Personal Care Products

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Crunchy Greenolas: Organic and Natural Personal Care Products

Crunchy Greenolas is my own personal review of new green stuff I’ve found- I’ve tried everything and these are the goods!

• Kimberly Sayer of London – Kimberly Sayer is the daughter of organic farmer in England. Her family used fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs to create their own skin, body and home care items. Using this knowledge, she went on to study aesthetics, aromatherapy and chemistry and then launched her own organic product line. All Kimberly Sayer products are USDA certified organic. I have been using the Hydrating Antioxidant Facial Mask, Gentle Almond and Lavender Face Scrub, Restore Anti-Aging Cream and Cellular Extract Eye Lift Gel for the past month and my skin has never felt better. In addition, my family and I have been using the Organic Family Sunblock SPF 25 and it appears to work great. My 5-year-old says it stings his skin but he has severe excema. It has been great for my 2 year old. Kimberly Sayer’s products can be purchased at select Whole Foods Markets and via her website.

• suki — suki produces two lines of products, suki pure skin and sukicolor. suki pure skin is a 100% pure and 90% organic skin and body line (lotions, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and hair products) and sukicolor is a pure and organic makeup line. The company sources all of their ingredients from fair trade, organic, biodynamic processing and local suppliers whenever possible. The company takes into consideration fuel emissions, as well as certification, and transport when making its purchasing decisions. The ingredients are 100% natural, food grade (not cosmetic grade) ingredients so that the products are non-toxic and edible (not that you want to eat it!). In addition, suki uses only biodegradable ingredients that do not hurt animals or damage the ecosystem and no toxic ingredients such as petrochemicals, chemical fragrances and preservatives. All suki products are packaged in eco-friendly materials like recycled stock, printed with vegetable ink and b0ttled in glass containers. The company’s website not only explains all the ingredients but also lists ingredients to avoid. Now I have not tried everything in the both product lines but what I did try I really liked. Products can be purchase directly from the suki website or search on the site for a retail location in your area. Products are pretty price but are worth it.

• Artisan Naturals — Started by Stephanie Barron, the mother of a child with allergies to synthetic fragrance and colorants, Artisan Naturals, is free of mineral oils, parabens and synthetic ingredients. The product line includes cleaners, toners, moisturizers, mask and various skin treatments. In addition the company makes massage oils, candles and handcrafted soaps. The products are not certified organic but are made with organic ingredients and are all at least 99% natural. Artisan Naturals line can be purchase at a few speciality stories in the US and Europe in addition to the web via the company’s site. Eco-Chick readers can receive 20% off the entire product line for the month of August by using the promotion code GRN08.

• Rare2b – All vegan, all natural, organic, 100% botanical, vegetal, marine ingredients from non-gmo sources, Rare2b products do not contain parabens, alcohol, peg & tea, synthetic chemicals, petroleum by-products, formaldehyde or formaldehyde donors and no animal by-products. All the ingredients come from sustainable fair trade sources in the Amazon Rain Forest to the South Australian Rain Forest, which the USDA permits in certified organic food. The products are certified organic by Eco-Cert, the Forest Stewardship Council with USDA Organic Certification, and Kosher by the Federation of Synagogues and approved by the Fair Trade Foundation. The line includes day and night cream, facial mask and body lotion and can be purchased on the Rare2b website. Eco-Chick readers can receive 10% off Rare2b products by using the promotion code EcoChick0808.

• The Grapeseed Company — Based in the Santa Barbara, California wine region, The Grapeseed Company produces eco-friendly bath & body products using expeller-pressed grape seed oil, a natural byproduct of the wine making process. According to the company, grape seed oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamins and helps fight free radical damage and signs of aging. The grape seed oils are naturally expeller-pressed instead of solvent extracted. All colors come from the natural ingredients; there are no artificial additives or filler ingredients and ingredients are sourced from local sources whenever possible. The entire ingredient list can be found on the website and all ingredients are between 70% to 90%+ organic. My husband has been using the organic shave and skin care line for men line called Mojito Man and loves it! I keep having him try out different organic shaving products and this is the first one that he has liked and plans on only using this product line from now on. The company also makes body scrubs, bath & massage oils, lotions, lip balms and candles. All products can be purchase via The Grapeseed Company’s website. Eco-Chick readers can receive 10% off the total order by using the code 10AGAIN at checkout.

If you know of any Crunchy Greenolas that you would like me to review or just think are great, please let me know.

Check out more of my posts on my blog Green Luvin’.

crunchy greenolas, personal care products

GRRRR!!! FDA Lets Shampoo Companies Get Away with Murder

5 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 01/13/08

What Kind of toxic, carcinogenic crap is in your perfumes, laundry detergent, and lotion? Well, due to an FDA loophole, companies that make this stuff don’t have to reveal ingredients if they’re part of a ‘fragrance’. The FDA requires companies to list all other ingredients, but fragrances are considered ‘trade secrets’ under an obviously outdated law. Am I the only person who finds this TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS? Check the Environmental Working Group’s video below (and their great website, the Cosmetics Database, for more information and to support their campaign to get the FDA to work for the American people and not corporations that make personal care products.)

car, corporations, cosmetics, FDA, lotion, personal care products, Shampoo, spa, video

ECO LQ (Lifestyle Quotient): What life stage were you the "Most Eco"?

