Day 64 of our Green Year: Sugary Body Wash

Here at the Our Green Year household, we are trying more and more to make things around the house instead of going out and buying it.
In a previous day, we had explained all the nice chemicals that are in our personal care products, including body washes. Since Layla and I like having that clean feeling after a shower, we decided to make our own body wash. Surprisingly, it is very simple to make a body wash, a sugary body wash that is.

All you need is a plastic container, sugar, olive oil and a scented oil.

Take the reusable plastic container and fill it with one cup of sugar. It needs to be a plastic container because it is going in the shower. If you use a glass one, you may drop it, it will smash, you will step on the shards, screaming will ensue and it won't be a very relaxing experience.
Take 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil and pour it into the plastic container with the sugar. Shake it until it is all blended together. This may take a few minutes because the olive oil will want to sit on top of the sugar.
Then, take your scented oil (Lavender is popular) and put some into the container. Only put a bit at first, you don't want to have an overpowering scent. Add more if you feel it is needed and shake.

There, you are done. Now, just put it in the shower. When you go to shower, all you have to do is put a bit on a wash cloth to use as a body wash. You should do this about once a week and you will find it actually does great wonders for your skin. The olive oil will naturally settle on the sugar, so you may have to mix it before you use it.
Make sure you rinse well afterward as well.

Let us know how it works for you!

If you have pictures of yourself doing green things (leave out the ones of you showering with sugar body wash), send them to us at crwbaird@gmail.com and we will put them on the blog!
One of our blog partners, Jennifer from Mothers Going Green, sent me an astonishing power point presentation on plastic bag usage. I highly recommend seeing it. If you would like to, e-mail me at crwbaird@gmail.com and I will send it to you.

UPDATE: I received my $100 green cheque from the Government of BC today. They are sending cheques out to everyone in an effort to get people to buy green things with them. I am using mine to buy a solar panel. Stay tuned!

Day 50 of our Green Year: Personal Care Green Style

Something we all use, or hopefully all use, is deodorant. We put it on every day, and it keeps us smelling good while we are out in public. While we know that aerosol deodorants are bad for the environment, and should not be used, many people use roll-on deodorant that is harmful to themselves and the environment.
Most deodorant these days has a high content of aluminum in it. The aluminum that is used has been theorized to be a link, not only to conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, but also breast cancer. As well, there are several other harmful chemicals in the deodorant sticks that can cause problems for the environment when they are extracted, created and put into the deodorant stick.

As well, there are plenty of other skin and hair care products that contain harmful chemicals that do damage to ourselves and the environment. Therefore, for personal care from toothpaste to deodorant, we are going green and organic. First of course, we needed to know what to watch out for, so here is a quick list of harmful items found in many personal care products. Avoid these!

1. Coal Tar - Found in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams, this is a known cancer causer in humans. It is also found in mouthwash.
2. Diethanolamine - This product is found in many personal care products and it is a possible hormone disruptor.
3. Formaldehyde - Causes many health problems including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and cancer. Found in baby bath soap, nail polish and hair dyes.
4. Lead and Mercury - Found in many products including toothpaste and men's hair dye, this can cause brain-damage and other severe health problems.
5. Petroleum - Known human carcinogens found in many cosmetics in the United States (banned in Europe). They are common in mascara and foot-odor powder.
6. P-Phenylenediamine - Found in hair dyes, this can cause allergic reactions and problems with the nervous system and lungs.
7. Hydroquinone - Used in skin lighteners, moisturizes and more, there is evidence of it causing cancer in lab animals.

How do you avoid these? Well, look for products that do not contain those ingredients, or ones that carry certifications, including USDA Certified Organic, the Natural Products Association, BDIH or the Australian Certified Organic.

When we see how much cancer is spreading across North America, and how other diseases seem to be on the rise, it may be because we are spending money on harmful products for the sake of beauty. While these do cause problems for ourselves, they can be worse for the environment. Some have to be extracted from the environment using harmful methods, and when they are being processed and manufactured they release harmful chemicals into the air.

Visit http://www.safecosmetics.org/companies for more information on companies that use safe products.