Baby Soft

There's a product that has been around for 75 years... a name most have heard at some point in their life. Dreft. I hadn't really thought about it, because I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' no babies... and I avoid that aisle in the stores (baby AND laundry aisles, actually), so it took a commercial to make me go HMMMM....

Can't help but notice the PLASTIC diaper...

This here is a product specifically marketed to and targeted at parents of babies. So, then, is it all fresh and natural and not made with lots of chemicals and completely safe? It's been around so long, surely it's safe. Looking at their FAQs, I had to be pleased to see that at least they discourage the use of dryer sheets and softeners. But do you know WHY they say you shouldn't use dryer sheets? Because the use of dryer sheets can cut down on the effectiveness of the flame-retardant that is in baby clothes. (You know what's in flame-retardant? Bad chemicals. Why are we OK with these bad chemicals next to a baby's delicate skin? And why do we have to make babies flame-retardant anyway? Are we smoking around them a lot? Do they frequently burst into little flames? Does anyone ever ask why we need this?? I'm asking now. Please, do inform if you know. I didn't really realize that we had a problem with infants playing with lighters much...)

But I digress. Back to the chemical soup that is Dreft. It's kinda funny to me because they talk a little in circles. They market themselves right off the page. They say how specially formulated Dreft is for babies but how it's OK if you want to keep right on using it on all laundry and it's great for adults, too! Well, which is it?  Am I the only one that sees the double-speak there? NOT TO MENTION that under the FAQ on "powder or liquid" they say that one is great for one thing and the other is great for another thing and they are both great so go ahead and buy both! Umm... wow. Who falls for this??? Apparently, moms everywhere for 75 years fall for it....

They claim Dreft is gentle as water on baby's skin. This made me curious to see exactly what is in this product. Learn with me, will you? Keep in mind, I personally use soap nuts, which are the ultimate in natural. I'll save you the trouble of looking anything up. Here is the list of their ingredients in their "gentle as water" product:


Ingredient Name - Function
Sodium Carbonate - removes water hardness
Sodium Aluminosilicate - removes water hardness
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate - surfactant
Sodium Sulfate - processing aid
Alkyl Sulfate - surfactant
Water - processing aid
Sodium Polyacrylate  - dispersant
Silicate - processing aid
Sodium Percarbonate  -oxygen bleach
Ethoxylate - surfactant
Polyethylene Glycol 4000  -stabilizer
Fragrance - fragrance, Click Here To Learn More (GGW says - I'll list that below)
Disodium Diaminostilbene Disulfonate - fluorescent brightener
Protease - enzyme (stain remover)
Silicone  - suds suppressor

I don't know. Personally, the thought of putting something that I can't pronounce on the super-absorbent skin of an infant is a bit abhorrent to me. But that's just me. I don't have kids, so I could be wrong. Sulfates? Benzene?? Surfactant AND suds suppressor??? Which is it?? And I was GOING TO list the chemicals from which they choose to make their pleasing scents, and undoubtedly that "baby-smell" people mention (never been one for it myself), but the think is THIRTEEN PAGES!!! So here's the link: http://www.pgproductsafety.com/productsafety/ingredients/Perfume_and_Scents.pdf  That is the list of chemicals that their "perfumers select from". It's kind of staggering. 13 pages in really really small print, 2 columns, big words.

Now, it's your kid and I don't care what you do. Actually, that's a lie. I do care what you do. 'Cuz this stuff runs out and off into MY environment too. And, call me crazy, but I don't like to see kids with cancer. I just don't. When I see all these chemicals, and the population growing as it does, and the population using more and more of these chemicals, I cannot help but suspect a cause and effect. Is it just me?

So they've been around 70 years. Maybe it's time to stop? We aren't getting better or healthier. We are getting more cancer, more obese, more developmental problems. Are those the fault of Dreft? Of course not. But we need to stop with these chemicals. Stop. Nature gives us everything we need. We do not need 13 pages of chemicals to smell fake-good. Just stop.

Oh - Dreft is from our friends at Proctor & Gamble. And you know how much THEY care about their bottom line - er - I mean OUR HEALTH! Yeah, that's it.

Evolved?