1 Comment

by Summer Rayne Oakes · 12/02/06

It’s often difficult to keep up with the Jonses on all this “Good Green Citizen” stuff. For the majority of us out there, we can’t possibly give all we got, but we can do things in our everyday life to make a difference. Where we are in our life, how old/young we are, where we live, and what we do – all factor in to how we can contribute (or at least minimize our impact) on the planet. Don’t get riled up if you can’t give as much as Gates, or buy eco-islands like Leo. Do the best you can where you are at. It makes a world of difference…

So how can you see if you are a good green citizen? Administer your own ECO LQ Test!

Below, I listed a farily comprehensive list of the “green” stuff I have done since I was a young girl. What’s interesting is that I have lived in three very different areas in my life: a rural Pennsylvania town, a college campus, and a big city. I obviously have become more aware of my impacts as I have aged, but even the stuff that I do now (i.e. take public transportation + walk), would virtually be impossible to do if I still lived in PA. Conclusion: Do the best you can where you are at.

And on that note, I’d love to hear about other Eco-Chick reader’s Eco LQs. Look at some examples I’ve given below and write down what you do (or don’t do) and post them here!

What I do in my everyday life NOW – (NY, NY):

Buy eco-friendly clothing, often times from local designers at a local store
Buy organic food at local store, often travel to green market
Will only buy enough food for the week; will rarely waste food
Bought 6 houseplants today at the Green Market
Take public transportation or walk everywhere (haven’t driven a car in 4 years)
Recycle (paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, and aluminum)
All furniture in house is used or was found on the sidewalk
Use energy efficient light bulbs (at least in my room)
Charge cell phone on solar power, or when charging from wall outlet, I will take the charger out when not charging
Have plastic on our windows to help prevent heat from escaping
Will rarely turn on main heater, may use a small heater for localize heating
Buy fair-trade tea or sometimes chocolate. I don’t drink coffee, but if I did…
Mainly use organic beauty and personal care products
Will try to eat out at locally-owned restaurants
Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products
Use environmentally-friendly detergents
Shut off water when not using it
Use a water-saving showerhead
Shut off lights when not in use
Give to charity
Socially active workplace

What I did in my everyday life at COLLEGE – (Ithaca, NY):

Buy eco-friendly clothing
Rarely bought organic, but got fair trade teas and bought locally
Rarely wasted food
Recycled
Used public transportation and walked everywhere
Shut off water when not using it
Shut off lights when not in use
Active in the community
Socially active in workplace

What I did in my everyday life at HOME – (Northeastern PA):

Clothing – I got a lot of hand-me downs and handmade clothes, but bought a lot of new stuff too
Grew our own fruits and vegetables
Cut our own firewood (sustainably) to heat our house, used natural gas
Bought food in bulk about once a month
Recycled
Composted food scraps
Had plastics on windows in the winter months
Shut off water when not using it
Shut off lights when not in use
Give to charity
Active in the community

And…my vices: too much air travel, and leave my computer on alllll dayyyy loooong.

Beauty, car, cardboard, cleaning, cleaning products, clothes, clothing, coffee, community, design, designer, designers, Easter, eating, Eco-Chick, Energy, Fair Trade, Food, fruit, fur, Furniture, gas, Handmade, Home, local, Organic, organic beauty, organic food, paper, personal care products, Plants, plastic, plastics, recycle, recycled, restaurant, sport, style, summer, Tea, transportation, travel, waste, water, wood

Ladies Love Lube!

7 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 10/18/06

Guestblogger Wendy Strgar, is the owner and founder of Good Clean Love (they make the above lube) a manufacturer of all-natural love and intimacy products. Married for over 23 years with four children, Wendy teaches about Making Love Sustainable, a green philosophy of relationships which recognizes the importance of valueing the renewable resources of love and family in our lives. Her blog is a lively discussion about making love real in your life.

Lubrication is a Fact of Life

By Wendy Strgar

Lubrication is a fact of life. In any relationship where working parts are at play, whether it be an engine, a dinner party or an evening of love, everything works better when it is “well oiled.” Lubrication allows for glide, ease and effectiveness. When lubrication is working well, it is invisible. When it isn’t working, we know it immediately! An engine without oil locks up in minutes; awkward silence and uncomfortable glances can kill an otherwise great night between lovers.
Lacking lubrication in intimacy can take on multiple forms and occur for a myriad of reasons. Age, childbearing and nursing and some medications are often the cause of vaginal dryness and its associated pain in sex.
Largely, the variety of lubricants on the market break down into three main categories; water-based, silicone-based, and oil-based. Each category has its benefits and weaknesses and it’s important to be informed about the health and environmental consequences associated with different product ingredients, because after all, you’re putting them in and on sensitive areas.

breast cancer, business, Cancer, car, children, Coconut Oil, cosmetics, epa, formula, Germany, health, Home, Lavender, media, oil, oils, party, personal care products, resources, skin, soap, sustainable, Tea, water, women

Buns of Steel Don't Come Without Pain

1 Comment

by Summer Rayne Oakes · 04/12/06

So this is my third day with my Guayanese tank of a trainer named Inka.

I can’t move.

Not sure if my ass is tighter because my muscles are just one big knot or if it actually is tighter. The goal? I really want to see if someone can smack a quarter against my ass and see if they get their change back. (Oh, plus all the health benefits)….but won’t be able to do that if I can’t lift my dead weight out of this chair – My Rx = deep tissue massage (I like it hard…but doesn’t every girl??).

I was looking into organic massage theraphy places and came across an interesting one: Fort Meyers Massage. Though I’m nowhere near Fort Meyers, something else caught my attention: Young Living Essential Oils. They provide essential oils, dietary supplements, and personal care products by developing one of the world’s largest organic herb farms for the production of therapeutic grade essential oils. Rock on.