vinegar = miracle liquid...

last night i was plagued with itchiness from 2 bug bites on my lower back. the itch was so bad it woke me up--and then i couldn't get back to sleep. after tossing and turning (and scratching) for nearly an hour, i decided to get up and try a remedy i'd recently read about online--vinegar. a couple dabs and i was back in sleepytime business, with no itch at all. a miracle (or at least it felt like one at the time). i'm definitely bringing a bottle of the stuff on our upcoming camping trip!

what we're using...

i thought i'd put together a short list of our "daily" products--the stuff we trust enough to have put in the heavy rotation. i was kind of a product junkie before making some real lifestyle changes since lucy's birth. i can now count on fingers the amount of lotions & potions that get used around these parts. our life is certainly simpler (and more affordable) due to the shift. you may have seen me blog about some of these before, but i thought it'd be handy to have them all together now that i've reached bodycare almost-nirvana. here's a rundown, for those looking for great "green" products in an affordable price range:

shampoo & conditioner: trader joe's tea tree tingle

anti-frizz serum, when needed: extra virgin olive oil

deodorant: the crystal stick

body lotion: aveeno naturals daily moisturizing lotion (i can get this at costco!)

toothpaste: trader joe's peppermint 

liquid body soap: dr. bronner's peppermint castile soap

bar soap: dr. bronner's almond

facewash: local raw honey

for makeup, i use bare minerals foundation and bronzer--this stuff is a little on the pricey side but it lasts forever! i use clinique eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara. when these run out, i will be looking for a line that does not include parabens or other nasties in its ingredient list. if anyone has any suggestions, i would LOVE to hear them. 

lipgloss: alba passionfruit lip gloss. so yummy and gives a nice pretty shine, comparable to the stuff i used to use that was basically liquid plastic with some synthetic flavoring & scent. i also use lansinoh lanolin for healing chappy/dry lips. 

for lucy: 

california baby calming hair & bodywash in the bath. olive oil on rare occasions for dry skin. weleda children's tooth gel for her bitty teethies. we do not use rash cream for diaper rash--primarily because she doesn't get rashy, but also because if she does get rashy, i find that fresh air clears the rash quicker than any cream. 

for regular laundry: 

ecos liquid detergent in magnolia & lily scent. this stuff is 100% biodegradable, smells delicious without synthetic fragrances, and has a soy-based softener. 

for cloth diaper laundry: 7th generation delicate care. gets them clean, every time. 

for wool: ecover delicate wash for fine fabrics & wool

for lanolizing: lansinoh lanolin. SO much better than medela. 

for extra whitening & stain removal: oxyclean. pure magic. swear. 

around the house: 

dr bronners & baking soda for pretty much everything that needs a scrub. 

vinegar for the windows. 

a sprinkle of baking soda for stink in the diaper pail. 

an open window for air freshener. 

in the diswasher: trader joes liquid detergent. to be honest, it's not all that great. sometimes the dishes are squeaky clean, sometimes not so much. i have a box of ecover dishwashing tablets that i am itching to try when the tj's stuff runs out. 

as a rinse aid in the dishwasher: vinegar. 

there you have it. life has gotten pretty simple here. i like it. 

we've got...

two adorable pearly whites.

and i want to keep them pearly white. for lucy's little chompers, i am using weleda children's tooth gel. made in germany, it's free of fluoride, detergents, synthetic flavors, colors & preservatives, and none of the ingredients are derived from mineral oils. it does not taste (or smell) like mega bubble berry, it does not sparkle, and it does not promote cartoon characters, but i think we're okay. lucy seems to like the subtle spearmint flavor--in fact, the only reason that i am using toothpaste at all with her is that she basically refused to have her teeth brushed otherwise. she'd clamp those gums, and shake her head back and forth, and i'd hand over the brush (which she'd then calmly gnaw on the end of). i had to bring in the big guns--something with a little flavor. i'm happy to report that so far, it's working. we got 2 full brushings in today.

for a toothbrush, we are using some piece of plastic crest baby brush that the dentist gave me last time i was in for my own dental cleaning. i did pick up a preserve jr. brush for lucy when the one she is currently using gets all worn out. preserve is a great company that crafts toothbrushes from recycled yogurt containers. if you've read my blog for awhile you'll recall that, while i think this is a fantastic idea, the adult preserve brush (which i got at trader joe's), was a bit too soft for my liking. i am hopeful that the baby brush will work out fine, as baby brushes are supposed to be super soft on those tender gums anyway. spent brushes can be returned to the company using a free postage-paid mailer, where they are turned into plastic lumber. click here to read more about this great program!

i've also found a great toothbrush for me! it's the radius source toothbrush. this thing looks pretty funky, people, but i am loving it anyway. the handle is made from 100% recycled wood fiber, and the head--which comes in soft & medium--is the only part that needs to be replaced. the toothbrush is made in pennsylvania and 50% of the packaging used is made from recycled soda bottles.

