ecologically-friendly laundry products

It is with heavy buckets that we rejoice in the arrival of spring and groan at the thought of spring cleaning.  Soap aside, let’s not forget to purge old cosmetics from our drawers and countertops.  We’ve all purchased a lipstick shade that’s just never going to look attractive.  Makeup has a shelf life that can be found somewhere on the packaging or the web.   In addition to reading the labels on our food, we need to become knowledgeable of what’s being absorbed by our skin – the body’s largest organ.  To check the contents of your makeup “box of tricks” visit this site:   http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?maincat=makeup .  At my age, the box contains an overflow in search of a silver bullet concealer.  My trend-following daughters manage to accumulate/use more items than I can check labels on as they experiment with their Lady Gaga looks.  Potential exposure to hormone-altering chemicals tied to cancer and hormone disruption has been published by the Environmental Work Group.  I know my generation of moms has questioned their daughters’ early onset puberty.  Do some further research and decide for yourself.

Since sandal season is coming and pedicures come with it, I’ve decided to focus my battle on nail polish.  Make sure it’s free of toluene, formaldehyde, or DPB (dibutyl phthalate, or “three free.”  Here’s a card from OPI to guide you when replacing your products: http://www.womenandenvironment.org/Nail_Polish_walletcard.pdf. 

After you organize your products, empty tubes, bottles, lipstick covers, jars and caps from full size products can be brought to any US Origins department store counter for recycling -regardless of brand. Origins is committed to the environment and will give you a free sample of one of their skin care products in return!    MAC cosmetics accepts its packaging back for recycling with its Back to M A C Program.  Return six primary packaging containers and receive a free MAC lipstick of your choice.  I wonder what I can find for concealer….

It’s almost time to reclaim my week-ends; meaning the end of club volleyball season for my youngest. Held at various schools, it’s the parents’ responsibility to clean up after the tournament.  One can always find mountains of plastic bottle filled trash cans and half empty bottles left on the tables in a rush to take the court.  Can’t distinguish your Aquafina or Dasani?  Head to the cooler or concession stand for another! 

Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles per hour and only 13 percent of those get recycled.  Forty percent of this $16 billion a year business is providing us with simple tap water.  In our desire for convenience, we could be harming our health in addition to the environment.  The studies continue on possible toxic effects of Bisphenol-A.  If you haven’t already, please make the switch to use aluminum bottles, so you won’t absorb this hormone altering chemical.  In the meantime, plastics coded #1 (soda, adcoeco) 2 (detergent), 4 and 5 are considered safe to use, although don’t re-use #1 bottles for drinking.   Those made of #3, 6 and 7 (plastic wrap, Styrofoam, and polycarbonate bottles) should be avoided because they cannot be recycled or are harmful.  Bottoms up!

No, I’m not writing about the green shirt in your closet.  Sunday night brings the Academy Awards and this broadcast promises to showcase more than Oscar winners.  Look for eco-friendly fashions on Suzy Cameron (wife of Avatar director James) among others.  She’ll being wearing a Red Carpet Green Dress contest-winner designed by a Michigan State University student.   Recently, Nike introduced shirts made from eight recycled plastic bottles that will be worn by all of its national teams in the World Cup.  (The plastic came from landfills in Taiwan and Japan).   Materials used in an eco-friendly wardrobe can include soy, bamboo, organic cotton, non-toxic dyes and other recycled goods such as rubber.  Fortunately, these fabrics can be machine washed or hand-washed with your eco-friendly detergent and softener.  Metal can be reformed for jewelry or belts.  While celebrities or athletes may be the only ones who can currently afford these garments, eco-friendly dressing can extend to recycling vintage garments, utilizing garage sales or simply living with quality versus quantity – a drum I’ve been beating to three daughters for some time.  Enjoy the show.