Dying Your Hair Without Harming the Environment

hair dye on a wig

Thousands of people dye their hair every day, including me every once in a while. While it may look nice and be considered fun it is very harmful to the environment due to the harsh chemicals that are involved. The good news is that there are eco-friendly options out there in the form of natural hair dyes. Below is a list of hair dyes that are natural and can be easily purchased online. All dyes come in various colors.

Surya Henna Powder Hair Treatment (Brown)
A new concept of powder temporary coloring and hair treatment. It colors white hair while provides treatment, due to its conditioning, toning, fungistatic and bacteriostatic action, which prevents from hair fall and dandruff. Since it is totally natural, it does not contain peroxide, ammonia or heavy metals and it can also be used for children, people allergic to chemicals, pregnant women or people undergoing chemotherapeutic treatment. It is available in eight different colors. 100% plant product with pure honey.

Surya Henna Cream Hair Coloring With Natural Extracts (Black)

Surya Henna Cream is a temporary coloring and hair treatment, in a ready-to-use cream presentation. Practical and easy-to-use, it is a natural and organic product, made from rare and exotic herbs and fruits of Brazil – Amazônia – and India. This product also colors white hair, with no peroxide, heavy metals or ammonia. It treats and conditions, due to the action of the natural properties of herbs and fruits. Available in other colors aside from black.

Light Mountain Natural Hair Color & Conditioner Kit (Mahogany)
Choose from Light Mountain’s original line with the famous “henna animals” in 12 shades, or Light Mountain’s unique Color the Gray line with 8 shades. Light Mountain uses no chemicals and no synthetic ingredients, only pure premium henna, and other botanicals. Light Mountain has been blending henna based natural hair colors since the early 1980′s. Complete application kit. 100% pure botanical hair color. No animal testing and no animal ingredients.

Rainbow Research Henna Persian (Marigold Blonde)
Henna is a natural plant-based alternative to chemical hair colorings. Rainbow henna coats each hair shaft with color. Smooths and seals the hair’s cuticle for greater shine. Texturizes hair and gives it body. Blends naturally. Fades gradually. Lasts 4-6 weeks. Available in the following shades: Black, Red, Sherry, Mahogany, Burgundy, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Light Brown, Copper, Strawberry Blonde, Blonde, Marigold Blonde. Neutral Henna is a natural, colorless conditioner for all hair types.

Herbatint Herbal Haircolor Permanent Gel (Platinum Blonde)
Herbatint is a permanent hair coloring with a natural herbal base and no ammonia that gently colors and protects hair structure while giving hair a deep natural gloss. Gentle and easy to use Herbatint’s gel formula is easy to apply and gentle for your hair.

Eco Summer Camps

earth with recycling symbol

Summer camp is an institution of childhood for me and many others. We have fond (or perhaps not so fond) memories of being dropped off at a strange place with kids we don’t know, sleeping on rough bunks and having a blast. But the choice comes down many times to theme-camps, many of which are religiously affiliated. Why not, when sending your child off to camp, have them learn about the environment they’re living in? Eco-themed camps a great way to acclimate and introduce your kids to earth-friendly living while getting them out into it. A hands-on adventure.

When looking for a good camp, your best bet is local. One camp I attended was a day camp about ten minutes from my home called Piney Run, where the program revolved around nature hikes and survival games interspersed with lessons about animal habitats and being respectful to the environment. We learned all the traditional songs and made sculptures out of trash collected around the park and learned about our impact on the nearby lake. Day camps are good for kids who aren’t quite ready to leave home just yet, but who like to get out there during the day.

But my favorite camp was a larger establishment called Hashawa, where I was in for a week-long adventure in which the hikes were longer and the councilors much more knowledgeable about the state of the camp ecology. Our lessons included collecting and analyzing tadpole and insect specimens from streams, finding butterfly meadows and observing bee pollination, night-hikes to hear owls, and a whole collection of other exciting and interesting activities that truly opened my eyes to the world around me.

