It was a full house at the Apple Center for Sustainable Living during our See Jane Do Green Makeover Party. Following interviews with everyday extraordinary women like Erin Switalski, Executive Director of Women's Voices for the Earth and Stacy Malkan author of Not Just a Pretty Face and co-founder of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics we activated into action and invited women in our community to come together and explore healthy options to our personal care and home cleaning products. WVE has actually inspired thousands of these parties across the country and with great results.
I'm not sure why there is lead in my lipstick or what petrochemicals are doing in my body products. I was shocked to learn that most of these ingredients have not been tested and are not FDA approved. In fact, since 1938 of the 12,000 ingredients in our cosmetics only eight have been banned and of the 1,100 toxic chemicals outlawed in Europe only five of those have been banned in the United States.
It makes me wonder, who is really looking out for our best interest? On a positive note there are safer options to choose from, many of which can be found locally and are also cost-effective. Special guest, Daria Kent demonstrated how we can easily make our own effective cleaning products. A little bit of vinegar mixed with water can do wonders for your kitchen or bathroom, baking soda removes tough stains, and olive oil and lemon juice serve as a great furniture polisher.
Margo Cooper founder of Sunlight Botanicals shared her secrets to making natural skincare products straight from her garden! Calendula, comfrey, lavender, rose, hypericum flowers all hold natural healing properties. She said one of her favorite recipes is simply cutting the leaves of your favorite plant, like lavender and filling a glass jar with the leaves, stems, and flowers. Follow by adding olive oil and set the jar in the sun for 6-8 week and strain.
Stephanie, accountant turned soap maker is the founder of Grass Valley Soap. Stephanie's soaps are handcrafted, cold-pressed and free of synthetic dyes and chemicals. She became a believer in the use of natural soap when it cured her son's acne. Using a crock pot and mixer, she demonstrated how to make olive-oil soap.
Hundreds of smaller businesses are popping up all over the country and are taking personal care into their own hands by creating products that are not only safer for our bodies but provide healthy side effects too. If you can't find personal care products without toxic chemicals in your favorite store ask the manager to start carrying them, seek out local options, search online (be sure to read the ingredients), or try making some at your own at home and host your own green makeover party.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our recent Soiree into Action, our special guests, Grateful Body for sharing samples of their organic skincare products, and Mali Dyck, executive director of the APPLE Center.
Do you have a favorite personal care or cleaning product recipe? Share with us at [email protected]
Many of
the home and beauty products we use everyday contain toxic
chemicals that have been linked to cancer,
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