Natural Nails

It's summer, and everyone's wearing flipflops or open toed shoes, showing off their pretty toenails. But nail polish contains the 'toxic three': formaldehyde, phthalates and toluene, which the CDC said may cause birth defects in laboratory animals . These dangerous chemicals have also been linked to cancer and asthma. Here are some more natural nail products, either organic, water-based, odor-free and most importantly, phthalate-free:

• Zoya
• Sante Cosmetics
• Suncoat
• Honeybee Gardens

According to this article, 74% of popular brands like L’Oreal, Orly, Revlon, and Sally Hansen have already eliminated these chemicals. And avoid nail polish removers with acetone.

Always something there to remind me

I consider Post-it Notes one of mankind's greatest inventions. Unfortunately, it's paper. I read about Stickies, a free program for your PC so you don't have to use those beautiful---oh I mean wasteful---little yellow (and other pretty colored) notes. If you want to purchase a program, Post-it actually has a digital version.

Pure and Natural

I was looking for an alternative to Method products because Method never lists its ingredients. As far as hand soaps, I found Pure and Natural which comes in 100% recyclable packaging, is paraben-free and biodegradable. Their products are not tested on animals and use plant-based oils instead of animal tallow. The company also donates at least $100,000 annually to the World Wildlife Fund.

labels, labels, labels

Avery and World Label offer recycled, chlorine-free bleached printer labels. See if you can talk your boss into ordering these instead.

Not just Skin-deep

For someone who never liked shopping, it has become an even longer process because I read labels more carefully now. I bought a Queen Helene Naturals body lotion recently. This line of products uses organic, Fair Trade Certified ingredients without parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates or petrolatum. So you won't have to worry about carcinogenic chemicals being absorbed by your skin.

The Write Stuff

A former co-worker used to love smelling the markers we used the write patients on our whiteboard schedule at work. I wonder if refillable markers like the AusPen, which I read about on Ideal Bite, has the same wonderful odor.

If you need an ecofriendly alternative to the white board, how about the Quartet Environment friendly combo board? Planetsafe Planners also offers erasable wall calendars, as well as whiteboards, dry erase pens and planners.

Face it

I've been on the prowl for a health-friendly and eco-friendly facial cleanser. I found the Kiss my Face creamy face cleanser at Target. It's pricey at $12.75, but at least I know it is biodegradable, has no parabens, artificial fragrances, phthalates, SLS. It is not tested on animals. I felt like I was investing in my health and the environment. I haven't tried it yet so the review will have to wait.

Style your pet green

I'm not a big fan of dressing up dogs in outlandish outfits, though I don't mind it if they need sweaters and little shirts to keep them protected from cold weather. But if you have to dress up your dog, why not make sure that he or she is wearing lovely eco-friendly clothing? Solar One recently announced that they will hold the second eco-friendly fashion show for dogs.

There are talks already for a second show, at which pet fashion designers are welcome and challenged with the task of creating their products by using only recycled, reclaimed or repurposed materials.

As long as the designers don't just make the dogs wear patched-up outfits, then I'm all for it!

See the world with new eyes

Don't need those eyeglasses anymore after that fabulous lasik surgery? Or you simply don't like the style anymore? Check with your local eyeglass stores like Pearle Vision, Lenscrafters and see if they'll recycle them. Or send them to the Lions Club or OneSight. It's tax-deductible.

Want to be a locavore?

The Farmer's Garden defines a locavore as "...someone who only or primarily eats food grown or produced within their local area, usually within a radius of 100 to 250 miles." The site was started in May 2009 and run by Ms. Maureen Farmer, a master gardener who works as a programmer/project manager. The site allows people to sell, trade or give away their excess garden produce by posting free classified ads.

If you've got a green thumb or if you have additional produce from your garden, then go see the website. Registration is free.


Logo from The Farmer's Garden website.

High Line=Green Line

An abandoned elevated freight railroad in downtown New York City's west side has been converted into a beautiful public park. The High Line opened last month in the meatpacking district.


Their website states that: "The Ipe wood used on the High Line's benches and decking was chosen for its longevity and durability, and taken from a managed forest certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which is recognized for creating and enforcing the world's strongest standards for forest management. FSC membership requires conservation of biological diversity, water resouces, soils, and fragile ecosystems and landscapes to maintain the integrity of the forest and discourage exploitative deforestation."

Review: Planet Automatic Dishwashing Detergent

Planet Automatic Dishwasher Detergent, Powdered, Case Pack, 8 - 75 Ounce Boxes
Case Pack, 8 75-Ounce Boxes from Amazon.com = $46.28

Before my husband and I even tried Planet Automatic Dishwasher Detergent, we were forewarned that some locations with hard water conditions might experience difficulty with Planet. Plus the fact that I also read some bad reviews online.

