I’ve found 7 plastic-free organic hand soaps for you that contain no toxic chemicals and come in paper packaging you can easily recycle. Why hand soaps? Because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say washing our hands with soap and water works better than hand sanitizer for killing the germs that cause Coronavirus, the flu, and other illnesses, like diarrhea and the common cold.

Why plastic-free? Because plastic trash is out of control!

And why organic? Because as good as soap is for fighting germs, too many soaps contain harmful toxic chemicals or come packaged in throwaway plastic.  The soaps listed below contain healthy ingredients that work – and don’t come in plastic!

7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps

Dr. Bronner’s

Zum

Tom’s of Maine

O Naturals

Makes 3 Organics

Ma’na Organix

Patchouli Soap

Here Are 7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps That Fight Coronavirus and the Flu

Dr. Bronner’s – Made with vegan ingredients and castile soap, but no synthetic preservatives or foaming agents. Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Available unscented, or in peppermint, lavender, almond, eucalyptus, hemp rose, hemp tea tree, and hemp citrus. Fair Trade certified and Non GMO verified, too!

Zum – Made with goat’s milk, essential oils, and fresh citrus herbs. Minimal paper packaging that can be recycled. Available in variety sampler pack as well as individually. Look for it online but in Whole Foods, natural foods stores, and food co-ops, too.

Tom’s of Maine – 5 oz. bars, available in 6-packs; available in lavender, orange blossom, coconut oil, and other plant-based compounds (NOTE: May also be available in store in CVS, various supermarkets, Whole Foods, Target, etc.)

O Naturals – 100% natural organic ingredients, vegan, and infused with essential oils. Available in oatmeal & coffee, agave nectar & soy milk, coconut & shea butter, jojoba & tea tree, and rosemary & peppermint. PETA certified.

Makes 3 Organics – Made in Santa Barbara, CA with USDA certified organic ingredients, including coconut oil and shea butter. Packaged plastic-free in a recyclable paper box. Also available in orange blossom.

Ma’na Organix – This hemp oil based soap is infused with eucalyptus that both cleans and leaves your hands smelling fresh. Ma’na is also sulfate- and paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan. It’s packaged in a minimal recyclable cardboard wrap. Available in lavender, peppermint, spearmint, and cinnamon vanilla cappuccino.

Patchouli Soap – In case you’re wondering, patchouli is a fast-growing shrub related to mint and lavender with an “earthy, sensuous” scent. Additional ingredients in this soap include olive, coconut, avocado and castor oil, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, water, and sodium hydroxide.

When Should You Wash Your Hands During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

After you have been in a public place and touched an item or surface that may have been touched by other people, like door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping cars, or electronic cashier registers and screens

Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, because that’s how germs enter our bodies

Before, during and after preparing food, and before eating food

After going to the bathroom

After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

After shopping and packing and unpacking groceries

After opening mail

Remember to lather and scrub for 20 seconds. The CDC recommends people no longer shake hands with each other. If you somehow do shake hands with someone, wash your hands afterwards and before you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

NOTE: We may earn a small commission if you purchase a product through our link. It’s teeny tiny, so not enough to affect how we think, but helpful enough to keep us going. Thanks!

The post 7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps That Fight Coronavirus and the Flu appeared first on Big Green Purse.

It’s a common misconception that you don’t need to worry about the air you breathe unless you’re outside. Smog, carbon monoxide, ozone, and polluting particles sometimes make it difficult to breathe outdoors. However, the air INSIDE our homes can be even more dangerous to breathe. That’s because the chemicals we use in our homes can build up and pollute our indoor air. People spend more than 90% of their time inside rather than out, so if our indoor air is polluted, it can pose a real threat to our health. That’s why we’ve teamed up with EcoExperts.com to offer you these 5 smart and easy ways to improve indoor air quality.

Improve Indoor Air Quality 5 Smart Ways

1)Keep your floors clean.

Surprised by this one? Think about it. Whatever you’ve walked through before you came into your home you’re bringing right along with you. Allergens and toxic chemicals can accumulate along with household dust and normal dirt.

⇒Keep floors clean first and foremost by putting a door mat outside and inside the door so it is easy to trap loose dirt before you even come in your home.

⇒Leave your shoes at the door so you don’t track all that pollution everywhere in the house. This is especially true if you have carpeting or area rugs, as the dirt and dust can get embedded in carpeting fibers.

⇒Vacuum weekly, using a vacuum with strong suction power and rotating bushes to raise pollutants up and out of the carpet where they can be easily sucked up.

⇒Use a microfiber mop to sweep up on hard floors and tile. Depending on how much traffic you have going through your home, or if you have outdoor pets coming inside, you may need to do this daily.

2)Reduce home humidity.

A cool home may be comfortable, but if it’s too cool and damp, it will breed mold and mildew.

⇒Keep the humidity level inside your home between 30% and 50%.

⇒In basements and below ground family rooms, use a dehumidifier to pull excess moisture out of the air.

⇒In bathrooms, turn on ceiling fans when taking a shower, and let the fan run 20 minutes afterwards to do its job.

3)Test for radon.

One of the most fatal of indoor toxins, radon is a colorless, odorless gas that has become a leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. This poisonous gas is common to all kinds of soil and seeps up into basements and homes without basements, then persists when air circulation doesn’t vent the gas to the outside. Even granite countertops have been found to emit radon.

