Seven Weeks of No Poo

Last night as my husband and I were getting into bed, I made him listen to me gripe about no poo for 15 minutes, and when I finished, I said, "That was the post I was going to write tonight but I didn't get around to it. So now you can write it for me!" He refused. :(

So now let's see if I can remember everything I told him...

I'm going on seven weeks of no poo. Here are a few of my Twitter and Facebook updates to give you an idea of how it's been going:

• Day 5 of no poo - my hair looks good but feels nasty. Even hubby noticed.
• Day 22 of no poo. I bought a boar bristle brush that has made all the difference. Starting to like my hair again. However, the new brush cost $10 - so far no poo has not saved me money.
• Colored my hair this morning, and strangely, it has done wonders for my no poo hair. Feels so soft and "normal"!
• Over a month #nopoo, I can go two days between washes but on third day I seem to have dandruff??!!
  

It hasn't been all bad. Here's what I LIKE about no poo:

• Saving money - about $60 if I don't buy shampoo or conditioner for a year.
  
• I don't have to pay attention to whether or not I'm about to run out of shampoo and conditioner or make a special trip out to the Lush store at Crabtree Valley Mall.
  
• I don't have to squint at the back of shampoo bottles or try to translate scientific jargon.
• I can pretty successfully skip a day between washing my hair now.
  

This picture was taken on the day I colored my hair.

This is today. On the days I don't wash my hair, I get rid of bedhead by curling it. The grease holds the curl better than any hairspray. :)

A front shot of today. For some reason when I take pictures of myself I get a weird expression on my face.

Here's what I DISLIKE about no poo:

• Even after almost two months, my hair still gets nasty greasy if I try to go more than two days between washings.
• Before the grease phase, my hair has a "thick" feeling to it, as if I put hair styling products in it even though I don't. The boar bristle brush helped a lot with that, but the only time my hair really felt good was the three or four days after I colored it. (I'm guessing the harsh chemicals stripped everything out of my hair. Other people who color their hair might know what I'm talking about when i say that my hair always feels softest right after I've colored it, as oxymoronic as that may sound.)
• When I brush my hair with the boar bristle brush, it gets coated in a greyish white powder. For the past couple weeks, I've been seeing that in my hair. At first I thought it was dandruff (see Twitter post above), but my husband who actually has dandruff says it's not. So now we're thinking it's baking soda residue???

The white residue is most noticeable on the black bristles.

I feel like I've gone so far now, I might as well keep it up for awhile. But unlike a few others of you that I've already heard back from, I am not having the magical results people often describe after going no poo. Here are a few of the thoughts that have been running through my head:

Has my hair returned to it's "normal" state and I just don't like normal?

Does hair really return to "normal" on no poo, or do people just get used to the change?

If this is really more natural than using shampoo, why is it taking so long for my body to adjust? It seems like if it's natural, my body would catch on pretty fast! It would be like, "Finally you've stopped dousing me in unnecessary chemicals and now I can do my job like I'm meant to."

My husband's about out of shampoo. Since my no poo experience hasn't been completely positive, I'll never convince him to go no poo. Guess I have to make a trip to Crabtree Valley Mall...:(

No poo readers: I need your advice. What am I doing wrong?

Final note: There's no use even bothering to lecture me about how I shouldn't color my hair. I know, I know, I know. It's on my list of eco-changes to make eventually, but like cheap chocolate, it's one that's not going to die easily. I've had red hair so long, some people don't even know I'm not a natural redhead! And yes, I do plan to try henna eventually.

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

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Overshare

Hope you all enjoyed the interview with Eco Yogini yesterday. I especially love her answer about why she "overshares" about her experience with the DivaCup, among other subjects.

So in the spirit of Eco Yogini, I thought we'd have ourselves a little overshare session today. First, I'll share a few things, and then it will be your turn to share in the comments - something you've learned on your green journey that you think would help others to know or something you've been embarrassed to ask, now's your chance. If you're not keen on the idea of an overshare, feel free to comment anonymously.

Okay, deep breaths, I think I'm going to die here...

Menstrual Cups

It took me forever to figure out how to use my Keeper properly. Several months, honestly, before I realized that my cervix sits low so where the diagram says my Keeper should be is not where it is on my body. If you're new to menstrual cups, figure out where your cervix is and realize that every body is different!

Crystal Deodorant

Some days the rock deodorant works better than others, and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with physical activity. Thankfully, even on those rare days where my pits fail the discreet sniff test, I don't think it's strong enough that anyone else would notice. At least my husband hasn't said anything.

