Mindful Momma

Secret Scents: What is Hiding in Your Scented Products?

Artificial Fragrances Contain Allergens

You've been buying them forever - the lotion, the deodorant, your favorite shampoo. These products may be serving a purpose in your life but they've got a secret that you might not be happy about. Most conventional personal care, cleaning and perfume products contain artificial fragrance. You may have even seen the word "fragrance" on the label of a product you have at home. What you probably don't know is that fragrances can be made up of over 100 different "top secret" chemicals. And many of these chemicals trigger allergic reactions as well as other harmful effects in sensitive people.

Better Life Green Cleaning Product Giveaway

Like I said in my recent post about favorite green cleaning products, the chore of cleaning can be greatly improved when you use naturally fresh smelling products that you know are non-toxic and better for the earth rather than nasty chemical-laden sprays that give you an instant headache. Yes, it's still a thankless job, but it needs to be done so why not make the best of it?

You may know, I'm a big fan of Better Life and have been partnering with them to help spread the word about their brand. I'm excited to offer you a chance to win some of their eco-friendly cleaning products!

Better Life Starter Kit

If you are just getting started switching over to greener cleaning products, the Better Life Starter Kit is the perfect place to begin. The kit comes with 4 of their most popular cleaning products, along with a few handy microfiber cloths thrown in to boot.

Here's what you get:

• what-EVER Sage & Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner
• Simply Floored Floor Cleaner
• Even The Kitchen Sink Cleansing Scrub
• I Can See Clearly, WOW! Glass Cleaner
• Six compartment tote
• Scrubbing microfiber (dark blue)
• General purpose microfiber (green)
• Glass and polishing microfiber (light blue)

Top Green Cleaning Products

I'm not exactly a clean freak. In fact, I wouldn't be sorry to give up cleaning forever. That said, I have found that making an effort to use safe, environmentally friendly cleaning products does make the process a little easier. Gone are the harsh, toxic products that I used to use years ago and instead my home is stocked with naturally fresh smelling products that still are tough on dirt and grime.

My cupboards are full of many different brands (as well as my workhorse baking soda and vinegar), but here are a few newer products that I've been experimenting with lately:

Laundry Detergent

Whole Foods Organic Laundry Detergent - This newish line of cleaning products sold under the Green Mission™ label (pictured above) is USDA certified organic and garners the highest rating on Whole Food's Eco-Scale rating system for cleaning products. My first reaction was that the watery liquid (based on organic soap nuts) wouldn't really clean my clothes but I after putting the detergent to the test, I was pleasantly pleased with the results. $13.99 for 100 oz (100 HE or 66 standard loads).

Thumbs up: Full ingredient list on label. Scores well on the EWG Healthy Cleaning Database. Love the subtle lavender scent. The Organic Dishwasher Gel is a winner too.

Second thoughts: Despite the claims, a grease stain is tough to remove with this detergent even after pre-treating (stain remover is still my best friend in the laundry room). This thin liquid detergent is easy to overpour. I marked the lid with a sharpie pen to keep better track of the dosage.

A Partnership with Better Life Cleaning Products

One of my favorite parts of my job as a green lifestyle writer is to introduce my readers - that's YOU! - to products and companies that help you live the green and healthy lives you want to live. As you know, it can be hard to tease out the greenwashing from the truly green. My goal is to dig into the details (so you don't have to) and share the products that are best for you, your family and the environment.

Partnering with Better Life

Given that, I'm thrilled to announce that I am partnering with a fantastic company called Better Life. In my estimation, they are doing a great job of selling safe, effective and sustainable cleaning products for your home. The company was started by two friends - Tim (the biz guy) and Kevin Tibbs (the chemist) who were driven to create cleaning products that were truly safe for their young kids, their pets and the planet. They worked hard to develop safe formulas that kicked butt; created witty names for their products (Oak-Y-Dokey!); and sha-bam Better Life was born!

New Sponsor: Green Leaf Living {+ a Giveaway!}

I'm very excited to have a new sponsor to introduce you to today! It's an Etsy shop called Green Leaf Living that specializes in handmade products for the bath, body and home. Everything they make is handcrafted in small batches using high quality, natural ingredients or sewn at home with love.


