All the Sustainable Shower Products I Currently Use

     As requested by one loyal kitten: my current tried and true excellent sustainable shower products, well loved and still wet from the last go-round a few minutes ago! Old favorites like John Masters Organics, of course. You've heard about them in previous posts. Forthwith, some new great things I have to share since uncrating my ginormous Beautorium order last week.
1. Red Flower's Nature-Lymphatic Phytopower Sea Cleanser & Masque (see photo below). They had me at "made with windpower." This very healthy, very effective cleanser can also dry into a masque. It's great, it's green and I love it!
2. Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Body Wash. I get this at drugstore.com, but I'm sure you can find it in a variety of places. Nature's Gate is a relatively common health brand. I've had it for months; the bottle is huge, and the price is sustainable, too!
3. Korres Lemon and Sage Body Scrub. Divine. A new favorite from Beautorium.
4. EO Lavender Bubble Bath. Also from drugstore.com.  I trust my skin to nothing less than pure essential oils and vegetable cleansers. It smells like a million bucks, and is effectively aromatherapeutic. If you want to learn more about that business, head over to The Fragrant Muse. She has gotten me into a serious study of essential oils and their healing properties. I'm a changed kitten since I began incorporating REAL natural fragrances into my health and beauty routines!

Red Flower is "Biodynamic and free of dyes, parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals and synthetic preservatives. usda, wildcrafted, sustainably sourced and biodegradable,100% wind powered post consumer recycled (and recyclable) packaging where possible using vegetable inks, certified organic fruit, nut and flower oils." (Beautorium.com)

Sustainable Body Scrubs: What Are You Rinsing Down the Drain?

Although I have banned all toxic cleaning agents from our home and changed all of my personal products to paraben-free formulas, I still employ a certain few commerical-grade beauty products in my arsenal. One is a delightful pedicure cream I use when I can’t get over to the neighborhood nail shop. 

    “So what?” I think, “It has a couple of synthetic ingredients. I’m only hurting myself,” I reason as I scrub my heels vigorously. Turns out I’m wrong about that. I’m not just hurting myself by slathering up with gross chemicals, I’m encroaching on the planet and countless animals, too! 

    Recently, I was perusing Slate online when I got a rude awakening about my own consumption. Great. One more negative consequence of my enslavement to beauty products and my own vanity: plastic exfoliating beads in my favorite scrubs and washes are obviously not biodegradable! Duh? 

    I’m ashamed of myself, and from here on out, I am only using pumice, a metal cheese-grater thingy, and sugar crystals for buffing in my home spa routines. (I’ll let you know how it’s going, and I would love your suggestions).

    While plastic beads glide like nobody’s business, and slough like a mug, the little bits of nanotechnology get washed down the drain along with the suds. 

    These particles are showing up in the ecosystem, seriously harming other living things and polluting waterways. Yuck! 

    Solutions are within reach, however....to read the rest of this post, please click here!