Fortunately, testing for the presence of radon is inexpensive. service providers like Eco Experts can conduct the test, determine whether you’re in danger, and help remediate the problem before you get sick.

4)Use non-toxic household cleansers; avoid synthetic perfumes and fragrances; don’t smoke. 

Many cleansers contain “VOCs,” volatile organic compounds that are known carcinogens. Commercial “air fresheners”  probably contain phthalates, which are known to trigger asthma, headaches, nausea and worse. The dangers with “second hand smoke” are well-documented and almost as significant as if someone were smoking rather than inhaling someone else’s cigarette smoke.

Most home cleaning can be accomplished using a simple solution of fragrance-free liquid soap, some baking soda, and warm water.

For a more fragrant interior, simmer a pot of popourri on the stove, open windows to let in fresh air, and remove rotting food and pet waste if it has not been cleaned up.

Don’t Miss: 16 Causes of Indoor Air Pollution

If you must smoke, go outside and stand far away from any open windows or doors to prevent the smoke from getting inside.

5)Vent kitchen ranges, chimneys, wood stoves, and fireplace inserts.

Prevent carbon monoxide and other byproducts of gas and wood combustion from building up in your home. Use the stove fan when cooking and make sure your chimney is clean and allowing dirty smoke and air to escape up the chimney rather than into your home.

Keep a carbon monoxide detector in good working order to avoid deadly build-up of this lethal gas.

Take a look at : Indoor Plants for Air Purification

By the way, take many of these same steps if you work in an office. And make sure whether at home or at work, you get outside frequently. Going in and out will both help you clear your lungs and help promote air exchange between bad air and good (or at least, not quite so bad).

The post Improve Indoor Air Quality 5 Smart Ways appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Green consumers have scored a major victory! CVS Health, the store where you probably buy many cosmetics and personal care products, has promised to make those products safer by removing chemicals in their products that have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption.

Those chemicals include parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde.

Nearly 600 beauty and personal care products will become safer to use, including the CVS Health store brand, Beauty 360, Essence of Beauty, and Blade product lines. The Promise Organic line of store brand products already does not contain any of these toxic chemicals.

Why Did CVS Health Commit to Safer, Healthier Products?

The company wanted to “provide customers with the safe, efficacious products that they are looking for,” said Cia Tucci, Vice President of Store Brands and Quality Assurance at CVS Health.

“We listened when customers voiced their desire for products that provide the benefits they need with fewer ingredients of concern.”  

“Customer feedback has driven this move to eliminate parabens, phthalates and the most prevalent formaldehyde donors.”

Does It Matter? Yes!!

CVS Caremark Corporation is one of the largest drugstore chains in the U.S. It has over 7,300 stores and 2011 U.S. retail sales of almost $60 million, the 7th highest nationally.

The non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Health Families’ “Mind the Store” campaign, which Big Green Purse and many other consumer groups endorsed, put pressure on CVS Health to clean up its act.

Safer Chemicals has applauded CVS for its decision to clean up its products but says there is still more work to be done.

CVS Health can use its leverage to work with their suppliers to reduce, eliminate or safely substitute over a hundred questionable chemicals.

Consumers should also continue to carefully read labels and buy products that are free of chemicals that have been linked to health problems.

Get Help Here: The Best 11 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Healthy Skin

CVS Health won’t have its safer products fully available until the end of 2019. Until then, avoid products that contain the following:

√ Parabens

√ Phthalates

√ Formaldehyde

√ Triclosan

Parabens – Parabens are commonly found in cosmetics, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, hair styling gel and lotion and deodorant. Studies show parabens mimic estrogen and inhibit testosterone, potentially disrupting hormonal balance in both women and men.

Phthalates – These compounds are often found in fragrances and aerosols like air fresheners, as well as in plastics, solvents and even children’s toys. Of the variety of health impacts linked to exposure to phthalates, damage to male reproductive organs is among the gravest concerns.

Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde is a “volatile organic chemical,” which means that it will “off-gas” or emit its components into the air you breathe over time. It’s found in antiseptics, cosmetics, nail polish, dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe polish, carpet cleaners, glue, adhesive, paint, and more. It’s also used as a preservative in foods, like some cheeses, dried food, and fish.

Triclosan – Triclosan is actually a pesticide that may be included in toothpaste; it’s also the ingredient formulated into many antibacterial products, like hand wash, body wash and many cleaning compounds.

Increasing members of the medical community oppose using triclosan because they worry that it is actually encouraging the growth of drug-resistant bacteria.

By the way, washing your hands with hot soapy water seems to be just as effective as anti-bacterial soaps for getting rid of germs.

The post Green Consumers Score Big Victory: CVS Health Commits to Safer Beauty Products appeared first on Big Green Purse.

You shouldn’t have to worry if the cleansers you use in your home could make you sick. But sadly, many of them contain chemicals that cause flu-like symptoms, headaches, nausea, and even make asthma and other respiratory illnesses worse.

KEEP READING – GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW!

Start by Following @AspenClean on Twitter

Not AspenClean. This company’s natural cleaning products get the job done by using only safe, EcoCert Certified ingredients that have not been tested on animals. They’re kid-safe and pet-friendly, too.

