Every drop counts when it comes to water conservation. Our planet is two-thirds water but only 3% of that is fresh water and less than 1% is fit for us to use. On top of this, much of our freshwater supply is being contaminated by billions of tons of toxic chemicals being dumped into the oceans, lakes, rivers and other natural water sources. These toxic chemicals come from our use of toxic household cleaners, petrochemical based laundry detergents, soaps, shampoos… and this is just in our homes. Think about all the chemicals being deposited into our... 

A great place to start for the organic newbie is understanding USDA organic labeling and learning what the word organic does and doesn’t mean. When you’re shopping in the store you will come across a lot of options for healthy, natural and organic foods. Especially these days where the organic market is growing in leaps and bounds. Big money companies are fighting for your dollar and as a result muddying the word “organic” with their marketing gimmicks. Being a savvy shopper will help you make educated purchases and be self-assured... 

Astringents and Toners Astringents work best for oily skin because they remove excess oil and will temporarily tighten the skin and enlarged pores. Natural astringents include: peppermint -is refreshing and antibacterial witch hazel – mild and reduces excess oil from the skin sage – mild and fragrant cypress essential oil – mild and helps regulate the production of oil in the skin grapefruit essential oil – also mild and helps regulate the production of oil in the skin Toners tend to be gentler and usually include natural soothing... 

The other day I posted the information that I had found regarding Wal-Mart “Organics” and one of my readers, thegreenmommy, posted this great comment: “…when articles tackle the subject of deceptive use of “organic,” it makes consumers doubt the entire organic food industry’s validity.” So, what does “Organic” stand for? Integrity Trust Community Health Sustainable Living Renewable Resources These are just a few words that define what”organic” means to me but for now, I want to talk about the formal... 

60 % of any substance applied directly to your skin is absorbed into your body. This is a scary thought when we think of the chemicals in commercially available skin care and cosmetic products. Most of these chemicals are toxic or we know little to nothing about the long term effects on our bodies. For example, lip stick is one of the most toxic cosmetic products because it contains harmful chemicals such as, PVP, saccharine, artificial colors and artificial fragrances. But what also makes lip stick harmful is that it is applied to such a thin layer of skin... 

In our grocery stores we see such labels as natural, home-free, free-range and others but these terms don’t mean they are organic. These claims maybe true but they aren’t interchangeable with organic. So how do we know what is or isn’t organic? We start with looking for a label whether it’s a single-ingredient food such as fruits and vegetables or multiple-ingredient foods such as pasta sauce or bread. The label we are looking for is the USDA Organic Label, as shown bellow. This ensures that the product is at least 95-100% organic....