsh chemicals that can harm you and strip your body of good bacteria. In fact, moms are now advised not to give their kids hand sanitizing products because it prohibits their body's ability to build its own defenses to fight off disease.

Most of us take personal care products for granted, perhaps not giving them the same thought, in terms of Green that we might give to our food. Soap is designed to keep us clean, right? Well, yes, the commercial soaps we use (and our parents used) help remove the muck from our polluted environment that settles on our hair and skin. But we often don't consider that many personal care products may have a natural soap base, but contain synthetic and toxic chemicals used as emulsifiers, stabilizers, and perfumes. Many of these chemicals are fat soluble (easily absorbed into the skin) with systemic effects. Sodium lauryl sulfate, used routinely in soap products, has been linked to cancer. So the very products we use to keep us clean may be making us, in some sense, dirty.

I sought out natural personal care products to evaluate how well they could get the job done. My criteria: all organic, all natural, sodium lauryl sulfate and paraben free. Fragrance is an issue I'm trying to overcome. I love to smell like roses and rosemary and lavender. I think the people who get close enough to smell me like it too. Yet clean doesn't really have a smell. In fact, when you are truly clean it doesn't smell like anything. So that being said, I've selected products I like with only natural scents. I again confirmed the product claims on Skin Deep where they rate environmental safety on a scale of 1-10 (1 = safest).

Here are my favorites:
Body Wash:
1. Kiss My Face Anti-Stress: this "obsessively organic" natural personal care company has been around for over 20 years and makes safe, effective products at reasonable prices. This can also be used as a bubble bath. $9.99 for 16oz. Skin Deep score: 3
2. Alba Botanica: Passion Fruit. Tropical fruit enzymes gently cleanse and moisturize while making you feel like you are showering in a lagoon in Hawaii. I like the rich, certified organic extracts of passion fruit, papaya, pineapple, and awapuhi that create a pleasing, cleansing lather. $8.95 for 7oz. Skin Deep score: 5 (does have Sodium Cocoyl Sulfate).
3. Pangea Organics: Indian Lemongrass with Rosemary Shower Gel and Malagasy Ylang Ylang with Linden Flower. These two highly concentrated, all organic, shower gels smell divine and clean naturally. $14 each for 8oz. Skin Deep score: 2
4. Pharmacopia: Rosemary and Citrus scents. This organic body wash is a gentle shower and bath cleanser (that doubles as a great shampoo). It contains organic herbal infusions, certified organic olive oil, vegetable glycerin and aromatherapy-grade essential oils. $14.99 each for 8oz. Skin Deep score: 3
5. Dr. Hauschka Body Wash: Rose Floral Body Wash is mild enough for sensitive skin and feels silky. It combines a subtle, natural scent from essential oils of rose and jasmine. $16.95 for 5.2oz. Skin Deep score: not rated

Hand Sanitizers:
I'm personally wary of the whole concept and prefer a good wet hand washing with soap while singing a full verse of Happy Birthday (with the water faucet turned off until the very end!), but I realize that there are occasions when water isn't available (like when you are changing a dirty, poopy diaper in the back seat of the car.) My hands waving in the air favorite is EO's Hand Sanitizer in Lemon. $3.99 for 2oz. Skin Deep score: 2

Liquid Soap:
1. EO: All Purpose Soap Organic Lavender. Great soap with all organic ingredients that you can use on anything: your body, your kitchen for washing fruits and veggies, your dog and your car. How much greener can you get? Using products with multiple uses drives down your consumption which limits waste and resources. 32oz. for $12.99.
2. Nature's Gate Organic: Liquid hand soap in Lemongrass and Clary Sage. My father discovered this product a few years ago and got me hooked. Lemongrass improves circulation and Clary Sage calms so this is perfect for hands that get frequently washed. $6.99 for 12oz. Skin Deep score: 3
3. Marseille: Organic Certified Soap for Fruits and Legumes. As hard as we all try, we can't always eat all organic. For those times when your fruits and veggies may be less than organically perfect, this 100% biodegradable cleanser helps remove contaminants nicely. $18.50 for 16.9oz.
4. Marseille: Organic Certified Liquid Hand Soap: Fragrance free with olive and palm oils and no added colors. A fresh, light clean soap in a pretty recyclable glass pump bottle. $17.50 for 10oz.
5. Tact: Pure Olive Oil and Lavender soap. A real find...rich in Vitamins E & F and with a subtle lavender calming scent which has made it my husband's favorite.  $10 for 8.4oz.

All this talk of trying to get clean is making me sweat. We can work ourselves into quite a lather about being green and clean. I try to remember that the more I enjoy using my natural cleaning products, the more I'll use them and then the less I need to be concerned about being clean.

