Aubrey Organics RAVE!

I just have to take a moment to rave on how amazing this company "Aubrey Organics" is for a moment.  First of all: SO impressed by their commitment for over 40 years to producing 100% safe products without compromise - they were doing this before it was trendy!  

Secondly: their customer service is outstanding.  This is the type of company I don't hesitate in recommending based on the knowledge of their commitment to quality and true safety of products and on their loyalty to their customers.  

One disclaimer is I do notice they use alcohol in some of their products which can be drying to the skin. This is not a biggie for me but something to be aware of.

I contacted them via their Facebook page recently to enquire about a price change on the Rosa Mosqueta Conditioner. I have been buying it for over a year at the same store for the same price and all of a sudden it went up by $10!  I got a prompt reply that they would look into it and they also asked for my address to send me some more for the inconvenience.  I received a full size Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo and Conditioner, a full size Chia Mousse, Chia Hairspray and Chia Salt Spray along with a selection of skin care products I have reviewed earlier.  I was amazed at the generosity of this company sending me so many full size products for free as they didn't know I have a blog either!  Then when I went to use two of them they had faulty sprays and Aubrey insisted on sending replacement products to ensure I could try those products.  WOW.

The Chia Salt Spray has quite a strong smell but seemed to work well giving the textured salt spray look.  It says 'Protein Rich Color Care' on it and also 'instant volume' stating that it protects natural and color treated hair from heat damage so I imagine this would also be great to use prior to heat styling irons etc for that extra protection too.  The second ingredient listed after water is alcohol denat and lists other things like lemon peel oil, lavender oil and rosemary. For a full ingredient listing check their website. The bottle size is 118ml/ 4 FL OZ and it has a pump spray cap.

The Chia Mousse is very light and not sticky at all to touch and has a lemongrass fragrance.  Since my hair is really long I am probably not the best person to test this as the weight of my hair negates anything the mousse is intended to do. It is listed as 'Smoothing for Medium/Thick hair'.  Like the Salt Spray it is also listed as protecting natural and color treated hair from heat which makes it a great product from those of you using heat styling products.  The mousse is also listed as helping to control frizz and add shine.

The Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo and Conditioner have a really nice light sweet fruity type fragrance. I find they clean decently but like others I've noticed they have thinned out a lot recently and don't seem as good.  According to Aubrey's response on the website I've seen to others they had to make slight changes to the formulations recently in order to get a new organic certification they were wanting.  I'm not sure what they are going to do as they do seem to have a lot of loyal customers, some using the products for over 20 years, that are discontinuing use due to these changes to the products.  I really hope they can get the original formulations back quickly to regain their loyal customer base and continue to add to it because the negative press of disgruntled customers doesn't help.  They are a great company and I hope they can sort this out in a way that works for all.

For me I recommend them as a company, for all they stand for including against animal testing however right now to be really honest I haven't been wowed by any of their products. I really wanted to be as they are so kind sending me the samples etc but I'm open to trying more in the future - particularly if I hear that they bring the old formulations back for sure!

Introducing Neals Yard Organic - now available in the US!

I'm so excited to introduce you to an all organic 100% safe, chemical free brand I have known about for the last 20 years - Neals Yard Organics. I first discovered it myself when I lived in the U.K and was drawn into the gorgeous little store in Oxford where I lived.  It was an amazing experience - with the aromas of essential oils and so many interesting products all in beautiful glass blue bottles.  A friend gave me a gift pack for my birthday and it was an absolute treat. I also tried their deodorant too as I was looking for something safe and found it worked well.  Anyway I left UK and therefore hadn't heard much about Neals Yard until recently when I discovered that they are now in the USA where I am living. They are operating differently here, they are probably not going to have the beautiful stores like they have in UK, they are mostly operating by having representatives called independent consultants who sell their products for them through direct sales.


They had an offer recently that was too good to pass by with $99 for I think it's over 20 products - some of them, like the Frankincense line, being over $100 individually!  I signed up!  So the good news is I now can purchase the products myself with $25 discount! Excited about that! This offer does come up now and then.

Neals Yard Remedies Organic (or NYR Organic) has been around for 30 years committed to organic, high quality pure products.  These products are all handmade by 6 people in the UK.  The more I find out about them the more excited I feel as FINALLY there is a company that actually is organic and safe. I get sick of finding out supposedly organic products have questionable ingredients still in them or having to check ingredients lists in every product in a range because some are safe and some not.  This is not the case with NYR Organic. They are all safe, they are committed to that. Not only are they committed to the non toxic, organic, 100% safe but they also recently scored 100/100 for their ethical standards. Pretty impressive.

Anyway if you would like to have a look feel free to browse the website and check out the products for yourself.  I have linked it throughout or click here. If you have any questions please do ask! These products are luxurious and highly coveted in UK - it's a high end brand that is already established and proven in it's field.  I can also get hold of samples for you if you'd like to try some products too - just let me know.

So excited to share these with you! I'm pretty sure you will love them too!

Review of some Aubrey Cosmetics Skincare Product Samples

I recently got the opportunity to try some Aubrey Cosmetics Skincare Product samples which was completely new to me.  I've been using their Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo and Conditioner for about a year now so that has been the limit of my knowledge of this brand up until now.  The Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo and Conditioner has changed with the latest bottles I've been using so I won't be continuing using it unfortunately. I guess they changed the recipe or something as in particular the conditioner feels very watery now on my hair.

To be honest these skincare samples are just okay for me.  I haven't noticed any dramatic differences in the appearance of my skin during the time I've been using them.  I'm not a fan of the smell, it reminds me of celery or something along those lines.  I probably won't purchase these as full size products however I'm grateful for the opportunity to try them all the same.

