Natural Living Blog

Well, you get the idea. Within this site I offer many alternatives for you to check out. Most of them come from smaller American companies looking to create great natural, green or fair made products.

I know it can be time consuming and hard on the budget to be a conscientious shopper all the time but I think most of us can handle something every now and then and with the shopping season just around the corner this is a good time to try this for a few items and make a difference as we shop.

Visit Grounds For Change for the Humane Society blend of coffee.

Cinnamon Honey Mask

1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp honey 1. Mix the cinnamon and the honey together and refridgerate over night. 2. Place over your face for 15-20 mins I have chronic

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Sand or Salt Scrub

1 tbs fine sand/salt 1 cup unflavored yogurt 1 tsp your favorite essential oil 1 tsp honey or lemon juice(whichever one's handy) Mix together using fingers

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Your Insight into Common Hair Dye Allergies

Hair dye allergies, although rare, have been on the rise in recent years, some cases resulting in serious medical consequences. Anyone interested in dying their hair should be aware of the risks posed by certain hair dye ingredients and take time to read this article.

The most commonly found irritant in hair dye is PPD, or paraphenylenediamine. Found in almost all effective permanent hair color, PPD is a primary dye intermediate that allows the dyes to penetrate the hair shaft. They have a greater presence in darker hair dye shades and are still the most widely used dye intermediate on the market today. Allergic reactions or sensitivity to PPDs range anywhere from an itching/burning scalp, an unsightly rash, or full blown facial swelling. Because of the rise in adverse reactions to PPDs, companies have attempted to eradicate it from their hair dye formulas, but in turn have added structurally similar PTDs, or 4-toluenediamine.

What you may not be aware of is this: it takes almost 80%-120% more PTDs to achieve the same result as PPDs. Many allergic to PPDs also adversely react to PTDs and have found out the hard way.

Another common hair dye component that can cause allergies are parabens. Parabens are the most common preservatives for cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. Their widespread use is due to their extensive history and inexpensiveness. For those allergic to parabens, or wish to avoid them in general should seek a color line like, Organic Color Systems. Most color lines that do not feature paraben replaces them with natural grapefruit seed extract. Resorcinol and Thioglycolates are both other skin irritants not found in Organic Color Systems.

As one may gather, there are many ingredients that can cause skin irritation or contact allergies. Any individual interested in coloring their hair with any dye should be aware of their allergies, severity of those allergies, ingredient lists, and above all conduct a hair patch test to determine the safety and effectiveness of the product.

About the Author: Rebecca Gregory has had extensive experience educating individuals in the hair and beauty industry. She was most recently a Lead Educator for Aveda in Florida, the Director of Education for The Salon Professional Academy, and chosen as a mentor for Redken Education. Rebecca is also an experienced Certifed Master Colorist/stylist who has worked in and managed multiple salons.

Part 2 From Organic Color Systems Coming

I hope you all learned something new about grey coverage from the first article written by Organic Color Systems. I know I did.

The second and perhaps more important issue for many of us is allergies from hair dye and I think you may find the next article provides some professional insight into the most common allergens used in hair dye.

Make sure and check out the next article coming tomorrow. There was info in this article that helped me connect the dots a little and may make it easier for me to find a product that works. When I do a little more checking into some products I have used I will let you know what I find and perhaps it will help you too.

Gram flour for full body cleansing.

All u beautiful ladies try this one and u'll never need a soap or body wash. Mix gram flour, rice powder and a bit of turmeric and keep it in a container.

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What You My Not Know About Grey Coverage

It’s estimated that approximately 1/3 of Americans that use hair color are attempting to cover stubborn grey hairs. Grey hairs are known to be resistant to hair dye and prone to fading compared to pigmented hair for a multitude of reasons that many are not aware of.

Why does my grey hair resist color?

To understand why grey hair color is challenging to overcome, one must understand its roots, literally. At the hair’s follicle are melanocytes that are responsible for the hair’s melanin, or color. Grey hair lacks melanin, while having more layers of cuticle that are tightly packed down (making it harder for dye to penetrate). Hair that is treated with conventional ammoniated hair color is subjecting itself to further damage, while decreasing the hair’s ability to retain color.

