What does "natural" mean anyway?

One of the most frustrating things when is comes to buying organic and safer products is not knowing whether the products you're buying are actually what they say they are.

organic.org

The food industry has specific requirements for labeling. However, cosmetics can use the terms "organic, natural and pure" as they see fit. The only way to know a product is really organic is to look for a USDA label.

Here is a guide to USDA labeling.

You can find more information about organic products (and fake organics) here. Scroll down a little to find more about specific brands that comply with organic standards.

And as always, it's a good idea to read ingredients when shopping. Because even if, like me, you can't afford to buy exclusively organic products, you can still support those made with mostly organic ingredients and those without toxins.

What are you wearing on your face?

These days, most women wear makeup of some sort. Unlike the foods we eat, many of us do not pay attention to the ingredients of products we use on our skin. So how do you know what you're putting on your skin?

Skin Deep is a cosmetic database where you can look up specific products and find out what is in them and how dangerous these ingredients might be.

For instance, CoverGirl Classic Color Blush, Natural Glow has a hazard score of 8 (out of 10). According to Skin Deep, this is one of the worst blushes on the market. It claims ingredients have been linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity and allergies, aside from just plain ol' irritation of the skin, eyes and lungs.

Like I said when I wrote about ingredients in shampoo, I am no scientist and I don't have a lot of knowledge about what some of these ingredients can do. But I do know my skin and health are not anything to take for granted.

Last month, I took a trip to Sephora with my friend Shannon. She is a recent convert to "real" makeup (which you can read about here), and I decided to investigate my options for more healthy/eco-friendly makeup.

I ended up buying a Bare Escentuals bareMinerals foundation starter kit. For $60, it included a sample of foundation primer, three brushes, two shades of mineral foundation, warmth face color, a mineral veil and an instructional DVD.

Although, this makeup probably isn't perfect either, it has less of the "bad stuff." I also have noticed an improvement in the texture of my skin since switching, and that works for me.

BYOC — Bring Your Own Cup

It's summer, which means I nearly always prefer iced coffee to the regular brew. Problem is, making iced coffee myself is complicated and requires planning ahead. So it's usually something I pick up from a coffee shop — meaning disposable cups.

Not anymore!

Starbucks now sells reusable iced coffee cups (they also work for frappuccinos), and they look just like the original! Plus Starbucks offers 10¢ discounts when you bring your own cup (this includes travel mugs for warm beverages).

Let's just say I bought my cup ($12) a week ago and have used it four times since. My bank account may not be too happy, but I'm sure Starbucks is. And at least I'm not using a new cup each time!

"Everyone needs an Alice"

This is my parents' cat Alice. This post isn't actually about her, but isn't she cute? She loves the camera, if you couldn't tell.

As I mentioned in my previous post, while searching for the final ingredient for the laundry detergent recipe, I stumbled upon the site, Alice.com, and have since become addicted.

I used to hate shopping for basics at the store: toilet paper, toothpaste, deoderant -- ugh.

Alice.com gives me the opportunity to shop for all of these things and more from my personal computer -- with free shipping -- and green options! Can you sense my obsession?

The only downsides I've noticed:

1. After your first order (which they use to hook you), your shopping cart must have a minimum of six items before you can place an order. 
2. Obviously with shopping online, you don't receive your purchases instantaneously, so you have to plan ahead a little. So far, though, my orders have arrived in 2-3 business days.

 I have experienced many more positive points:

1. Product reviews and descriptions so you can compare and see what you're buying
2. Prices lower or comparable to discount retailers such as Walmart and Target (especially when it comes to environmentally-friendly products)
3. Alice keeps track of what you've purchased and you can set reminders to reorder
4. A wide range of products and brands to choose from
5. Ability to sort by "green" products
6. Some items are marked with instant coupons, which are automatically deducted when you place an order
7. FREE SHIPPING

Here is a breakdown of my most recent order:

• Green Laundry Dryer Balls (2 in the package): $7.99
• Ultra Green Facial Tissue (1 box): $1.99
• Earth Friendly Bathroom Tissue (2 packages of 4 rolls): $2.79 each = $5.58
• Naturally Fresh Deoderant (1 stick -- I'm a little skeptical of this, to be honest. We'll see.): $3.99 - $0.25 coupon = $3.74
• EconoGreen Kitchen Garbage Bags (box of 30): $4.99

 From all my bragging, it's obvious I've been very pleased since finding this website. I fully recommend giving it a try and seeing if this service can save you the hassle and gas from making so many trips to the store.

Suds for your Duds

For the first few weeks of living in the new apartment, we didn't have a washer and dryer. However, after running out of clean clothes and doing some laundry at the parents' house, we gave into convenience and rented a set.

Because I spent eight months living with my parents, I never once needed to buy detergent or dryer sheets. But I happened to have just enough laundry detergent left for two loads from my previous apartment.

During this transition time, I remembered I had bookmarked a post from Dometic Cents about homemade laundry detergent.

The recipe she found here is very simple:

• 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
• 1 bar grated Ivory soap

Obviously the ivory soap was easy to find (about $2 for 3 bars*). I was surprised to find 20 Mule Team Borax so easily -- it was on the aisle with other laundry detergent (about $4 for a 76 oz box*). Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda was a little more difficult. I ended up doing a search and finding a 55 oz box for $2.99* from the fantastic online store Alice.

About a week ago, I attempted to make half a batch so I could do laundry right away. Turns out I didn't have a cheese grater. So one serrated knife and a several hand cuts later, I had enough detergent to do some laundry. 

It worked! My laundry came out smelling fresh and clean.

I have since acquired a grater and made a full batch with plenty of ingredients to spare for the future. And thanks to Domestic Cents, I also have a recipe for dishwasher detergent (which uses some of the same ingredients) once my current supply runs out.

Side Note: All the packaging for my ingredients is paper-based. No plastics. And each will last much longer than buying new detergent all the time. Less waste! I simply store my supply of homemade detergent in a reusable container. And, of course, stick with cool water to avoid using that extra energy when washing clothes.

*Revision: Added approximate prices of ingredients

Green-Colored Glasses

Habits are hard to change.

I'm accustomed to going into a store, purchasing basically the same things I always buy — paying attention to what's on sale — but overall, the products don't vary too much.

In my effort to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, I've started paying attention to ingredients in the products I use. Many are things I do not recognize.

I've been using Pantene Pro-V shampoo. Reading the list of ingredients reminds me of high school chemistry. Suffixes such as -ate and -ide populate the list. Chemicals.

OK, it's not exactly shocking there are chemicals in my shampoo. I certainly don't claim to be an expert on chemistry, and to be honest, I don't know where these chemicals come from or what effects the have on me or the environment after they wash down the drain.

Maybe they're harmful. Maybe they aren't so bad.

Either way, I'd feel better buying products I know are safe. Unfortunately, these tend to cost substantially more.

My shampoo supply is getting low, and I'm trying to figure out which eco-friendly brand I can find for a more affordable price.

The other day, I was at Walmart looking through the natural "beauty" products. Each bottle of shampoo for various brand was about $8 — about double the price of Pantene Pro-V, in a much smaller bottle.

Although I don't mind to pay a little more for "natural" and "organic" products, more than double the cost is not going to fit into my budget.