 

In the long run, I must say both camps were impressible experiences, and appropriate for my age at the time. Without attending these camps I doubt I would be as passionate about the natural world as I am today. So how do you choose one that’s right for your child? Sites like ChoiceCamps.com have searches that help zone in on your region or camp preference.

Pharmaceuticals Now Showing Up In Fish?

image of fish swimming

I was checking out some news on MSNBC and just so happened to come across an article that I believe is very important for everyone to read, and so I wanted to share it with all of you. Some fish were caught near wastewater treatment plants by a few major U.S. Cities and apparently had residues of pharmaceuticals in them.

Please read this article as it is very informative…

Fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities had residues of pharmaceuticals in them, including medicines used to treat high cholesterol, allergies, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder, and depression, researchers reported Wednesday.

Findings from this first nationwide study of human drugs in fish tissue have prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to significantly expand similar ongoing research to more than 150 different locations.

“The average person hopefully will see this type of study and see the importance of us thinking about water that we use every day, where does it come from, where does it go to? We need to understand this is a limited resource and we need to learn a lot more about our impacts on it,” said study co-author Bryan Brooks, a Baylor University researcher and professor who has published more than a dozen studies related to pharmaceuticals in the environment.

A person would have to eat hundreds of thousands of fish dinners to get even a single therapeutic dose, Brooks said. But researchers including Brooks have found that even extremely diluted concentrations of pharmaceutical residues can harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species because of their constant exposure to contaminated water.

Brooks and his colleague Kevin Chambliss tested fish caught in rivers where wastewater treatment plants release treated sewage in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Orlando, Fla. For comparison, they also tested fish from New Mexico’s pristine Gila River Wilderness Area, an area isolated from human sources of pollution.

Earlier research has confirmed that fish absorb medicines because the rivers they live in are contaminated with traces of drugs that are not removed in sewage treatment plants. Much of the contamination comes from the unmetabolized residues of pharmaceuticals that people have taken and excreted; unused medications dumped down the drain also contribute to the problem.

The researchers, whose work was funded by a $150,000 EPA grant, tested fish for 24 different pharmaceuticals, as well as 12 chemicals found in personal care products.

They found trace concentrations of seven drugs and two soap scent chemicals in fish at all five of the urban river sites. The amounts varied, but some of the fish had combinations of many of the compounds in their livers.

The researchers didn’t detect anything in the reference fish caught in rural New Mexico.

In an ongoing investigation, The Associated Press has reported trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals have been detected in drinking water provided to at least 46 million Americans.

The EPA has called for additional studies about the impact on humans of long-term consumption of minute amounts of medicines in their drinking water, especially in unknown combinations. Limited laboratory studies have shown that human cells failed to grow or took unusual shapes when exposed to combinations of some pharmaceuticals found in drinking water.

“This pilot study is one important way that EPA is increasing its scientific knowledge about the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment,” said EPA spokeswoman Suzanne Rudzinski. She said the completed and expanded EPA sampling for pharmaceuticals and other compounds in fish and surface water is part of the agency’s National Rivers and Stream Assessment.

Looking To Eco Bathroom Tissue

roll of toilet paper

Bathroom Tissue, also called Toilet Paper by an enormous number of people, obviously uses a lot of trees over time. Can you imagine how many trees it would save if we all stopped using toilet paper? Okay, going without the use of toilet paper is obviously not the answer to cutting back on how many trees are cut down, no pun intended. However, there is a way to possibly reduce the amount. How? Well, what about eco-friendly toilet paper? While there aren’t a lot of various companies coming out with eco-friendly toilet paper there are a few, which you will see in the list of toilet papers that I provided for you below, all of which can be bought online.

At the moment there aren’t very many places to purchase eco-friendly toilet paper but there are a lot more than before. Locally, you should be able to find a toilet paper sold under the brand name of Seventh Generation in stores such as Walgreens, Walmart, and Winn-Dixie. If you come across any other local stores that carry eco-toilet paper locally please don’t be afraid to post a comment with the name of the store.

