The beauty industry is a multi-billion dollar monster. The ad campaigns are misleading at best; at worst nothing more than conniving lies. At first glance one would assume every single shampoo, body wash and perfume was plucked directly from the most exotic, luxurious crevice in the natural world. While these products may have trace amounts of an occasional herbal extract, their ingredient lists read more like a college chemistry textbook. The sad fact is that the beauty industry has no regulator; unlike other industries. Read the rest of this entry »

Now that the holidays are quickly approaching many of us are planning family get-togethers and parties. This doubtlessly will entail hours of planning, cooking, shopping and of course, cleaning. For many families, cupboards are stocked with an ever-expanding arsenal of home cleaning products many of which contain dangerous ingredients, harsh cleansing agents and artificial colors and fragrances. While these home cleaning products come in pretty packages and offer clever ad campaigns; they also offer indoor air pollution which put our family members at risk, unnecessary antibacterial agents that result in more resistant bacteria, and unnecessary expense. Contrary to the popular belief, even the biggest messes and nastiest stains can be battled effectively with baking soda, borax, lemon juice and many other eco-friendly household items. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I was discussing sweeteners with a close friend of mine. It occurred to me that many families today are cutting back on sugar intake or exploring other options in terms of possible sweeteners. What is the difference between white and raw sugar? It would seem that while many of us are looking at the health impact of sugar, what is the environmental impact? Is the impact on the environment comparable between raw and white sugar? Read the rest of this entry »