tried it--trader joe's tea tree tingle...

the only image i could find. quite the swanky place to set the shampoo, no?

i think i've found my new shampoo and conditioner. i have been using this stuff for a couple of weeks, and have not a single complaint. i first tried it on my trip to monterey--it was what the homeowners of our rental property supplied in both showers. i stood there reading the ingredient label, about to suds up with my own shampoo, and realized that the list was without parabens, sls, or a long list of un-pronounecables. i'm generally not a fan of tea tree oil--it's way to strong and medicine-y for my personal taste. but a tentative sniff revealed that this line has mostly a peppermint fragrance, with just a hint of tea tree.

so i used both the shampoo and conditioner with excellent results. i found the shampoo to be more sudsy, and the conditioner more creamy, than the bee-hair-now shampoo and conditioner that i was using at that time. the main list of ingredients is natural plant extract, with both using sodium hydromethylglycinate as a preservative in place of parabens. i did a little bit of research on this chemical--it's listed in the skin deep database as a 2 on their 0-10 spectrum, which qualifies as a low hazard. there are some concerns that it's still a manufactured chemical, and therefore not the "natural" preservative that it's touted to be. at this point, with what i've researched, i still feel okay coming into contact with this ingredient.

the best part about this new product is the price. at under $4 per bottle, it's significantly cheaper than the bee-hair-now. comparing the two, bee-hair-now does still come out on top in a couple of categories--lots of their ingredients are organic, and the products are certified fair trade. however neither of the lines are tested on animals, both come in containers i can recycle curbside, and when all is said and done, i like how my hair is feeling with the trader joe's line. i'll continue to use both brands on a regular basis, but certainly plan on buying trader joe's again. bee-hair-now will probably not become a standby in my shower.

speaking of showers, lucy has decided she's ready to move on from her countertop baby bath. how did she communicate this desire to dear old mom & dad? well, she started attempting to climb out of the tub, which is all too funny because bathtime is one of her favorite times in the day. we've since transitioned her to the regular bathtub, where she can float on her back, kick, attempt to crawl, and otherwise flop like a fish. the metal plug chain seems to be her newest fixation.

where's all this going? well, it's kind of an eco-issue, as we're now using a lot more water nightly. as always, i'n trying to cut back where we can, but in general i just feel like we're using tons of water. like most people with babies, we've got an endless pile of laundry. like most people who stay home all day, we've got extra dirty dishes. like most people that LOVE hot showers, we LOVE our hot showers. next month's water bill will indicate the true story--we may be no longer watering the yard, but i suspect that we're still using too much, especially with water restrictions due to a current shortage in the california bay area.

p.s. the tea tree tingle really does tingle!

tried it: crunchy clean laundry detergent...

i am loving laundry these days. my clothes smell yummy again, and all because of a new , eco-friendly detergent i am using. crunchy clean is made by a work-at-home mom, and is phosphate & chlorine free, and safe for use as greywater when we (hopefully) get a system running sometime in the not-so-near future. the detergent comes in a plethora of different scents--i chose a sampler trio of apple orchard, milk n' honey, and monkey farts. my favorite? by far the monkey farts. the name, though whimsical, doesn't do the scent justice. it's described as a blend of bananas, grapefruit, kiwi, bubblegum, strawberries, and a touch of vanilla. delicious. the powder itself smells very, very strong going into the machine, but freshly-washed clothes retain only a small bit of the scent on them once line-dried.

the clothes seem just as clean as they are with my regular detergent (planet, which is also eco-friendly). and i love the idea of supporting a work-at-home mom. crunchy clean is available on etsy.com. clicking here will take you directly to the crunchy clean store. she also makes a detergent that's safe for cloth diapers, but since i'm having tremendous success with seventh generation delicate care, i'm not in the market to switch.

all detergents offered by crunchy clean are scented with either fragrance oils or essential oils (there's also an unscented offering too). fragrance oils are synthetic, while essential oils are 100% natural. that's my understanding of it, anyway. the monkey farts blend is scented with fragrance oils... which must be why it smells so delicious!

in the future i'll probably try to fall in love with a scent that uses essential oils, since my constant goal is to cut back on unnecessary chemicals within our home. but there's no doubt that even with the fragrance oils, crunchy clean is a greener, safer, alternative to most store-bought detergents. at .12 per load, it's a totally affordable indulgence. i totally recommend it.