Was I afraid to use the product? Not really. The fact is, if you contact Planet, they're pretty upfront in telling about the issues with hard water conditions. Some areas might find it difficult to use; then again, others might find using it a breeze. Add to that the fact that most people are usually inclined to post reviews when their experiences are awful, not necessarily when their experiences are positive. Unfair, yes but true.

In my case, our experience with Planet ADD was pretty good. Planet Automatic Dishwasher Detergent does the job and does it well. Which means the water quality in our area is alright. So yes, I'm all for Planet ADD. What's there not to like? It's phosphate- and chlorine-free. It doesn't have dyes or fragrances. It cleaned up our dishes effectively. Mind you, my husband and I are heavy-duty dishwasher users because I love to cook. We're not talking slightly used dishes, pots and pans either. It comes in powdered form that, to our surprise, made it last longer.

So if you're on the lookout for eco-friendly automatic dishwashing liquids and detergents, try Planet ADD. Read the reviews out there, if you want. I'm all for being an informed consumer. But test it for yourself. Give it a chance. Your water might just agree with it. It worked great for us.

The Natural Dentist

One of the things that I've been trying out lately are different fluoride-free toothpaste and mouth rinse. I am pleased to report that my husband and I finally found one that we ended up liking. We like it enough that we bought them again after finishing them. Now that's saying something because we tried some toothpaste that end up unused after giving it the chance to prove its worth.

What, you may ask, was the toothpaste that we have sworn allegiance to?


The Natural Dentist! We tried The Natural Dentist Healthy Teeth & Gums Fluoride-Free Peppermint Sage and The Natural Dentist All Natural Antigingivitis Rinse Peppermint Sage.
Let's begin with their packaging. The toothpaste is a simple tube, the type that stands on its own. No box to throw away! One point for The Natural Dentist! You get a choice between fluoride or fluoride-free. Two points! It doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Three points! It's not tested on animals. Four points!


As for ingredients, The Natural Dentist Healthy Teeth & Gums Fluoride-Free Toothpaste contains peppermint and sage oils (to stop plaque and gingivitis in its tracks...or at least lessen its impact), aloe vera gel, echinacea, goldenseal, grapefruit seed extract, calendula and xylitol. The Natural Dentist All Natural Antigingivitis Rinse has peppermint and sage oils, xylitol, menthol, aloe vera gel and grapefruit seed extract. Between you and me, the fact that those ingredients are natural makes it a definite plus, especially with all the chemicals out in the market nowadays. Five points!

I also heard that they rolled back prices back in April by about 30% to make their products affordable even with this lousy economy we're having. Now that's incredibly nice of them. Six points!


Last but not the least, The Natural Dentist mouth rinse plastic bottle is recyclable (#1 PETE). Seven points!


There you go, folks. If what I'm saying here makes you want to give it a try, please do so. I'd like to know if other people's experience is similar. Oh, and the dark blue packaging is the old packaging. You might still come across it. Otherwise, The Natural Dentist underwent a makeover, so look for the light-colored packaging.

Updates on dishwashing liquid hunt

Back in January 2009, I blogged about my search of a green automatic dish washing liquid here. Of the eight products I listed there, I've tested and re-tested three:

Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher Gel, Lemon Scent, 45-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 6)
Pack of 6 from Amazon.com = $24.42

Bi-O-Kleen Automatic Dish Gel, 64-Ounce (Pack of 6)
Pack of 6 from Amazon.com = $60.87

Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid, Case Pack, Twelve - 25 Fluid Ounce Bottles (300 Fluid Ounces)
Pack of 12 from Amazon.com = $39.42

I will post separate reviews of each item above, so it's easier. Based on my experience, you will do fine using these green dishwashing liquids. The rest of the items below are still pending my investigation.

Citra Dish Automatic Dishwashing Detergent, Gel, Fresh Grapefruit, 75-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 6)
currently not available in Amazon.com

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Automatic Dishwashing Liquid, 48-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 6)
Pack of 6 from Amazon.com = $43.86

Earth Friendly Products Wave Auto Dish Gel High Performance, Lavender, 40 Ounces (Pack of 8)
Pack of 8 from Amazon.com = $34.29

Attitude 2x Automatic Dishwasher Liquid Detergent, Tea Tree & Lime, 26 Loads, 35.2-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 6)
Pack of 6 from Amazon.com = $32.74

Shaklee Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate
$11.20

Good to be Green (goodtobegreen.com)

Here's a good resource for those who are into green building (as we all should be). Hop on over to Good To Be Green.


Find out about green building options and check out resources so you can make informed choices when it comes to green building. I myself found the FIND RESIDENTIAL GREEN PRODUCTS feature to be really good.


Image from the Good to be Green website.