Do you get those Groupons or Living Social deals? I do; I often get great deals on stuff. Heck, we are getting a great won car ride to LAX for our vacay for less than it would take to park! They offer a lot of good deals. Good for us, good for the businesses, good for the economy.

But, then I saw this one for a mani/pedi. Now, I really have never had a professional manicure. And NO ONE touches my feet except my husband. (There are reasons.) But I decided to look at it anyway. Curiosity and all that. I basically consider manicures a waste of money (and heinous chemicals). And as far as frequent manicures... really? My nails generally look pretty good. They are clean and bright and healthy and I try to keep them shaped, I've even had people think they weren't real because they are in kind of nice condition. They are getting a little ridgy as I get older, so I thought maybe a splurge was in order. (Of course that was before I got fired the other day... but that's a WHOLE other thing!!!) Anyway, something made me click it to check it out.

Maybe slightly unnecessary?

Here was the text: "Our primitive ancestors enjoyed very few creature comforts -- no reality TV shows, no social networks, and certainly no nail polish. Luckily, we've evolved since then: You can make unsightly nails ancient history with today's deal from [XXX] Salon, which gets you a Classic manicure and pedicure for $30..." regularly $60, I guess...
Um. Seriously? "Evolved"? I can think of a million examples of how "our primitive ancestors" we much better humans than are we. Reality TV shows probably top the list. (Honey Boo-Boo? Just kill me, and make it swift.) I do admire pretty nails at times and will definitely compliment someone in public, you know, maybe make them smile if they are not... show them I see them (I've surely been ignored and it's nice when someone SEES you, you know?)... a little tiny ice-break or conversation starter... but, yeah. I get it that they are a nice thing people like to do for themselves to feel good or treat themselves a little, here and there, easily. But, I've never sat quite right with the acrylics that have been proven to be bad, or the constant chemicals, or the horrible stories of infections etc... Could some of these chemicals we've been freely exposing everyone to be causing problems in children? In us? I'm all for feeling good about yourself, And I'm not saying we all have to walk around with dirt from the garden under our nails. (Though that would be an improvement.) I just feel we focus on the wrong things a LOT in this society. Priorities? I personally refuse to live such a life that it's a complete calamity if my nail breaks. Indeed, when they do get long and pretty and then I reluctantly file them down, I marvel at how much easier it is to text and type and I wonder why I ever let them grow in the first place. But that's me. I know I can't force my beliefs onto others (Even though I am right. HAHAHHA! Little joke there!!!), but actually we can when the behavior of others is affecting the health of the rest of us. Have I mentioned the chemicals? And it really isn't even the thought of the mani/pedi that annoyed me - it was the use of words. Words mean things. I know, I use them all the time. Let's stop being so irresponsible with them. If reality TV is evolution, then we need to de-evolve and quick. You can say they were trying to be lighthearted, but I know the audience at which they are aiming, and this is more like gospel to them.

And THAT'S the problem here. Not the deal, not the action, but the thought processes at work. This is the kind of not-thinking-consequences thinking that keeps us mired in all of it.

Because, really. Can we really say "Toddlers with Tiaras" and its spawn are signs of an evolved way of thinking?

..........not so much.

Nothing But Soap

Still buying cleaners from the store, with dubious ingredients, from companies that have been purchased by larger corporations that make other bad products? Still believe the corporate line that you need a million different bottles of cleaners for each room of the house? I have an alternative. I have many, actually, but this is the one I will talk about today!

I "met" Amber Perks as we meet so many people these days - on Facebook. Amber-Nothing-But-Soap, she goes by. (http://www.facebook.com/nothingbutsoap?ref=ts) What's the deal on this? I'd always meant to check out her products, but one day she said she'd love to send samples to anyone who wanted to review her products. I hit her up for that immediately! I actually do like to talkabout good stuff, every once in awhile. That stuff exists. May not seem like it from my usual talk...

But here it is. Amber sent some laundry detergent and Lemon Cleaning Scrub. Now of course I am an avowed Soap Nuts aficionado, but I will try other things so that I can let other people know about them! My husband kept beating me to the laundry (oh darn), and he is all about soap nuts and would not stray, but I can say that when I finally got to use the Grapefruit Laundry Soap that Amber sent, it was quite nice. She lists all ingredients right there on her site and on the label. And just the tiniest hint of essential oils. Or even unscented if you prefer. She makes a variety of scents for whatever you may like. I highly recommend trying them for yourself.