Here’s another benefit from AspenClean: They’re scented with infusions of organic essential oils. Many conventional cleaning products contain phthalates and synthetic fragrances whose chemical foundations have been linked to reproductive disorders and learning disabilities. At AspenClean, you’ll find cleansers that leave your home smelling like lavender, bergamot or grapefruit. Goodbye headaches, hello serenity!

Ready for one more benefit? They contain NO triclosan or other antibacterial agent. The products do a great job removing dirt and grime, and preventing bacteria & viruses from growing in the home. But they DON’T contribute to our growing resistance to antibiotics by putting antibacterial agents in their soaps, scrubs or sprays.

I love AspenClean’s backstory. The company was founded in 2004 in Vancouver, Canada to fulfill a mission to create healthier, greener alternatives to cleansers whose ingredients were linked to cancer, reproductive difficulties and asthma.

Since that time, they have developed natural-based products for both the kitchen and the whole house, including:

FREE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS GIVEAWAY!

In honor of our Big Green Purse Simple Green Holiday Challenge, AspenClean is offering the Big Green Purse community a Whole House Cleaning Kit for one lucky winner! The kit contains:

√ All Purpose Cleaner, with an All Purpose Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

√ Bathroom Cleaner, with a Bathroom Microfiber Cloth

√ Glass Cleaner, with the Glass Microfiber Cloth

√ Kitchen Cleaner, with the Kitchen Microfiber Cloth.

If you were to buy this kit of natural cleaning products, it would cost you $75 (CAD), plus shipping. But if you WIN it, it’s yours for free. 

Here’s How You Win Your Natural Cleaning Products Kit from AspenClean

The giveaway is free to enter. All you need to do is

1. Leave a comment below this post on why you think green cleaning is so important!
2. Follow @AspenClean on Twitter and send a tweet using @AspenClean and #greenclean 

Want to boost your chances of winning? Drop on over to the Big Green Purse Facebook page and leave us a comment there, too. Authors of all comments left between now and close of business December 22 will be entered into the giveaway, with a winner chosen at random.

Get an Additional Discount

Though there’s only one giveaway, everyone can take advantage of a 10% discount off anything you order between now and January 1 from AspenClean. Just use this promo code:

GreenClean10

Orders over $100 qualify for free shipping, and if you’re shipping to the US, you will not pay tax. All prices on their website are in Canadian dollars, which means purchases will actually cost about 25% less (depending on the exchange rates).

Remember, enter twice, by leaving a comment below and on Facebook. After you do, please share this post on your social media. The more people know about natural cleaning products, the healthier we’ll all be!

Note: Sponsorships from great companies like AspenClean lets us introduce you to great products you might not know about but could be perfect for helping you lead the greener, healthier life you want. All editorial opinions, of course, remain our own and we never work with a company or sponsor that does not meet our strict standards. Thanks!

The post AspenClean’s Natural Cleaning Products GIVEAWAY!! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Headache? Achy joints? Runny nose? Itchy eyes? You’re probably thinking you’ve got a cold. It might just be that your indoor air quality stinks – literally.

Indoor air quality can be a LOT more polluted than the air outside. That’s bad news for those of us who live inside – which, I think, is everyone reading this post.

⇒ In addition to making us feel like we’ve got a cold, polluted indoor air can zap our energy and turn us into cranky grumps.

⇒ If you have asthma or another respiratory illness, poor indoor air quality will make them worse.

⇒ Lousy indoor air quality can even contribute to cancers caused by exposure to the toxic chemicals that pollute the air we breathe when we’re inside.

Because indoor air quality causes so many health problems, I’ve teamed up with the smart folks at HomeLab to make it easier for you to figure out what’s actually in the air you’re breathing at home and how you can create a Healthy Home.

Indoor Air Pollution Sources

The HomeLab Healthy Home Program to Create a Non-Toxic Home

HomeLab was started by Nate Bellino.

After working in energy efficiency for over a decade, Nate realized that the air inside our homes was pervasively bad.

His wife battled cancer twice and his daughter has asthma. When trying to create a healthy home for his family, he found trying to remove toxins and pollutants exceedingly difficult.

He started HomeLab so that more people could easily create a healthy home on any budget.

Nate’s ingenious Healthy Home Program is designed to help you make sure that the air you’re breathing is actually worth breathing!

Step 1 – Identify – First and foremost, you need to know what’s in the air you’re breathing. Once you sign up for HomeLab, you’ll get a monitor that will give you vital readings that show you what invisible toxins and pollutants are lurking in your home’s air. (NOTE: You can sign up for a Healthy Home Program for less than $10/month.)

Step 2 – Monitor – Once you know what’s in your air, you can use the monitor together with the HomeLab smart phone app to view toxin levels so you’ll know at any given time where problems exist and whether you need to act.

Step 3 – Take Action – HomeLab’s team of “Home Doctors” – experts with deep knowledge and experience working on indoor air quality – will prescribe the most effective ways for you specifically to create a healthy home that is right for you. They always start with no-cost activities that are surprisingly simple, some of which can remove up to 40% of the toxins and pollutants found in your home’s indoor air.

Step 4 – Continue to Monitor – “Our monitoring service places an effective shield against incoming pollution,” reports Nate. “We remotely observe your air quality monitor and notify you of critical spikes or alarming trends, proactively providing solutions and partnering with you until we kick pollution to the curb.”

Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?!

“Air quality is ever fluctuating in a home,” says Nate. “Different seasons, outdoor pollution events, different rooms all contribute to spikes. We start people off with simple activities and continue guiding them in creating a non-toxic home.”