I do very much appreciate companies like Aubrey, however, with their commitment to keeping the nasty chemicals and questionable contents out of their products and will continue to try other products of theirs as I have opportunity as I also realize different things work for different people.

Introducing ABEEGO!!!

So I haven't posted in a while - my apologies - however I have a new discovery to share in the non toxic world of essentials and that is: ABEEGO!  Not sure how I found them but Abeego is a company based in Canada that makes food coverings that are completely non toxic - also called beeswax wrap.  They had a sale so I thought I would go ahead and try them and I got the pack with three different sizes.  My first impression is how amazing it smells when you take them out of the packaging - that delightful honey/beeswax smell!!  Love the design of them too.

I've been looking for alternatives to using cling film/wrap for a while but to be honest there's not much that can take it's place for convenience and usability.  Enter Abeego!  I love these wraps!  I haven't got rid of my cling film just yet because I don't have enough Abeegos yet to go 100% but I plan on doing that knowing how bad the cling film is with phthalates in particular.   I read loads of reviews on Abeego and read through their website to ensure I knew how to use it first.

So far I've used it for covering foods - even raw onions and it doesn't pick up the scent! Amazing huh!  I've wrapped fresh bread or baguettes in it and the next day the bread is still soft - which never happens otherwise in my experience.  I wrap the cheese in it once we've opened it and it keeps very well - had no mold growing on the cheese at all while its wrapped in Abeego.  These are just a few of the things I've tried so far and been impressed with the results.

It shapes with the warmth of your hands, so keep in mind if you take something out of the fridge with abeego wrap on it,  and you want to put the abeego on a different shape you will need to press it down to the new shape gently and the warmth of your hands will reform it.

To wash them you need to take care. I just wipe mine down with a clean wet cloth.  They recommend you use an eco dish liquid if you need a bit of soap for them and to treat them like a plate not a piece of fabric - this way they will last a lot longer.

I love these wraps and will continue to buy more as I can as I would love to get cling film free completely.  So glad there's people out there creating safe alternatives!!Also I must add their customer service is amazing!  Keep an eye on their Facebook page as they do deals from time to time that are a great opportunity to try them out for yourself!  I highly recommend them and just for the record I'm not paid by them nor have they given me anything free to say this!

Photos courtesy of Abeego web and Facebook page.

Non Toxic Ant Killer

I spent christmas with my family in Australia and they were experiencing a plague of ants, and in Australia the ants bite just to add to the problem further. I'd remembered seeing posts on Pinterest so we tried a recipe that is a mixture of borax and water and sugar and you dip a cotton bud in it and then put it in the line of ants.  It worked every time! Was very impressed! This recipe as I said, isn't mine but I'll share it with you since it truly does work.


A Note on Borax - while it is naturally derived and considered non toxic and safe around pets and children, I would still keep it high above so children can't get into it and keep them away from the cotton balls.

Non Toxic Baby! Steps I've taken to create a safe environment

Since my last post I have had my first child!  That has brought a whole new lot of challenges in my goal of avoiding chemicals/plastics etc.  There is a lot already around the internet on this so I won't reinvent the wheel but these are some of the things we have done with our new baby:


Changing Station:  It took us a while to figure out what worked best for us but in the end we set up in the second bathroom on the counter.  We put a towel there and lay the baby on the counter and change him there. It's great as we can use fabric cloths or flannels and clean up all the messes with water and have eliminated the need mostly for wipes.  I love this setup.  However now our baby is nearly four months he is starting to get too big for this arrangement and he's wanting to roll over. I'll let you know what we come up with next as our solution to this once we have it!

While I'm talking about this I want to recommend some AMAZING organic cloth wipes from this company. I actually bought them from Earthfare for a lot cheaper than they sell them on their website. At Earthfare they are $12.99 at the moment but usually out of stock.  Popular I guess! They are super soft!!

Diapers/Nappies:  Well I had every good intention of cloth diapering from the start, however the reality of sleepless nights, meconium and constant dirty nappies forced me to put that on hold.  I tried him in cloth nappies a few weeks in and they looked so ridiculous on his tiny little body that I have held off so far.  What have I been using? I've actually been using Honest diapers and find them really good. Zulily often has them for a really good price and you can buy them on their website without doing the monthly thing.  I love the patterns on them also

I tried GDiapers but found that the velcro on the sides cut into my baby's tummy and left huge red welts so have discontinued using them. Also with GDiapers, I think it's a bit of a gimmick as in theory you just change the insert and put another in but my baby's explosions meant I had to clean the shell every time too meaning I may as well just use a disposable then I dont have to wash as well.

My mother-in-law bought some chlorine free, non toxic diapers from BJ's called 'Generation Earth'.  I tried them and found though they feel very thin, they hold a lot and are actually really good! The price on them is excellent - unbeatable really!

In all this, however, I will be going back to cloth diaper in the day times at home as they are the safest thing to use and also help with elimination communication - which I hope to do also.  Now we're not getting as many dirty nappies and things have settled down more I feel the timing is about right to go back to them.

I will continue to use nontoxic/chlorine free disposables for when we go out.  Also I use the Honest Wipes and keep a pack in the diaper bag - they are great and nothing harmful in them at all.

Car Seat:  I researched and researched this one - spending literally hours!  In the end though, there is no car seat 100% chemical free for children to date.  A brand called Orbit does have oeko tex certification on their fabrics but still have the flame retardants doused in their foam as every car seat has.  In the end I went with a Diono Radian RXT as it's a very strong safe baby carseat. It's convertible so can be used all the way through. Much of it is a steel frame design so minimal plastic.  I found a lady who makes new covers for it, I got organic fabric and organic batting and she made it up for $50!  She is based in Ozark, Missouri and at the time we lived in Branson so I just met up with her and saved on shipping fees which helped too! I recommend her! She did a great job.