How is your family getting clean? Tell us what you use and love so we can all get smarter about the green clean.

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Friday, September 14th, 2007, 5:06 pm

Three of my favorite things: organizing, shopping and finding new ways to go green. So I hit the personal jackpot last week when I found the most stylish, most fabulous eco-purse while shopping online.

My latest green find is from Her Design - a small eco-friendly company that asks the rhetorical question: "Can a handbag save the world?"

My new, gorgeous soft green, certified organic wool flannel bag solves my green fashion woos. It features a functional and elegant multi-layered embroidered flap trimmed in brown Vegan leather. The inside soft gold lining is eco-spun silk. Inside are more organizational pockets and media device holders then you could ever want...plus a snap in/out key fab holder.

Whenever I buy something online without seeing it first, I get a little nervous about the quality - especially when I buy green products. You just don't know...In this case, Her Design's quality blew me away. And they have several other unique purse and accessory designs to choose from - vegan leather as well as fabric. All eco-friendly and cruelty-free.

I'll proudly carry this bag for many years to come. And it feels good to walk the Green walk with this special bag firmly resting on my shoulder.

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Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, September 9th, 2007, 9:53 am

Close the door. Lock it. Strip. Put your hair in a bun on top of your head. Light a candle. Turn on the hot water. Ease your body into bliss...

I have never met a bath I didn't like. But I have learned how to make a bath even better by adding natural and herbal products that can transport your body and soul to a deeper calm.

In the interest of science, I took the ultimate sacrifice and tried 10 different bath products over 10 days so I could share the results with the Go Green group. My criteria: all natural and paraben free. I checked them first on Skin Deep to confirm their natural claims. This site rates on a scale of 1-10 (1 = safest). I'm happy to say that none of these products disappointed me and all lived up to their marketing promise.

- Day One: Kneipp Sparking Herbal Bath Tablets: The "Juniper" tablet promised to soothe and calm while it fizzled into oblivion in my warm tub. The tablet lasted a good 10 minutes...just the right length of time to relax my nerves and get in a good soak. Juniper helps improve circulation and relieve muscle tension - especially tired and sore muscles after sports. Skin Deep Score: 4

- Day Two: Alba Organics: This bubble bath doubles as a shower gel but save it for the bath since it makes such fragrant, luxurious and long lasting bubbles. I chose Midnight Tuberose because it said "Exotic and irresistible, midnight tuberose will evoke the seductive pleasures of a tropical garden" and it reminded me of my honeymoon. Enough said. Skin Deep Score: 4

- Day Three: Kiss My Face: Feeling like I was coming down with something, I poured this natural Cold and Flu Bath Gel into the tub. In addition to feeling empowered for taking preventative care of a potentially nasty cold, I enjoyed a relaxing bath smelling of eucalyptus and fennel and my head felt clearer as it opened my sinus. Skin Deep Score: 3

- Day Four, Five, Six and Seven: 100% natural Kneipp Classic Bath Oils: in Eucalyptus (good for sinus relief), Lavender (helps relax, fight fatigue and balance), Valerian & Hops (deeply relaxing, aids sleep and reduces stress), and Melissa (soothing, relaxing, calming). They all lived up to their promise as I crawled right into bed each night and fell right asleep. They worked so well, I had to share some with my husband so he would understand why I was retiring so early each night. They had the same effect on him. Skin Deep Score: 1-3

- Day Eight and Nine: Dr. Hauschka: Lavender Bath Oil, I used this lovely aromatherapy bath oil two days in a row. I loved it so much I bought the Lavender Body Oil the next day so I could lavish myself further in the powerful, relaxing aroma. These essential oils quickly absorbed into my skin and penetrated deep to alter my mood. Skin Deep Score: not rated

- Day Ten: Aveda: Camomile Savage Pure-Fume Singular Notes, I added just a few drops of this concentrated essential oil and was relaxed within minutes. My skin felt refreshed and calm. Skin Deep Score: not rated

All of these bath products are natural, many are organic and all were effective at both pleasing my senses and relaxing my body and mind. Knowing that I was soaking in products that were doing my body good instead of harm helped me relax even more.

If you have a natural bath product that you really like, please chime in and help spread the good news. And now with eyes wide open, I have several replacements for my old favorite bubble bath, Bliss Vanilla and Bergamot, which I just discovered has a Skin Deep Score of 9! I think I'll just have one last hurrah and go finish it up. I've got a steaming hot cup of Organic Chai tea, and I'm off to go close my eyes and slip into the tub!

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