Birth Control

We're still using condoms. I hate the pill and have contemplated the IUD but I'm just not sold on it. I'm intrigued by the idea of the Fertility Awareness Method (I even have the book on request at the library), but my husband says no way based on the fact that we got pregnant with each of our three boys without even trying.

Dandruff

A certain special someone in my life says he won't try the no poo method because of dandruff. Anyone have tips for natural remedies for dandruff?


Okay, your turn! Don't be shy! Don't let me be alone in this overshare!

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April Extreme Challenge

Here's your extreme challenge for April:

Go No 'Poo

"No 'poo" is slang in the green world for "no shampoo." What it really means is that you wash your hair with baking soda and rinse with apple cider vinegar, and you wash your hair less often.

Why go no poo?

• To save money. Compare a $5 bottle of shampoo to a $1 box of baking soda.
• To save packaging. Shampoo and conditioner usually come in plastic bottles, and even if you recycle those, their next life is probably a park bench. Baking soda comes in a cardboard box and vinegar in a glass jar, and because you only use a small amount each time you wash your hair, you end up using a lot less packaging.
• To avoid potentially harmful chemicals. Although there are plenty of eco-friendly, less toxic shampoos and conditioners on the market, what could be less harmful than baking soda and vinegar?
• To live naturally. Hey parents, have you ever noticed how long you can go without washing your kids hair? Supposedly, that's how hair is supposed to be, and if you wash it less and put fewer chemicals on it, your hair can look that natural, luscious, and shiny too.

Those are the main reasons I've thought of. If you've gone no poo, why did you do it?

There are several methods for going no poo. Here's one:

1. Obtain a couple old squirt bottles such as old shampoo bottles, salad dressing bottles, or sports bottles.
2. Fill one bottle with a ratio of 1 Tbsp. baking soda to 1 c. water. Fill the other bottle with a ratio of 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar to 1 c. water. If desired, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the apple cider vinegar solution to cover the smell.
3. Squeeze some of the baking soda solution on to your scalp and massage for a few seconds. You're aiming to clean your scalp, not your hair. Leave on while you wash your body and then rinse out.
4. Squeeze some of the vinegar solution on to your hair. Leave on for a few seconds and then rinse.

I've read that there's an "adjustment period" while your hair returns to it's natural state and starts producing less grease. Then you'll be able to wash your hair less and less - some people go as long as a week!

Want to see no poo in action? Here are a few bloggy friends that have gone no poo:

• Fake Plastic Fish
• Amber Strocel
• Melinda at One Green Generation
  

Here's what my family will be doing:

Last month's challenge was easy peasy. This one, I'm not excited about. At all.

I'm starting this challenge late this month because of spring break, but I'm committing to try no poo for at least a month. I'm really nervous about it because of the supposed adjustment period. I'm also skeptical.

My sister the cosmetologist only washes her hair every other day, or even every third day, and she has gorgeous hair. She told me that if you stop washing your hair so often, your body will adjust and produce less grease, and that hair is healthier when it's not washed so much. So I gave it a go...For a whole year, I gave it a go! I kept thinking, "Soon my head will catch on that it doesn't need to make so much grease." But it never did! Finally after a year, I was tired of looking awful every other day, and I went back to daily washings. And that is why I don't believe no poo will work for me. But we'll see!

Will you accept the April Extreme Challenge to go no poo for a month? Let me know in the comments what your family will be doing.

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

• image by hansvandenberg30

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My Personal Care Products

I think it's helpful when you're first starting out on your green journey to know what products other people have chosen to use. So even though I don't feel like I'm the best example to follow, here are the products I've been using, and I hope you'll add in the comments what non-toxic or less toxic personal care and beauty products you're using.


Shampoo: Lush Karma Komba shampoo bar

Conditioner: Lush Jungle conditioner bar

Soap: Sappo Hill or Dr. Bronners

Deodorant: Crystal

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Clean and Gentle Care SLS-Free toothpaste

Toothbrush: Preserve recyclable toothbrush

Facial soap: coconut oil

Facial toner: diluted apple cider vinegar

Facial lotion: basic glycerin formula with grapeseed oil

Hand and body lotion: basic glycerin formula with avocado oil

Makeup: I've been using Physician's Formula Organic Wear makeup since last fall. I'm not super happy with it.

Razor: I use a Venus razor and dry my blades between uses, enabling me to change the blade about once every six months. For shaving cream, I use soap.

Feminine products: Keeper menstrual cup

Did I leave anything out? What do you use?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

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Challengicious Monday: Go Green in the Bathroom

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next trash-related challenge:

Go Green in the Bathroom

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

• Use fewer personal care products. Think about your morning routine. How many products do you use? Do you really need that many? If you can leave something out, then do it.