i was lucky enough to find everything listed here at my local elephant pharmacy (gotta love that place). i'm pretty sure, however, that everything i've listed can be purchased online at either drugstore.com or iherb.com, 2 very reputable websites that i have used often.

now i'm off to go brush...

tea tree oil...

saves my foot. 

i know it may be a great surprise for some of you to hear that your loyal blogger is an everyday human and, in fact, prone to nasty stuff like the rest of the population. well, consider yourselves surprised. i came down with an alarmingly gross case of athlete's foot-type fungus between two of my toes. it was all bumpy and bubbly and... what? you don't want to hear the nitty gritty details of my likely-contagious disease? okay. i'll spare you. for this time, at least. 

i read online that tea tree oil can treat foot fungus naturally, and since i happened to have a bottle from trader joe's lying around, i decided to give it a try. who knows that kind of stuff is in that over-the-counter athlete's foot treatment, right? i didn't even want to look into it as a possibility! so i went ahead with the tto. i did an "emergency-level" treatment when i first saw it (a piece of paper towel drenched in tea tree oil, wrapped around the afflicted toes, covered with a sock for a couple of hours) and then moved on to just dabbing the area with a bit of oil after i took a shower in the morning and before going to bed. 

end result? my fungus is totally on the mend, after only 4 days. naturally. 

keep it in mind if you ever find yourself unfortunately afflicted!

second half...

of the "dirty dozen" of body-product chemicals is below, as a follow-up to yesterday's similar post. 

the culprit: lead & mercury. appears under the guise "hydrated silica" in toothpaste, "lead acetate" in men's hair dye, and "thimerosal" in many mascaras. 

the crime: lead is a proven neurotoxin. exposure to mercury has damaging effects on the brain. 

the culprit: nanoparticles. teensy bits of minerals used in makeups and sunscreens to increase blending properties. zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are of highest concern. 

the crime: particles "may" penetrate the skin and damage brain cells. 

the culprit: parabens. hang around in all types of cosmetics and toiletries. appear on labels in many forms, but always have the word "paraben" at the tail end of the word. example: methylparaben. 

the crime: it is becoming ever-widely recognized that parabens have estrogenic properties, and methylparaben has been proven to lower testosterone production in laboratory mice. parabens have also been linked to breast cancer. 

the culprit: petroleum distillates. a.k.a. "petroleum" and "liquid paraffin."

the crime: possibly carcinogenic, but banned for use in cosmetics in other countries. 

the culprit: p-phenylenediamine (ppd). re-invents itself as "1,4-benzenediamine, p-aminoaniline, and 1,4-diaminobenzene. often found in hair dyes. 

the crime: lung irritation, severe allergic reactions and blindness. yikes. 

the culprit: hydroquinone. found in undereye bleaching creams, skin-spot lighteners, etc. 

the crime: a known neurotoxin and allergen, and also a suspected carcinogen. 

whew. that's a lot to take in. 

i take some good relief in knowing that most of our daily-use products don't contain any of this junk. and certainly nothing that we are putting on lucy has even a single of the aforementioned additives. but even when armed with this information, it still seems so difficult to pick out safe products. since many of these toxic chemicals have numerous aliases, there's a real sense of trickery involved. it's almost as though you've got to make an educated guess--which is better than a shot in the dark but still a guess, when it all comes down to it. i personally have avoided long lists of unpronounceable ingredients after opening my eyes to all of the crap we're exposed to on a daily basis. avoiding "fragrance" is by far the most difficult, but we're managing. i disposed of stuff that was glaringly hazardous to our health. and we're using up stuff that falls into the moderate category, with no intent to rebuy. 

did you ever read the laura ingalls wilder books as a kid? i LOVED them with a passion, and read each one multiple times. now, as a grown up, i've been rekindling this adoration with the series--but now i'm listening to it on cd while driving in the car. okay, that was only a little embarrassing to admit!

anyway, what gets to me now is just how independent people of that time period were. they made nearly everything--and sometimes absolutely everything--that they needed to survive though the years. clothing, linens, furniture, food, toys, medicines, tools. everything, down to the straw-tick mattresses on which they slept. i don't want to give up my super-comfy king mattress for one made of straw, but to me, theirs was a (albeit difficult) lifestyle of which to be somewhat envious of. they certainly weren't coming in contact with harsh chemicals every time they turned around, and with every breath that they took. in contrast, i wander around the grocery store, searching out as much organic food as i possibly can afford, all the while worrying about the chemicals that lucy's being exposed to as she gnaws with gusto on cereal box that i intend to buy. i've totally fallen out of love with the idea of brand-spankin' new. not that i don't want new things here and there--a nice pair of warm sweatpants is high on my christmas list. let's just say i'm a little more conscious of the true cost of fresh-from-factory newness. 

and my king-sized mattress? totally non-organic. full of flame-retardant chemicals, pesticides and other neuro-toxic crap. for which jeremy and i paid and arm and a leg. 

the organic straw tick made from hay grown in my big backyard? it's sounding all the better... 

quick reference...

here's half of the "dirty dozen" of additives in body products--chemicals best to avoid at all costs according to the environmental working group (ewg). i'll post the second half of the list (along with a few thoughts) tomorrow!