Ammonia is used in hair color to raise the hair’s pH and open the cuticle so that dye particles can penetrate the hair strand. The issue is the ammonia damages the hair’s naturally occurring amino acid, Tyrosine, which is responsible for the melanin production in the hair and its shine. Because the ammonia raises the hair’s pH to such irreversible levels the cuticle remains partially open, leaving it prone to fading and more damage. What can be gathered from this information is that grey hair itself is difficult to dye, but using structurally damaging hair color further contributes to cuticle destruction and fading.

What is my solution?

Intuitively, the best solution to grey hair coverage would be to select a color line that does not raise the hair’s pH to irreversible levels and does not further damage the hair’s structural integrity. Organic Color Systems offers ammonia-free hair color made with certified organic ingredients and is available in 65 intermixable colors. What sets this professional hair color line apart from your conventional hair dye is their optimized use of naturally derived ingredients found in coconut, fruits, vitamins, and minerals. With the use of coconut-derived MEA in safe amounts and external heat, the cuticle is allowed to softly swell and open for optimal dye penetration. The conditioning process then allows the cuticle to close; ergo, color is sealed in to the hair.

With the absence of ammonia and the maximization of gentle, nourishing ingredients, Organic Color Systems does not hinder the scalps sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing hair’s natural oils and moisture. In fact, because this color line does not damage the cuticle or moisture system, clients may color their hair much more often (if needed, or desired).

About the author: Rebecca Gregory has had extensive experience educating individuals in the hair and beauty industry. Recently, she was the Lead Floor Educator for an Aveda institute in Florida and the Director of Education for The Salon Professional Academy. Rebecca is also an experienced stylist/colorist who has worked in multiple salons.

To find the nearest salon using Organic Color Systems please call this toll free number: (888) 213-4744, or e-mail info2@organiccolorsystems.com

Salon Color That's Healthier For You And Your Hair

Hands down I receive more questions about finding a safer and more natural hair color product than anything else. While I have tried to provide the best help I can I am not a professional.

There is a a great deal of frustration in finding products that color the hair safely. Many of you wonder why you can't get better and longer lasting grey coverage, why does your hair feel so straw like or why are you having a hard time getting the color you want? Above all else you want safer ingredients in your products.

Having a professional color your hair with professional products may be the best way to achieve longer lasting grey coverage and achieve the color you want. A professional should be able to handle any special issues that arise which someone like me at home coloring my hair hasn't the faintest idea how to handle.

I had given up on salon hair coloring but recently I have become aware of a safer option available from some salons. My stylist told me about a professional colorist she knows that uses Organic Color Systems and coincidentally about the same time I was contacted by the company and asked to check it out. Weird.

Anyway, after taking a look at their ingredient list which does contain natural and organic ingredients, minimal amounts of ppd's, no ammonia or parabens and no animal testing. I was convinced that this was a product I could try just haven't done it yet. Surprisingly several salons in my area offer this.

I thought it would be helpful to have a professional address some of our concerns about hair color and Organic Color Systems has kindly offered to write a few upcoming posts. I think they will help answer some of the questions we all have about grey coverage and choosing safer products.

Check Out The Cherry Mango With A Coupon Code

I've said it before one of my biggest pet peeves with on-line shopping is not being able to find the info I want about something I am considering buying.

Too many times with both big and little companies that say they sell natural products there is no complete list of ingredients to be found and often nothing about where or how something was made. For shoppers like me they are missing the boat. I mean really unless you have something to hide why not tell us all about your product so we can make an informed decision.

That is why I am happy to find an on-line store like The Cherry Mango where all the info I look for like complete ingredient lists, animal testing, organic certifications, fair trade, U.S. made and more can easily be found.

They told me that they carefully source each product for their natural ingredients and the care with which they are made. They prefer to work with small producers who have set high standards for quality and who work to produce their products fairly and with concern for the environment.

If these are things you look for when you shop and you don't have time to research many different products then visit The Cherry Mango for affordable products for skin and hair care, green living, pets, supplements and more. It is a growing list of products.

Check them out yourself. Readers of NLW receive a 10% discount on your first order when you use coupon code NLW10 with your order.

