Category Archives: Green Living Tips

Suggestions for living in a greener, healthier manner.

Organic Skin Care Product Trends

Found this through The Organic Marketplace Journal written by Herbalix Restoratives on May 17, 2011.  Web links go to the Herbalix Restoratives website but does not imply an endorsement by me.  However, I agree with this article and I’m taking a look at their product line and may comment later.  Thanks, Linda Murdock

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There has been an increase in the amount of organic skin care products being purchased by consumers as they are realizing that what you put on your skin matters. Natural skin care products are healthier for the skin and safer for the environment.

What’s more, people are also aware of the harmful ingredients in traditional skincare product lines. In fact there was a study performed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and they discovered industrial compounds, and alarming results. This study found 91 pollutants and other chemicals in the blood and urine of participants, many of which were traced back to non-organic beauty products.

Experts also discovered that 60 percent of ingredients within natural skin care products are absorbed through the skin and into a person’s bloodstream.

Worse yet, when these harmful ingredients are used even for a few years, they can lead to a buildup in your organs of unwanted chemicals and sometimes, unexplained illness.

You can protect yourself before this happens. All you have to do is start using organic skin careproducts. The benefits include the fact that they rejuvenate the skin and also provide essential nutrients, keeps the skin feeling soft and smooth, givesthe appearance of youthful skin, and helps prevent acne. It is safer to use over an extended period of time because it doesn’t contain toxic chemicals.

Organic skin care products are also more affordable. Like many people, you’re probably wondering how in the world organic skin care products can be less expensive than traditional products. With traditional products, a person will more likely use more of a particular product and need to buy it more often.

Herbalix Geranium Moisturizer

Herbalix Geranium Moisturizer

For example, Geranium Cream Moisturizer for dry-damage skin may cost more than the average cream moisturizers you find at traditional stores for $8.99. That’s because it contains a variety of natural ingredients. It also lasts a lot longer than a jar of non-organic moisturizer. Non-organic skin care products contain a high percentage of water as a base ingredient. So, you’re basically purchasing a highly diluted product. It’s like buying expensive water. A person who uses non-organic cream moisturizers may go through two to three jars before they notice results which are usually only temporary. You’re actually saving more money when you buy organic skin care products because you consume less of the product, the results are visible earlier and they last because your skin is becoming healthier. Another disadvantage of non-organic products is that many use fillers and artificial thickeners to make products appear creamy and smooth. Also, beware of products that claim to be ‘natural’. These cheap imitations usually contain harmful ingredients. Make sure you read the ingredients of skincare products before you buy. Advantages of using organic skin care products are made from skin beneficial ingredients derived from the earth and not from chemicals or man-made ingredients.

Another advantage of using organic products is that they rejuvenate the skin and stimulate cell growth. A non-organic product does the exact opposite. When you incorporate a healthy diet with natural, organic skin care products it will help you live a healthier lifestyle.

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Organic Milk: A Pint of the Right Stuff

Cows in organic field

Happy Organic Dairy Cows

This morning I read a terrific article in “The Independent” of UK.  It covers the pros and cons of switching to organic milk.  It’s such a terrific article, let me share some quotes.

If just 5 per cent of us switched to buying organic milk, says Humble, it would turn 52,000 acres – an area the size of Greater Birmingham – into organic land. For an extra pound a week we would get healthier milk, happier cows, more wildlife and a prettier countryside. Not a bad deal.

That translates into about an extra $2 per week for 5% of the UKs population to protect 52,000 acres of countryside for chemical pollution.  Just think what that could mean in the US!  It sends shivers up my spine to imagine it.  We vote with our dollars every day.  If we buy it, they will produce it.  Our family recently switched to organic milk and it tastes better!

Buying organic milk, says Kate Humble, is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of supporting farming with nature. “You will know it comes from well-managed farms, and you are doing something actively to protect and conserve the British countryside – and what an effortless way to do it.”

While this article was written in the UK, all of the principles are just as valid here in the US.  It’s a simple thing to do.  Just switch to buying organic products as much as you can and you will be changing the toxic load on our environment and ourselves.  Please think about it.  And comments are welcome.

Here’s a link to the full article:  http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/organic-milk-pint-of-the-right-stuff-1970459.html.

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Pesticides to Blame for Bee Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony collapse disorder: Scientists blame pesticides for honeybee decline

New research finds systemic pesticides in 60 percent of tested honeybees and their hives in U.S., Canada

 By Leah Zerbe

(This story is reposted by permission of Rodale.com, where it orginally appeared.)

What you can do
Vote with your dollar: Support organic agriculture that keeps harmful chemicals out of the environment—and our bodies (and the bees’).

