little things to look out for

Before we start, I would like to give a word of advice:

When it comes to beauty and skin care, there are some great, healthy and safe alternatives to the normal shelf brands out there. You do need to do your homework though, and find a supplier, or an online store that you can trust. In South Africa, you can find some brands with moi, Gentle Trader, but there are other sites that you can trust to do the homework for you.

In Centurion, trading from her home in Wierdapark, there is OrganicWorx. You can trust the products she supplies as being good quality products, and all the nasties are left to find a home somewhere else. 
There is also a few online stores: 
Faithful to Nature
Fresh Earth in JHB have both an online and a physical store for you to browse
Harmless House

So although this site does contain A LOT of information, and it is good to know these things and to know why you are avoiding what you are avoiding, life becomes a whole lot easier when you are able to trust your supplier. FYI - healthstores are not all that although they will supply products that you will find online as well. 

On to the post :)

Today we cover things that are not listed on the EWG's most dangerous chemical list, but which should be avoided as these chemicals create the formation of carcinogenic chemicals.

* Cocamide DEH
* Lauramide DEA
* Cocamide MEA
* Triethanolamine (TEA)
* Diethanolamine (DEA)

Mineral Oils:

i.e. Petroleum Jelly, liquid paraffin, petroleum distillates, etc. This is a cure all product in South Africa, although apparently, it is banned in EU.
Anything that contains mineral oil, will cover your skin like plastic, which means it won't be able to breathe. Nice stuff, right? This will slow down the skin's natural functions and cell development, resulting in premature aging. They can also be contaminated with PAH (polycyclic acromatic hydrocarbon), which is a carcinogenic substance.

Parabens:

methyl-, ethyl-, propyl, butyl, isobutyl-
This is a chemical preservative that also happens to be estrogenic and disruptive of normal normal hormone function. This is a very common ingredient in skincare, so read the fine print.
Estrogenic chemicals mimic the functions of estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. ** remember when I dropped the fact that even men are now showing rising cases of breast cancer? this is part of the reason why, and it starts with what you put onto your belly when you are pregnant, ladies. 

Phthalates:

dibutyl and diethylhexyl, usually hidden under the term fragrance. Banned in the EU.
Not a very nice ingredient, it is known to cause a wide range of birth deffects, lifelong reproductive impairment (so again, when pregnant, be super vigilant of these ingredients). They are hormone mimicking and disrupt the normal hormone processes. Again, the risk factor here is breast cancer, and men are on the list as well.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES):

This is the stuff that makes your beauty products foam. Mostly. There are alternatives available, and despite our belief that it needs to foam in order to clean, there are in fact also things that don't foam and are super cleaners.
This is a skin irritant which will strip your skin of its natural moisturising layer, thereby causing the skin to produce more oil, etc. You can read more about it here, but the gist of it is, the more you wash your hair, the more your hair will need to be washed.
There is some controversy over this particular ingredient, but, since there are wonderful alternatives, why play around with your health?

I think we can leave it here for now, remembering to take it slow. The most important thing about this post (and the others), is to gain knowledge; to know what you put into your body and what it could possibly do.

Beauty shouldn't come at the cost of your health. After all, what is the use of being beautiful for longer, if you are not going to live a longer and better quality of life?

If you would like to start from the beginning of this process, read up on the first 2 posts in this regard.

Did you know?
How to start and what to look out for

This series of posts is done in conjunction with the book Gorgeously Green, and you can go onto her website for more information, or to sign up for her newsletter.

how to start and what to look out for

The previous post was just an introduction to some of the things that are important to know in this day and age: The chemicals that are used, how they are tested (or not tested) and how they get into your body; We covered the skin as the greatest carrier of chemicals as it has no filter, but all ingredients simply enter into your bloodstream; We covered the 7 most dangerous chemicals to look out for and very shortly, why as well; And we covered easy ways to sort your current stash of beauty products.