JOGGING STRIDE

• Avoid the Dirty Dozen. These are the ingredients that have been most commonly linked to health problems.

MARATHON RUNNER

• Switch to products that score low on the Skin Deep Guide, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. They have tested thousands of products for toxicity and rank them on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being the best and 10 being the worst. Even some products labeled as "natural" rank high on the scale, so it's important to check out all products before you buy.

According to the Environmental Working Group, 10,500 unique chemicals are used in personal care products, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. How many of these chemicals have been tested for safety? "An EWG analysis found that in its 30-year history, the industry's self-policing safety panel has reviewed the safety of just 11 percent of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products."

And I'm putting those products on my face (and hair and mouth and eyes and all my other 2000 parts)? And the 2000 parts of my babies?

A quick look at some recent posts indicates that I'm struggling a bit in this area because it is SO HARD to find personal care products that meet all aspects of my criteria: non-toxic, affordable, and actually work. But I'm doing my best with what I can find and afford, so come back tomorrow to read more about what I've been using.

Like the green your household cleaners challenge, I stuck this challenge with the trash challenges because it didn't fit anywhere else, but it's not going to have an effect on your trash unless you make specific changes: using fewer, buying in bulk, buying concentrate, or making your own. Switching to a menstrual cup and using a safety razor are also good ways to decrease your trash production. And of course, by being more conscious about your personal care products, you avoid putting toxic chemicals into your body, water supply, and the environment.

For more specific information about how and why you should green your bathroom routine, check out:

• I Need...Personal Care Products
• I Need...Smooth Legs
• I Need...A Happy Period
• I Need...Deodorant
• I Need...Beautiful Hair
• I Need...Makeup

And for some DIY personal care products, try out:

• Make Your Own: Body Lotion
• Make Your Own: Sea Salt Scrub
• Love Love Kiss Kiss Blah Blah Blah (for facial cleaner, toner, steam, mask, and moisturizing lotion)
  

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

• image by ali edwards
  

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Love Love Kiss Kiss Blah Blah Blah

I'm over at the Green Phone Booth today with some recipes for a DIY eco-friendly facial:

My husband is not only the man of my dreams but was in fact my very first real boyfriend. Which means that until we met, I spent many a Valentine's Day nursing a pint of Ben and Jerry's all by my lonesome. Back then it seemed like Valentine's Day was specifically designed to remind me how much I sucked. Not to mention all that pink and red and hearts and plush toys. Gag me!

Eating an entire box of chocolates while wallowing in self pity may have made me feel better momentarily, but it probably wasn't the healthiest option. So for any Valentine's hating readers out there, here's another suggestion: Host a home spa.

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____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

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I Need...Makeup

Once as a teenager, I camped overnight in a cave with a group of youth from my church. I don't remember much from that trip (beyond a vague memory that sleeping in a cave is really spooky and not very comfortable, as is peeing in a cave) but I do distinctly remember the tour guide commenting that bat poop is used as an ingredient in mascara.

I'm not going to dwell on that disgusting tidbit of information (a quick Google search reveals mixed results about its authenticity), but I will say this...How many of us have a clue about what really is in our mascara? Our lipstick? Our blush?

Most of us apply these products to our skin, mouths, and eyes without a second thought. But considering that the cosmetics industry is one of the least regulated industries - according to the Environmental Working Group, only 11% of the more than 10,000 ingredients used in personal care products have been tested for safety - we shouldn't be surprised that independent researchers are finding that many of the ingredients we use every day are actually not good for us.

Besides the potential health problems, makeup also comes in those pesky little non-recyclable plastic containers. It's like cosmetics companies don't even try.

So what can you do?

BABY STEPS

• Use fewer products. Take a look at your makeup stash. Is there any way you could tone it down? Fewer products equals fewer chemicals applied to your skin.
  
• Follow the guidelines for makeup expiration to avoid bacterial infections like pink eye and skin breakouts. Didn't know that makeup expires? I didn't until EcoYogini mentioned that we should be replacing our mascara every three months to avoid infections. Woops! Here's a list of expiration dates for other cosmetics.
  

JOGGING STRIDE

• Look up your products on the Skin Deep Guide, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. They have tested thousands of products for toxicity and rank them on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being the best and 10 being the worst. Even some products labeled as "natural" rank high on the scale, so it's important to check out all products before you buy.
• Avoid the Dirty Dozen. These are the ingredients that have been most commonly linked to health problems.
• Look for products with better packaging. Fake Plastic Fish had a post the other day about a cosmetics company (Organic Essence) that has a few products in recycled paper packaging and is working on more innovative packaging solutions. I know a number of companies are working on this, so keep your eyes peeled for better makeup packaging in the future.
• Switch to mineral makeup, which is made of natural minerals instead of synthetic chemicals, like those listed on the Dirty Dozen.
  