Fallon, the owner of Green Leaf Living, sent me a bag of her homemade laundry soap to sample. One whiff of the lemongrass scent was all it took for me to fall in love but the simple and safe ingredient list had me hooked as well. I've been using it for about a week now and I can attest that it gets the job done - even on my dirty boy clothes! The laundry soap comes in a lavender version as well as unscented for those who prefer no scent at all. Rounding out the laundry department of the shop are some wool dryer balls and an ingenious little travel soap stick called Soap on the Run.

Body care products include lotion bars, lip balm, shaving soap, a body butter stick and a moisturizing bath fizz that sounds spa worthy! Fallon also sews her own reusable sandwich and snack bags in cute, kid-friendly fabrics.

Giveaway!

Try your luck at winning an assortment of goodies from Green Leaf Living: a 1# bag of laundry soap, a Soap on the Run stick, a lotion bar, a lip balm and a bath fizz. You pick the scents! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

Good Luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Sponsor: MightyNest {+ a Giveaway!}

Please help welcome my newest blog sponsor, MightyNest!

About MightyNest

MightyNest was started by a husband and wife who wanted to provide a one-stop website where people can go to research and shop for green & healthy products in between diaper changes or whenever they can sneak it in. From non-toxic cookware to organic skincare to reusable lunch gear and safe art supplies, MightyNest offers 800+ products for better living. Better yet, they have a website full of well researched resources and a really great blog to help you make the right choices for your family.

Cast Iron Cookware

As an introduction to their web store and product lines, MightyNest sent me a beautiful cast iron wok by Lodge to test out. Finally - the excuse I needed to be done with the non-stick wok that I still used occasionally for stir-frys! Lodge cast iron products come pre-seasoned so there was no fuss involved with using it immediately. I love that this wok is nice and wide (14") and heats evenly throughout. It is perfect for fried rice - one of our family dinner staples! Check the website for more cast iron options as well as other high-quality, non-toxic cookware and bakeware.

MightyPacks

There's a brand new offering on MightyNest that you need to know about! MightyPacks are a subscription-based service, shipping out household essentials every 4 to 8 weeks, so you get you what you need without the hassle of going to the store. Currently there are 3 types of MightyPacks to choose from: Clean Kitchen, Healthy Bath or MightyPack of the Month (a curated mix of 4-6 products each month). The cool part is that after the 1st month, you can customize your MightyPack to meet your needs. And you can cancel at any time. I just placed an order for a Clean Kitchen pack myself! As a little incentive to get you started, MightyNest is offering a special offer code for 50% off your first MightyPack. Use code MINDFUL50 at checkout (offer good through Thursday, June 14th, 2012) 

The Giveaway

To help your family create a healthier home, MightyNest is offering a $75 gift certificate toward any purchase! For a chance to win, use the Rafflecopter form below to let us know what wonderful products you would purchase with your gift certificate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lobbying for the Safe Chemicals Act in Washington DC

Someone pinch me. I never thought I'd have any reason to enter the United States Senate buildings on Capitol Hill but this past Tuesday, I had the chance to meet my Minnesota Senators - Senator Al Franken (yes, the former SNL actor and writer) and  Senator Amy Klobuchar to talk about the importance of the Safe Chemicals Act and thank them for their support. Martha from Learning Disabilities Association Minnesota joined me as the other half of the Minnesota delegation!

We were there for the National Stroller Brigade organized by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families as a way to bring national attention and support to the important cause of updating our sorely outdated Federal chemical laws with the Safe Chemicals Act bill introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be part of the event and to get a tiny taste of what it's like to be a lobbyist!

Over 200 of us met on the Capitol lawn for a press conference where Senators Lautenberg and other supporters spoke:

Then we marched down the street to the Senate office buildings so we could meet with our Senators:

And finally, it was incredibly fun to spend time with my green blogging buddies, some of whom I met for the first time and others who I don't see often enough:

(Shane from EnviroBooty, Diane from Big Green Purse, Lori from Groovy Green Livin, me and Anne from Flour Sack Mama)

Have you ever lobbied your members of Congress or marched for a cause?