But the Lemon Scrub!!! I am HOOKED!!! Again, she lists the natural ingredients right there for you: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Borate, Lemon Juice (!!), Vinegar, and Lemon Essential Oils. Um... that's awesome! If I ever made my own, that's what I would use! But I don't have to because Amber does! And look at the packaging! That's not a plastic bottle. She sent a little sample bag, and we need to use so little that I still have plenty left. It goes a long way. And before you look at her price and think that it sound like a lot, stop to think about the number of different cleaners you have for the kitchen and the bathroom. You can use this one product in the kitchen sinks, your cutting boards, the bathtub, bathroom sink, toilet... I shudder to think of the gawd-awful chemicals we flush when we clean toilets. Did I mention that you don't have to hold your breath while using this scrub, and run out of the room to breathe again? Really, if you have to do that, there is something seriously wrong. My white enamel kitchen sink has really never looked better. I noticed the shiny difference immediately. The husband had beaten me to that too (OK, he gets to work from home, I don't, he SHOULD be doing that LOL), and one look in the sink had me saying, is this from the lemon scrub?? Yup.

Amber has made the perfect blends. If you are like me and just don't get around to *making* your own, let Amber do it. She makes them all herself... from her home to yours. You can support small business AND have a really clean home without harsh chemicals, or you can keep on buying Mrs. Meyer's that isn't even Mrs. Meyer's anymore. I know what I plan to do.

Here's your link: http://www.scrubnaturally.com/ Go for it.

How Many Are in YOUR Home?

"The safest cleaning products are cheap, widely available and have been around for centuries: baking soda, water, and vinegar along with some elbow grease. The EWG says these ingredients can be used to clean everything from countertops to hardwood floors to ovens."

Funny, I have said this over and over and over and over. And again. And yet, most people I know will STILL have one or more of the products on this list in their home, check it out:

http://shine.yahoo.com/green/worst-household-cleaners-health-152200302.html

Remember this guy??

How many of those can you dig out RIGHT NOW from your cupboards? In your bathroom, your kitchen?

Do you have to run out of the room after using your cleaners, so you can breath? Do you have to wear rubber gloves? Do you have to wear clothes you aren't afraid to ruin? does this NOT seem like a problem to you?

I was scrubbing my Pyrex dish and thinking about commercials where women hold up stuff that has "baked-on stuck-on" messes. I was thinking, really, nothing actually STICKS to glass. It comes off. Sure, it might take a little muscle. So.... so what? Are we too frail to use elbow grease anymore? Was that for our grandmothers who didn't have the luxuries we have now?

All those commercials... those companies do not CARE if your nails look good because you don't have to scrub a pan. They don't CARE if their product, used too much or improperly, is actually bad for the environment. They don't CARE if it's bad for our health. They put the warnings on it they need to, then happily take your money for their shareholders. If you think for one second that they want YOUR quality of life to improve, you are sadly disillusioned. I don't know quite where you got that idea. Get rid of it. And if you think everything should magically float off your pots/pans/bathtub and you shouldn't have to work on it at all, get rid of that, too. Life takes a little work. It should. We shouldn't be replacing a little bit of actual work with toxic cleaners, just because we can't be bothered to do the right thing. Don't have time? Tough. Our planet doesn't have time. Our kids don't have time. WE are killing time for them with what we have done and what we have become.

You ask, "What do you mean, what have we become?"

Lazy.

Let's rewind and go back to the better way. Simple, frugal, hard-working. Just because we get a little dirt under our fingernails doesn't mean life is hard. It means we appreciate Life and will do what we can to preserve it.

And let's stop thinking that "clean" means we have to run outta the room so we can breathe again. I mean, really.

Time to Try Soap Nuts

Laundry is done. Well, OK, the laundry hamper is empty for at least an hour, anyway. Give or take. Good second day to the year.

