What is Green Beauty?

Birchbox.com (a netflix-style beauty company with a number of green partners like Tarte Cosmetics) has teamed up with Exhale MindBodySpa to offer a few words of wisdom:

We gave up plastic water bottles long ago, but we are still trying to get used to non-foaming natural shampoos and powdery toothpastes. Going green isn’t easy, and it’s hard to even know where to start. We called on expert Caitlin Conn, the skincare director at the eco-chic Exhale MindBodySpa, for advice. Conn is constantly auditioning new lines and she’s incredibly picky – “I can usually just tell from the ingredients whether I’ll use a product or not.”

Visit Birchbox.com for their "no-stress primer to natural beauty," for tips on how to:

1. Define Green
2. Spot Red Flag Ingredients
3. Say Bye-bye to SLS and Other Villains
4. Be Green and Efficacious

Heavy Duty Scouring Scrub

I recently spent a week cleaning out my father's house with a couple of friends. Each of us identifies as a "Green" person, but felt, due to the state of the home, that we may have to sacrifice our normal green standards for performance.

In the end, I admit, we did break down and use mainstream products for some of our most difficult tasks. It made me feel extremely guilty. I wish I had had time to do research on a better alternative!

Today, I stumbled upon a blog posting for Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste.

According to Karen Hanrahan of Best of Mother Earth:

Got something really tough to scour off ?? Try a cleaning paste that smells a little like something between bubble gum and cherry Kool-Aid. Gentle in that it won't scratch, but mighty in that it works really well!

Every single person I know who I have shared this product with is equally astounded by it. You need a very small amount to get the job done. Pick your very toughest stain and let this green alternative scouring paste take it on!!

It does appear as if Karen gets a piece of the action over at Shaklee [the header includes the text: Karen Hanrahan Mentoring YOU to Health Success! ~ 708.482.0678], so I'll order some of the cleansing paste for my upcoming move, and let you know what I think!

Update: In my research today, I've come upon a few more posts containing products being recommended and sold by Ms. Hanrahan. If you're interested in more of the products she's selling, see her blog about tub cleaning, No More Ring Around the Bathtub.

BATHROOM: Toilet Paper

Marcal Toilet Paper. Does toilet paper count as an accessory? Sure, and lots of companies make it! The truth about recycling paper is that each time it is processed, it breaks down the wood fibers more, making the paper softer and weaker. This makes it not as good for printing on, but it's just fine for toilet paper! And while most of the toilet paper companies use recycled content, in my bathroom you'll find Marcal, though next time I'm opting for Seventh Generation's version. Neither uses Chlorine Bleach, but 7G's post-consumer content is higher.

BATHROOM: Toothbrushes

Preserve Toothbrushes by Recycline. This is my toothbrush! I actually had the pleasure to work with this company on a graduate project. Their mission is to bring a daily touch of recycling to people's lives. They do this through their terrific personal care and tableware products, all of which are recycled and recyclable! Much of the recycled content they use comes from plastic Stonyfield yogurt cups.
Neat, huh? You can get your Preserve toothbrush at all Whole Foods and Trader Joe's stores, and more and more Target stores!

BATHROOM: Shower Cleanser

Natural Citrus Shower Cleaner by Seventh Generation. 7G has a whole range of bathroom cleansers. They replace traditional chlorine-laden cleansers with more natural alternatives. It's safer for you, and safer for the environment. The benefits:
Non-toxic, Biodegradable, No chlorine, No petroleum based solvents, No glycol ethers, No phosphates, No acids, No caustics, No dyes, Natural Citrus fragrance

BATHROOM: AQUS Toilet System

AQUS Toilet System. This system gathers greywater from bathroom, drains, filters and disinfects it, and uses it to fill the resevoir in your toilet. Though I have not installed this product, it seems fairly straightforward, and I would imagine it would be pretty easy to uninstall, as well. According to Vivavi, it can reduce water usage in a two-person home by 5,000 gallons per year, and they sell the product for $295