Eco Child’s Play

I was particularly disturbed by a recent article in Newsweek. The magazine sat around my house for weeks (what parent has time to read a whole article?) until the article Tales of a Modern Diva caught my attention.

This story shared some shocking statistics about this generation of young girls, and their use of cosmetics that stopped me in my tracks. As a feminist and critic of the relentless media exposure most children face daily, I aggressively limit the amount of media my girls are exposed to. But ultimately, it will catch up with them, by way of their peers.

First of all, the whole idea that there is a reality show about the beauty industry of toddlers makes me nauseas (Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC). Add that to the fact that now there are actual spas for the girls and the preteen set, and I am tempted to take my girls and run for the hills in a hut with no Internet, TV and home schooling. In some ways, though, I might just be putting off the inevitable.

Here are a few statistics to consider from this article:
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Kiss My Face has been making natural and organic beauty products for 25 years now. To celebrate, let’s all doll ourselves up, shall we?

The eco-company is hosting a mass giveaway. You can be one of the first to try their 2 new lines: the Potent & Pure Facial Care, and the Sheer Organic Shimmers & Shines mineral lip care products.

Yum.

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The days are getting longer and sunnier, which increases the need for sunscreen. Yet with so many unsafe ingredients popping up in everything it is hard to find products that are safe.

KINeSYS sunscreen has been voted the safest and most effective sunscreen by the Cosmetics Databaseafter investigated over 1000 sunscreens. KINeSYS is also a proud signer of The Compact for Safe Cosmetics and strives to be a carbon neutral company. Their bottles are even made from 100% recyclable, BPA free plastic and they avoid excess packaging whenever possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh Plah! is French for “Here you go!”.  This nifty bracelet is a colorful addition for a fashion forward Mama and does double duty as a toy to entertain a fussy baby.  Oh Plah! is free of lead, PVC, BPA, and phthalates.

My kids were always wanting to play with whatever was attached to my body and sometimes we ran out of the house without stashing a toy or two in the bag, so wearing a safe toy would have been a great help in our world.

There are no small or movable parts on this bracelet… it is one piece of durable, flexible material.  The bands are designed to stand up to lots of bending and chomping.  It can be cleaned up simply by washing in warm, soapy water.  In addition to being free of nasty chemicals, this bracelet meets or exceeds all CPSIA regulations and it is made in the U.S.A. Read the rest of this entry »

A new report claims that the increasing number of ‘all-natural’ and ‘organic’ products on the market may be guilty of “the seven sins of greenwashing”.

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing released its report The Seven Sins of Greenwashing today. The report defines greenwashing as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

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In the wake of EWG’s report that found formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in “gentle baby products, a major Chinese grocery chain is pulling Johnson & Johnson baby products from their shelves.

Nonggongshan Supermarkets Corporation (Bless you!), based in Shanghai, said the concern over carcinogens pushed them to make the choice.

We have to be responsible to consumers and suspend sales of these products until they are proved safe.

Anyone else think it’s ironic that a store in China is making the move to protect consumers faster than any here in the States?

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Finally, guys don’t have to use the ladies’ all natural goodies that smell like fruit and flowers and other essential oil yummies. Guys now have their own eco-skin care products.

Every Man Jack is a line of naturally-derived grooming products made just for the guys. Read the rest of this entry »

See that profile pic of me? The hair? Yeah, my tresses are long.  Long as in, close to touching the pronounced rump.

That must take a whole lot of time to care for, right? Wrong.

I have a hair confession: I shampoo less than the average American.

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I’ve long been a fan of ECOBAGS®, so I was excited to see their adorable natural Loofah Art scrubbers.

Loofah-Art® products are completely eco-friendly, 100% bio-degradable and fabricated from a sustanable agricultural crop. Natural scrubbers for your natural home. Delightful designs for your kitchen and bath. Did you know that Loofah is a plant? The loofah used in all of these whimsically designed scrubbers has been naturally grown and processed.

At only $3.99 for a pair of ECOBAGS® loofah scrubbers, these cuties are affordable.  Loofah is great for both the kitchen and personal care.  In the kitchen, loofah scrubbers clean stubborn pots and pans, but they are gentle enough to wash fruits and vegetables.  In the bathroom, loofah scrubbers exfoliate and encourage new cell growth. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly place for Valentine’s Day gifts, check out Organica Deluxe.

The online eco-boutique offers eco-conscious minded consumers gift options for every occasion: Baby, Wedding & Anniversary, Birthday, Thinking of You, Get-Away, Thank You, House Warming, Holiday and more.

“We created Organica Deluxe because we wanted a beautiful place to buy eco-friendly and organic for ourselves and our friends,” say owners Wendy James and Jane Hunter.

“We recognized that organic companies often miss the gorgeous and ever miss the green when creating packaging.”

One sweet eco-friendly gift from Organica Deluxe is their BABY LOVE gift set.  “This delightful assortment of organic goodies is filled with softness and love for baby’s sensitive skin,” says Organica Deluxe.

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