• Set aside one day of the week to be slouchy. Pick a day, pull your hair back into a pony tail, and lay off the make-up. You even have my permission to skip the shower if you want. And I'm over-ruling What Not to Wear's insistence that you shouldn't wear pajama pants to the grocery store. On slouchy day, it all goes.
  
• Wear makeup for special occasions only. Maybe you could save the makeup for work. Or church. Or just for weddings.

MARATHON RUNNER

• Go without. Set the makeup aside for good and show off your inner beauty.

Where I'm At

When it comes to make-up, it's a lot easier to hand out advice than to follow it. Last summer, I left my makeup kit at a relative's house while travelling, and since these were the type of relative who never mails things back to you if you forget something at their house, I realized it was time to begin my quest for eco-friendly make-up.

So I carefully copied down this list from Smart Family Tips of EWG approved and readily available cosmetics and headed to the drugstore. Which did not carry a single item on my list. I don't know if it was just that particular drugstore or if those products are actually discontinued, but it does seem like the cosmetics industry is constantly thinking up new products that we must. buy. now.

But rather than going to another drugstore, I decided to head to Whole Foods because although they sometimes carry products that don't meet my standards, most of the time I can trust them. I think.

"Oh my freakin' crap!" (That was my exact thought as I stared at the price tags at the makeup counter at Whole Foods).

So I decided to look online. Once again: Oh my freakin' crap! People actually pay these prices for make-up?! (Not me. If I'm going to have to replace my mascara every three months, I'm going to buy the cheapest kind possible.) And besides that, I didn't really want to buy makeup online because who knows what colors I'd end up with.

So back to the drugstore I went, and I stared and I stared, and I thought and I thought, and I read every single stinkin' label. And I went home with foundation, a bronzer/blush duo, two shades of eyeshadow, and mascara from the Physician's Formula Organic Wear line. It doesn't rate too badly on Skin Deep (though not too great either), the blush and eyeshadow come in paper packaging, and it's affordable. But I'm not 100% satisfied with it.

The search continues...

Have you tried finding eco-friendly makeup? What do you use?

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I Need...Beautiful Hair

I'm going to admit from the get-go that my vanity was a major factor in this category. I don't have gorgeous commercial-worthy hair, but I still like my hair. A lot. So where I might be willing to make some sacrifices for the environment in other categories, when it came to my hair, I just wasn't willing to compromise. In the end, I found something that worked for me, but boy, it was a long month of ugly hair to get there.

But you have to consider that there is a wide range of hair types. So just because something failed on my hair, doesn't mean it won't work for you. Experiment until you find the right shampoo for your hair type. The bad hair doesn't last forever!

Here are the ingredients to watch out for when shopping for shampoo and conditioner:

• Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate: These are foaming agents in shampoos and can cause skin and eye irritation and allergic reactions.
• Diethanolamine (DEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA): These ingredients help your shampoo to lather, but they can react with other ingredients in the shampoo (particularly preservatives) to form carcinogenic substances.
• Phthalates: Phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and the developing male reproductive tract.
  
• Parabens: Widely used preservatives, parabens mimic estrogen in the body and may increase the risk for certain types of cancer.

Besides the health concerns, another reason to change your shampoo is the packaging: most shampoos come in a plastic bottle.

The first three Baby Steps here are tips I've picked up over the years from my hairstylist, who is also my sister. She has gorgeous hair. It really is commercial-worthy.


BABY STEPS

• Be stingy with the amount of shampoo and conditioner you use. Average length hair only needs a nickel-sized drop of each product. Plus, salon-style shampoos are generally more concentrated than your run-of-the-mill grocery store shampoo, so you don't need much. The less you use, the longer that bottle of super-expensive shampoo will last.
• When shampooing, focus on the roots. When conditioning, focus on the ends. Using this method, you can get away with using less.
• Don't wash your hair every day. My sister washes her hair every other day, sometimes every third day. And I'm telling you, she has terrific hair.
• Supersize your shampoo. Pick products that you can get in bulk containers. The bigger, the better.
  

JOGGING STRIDE

• Check Skin Deep for less toxic shampoo and conditioners. Beth over at Smart Family tips has created an awesome list of products that rate low on Skin Deep and can be found at most drugstores, Target, or Kroger.
  
• Try a shampoo bar, and bypass the container completely. Look for a local soap maker at your farmer's market - they often carry shampoo bars. Or try the Burt's Bees Rosemary and Mint Shampoo Bar or a Lush product.
  
