Another aspect of product purchasing I like to look for is environmentally friendly, not tested on animals, and fair trade. I also like to support small businesses. The following list is of items I have found that fit my requirements, and that I have found to be good products. I had some DIY's that didn't quite work out, so I will save you the trouble by not including them here.
Note: If you want to see ingredients lists of various grip aides, I did blog posts on sticky & antiperspirant grip aides, to help you decide is right for you.
Cleaning:
Distilled white vinegar: I'm sure many people know this, but I'll say it anyways. Vinegar is a great cleaner. It's acidic, so it eats through stains. I use it to wipe my counters, clean my oven, microwave, etc. It really is the miracle cleaner, and it's safe.
Rubbing alcohol: After I wipe my counters down with vinegar, I do a quick spray of rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is a great antibacterial agent. You want to spray it and leave it as the evaporation is what kills the bacteria. It dries them out as it evaporates and they die.
laundry soap, vinegar
I decided to find a soap based laundry cleaner after I splashed laundry detergent in my eye. Let me tell you, that sucked! I rinsed that evil cleaner out of my eye really well, but it irritated my eye so much that my pupil remained dilated for hours afterwards. It looked like I had a stroke! I went to the E.R. and thankfully my eye was just irritated. Yes, I'm sure real soap could do the same thing, but I still like the idea of soap versus detergent on my clothes, and thus my body. Surprisingly, I found a laundry soap at my local COSTCO. It's Ecos brand. I was worried about sudsing, but that has not been a problem at all. It cleans my clothes very well and has a pleasing scent! If you add about 1/4-1/2 cup vinegar to your laundry, it can help battle the stinkies and acts as a fabric softener!
DIY Laundry Detergent
If you don't want to buy laundry soap, you can make your own laundry detergent. It contains borax, which some people may not like, but if that is okay with you, this laundry detergent, combined with vinegar, works fairly well to de-stink your clothes.
dish soap:
Dishwashing liquid is another culprit of being synthetic detergents instead of soap. Trader Joes and Ecos both have dishwashing soap that is effective and mild. I use them to clean my paintbrushes and they work as well as Dawn, which is usually my classmates' soap of choice. Essential oils add a nice scent to the soap too! Yum!
Dishwasher pods:
When going through this transition I had initially tried a homemade dishwasher detergent, but it didn't work very well. Even some of the environmentally friendly cleaners didn't work well. Finding a dishwasher cleaner that was effective was really difficult. FINALLY I had success at my local Costco. They have little dishwasher pods that are effective and fairly benign in their ingredients. Thank you Costco!
Hygiene:
cloth pads:
I have always been opposed to tampons. I don't like the feel of them. They leave fibers behind when removed. Most commercial brands have synthetic chemicals in them. Yes, there are tampons without those chemicals, but, like I mentioned, I hate the feel of them. I know several girls who have switched to menstrual cups, and I will leave it to them to review those items. I personally do not want to carry around a foreign object for a week (LOL.)
With that said, my friend posted a link to Party In My Pants on facebook. They were giving away free panty liners for earth day. I figured I'd try it out (what have I got to lose?) I was rather pleased with the product. They are comfortable, they fit nicely around your undies with a little snap, they come is cute patterns, and you can fold them to make them discreet, so people won't know what they are. They do shift around a bit on your panties, so you will have to periodically adjust them, but it's really not a big deal. The initial cost of the cloth panty liners and pads may seem like a lot, but you have to figure that they are machine washable, so they are reusable, and that they last for years. Also consider how much waste we females produce per year with disposable sanitary napkins, and the cost of a year of them. I'm not going to do the math here, but it is a lot of $ we spend and a lot of waste we produce that sits in land fills. I like how environmentally friendly these cloth panty liners are. They are the same concept as reusable diapers! To wash them, just stick them in a laundry bag in the washer with laundry soap and they'll come out nice and clean!