Once you’ve got a handle on your home, you can continue to use the app as a sort of air quality watchdog.

Free eBook!

If you want to learn more about indoor air and how yours might be polluted, at least get a copy of HomeLab’s Free Healthy Home eBook.

Here’s what’s in it:

√ A list of the most common forms of toxins and pollutants
√ A description of how different products we have at home add to indoor air pollution
√ Common products and services to avoid
√ A step-by-step process for creating a healthy, non-toxic home
√ Recommendations for apartments and rentals

Here’s the link to get your free copy.

25% Discount for the Big Green Purse Community

As a special bonus for the Big Green Purse community, HomeLab is offering you an 25% discount off either the start-up or the premium package. You can check out the advantages of each one right here.

By the way, now is the perfect time to monitor your indoor air. Most of us have either closed our windows tight against the cold weather or , if you live in the south, buttoned your house up to keep air conditioned in.

Either way, the air could be stagnating a bit, which might actually make indoor air pollution worse.

Why not see what’s in your air, and take steps to fix it?

You’ll feel better and stay healthier, right away and in the long term, too.

DISCLOSURE: We’re partnering with Home Lab because we know how important it is to breathe clean indoor air. We will earn a small commission if you sign up for the Healthy Home Program, but we’d recommend Home Lab regardless because we want you to be well. Thanks!

The post You Don’t Have a Cold. Your Indoor Air Quality Stinks. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Getting and keeping healthy skin involves a lot more than washing your face. It’s about protecting your skin from the sun, dryness, dirt, cuts and scratches, rashes, and maybe even the wrong foods.

Though summertime puts a focus on the need for the right sunscreen, you really should focus on healthy skin all year long. Here are the best non-toxic ways to get healthy skin, some of which may surprise you.

1) Wear sunscreen in the winter as well as summer. Most of us consider sunscreen a summertime skin treatment. Not so. Our skin can suffer sun damage every month of the year, which is why doctors and skin care specialists recommend applying sunscreen every day.

Don’t miss this helpful post! ⇓

2) Give yourself a skin self-exam. These American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) videos show people how to spot skin cancer and give themselves a skin self-exam. Most family care doctors could spot an obvious unusual skin growth, but if you or your immediate family have a history of skin cancer, get a regular check-up by a dermatologist who can tell the difference between a harmless mole and something more serious.

3) Moisturize acne-prone skin. It seems counter-intuitive to add moisture if you think your skin is already oily. But when acne-prone skin gets dry, it overproduces oil to compensate and that leads to even more acne. Ironically, acne treatments can often leave skin dry.  Use a “sandwiching” technique to apply an oil-free moisturizer before and after acne treatment. If you use a face mask, make it one that moisturizes, not dries skin out.

4) Turn down the shower temp and keep it short. A hot shower might feel great at the time, but the hotter the water, the drier your skin may feel afterwards. Keep temps warm rather than hot, and keep your shower short. Get in, soap up, get out. You’ll save energy and water, too.

5) Moisturize when you’re still wet. Don’t completely dry your body when you get out of the shower or a bath. Adding lotion to skin when it’s still damp rather than completely dry amps up the moisture quotient. Give moisturizer at least 2 minutes to work its magic before adding anything on top of it.

6) Replace tanning salons with non toxic but fake tanning solutions. Like the sun, tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkled skin, warns AAD. If you want the tan look, try a spray-on tanning product or use bronzer and blush. With winter coming (or having arrived in many parts of the country), take advantage of lowered expectations for a “sun glow” and break free of the notion that “tan is glam” altogether. Look for brands free of parabens, oxybenzone, diaolidinyl urea and DMDM hydrantoin, which can release formaldehyde as they break down.

7) Drink more water. “Drinking water is one of the best things you can do to keep your skin in shape,” reports WebMD. “It keeps your skin moist – and that makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable.” The group says that water helps cells absorb nutrients and shed toxins, too. The common advice is to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but you can get by with less if your diet includes fruits, vegetables, juices and tea.

8) Eat more beets. Antioxidants are the compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables that appear to play an important role in slowing and preventing the kind of “free-radical” damage that can cause cancer. Skip the chips and eat berries, tomatoes, apricots, beets, squash, spinach, sweet potatoes and other colorful foods instead.

9) Skimp on perfume, scented lotions and products made with toxic ingredients. Fragrances in perfume and skin-care products can cause the collagen in the skin to break down, leading to allergic reactions, acne and skin rash. Plus, commercial lotions and moisturizers may contain ingredients like formaldehyde or nickel sulfate, power powerful chemical preservatives. Some botanical ingredients may cause problems as well, especially Tolu balsam, which can trigger additional sensitivities to cinnamon oil, lemon oil, orange peel or oil of cloves. Find the simplest, cleanest moisturizer that works for you, and stick with it. I personally use organic coconut oil for almost all my skin needs. It is light, effective and harmless.

10) Stay away from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. The key word here is “poison.” These plants can cause severe and painful skin rashes that, at their worst, may need to be treated with steroids. Most people think poison ivy and its cousins are only a threat in summer, but that’s not so. My daughter got a terrible poison ivy rash one winter when she brushed up against a tree that was covered with poison ivy vines. If you do encounter poison ivy, scrub your skin immediately, including under your fingernails and avoid using your hands to spread the rash to other parts of your body after you scratch or itch. Wash clothes, gloves, shoelaces and tools that came in touch with poison ivy, as the urushiol compound that is so toxic in the plant can remain potent for years.