To be honest, our newborn was so tiny in this big seat.  Our midwife saw it and went out and bought us a Graco infant seat.  I thought I didn't need one of them but now I wonder how we could have survived without it. It's so convenient to be able to put the baby in the seat while in the house then just click the whole thing into the car. It's convenient for shopping and restaurants, so yes, I am thankful for her purchasing that for us.  I did take out all the padding and made my own organic padding etc for it with the same fabric and batting used for the Radian. It's a basic job as I'm no seamstress but it has done the job.

Bassinet:  I was fortunate to find a baby bassinet for $50 handmade and just raw wood with no varnish or anything on it.  The craftsman selling it was embarrassed that it wasn't finished with paint but for me it was just what I was looking for!  I wasn't going to get a bassinet but with living in a tiny apartment and finding this, we got it.  I bought a Naturepedic bassinet mattress for it and then, to be safe, according to the research on Dr J Sprott on SIDS being linked to molds etc in mattresses I got a babesafe mattress cover.  Then as per instructions from Sprott I put an organic towel down and then an organic sheet over top and that was what our little one slept on.  I actually discovered King size organic pillowcases fit over that bassinet mattress so used them which saved me buying sheets for a bassinet which had a limited timeframe for use.

After about two and a half months our baby was too big for this bassinet anyway and was banging his arms constantly on the sides and getting his legs stuck through the bars etc.  Since we were in the process of moving interstate we decided to find a pack n play style travel cot to use in the meantime.  So back to the drawing board with research and boy, once again, I was researching for hours to try to get to the bottom of things.  Once again I came to the conclusion that there just aren't any completely safe travel cots, so I had to go with the best for us for this time.  I heard good things about the Baby Bjorn light however I dont like the shape of it and I dont like that it means your baby sleeps on the floor with dust and who knows what - especially when in hotels and travelling etc.  I'd prefer one with legs that had the baby off the floor.  I ended up going with the Nuna Sena travel cot and love it. I love the styling of it and the bassinet layer has been perfect. I've only just recently removed it as it's only for use till your child hits 15lbs.  It is really easy and quick to put up and take down too.  Nuna Sena isn't perfect in terms of toxicity. Their fabrics that touch the baby are all oeko tex certified though.  I aired the mattress out in the sun for a while before putting our baby on it.  Ideally I would like to get a babesafe cover for that too - although it is so thin it hardly feels like a mattress.

We are travelling again to visit my family in Australia soon so have put off getting his crib and will just use the travel cot for now until we settle down into our own place again next year.

Clothing/Miscellaneous:  In terms of clothing I was able to get quite a bit of well priced organic clothes from zulily and other such deal websites.  Though organic is my preference I have been given non organic items and purchased non organic items and always just wash them first in my soap nuts!

I absolutely love Aden and Anais' muslin swaddles and use them daily. (Prince George was wrapped in an A&A swaddle when he left the hospital) I tried Bambinoland - which are organic and they just aren't the same quality as the Aden and Anais and I found they looked worn after the first wash.  I also have some 'Luna Lullaby' swaddles and they are a lot finer which I use when it's hotter as the A&A ones are thicker.  Also I have some 'Basic Grey' which are really nice and holding up well too. All of these swaddles I have purchased through Babysteals as they have come up as a daily deal.

Bathtime: I have an organic hooded towel from Under The Nile which has been fantastic and also an organic one from Giggle.  Love the hooded towels to really wrap him up in.  We've been using 'California Baby' lavendar baby wash and also 'Mambino' baby wash and love both of them - both are 100% non toxic and safe!  The Mambino one is actually a foaming one and has a really yummy orange smell.  I always put a shake of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) into the bath before putting baby in to neutralise the chlorine (see previous post here) I use Aden and Anais baby cloths to wash his face etc.

We just bath him in the big bath and have done since his first bath.  He loves it and that's where we got his first smile!  I didn't want any of the plastic baths etc and this works out really well anyway.

So there's some of the things we've been doing so far!  It's a constant challenge though, for example our pediatrician recommended Vitamin D for him and the one she gave us was the Enfamil brand full of all sorts of stuff including sugars, caramel coloring etc.  I threw it out and ordered some Carlsons Infant Vitamin D drops as they only have Vit D3 and Coconut Oil in them.

So much more I could say but will stop for now. Any questions? Please ask and would love to hear your comments tho, so feel free!

Enjoy your week!

How To Protect Yourself From Chlorinated Swimming Pools?

Just to quickly follow on from the last post where I talked about how to neutralise chlorinated water in your home - I wanted to address this separately.  As a child I grew up near the beach so we were always there, but there were many occasions when we would swim in chlorinated pools - be it for school swimming lessons, the neighbours pool etc. With this information on how harmful chlorine is, it causes a conflict because swimming pools are so much fun especially for kids - I have so many memories of basically living in the pool as a child and I wouldn't want to take that away from my children.  So what to do?

Well the first and best option is always the beach, lakes, rivers etc.  The next best option is a salt water pool.  Finally with chlorinated pools the best option is outdoor pools rather than indoor as at least the harmful chlorine vapors are dissipated into the fresh air.

I came across a blog about this that I wanted to share with you as this lady shares some great info on how to protect yourself and children if you/they swim in a chlorinated pool.  She also utilises vitamin c putting it in a spray bottle as part of the protocol, great ideas... but I'll let you read it yourself

Four Cheap and Easy Ways to Protect Against Swimming Pool Chemicals

Hope that helps!