100% Cotton Bathroom Tissue
100% Cotton Bathroom Tissue – 1 double roll. How can something so luxurious be so ecologically friendly? Favored by trees everywhere, this incredibly soft and lint-free tissue is made from 100% recycled cotton. Completely biodegradable contains no dyes, latex, or perfumes, and is ideal for septic systems and low-flow toilets. Manufactured by Purely Cotton.

Seventh Generation Bathroom Tissue
100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue. Made from 100% recycled paper (minimum 80% post-consumer). Buying products made from the recycled paper helps reduce the need for virgin wood pulp. Their paper is whitened with an environmentally safe process, never with chemicals containing chlorine. Features and Benefits: Whitened without chemical containing chlorine, No added dyes, and fragrances, Safe for septic systems, Ideal for low-flow toilets.

Earth Friendly Bathroom Tissue Extra Strength
Made from 100% recycled paper containing a minimum of 80% post-consumer content. Earth Friendly Products toilet paper comes as a four-pack 2-ply 175 sheet count roll.

Natracare Wipes
Made from organic cotton with natural plant extracts of calendula and chamomile. These soft and strong feminine wipes are clinically tested, are alcohol-free, are biodegradable, do not contain any sodium lauryl or Laureth sulfates (SLS), have zero synthetic preservatives, are paraben-free and totally chlorine-free.  The resealable package makes them perfect to pop in a purse or overnight bag. Great for those “oh no, there’s no toilet paper” situations in public restrooms. Each package contains 12 feminine wipes. Ingredients include aqua, glycerin, coco glucoside, organic chamomilla Recutita, maltodextrin, organic calendula Officinalis, sodium levulinate, sodium anisate, potassium sorbate, lactic acid, Hyacinthus orientalis, cinnamyl alcohol, hydroxycitronellal, sodium phytate. Made in Greece.

Eco Soft Toilet Tissue
500 2-ply 4 3/8 x 3 3/4″ sheets per roll, carton of 96 rolls. 100% recycled fibers/40% minimum post-consumer waste. Processed chlorine-free and Green Seal certified. “424,000: The number of trees that would be saved if every household in the U.S. replaced just one 500 sheet roll of virgin toilet paper with just one recycled roll. -Natural Resources Defense Council.”

Cold Sore Eco Relief

smiley-with-flu

A lot of people suffer from cold sores, even those who don’t admit it. Cold sores are extremely common, especially among Americans. Unfortunately, cold sores can be very uncomfortable not only in appearance but also due to itchy, burning sensations followed by other systems. The good news, though, is that there are environmentally friendly choices out there. Check out this list of cold sore treatments…

Quantum Health Lip Clear Lysine Plus Ointment

Clinically proven to heal cold sores quickly, naturally, and painlessly, Quantum’s leading all-natural cold sore treatment contains lysine and 14 other vitamins, herbs, and minerals. Apply directly to cold sores at the first sign of tingling. Doesn’t burn, goes on clear and provides immediate soothing relief. Can be used in conjunction with tablets, tincture or capsules. No Burning upon application and goes on clear.

Quantum Health Coldstick With Super Lysine

Super Lysine Plus LipClear Coldstick soothes and moisturizes dry, chapped lips and helps heal, and prevent cold sores. L-lysine with 14 healing herbs and vitamins, and NOW SPF-21 sunscreen protection, combined in one convenient easy to use stick. Cold stick is formulated with the same natural nourishing ingredients as the Super Lysine Plus+ ointment and provides fast, soothing relief without drying, burning or numbing your lips.

Peaceful Mountain Cold Sore Rescue
Traditionally, the herbs in Cold Sore Rescue have been used for their anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and skin-repairing characteristics.

Hylands Cold Sore and Fever Blister Tablets
Natural relief for cold sores, fever blisters, cracked lips. Formerly Hyland’s #27, Hyland’s Cold Sores and Fever Blisters is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of cold sores and fever blisters due to cold or exposure. Working without contraindications or side effects, Hyland’s Cold Sores and Fever Blisters stimulates your body’s natural healing response to relieve symptoms. Hyland’s Cold Sores and Fever Blisters is safe for adults and children and can be used in conjunction with other medications.