tried it: trader joe's toothpaste...

specifically, trader joe's all natural anticavity peppermint toothpaste with baking soda & fluoride. (that's a mouthful).

after trying a couple of different flavors of tom's of maine toothpaste (peppermint and cinnamon clove) without success, i decided to give the trader joe's brand a go. i like it! the flavor is good, without being too fake-minty. it's kind of heavy on the baking soda, but my mouth really does feel clean after i'm done brushing, which is a nice change from the tom's of maine cinnamon clove.

this toothpaste foams without the use of sodium laureth sulfate (sls), a suspected carcinogen. the sls-free paste from tom's of maine that i tried was not nearly as foamy, and made brushing very... strange to say the least. anyway, it's also free of propylene glycol (a form of mineral oil also used in brake fluid & antifreeze) and artificial sweeteners. not tested on animals, either.

recommend this product? yep. my teeth are thanking me! yours will too!

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!

when you can't scrub-a-dub...

i'm one of those people who uses hand sanitizer. i don't go overboard or anything, but i do like to use it after pumping gas, grocery shopping, etc. especially with having lucy around. when i'm out and about and need to feed her, i want to have clean hands. especially after changing a diaper. and there's not always access to soap & water. however, most hand sanitizers (and antibacterial soaps) contain triclosan, a chemical that "is often contaminated with dioxins, which are highly carcinogenic and can also weaken your immune system, decrease fertility and cause birth defects...") (taken from sophie uliano's gorgeously green). she puts anything with this ingredient in the "chuck immediately" category. while the particular brand that i was using (target brand) did not contain triclosan, it was alcohol-based and really drying. i wasn't aware that there were natural alternatives available until today.

i found something new! the brand is called "clean well," and it kills 99.99% of germies but contains no alcohol or triclosan. in fact, the active ingredient is thyme oil. there are a few other natural ingredients and only one i had to look up: dicapryl sodium sulfosussinate, which appears pretty safe as long as it's not ingested in large quantities.

anyway, this stuff comes in the cutest little spray bottle and it's not all noxious-smelling when used. the bottle i bought has 225 sprays (which is probably around 100 uses) and was $2.99 at elephant pharmacy.

and the company is located in san francisco. supporting local business = added bonus!

tried it: kiss my face ultra moisturizer

specifically, the kiss my face obsessively natural lotion in honey & calendula. while this stuff smells really, really good, i have to say that it's a bit thick for my taste. very white and hard to rub in. i guess that's the "ultra" in "ultra moisturizer." this presents a problem when you've got a fussy baby on your hands (i'm going to pick you up in just a sec... i promise! okay, hang in there. a few more seconds...), but the thickness does seem to serve a purpose once the lotion finally gets all rubbed in. my skin has been just as smooth as it was with my old stuff. anyway, i picked my bottle up at elephant pharmacy. but it's also available on amazon in a 3-pack, as you can see from the image i stole below.

this stuff has zero parabens, no petrolatum, is made in the u.s.a. and is 100% biodegradable. the bottle is a #1 PETE so i can recycle it. swell. still, the ingredient list is pretty lengthy... lots of floral extracts and other natural sounding things, but some chemical-y sounding stuff too there at the very end of the list. i will definitely use up what i bought. but i might try something else when i'm ready to rebuy.

side note! jer & i celebrated 4 years of marriage today over buttermilk pancakes and a "farmer's scramble" at bette's oceanview diner on 4th street. yummy. lucy says we make a good pair. who are we to disagree with that?

tried it: almost natural polish remover...

dang. why so big?

made by a company called no-miss, almost natural nail polish remover works without the use of acetone or ethyl acetate... harsh chemicals that make regular nail polish so stanky. it didn't blast off my 3-week old polish or anything, but it did get the job done (with a bit of good, old-fashioned rubbing). it's made with only 5 ingredients (all organic, one of which is distilled water). cutex gentle formula, on the other hand, has 18 ingredients (to be fair, water is listed as an ingredient here too). what i like most about this polish remover is that i didn't have to open a window to use it. this is a vegan product. i am not a vegan, but i do support the cause.

recommend it? yep. you can bet i'll be taking it with me to my next pedicure, too. if i ever find the time to paint my toenails, that is.

i found "almost natural" at elephant pharmacy. it's also available at whole foods. i think i paid around $6 for a 4oz. bottle.