11) Bandage booboos. If you get scraped up, don’t wait to clean out the dirt. Wash the wound well with warm water and soap, and bandage if warranted. There’s no need to use something like hydrogen peroxide or iodine for most minor injuries. On the other hand, ignoring them could lead to a serious infection and potentially scars. If you can’t use an adhesive strip or butterfly tape to hold a minor cut together, see your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you get stitches, the faster the wound will heal, and you’ll increase the likelihood that any scarring will be less noticeable.

The post The Best 11 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Healthy Skin appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why does it matter? Here’s the lowdown.

Many shampoos contain a potent cocktail of chemicals that include synthetic fragrances, phthalates, antibacterial agents, dyes and colorings. None of these ingredients are good for either you or the planet.

Χ – Synthetic fragrances and phthalates – Phthalates are essentially industrial compounds. They’re used to soften plastic, but also to help suspend the oily substances that give perfume their smell. They’re added to hairsprays, lubricants, wood finishers, nail polish, and yes, shampoo.

One single exposure to phthalates won’t cause trouble.

But multiple exposures over time, even at very low doses, have been linked to problems in fetal development.

Women who are pregnant and exposed to phthalates frequently and over time may give birth to baby boys whose genitals are deformed.

Phthalates are also linked to premature breast development in young girls and low sperm count in men.

Χ – Antibacterial agents – Ingredients like triclosan are often added to shampoo to “fight germs” or “kill bacteria.” But many public health officials worry that triclosan actually contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

Plus, triclosan gets into our streams, rivers and lakes when it is in our shampoo and then washes down the drain.

Researchers have found that antibacterial compounds like triclosan can interfere with the development of tadpoles into frogs and cause other mutations that could threaten the survival of birds, fish and other animals that live on or around our waters.

Check out “5 Ways Triclosan is Wrong” here.

Χ – Dyes and colorings – I’m not sure what the appeal of having a pink or purple or green shampoo is.

Those dyes and colorings are usually derived from chemicals that have been linked to cancer, ADHD, and various allergies.

Natural dyes derived from blueberry juice concentrate, carrot juice, paprika, grape skin extract, beet juice and other plants are a much better alternative.

What Do You Want in a Non-Toxic Shampoo?

Fortunately, many caring and concerned companies are producing plant-based shampoos that are:

√ free of toxic chemicals

√ cruelty-free – not tested on animals

√ vegan

√ biodegradable – not in 10,000 years, but in a relatively short period of time.

Non-toxic shampoo ingredients could include:

• Jojoba and quinoa proteins to strengthen and fortify hair follicles
• Organic coconut oil to moisturize
• Chamomile, calendula and aloe for conditioning
• Sweet orange vanilla, lavender, grapefruit or another citrus fruit for a light and fresh fragrance
• Other fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers – plant-based ingredients, oils and fragrances that are easy on the planet as well as your body!

Some non-toxic shampoos I’ve tried and like include:

Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash

Jason Restorative Biotin Shampoo

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo

Many new year’s resolutions are tough to keep. Switching to non-toxic shampoo should be a breeze!

Happy New Year!

NOTE: Posts like this one are sponsored by companies whose products and missions we support. Our editorial opinions remain our own, and we never recommend a product or service that doesn’t meet our environmental, health, and safety standards. In addition, we encourage you to shop locally. But if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we invite you to use our Amazon store. We will earn a tiny commission on your purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

The post Start the New Year Using Non-Toxic Shampoo appeared first on Big Green Purse.

What’s Wrong With Synthetic Chemicals?

A better question is, what’s right? And the answer?  Not much!!

Some of the synthetic chemicals you’re likely to find in conventional cleaning products include:

• Phthalates – linked to birth defects in children exposed in utero; can cause headaches, nausea and other discomfort when inhaled via the artificial fragrances they’re usually found in
• Phosphorous – overloads fresh water systems; when washed down a drain, it ends up in streams, rivers, and lakes, where it can rob the waters of precious oxygen and make it difficult for fish and other aquatic wildlife to survive
• Bleach – releases powerful fumes that can cause headaches, nausea and general feelings of illness; when mixed with ammonia, can create a poisonous gas that can burn your lungs if you inhale it.

What’s a Healthier Alternative?

Responsible cleaning companies are manufacturing products that rely on plant-derived cleaning agents that use natural sources and contain essential oils, corn-based alcohol, earth-based minerals and filtered water. Though lemon oil is probably the most common essential oil used, many other citrus oils, plus essence of peppermint, spearmint and lavender, among others, may be included as well. Though there’s always a chance you might be allergic to one of these ingredients, they’re far less likely to pose serious threats that the more conventional cleansers you might currently be buying.

If you’ve never tried a green cleaner before, in honor of Earth Day our sponsor SourceSupplyCompany.com is offering at a 10% discount green cleaners that can be used on bathroom and kitchen surfaces, including chrome, stainless steel, and glass; dishwashing detergents, laundry detergents, and more.

You can find the full list of products available for purchase here.   Use promo code Earth10 for your discount!

NOTE: Sponsors allow us to provide expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinion remains our own. Thanks!