Enzymatic Therapy Cold Sore Relief

Relieves dryness and softens cold sores and fever blisters soften scabs associated with cold sores and fever blisters, helps prevent, protect, and soothe chapped, cracked, or wind-burned skin and lips.

Boiron Cold Sore Care Kit
Boiron’sCold Sore Care Kit helps one feel good in their skin and reduces the stinging in the pre-blister stage, at crust stage and pain at the blister stage.

Organic Cotton Swabs

organic cotton swabs

Cotton swabs, otherwise known as q-tips, are used by everyone for the most part. They come in handy for many, many different things aside from giving the ears a good cleaning out. If you look at the list below you will find organic cotton swabs, and also a link to peroxide as well.

Organic Essentials Certified Organic Cotton Swabs
New and improved 180 counts Biodegradable Swab tipped with Certified Organic Cotton! The new stick is made from raw materials which are totally biodegradable and compostable. The new packaging is also more environmentally friendly, made from recycled and recyclable cardboard.

Organic Essentials Cotton Swabs Travel Pack
Organic Essentials Cotton Swabs Travel Pack are a biodegradable swab tipped with certified organic cotton. The new cotton swabs stick is made from raw materials which are totally biodegradable and compostable. Cotton Swabs Travel Pack easy for on the go!

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree + Aloe Vera Cotton Tips

Thursday Plantation, the world’s leading brand of quality tea tree oil products, offers Thursday Plantation Tea Tree+Aloe Vera Cotton Tips. Now you can have the power of 100% tea tree oil plus soothing, 100% aloe vera leaf extract, while you’re on the go – anytime, anywhere! They may look like any ordinary cotton swabs. But that’s where the similarity ends. When you need immediate, soothing relief, simply bend the colored tip until you feel a snap. This saturates the head of the cotton swab with 100% pure tea tree oil and soothing aloe vera. Use the soft, all-natural cotton tip to quickly cleanse the affected areas with premeasured, precise concentrations of tea tree oil and aloe vera.

Organic Cotton Swabs Matchbox Pack

100% Certified organic cotton heads, cardboard holding stick. 100% Certified organic cotton to provide you with the softest and safest materials. Chlorine, dioxin, viscose/rayon, perfume and plastics free to keep our products as Chemical-free as possible. Hypoallergenic to keep your skin 100% irritation-free.

Bionics Hydrogen Peroxide 12%
Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide helps oxygenate the body, is useful in oxygen therapy, helps improve immune function, and may be beneficial in the treatment of chronic illnesses. H2o2 Hydrogen Peroxide Food Grade.

A Strong Drink for the Green at Heart

green heart

Most of the time we hear about alcohol and the environment in terms of ethanol and E85, but this is about whisky. Whisky is a rough drink, I’ll admit, and I am no connoisseur, but during a recent visit to Scotland, I learned more about scotch whisky than I ever wanted to know…and then some. But the most interesting fact was about new technologies that make whisky production one of the most eco-friendly processes in the notoriously unhealthy alcohol industry.

Heading this trend is the installation of a GreenSwitch™ biomass-fuelled combined heat and power plant (CHP) alongside Combination of Rothes Distillers Limited (CoRD) in Rothes. This GreenSwitch unit will allow the distillery to run off of a combination of distillery byproduct and wood chips from sustainable sources. In the end, it is expected to provide enough energy to run 9,000 homes, with excess energy being exported to the national grid.

The new GreenFields plant that is expected to go along with the CHP plant will also allow for the conversion of the liquid byproduct of whisky production- the liquid that is not able to be distilled- to be converted into concentrated organic fertilizer for local farms.

Most of this innovation, including the GreenSwitch unit and GreenFields plant, is the work of the Helius Energy Group, which won the ‘Best Environmental Initiative Award’ at the Scottish Green Energy Awards in 2008 for their work with CoRD. But this is not the first time distillery byproduct has been used for energy.