Click for more info

Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Deodorant

We have recently gone green in every aspect of our lives. Although for the past several years we have been extremely conscious of our decisions regarding

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Chocolate Mask

What I did is a chocolate mask that is just for fun. Add 1/4 tsp of cocoa 1/3 tsp honey 1/4 yogurt and a little bit of water.mix it until looks like chocolate

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No More Complaints.. I Like DeVita Solar Protection Moisturizer

I've been trying different brands but I just have not been happy with mineral based daily moisturizers that I can use under makeup.

One was too heavy and white looking, one was too greasy and one was too hard too apply my mineral makeup over. Not good. Not good. Not good.

If you have used mineral based sun protection you know that the white look and sometimes heavy or greasy feel can be a problem. I am more tolerant of this when I use it strictly as sun protection but under makeup I can't handle it. I have experimented with quite a few different products and am so happy to have found DeVita Solar Protection Moisturizer with SPF 30.

My demands were few. I wanted one whose active ingredients were mineral based and not chemical (minerals offer the best and safest protection), lightweight, dries as clear as possible, good SPF protection, no animal testing, absorbs well and allows for smooth easy makeup application. OK maybe more than a few.

DeVita's product uses micronized zinc oxide as their active ingredient. Skin Deep Database rates this product as very safe but they also rate it highly for sun protection. This helped convince me it was worth trying.

I bought a sample size which was generous enough that I could try it out a few times and was so happy with the results that I bought the full size bottle. This product has a nice creamy feel that was light and easy to apply, dried clear and absorbed well. It feels and looks like a good moisturizer. I have dry skin and find this product works well as a moisturizer all by itself although I do use a light weight moisturizer underneath when conditions are drier.

I have been pleased with the results under mineral makeup. It had just enough moisture to provide a good base for the minerals. One of the brands I tried was so tacky it was hard to achieve a natural looking coverage. I also tried it with a cream makeup with good results. This one's a winner for me.

DeVita Solar Protection Moisturizer SPF 30

Avocado Scrub

Use half a large avocado, add olive oil, mix with sea salt until a thick paste forms. Seal in an air tight container at room temperature. Safe for use

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Natural Sunscreen - A Better Choice

Find out what we need to look for when shopping for a safe, natural sunscreen.

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Easy Tips For Using Less Plastic

Maybe my middle of the night ramblings from a previous entry about going without plastic produced something useful.

As I see it perhaps one of the biggest problems with plastic comes from single use disposable plastic: bottles, cups, packaging, straws, lids and bags. One use and most are tossed away. Out of sight certainly but not gone. Not enough is being recycled. It's in landfills where it doesn't decompose and it litters our roadways and shorelines. Have you seen the images of that massive amount of plastic trash whirling around in our oceans? It doesn't go away.

While environmental groups and industry works on solutions you and I can be taking some positive steps. A good place to start is minimizing use of single use plastics. Here are few suggestions:

1. Buy reuseable bottles. I am a fan of stainless steel bottles. Easy to clean, durable and safe. Here is great brand to consider:

Klean Kanteen

2. No more plastic bags. A few communities have banned them. Why wait? Get reuseable bags. Check out this page for more info and links to some of the best:

Reusable Shopping Bags

3. Look for glass and paper packaging over plastic when shopping and when you do end up with plastic try to buy brands that can recycle, mostly #1 PET and #2 HDPE plastic.

4. Also look for compostable plastic in any throw away item. These are the new plastics made from natural items like corn, sugarcane and tapioca. There are some problems. Right now it has to be composted in a controlled composting environment. Not a project for the backyard composter and where the heck do you find a composting facility anyway but I think it is a better choice than plastic made from petroleum.

5. Pack your lunch in reusable containers or waxed paper bags. Choose reusable eating utensils and straws, cloth napkins and your own cup. You can even apply some of this when you buy fast food. Now, sitting in a fast food place and pulling out your own stuff might seem a little strange but consider trying it with one item. Think reusable straws. Do you know how many of these are thrown away everyday? Check out this selection of Reusable Straws from Amazon.

6. Skip the plastic when hosting parties and cookouts. If you absolutely must use throw aways look for paper, bamboo and some of the new compostable plastics made from plant materials.