*Unused panty liner, open
* How it snaps around a pair of panties
*Nice discreet little bundle
toothpaste:
jason:
In looking at the ingredients list for toothpaste I was horrified. Sodium Laurel Sulfate, really? Most toothpastes didn't even list ingredients, which was a giant no no for me, in this transition. Commence search for new toothpaste! I searched for several kinds. I didn't want to use baking soda on my teeth. I found Jason brand toothpaste that does not contain baking soda. You can get it with or without flouride, depending on what your preference is. It works very well, leaves my breath nice and fresh and comes in nice flavors.
Squigle & Tooth Builder
While at my last dental cleaning, I was discussing my recent toothpaste change with my hygienist. She was fine with my choice in toothpaste, but she told me something interesting. Apparently there was a recent study done that showed that xylitol strengthens tooth enamel! She said that there was a toothpaste brand that had xylitol in it specifically for that purpose. The name is Squigle, with fluoride, and Tooth Builder, without fluoride. I have yet to try them, but they will be my next test. My dentist carries it in their office so I take that as a good sign!
waterpik
Waterpik is such a cool invention. It is a really effective way to get food out from between your teeth. I use it to get out those hard to get out pieces. It saves on toothpicks! I will note that this is not a replacement for flossing. According to my dental hygienist, water cannot scrape off plaque, so flossing is necessary for that, but it is good for getting kale out of your teeth!
Activated charcoal
My mom actually recommended activated charcoal to me. It is typically used for when someone ingests poison, as it absorbs the toxins in the stomach. The same concept can be applied to your teeth. Apparently the charcoal absorbs the stains in your teeth to help whiten them. I just started using it myself, about once per week. This girl did a great video on how to use it. It looks freaky while you're using it, but don't worry, it won't stain your teeth black.
castile soap
Finding a synthetic chemical free shampoo was really difficult. Most shampoos aren't even real soap. Real soap is actually soponified oils! That is contrary to most shampoos which usually have no soap. Castile soap is a liquid soap that is concentrated. I use castile soap to make shampoo! Here is a nice recipe on how to make your own castile soap shampoo. I know there are some people who simply use baking soda and water to wash their hair, which may work, but isn't for me. My hair is so thick that my scalp needs a good soapy scrub every few days so I don't get itchy, dandruff scalp. One thing I really like about this shampoo is that it is sudsy naturally!
real soap bars & liquid hand soap:
naturally, since I changed my shampoo, I had to change my body and hand soap as well. I went poking around trader joes and market of choice and find real soap bars. There are a lot of brands out there that are real soap. Just make sure they include soaponified oils. There are lots of places online that sell homemade soap. My mom actually makes her own soap and sells it here. When I get a backyard I will certainly start making my own soap! In the mean time, I'll stick with store bought. I really love the soaps I am finding. They come in all kinds of amazing scents. I had an anise scented bar! I love anise. Of course, I had to stock up on lavender soap too.
Trader joes has some really great liquid hand soap. Again, it is soaponified oils and essential oils. They have a orange blosson & honey soap that is wonderful!
DIY foaming hand soap:
I discovered on pinterest that making your own foaming hand soap is really easy! You need a foaming soap dispenser, which you can get anywhere, although it will probably be filled with synthetic hand cleanser. Just dump it. Rinse out the empty bottle. Take the empty bottle and put about 1/2-1" of liquid soap in the bottom. Fill the rest of the bottle with water, cap it off and mix it. Now go enjoy your own foaming hand soap!
aubrey conditioner
I actually got this suggestion on studioveena. I was looking for a synthetic chemical free conditioner and was coming up empty handed. One girl suggested aubrey brand. It is expensive, but it works well. Just be sure to use only a little bit! I put too much the first time I used it and my hair was greasy afterwards!