The Dangers of Chlorinated Water in Your Home

I have been aware of the importance of filtering water in the home for a while I guess,  the whole shower filter thing has been on the wish list but not quite made it to the point where I purchase it just due to other priorities.  However an article caught my attention recently claiming that chlorine actually destroys gut bacteria/flora and that showering in hot water that is chlorinated almost makes it pointless filtering your drinking water as your body absorbs far more chlorine into your bloodstream through the shower anyway - which goes on to affect gut flora, which as we know equals compromising our entire immune system!

This is the article I read here

Being 9 months pregnant currently and planning on having a water birth AND with being aware of the importance of building the baby's immunity through my intake of probiotics etc this information came as a wake up call.  I've been reading so much about the importance of gut flora especially for newborns to establish a good strong immune system for them and protect them not just now but in the future too and have been really careful to include probiotics in my diet for this purpose, that the thought that I would be compromising this even in the birthing pool for our child was not what I wanted to hear.  So I took to the computer for a few solid hours of deep research. With limited funds right now, as much as I would love to buy a whole house filtration system and then have filters at every tap to be doubly sure, I knew it just wasn't going to be a possibility for us right now.  Also I realise that there are a lot of things to be filtered from our water, not just chlorine, there's fluoride, chloramines, hormones, radiation, pesticides and so on.  One day when I am able I will get to dealing with all that, but right now my focus is on chlorine and chloramines.

I am happy to say I stumbled upon a ton of research in lots of different places saying that good ole ascorbic acid (vitamin c) and also sodium ascorbate - both neutralise chlorine and chloramines out of water.  In fact city councils use and have used this method for years when treating water and returning it to the ocean,  pet stores use it for fish tanks as fish cannot survive is water treated in chlorine and it is just a well known fact in the whole pool world also.   The reason I am so happy about this information is that for now it gives me a cheap alternative to use just for now for peace of mind about the whole chlorine in the water issue particularly with a new baby

So, what do you do with it?  Whenever you have a bath just add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon to your bath water and you're good to go!  Apparently 1 gram neutralises 100 grams of chlorinated water.   If you feel so inspired you could also add a pinch to your laundry - will probably help your clothes last longer without having the influence of chlorine in there too.  I will be adding some to the birthing pool - such an easy solution.

If you want to take it a step further to the shower, I found a company called Vitashower and they make a shower filter that filters the water through vitamin c and get this, it's only currently a little over $20 on Amazon! and apparently lasts for 6 months.  This is for me, a far cry cheaper than the ones I'd previously been looking at over $100.  I realise this only filters the chlorine and chloramines, however anything is better than nothing right now.  I have purchased this from Amazon and it is yet to arrive but I will update and let you know how we find it.  The majority of reviews on it on Amazon are very good so I'm looking forward to trying it out, plus the peace of mind side of it as well.

At the beginning of this note I mentioned Ascorbic Acid but also Sodium Ascorbate as another version.  Apparently Ascorbic Acid being an acid if used in great quantities can lower the natural PH of your skin - however it takes a LOT to do that.  Sodium Ascorbate in any quantity does not affect natural PH levels at all.  Both Ascorbic Acid and Sodium Ascorbate are 100% healthy and safe as it's just vitamin C and is actually good for your body, so you'll get the added benefits of that as well.

One other thing to be aware of that was brought to my attention, however I haven't looked into it extensively - someone mentioned on a board somewhere about the necessity of finding GMO free ascorbic acid.  I asked at the local health store today and they didn't think that it was sourced from anything genetically modified to start with?  So I'm not sure on that one.  That's research for another day. For now I just found some ascorbic acid on amazon and will go with that.

One step at a time huh!  I'll keep you updated!

Enjoy your week!

Homemade toothpaste recipe

Where does the time go? I am currently in my eighth month of pregnancy with my first child, hence my lack of posts lately.  Also, to be honest in some ways I've hit a plateau in the changes I can make.  Living in an apartment is limiting as you can't change certain things - for example I hate the fact that we have vinyl floors in our bathrooms and kitchen area, knowing the toxins off-gassing constantly into our air.  I think sometimes for sanity you have to just choose not to think about certain things until you can do something about them.  Ideally I wouldn't have carpet either.  These are all things I think about though with the imminent arrival of our baby, but like everyone else, we just have to do the best with what we have.  Keep the house aired so we aren't breathing too much of it all in, keep the floors vacuumed regularly etc.

I wanted to share a recipe for toothpaste - I might add, this is not my own recipe, I have tweaked it yes but I found it online somewhere but apologize that I'm not exactly sure now where I got it from.  My husband and I have used this for the last 8 or so months and found it great, I'm on our second batch of it now.  My husband always comments how clean his mouth and teeth feel after using it.  Anyway it's very simple to make you just mix it all together and I keep it in a glass jar with a lid in the bathroom with a teaspoon to scoop some out each time.  Its not as convenient as a tube - though I have heard you can buy tubes you could put it in (though I think the tubes are plastic so avoiding that obviously) but it works ok!

Here's what I do:

3 Tablespoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon fine table salt  (not sea salt for this)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 drop DoTERRA peppermint oil
2 drops DoTERRA lemon oil
2 drops DoTERRA clove oil
2 drops DoTERRA on guard (in flu season as this is amazing protection against sickness!)

Mix together and it makes quite a thick paste.  That's it! You have toothpaste.