Check out this site for some ideas:

Green Party Goods

These are switches I am doing too. I'm not perfect and I am always looking for ways to improve. It takes more awareness as I shop but it's doable. Give it a try. For more info check out this video:

Almond Scrub

> Almond Ground (1-2 tbsp) > Almond Oil (2-4 tbsp) Mix these to ingredients together this is really good for the skin as the oil - almond oil is really

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Potato Rub

Sounds crazy but it works. It is great for evening out your skin tone and greatly diminishes the appearance of blemishes. Cut a potato in slices (might

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Kattie's Exfoliant

There isn't just one recipe I follow, usually I just ransack my kitchen and use what I find! The last batch I made was wonderful and smelled even better!

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A Day, No Make That An Hour Without Plastic

At 4:04 a.m. as I am trying to go back to sleep my brain decided otherwise and as so often happens I think about something I was working on earlier. What was that you might ask? Humor me here. It was plastic and with nothing better to do and sleeping apparently out of the question, I let myself wonder how far I could go in my day without plastic.

As I lay there in bed I played the day out in my head. My day starts with a quick trip to the bathroom, I won't dwell here but no plastic anything was used. I head to the kitchen to get my tea going and breakfast started when I run into my first problem. Plastic heaven in here. My refrigerator, toaster oven and microwave all contain quite a bit of plastic and much of my food comes in plastic containers and bags but I don't give up I'm not sleepy yet I can still have my tea and I have a whole food bar in a paper wrapper.

Time to get ready to start my day by brushing my teeth. OK the only way I am going to clean my teeth (plastic tooth brush duh... what else would it be made out of and plastic container for toothpaste) is by doing it how my dad suggested I brush in a pinch. Baking soda and my finger. Really.... oh well, this is just pretend.

I use the cleanser that comes in the jar with a metal lid but moisturizer is a problem. My usual is in a glass container but it has a plastic pump lid which I love for keeping germs out. I would have to forgo makeup because once again plastic is everywhere. Good thing I work from home.

I now head to my little office and I'll just turn my computer on and....Here is where my experiment takes a nasty turn, no mouse, no computer, printer or even eyeglasses to see them all with. Why I can't even call anyone to complain to because I have no phone.

Wouldn't even make it through the morning without plastic. We are surrounded with plastic. There are so many things that would not exist without it. It's inexpensive cost and light weight makes it affordable for the consumer and the manufacturer but how do we deal with it's cost on the environment.

If you haven't decided that maybe I should just try a cup of chamomile tea for help sleeping, check out the suggestions that I will post next time.

See you next time.

Recycled, Repuposed, Re Everything

I could easily become geeky about anything recycled, reclaimed, reused, repurposed and some of those other things that begin with re. It all began as I researched new pages to add to NLW and then I caught a show with Nate Berkus. I think I love this man. So much of what he talks about has to do with finding new uses for what you already have and creating something wonderful out of some old item that at first glance you think no way will I have that in my home.

He started a new train of thought for me. Maybe I could attempt a few of the things I saw others doing. An inexpensive old student desk with a nasty looking finish was my first project. All it took was with a little sanding, some paint and some colorful old handles and it's looks totally different. This was a relatively simple project and while I need to work on my techniques I think it came out pretty good for a first attempt.

While I wouldn't have thrown this desk away, it was ugly but sturdy, I often see perfectly good things being thrown away. With a little time, effort and willingness to experiment one less item might not end up in the trash and who knows you might even save money by not buying new. And remember:

The greenest item is the one that already exists.

It helps the environment but it's also fun, creative and totally unique when a tote bag is made from discarded vinyl billboards or a pair of earrings, is made from discarded steel wire and washers. When recycled plastic is used to make lumber or outdoor furniture, countertops are made from used glass or like I mentioned above new uses are found for something that otherwise might be thrown away.

I hope that you will take a little time and explore some of the new pages I have added to NLW. The link below will take you to the recycled products page where you find info on the many ways recycling and reusing can play a bigger part in your life.

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SanoTint Another Safer Hair Dye

This is probably more me just giving you a heads up on another safer hair dye than a product review because I bought SanoTint, did my patch test and went no further.

SanoTint was my latest attempt at testing out safer permanent products to color hair. This hair dye does contain natural ingredients and as with most permanent hair coloring products, chemicals but the chemical ingredients used are better than many brands of hair color - no or low ppd, no ammonia, parabens, heavy metals, etc.

