Green Product Update

I'm interrupting my fall posts to write a little update on my green/organic product search. I'll be honest - it has taken hours and hours of searching on the Internet and then looking up products I find on Skin Deep before finally ending up with a few products I'm happy with. Little did I know that I'd turn into one of these crazy all natural product-loving people - I used to think they were strange.

For years and years and years this bottle was my best friend. I mean, it doesn't look glamorous, but it works miracles on keeping skin clear. I never went anywhere without it.



Now I can't look at that bottle without seeing this in my head instead.



UG. I don't want to talk smack on my old friend but that's what hours of Internet searching will do to you. Maybe I have too much time on my hands. Anyway...I want to share what I've learned to spare those of you that might care *just a little bit* about this stuff all that wasted time.

First - I've found it was way easier for me to start small by switching out cleaning products and so called "beauty" or cosmetic products once I ran out of my normal one. Remember, I'm thrifty. Matt would call me cheap. So this was one way to make myself feel a little better. Anyway - while I know these products are more expensive, you only have to buy them every once in a while. I'd love to eat all organic food but we'd go broke! I already spend too much money at the grocery store. There's a reason they call it the Wealthy Living market here.

On to my pearls of wisdom...

I love all cleaning and soap products from 7th Generation (a Burlington based company!) and Ecover (I've already professed my love for this brand). They both make all sorts of stuff and they're sold all over.

Websites:
I've found 2 great websites for green products...
Natural Living for Women - This gives lots and lots of information but has some products too if you click around a little.
Spirit Beauty Lounge - This one is an awesome place to find products. I love everything I've ordered from them so far and they send lots of fun samples + give great coupons if you sign up. The brand I've tried is Acure Organics - they smell good and they come in a really cool looking bottle.

If you want in-person advice, I've found the employees in our (W)Healthy Living grocery story here are super helpful - if you have a natural market go and ask them! Beware - all these stores carry all kinds of expensive product lines that claim they're organic but are still pretty toxic (at least according to Skin Deep when I look them up). The girls told me that they have to offer a variety. I just started on some organic shampoo made with "Neem" that they recommended. I'm a little afraid that I'll end up looking like Monica from my favorite episode of Friends.



One other tip - not all products have to be "organic" to be low in toxicity. I looked up some regular old grocery store brands to see which had the lowest level of toxicity and found lots of stuff! For example, the all natural deodorant just didn't do it for me. Yuck. What's the point of putting something on if it doesn't work? PLUS paying all that money for it. I'm too cheap for that.

The winner?



That's right. BAN. Unscented roll-on. Again - not glamorous but it does the trick. My parents have been using this stuff for years and I just never appreciated it's greatness. Sorry Mom.

OK enough on green products - more pics to come after this weekend. I have another traveler trying to make her way up tomorrow - wish her luck!