I personally love my DoTERRA oils. They are the purest you can get and work well in this toothpaste. Reasons I like this particular combination:
*  Baking Soda is known for cleaning and whitening capabilities
*  Salt is great for healing, for gums etc (like giving a salt water gargle etc)
*  Coconut Oil is antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal, helps to brighten teeth, heal gums and much more
* Peppermint Oil has a refreshing flavor, maintains good oral hygiene overall, helping bad breath.
* Lemon oil is natural astringent, works well with baking soda too.
* Clove Oil is traditionally great for the gums, teeth - alleviating toothache etc.
* On Guard is my 'go-to' for the flu season - amazing blend of oils that really protects and kills the flu virus more effectively than the Flu Shot.  (This oil saved me this last winter when I was working with people that had heavy flu's and colds and it didn't come near me!)

You can obviously change the flavors around if you have preferences for certain essential oils etc but this is the recipe I use anyway and have found really good.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils I have a page on facebook where I post interesting info and testimonials about my experience or friends experience's with DoTERRA.  Feel free to join the group here.   You can buy DoTERRA oils here but I recommend joining as you pay a lot less when you sign up and signing up means no obligations to buy at all. Feel free to ask me if you want further info.

On another note - I'll also mention as I was asked in the previous post and thought others of you may be also interested.  I have found some bamboo recyclable toothbrushes we have been using. They work pretty well and are one answer to having plastic ones.  The brand is called 'Smile Squared' and Amazon and local health stores usually have them.

Update and new natural deodorant alternative

Sorry it's been a while since my last post!  Here's what I'm doing now!

Deodorant - this issue has been solved once and for all with no turning back!  I used the apple cider vinegar, as mentioned in the previous post, for a while but got really sick of the smell and found after a while that it wasn't really working.  I'd heard baking soda works so I tried that by mixing some into a paste in my hands and wiping it under my arms - works fantastically!  I've been doing this daily now for five months and it's still 100% effective!  Lasts all day and that includes through work or busy activity! So this has to be my number one recommendation for 100% safe and effective deodorant now.   I usually let it dry for a bit before putting clothes on but it's just so convenient and not to mention cheap!

On another note - laundry soap:  I have to say, after two years of using soap nuts only for my laundry, this is going to be something I continue using forevermore I think as long as they are available.  It is SO cost effective. In fact I can't imagine any other laundry soap whether home made  or not could ever come cheaper and more economical than these soap nuts.  I have had a box of soap nuts for over a year now - it's lasted us that long!  Yes we're only a family of two right now but we do at least one wash most days, they really stretch far.  I use them for most of my washes with cold water too and they are great.  I use them with hot water for towels and sheets.  Can't recommend them highly enough!

I'm still continuing with all else previously mentioned in this blog,  all going well!

Would love to hear from you if you have any ways you're going chemical free that I may have not mentioned as yet!

Thanks for reading!

100% Safe Deodorant!

For some reason I recently relooked at my current deodorant which was Lavanila's Coconut and Lavender scented purchased from Sephora.  Previously I have been recommending this all over as 100% safe and was alarmed on reading the ingredients list yesterday morning to discover it has Carrageenan in it!  The dangers of carrageenan would be a recent discovery for me, so I guess it skipped my radar back then when I started using it, but I'm glad I checked.

So back to square one.  Searching my page on pinterest I looked through all the recipes I have found for natural deodorant you can make to decide which one I will try first.  My eyes fell on a simple pin stating that apple cider vinegar is an effective deoderant.  So, today I put it to the test - wearing it to work on a day I was unloading boxes and doing more strenuous work.  I did take a risk however I can now say, it held up!

What I did was wipe some apple cider vinegar under each armpit, let it dry then dressed and went about my day. Even now nearly 12 hours later when I smell my armpits, still no smell!  I'm so happy about this. It saves me the trial and errors of making my own, saves me money from buying natural ones and finding they don't work (which I have done a bit of in the past),  it's completely safe, it's easy and cheap and it works.

Why don't you try it too? Let me know how you find it!

Cast Iron Cookware

I have written on the safety of cookware before so won't go into this in great detail.  As a sum up - anything teflon or non stick is toxic to your body and should be avoided - not to even mention plastic, the evil of all evils.

I have been using stainless steel, ceramic and glassware to cook in and have found that it works really well however was reading up about Cast Iron the other day.  First of all, I was amazed at how cheap Cast Iron cookware is.  $19 from Walmart for a 12 inch pan - what a deal!  Apparently Cast Iron Can leach iron into the food you are cooking, depending on the food as it varies - which is great in our case as my husband is anaemic and very low in iron so I welcome any ways to increase the iron in his food.  The newer the pan too, the more iron leaches out also.  Info on the study is here.

If you have young children though it is best to avoid cast iron cookware and stick with stainless steel, ceramic and glassware as it can also give too much iron.  Too much iron can be a problem as the only way to get it out is by loss of blood - for a woman this is ok with the monthly cycle but for a man the only way is by regular donating blood.

I have used my new 12 inch pan and really like it.  I researched for tips on cleaning and like this method.... rub salt on it with water to clean it, then season with some oil and put on element or in stove till it's dry (so it wont rust).  Not a hassle at all!  One day I hope to get a Le Creuset dutch oven to add to my cast iron collection too!

Interested in your experience with cast iron or other cookware too so feel free to comment below!

Update on Pest Control

Just an update as promised,  it appears the earwig problem is now solved.  I used both the ecosmart problems.  The Home Pest control was easy to use and the smell was not offensive at all.  No further earwigs in the bed.   YES!

DILEMMA: Earwig Infestation In Our Home!