About Source Supply Company 

SourceSupply Company is a janitorial supply company with over 20 years of experience in the industry, specializing in janitorial, facility, and maintenance products. With more than 14,000 products and access to more than 300 manufacturers, Source Supply Company makes it easy for you to find the products that best meet your need while benefitting from our competitive pricing and superior service.  For more information, visit http://www.sourcesupplycompany.com. 

The post Green Spring Cleaning With Plant-Based Cleansers appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why does WVE focus so directly on toxic
chemicals? Aren’t laws like the Toxic Substances Control Act protecting us
already?

Unfortunately,
the Toxic Substances Control Act is outdated and fails to protect us from
harmful chemicals like BPA, lead, and phthalates. Of the more than 80,000
chemicals out there in consumer products, only 200 of them have ever been
adequately tested for safety.

Most
of those chemicals that have been tested have been looked at only for their
short-term impacts to adult men in industrial settings. That’s one of the
reasons why WVE focuses on toxic chemicals and women’s health: how women are exposed and the health impacts on
women–especially girls, women of color, and women of childbearing age–are
unique and have been mostly overlooked in the past.

There
are a number of reasons that women are more impacted by toxic chemicals. First,
women are much greater users of consumer products that can contain toxic
chemicals:

* Women use
an average of nine personal care products each day, exposing themselves to a
mixture of over 100 individual chemicals. 25% of women report using an average
of 15 products daily.

*  While
gender roles have certainly changed over time, studies show that women are still
doing over 70% of the housework in the average home, which means a higher
exposure to household cleaning chemicals.

*  Fragranced
products are more heavily marketed to women, and women are more likely to
suffer from fragrance allergy than men.

Second,
women carry the health impacts of toxic chemicals in a unique way. Women have a
higher percentage of body fat, and many chemicals tend to accumulate in fat
tissue. Women can also pass chemicals on to their children during pregnancy and
through breastfeeding.

Third,
research shows that women’s health problems are on the rise. For example,
breast cancer rates have risen from an average of 1 in 20 to 1 in 8, women’s
infertility is increasing, and puberty is occurring earlier in girls.

Lastly,
Women’s Voices for the Earth believes that women have tremendous social,
polictical, and economic power to change the systems that allow toxic chemicals
in our products in the first place. That’s why we create opportunities for
women to raise their voices, whether it’s to spread the word to friends and
family, call on companies to make safer products, or ask lawmakers to pass
policies that will truly protect us from toxic chemicals.

Don’t companies that produce the
products we use have to meet standards for health and safety?

Yes, there are certainly some standards
in place, but they’re few and far between. And the standards that do exist are inconsistent
across industries.

For example, the cosmetics industry is
self-regulated. Guess who reviews the safety of cosmetics? Not the Food and
Drug Administration, but the Cosmetics Ingredient Review panel. Guess who pays
them to do that job? Cosmetics companies!

And we’ve seen how ineffective this system
is with the Brazilian Blowout blowup. This popular hair straightening treatment
contains up to 10% formaldehyde (a known cancer-causing chemical) – but the
company was lying and labeled their bottles formaldehyde-free. Neither the
cosmetics industry nor the FDA has done anything to protect stylists and their
clients from this toxic product, although it’s been taken off the market in
several other countries.

 There’s also no standard for using the
word “natural” or “organic” on personal care products. Any company can put
those words on their labels whether their ingredients are healthy or not.

Another great example is the cleaning
products industry. There’s no law that cleaning product companies have to list
the ingredients in their products, which means that companies are allowed to
keep toxic chemicals like phthalates and synthetic musks a secret from
consumers.

This is why WVE is working on some
government policies right now – because we need strong safety standards across
the board. We’re working to pass the Safe Chemicals Act, which would actually
require that chemicals be tested for safety before
they’re placed in products. We’re also working on the Safe Cosmetics Act, which
would ban toxic chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and mutations from
personal care and salon products.

Are some chemicals more dangerous than
others? If you had to choose, what three chemicals would you urge women to
avoid at all costs?

 We’re not saying that all chemicals are
toxic, because that’s certainly not the case. But some chemicals are harmful to
our health, like chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, fertility
problems, learning disabilities, and other serious health impacts.

It can be difficult to avoid a lot of
harmful chemicals, because many products don’t come with labels and even
labeled products may not list all the ingredients. But here are three toxic
chemicals that can be avoided by checking labels or by switching your products:

BPA – linked to increased risk of breast
cancer, infertility, early puberty in girls, and other problems.

• Ditch the canned foods and opt for fresh or frozen
  fruits and vegetables instead.
• Seek out products from the few companies now using
  BPA-free can liners like Westbrae Natural, Hunt’s, Healthy Choice and H.J.
  Heinz.
• Look for plastics labeled “BPA-free.”

Triclosan
– a hormone disruptor
that’s showing up in blood and breast milk

• Avoid anti-bacterial hand soap with triclosan listed on
  the label.
• Reduce your use of disinfectant products.

Synthetic
Fragrance – can be made up of hundreds of chemicals, all of which are kept secret from consumers. Common
fragrance chemicals include phthalates (linked to reproductive and
developmental harm) and synthetic musks (which break down the body’s defenses
against other toxic exposures and are linked to increased risk of breast cancer).

• Look for cleaners, laundry detergents, and personal
  care products labeled “fragrance-free” Warning: “unscented” does not mean
  fragrance-free!
• Discontinue use of air fresheners. Click here for tips to reduce odors
  around the home.