In Islay, Scotland the local swimming pool is actually heated by the excess heat from a distillery located nearby, while excess C02 is sometimes used in nearby greenhouses to grow plants and vegetables. ‘Draff’ (the cereal-like leftovers from malt and grain distilleries) is a much-sought animal feed as well, making distilleries a valuable business for local farms and in turn the local economy.

Whisky has a long history in Scotland, and with a long history of material scarcity, the reuse of product still viable as foodstuffs or fertilizer is no surprise, especially in a country when farming and sheepherding is a major industry. In this kind of environment, the CHP and GreenField’s unit can simply be seen as the next logical step in reuse to benefit the surrounding infrastructure. While the initial cost of installation and construction is estimated to be over 4 million euro, the payoff from the system is sure to exceed it, not only in monetary terms but in the future sustainability of the scotch whisky industry.

Safe and Natural Hair Spray

hair-spray

Do you have trouble trying to keep your hair stay put all day after styling it? Do you prefer to use all-natural, or almost all natural at least, hair and beauty products? Well, there is good news to those of you who all answered yes to these questions. There’s a simple solution to your problem, and that solution is waiting for you in your kitchen. The solution being homemade hair spray. For the most part homemade hair spray is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and very safe for you to use. Who could ask for more? Typically speaking homemade hair sprays don’t take long to make and you don’t have to be a genius to make them either. Try one or more of the following recipes for homemade hair spray and you will be making a difference for both yourself and the environment. Happy spraying!

Homemade hair spray for normal to oily hair:
In a small pot pour two cups of water in it and add the juice of one lemon (store-bought lemon juice can be used as well). Allow the mixture to simmer until it boils. Once it comes to a complete boil let it boil until half of the mixture remains in the pot, and then allow the mixture to cool. Once it has cooled strain the mixture. Pour the liquid that was strained into a spray bottle. Store in the refrigerator. Tip: Add more water to the mixture in the bottle if you find that the hair spray is too sticky. Try adding the zest of a lemon into the mixture when you combine the water and juice. Add an ounce of rubbing alcohol or one of tablespoon vodka to the mixture as a preservative after you fill the spray bottle.

Homemade hair spray for dry hair:
In a small pot pour two cups of water in it and add the juice of one fresh orange (orange juice can be used in place of fresh orange). Allow the mixture to simmer until it boils. Once it comes to a complete boil let it boil until half of the mixture remains in the pot, and then allow the mixture to cool. Once it has cooled strain the mixture. Pour the liquid that was strained into a spray bottle. Store in the refrigerator. Tip: Add more water to the mixture in the bottle if you find that the hair spray is too sticky. Try adding the zest of an orange into the mixture when you combine the water and juice. Add an ounce of rubbing alcohol or one tablespoon of vodka to the mixture as a preservative after you fill the spray bottle.

Try the following tips and tricks when using hair spray, whether it be homemade or store-bought:

  • Hair sprays roots and then fluff them a little to get an instant lift.
  • Apply a very light application of hair spray on a hairbrush to keep small flyaway pieces of hair at bay.
  • Hair sprays roots and then tip head upside down and shake. This will help add a little volume to roots.

Reusable Pillowcase Tote

two white pillows

Reusable bags are great, but
sometimes when we are trying to watch our pennies we end up opting
for the bags at the stores that aren’t exactly on the eco-friendly
side. A nice remedy for this is to make your own eco-friendly
reusable bag. One easy way to do this is by recycling one of your old
pillowcases or finding a super cheap single organic pillowcase.
Creative Kismet has supplied a pattern online in order to show
everyone how to do just this. Please go to Creative Kismet’s
website in order to properly follow these instructions due to the fact that
they have pictures to go along with the set by step instructions.
Good luck all!