For the past three months we have been battling earwigs.  I guess it could be worse, I mean at least they are harmless - and their nippers on the back do nothing.  At least they aren't spiders or silverfish or cockroaches, I try to console myself!  Not only have we been having earwigs but these little critters are mostly making appearances in our bed and bedroom of all places!  I researched a lot when we first found them and have no idea why they would be in our bedroom - we have the air conditioning on 70 F this whole hot summer,  which is meant to be too cold for them.  I change and wash the sheets every week so there is no dampness or anything they would be attracted to in there?  I vacuum weekly?  The first time I had one crawling up my arm UNDER the sheets creeped me out.  I pulled the bed out and found one even under our mattress protector!  Some under the box springs.  Got rid of them and cleaned and put tea tree oil all around. Totally grossed out by this stage. I think they drop onto the bed out of the air conditioning vent right over the bed.

The months have gone by with frequent earwigs - probably seeing at least one a day. The other day was the final straw though - I was lying on the bed under the air conditioning vent and felt something on my neck - it was quite a big earwig... I'm guessing it dropped out of the a/c vent.  (I taped the electrical outlets in case they were coming through there... the windows have been shut and locked for months so they can't get in there so the a/c vent is the only option).  THEN to make matters worse that very night another earwig crawling up my arm in the middle of the night! Yuck!  My husband had some encounters in the bed also with one on his ear and on his back at another time.

The whole thing of it being near his ear creeped us both out because I read that though people dismiss it as a wives tale, earwigs do actually go in your ears and there's many stories online of people who've found them in their kids ears etc. Again YUCK!  So I've been sleeping with cotton in my ears these last months every night.

Ok so that last middle of the night encounter was just the straw that broke the camels back. I was sick of fighting these disgusting things in my house, let alone my bed!  I contacted our apartment manager who promptly wrote back to say she knows I don't like chemicals but the place will have to be treated by the pest man around the base boards as they can't risk this infestation affecting all the other apartments also.  This was the WORST news I could get, I should have expected it as that is a standard response, but me, trying desperately to keep chemicals out of our home and being very successful for over a year now could not bear the thought of losing all we had worked for just like that.

I started researching to see what safe alternatives are out there and was excited to find Ecosmart which is an organic and safe spray made of essential oils and non toxic ingredients.  Even better you can get it at Home Depot and Walmart!  I presented the idea to our manager and she said that is fine to use that.  I am going to use Ecosmart Home Pest Control inside the house round all the base boards and doors and windows. Then I'm also getting Ecosmart Organic Crawling Insect Blocker to put all around the perimeter of the apartment. I assume they are getting in somewhere round the air conditioning units so will put lots around there.  Hoping the combination of the two will end our problem once and for all.

Interested if anyone else has any experience either with this brand or other alternatives?  I know neem oil is safe and non toxic for gardening and use it outside on my pot plants, it seems to work well.

I have yet to spray the apartment but plan to do so this weekend.  I will let you know how it goes!

Plastics, Pesticides and Your Hormones

Did you know that your body is like a sponge? It soaks in everything around it... there has been research that from the things found in your body, it can be known what you have in your house?

Now this might not seem scary initially but when you think of things such as flame retardants in your mattress, furniture, curtains, carpet and then glues and solvents used in your carpet/flooring and furniture and in the structure of your home as an example,  pesticides used outside your windows, vinyl emissions from any vinyl flooring, every plastic thing in your home offgassing pthalates... and if you're not chemical free there will be lots of chemicals from cleaners and bleaches etc. Hormones and chemicals in food you eat, mercury fillings offgassing their neurotoxic gasses...the list goes on.

All of this plus much more I haven't listed is creating a toxic soup inside your body absorbed on a daily basis in huge amounts. Our bodies were not created to eliminate or know what to do with these man made toxins.  One of the areas I want to look into with you today to bring to your attention is how these things affect your hormones and in particular introduce you to Xenoestrogens which are a big deal in our systems.

Xenoestrogens are the result of pthalates from plastics and other offgassing chemicals in your home and environment that absorb into your body.  The body sees them as estrogen in both men and women.  Now this is a problem because our hormones are a delicate balance as it is, so introduce more of one hormone in huge amounts and you get a problem.

Xenoestrogens are a problem that causes so many problems to list a few:

* undersized penises and or undescended testes in boys born to women exposed to this
* increased incidence of testicular and prostate cancer
* a stimulating effect in breast cancer
* a stimulating effect in endometriosis
* endometrial cancer
* cervical cancer in women
* PMS
* Fibrocystic breasts
* Postmenopausal osteoporosis
* change in sexual orientation
* estrogen dominance syndrome

Estrogen Dominance Syndrome causes SO many problems just to name a few and believe me the list is really long:
* acceleration of aging process
*Allergy symptoms including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
* Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thryroiditis
* headaches
* irregular menstrual periods
* infertility
* Fat gain especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs,
* Fibrocystic breasts
* Hair Loss
* Depression
* Cold hands and feet
* Uterine Cancer
* Uterine Fibroids
* Polycystic Ovaries
* Prostate Cancer
* Thyroid Disfunction
etc etc

I am getting all this information through the research of Dr John Lee. He has written some books that I HIGHLY recommend to you if you can relate to any of the above or even if you can't, you need to know this information.

His most well known book is called 'What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause'.  Don't disregard it if you are younger because though the title mentions menopause it is actually applicable for females of all ages and I believe men too to some degree as they too are effected by the estrogen dominance syndrome - however for them they need to balance their testosterone and the progesterone.

For women the solution is simple - bio identical progesterone cream.  That sorts it! So simple.  Progesterone is needed to balance the estrogen and bring the levels down.  Symptoms of estrogen dominance have been reported to just disappear as it brings it all back into balance again.

This book and information has revolutionized my life so I'm just wanting to get this info out there for every one to read because the Drs really don't know much about this at all and Dr John Lee is a reputable Dr with lots of research to back this all up.