 

Agricultural chemicals are wiping out bees that  pollinate our crops and flowers.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Bee fan or not, we all rely on the insects to pollinate the fruit, nut, and vegetable crops we enjoy every day. But in the last few years, the populations of our pollinators, particularly honeybees, have been plummeting. Dubbed colony collapse disorder, the cause of the devastation isn’t known. There are many theories, from mites and viruses to cellphone towers. One potential cause—pesticides—gained more credibility this week with the release of a new study by Pennsylvania State University. Researchers found “unprecedented levels” of pesticides in honeybees and hives in the United States.

THE DETAILS: Scientists tested wax, trapped pollen, and honeybee specimens for chemical pesticides and chemicals originating from those pesticides. Investigating pesticide residue in samples taken from beekeepers from 23 states and one Canadian province during the 2007 to 2008 growing season, researchers found 121 different pesticides and metabolites in the 887 wax, pollen, bee, and hive samples. Nearly 60 percent of the 259 wax and 350 pollen samples contained at least one systemic pesticide—a type of poison that doesn’t remain on the surface of plants, but is taken up inside the plant, too, where honeybees go to feed.
For complete article click HERE.

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A Wake-up Call from Healthy Child Healthy World

This is a wonderful little video about working against toxins in the environment.  It is done by Healthy Child Healthy WorldHealthy Child Healthy World Logo

A Wake-Up Story is a must-see video for every parent and anyone that cares about the health and development of children. Watch it. Share it. Join the movement. Awakeupstory.org

Healthy Child Healthy World is a really terrific non-profit organization.  They have a newsletter, lots of on-line helpful information, and a great and inexpensive book (only $6.01 from Amazon)Healthy Child Healthy World book

Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home

Of course, we recommend that the USDA certified organic, 100% safe and toxin free, MiEssence Mother & Baby line of products is an excellent place to start for these efforts.[tweetmeme source=gsorganics only_single=false]

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Organic Holidays 2009 Giveaway

Win one of three (3) sample sets and/or one (1) full size bottle of MiEssence Certified Organic Botanical Perfumes.  The first drawing is Friday, November 20, 2009 and the last drawing is on Friday, December 4, 2009.  You can submit multiple entries and they are valid for all four (4) drawings.  Get all of the details and make your entries HERE.MiEssence Botanical Perfumes

Image of all six scents in full size bottles

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Top 10 Green and Eco-Friendly Toy Manufacturers

Here is a list of the top ten Green and Eco-Friendly Toy Manufacturers:

PlanToys–PlanToys are wonderful wooden toys that have very high play value. All PlanToys are made with clean, natural rubberwood from rubber trees which no longer produce latex. PlanToys does not use dyes containing lead or any other heavy metals. They use non-toxic water-based dyes on their toys and soy and water-based inks on their printed materials. They use solar energy and low emission biofuels to power the machinery that kiln-dries the wood and the finished toys. Find Plan Toys at Amazon.com

Haba–Haba Toys are made primarily of indigenous maple, beech wood and water-based paints. Fabric, felt, leather, cardboard and glass add dimension and variety to the Haba line. Their manufacturer process includes thermal energy and using wood scraps instead of coal for heating. Awarded national and international prizes for their top-quality, child-oriented design, Haba’s inventive playthings are a perfect match for inquisitive minds. Read more about Haba’s Green PhilosophyFind Haba Toys at Amazon.com

Habe–Habe is also known for their wooden toys made with natural materials. They have just launched the world’s first collection of bamboo toys. It took Habe years to develop this line of toys because bamboo, a giant natural grass that grows as tall as a tree, is its sensitivity to sawing, cutting, filing, dyeing, temperature and bending. Once cut, bamboo grows back completely in a mere three years. Bamboo also combines lightness with stability and is flexible but very strong. The bamboo grain has a wonderful tactile feel and is enhanced with a bright water-based paint.

Wonderworld–Uses rubber-wood that is made of replenishable source from plantation and widely accepted throughout the world as the environmental-friendly material. They also use non-toxic water based paints as well as biodegradable fabrics. Find Wonderworld Toys at Amazon.com

Sprig Toys– has an exciting line of battery-free, eco-friendly, paint-free, kid-powered toys. They have expanded their line to include even more imaginative toys. Find Sprig Toys at Amazon.com

miYim–makes a wonderful collection of plush toys using organic cotton. Find miYim Toys at Amazon.com

imagiPlay–Their toys are made of natural materials such as wood from Rubber Tree and Bamboo. Some of their toys utilize MDF, compressed sawdust. They are utilizing the byproducts of another industry. The MDF they use is formaldehyde free and tested for child safety. Every step of their toy production from seed to shelf is carefully thought out to minimize impact on the earth. They select factories that are close to our raw materials to avoid this needless expenditure of gas, oil and greenhouse gases. Read more about imagiPlay’s Green Philosophy. Find ImagiPlay Toys at Amazon.com

