Non Toxic Nail Polish Alternatives

There are many things in our lives that are easier to switch to green alternatives than others. Switching our houses makes sense, it effects the health of your entire family in a positive way.

When it comes to things that we use as women we are usually last to think of those. I think every Mom thinks that way. We put the lives of our families ahead of our own and I am sure it will continue to be that way until the end of time.

There are some things that we need to consider though when thinking of yourself. Your health is so important to your family. I remember a day a few years ago while I was driving my daughter home from school and I mentioned I just was not feeling well. My daughter said please Mom do not get sick I do not want to eat peanut butter and jelly again like the last time you got sick! Yes, our health is important to everyone in our family.

I have found it easy to switch my makeup easily to non toxic alternatives but one thing I really did not want to think about was my nail polish. Being a work at home Mom the look of beauty is not always there:) I am busy at times working answering IMs, helping a child with homework and making dinner at the same time. I know you have seen yourself in a very similar scenario. Some days my pretty nail polish is all I have!

Research over the last 10 years have concluded more and more how dangerous cosmetics are for our bodies. Chemicals like formaldehyde (linked directly with asthma in adults and children and many cancers) are popping up in places we could not even imagine. Even in trusted baby wash that we have used for years thinking it was safe. Nail polish is included in those studies and I am sure we can all admit by the smell of the nail polish it's not good for us or anyone around us.

I started doing some research to see what the dangers of nail polish really were I wanted to find out if I should I expose myself to these products. Here are the results of what I found:

DBP

• Nail polish contains an array of chemicals but, the most dangerous is dibutyl phthalate (DBP). DBP is a member of a group of substances known as phthalates.
  
• Phthalates are chemicals added to plastics to soften them and make them more malleable.
• DBP has the potential to disrupt hormone levels in the human body and potentially cause birth defects, cancer in humans and childhood asthma.
  
• DBP is so serious Europe has banned the use of this chemical in any cosmetics.
• As seen with many toxins the FDA has not moved as quickly and it can still be used in the United States.

Toluene and formaldehyde

• Both are thought to cause organ damage and potentially cancer
  

In researching this I did find that three cosmetic companies in the United States have stopped using all three of these chemicals. Those companies are Avon, Maybelline and Elizabeth Arden.

There are some other alternatives too. I found many companies that produce non toxic nail polish and non toxic nail polish remover as well. You want to look for a water based polish vs a patrolium based polish. Here are some brands that have been around for a while and have a good reputation for quality. They hold up the same as the nail polish you are used to. These will typically only last about a week on your nails but I usually have plenty of chips in my regular nail polish after a week that it needs to be changed anyway. Many also offer a peel off version of the polish so that no nail polish remover is even needed.


Here are a few examples:

• Priti -Also has some salon locations check your state on their website.
• Piggy Paint - A children's line of natural nail polish.
• Honey Bee Gardens
• Organic Pharmacy

Many of these brands can also be found on sites such as Amazon or Ebay at a discount since many have a wholesale buying option.

Green Up Your Holidays

Whether you are planning on having a holiday party of just hanging out with the family during your Christmas season it's easier than ever to green up your holiday season. If you are still new to the green process you can start small..don't feel intimidated.

Here are some easy tips I share with others who want to take either the first step or the next step in going green:

* Use Gift Bags
If you are new to going green this may be your first year of only buying gift bags. Many of us have been using gift bags for years, but for different reasons. A lot of people feel they are easier (especially men I have noticed:)) If you have been using gift bags for the last 15 years you probably didn't know you were taking steps towards going green. When you buy gift bags they are easy to reuse and easy for the gift recipient to reuse. Wrapping paper just simply gets tossed. I know very few people who are careful enough to save their wrapping paper. Start now transitioning your holiday to gift bags. Many store such as Wal-Mart, Target, Big Lots even your local Dollar Store sell them for a pretty good price.