Why do we start with the beauty products? Because these are the products that are used daily, in various combinations directly plastered onto the greatest organ of your body. According to Gorgeously Green, the first 5 products you should asses are: Shampoo; Conditioner; Body Wash; Lip Products; Hand lotions and Creams. These are the products that get used daily. The ones that have any one of the 7 most dangerous chemicals on its ingredients list, should be "chucked immediately"; the ones with a whole list of unrecognisable ingredients should be "finished, but not bought again"; the pile for items that "require further investigation", should be for those items that don't have ingredients list.

There you go. That was rather easy - 7 Dangers; 5 product types; 3 piles. If you like, you may download Gorgeously Green's Cheat-sheet to take with you when you go and look for replacements. Also: Be on the look out for on line organic and health shops (personally, I stopped visiting health stores in physical stores the day most of them started stocking the USN product line). In South Africa specifically, there are very little true organic or eco friendly products on the normal supermarket shelf, and Health Stores have become increasingly commercial as well. Those products that are on the supermarket shelves, are rarely all that they claim to be, so read your product's ingredients list. You only have to read it once to know whether it is safe to buy or not, so don't think this will always take an eternity, but it is time well spent knowing what you are buying for you and your family.

Here are a few online stores that sell great skincare ranges, in South-Africa:
Faithful to Nature
Harmless House
Allure Cosmetics
If you are in the Centurion/Midrand area, consider Gentle Trader for your skin, dental and bodycare needs.
If you don't live in South Africa, try out any one of a number of sites available, or look for recommendations on Gorgeously Green.

A word of caution: 
The claim to a product being "natural" and/or containing "plant extracts", does not mean a lot. Any product wanting to claim their ingredients as being any one of the above, need only add a trace of the ingredient mentioned, in order to do so. So although you may get a smidgen of a natural ingredient, you may also be getting a whole bundle of chemicals and additives.
Watch out for "unscented" or "fragrance free" as this often means that the product has other chemicals added inorder to mask the smell of the product.
Don't expect "hypoallergenic" to be safe either. They may well leave out the most common irritants, but take the time to still read the list of ingredients as it may well contain other chemicals that are harmful.
Be discerning. Just because a product has some pretty flowers on the cover, does not mean it is a part of the final product.
Know that you really can't trust what people say on the front and that you absolutely should read your ingredient list, no matter how reputable you believe a company to be.

this is a list that was sent to me with an order from Faithful to Nature. Print it, put it in your wallet and it should aid you in your shopping as well. 

Anyone can turn a blind eye to this information, but it is important to realise that we now know things we didn't know 50 years ago, and our ingredients in age old products has changed with each decade passing, so ignoring new information is a personal choice for which each person will carry the responsibility.

Above all, enjoy this journey as one of personal growth and education. Embrace it as a great thing that you are doing for both you, and this planet we call home.

did you know?

Book recommendation: Gorgeously Green
Author: Sophie Uliano 

Sophie allows you to ease into a green life with comfort and grace, while still being the Princess you are. It is as simple as that.

With a forward from Julia Roberts, you can rest assure that although you might have to change your shopping list a little, you won't have to forego anything that makes you feel pampered. Of course if you are on the road to greenness, chances are that by now, you are comfortable to not buy something if it means clutter or danger to your body or to those you love.

With the help of gorgeously green - because we are all princesses, even if we are eco friendly ones - and various other resources, Sophie and I will guide you through easing into the green lifestyle, or at least to know what is most dangerous for you and your home.  I will be highlighting a few key aspects from this book over the next few weeks, looking at what is most dangerous to your body, how it may affect your body, and how to clean up what you already have. For those of you that reside in South Africa, please remember that Gentle Trader provides, beauty, skin and dental care that is both healthy and wise.

oh, and I would most definitely advise everyone to get a copy of this book as it is invaluable to anyone wanting to move over to a healthier lifestyle, and even to those who think they have already taken all the steps. 