Thames & Kosmos–provide hands-on science kits with serious foundations in real science. Their mission is Key to connect science education with relevant issues, including an alternative Energy & Environmental Science line. These include updated versions of Fuel Cell and Power House kits, along with entirely new Hydropower and Global Warming kits. Their commitment to environmental issues extends beyond the kits themselves, as they donate one percent of sales of their Wind Power and Hydropower kits to environmentally focused non-profits. Find Thames & Kosmos Toys at Amazon.com

Orange Blue Games—a Blue Orange Games are made of wood, in order to provide quality and durability, warmth and appeal. Blue Orange uses natural playing materials. Pine, Birch, Beech are among the trees planted by Blue Orange Games for renewal of the environment. Blue Orange plants two trees for every tree used to create Blue Orange games. Find Orange Blue Games at Amazon.com

Green Toys–Got Milk! Well, Green Toys does. They make all of their toys from recycled milk containers. The same ones you and I drink our milk out of. When we throw our container away in the recycling bin, it gets sorted out and sent to Green Toys. Next, the milk containers are reprocessed into super clean fresh plastic. The material is called high-density polyethylene (or HDPE). This material is considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around. They make a variety of cooking sets, trucks, and sand toys. Find Green Toys at Amazon.com


Mara Kaplan is an expert in play and inclusive toys. You can find many more toy recommendations at her blog: letkidsplay.blogspot.com. Learn more about Mara’s work to increase the number of accessible playspaces at www.letkidsplay.com and www.accessibleplayground.net

Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com

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Organic Bouquet for Thanksgiving

25% Off Site Wide Sale from Organic Bouquet (sale items, gift cards & gift club excluded) Ends 11/20

We are always on the lookout for good vendors of organic products.  Organic Bouquet is one of the best.  They’ve been around for a long time.  They reliably market truly organic products.  And I have used them and love their products. 

Festive Thanksgiving Gourmet Gift Baskets, Wreaths

Organic Bouquet carries much more than just flowers.  Check them out now while they have this terrific sale going.  But hurry; it will be over next Friday! 

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What it Means to Buy Organic Products

Organic products may not be a priority to some people, but there is one thing that cannot be disagreed upon. Fertilizers are not used with these products which is always a benefit when it comes to pollutants that enter our rivers, lakes and streams.

I came across this article today and wanted to share it with all of you.  It was posted on Beauty Salon Glasgow in August of 2007 but it is just as true today as it was then.  Their title of the article is “What Does it Mean if you Buy Organic Products” so I shortened it slightly.  It’s a fairly long article, but very clear and informative.  You might reallly enjoy reading it.  Here is the link:  http://beautysalonglasgow.com/anti-wrinkle/what-does-it-mean-if-you-buy-organic-products/

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Reduce Catalog Mailings to Save Trees and More

CatalogChoice

Row of Mailboxes

Yes, the Christmas Catalog frenzy has already begun.  Every day another one, two, or dozen catalogs arrive in our mailbox.  Maybe in yours as well!  But you can stop much of that waste by using http://www.CatalogChoice.org for FREE!   I know this sounds too good to be true, but take a look…  It is true!

Over a million people are already using this free service.  Yes, the website shows advertising.  Yes, they do ask for donations.  Yes, you can support them by shopping from their site.  But they do NOT charge any kind of fee for using their service and lowering wasteful catalog mailings. 

Here is their Mission Statement copied from the website:

The mission of Catalog Choice is to reduce the number of repeat and unwanted catalog mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices. We aim to accomplish this by freely providing the Catalog Choice Mail Preference Service to both consumers and businesses. Consumers can indicate their mail preference for catalogs, and sign up for Email news, and businesses can receive the lists in a secure manner so that they can efficiently honor the requests.

Right now Catalog Choice is celebrating their second anniversary with over 1,000 merchants’ catalogs participating.  If you don’t see a catalog you want stopped, just suggest it.   And the site lets you also sign up for email catalogs and/or find products you are seeking to purchase.  They also have plans to expand their services to include other types of mail and possibly even email.

Catalog Choice is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. It is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and funded by the Overbrook Foundation, the Merck Family Fund, the Kendeda Fund, the Weeden Foundation and the Mead Foundation.

So jump in here and do your part.  We all benefit from less junk mail!
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Purchase Organic for Health

Shop for MiEssence, MiEnviron, and MiVitality

USDA Certified Organic products at

http://GrandStrandOrganics.com and

follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook.

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