You can check out our 15 Toxic Trespassers and Ten Steps to Reduce Exposure for more ideas on avoiding toxic
chemicals linked to women’s health problems.

How do you let people like me know what
we should look out for when we shop?

 WVE works hard to create
easy-to-understand resources for women to help them protect their health, like
our 15 Toxic Trespassers fact sheet and our Tip of the Month for avoiding
harmful chemicals. And because we know it can be overwhelming to think about
ridding your house of toxic chemicals all at once, we recommend taking it one
step at a time. When your current shampoo runs out, think about replacing it
with one that doesn’t contain synthetic fragrance. Or when pick one step to
take in the kitchen, like buying a big bag of baking soda for deodorizing
instead of a potentially toxic air freshener.

You know that here at Big Green Purse,
we believe that shifting spending to greener products and services is important
for two reasons: it’s a fast and simple way to protect yourself and your
family; and it’s a great way to encourage companies to manufacture safer
products. When it comes to cleaning products, what impact could it have if
women shifted to even one safer cleaning product, whether it be a tub and tile
cleanser or a window cleaner?

 When it comes to cleaning products,
women’s consumer power is shifting the face of an entire industry right now.
When we launched our Safe Cleaning Products Initiative in 2007, no companies
were disclosing ingredients and many were still using toxic chemicals like
phthalates, synthetic musks, and triclosan. We developed our Green Cleaning
Party Kit as a solution to some of the toxic cleaners that were on the shelves.
Until we know that products are healthy, it’s safer to make our own cleaners
with non-toxic ingredients like vinegar and baking soda.

As thousands of women participated in Green
Cleaning Parties across the country, companies started to take notice. Women
weren’t buying their products, and they were using their consumer power to show
companies they wanted a change. And companies listened. Now, many major
companies are starting to list some ingredients online, and have started to
remove some toxic chemicals linked to women’s health problems.

So you can make an impact by buying
from a company that lists all ingredients on the label, or from a company that
pledges not to use chemicals like phthalates or synthetic fragrance. Where you
spend your dollars shows what kind of safe and healthy products you want to see
on the shelves.

Could you say more about the house
parties WVE organizes? How can the Big Green Purse community get involved?

 WVE’s Green Cleaning Parties and Green
Momma Parties are a fun way to take meaningful steps to reduce your exposure to
toxic chemicals, bring friends and family in on the fun, and take action to
make a difference.

These parties help women to use that
social, economic, and political power mentioned earlier. Not only are WVE
parties fun ways to bring friends together to educate them about harmful
chemicals, they offer immediate solutions for safer alternatives, like mixing your
own non-toxic cleaners and suggestions for safer products. These parties also
give party guests the opportunity to take easy actions to raise their voices
for healthier products right there at the party, like emailing their senator to
support the Safe Chemicals Act, or calling their favorite cleaning product
company and asking them to list ingredients.

The best part is that both the Green
Cleaning Party Kit and the Green Momma Party Guide are free to download! Big
Green Purse followers can sign up on our website to host a party.

So many organizations like WVE are based in Washington, D.C. so they can lobby
Congress. How did you end up in Montana? Do you still manage to lobby Senators
and Representatives from there, or is that not your focus?

 That’s a great question! WVE started in
Missoula, MT in 1995 as a local organization that gave women the opportunity to
raise their voices for environmental change. We started out with organizing
women to fight local polluting facilities like incinerators, hard rock mines,
and large-scale pesticide spraying – and it’s always been core to our mission
that our members are part of our work and meaningfully engaged in it.

In 2004, we expanded our work to the
regional level with a successful campaign that convinced Albertson’s to display
mercury warning labels on seafood cases. And we cruised onto the national scene
when we co-founded the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and then the National
Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance a few years later.

Today, WVE is a national organization
focusing our work on eliminating toxic chemicals linked to women’s health
problems, but it’s still the heart and soul of our mission that our members are
involved in our work. We don’t need to be in Washington D.C. because we provide
opportunities for women to raise their voices no matter where they are.

Is WVE a membership organization, too? How can people reading this post support the
great work that you do?

 WVE’s members are what makes our work
so successful! There are lots of ways to support our work:

• Sign up for the WVE Action Network to become a member (for free!) and
  receive our email updates

• Host
  a Green Cleaning Party or a Green Momma Party

• Like
  us on Facebook and
  start spreading the word about toxic chemicals and women’s health

• Make a donation to support our work to empower women

RELATED POSTS:

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Looking for safe and healthy baby products? Check out these suggestions from WhattoExpect.com.

The post Women’s Voices for the Earth Champions Healthy, Safer, Non-Toxic Cleansers for Moms and Kids appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But let’s back up a minute, to the original question. How much money do you waste buying plastic every year? I’ve written about why using less plastic matters here. In short, the stuff is made from oil and other toxic chemicals, can make us sick if we’re repeatedly exposed to those chemicals, and wreaks havoc on wildlife and the environment.

If you’ve given up buying bottled water, use your own reusable cloth shopping bag and maybe grow some (or most) of your own food, your automatic response might be: “Almost none. I don’t buy plastic.”

But chances are, you’re still subsidizing the use of a fair amount of plastic, since almost everything anyone buys these days comes either shrink-wrapped, padded in plastic balls or peanuts (yes, polystyrene is a form of plastic), encased in a plastic package of some sort, or wrapped in paper that’s been coated with a plastic film so thin you don’t even notice it.

