We all have a responsibility to care for the Earth, and the environment which sustains us. While we need to take many “big” steps, we can also take small ones to both care for our planet and improve our own immediate environment. Here are three small changes you can make for a more eco-friendly lifestyle at home.

Shelter A House Plant.

Besides their aesthetic value, houseplants can be good for your overall health. They naturally purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into their immediate environment. Studies by NASA have found that houseplants can remove about 87 percent of harmful air toxins within a 24-hour cycle. Cleaner indoor air can improve your mood, and their beauty can help reduce stress, turning your home into your own personal oasis.

With such a large variety of houseplant species to choose from, it can be difficult to pick the right one. The key to choosing the perfect houseplant is to take into consideration the conditions and level of care it needs. The ing Ming Aralia plant is a great start for beginners. These plans can thrive in both indirect light and bright light and require minimal maintenance as they can go for days without water. Indigenous to the Pacific Islands, their beauty lies in the green upper sides, and purple undersides of their leaves.

Despite being a great air purifier, the Ming Aralia was traditionally hailed for its medicinal components, as early research showed it helped reduce inflammatory, fungal, and bacteria-related illness.

Consider Using CBD Products.

Cannabidiol is fast becoming a natural remedy to help in the treatment of common illnesses. Popularly referred to as CBD, it is one of the active ingredients (cannabinoids) found in the industrial hemp plant. Whilst THC is another well-known cannabinoid and has a psychoactive effect (meaning it gives the user a “high,”) CBD has no psychoactive effect, making it the preferred option for individuals seeking relief from their discomfort.

Some common CBD products include CBD oil, CBD supplements, CBD edibles, and CBD tinctures and topicals. Of these, CBD oil is the most commonly used. It is made from CBD that has been extracted from the cannabis plant, then diluted with hemp seed or coconut oil. The wellness industry is fast embracing it and has found CBD oil is commonly used to help those with insomnia, as well as reduce anxiety and depression in people with an over-active mind, and alleviate discomfort NOTE: I have rubbed CBD oil on my hands to help reduce joint pain related to arthritis).

NOTE: Never ingest anything intended for health or wellness reasons without speaking to a medical professional or doctor first!

Opt for Natural Insect Repellent.

Most people use insect repellent to prevent bug bites and the infections that they transmit. However, most consumers are not aware of the chemicals used to make insect repellents. DEET, for instance, is an active ingredient found in a majority of synthetic insect repellents. But some studies show that DEET has a toxic effect on the body’s central nervous system, with the added side effect of causing a skin rash.

Stop The Bites insect repellent is a natural repellent for ticks with none of these downsides. Hailed as having the same efficacy as synthetic tick repellents, when properly applied, it can repel ticks and mosquitos for a period of up to one week. It can be applied as a spray on shrub and vegetation, as well as on swing sets and the patio.

Instead of DEET, it consists of active ingredients like lemongrass oil, geraniol, castor oil, cedarwood oil, corn oil, and sodium lauryl sulfate, plus water, soap, oleic acid and 1-monolaurin, a byproduct of coconut fat.

NOTE: Take special care not to apply it on or near food and vegetables, or food-bearing plants. Apply late in the day or early evening and not directly on bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Keep children and pets off lawns that have been treated until the product dries.

About Sponsored Posts: Occasionally, we run posts sponsored by companies that offer some interesting options. The post doesn’t imply endorsement of a particular product.  

The post 3 Natural Products to Add to Your Eco-Friendly Lifestyle appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Mosquitoes are out in full force, but before you run for the big toxic guns, read this post. We’ve researched several options to help you buy non toxic mosquito repellent or make your own.

PLUS: Don’t let the buggers breed. Here’s how to reduce mosquito breeding on your property.

How to Buy Non Toxic Mosquito Repellent:

Read the Label, Look for These Ingredients,
Try These Products

Read the Label

Before you buy any repellent, read the label to find out what’s in it that makes it so offensive to skeeters.

Remember: repellents repel, they don’t actually kill.

If the container says “kills on contact” or something similar, it is definitely too potent to put on your skin. Don’t spray “Off” or “Raid” to kill mosquitoes, especially in an enclosed area, where you could end up inhaling those potent chemicals.

Look for These Ingredients

Essential Oils – Lavender, Lemon Eucalyptus, Geranium, Peppermint, Castor, and Lemongrass are commonly used as the “active” ingredients in DEET-free, commercially available mosquito repellents.

They may be combined with purified water, coconut oil, glycerin, lecithin, and various kinds of salts to reduce the potency of the oils and so they can be easily sprayed on your skin.

Please NOTE: Essential oils are very concentrated. Even though they’re “natural,” some people are allergic to them.

No one should put an essential oil directly on her skin without diluting it first. You can dilute it in water, in fragrance-free lotion, in coconut oil, in shea butter, or in other natural carriers.

As with any product, find the one that works best for you. You may want to try a couple of different brands (see below) before you settle on the one that does the best job of keeping you pest-free.

Picaridin – Pronounced pih-CARE-a-den, this is a synthetic compound that was developed by the Bayer company from a plant extract related to table pepper. You may see it also sold as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, or icaridin.

Appalachian Mountain Club, which compared DEET to picaridin, reports “studies have shown picaridin to be as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes. Unlike DEET, however, picaridin is odorless, non-greasy, and does not dissolve plastics or other synthetics.”

If you cannot find a DEET-free spray that uses essential oils, look for one with picaridin as the active ingrdient.

What About DEET?

DEET is one of the most effective chemicals used to repel mosquitoes and ticks. It is not classified as a human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; EPA believes that when DEET is used in moderation, it is safe.

However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control note that DEET can cause severe psychological effects and serious skin reactions when applied too frequently and in high temperatures. There have also been cases of DEET being found in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies, which means that it passed through the placenta after the mother applied insect repellent containing DEET to her arms and legs.

That is enough to motivate me to use non-DEET alternatives!

Try These Products

Here are some commercial products that I have tried that work well for me. You may be able to find them locally where you shop, but we also carry them in our Amazon store.

The post How to Buy Non Toxic Mosquito Repellent or Make Your Own appeared first on Big Green Purse.