Apple Cider Vinegar:
Did you know that you can dilute apple cider vinegar in water and use it to give your hair some shine? I didn't! I tried it, though, and it works! You don't want to do it all the time because it can dry out your hair.
aloe gel + epsom salts
I'm almost 28 and still have acne. It sucks! I have spent my whole life battling this issue. Though nothing really gets rid of it, I do have ways to help it. My current method is to take some aloe gel, mix it with a little epsom salt, and put it on my face after a shower. Aloe Life is the only aloe gel I have found that is only aloe gel and nothing else. Yes it is pricey, but it is a great product. It does feel al bit like you are rubbing snot on your face, but oh well, it's the price we pay for beauty. Aloe gel is not only soothing, but can help battle bacteria. I have not found a vitamin A gel, to add, that is synthetic chemical free and doesn't make my skin worse. Let me know if you find anything! Vitamin A can help with acne.
natural deodorant & Dirty Girl Poletice
I came to the realization that putting aluminum on my arm pits to clog the pores and keep them from sweating can't possibly be good for me. Aluminum is in antiperspirants. Even "all natrual" antiperspirants have it, just in a different form. In order to avoid aluminum, you have to get deodorants. In replace of an antiperspirant I use Dirty Girl POLEtice on my arm pits. It's effective and it uses magnesium instead of aluminum. I figure if it's pretty hard to overdose on magnesium it should be okay to use on my armpits, especially since I soak in it several times per week. DGP may decrease sweating, but it does not battle the stinkies, so for that, I needed a deodorant.
Even deodorants have ingredients I didn't like, so I went on yet another search for a good deodorant. I found two of them that I like. My naturopath doctor carries a nice geranium deodorant that I like. I also found a bergamot scented deodorant on ETSY that I love! Now, keep in mind, deodorant is meant to cover up smell, so you will periodically have to reapply it throughout the day.
DIY deodorant:
If you don't want to buy deodorant, you can try making your own. I tried it without success because I cannot figure out the proper amount of essential oils to put in. Tea tree oil is supposedly antibacterial, so I try to put it in my DIY deodorant. My main problem is that the scent quickly dissipates out of the deodorant and I cannot figure out how to get it to stay put! Maybe you will have better luck than I did!
http://www.crunchybetty.com/not-a-secret-homemade-deodorant
http://www.crunchybetty.com/all-roads-lead-to-the-pits-homemade-deodorant
natural eye shadow:
Parabens are endocrine disruptors, and they are in a ton of makeup products and lotions. For this reason I tossed my makeup and lotions and started over. I went looking on ETSY for eyeshadows with minimal ingredients. The following are what I have found and tried.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EsmeMinerals
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NewImageMinerals
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SwayCosmetics
mascara:
I actually found a worthy mascara in walmart! It's physicians formula organics. It is paraben free. It isn't waterproof, so if you need waterproof you might try ETSY. I have found a few links to ETSY mascaras I want to try in the future, when I use up my current mascara.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/119233725/smear-proof-natural-gentle-vegan-mineral?ref=col_view
http://www.etsy.com/listing/69389842/black-waterproof-vegan-mineral-mascara?ref=col_view
lip tint & lip balm
Fat and the moon has a great lip tint made with beet! The flavor is nice and the color is beautiful. I absolutely love the lip tint.
Hurraw makes great lip balm in awesome flavors. My favorites are licorice and grapefruit. They are not sticky! I hate sticky lip balm!
Nail polish: If you are looking for 3-free nail polish, here are my favorite brands. I've written about all 3 on my other blog.
Out of all the brands of polish I've purchased, these three are my favorite. They are cute, fun, and safe.
DIY lotion:
This lotion is easy to make and has very benign ingredients: aloe gel, almond oil, bees wax, essential oils. I didn't have a blender stick, so mine came out slightly separated, but it still works. It goes on feeling greasy, but your body quickly absorbs the oil to leave you totally smooth and non-greasy. The recipe says it lasts 6 weeks in the refrigerator. I don't refrigerate mine and I have had it last for months.