Moving on to today's information:

Did you know?

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It is living and breathing and absorbs everything you apply onto it. Food goes through a digestive system before being absorbed in the body, but the chemicals that you put unto your skin are directly absorbed into your bloodstream.

According to the Environmental Working Group, only 11% of the 10500 ingredients in beauty products have been tested for safety.

1 in 13 women are exposed every day to ingredients through their personal care products that are known or probable carcinogens and reproductive toxins.

The average woman's morning routine puts her in contact with a hundred chemicals before breakfast.

The Environmental Working Group  (really worthwhile to visit their site) suggests that consumers should be on high alert for the following 7 ingredients (listed in order of danger of significance):
1. Coal Tar: used in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams, coal tar is a known carcinogen. Coal tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, which is used in toothpastes, and the FD&C Green 3, which is used in mouthwash, should be avoided.
2.Fragrance: The ubiquitous term is used to mask hundreds of ingredients, including phalates, which disrupt the endocrine system and could cause reproductive and developmental harm.
3. Hydroquinone: Commonly found in skin lighteners and facial moisturisers, it is a neuro toxin and is allergenic.
4. Aluminum: Often used in eye shadow as a colour additive and also used in deodorants, it is a listed carcinogenic, toxic and mutagenic.
5. Triclosan: This chemical is used in almost all antibacterial products, including soap, toothpaste and cosmetics. Triclosan is often contaminated with dioxins, which are highly carcinogenic and can also weaken your immune system, decrease fertility and cause birth defects.
6. P-Phenylenediamine: This is the chemical that has given a bad name to regular hair dye. It can damage your nervous system, cause lung irritation, and cause severe allergic reactions. It is also listed as 1,4-Benzenediamine; p-Phenyldiamine and 4-Phenylenediamine.
7. Lead and Mercury: lead could appear in toothpaste as a naturally occurring contamination of hydrated silica. It is a neuro-toxin that also appears as lead acetate in men's hair dye. Mercury is found in a cosmetic preservative called thimerosol.

Sophie's (from Gorgeously Green) cheatsheet to take with you when you go shopping.

You might wonder if these products are really that bad. And the answer would be yes. Just read the list: neuro-toxins, endocrine disruptors, carcinogenic. All ingredients are also only ever tested per ingredient, no testing is done to see how these ingredients would react with other ingredients and that list becomes pretty complicated, so do your best to avoid at least these most dangerous ones, for now.

Sophie's suggestion: Get all your bath, beauty and skincare products together; Create a heap for throw away now, finish but don't by again, needs further investigation. Take control of what goes into your skin and what affects your body and those of your children, grand children and the whole family tree. Read the labels, chuck out those that are most dangerous, and confirm those that don't have any of the 7-listed ingredients in, but which you are unsure off.

Personally I think that the reason why most people are so reluctant to move into a greener, eco friendly lifestyle, is that most of the consequences of what they use, are not immediately visible. It is the compounded use of the products, or the children that get affected rather than the grown ups, and no one seems to be connecting the dots. Or possibly, we just don't want to. Therefore, just take into consideration how this may affect children: firstly in the womb when they absorb everything that you take in, even if you are only taking it in through your skin, which means you could be playing with your son/daughter's hormones before they are even born; and secondly, their bodies are so very small, so what might be fairly easy for your grown up body and immune system to fight, will not be so easy for theirs; lastly, through whatever damage has already been logged into your reproductive system, your DNA and your organs, by the use of these systems and will be transferred onto them and compounded even further with the use of harmful products.

Just review the number of children born with cancer these days, or even developing it very early, or developing breasts by the age of 8, 9 or ten (both girls and boys). If kids are not yet a concern of yours, then take into account our cancer rates that are increasing overall, in fact and at this point in time, even men are suffering from breast cancer. Our cancer-developing age is also becoming lower and lower with each passing decade, to the point where we have become desensitised to people as young as 20 having cancer, unless of course it is a family member or friend.