Make sure you go pick up the book and find out more about this. There is SO much more - this blog is just to whet your appetite!

Here's some links to his books on Amazon:
What Your Dr May Not Tell You About Menopause
Hormone Balance Made Simple
What Your Dr May Not Tell You About Premenopause


Again just one more reason to live chemical free as much as possible!!!

Enjoy your week!

Steps from Nena Bakers book 'Body Toxic'

She recommends these steps:
1. Buy and eat organic
2. Get rid of microwave popcorn
3. Ditch all plastic food containers
4. No bug control
5. Decline stain protection in furniture and flooring
6. Use low VOC paint
7. Use stainless steel drink bottle
8. Clean and dust house weekly
9. Buy stainless steel or cast iron cookware
10. Read labels and ask questions before you buy
11. Get water filter that removes atrazine
12. Remove shoes to prevent pesticides inside
13. Buy PBDE free electronics and furniture
14. Limit canned food unless you know it's BPA free
15. Avoid all stain resistant products: Teflon etc and fast food packaging.

A Non Chemical Way To Color My Hair?

This has been weighing on my mind for a while.  As one who loves to color my hair regularly and expresses my creativity often through it, this whole non toxic lifestyle has crept up into my hair routines.  Okay so I already ditched all the hair product I used to have (and I had a lot, I loved all the smells and was always looking for the perfect product),  I am using only safe non toxic hair shampoos  (Desert Essence is my favorite right now of all the brands I've tried - with fine hair, their apple one makes my hair so nice and doesn't weigh it down like other brands ie Hugo Naturals Volume weighs my hair down) so now I have to think seriously about color.

On researching I came across some great websites that I thought I'd share with you. They are full of ideas and as I try any I will let you know how they go.  The first is from Wellness Mama (whom I believe is linked with the reputable Vintage Remedies - professional herbalists - they know their stuff.

I particularly like this post by Wellness Mama because there are options for different colors of hair and different intensities of color and all just using herbs.  Henna is discussed also.  I have already purchased the cheesecloth and the walnut shells as I want to try for a dark color, which is what I usually go for underneath.  I haven't yet decided what I will do about the blonde highlights I have at the front and love.

Here are some other links that I found while searching on google for non chemical ways to dye your tresses: (some may just be for dark as that's what I was initially searching for)

http://www.wikihow.com/Dye-Your-Hair-Dark-with-Natural-Ingredients

http://www.outofstress.com/dye-hair-naturally/

http://www.mehandi.com/hair/indigohair.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_5059816_dye-hair-naturally.html

http://what.a.mess.tribe.net/thread/6c4635ca-d18e-4db6-8f5d-fcc8281234c8

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=2

This video is a review on Aveda salons and how safe they it.  It shows that though Aveda salons are not yet 100% non toxic/safe they are getting very close and striving to be non toxic and safe in their treatments.   So they are a much better option than a normal salon with regards to exposure to chemicals.  I thought that's worth keeping up my sleeve too in case I can't get the results I love and am so used to through my own efforts...maybe they can?

For those of you that aren't aware of what coloring your hair with chemicals does to you -  here are a couple of links just as a start but in no means comprehensive, that will get you started.

http://www.squidoo.com/hairdyedangers

http://www.naturalnews.com/022575.html

This blog is in no means comprehensive as I've just started my research on this so please feel free to comment below if you've found anything safe that works! I'd love to know and I'm sure others would too.

Happy coloring!

Guidelines For Non Toxic Living

Just found this online and it summed it up so well I thought you would all appreciate this also.  I've added my own comments also.

General Recommendations:

1. Avoid ALL scented products ("fragrance" as an ingredient) - including all perfumes, colognes, after-shaves, personal-care products, air fresheners, pot-pourri, etc. Be careful about certain "unscented" products that use "masking fragrance" to cover up the original fragrance - these are doubly toxic!  Look for pure essential oils to fragrance things as only they are safe.


2. Avoid ALL fabric softeners, dryer sheets, Clorox, scented detergents, etc. These products are VERY toxic and very harmful to the environment as well.   Try soap nuts or make your own non toxic detergent and line dry your clothes - they will last longer!


3. Avoid ALL pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Pesticides are neuro-toxins (affect the central nervous system), and they don't know the difference between the BUGS and YOU! There are many natural alternatives to get rid of bugs/weeds etc.  Vinegar I've heard is a great weed killer for example. 


4. Use only non-toxic cleaning products and personal-care products.  Baking soda and vinegar are great cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, or even oregano essential oil is anti bacterial, antifungal = anti-everything which is great to clean the whole house with.  Lemon essential oil is also great.  So many alternatives that are 100% safe and 100% work!  Try coconut oil as a moisturiser on your face, baking soda as a deodorant.


5. Drink and bathe in filtered water. Taking a shower in chlorinated water causes the chlorine to go right into your blood stream. You can purchase shower filters that easily attach to your shower nozzle from water-supply stores.  Mercola has a great one here - I have his water filter and it's fantastic, I can't wait to get the shower one also. One day I will get the whole home filtration when we aren't renting.  Also avoid swimming in chlorinated pools.


6. Eat organic food (food grown without pesticides or fertilizers) as often as possible. Avoid processed foods, foods with colors and dyes, preservatives, etc. NEVER consume products containing "NutraSweet" (aspartame). It breaks down into formic acid ("ant-sting poison") and methanol (wood alcohol) in your body! Research that yourself - the information is out there and it's mind blowing.


7. Wear only natural-fiber organic clothing (100% cotton, linen, wool, or silk). Make sure the clothes are NOT "permanent press" or "wrinkle resistant" - these clothes have been treated with formaldehyde that does NOT wash out!  This is a mission but very necessary. Your skin is like a sponge remember.