Now, the important thing to remember is not just to buy the gift bags it's to keep and reuse those gift bags. Tip for ya...It can be hard if you do write the name directly on the bag. A way around that is to place the tag for the recipient right on the tissue paper of the bag. Then you are free to use it for whomever you want the following year or that recipient can reuse it easily.

* LED or Solar Lights
Start making the transition to either solar lights or LED lights. I use a lot of solar lights. They are hard to find it stores if you go beyond path lights. Many online stores have a great selection though. While they are more expensive remember they use no energy at all. Some require batteries and if you are using rechargeable AA batteries then you have solved the problem. Here are some places you can find a good selection.

Amazon Click Here
Mr. Light Click Here
Solar Santa Click Here

If you are not willing to go entirely solar for your holiday light collection you can try out the new LED lights. These lights are a bit more expensive then the traditional holiday lights but you can find some great holiday specials at major retail stores this time of year. LED lights emit twice the amount of light for a fraction of the cost. So they are more expensive in the beginning but will pay off by the end of two holiday seasons. You never know, you might get a good deal on them too! Especially with the way the economy is running now the sales seem to be huge at the major retailers. LED lights come in all sorts of varieties. String lights for your tree or outdoor lights.


Until next time......

Be sure you visit http://www.SwitchYourHouse.com to sign up for our free monthly product drawing.

Some Earth Friendly Alternatives To Toxic Dryer Sheets

It's Time To Green Up Your Laundry!

There are so many things in our household that we do not even think of when when it comes to thinking of toxic hazards. Toxic dryer sheets are one of those culprits. They can be a huge culprit when it comes to toxins that we actually take into our bodies because these dryer sheets not only emit toxic fumes but they get into our clothing so they then seep into our skin when we wear them.

What most people don't realize is most commercial dryer sheets are filled with so many types of toxic chemicals including Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Chloroform and Linalool; none of which are good for the environment - or you. Some of these compounds are known carcinogens. Carcinogens have known links to cancer. In my recent research it saddens me to realize just how many of our household products actually contain carcinogens (including baby wash!...but more on that later)

If you're looking for a greener alternative to dryer sheets; here's a couple of ideas that are very easy and cheap to do:

• Of course a very easy one is hang your clothes out to day..I know for myself that is not always an easy alternative. I live in the mid-west and the weather is not always cooperative when it comes to that. If you are doing light loads though I have found even hanging a line in the laundry room can do the trick if outdoors isn't always an alternative for you.
• Liquid Fabric Softener
  
• Dryer balls -- now you need to be careful with these some are great and actually reduce your drying time also so they are using less energy, but be sure you check the label. Some are made from are made from PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride).
• Non Toxic Earth Friendly Dryer Sheets. The Shaklee Get Clean line dryer sheets not only do not contain any of these common toxins found in other dryer sheets. They are a natural vegetable based softener. They are also bio degradable and Recyclable which I have noticed is very hard to find in combination Click Here for more info.

If you start looking at the small things in your home that are bringing in these toxins and wipe them out one at a time you don't have to break the bank to do it and it will slowly transform your life!

Great New Site I Found

Hello everyone! I found this great site that has a great variety of stuff that is made with recycled products or just some neat stuff you can't find anywhere else. It's pretty cool and seems really reasonable! It's called Green Feet. Click Here

Are You Living In A Toxic Home?

Most of us are not even aware of the scary statistics that exist in our own homes. The EPA estimates that air pollution in our homes is actually 2 to 5 times higher than outside. This statistic is made up of many different things but a lot of that statistic is actually our made up of our cleaning products. Most of us spend 90% of our time indoors instead of outdoors exposing us even more to those toxins.