The point is that things are happening in our world, to our bodies, our children and our health, and no one seems to be connecting the dots between the providers that don't give a rat's a.. how a chemical affects the consumer's body or integrates with other chemicals and what those combinations may have on the consumer's body, just as long as the consumer buys enough in a lifetime to provide riches to the company.

We need to realise that we can't just blindly accept that just because a product is on the shelf, that it is safe to use. We have to accept that the responsibility for our safety and health, has been moved from the companies that provide us, to ourselves. We need to accept that the choices we make need to be based on knowledge, and not just on the best advertisement anymore.

Let's face it, more often than not, we tend to be seduced by the pretty sales assistant, the packaging, the promises of no wrinkles... And it costs so much so of course it has to work! But it never does. Without going into a huge discussion on ethical beauty and aging gracefully, let's just look at the facts: no product will take age away forever or completely; there are ethical and organic products (like ESSE) that will give you the same result as the chemical laden products sold in stores; there are very real dangers and effects that are being passed on to our children with each of these chemical laden products used; No one is going to let you know that their product might give you cancer, or organ deformalities, so you need to know what is out there and how it will affect you.

sleep

In South Africa, we are almost on the other side of a very cold winter. However, as if to prove to us that it is still around, we had snow this last week. And not just where we live - actually, very little where we live - but all around the country. We are now a snowy country, except for the Drakensberg and of course you always get snow in the mountains.

As you can see, this is such a phenomena where we live, that everyone rushed outside to see it. Yes, these are the same people that complain about the cold when it is not snowing. It is also the same people who, not knowing it would snow, were not wearing any snow clothes.

But snow is not the topic of this post today. Sleep is. And the reason why these 2 go together is that we often forget that our universe, our world, works better in cycles. In winter months, much like the rest of nature, we need to sleep a little more. If this means that you need to go to sleep a little earlier because of your morning routine, then do yourself the favour and go to sleep earlier. Nature shows us that everything needs to rest from time to time; to slow down; to stop everything we do in such excess and just rest. We can see that this works because, well, she hasn't changed anything yet. 

In modern times though, lack of sleep or an inability to sleep is almost as common as lower back problems. Most people resort to sleeping pills, which unfortunately are highly addictive, has a detrimental effect on your nervous system and gives a 38% increased risk of cancer. It has also been shown that while sleeping pills might help you sleep, you are not receiving the recuperative or healing benefits of natural sleep (perhaps because there is no resolution to the subconscious things that are keeping sleep away, and said subconscious things continue to run rampart even though are apparently sleeping).

Here are some things that you can do in order to help you get the best results from a good night's sleep (and the world is just such a better place when you have had a good night's sleep... naturally):

1. Exercise regularly: Modern lifestyle is very sedentary, but we are meant to be active. Activity helps you release pent up energy in both mind and body. All you need is 30 minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week. That is all you need. If however, you can incorporate 30minutes into your life daily, you will benefit even more and it will be a habit, much like brushing your teeth.

2. Stretch every day: And not just your muscles, but also your bones (yes, they can be stretched), your ligaments and your tendons. Possibly even your mind. (Of course, yoga is ideally suited for this)

3. Routine: Having a sleep routine helps your body and mind to fall into sleep quickly, and stay there for the desired time. Even over weekends, having a sleep routine is a great way to make sleeping a habit for your body.

4. Avoid electromagnetic radiation in your sleeping area: For at least 1hour before going to bed, and then once you are in bed as well, avoid using the TV, cell phone, computer, etc. Studies have also shown that sleeping with a cellular phone next to one's bed, does in fact disturb sleeping patterns. If you need to use the alarm on your cellular phone, put it on airplane mode before you go to bed, put it face down and also make sure that it does not have any blinking lights (no matter how small you think it is). But of course, once you fall into the habit of your sleep routine, you will find that you will no longer require an alarm. 