One area where I’ve become particularly aware of how much plastic I consume is in the bathroom. Even though I don’t use a lot of cosmetics and follow a mostly “natural” hygiene regimen, now that I’m paying attention, I’m appalled at how many of my personal care products come packaged in plastic. I’ve switched to bar soap that’s sold either wrapper free or wrapped in paper, my face cream comes in glass jars, and my hand salve comes in metal tins. I use wash cloths instead of disposable wipes to remove dirt and make-up, and a crystal for deodorant. But my shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, toothpaste, sunscreen, and mouthwash? They’re all packaged in plastic. Ditto for the blush, mascara and lip gloss I apply.

The kicker is, I’m not buying a lot of conventional products. What I buy is always free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and triclosan, as well as many other questionnable chemicals I’d rather not put on my body or wash down the drain. Because most of these items come in jars and tubes made from recycled plastic, I used to think that was good enough, since I can easily recycle them in my city’s curbside recycling program.

Beth, whose expertise I admire enormously, has done the research, and she says that, in most cases, the best plastic is no plastic at all, recycled or not. I recommend you read her book yourself to understand why. Let me just say that I’ve been so persuaded by her reporting that I’ve decided to embark on an effort to try many of the plastic-free alternatives she suggests, including several of her make-it-yourself recipes.  (Come back soon to see how her home-made shampoo and conditioner recipes did on my hair.)

At Big Green Purse, we recommend shifting your spending to the safest, greenest products available as the fastest, easiest way to protect yourself and your family while giving manufacturers real marketplace incentives to do better, too. (Read this post about how Beth shifted more than $1,000 to all kinds of great green goods as part of our One in a Million campaign!).

How big an impact can you have, if you just focused on beauty products? According to the YWCA report “Beauty at Any Cost,” five years’ worth of beauty products costs about $6,423 on average. One full year of college tuition and fees at a public in-state college is $6,185! Neither I nor Beth are recommending you stop using any of these products at all. But if you spend over $1,000 a year on personal care products, think of the impact you can have by shifting your spending to products packaged in glass or paper, or by making your own rather than buying so much. Whether you shift a dime or a dollar, you can make a difference.

I hope you’ll read this book, and not just because of what you do in your bathroom. Beth examined her entire lifestyle to figure out where she was using plastic and how she could cut back. The results are incredibly inspiring. “In the years since my plastic awakening,” she writes, “ I’ve gone from personally generating almost four pounds of plastic waste per month to a little over two pounds per year (the average American generates between 88 and 120 pounds per year), and I am continuing the downward trend. While I’ve learned many facts about plastic—how it’s made, which types leach toxic chemicals into our food, why plastic recycling is actually “down- cycling,” and the many ways in which it’s both helpful and harmful—the biggest lessons have been personal rather than factual.”

She acknowledges that “It’s nearly impossible to eliminate plastic from our lives entirely. And, unlike me, you may not even want to try. That’s OK. This isn’t a competition, and I don’t hold myself up as an ideal.”

Here’s what I especially like about Beth’s philosophy:  “The goal is to be aware and responsible,” she says without the least bit of preachiness. “You might find yourself saying, “I know this is plastic and bad for the environment (and for my health), but I really need it or want it right now.” You think about the consequences, weigh your options, and make a decision. Other times, you may say to yourself, “It might be nice to have this, but it just isn’t worth the pollution and health risks. I can do without it.” Perhaps you will set a goal—to reduce your plastic consumption by a certain percentage or keep it under a certain amount per month. Or you might define what constitutes an emergency situation for you, and save plastic for those times. Whatever you do, it will be your choice.” What a great attitude!

JUST FOR FUN!

In addition to all the great background information and straightforward action checklists, Beth provides some surprising insights into the ways she’s had fun going plastic-free. I love her suggestion for a “make your own” iPod cover:

“What do you do when your iPod cover cracks and you need a new one and all you can find to buy are covers made out of plastic or handmade covers from Etsy that just don’t fit your lifestyle and the way you want to use your device? This might seem like a silly concern when the mp3 player itself is made from plastic, but my plastic-free life is not about deprivation but finding creative ways to enjoy the possessions I already have without buying new plastic.

“So one night, when I was supposed to be working on a million other things, I entertained myself by devising my perfect knitted iPod cover, complete with holes for the power cord and headphone jack and openings for viewing the screen and accessing the click wheel. I felt pretty tickled with myself, and even more so a year later when the foam pads on a couple pairs of headphones wore out and I taught myself to crochet in order to make some plastic-free replacements out of wool. I feel a real connection to and appreciation for items I’ve spent hours making myself. I also feel much more motivated to take care of them properly. Whenever I need something new, I check Google first to see if someone has come up with a handmade version or instructions for doing it myself. I’m not always willing to take the time, but when I do, it’s always worth it.”

BUY NOW!

Beth is selling signed copies of her book through her blog to benefit the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Plus, any copies Beth sends out or that are purchased via BuyGreen.com are guaranteed to ship without plastic packaging. Get a copy for yourself, for your friends, and for community leaders who think there’s no way to live without plastic. Beth’s book proves them wrong from the very first page to the last.

The post Want a Plastic-Free Life? Buy This Book ASAP! appeared first on Big Green Purse.