(list taken from the green guide, the complete reference for consuming wisely)

the culprit: antibacterials.
crime: wiping out good bacteria along with the bad. commonly used triclosan produces dioxins when exposed to sunlight. is found in breastmilk. yuk.

the culprit: coal tar. often found in dandruff shampoos. shows up as fd&c blue 1 in toothpaste and fd&c green 3 in mouthwash.
crime: widely recognized as a carcinogen.

the culprit: diethanolamine. also known as dea, with compounds and derivatives tea and mea. boosts lathering effect of shampoos.
the crime: reacts with other ingredients to create carcinogenic compounds. listed as a possible hormone disruptor.

the culprit: 1,4 dioxane. hangs out with sodium laureth sulfate and other "eth" ingredients. lives in shampoos & bodywashes.
the crime: proven carcinogenic in animals. 15 percent of shampoos have levels higher than recommended by the fda.

the culprit: formeldehyde. can also occur as a breakdown product of diazolidinyl urea, bronopol, and quaternium compounds.
the crime: a proven carcinogen.

the culprit: fragrance. appears in nearly everything, from personal products to candles to laundry soap.
the crime: synthetic fragrances may contain phthalates, which act as endocrine disrupters. effects of endocrine disruption include reproductive issues.

my baby...

is super shiny. that's because she gets a nightly massage with extra virgin olive oil. straight up, no additives or fragrances. the same stuff that we cook with. the massage instructor at elephant pharmacy recommended either olive oil or coconut oil. since we buy olive oil in bulk at costco, that's what i'm currently using... but i'm keeping my eye out for a place (besides online) where i can buy organic coconut oil. a trip to whole foods may be in order. the instructor stressed steering clear of the use of all nut oils on children under 1 year of age, since nut allergies can be life-threatening. coconut is not a nut though. tricky!

the amount of chemicals in a simple bottle of baby lotion is pretty surprising. besides artificial fragrances, parabens and random unpronounceables, the main ingredient is often mineral oil. mineral oil, also known as baby oil, is a by-product that comes from the distillation of petroleum during the production of gasoline. not something i want to be rubbing on my baby every night. you know?

lucy seems to much enjoy her nightly massages. she gets all greased up, rubbed down, and when we're done i tell her that she smells like fresh pasta. it's a bit of a departure from that familiar (and delicious) "baby" scent that we all know and love, but it seems a safer choice and it happens to be working out well. besides, fresh pasta is smells delicious too... just in a different way!

tried it: preserve toothbrush...

dang. i wanted to love this sooooo bad.



the idea behind the preserve toothbrush is awesome. the plastic handle is made from recycled yogurt cups (#5 plastic, which is not accepted in many communities, including my own). nice, right? well, it gets even better. when you're done with your toothbrush, visit the preserve website and download a prepaid mailing label to send it back to the company. there, it will be recycled again, this time into plastic lumber... the same stuff our deck is made from.

did i mention that i wanted to love this toothbrush???

unfortunately, i found the bristles way too soft for my taste. the handle feels kinda cheapy too. i felt like i was using a hotel toothbrush... the kind you get for free if you forget your own. the kind you're happy to throw away after only 3 days. no bells, no whistles. no tri-level, colored bristles that indicate the life left in your brush. you know the type.

here's the thing though. before i bought the preserve, i was using an electric toothbrush. it was the most eco-friendly option that i could find, since only the heads need to be replaced and it runs on rechargeable batteries. as an added bonus, it gets my teeth super clean feeling. so i might be unfairly judging the poor preserve. it could just me me... i must admit i've been told (by my loving husband) that i brush my teeth too hard. jeremy seems to like his preserve just fine.

i urge people to try the preserve toothbrush and see for themselves. at a couple of dollars each, it's certainly an affordable product. if you don't like it, send it back and move on to something else. right? right.

by the way, preserve sells lots of other products made from 100% recycled plastics... razors, tongue scrapers, flavored toothpicks (crafted from sustainably harvested birch... the container that holds them is recycled plastic). also from preserve: reusable plates, cups and cutlery. for the kitchen: cutting boards, mixing bowls and more. see the whole line for yourself by clicking here. all items are made in the usa, and stuff can be found at shops like whole foods, trader joe's, elephant pharmacy and target. what a great company. support them if you can!

am i stinky?