 

Honest Products from The Honest Company {+ a Giveaway!}

I'm not much of a celebrity groupie but I have to admit I'm pretty impressed with Jessica Alba. Last spring, she used her star power to rally for stronger Federal chemical laws on Capitol Hill. Now she is busy helping to run a new natural product company called The Honest Company.

The Honest Company offers an eco-friendly line of family essentials (diapers and wipes, bath and body care, and household cleaners) sold exclusively through their website, Honest.com. In a nutshell, here's what they are all about:

"Savvy style, sustainability, and extraordinary service & convenience all wrapped in a passion for social goodness, tied with a bow of integrity and sprinkled with a little cheeky fun."

Eco Strengths

The goal of The Honest Company is to deliver products that are as non-toxic, healthy and earth-friendly as possible while being effective, beautiful and fun at the same time. Check out their list of health and sustainability standards - it is quite impressive.

• Bath products are free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, artificial fragrances and many other yucky chemicals.
• Diapers are made with sustainable, plant-based materials and are chlorine-free.
• Cleaning products are biodegradable and free of common chemicals like 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.
• Full ingredient list is available on website and product packaging.
• Charitable partnerships including Baby2Baby.org means the company is giving back to people and the planet.

What I appreciate about The Honest Company is that the are honestly trying to do better. Not only better than other companies, but they strive to make their business better and better each day.

Fav Products

Honest Hand Soap - I'm not a fan of highly fragranced hand soaps. This one has just a touch of yummy citrus scent. Plus the adorable bottle looks sweet on my bathroom counter.

Honest Lotion - A lightweight but rich lotion - a style that I love. It's fragrance-free, which is exactly what you'd want for baby. If it came in a citrus version like the hand soap, I'd be in heaven!

Honest Laundry Detergent - I only had a small sample to try (1 load) but it did a fine job on our dirty clothes. The product fragrance and dye free, making it suitable for babies, delicates and the whole family.

Honest Shampoo & Body Wash - I love multitasking beauty products and this one certainly delivers! It's super mild and safe for color-treated hair. And the vanilla tangerine scent is divine!

Second Thoughts

Up until now, the company business model has been to sell products in bundle only. However,they have listened closely to customer requests and will be offering the purchase of individual products in just a couple of weeks!

The hand wash contains two preservatives that are a bit controversial - Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Phenoxyethanol. It is my understanding that these preservatives are considerably safer than parabens and other popular preservatives but if you are uncomfortable with them you may want to skip this product. Meanwhile, the company is already working on reformulating the product. (see what I mean about working to do better?)

Giveaway!

Wouldn't you love to try some products from The Honest Company? I've got a Family Essentials Bundle to give away to one lucky Mindful Momma reader!

Win a one-month supply of non-toxic body care and household cleaning products for your entire family. Package includes Honest Shampoo, Body Lotion, Hand Soap, Healing Balm, and Laundry Detergent. ($35.95 value). Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Make Homemade Soap Out of Soap Scraps {Tutorial}

Sometimes I think I'm a bit too frugal. I've been saving up soap scraps in a mesh bag for a couple years now, without a solid plan of what to do with them. Finally, when the bag was overflowing, I did some research and realized you could make new bars of soap out of old soap scraps. So I tried it and the results were.... interesting. My new soaps are perfectly usable but not quite as wonderful as I was expecting. Let's just say, I won't be giving them as gifts!

There doesn't seem to be one tried and true recipe for making new soap out of old soap. Just follow these simple steps and be prepared to wing it depending on the type and amount of soap bits you have.

Start with a bunch of soap scraps. The more the merrier!

Grate the soap bits with a cheese grater. Soft, glycerin based soaps will be easy to grate but some soaps are quite difficult to grate and produce more of a soap dust than soap flakes (cover your nose & mouth so you don't inhale any). Some of my soaps were so hard that I just broke them into bits instead of grating them.

Put the soap flakes in a microwave safe, glass container. Add a little bit of water - about 1 Tablespoon per cup of soap flakes (I did not measure mine). Keep in mind that the more water you add, the longer it will take your soap to dry in the mold. Microwave the mixture in about 30 second intervals. Mix after each time. In my case, the soap mixture never "melted" completely. There were still chunks of soap showing but everything got very soft and mushy.

As you can see from the photo below, I made two batches - one was smoother and one was more chunky. I actually like the chunky look because you can still see the colors from the different soaps. At this point you can add some essential oil scent if you would like. I added a lavender chamomile blend to one of my batches.