8. Use only 100% organic cotton, wool, or pure silk bed linens and blankets. Avoid "no-iron" or "wrinkle-resistant".  


9. Avoid:  all plastics, particle-board, plywood, glues, inks, paints, foam rubber, vinyl, carpet, synthetic rugs, varnishes, solvents, PVC, Teflon and anything nonstick.  Start changing over to using wood, stainless steel, baskets, no VOC paint.  Try polished concrete floors or ceramic tile - but watch the grout has no chemicals or glues added.  This includes on your furniture and mattresses which are all coated in flame retardants, glues, formaldehyde etc.


10. Open your windows as often as possible! Even in the most polluted cities, the outdoor air has been found to be less toxic than the indoor air! Certain houseplants are beneficial to remove toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde, benzene etc.  The best plants for removing these and other toxins are philodendrons, spider plants, aloe vera, English ivy, golden pothos, and boston fern.  Or air purification systems such as Roboclean (we have one as my husband sells them and they are AMAZING) are also an important option to clear the indoor air, its not only dust mites and dust but flame retardants, offgassing from plastics and many other things that pollute your indoor air.


Source

Do You Have Vinyl Floors In Your House?

I read some research lately that really got my attention, particularly this paragraph:


'Research from 2009 discovered that infants who lived in homes with vinyl floors were twice as likely to have autism five years later, compared to those with wood or linoleum flooring. Vinyl floors can emit chemicals called phthalates, which are widely used plastic softeners found in much more than just vinyl flooring. Hairsprays, perfumes, cosmetics, toys, shower curtains, wood finishers, lubricants, certain medical devices and more all contain phthalates. Researchers have suggested the chemicals may contribute to autism by disrupting hormones not only in small children but also in the womb'
Source: Mercola and seen also on 'The Doctors' tv show.

I have read this other times in many books on detoxifying your environment but this new research adds an extra sting to it.  Vinyl flooring offgasses into your home and continues to do so for most of its life, so it isn't just when it is new.  You cannot cover it or paint it to stop it offgassing (believe me I have looked into it as we have it in our apartment). The only remedy is to remove it. Get it right out of your house.


I have a friend who had vinyl floors in her house and was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  On researching, she ripped up the vinyl floors and replaced them and lo and behold the sleep apnea and all the symptoms immediately left and have never reappeared.  I'm sure there are many other stories out there also.  It's scary.


I'm not going to go into great detail with this, the research is all out there and available.  For me, now, it's just a matter of knowing how to respond to this information and the seriousness of it as we are renting.  We found a place that has low VOC paints and is green friendly but they lost the plot and resorted to cheaper alternatives after the first building. So we still have the low VOC paint and recycled wood benches etc but we got the cheap carpet with toxic glues and the vinyl flooring instead of the tiles they initially were using.   And while I'm complaining about the apartment I'll add in the toxic cigarette fumes from all the neighbours around us that smoke on their balconies dropping their ash on our garden. The joys of apartment living.


For me, we need to change, but I don't know what right now.  I guess for all of us, change has to be gradual because we aren't millionaires able to create the perfectly safe home immediately.  I have made many changes this last year and it all makes a difference. The big ones left we need to deal with in our environment are:  vinyl flooring, bed and linen, carpets, couch.  I'm slowly getting organic linen and changing over.  The flooring and carpet are beyond our control as it's an apartment and our couch? well.. it's fairly new so I don't know how we'll get around that and its nasty flame retardants.


The Safe Alternatives are:


1.  Ceramic Tiles - make sure the grout and glues etc are non toxic though.  You can also get Ceramic tiles that look like wood which is really cool. I found it on pinterest here. I have no idea if that finish is safe or not though.


2.  Wool untreated carpets - again if glue is used it needs to be safe glue as glues offgas into your environment too. 


3.  Marmoleum - I haven't researched this too much yet but heard it's meant to be a safe alternative


4.  Cork - more pricey option


5.  Wood - again caution with this as you need to make sure the wood hasn't been treated with chemicals etc and if glue is used that it is non toxic


6.  Cement/Concrete - a great option as you can polish it and it comes up really nice.  


And remember it's not just vinyl floors, vinyl ANYTHING is unsafe and leaches phthalates into your environment which affect your hormonal system etc.


Hope this helps and please feel free to comment if you know more safe options or whatever!


Thanks for reading! Enjoy your day!

New Organic Product Range Discovered!

So excited I just have to post my new discovery here and share it with you.

Whilst in Target yesterday I thought I'd check out their 'naturals' section to see what's new.  I always go straight to the ingredients list, and to be honest wasn't expecting much because most of the things claiming to be natural slip something in there.

Anyway, happy to announce I found a brand that is safe and you can buy it here at Target and Walgreens...and I've heard some Walmarts are starting to stock it too!  Now here's the great bit - not only is it 100% safe, AND organic but it also comes in a range of 100% essential oil fragrance blends that are AMAZING!!! They smell great. No synthetic fragrances at all according to the ingredients list.  They do lotions, bath washes, hair products, shaving products etc.

It's called Shea Moisture.  Here is their facebook page.

At the moment Target has them on sale for $8.99 a bottle so go check them out.  I got the Shea Moisture Olive and Green Tea Lotion with avocado and it smells so delicious!  It is a thick texture but melts straight into the skin and not greasy at all.  As those of you who have followed this blog for a while will know, it was hard for me to give up Bath and Body Works and all those fantastic smells...which are toxic by the way, so this is great finding something safe that smells just as good as B&BW.

And may this continue with more safe products hitting the mainstream shelves giving more people access to it.

Go check it out and enjoy!  Let me know what you think!