• Use a concentrated liquid castile soap like Dr. Bronners. You can get Dr. Bronners in giant containers, and since it's concentrated, you only need to use a little bit. Or you can mix it with an herbal water like in this recipe.

MARATHON RUNNER

• Go no 'poo. Despite the weird name, all this really means is that you use baking soda to wash your hair, and you don't wash your hair very often, supposedly letting your hair return to its natural state. But first you have to go through a nasty detox phase, where your hair looks and feels awful. If you're interested, you can find out more information about "no poo" all over the Internets, such as here.
  
• Use apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse instead of conditioner. Commonly paired with "no poo," apple cider vinegar returns hair to its naturally acidic pH. But you have to tolerate smelling like a salad.

Tips for the Budget Conscious
Baking soda and vinegar are super cheap, but if you want something more mainstream, pick a product that you can get concentrated or in a bulk size. And as always, use less.


Where I'm At
A couple years ago, I experimented with some different "all natural" shampoos and was not impressed. They were too watery, which meant I was going through a bottle of shampoo twice as fast as I was used to. And these were not cheap products. For awhile, I used the Whole Foods brand (but it has sodium lauryl sulfate in it), but mostly I used some nice, but definitely not non-toxic, products my sister would get for me from her salon.

At the start of this month, I picked up a bar of the Burt's Bees Rosemary and Mint Shampoo. I liked it the first day - it made my hair slightly filmy, as if I had put some kind of styling product in it. The second day, the filminess was weighing my hair down, and by the third day, my hair was a greasy mess.

Next, I tried the Dr. Bronner's soap mixed with herbal water. Same thing. I think I might have hard water, which would mean the soap is not rinsing out properly.

During both of these weeks (and the week prior with my regular shampoo), I tried using apple cider vinegar as a rinse. It worked fine and the smell went away by the time my hair was dry, but there were a couple times when I started sweating and the vinegary smell would come back. Overall, I just didn't like it.

Desperate not to have ugly hair, I picked up bottles of Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet shampoo and conditioner from Target. It works great and only scores a 2 on Skin Deep, but it comes in a small plastic bottle with a hefty price tag.

Finally, following a tip from JessTrev, I headed to the Lush store. The great thing about going with Lush is that they have a variety of shampoo bars, so logically there would be one to meet every hair type. And they have sales clerks that can help you pick out what you need. The downside is that Lush is very expensive. And smelly. If you have an allergic reaction to fragrances, this is not the shampoo for you. But the shampoo bar I got is working great, and supposedly it will last as long as three bottles of shampoo, so the price tag isn't as scary as it sounds. If you don't have a Lush store in your area, you can order online.

Photo by hansvandenberg

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I Need...Deodorant

An actual conversation between me and my husband a couple weeks ago:

Me: Did you try that Crystal deodorant today?
Hubby: Yes, did you?
Me: Yes. Is it working for you?
Hubby: I don't know. I haven't smelled myself. Is it working for you?
Me: I haven't smelled myself either. I guess we'll have to smell each other later.

Ah, the joys of testing out new deodorants!

I think we can all admit that deodorants are a very useful product. Not stinking is a pretty nice thing. So why do they put so many bad things in something so good?

Deodorants/antiperspirants contain three toxic chemicals from the Dirty Dozen, as well as a couple other suspicious ingredients:

1. Parabens: Widely used preservatives, parabens mimic estrogen in the body and may increase the risk for certain types of cancer.
2. Talc: This is that ingredient that used to be in baby powder that we're now told at the hospital, "Do not use!" Talc is a known carcinogen.
3. Propylene Glycol: Besides being a neurotoxin and a skin irritant, propylene glycol "alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate deep into the skin increasing the amount of chemicals that reach the bloodstream," according to the Dirty Dozen.
4. Aluminum compounds: The ingredient that keeps you from perspiring, aluminun compounds have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, and some scientists have found correlations between anti-perspirant use and breast cancer.
5. Triclosan: Classified as a pesticide by the FDA, this is that "antibacterial" ingredient that they're putting in everything these days.

Using deodorant also generates a lot of non-recyclable plastic waste.

So what's your average sweaty girl (or guy) to do?


BABY STEPS

• Switch from an anti-perspirant to a deodorant. Sweating might not be the most comfortable thing, but is your desire to stay dry worth increasing your risk for Alzheimer's or breast cancer? Logically, it just doesn't sound very safe to plug up our pores with aluminum.
• Prevent sweating the natural way by wearing light-colored clothing that fits loosely, choosing cotton over synthetic fabrics, and drinking lots of cold water.

JOGGING STRIDE

• Check Skin Deep for a less toxic deodorant. Beth over at Smart Family tips has created an awesome list of products that rate low on Skin Deep and can be found at most drugstores, Target, or Kroger.
  