Here are some more statics that could really scare you:


* There have been 81,000 chemical have been registered with the EPA in the last 30 years and fewer than 20% have been tested for toxicity.
* The poison control center also reports that 90% of all poisonings actually occurs in our homes and in 2005 there were 218,316 reported poison exposures from household cleaning products.
* 20 million people in the United States suffer from asthma
* 1 in 13 school aged kids have asthma.
* The asthma rate has gone up 160% from 1980 to 1994 for children under the age of 5 and that was the last large study done. Who really knows how much worse the statistics could be today.

We know that these changes are effecting our children. Common household cleaners and appliances give off fumes that can cause developmental damage in children and have been shown to lead to cancer in adults. Dr. Herbert Needlman a pediatrician and professor at the University of Pittsburg states " We are conducting a vast toxicological experiment in our society in which our children and our children's children are the subjects."

Here is an example:

Butyl Cellosolve, found in many household, window, shower and tile cleaners. Is noted by the EPA as a Harmful Respiratory Irritant. When you spray products that contain this ingredient you and your family actually inhale the toxic fumes EPA study shows that women who spend 15 min cleaning the shower scum inhale 3 times the acute limit of this chemical.

The most toxic culprits that can be found in most households are oven cleaners drain cleaners, wood and metal cleaners and polishes, tub tile and shower cleaners, toilet cleaners and chlorine bleach.

So what can you do to change this? First and foremost get rid of all the culprits!! All of the cleaners that are listed above are all designated hazardous household waste. Improper disposal of these items according to the CPA can cause harm to the environment and human health. So you do need to contact your city's waste management to see how they would like you to dispose of these products. You will not make a bit of difference in your home if you do not first and foremost get rid of these products.

Do your research. One of the most important decisions you can make is to decide what you will bring into your home. You can visit the website listed below and find out exactly what chemicals are in each cleaner you are using and who are the worst culprits.

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm


Next, find an alternative. There are many brands popping up left and right in stores and online claiming to be non-toxic environmentally friendly cleaners but beware. Educate yourself. Simply changing the bottle that they use for their cleaner does not make it non-toxic and safe for your home. There are many chemicals as well that are not listed on the backs of cleaning bottles because they are not required to. Companies are able to get around this by saying these ingredients are their "trade secrets".

The alternative that I personally use is Shaklee cleaner and later started my own business. I started using them about two years ago because of the background that I found out about the company. It has been a "green" company since the 1950s when green was just a color. Everything about the company says non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Everything is packaged in a condensed form so as not to produce additional landfill waste. So it's not just recyclable it's REDUCED, which we all know is just as important if not more. My favorite product that they have is Basic H2™. It's only $12 and you can use it for years. It will save you thousands of dollars. Just this one bottle I use for all of these purposes and I am always learning more.

* Window Cleaner (the only thing that gets my doggies nose prints off my window without smearing:)
* De-greaser (heavy duty cleaning)
* Unclogging Drains
* Mopping the floor (I mixed it up and put it right in the bottle on my Swiffer)
* Hard Wood Floor Polishing
* Removing Paint
* Washing Dishes
* Mixed as Regular Household Cleaner is a bug repellent
* A couple of drops in bath water to clear up skin irritation and rashes
* Carpet Cleaner (spot remover and in your carpet cleaner as well)
* Laundry Pre-Spotter
* Washing The Car
* In Place Of Armour All


Oh my gosh I could go on forever. As you can tell this one bottle can basically replace everything in your cleaning cabinet and unlike a lot of other non-toxic environmentally friendly cleaners it does not require you to work any harder to get things clean.

I personally went on the quest for cleaning changes when I saw an Earth Day special a couple of years ago on the link between cleaning products and allergies and asthma. My little boy had been diagnosed with indoor allergies at less than 3 months old. By the time he was 5 he was on 6 different allergy medications a day. Within a few weeks of seeing that special I had successfully switched everything in my house. I took all the old stuff out and brought in my handy starter kit. I cleaned my house from top to bottom and for the first time was able to wash his laundry with the rest of the families with the new detergent I got as well. Three weeks later...yes literally 3 weeks..he was off all of his allergy medicine. He is now 7 years old and I am happy to report we have never had to revisit the allergy specialist nor take another allergy medicine or breathing treatment. He hasn't had an ear infection which he had at last count 28 of them in his 5 years. There have been no health problems at all. He rarely even brings any bugs home from school.