Spoon the soap mixture into your mold. I used muffin tins and I sprayed them with cooking spray first just to make sure the new soaps wouldn't stick. I've heard you can also use a bread pan and then cut the large soap into slices.

(This is not a pretty picture of my well worn muffin tin....)

Let your soaps dry out for a few days or even a week before you try to take them out of the mold. I was expecting my soaps to be a bit drier and more solid. Instead they are soft and will break apart easily if you try.

Like I said before, these "new" soaps are perfectly good but won't win any beauty contests. The pretty colors of the original soaps are largely gone and the resulting colors are a bit greyish. However, I've been using one in the bathroom and it works just fine! Next time though, instead of going to the effort of molding the soaps, I might just melt the scraps down and turn them into liquid hand soap or laundry soap.

Do you save soap scraps? What do you do with them?

 

(this post is linked up over at Your Green Resource)

J.R. Watkins and the Natural Products Association Seal

Last fall, when I visited the J.R. Watkins headquarters in Winona, MN, I had the pleasure of meeting the company Vice President of Sales & Marketing, J. R. Rigley. He and company president, Mark Jacobs, were very excited to tell us all about the history of the J.R. Watkins brand (over 140 years old!) and their line of personal care, home care and gourmet products.

As part of my quest to make sense of personal care product labels, I wanted to know more about the process of getting J.R. Watkins products certified by the Natural Products Association, something they have been working hard on for the past couple of years. J.R. was kind enough to answer some interview questions on the subject:

MIndful Momma: Why did you choose to go for the Natural Products Association certification vs. other certifications like USDA Organic, EcoCert or others? 

J.R. Rigley: It was really important for us to partner with someone that was truly an independent third party and not for profit. We were looking for an organization that could evolve the J.R. Watkins Freedom Code and create a recognized standard for the entire industry. Partnering with NPA really was a natural fit. The NPA has been recognized for being the credible voice in the natural products industry and we are honored to carry their seal. 

What percentage of the company’s personal care products currently has the NPA seal?

Currently, more than 70% of the JR Watkins Natural products in the personal care category are certified or pending certification, including the brand new baby line.

How many products did you need to reformulate to meet the NPA standards?

Through our Freedom Code, which you can see online at J.R. Watkins for each category --- home care, personal care and gourmet --- we followed manufacturing protocols and ideals consistent with what you see in the NPA standard. It was important for us to do this from the beginning, even prior to the NPA certification. We are always formulating our products to the highest standards. And, today, as the NPA standard evolves with industry advances, new ingredients and breakthrough personal care processes, we will continue to tweak and improve our formulas.

What kind of feedback have you had from customers about having NPA certification?

Consumers are becoming aware of what the NPA seal means. There has certainly been an increased demand for certification as retailers aim to distinguish their natural sets from their competitors. It has certainly become a strong selling point for our brand.

You were part of the team that created the standards. Can you explain a bit about the process, the goals and the challenges you ran into?

The creation of the standard was a collaborative effort among manufacturing, retailers and suppliers of natural ingredients. We were excited to be a part of the group.  Like any committee-based process, there are different opinions and voices every step of the way, but the objective from the start was to successfully agree on a standard for natural products that would be credible and easy to understand for consumers looking for natural products. It needed to be easily recognized across the industry in order to be credible and effective.  

There is some criticism that the NPA standards were written by manufacturers and retailers who have the most to benefit financially. Can you explain how outside input was considered and reflected in the standards?

Manufacturers and suppliers are at the forefront of natural personal care industry, which offers a forum to share advances in technology, natural ingredients and product formulations. That information sharing is critical, and created a really sound discussion from which to build the standard.  There have been other standards written by for-profit companies, but the NPA is an independent, not-for-profit group.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about J.R. Watkins and your use of the NPA seal?

Our goal is for consumers to realize that the term “natural” is not regulated in the market, and applying the NPA seal can help distinguish those products that are truly natural from the imposters. The auditing process to receive certification is extensive, and we encourage people to learn what the seal means and how it coincides with their lifestyles.

Are certifications like the Natural Products Association seal important to you? Have you seen it on any products you buy?