• Look for a solid deodorant bar that is packaged without a container, such as these from Lush.
• Try a deodorant crystal like this. These all natural mineral salt stones neutralize odors, allowing your body to sweat without stinking.
  

MARATHON RUNNER

• Dust your pits with baking soda. This is probably the most popular "all-natural" deodorant. You can either use a cotton ball or powder puff to apply it to your fresh-out-of-the-shower armpits, or mix the baking soda with a little water to make it more like a paste.
• Try out other all-natural deodorant recipes, such as these from Care2.com.

Tips for the Budget Conscious
Using baking soda is probably your best bet, but since I've never used baking soda as a deodorant for longer than a week, I'm not sure how long a box of baking soda lasts in this situation. Any users want to provide some input?

The deodorant crystal is only $7 at Whole Foods and should last a year. If you don't have a Whole Foods near you, deodorant crystals are generally available at health food stores.


Where I'm At
I've been using the deodorant crystal, and it's working great so far. But I'm not a very sweaty person. In fact, I barely sweat at all. So it's hard to make a judgment call until summer when I actually break a sweat. I will say though that I tried baking soda a couple years ago in the summer, and didn't like it at all. It mostly worked fine, but I was so paranoid about whether or not it was working that I never felt comfortable. And there were definitely one or two days that I started to smell a little.

My husband also tested out the crystal, and it worked okay for him. But as I've mentioned, he's a super sweaty man and it's winter. I don't think the crystal will hold up to a North Carolina summer, especially when he's biking to work.

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I Need...A Happy Period

My husband mentioned to me today about a website where you can track days that your female friends, boss, coworkers, etc. are acting grumpy, and it uses that info to try and figure out their "time of the month." I responded, "I need to use that on myself! I can never remember when my time of the month is coming."

Considering I experience this lovely part of being a girl every single month, this change has been a long time coming. I swear I've been planning to switch to something more "natural" ever since I started cloth diapering because it's kind of hypocritical to put cloth on my baby and not on myself, but, well, uh, I'm a procrastinator...and, um, eeeewww!

Have you ever wondered why people are always arguing about cloth versus disposable diapers, but no one ever talks about cloth versus disposable pads. According to Grist, "the average woman will menstruate for about four decades and use an estimated 16,800 sanitary pads or tampons in the process -- that's 250 to 300 pounds of waste." Over forty years, that would look a little something like this:

(Thanks to The Keeper for that great visual image.)

Besides the disposable factor, most feminine products are made of pesticide-drenched cotton and chlorine-bleached rayon, and tampons can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome.

So if you desire a healthier, greener menstrual period, you basically have four options:


Biodegradable Pads

• The Good: If you're used to pads, these are exactly the same as conventional pads except that they don't contain chlorine bleach. Natracare pads are also rayon free.
• The Bad: Although less environmentally damaging, these pads don't even make a dent in the feminine product waste. They are also costly.
  

Organic Cotton Tampons

• The Good: Like the biodegradable pads option, these tampons are identical to conventional tampons so you can seamlessly transition to this more earth-friendly option.
• The Bad: Again, waste is still an issue, and they cost more.
  

Cloth Pads

• The Good: These are washable, affordable, and last a long time.
• The Bad: Because these have to be washed, the same arguments could be made here as are made against cloth diapers. Also, any cloth diaper user could tell you that managing cloth is not the easiest thing if you're spending a long time away from home. Plus there's the "eeewww" factor of wearing a bloody pad.
  

Menstrual Cup

• The Good: These cost about $25-35 and last up to ten years, making them the most affordable with the least amount of waste. They are similar to tampons, but you can wear them up to 12 hours without worrying about TSS and they even hold up well during strenuous physical activity.
• The Bad: There's still the "eeewww" factor, and not to be too graphic here, but they are much more "hands on" then inserting or removing a tampon.

Tips for the Budget Conscious
Although the cost is high upfront, a menstrual cup can last up to ten years, so you end up saving hundreds of dollars over the life of the product.


Where I'm At
For me, it seemed like a no-brainer to go with a menstrual cup, so it was really just a choice between The Keeper/Moon Cup and the Diva Cup. I ultimately picked The Keeper because it was recommended in The Tightwad Gazette and by Umbra Fisk, and also because I thought the packaging sounded better. So far, I've been very happy with it, and that's all I really want to say on a blog read by my mother and brother....

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I Need...Smooth Legs

According to the EPA, every year Americans throw away 2 billion disposable razors. Considering the size of a razor, that's probably not too much landfill space, but why we're using so many disposable razors is still beyond me. I've always thought of disposable razors as a surefire way to cut up your legs.