I can't even explain the need I feel to scream about these products from a mountain top. After all Shaklee is a great company that has 250 products and every one of those products is natural, non toxic and have nothing but health injected into them. But for me the Get Clean™ lined literally changed not only my son's life, but mine as well. I understand that in these tough economic times we all need to cut corners where ever we can. Understand that this does not have to be at the price of your health. With everything included in the Get Clean™ starter kit you will actually save $2400 over the next year. It's time for you to stop and think before you spray. Really think about what you are inhaling and know there are alternatives out there.


To Find Out More About The Get Clean™ Starter Kit which can replace everything in your home to a non toxic environmentally friendly alternative from kitchen to laundry and also save you $2400 over the next year visit http://www.SwitchYourHouse.com

School Supply Hypocrite

So I have been mulling this one over for a while and maybe it's just me I don't know. But it's irritating me. We turned in our school supplies earlier this year. I really do love our school district so do not get me wrong by this post, but this to me is something that I think only parents can change.

Our school has stickers posted everywhere that they use only environmentally friendly cleaning products as a lot of school districts do now which is GREAT! For me personally this means my son no longer has to take allergy medicine at home, because we now have environmentally friendly cleaners at home and at school. His allergies after years of illness I found to be from cleaning products. But one thing alarmed me, as I was browsing the school supply list guess what is listed. Please include a box of CLOROX WIPES!! Are you kidding me??

The school has to be aware of what is in these products or else they would not have gone through the trouble to change the entire school district last year. I do understand the convenience of having those cleaning wipes handy but there are environmentally friendly alternatives that come in easy to use methods. I normally do not get crazy about little things like this, but why change the entire school and then request something like this? We all know the dangers of that stuff and also know that there is really no need for it. Of course the company wants us to think so or they would have no way to market their product! Some good soap and warm water does the trick just fine. But seriously Clorox wipes, the friendly company that makes bleach! So there is my two sense. I will be writing a letter to the school district and I am not sure that one voice will make much of a difference but my feeling is my district does seem to live in this century since they did change over their other products I just don't think they always think things through.

Oh I should say since this is my going green blog let me rephrase. I will EMAIL a letter to the district...not write one lol.

Back To School Green School Supplies

I noticed this year when I was doing my back to school shopping for the kids that so many places now offer recycled or renewable recourse school supplies! Green school supplies seem to be popping up everywhere. But that can be a catch for those of us watching how much we spend. While that is all great I noticed for example a composition notebook that was around $1.50 was around $2.75 for the same recycled version. A lot of the plastic boxes that we used in the past have now changed also to materials that are renewable and while this is good for the planet to have these great options sometimes it's not as good on our pocketbooks.

We have all heard every little bit helps so here is a tip for you. We all know the general essentials the kids are going to need each year. Maybe we can't pinpoint the exact list, but we know the basics. So why not go green school supply school shopping now! You maybe saying what I just got done! That's exactly the point. Now that all the kids are back in school many large stores such as Wal-Mart and Target put those extra supplies they had left on clearance. For example right now most of the supplies at Target right now are 75% off. So why not set aside a drawer somewhere or a storage container and grab those supplies for next year now. Then you can purchase those wiser options that we now have at a price even less than the regular notebooks you purchased two or three weeks ago. It doesn't hurt to have a stash anyway. I know for my kids I have to keep them for the year anyway because there is always a orange folder getting torn up, or using up a notebook so plan ahead now while you can and grab those recycled paper items that maybe you couldn't afford the 1st time around!

Don't forget looking for the BPA free lunch items you can find as well. After all our children's health is worth more than a couple of extra dollars and I bet those are on sell right now too:)