Here is what you will need:

Cutting mat or nice large space to work on
Scissors (rotary cutter optional)
Thrifted pillowcase (any size), washed and ironed
Sewing machine, thread, pins and sewing needles(optional)
Hot iron
About one hour of time and some good music

1. Turn pillowcase inside-out and fold
in half long-ways.

2. Cut a 3-4 inch strip off of one
side. Save the long strip for the straps.

3. Open and lay flat. Pin together the open sides. You will be
sewing this together in the following manner, leaving a 6 inch (15cm)
gap in the center.

4. Cut a 2-inch square (a) off
of all four corners (b) making sure to measure from the folded edge
and seam, not the rough edge.

5. Following these instructions, you are going to square off each corner (c).

6. When all four corners are
sewn, flip the bag right side out through the open gap and sew the
gap closed (hand or machine– I used my machine for this). Now you
will have a completely sewn shut, empty pillowcase with squared-off
corners.

7. Now the fun (and kinda hard to
explain) part… Fold the pillowcase into itself by stuffing the just
sewn together gap-end into the bottom of the
opposite end. The sewn together gap-end will be the
inside bottom of your bag(d) and the squared-off corners will meet
together on each side(e).

8. Once all the corners meet(f), iron and then sew around the top
edge. Now you are ready for the straps

9. Cut off the big hemmed end
off of the remaining strip. Fold the strip in half long-ways and cut
again. These will be your two straps. They should be 12-16inches long
each.

10. With the right sides facing in, sew
together the short ends of each strap, leaving one long side open.

11. Trim the corners(g) and turn
right-side out.

12. Following the picture above, fold
the ends towards the inside so that the raw edges are tucked
inside(h-j). Once it is straight and flat(k), press with an iron and
sew together(l-m).

13. Lastly, sew one strap to each side of your bag with big
criss-cross squares(n) and you are done!!!

Eco Friendly Christmas Trees

christmas tree

There an interesting tradition in my family when it comes to finding a Christmas tree. We simply go to the backyard. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm in fact, planting and selling Douglas Firs and Scotch Pines, even Norway Spruce. Trees are a tradition coming from Germany and originally decorated with candles as well as a wealth of traditional edible nuts and berries.

 

Its origins indicate an older tradition springing from the Anglo-Germanic use of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, a symbol of life and spirit. Modern Christmas tree retains the decorative and hopeful spirit of its predecessor, but with the concern centered around today’s environment and the cutting of trees as well as the use of artificial trees, there are a number of question about how to celebrate an environmental Christmas, including the tree.
Some people opt for an artificial tree instead of cutting one down, but in reality, while real trees produce clean oxygen during growth, artificial trees are made with non-renewable plastics and require a manufacturing process that leaves excess environmental waste and pollution. Disposal is also hard since rarely can artificial trees be recycled, and they certainly cannot be mulched.
However, real trees can be recycled by using a wood chipper, making great ground cover and mulch for other outdoor plants. Pine chips are also great for naturally keeping that fresh-tree scent around your home even longer. You can also search for an organic Christmas tree farms for extra support of green.
If you’re not comfortable with cutting down a tree, balled ‘n baled trees are another way to save the tree you use. Balled trees include a burlap sack that holds the tree’s roots. By using a large tub, you can keep the tree in your home for the holidays and then plant the tree after the festivities are over. Balled trees can be a great family tradition when it comes time for planting and pines make great property screens, are always green, and last through all sorts of weather.
When it comes to decorating your tree you can also take a hint from the German tradition and use organic foodstuffs such as traditional popcorn, nuts, and berries. Paper ornaments and snowflakes are also a good option, and many times already a tradition. If you really want that sparkle though, some companies make recycled decorations that keep the tree bright.
But lighting might be the biggest part of the tree, and the most costly. Constantly keeping your tree lit uses up unnecessary energy and can raise your winter energy costs even more. Try avoiding electronic ornaments and if you still want the lights, try only lighting the tree on special occasions. Using a plug attached to a switch is an easy way to turn the tree off quickly, making energy-saving easier.
There are plenty of ways to keep the tree extra green this year. If you have any extra tips, please feel free to share! And have a very merry, and very green Christmas.