Shaving cream is a whole other can of HCFCs. Although aerosol cans no longer contain the ozone-depleting chloroflourocarbons (CFCs), the replacements (including hydrochloroflourocarbons or HCFCs) are less harmful but still lead to depletion of the ozone layer.

I'm a girl, so my focus is on legs, but for any male readers, you can modify the information to suit your needs.

BABY STEPS

• Switch from disposables to razors with a replaceable head. If you don't already own one, a great choice is the Preserve razor. The handles are made from recycled yogurt containers and are recyclable if you mail them back to Recycline using the mailer enclosed in their packaging.
• Dry your razor after using. Awhile back, I read about a guy that extended the life of a disposable razor blade for an entire year just by drying it out after each use. Drying your razor keeps it from rusting.
• Recycle your aerosol shaving cream cans. When thrown into a landfill, aerosol cans are a hazard because they are pressurized and can explode, especially if a fire breaks out. Most recycling centers take these as long as they are empty and you have removed the plastic top.

JOGGING STRIDE

• Go old school and try a safety razor or a straight razor. Here's a guide from Mother Earth News about how to use a straight razor for any brave souls out there.
  
• Check Skin Deep for a less toxic shaving cream.
• Use a brush and mug shaving set. My husband gave this a try using our regular glycerin soap and a brush I picked up from Whole Foods. He said it worked fine, but I have my suspicions it would work better with soap specifically designed for a brush and mug. Any experienced users have suggestions?
• Try sugaring. Here's a sample recipe from Crunchy Chicken. All I've got to say is "Ouch!"
  

MARATHON RUNNER

• Stop shaving. For the brave non-conformists out there, this option is the most natural and least toxic. Shaving is a cultural thing anyway, and a recent one at that.
  

Tips for the Budget Conscious
The less you use, the more money you save. So whether you're using a plastic razor with replaceable heads or a safety razor, shaving less often and drying the blades between uses to keep it sharp is a good idea. Soap makes an affordable shaving cream, but make sure you work up a good lather or use a brush and mug to avoid painful nicks.


Where I'm At
I ran out of replaceable heads for my Venus razor about six months ago. Since then, I've been drying my razor after each use and storing it in the medicine cabinet instead of the shower. Last week, after way too much over-analyzing, I finally decided that I wasn't brave enough to try the safety razor (and I didn't want to waste money on one just to find out that I don't like it when I already have a perfectly good Venus razor). So I picked up a new pack of razor heads at the grocery store.

For scientific purposes, I shaved one leg with the old blade, and the other with the new blade, and then had my husband rub each leg to see if he could tell the difference (if only all scientific experiments were so much fun!). He guessed right but said he could barely tell. So if each blade will last at least six months, I now have a supply of blades for the next four years. Maybe then I'll consider trying the safety razor.

As far as shaving cream goes, I always used plain old soap when I was a teenager, and I only started using real shaving cream when I got to college because it made me feel more grown-up. But now I'm back to my childish ways.


Related Posts:

• I Need...A Shopping Guide
• I Need...Deodorant
• I Need...A Happy Period
  

Photo by Viewoftheworld

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Make Your Own: Sea Salt Scrub

A friend of mine gave me a jar of some fancy sea salt scrub after Third Son was born, and I looooved how silky smooth my skin felt when I used it. But I did not love the price tag (about $20 for a 16 oz. container).

The homemade version is significantly cheaper than the kind my friend gave me, but it's still not super cheap (about $5 by my calculations for 1 cup sea salt plus 1/2 cup olive oil). This is more of an indulge yourself kind of recipe, and would also make great gifts.


The basic recipe is 2 parts sea salt to 1 part oil plus 20-30 drops of essential oil. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in a glass jar with a lid.

To use, scoop a small amount into your hand and gently rub onto your body. Rinse in the shower or bath.

Use whatever kind of oil is best for your skin type. Some good choices are olive oil, grapeseed oil, and almond oil. The essential oils are mostly for scent, so use whatever combination you like. Lavender is a good choice because of its relaxing quality.

Here are some sample formulations:

Body Polish recipes from Eden Foods

Salt and Sugar Scrubs

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I Need...Personal Care Products

I'm lumping a lot of products into this category. Basically everything required to make me feel clean and presentable in the morning: soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. Some of these I plan to look at individually later, but I wanted to take a broad look at this category to address why this is an area in need of change.

A couple years ago, my brother spent the night at our house, and in the morning after using our Tom's of Maine toothpaste to brush his teeth, he said, "Okay, I have to ask you. Do you like that stuff?"

