Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Skin Deep Moisture: Yamerra Shea Butter

Sun and swim leaves skin parched on these uber hot days. Recently a friend turned me onto an organic line of shea butters that leaves skin smooth and hydrated. Using organic raw shea butter, essential oils, vitamin E, and organic nutritive botanicals, Yamerra has created a homemade line of body products that provide moisture and lightly fragranced skin.

In flavours such as honey vanilla, tangerine grape, mango, and jasmine sage, these unique body butters are unlike any naturally scented creams or butters I’ve tried in the past. The honey vanilla is my favorite. There is nothing reminiscent of synthetic vanilla in this mildly woodsy blend of honey, vanilla, and jojoba.

I love to support local, small-batch production that avoids preservatives, parabens, phthalates, and artifical fragrances. Yamerra manages to avoid all the bad stuff, and you come out smelling like a jasmine sage or vanilla honey dream. Yamerra is super yum.

Gratitude: Non Toxic Perfume by Zorica of Malibu

Zorica Denton, former European model, moved to Malibu and worked in the beauty industry for some time before becoming disillusioned with the copious amount of products women were being told they “must have.” Choosing simpler methods that utilized natural ingredients, Zorica researched products for two years and then developed her own line for those with sensitive skin or chemical sensitivities. The line is made in small batches and a portion of all the proceeds are donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

The subtle scent of vanilla is smoothly blended with the citrus effervescence of grapefruit in this tantalizing organic fragrance that uses aromatherapy to lift your spirit. Gratitude pure perfume by Zorica of Malibu is a refreshing natural perfume that uses no alcohol, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. The top notes sing of summer fruit, but a woodsy, sweet finish of vanilla combines to create a clean, but warm scent. It is perfect in warm weather but it wears nicely on these frigid days as well, when our noses need to be reminded of sunshine and tropical fruits.

Gratitude truly reflects Zorica’s attitude toward beauty; “When you feel good inside, your beauty will radiate outside on your face.” Zorica reminds us to take care of the inner self in order to truly accept aging and reflect inner radiance. Exercising, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking water, and getting plenty of rest are all part of the beauty regimen for Zorica. It is simple, but perfect.

Pacifica Perfume: Sustainable, Socially Responsible Scents to Savor

Avid surfer Brook Havey-Taylor founded Pacifica in 1996 to put her training in aromatherapy to work and share the scents from her travels. Now, the company boasts a line of over twenty fragrances that can be found in candle form, perfume solid, body creams, soaps and sprays. Pacifica is based in Portland, Oregon and practices carbon neutrality and cruelty-free production. The products are vegan and do not contain any animal ingredients, including beeswax.

I had the opportunity to speak with Brook and discuss natural fragrances. I have long enjoyed scents and as far as senses go, smell is one of my most adored, but these days I am hesitant to use any scents or oils that are not necessarily safe. What does it really mean to be safe or natural? Is there such a thing as truly organic perfume? How are natural ingredients such as patchouli and sandalwood being affected by the vast cosmetics and beauty industry? Brook thinks about these things and was happy to share some thoughts.

KJA: How natural is Pacifica and what does this mean to you?

BH-T: For Pacifica, I never claim that we are 100% natural. I use as many natural materials as I possibly can. My goal is always to create a safe and sustainable product, an ethical product, and an affordable product. At our company we provide a 401k and viable health and dental insurance plans to insure our workers are treated well. Our factory in Oregon is virtually waste free. Everything is recycled into candle production or donated to local women’s shelters. We use local box manufacturers for packaging the products and local printers which is quite rare. The only component of our products that is made overseas are the tins for our perfumes and some of our glass, though we are trying to find local suppliers. We are really focused on keeping the business viable and local. As a company we try to look at everything we do as whole.

KJA: So, are your ingredients organic?

BH-T: When it comes to the issue of natural or organic fragrance you have to be really careful in your language. Even essential oils contain synthetics at times. There are arguments against 100% natural – you are using water, land, affecting cash crops – and social issues come into play hugely. It’s coming more to the fore now, especially with palm and sandalwood (clk here for more info on this topic.) Our western craving for all things natural can be extreme.

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Crude, the Film, Shows Real Price of America's Oil Addiction (Hint: It's Not Just the Environment)

Crude is the story of a community of 30,000 tribal members in the Amazonian jungle of Ecuador who hold a corporation to bear for its crimes against their land, their livelihood, and most importantly, their lives. The film follows the intricacies of what has been called the “Amazon Chernobyl.”