Have you tried soap nuts yet? Why not? Does the "nut" part freak you out? Do you need your laundry to smell like fake fragrance and chemicals, instead of nothing at all? Can you just not wean yourself from the liquid stuff? Stuff in plastic jugs? What do  you do with all those jugs, anyway? Did you know you can throw the spent soap nuts in your yard where they can just quietly bio-degrade? Can you do that with your plastic jug? I triple-dog dare you. Even with the smallest possible container, aren't you still just left with a plastic thing and chemicals in  your clothes and on your skin? Even the most "natural" brand... what's in it? Have you looked? Will you now? Do you think your clothes are cleaner than mine? Don't you think Mother Nature would give us whatever we need, that we don't need to MAKE stuff like this?

Anyway.

We were ordering our soap nuts from a place in Canada, until I discovered a wonderful little local company. (Well, local for now) Eco-Nuts has really high quality product, you can visit http://econutssoap.com/ to look at all their great stuff! I encountered the company at a green event, and I contacted Mona about getting a sample. She sent over the "nuts" (they aren't really nuts, they are the shells, but whatevs, right?), which were definitely of the quality that was promised. She also sent some liquid detergent. I had never tried that, but I loved that it came in a little recyclable aluminum bottle. Their products don't come in plastic, and I love that. I have been using the nuts, so I did not get around to using the liquid. Today, I found it and thought, well, why not. It's a tiny bottle; I figured it was just a sampler size. That's a quarter there in the picture. The cap is about as big around as the coin. SO, how much of this do I dump in? I looked at the instructions... ONE little tiny cap-full! That's it! Less for an HE machine. Which, in an apartment, I'm lucky with the crap machines in our laundry room.

I think I love the liquid stuff. I'll keep on with the nuts themselves because I love those too. I love knowing the are made by Nature, and clean my clothes gently and leave less pilling and NO smell.

Hit up Mona at Eco-Nuts. Tell her Good Green Witch sent you. Hopefully, you'll try them and never go back.

Screw the Planet, Save Ourselves

There is an article that has been making its rounds of Facebook pages, as many do. This one has me a little torn. You may have seen it; it's in greenbiz.com. The gist of it is... well, here's a paragraph:

 Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of Shelton Group, also responded to the NYT piece as well as a more recent article by GreenBiz Executive Editor Joel Makower, who declared green marketing dead. While Shelton acknowledged that marketing products with an "it'll save the planet" message is dead, she added: "Very few Americans have ever bought stuff because they want to save the planet. As I've hammered home in this blog countless times, people buy green products for a host of other reasons -- to feel more comfortable, to gain peace of mind, to limit the chemicals their families are exposed to ..."

My first reaction to what many were saying, "Wow, good article," was to get a little pissed. (Naturally. I mean, it's me, remember?) I got in a little bit of a snit that people are so damn selfish and don't care to ever think about the effect on the planet. But, so what? Doesn't the end justify the means? Who cares about their reasoning so long as they buy the good stuff? Right? Even my tag line is, "Saving the Species, Not the Planet". So... why so snitty?

Image from article. Heels? Really?

Good question. I may or may not have figured this one out. We'll see. Together. I think I just feel like it should all be one in the same, you know? Why do we have to make a distinction? How about, "I buy this because I care about my kids. But I also care about other people's kids. I care about the health of my home, and my home IS the planet." Is it just THIS tiny little thing that is bugging me? What IS it that makes me give a crap about why people do what they do? They're still buying the good stuff. Take what ya get, shut up, and get on with it.

But now comes my AHA moment. I think. Yes, yes, this could be it. Making this shade of a distinction speaks of the bigger problem to me. That problem is that we do not have a "global concern." We still don't care about what our neighbor is doing, so long as in OUR little household, WE'RE buying cleaners etc. that are healthy for OUR kids. I must really, really be reading WAY too much into this. Something. This shouldn't bug me this much. But, OK, heck yah I'm going to read into it.  See, it's a dangerous attitude. No, not mine. The attitude of which I speak is this pervasive subversive idea that all I care about is me and mine. I just see it too much everywhere about so many things. "I got my healthcare, screw everyone else." "My kid goes to a good school, screw anyone else's kids." "I got mine, that's their problem." This... circling of wagons into tiny little groups alarms me to no end. And this seems like more of it. It makes me think things don't end well for anyone.

At this point, I fail to know if I am making any sense. I like to think I am. Something just troubles me about the way this is stated, that's all. Yay for people buying green products for whatever reason. Boo me for thinking anything untoward about the whole thing. It's all good, we're fine, everyone's fine, nothing to see here, no worries.

And yet....