5. Sunlight: Make sure you get enough sunlight. Morning light is best as the light blue hues are best to reset your natural rhythms, but also for Vitamin D (which apparently, plays a role in everything, including sleeping patterns) and melatonin. 

6. Professional help: Sleeping is a healthy habits that makes the whole world seem like a better place, so if you are not getting enough of it, and all the other things in the list are already in place, seek help. Only you will know whether that help needs to be a chiropractor, a psychiatrist or meditation. 

Most importantly though, and an item that we most often ignore in our modern lives, is to listen to your body and to attend to what it needs. We are most often sleep deprived when our lives are out of balance in some way, but by listening to what we need, what our bodies need or what our souls are calling to our mind's attention, a good night's sleep and a beautiful life will be within easy reach. 

A good night's sleep helps us to make better and clearer choices; The world seems like a better place and we are able to make emotionally mature decisions, rather than reacting to everything that happens. Personally, I know that I am a better person with proper rest. 

There are many other remedies for a good night's sleep: Some people swear by a cup of warm milk, with or without honey; Others say you should rinse your feet with cold water before you go to bed; Still others meditate....

Do you have a remedy that works for you? Or are you an insomniac? In which case, are the above items implemented in your life, or do you just have too many thoughts running in your head or chores running your life? Do share.

water

Water is one of our most precious resources.
Most of us grow up learning to close the tap so as not to waste water, and I am sure that from a intellectual point of view, we all have our leaky faucets fixed when required. For those who already comply to the basics, here are a few more tips:

shower bucket - catch the water that is too cold to shower in and once the bucket is full, use it to water your plants or clean the floors

acquire a shower timer - we got ours from The Green Shop; do your best to keep your shower under 10 minutes, but do your best to lessen the time to about 7 minutes, or even 5minutes 

shave over a basin or the bath, rather than in the shower

use an earth friendly floor and household cleaner; this way, when you are done cleaning your home, you can empty the water into the garden without polluting the earth

water your garden every second day and in most places you can extend this time to 2 times a week during the winter months - if you have an indigenous garden, you will be able to water much less as the plants will be accustomed to the local weather pattern

wash only full loads of washing and/or dishes

know your stuff - it takes almost 9 liters of water to make 1 liter of bottled water; it takes almost as much water to make a can of coke; meat production uses much of our resources as well, as does the junk food industry (these also pollute our water something fierce) - get your info, switch to healthier, unprocessed options wherever possible and buy products that aren't over-packaged

recycle - it saves more water to reuse our resources than to make virgin products

teach your children the value of water and to be aware of how they can play a part - make them aware of our eco friendly choices and discuss your reasons for these as often as you make them

Let's spread awareness and take better care of our most precious resources.

junk mail options; and other green ideas

the 1st thing about junk mail, is that you need to cancel as much of it as you can. But in case it is one of those things that you don't have control over (like the supermarket pamphlet that gets shoved into your post box), here are25 ideas on what to do with your junk mail.

I particularly enjoyed the clock and the waste basket (which you should be able to easily tweak into any other type of basket - thinking storage space for Guppy's toys), and the clock (really the first upcycle idea that could be a present for those that don't care about upcycling). Other things that I could see myself making, especially over the next Christmas season, was thegift bow (there are at least 2 types, but enjoyed this one), and thesnowflakes.

Some ideas are do-able, but like this trinket basket, I just had to ask: how durable is it, and who needs another space to store random items in? The same with this magazine table - in all honesty, you don't want something made just to clutter up your home, or which you have to remake every other season. It makes more sense then to spend a few Rands (or $s) and get something that will last a while, and perhaps mosaic or decoupage it with the recycled magazines.

The collage of junk mail was beautiful, but I often wonder who had the time to make this particular idea work...  There were some pretty fancy stuff, like making reeds and stationery, re-using the envelopes from accounts... And there were the things that were just unnecessary as well, but which I am sure someone can see the value in.

