http://www.stylelist.com/2012/05/23/natural-beauty-treatments_n_1539063.html?ref=women&ir=Women#s=1009968
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25May
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27Oct
Oh Geez… 95% of ‘Green’ Products Are Apparently Lying The Wall Street Journal
via Re-Nesthttp://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/greenwash/oh-geez-95-of-green-products-are-apparently-lying-the-wall-street-journal-130839?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+apartmenttherapy%2Fre-nest+%28Re-Nest%29
by Cambria Bold on 10/27/10
greenwash-paint-150.jpgCome on, people! When is enough enough? Yesterday environmental-marketing company TerraChoice released a study that states more than 95% of the 5,000 consumer products they examined committed at least one “greenwashing” offense, including “fibbing about or having no proof of environmental claims, vague or poorly defined marketing language… and the use of fake labels designed to imply a product has third-party certification or endorsement of its claims.”
But 95%?! Really? That’s crazy!
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27Sep
small measures with ashley: diy cleaning products
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/09/small-measures-with-ashley-diy-cleaning-products.html
Image above from Natural Home
In my mind, the stretch of days from the Autumn Equinox to New Year’s Day is officially known as “Party Time.” With harvest festivals ushering in the celebrations and then continuing on through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Winter Solstice and New Year’s Eve, September through January present numerous opportunities for hosting bashes and attending soirees.
Bearing this in mind, I thought I’d make today’s “Small Measures” about some affordable, easy and planet-friendly cleaning products you can make in minutes to keep your place looking (and smelling!) its absolute best. I’m personally in party-planning overdrive, so it’s taking up a good deal of my thinking. Our “Nugget Warming” takes place this Saturday evening at our place and I’ve got somewhere around 60 adults and 15 kids coming, along with a gaggle of dogs. Hubs and I, along with the indispensable help of my sister, Devan (who flies into town from Florida tomorrow), will be cooking up a feast of local and seasonal foods. There will be a bonfire with DIY s’mores (I’ve ordered both the “Maple” and “Cardamom” flavors from Whimsy & Spice Confectioners), hard cider and pumpkins and gourds galore. Guests will take home homemade jars of my Cardamom Apple Butter, along with paper bags of homemade Pumpkin Brittle. The whole shebang is being photographed for a book I’m being profiled in, compounding my typical tendency to make my place sparkle. You can see why I’m a bit preoccupied with making things shine like the top of the Chrysler Building)!
To take our place to the next level, I’ll be using my arsenal of ready-in-a-flash cleaning supplies. Many of the ingredients necessary to whip these up are most likely already hanging out in your pantry. It’s amazing what can be achieved with a bit of baking soda, vinegar, olive oil, and some essential oils. So, whether you’re planning an event of your own or simply want to spruce up your digs before the windows come down and Old Man Winter officially moves in, give my homemade cleaning supplies a go (and while you’re at it, you can find the recipe for my all-purpose “So Fresh & So Clean” spray here).
CLICK HERE for great DIY cleaning product recipes after the jump!
Spic & Span Floor Cleaner
The Goods
* 1 c. white vinegar
* 1/4 c. baking soda
* 6–7 drops essential oil of choice (I like to customize my floor cleaner scents to compliment the seasons, using lavender in spring, something citrusy in summer, cinnamon in autumn and pine scents in winter).The Deal
1. Fill a bucket or your kitchen sink with hot water.
2. Add vinegar, baking soda and essential oils while filling.
3. Stir with a mop to disperse the baking soda in the water fully.
4. Mop floors per usual.
Make It Shine Furniture Polish
The Goods
* 1/2 c. olive oil
* 10 drops lemon essential oilThe Deal
1. Combine olive oil and essential oil in a dark glass bottle.
2. Dab a cloth with the mixture and polish wood furniture per usual.
3. Use within one month, making more as needed.
Odor Out Fabric Freshener
The Goods
* Baking soda
The Deal
1. Simply sprinkle liberally all over area rugs or carpets and onto upholstered furniture.
2. Leave to sit for at least one hour and then vacuum away.
Green Room Mist
The Goods
* 1/4 c. water
* 1/4 c. vodka
* 20 drops essential oil of choice (may be a single oil or a combination of several; for autumn celebrations, I like a blend of cinnamon, clove, ginger and orange, while a blend of balsam pine, juniper and rosemary go well with winter festivities)The Deal
1. Combine all ingredients together in a refillable spray bottle.
2. Shake for each use and spray as needed.
What about you? Got a low-fi, on-the-cheap cleaning product you’d be lost without? I’d love to hear about it. Otherwise, let the wild rumpus begin! — Ashley
Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/09/small-measures-with-ashley-diy-cleaning-products.html#ixzz10ljl6bWt
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31Aug
10 Ingredients To Avoid In Your Face Products GOOD
by Cambria Bold on 8/31/10
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/personal-health/10-ingredients-to-avoid-in-your-face-products-good-125884?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+apartmenttherapy%2Fre-nest+%28Re-Nest%29
We all want to make sure the products we use are healthy and safe, and this should include our personal care products. You may have already read about the issues surrounding triclosan
and formaldehyde
, but what about hydroquinone? Find out what it is and the 9 other personal care ingredients you should be informed about:
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07Apr
Mapuana
Aloha Kakahiaka Girls, I agree with D, how can you get prettier!! The only oils I’ve chosen to use was strictly for it’s benefits. If it happened to smell good, which the ones I now use for mature skin does, the better. Scent does play a role in brain chemistry and what chemicals they’ll produce after a scent is inhaled or ingested thru the skin. And these chemicals can cause behavior changes or impluses besides healing skin benefits. Most consumers have no clue what goes into their purchased products and the manufactures lure them in using scent. With the false promises of making you even more beautiful and flawless. The best thing about DIY and learning about EO’s, plant based oils, herbs and how they work either alone or synergistically is that you can custom create and reformulate anything. Some of the EO’s added are used for preservative purposes, it’s benefits and scent such as lavender and geranium. The Natural Beauty site is the best site I’ve so far come across as far as the info on DIY w/natural products. As you go along, you’ll be better able to understand some of these concepts and the purpose for adding this or that. I’ve never followed a recipe to the T, I’ve reformulated them using what was available to me at the time. And I’ve only shared what’s so far worked for me. Filtered water should work well. Use what’s available to you in reformulating, hence the experiment. No need for extra expenses or trips to the store.Aloha No~Mapuana********************************************The benefits of EO’s are much more beneficial and potent than plant based oils. They are so concentrated that you use only a few drops. If you go thru the NB site, you’ll get a better understanding of EO’s. It takes a ton of flowers, herbs or seeds just make 1 oz. of a EO. Most of these have to be hand picked hence the expense, then steam distilled. It’s simply a personal choice when creating or reformulating. I also have these books, The New Age Herbalist, and The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. There is just so much to learn to truly understand how cosmetics, body care and how the body works using these kinds of ingredients. Like me, you girls will feel like you’re in school. You may not be able to remember most because this field is huge. It takes years for these experts to reach their level of knowledge and experience. Of course the levels are many, and one continually learns. -
07Apr
Natural Preservatives for homemade all natural skin care recipes
Inbox X Mapuana ✆ Here’s a good page on natural preservatives. This site if filled with stuff that would be helpful in DIY.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Mapuana
Subject: How to preserve homemade natural skin care products. Natural Preservatives for homemade all natural skin care recipeshttp://naturalfacialrecipes.homestead.com/howtopreserveskincare.html