SanoTint comes in several different formulas. One with low levels of ppd, one without ppd and a lightening kit. I chose the one without ppd, SanoTint Light. I was excited to find another hair dye that will work for me because of course I'm thinking it is the ppd that causes me problems. Right?...... Wrong. I'll be darned but something else in these products bother me.

I am embarrassed to admit but I was tempted to skip the patch test before using this product. I know.... but then I realized I would not be able to face you all if I had but I honestly thought without ppd it would be fine. Anyway, I did my patch test strictly as a formality you know and was so surprised to experience burning and itching. What the heck! I am so glad I did not use this all over my head.

My first thought was that there was a mistake and I had the wrong formula but nope that's not it. So, now what's the problem?

The next ingredient I had to consider was the hydrogen peroxide. The product I have been using for awhile now without any issue is Palette by Nature and there is no hydrogen peroxide in it. Before that I was using Tints of Nature without any problems but it contains pharmacuetical grade hydrogen peroxide so either I have become more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide or it's something else. I'll have to experiment a little more to figure this out.

For you however, SanoTint is another product to consider if you are trying to find a safer hair colorant or you want to try a product without ppd. Just please do your patch test first each and every time you color. My experience is just my experience. This product did not work out for me but it might for you. Visit Natural Solutions for SanoTint hair dyes.

For more information about other safer and more natural hair color products check out my page on natural hair color.

GloMinerals (also GlowMinerals)

I purchased my blush three days ago - I noticed it impaired my breathing - the store I bought it at does not take make up returns - I called glo minerals

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Stuck In A Not So Green Rut?

I was listening to one of the morning news shows and the host was talking about making small steps to being green. The whole little changes add up idea which I totally agree with by the way. It just occurred to me that that very same suggestions have been going around for years now and we are still talking about the same things.

Shouldn't we be farther along on our way to being green and natural?

Why is that anyway? I suppose some of it is because many of us don't see the damage being done to the environment or connect products we use around the house to our health and so we tend to stick with doing things the way we have become accustomed to doing them.

Well, it's time to pick up the pace a bit, shake off some old habits and get out of our not so green rut so to speak.

Are you stuck using the plastic or paper bags from the stores instead of switching to reusable bags? All I have to do is spend a few minutes outside any grocery store in my area and watch the people come out to realize that most people are not bringing in reuseable shopping bags. Is this you? Yes, it is inconvenient at first.... Yes, it will cost you but bags can be found or made that are very inexpensive. What are you waiting for?

Have you taken the step and bought reusable bottles? It took me a long time to find one I liked that was the right size and didn't have an annoying lip on the top but I am now rarely without my water bottle and since I do quite a bit of driving around and being thirsty I can't imagine how many plastic water bottles I have saved from the environment. Recycling them is great but more of them end up in the trash. Find a reusable bottle you like and will use.

Are you making an effort to read labels and buy products with ingredients you understand? What in the world are some of the ingredients you are using on your skin, or your children's or in your home? The choice is yours just know what you are buying. I can't promise you this is simple but the more you learn about the ingredients used in anything from skin care to household products it does get easier. Even making items on your own can be simple, fun and very affordable.

How about this? Let's not wait for Earthday, some environmental wake up call or a news report about unsafe ingredients in some skin care product to remind us of the importance of being proactive and taking steps in the green direction. Beginning this month commit to making changes. What are you waiting for?

bare X minerals Mineral makeup review

This review is for bare X minerals Mineral Make up. I bought 4 pcs kit of mineral make up. I found them on internet shop after some research for good

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Being A Green Valentine

Did you head into the new year thinking you were going to be greener or more natural this year? Yes? Well here is a challenge for you. With Valentines Day just around the corner what can you do to make this holiday a little more eco friendly.

Sometimes thinking about being green goes out the door when it comes to holidays. I know I've been guilty of this myself. I find it does take a little pre-planning and a little more looking to find what I want. I will do well until I run into a time crunch and then I find myself going with an old standby. If you find yourself doing this remember that being green and natural takes some time to become a part of your thinking and a consideration as you shop.

Let's start with the cards. We will send lots and lots of cards. Here are your choices.