after learning that the active ingredient found in most anti-perspirants (aluminum) is linked to alzheimer's disease, i decided to give up my asian pear-scented standby in search of something less hazardous to my health. let me start by saying that i'm not the most active person in the world, but i do work up a sweat from time to time. after reading tons of mixed reviews on all sorts of aluminum-free deodorants, i decided to try the crystal stick.

made from 100% natural minerals, this crystal thing is basically like a clear rock in the shape of a deodorant bar. you wet it and rub it under your arms. no fragrance or anything. it's supposed to keep you from stinking, not from sweating. but before i made the switch, i took a few days off from deodorant altogether. while i was camping, no less. i'd read and heard on many occasions that ceasing the use of anti-perspirants and deodorants often results in the following: 2-3 days of super stinky wetness as chemicals work their way out of the body... eventually tapering off into less stinky wetness... which eventually tapers off into no stink at all. just wetness. which can be combated most naturally with baking soda.

anyway, i figured camping was the perfect time to be stinky. dipping in and out of the river all day, it truly wasn't noticeable. could it be? all this time using deodorant and deodorant was what was making me stinky? hmmm. in fact, one of my most non-stinky friends told me (while jogging at the river) that she never uses anything under her arms. i also heard julia roberts say the same thing on oprah. swear.

the crystal stick was already en route to my house though, so when it arrived i decided to give it a go. i've been using it for about 10 days now. it's a little strange, wetting it and putting it on. but i don't find myself sweating or stinking too much. and i've been hanging laundry, going on walks, etc. i mean, i haven't run a marathon or anything, but i think this stuff is working. i actually forgot to put it on today in my rush out the door and did notice the difference. and at $5.99, this thing is a total bargain... as 1 stick is supposed to last a year or more.

a couple trips to the gym would put this stick to the true test. but the gym is so not on my agenda. however, if you know me, and see me, and find that i smell, please tell me. do not let me be walking around in this world with stink!

let's talk paper...

toilet paper, that is. not too long ago, while jer and i were standing in line at costco, i realized that we had forgotten to pick up toilet paper. he volunteered to run back into the crowd and go get some. i figured he'd come back with the usual gazillion-roll package of kirkland (costco brand) tp. but he came back with something new.

"here," he said, as he tossed the oversized package in the general direction of our cart, "you'll be happy to know it's recycled."

i must admit, i was impressed with his eco-friendly attempt. but inside i kind of groaned. we were finally almost done with a package of recycled tp that i had picked up at trader joes. tp that i was not a fan of. that stuff is rough. literally. but i wasn't about to send jer back to get something else. we bought it. and brought it home. and used it. let me just say, this stuff is pretty good. it's no quilted cottonelle or charmin by any means, but it's definitely usable. it's made with 100% post-consumer waste. and i'm pretty sure it was only marginally more expensive than the kirkland brand.

another great thing about this stuff... upon opening the package, i was pleasantly surprised to see that the rolls weren't individually wrapped. how often have you gotten your tp home to find that the master pack (plastic) has multiple inner packs (plastic) and each roll itself is wrapped, too (more plastic)? what, toilet paper can't touch other toilet paper? annoying and excessive, no doubt. the stuff that jer discovered had minimal packaging. so minimal, in fact, that i'm now unable to tell you the brand name becasue the sole outer packaging is long gone.

all this talk about tp does bring up a small question... have you ever heard of "family cloth?" the idea is generally the same as lucy's cloth wipes. you keep a pile of flannel squares in the bathroom, use them, and then toss them into a container to be washed and later reused. now, i haven't tried this. but in my readings, i do notice that most families using "cloth" only use it for pee. good, old-fashioned toilet paper is reserved for other deeds. makes sense.

here's my thought. it sounds strange. over-the-top. and about as hippy-dippy as you can get. but if you really get to thinking about it, it's not that strange at all. for a civilized society, we're kind of behind in cleaning up after potty breaks. many cultures keep a bucket or bottle nearby for rinsing... and don't forget about the bidet. here we are, wiping ourselves with a bit of dry paper and calling it clean. recently, flushable wet wipes have been marketed to adults. much like a baby wipe, they're supposed to make the user feel a little bit fresher with their one-time-only use. but where do these wipes go? who knows. i'm fairly certain that they aren't designed to break down into nothingness. and what kind of chemicals are in them? i'm sure they've got a few questionable ingredients. it's probably not the best idea to go wiping your most sensitive parts with something like that.

still, i have to admit, i'm hesitant to start using cloth. i can't put my finger on exactly why though. it's not like i care what people think. or do i? i dunno. and plus, we have a very small bathroom. i just can't figure the logistics. so for now, i'm sticking with costco's recycled paper. lord knows we have enough to see us though for quite some time. and as for family cloth... well, i think i'll keep turning that one over in my head.