The indigenous population claims that Chevron, the parent company to the former Texaco, spent thirty years contaminating the air, land, and water of an area the size of Rhode Island which is now called the “death zone.” Cancer, leukemia, and birth defects are among some of the effects of Big Oil. The film was shot and edited over a period of three years, with Berlinger and the crew sacrificing their own safety by facing both environmental (toxic fumes, disease, searing equatorial heat) and man-made dangers (shooting near the Colombian border where drug runners and FARC rebels are very active) to capture a story they felt must be shared with the rest of the world.

Berlinger’s cinematic sensibility paints a picture that captures the lush vitality of the Amazon, the horrendous atrocities endured by the tribespeople, and the complicated path that social justice must traverse, all the while avoiding cliche and stereotypes. Amazon Watch and the Rainforest Foundation have both been instrumental in bringing the Ecuadorian devastation to the public eye.

Trudie Styler, Sting’s wife, and noted activist, appears in the film to lend celebrity to the cause. Repeatedly referring to the Amazon as “the lungs of the earth,” Styler and others point to the far more serious nature of the toxicity than mere dollars can assuage. If Ecuador is in trouble, we are ALL in trouble. If tribe members cannot fish or swim, that affects us directly. Transnationals can no longer act in a vacuum of backyard antics.

Vanity Fair featured an article in the 2007 Green Issue on the case in Ecuador, and attorney Pablo Fajardo, who passionately represents the plaintiffs. In one scene in the film, Fajardo notes that he is not intimidated by the high powered legal team because he has truth on his side, which makes his work that much easier. He doesn’t have to work diligently to create lies about what is happening.

Without sensationalizing the health effects of the toxic swamp left in the Ecuadorian jungle, Berlinger simply allows the water to tell the tale. The water, the rivers, the streams, and pools appear fresh from a distance as children play, women wash, and people drink. Once approached, the rainbow sheen of petrol catches the light and the scent of gasoline sends heads reeling. The ground is soft sludge as the pollutants work their way through the soil and into the Earth. One of the Texaco/Chevron representatives claims: “this is not contamination, this is industrial exploitation that your government permitted.” Amazing. This film must be seen.

In order for this film to have a chance of being seen by the rest of the country, it must nearly sell-out in NY, LA and SF, so tell your friends, blog about it, spread the word…go see this film. Because the film doesn’t have huge marketing dollars, it’s up to people like you and me to spread the word online.

Here are some important screening dates: for locations click here
-NYC: September 9-22
-L.A.: September 18-24
-S.F.: September 25-October 1
-D.C.: October 23-29

Crispina Ffrench: The Sweater Chop Shop

A few months back I had the pleasure of attending a workshop led by Crispina Ffrench. Crispina began her career with soft sculpture comprised of recycled fabrics which eventually led to the creation of stuffed toys and wool sweaters that represented her unique art. Before graduating with a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Crispina had 40 employees and was selling her product line internationally. The distinctive aesthetic helped her to generate a style that is obviously refurbished materials, but infused with new life and color.

Having retired from her large company, Crispina now runs workshops out of her studio in Pittsfield, MA and teaches at Kripalu in Lenox, MA. People travel from all over to learn the simple practice that allows one to imbue old duds with new life. The workshop I attended was sweater recycling.

I had seen Crispina at the Berkshire Co-op from time to time wearing muted tones of wool contrasted with bright piping and wondered where these creations originated. When I found out she actually taught the method I jumped at the chance.

We learned, in one day, how to chop up different garments to make our own one-of-a-kind piece. The style is deconstructed with visible seams of thick, colored yarn, if so desired, but the pattern is easily adapted and modified to create whatever look one wants to achieve. Crispina provided treats throughout the day, including yummy vegan fare – hot tea, scones, and fresh-baked oatmeal cookies.

Crispina has just released her book: The Sweater Chop Shop: Sewing One-of-a-Kind Creations from Recycled Sweaters. The launch party is being held in late August at Crispina’s studio in Pittsfield. There are also many events throughout the year, including workshops such as blanket and scarf making, pot holder rug classes, and fabric flower instruction.

And if you want your own original piece, but don’t want to make a mess in your own home, there are open hours every week when people can go into the warehouse where Crispina works and create their own pieces for a modest materials fee. Crispina’s instruction is clear, concise and being around her inspires.

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