Disposable razors or electric razors:
Now, this is not necessarily earth friendly, what I am going to tell you, but it's necessary to mention it in the theme of taking care of our bodies. I had been told by a doctor, in passing, that razor blades should only be used once, then tossed. Leaving them in the shower and reusing them causes bacteria to grow on them and can cause abscesses. I noted this and decided to reuse my disposable razors but kept them out of the shower to dry. Well, of course I ended up with an abscess. I had it for months, did a course of antibiotics, etc, but it walled itself off and stayed put. It HURT! Finally, I had to go to the doctor to have it lanced and drained. After that, I had to spend the next week packing it with gauze. I can usually handle gross things on other people, but not myself, so of course I got dizzy trying to pack gauze into this open wound. Ew. Seriously ladies and gents, use a disposable razor then toss it. It's not worth the hassle of dealing with an abscess. You can also use electric razors, which I might start doing, cuz OYE!
perfume:
I love oil perfumes and Demeter perfumes. Demeter uses fragrance oils, but that doesn't bother me so much. All the other ingredients in their perfumes are fairly benign. They come is so many fun fragrances. I love earthworm, which smells like potting soil!
Hemp purses & recycled tire purses
Hemp is a wonderful renewable resource, so I decided to get a hemp purse. Earth Divas offers fair trade purses that are really adorable. I have had many compliments on my purses. There are also pretty durable purses out there made of recycled tires! They are pretty neat.
Cleaning retainers:
My orthodontist had told me to periodically use a denture tablet on my retainer. I did this for years, then realized that there are no ingredients listed on the tabs. That is a quick way to lose my business. I found online that you can soak your retainer in water and hydrogen peroxide or water and vinegar. It's simple and effective!
Air freshener:
mia rose and citrasolv offer nice air fresheners that are simply essential oils. One spray and you're good!
femtastic legwarmers!
Sorry guys, I have to mention my leg warmers on here. They are green! I make them out of recycled sweaters!
Pets!
shampoo & conditioner:
Since we are taking care of ourselves, we should take care of our pets too, right? I found two shampoos for dogs that have much better ingredients than most human shampoos. My dogs have allergies, but they do not react to these shampoos. I decided to try them on myself! I am switching to dog shampoo now. The shampoos left my hair so soft and it didn't frizz! WIN!
earth bath shampoo
Cloud star shampoo + conditioner
Clearing infections:
zymox products are the best infection control for dogs, ever! One of my dogs has floppy ears so he gets chronic ear infections. The vet had me get zymox otic to clear up the infection, and it worked beautifully. It can be used every week to clean their ears and ward off infections. Zymox is a combination of enzymes that kill bacteria, yeast and viruses! It's a tripple whammy and you don't have to put your dog on antibiotics.
Zymox also has sprays and body washes that I use on my dogs too. One of my dog gets chronic athletes paw and bacterial infections on his paws, due to seasonal allergies. Washing his feet with the zymox wash and then spraying his footies with the spray nips it in the butt quickly. Seriously, zymox is amazing!
http://www.pdbloggers.com/september-pole-dance-blog-hop/
Pets!
shampoo & conditioner:
Since we are taking care of ourselves, we should take care of our pets too, right? I found two shampoos for dogs that have much better ingredients than most human shampoos. My dogs have allergies, but they do not react to these shampoos. I decided to try them on myself! I am switching to dog shampoo now. The shampoos left my hair so soft and it didn't frizz! WIN!
earth bath shampoo
Cloud star shampoo + conditioner
Clearing infections:
zymox products are the best infection control for dogs, ever! One of my dogs has floppy ears so he gets chronic ear infections. The vet had me get zymox otic to clear up the infection, and it worked beautifully. It can be used every week to clean their ears and ward off infections. Zymox is a combination of enzymes that kill bacteria, yeast and viruses! It's a tripple whammy and you don't have to put your dog on antibiotics.
Zymox also has sprays and body washes that I use on my dogs too. One of my dog gets chronic athletes paw and bacterial infections on his paws, due to seasonal allergies. Washing his feet with the zymox wash and then spraying his footies with the spray nips it in the butt quickly. Seriously, zymox is amazing!
http://www.pdbloggers.com/september-pole-dance-blog-hop/
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