Remember that the first rule is to cancel as much junk mail as you can; take yourself of as many lists as it is within your power to do. The next rule is to make sure that as much paper as possible gets into the recycle bin. This is a huge problem: that we tend to store cards, journals, diaries and books and only a very small percentage of the paper distributed into the world, makes it back to the paper mill. SO: when you can, rather store an electronic copy than a hard one, and let go of at least some of the sentimental strings that keep you stacking those cards/diaries, etc.

Some wonderful uplifting news: The Truth will be heard, so brands need to be honest about what is inside them...

Every house should be re-thinking their garden: it is an economic (and safe) choice.

Lastly: happy earth day!  A little belated I know, but then again... Everyday should be earth day!

green reading

I must admit, that when it comes to books, my inner greeny is nowhere to be found. Or possibly, mistakenly placed in a box in a very deep inner recess of my being... Now who would do such a thing?! :)

The problem is that e-books don't function like normal paper books: It takes a whole range of adaption skills to go from paper reading to e-reading (most people might never make it); E-books are bound to your reader, or maybe one or 2 others, but in the end if you liked a book, you can't lend it to your friend, or even to any family member that is not staying with you (it is a lot more dodgy to loan your e-reader to your friend, than just a normal run of the mill book that you can repurchase should it get lost); But in conjunction with the previous point, e-books are also just as expensive as normal books a lot of the time, even though it does not have this functionality.

So we try to buy second hand books. Problem: People don't donate or discard bestsellers or recently published. The thrift store is always a nice place to pick up a few classic children's books, but not if you (like me) want to teach your child lessons like those recently published by Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, Echart Tolle, etc. Of course Dr. Seuss marvelous, but a little variety is always good.

So we try the library. Problem: Time. I read a wide variety of genres (poetry, fantasy fiction, contemporary, classics, non-fiction, spiritual, etc.). When I go to the library, I take out books that I feel like reading at that moment, but this feeling might not last past the first book. In our house, I buy books that I know I will read and I am able to read them once I find myself in the mood for them, which is also sometimes, rather late at night, so I can't even say that I should go to the library then. In addition to all of this, life happens, and more often than not, I don't get the book finished or I feel hastened to finish it, and you are only allowed x amount of renewals in a library - because everyone needs a chance to read the book. Although I do love libraries, the smell of them, the feel of them... In the end though, with all that goes on in my life and what with the library only being open until 5, it becomes a whole extra chore just to go there.

So these are the green options for books, and the reasons why ignore my inner greeny whenever I step into a bookstore. Not even consciously. It just happens, and afterwards I go "oh, damn! should've checked to see if they had the e-book/in the library/could've borrowed it from a friend".

Below is an excerpt from the Eco-Libris blog, which highlights their findings on the publishing industry related to the most recent blockbuster, The Hunger Games. Be warned, there is no answer. A lot of responsibility needs to be claimed when it comes to going green in the reading industry, but it is good to know where we stand in this regard.

PS - Eco-Libirs is a wonderful program where you get to donate money to plant trees and they then send you an eco friendly sticker to mark all the books that you have donated a tree for. Read more on their site.

Eco-Libris blog: The Hunger Games and green reading:


"The Hunger Games" had a record box office opening, taking in $155 million in U.S. ticket sales over the last weekend and setting up what promises to be one of the biggest film franchises of this decade. The movie is based on the book The Hunger Games, the first novel in the Hunger Games trilogy written by Susan Collins.

The success of the movie helps boost the sales of the trilogy and Scholastic, the publisher of the Hunger Games Trilogy announced on Wednesday that there were 36.5 million copies of the bestselling trilogy in print, a 55 percent jump from the 23.5 million copies in print at the start of 2012.

Why I'm telling you all of this? Because I believe The Hunger Games phenomenon provides some important and valuable lessons for everyone who is interested in making books greener.