I replied, "I like knowing that my toothpaste is not poisoning me."

I admit the Tom's of Maine takes a little getting used to (but you do get used to it and then Colgate starts tasting funny). And maybe my old toothpaste being poisonous is an exaggeration, but I don't really know. Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a Colgate tube? Or your L'Oreal shampoo? Or your Degree antiperspirant? If the ingredients are even listed, chances are, you can't identify them, let alone pronounce them.

According to the Environmental Working Group, 10,500 unique chemicals are used in personal care products, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. How many of these chemicals have been tested for safety? "An EWG analysis found that in its 30-year history, the industry's self-policing safety panel has reviewed the safety of just 11 percent of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products."

The FDA's policy on cosmetics states, "FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the agency, such as drugs, biologics, and medical devices. Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives." And "Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing. " Not the FDA or an unbiased third party.

That just doesn't seem like a very safe policy to me, so it's no wonder that I keep hearing about ingredients in personal care products being linked to cancer and hormone disruption in both humans and animals. Google pthalates or parabens, two common ingredients in personal care products, and see what you find. I admit that some of the health concerns might be all hype, but I am a "better safe than sorry" kind of person, especially when it comes to the health of my kids.

On a side note, the cool thing about using natural care products is that because you can recognize (and pronounce) all the ingredients, you start to learn what works for your body, and you can look for products with that ingredient. For example, I have very dry sensitive skin, and since I know that avocado oil is good for dry skin, I look for soaps and lotions with that ingredient. If I had oily skin, I might look for something with jojoba oil. Cool!

You can take that coolness to awesome level by making your own personal care products. Then not only can you tailor the ingredients to your needs, but you can add your own essential oils to make your preferred fragrance. I hate floral scents, and it seems like companies are always making women's care products smell like flowers. If I make my own products, I can make them smell like what I like: food. I love to use vanilla, almond oil, sweet orange oil, and peppermint in my products.

Here are some ideas to get you started on greening your personal care products:


BABY STEPS

• Use fewer products. Think about your morning routine. How many products do you use? Do you really need that many? If you can leave something out, then do it.
  
• Use less. It only takes a pea-sized dollop of toothpaste to get your teeth clean. Average length hair only needs a nickel-sized drop of shampoo.
  
• Buy in bulk. Besides the health problems I've mentioned, personal care products involve a whole lot of unnecessary packaging. Buy your products in the biggest size possible, and make sure the packages are recyclable.
  

JOGGING STRIDE

• Look up your products on the Skin Deep Guide, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. They have tested thousands of products for toxicity and rank them on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being the best and 10 being the worst. Even some products labeled as "natural" rank high on the scale, so it's important to check out all products before you buy. Update 2/18: Beth over at Smart Family Tips has created an awesome list of products that rate low on Skin Deep and can be found at most drugstores, Target, or Kroger.
  
• Avoid the Dirty Dozen. These are the ingredients that have been most commonly linked to health problems.
• Look for products with no packaging. Health food stores often sell soaps with no packaging at all, and sometimes you can even find shampoo bars. You can also look for a Lush store near you. Lush makes personal care products with minimal or no packaging, though it's very pricey.
  

MARATHON RUNNER

• Make your own. Check out Better Basics for the Home or The Green Beauty Guide for tips and recipes.
  
• Go without. I'm not advocating not brushing your teeth, but in areas that are obviously culturally based (like shaving, wearing makeup, painting your nails, coloring your hair), you could consider jumping off that bandwagon.

Tips for the Budget Conscious
Making your own is the cheapest route here, but if you're not interested in that kind of thing, Whole Foods has a reasonably priced line of products. They're not rated on the Skin Deep site, though, so proceed with caution. As far as soap goes, Dr. Bronners castille soaps are affordable and score well with Skin Deep.


Where I'm At
I switched to more natural care products a few years ago, but that was before I knew about the Skin Deep site. I plan to check out the ratings for the products I've been using and also look for products with less packaging.

Photo by Ali Edwards

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Make Your Own: Body Lotion

I have very dry sensitive skin, so winter for me is the season of constantly putting on lotion. This recipe is the best homemade lotion I've found for my skin. It soaks into the skin and makes my hands feel moisturized instead of coated with oil like other homemade lotions I've tried. And the best part is the cost! It's made from all organic ingredients but only cost me a couple dollars to make.

Basic Glycerin Lotion Formula
(from Better Basics for the Home)

1/2 c. distilled water
1/2 c. organic aloe vera gel
2 tsp. vegetable glycerin
2 tsp. organic avocado oil
10-20 drops essential oil of your choice

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, and mix with a hand mixer or whisk. Dab some on your fingers and massage into your skin.

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