Mommy Greenest

Healthy Living, Less Judgment

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  • Home
  • Book
  • Categories
    • Healthy Living
    • Mommy Greenest Approved
    • Eco Beauty & Fashion
    • Natural Parenting
    • Latest Buzz
    • Green News & Events
  • Mommy Greenest Guides
    • Guide to Going Green
    • Guide to Eco-Friendly Fashion
    • Guide to Healthy Eating
    • Guide to Natural Parenting & Pregnancy
    • Guide to Green Beauty
    • Guide to Healthy Cleaning
  • About
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  • natural cleaners on kitchen counter
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Branch Basics Natural Cleaner

    January 5, 2015 /

    What do you do when your reality implodes? You change the world. That’s what then 20-year-old Allison Evans set out to do after realizing that the debilitating health problems she was experiencing were the result of exposures to toxic chemicals. The company she later co-founded, Branch Basics, manufactures an amazingly effective soap that you dilute to different consistencies to tackle every cleaning job in your house—from laundry and dishes to windows and floors. Created with a proprietary blend of plant enzymes, this stuff is safe enough to (accidentally) drink—but serious enough to eliminate tough dirt and stains. Amazing!

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    Rachel Sarnoff 122 Comments

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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Lullaby Earth Crib Mattresses

    September 1, 2014
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Pour le Monde Natural Fragrance

    September 15, 2013

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Kids Konserve

    August 19, 2013
  • natural laundry detergent
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Meliora K Natural Laundry

    December 8, 2014 /

    There’s a great scene in the new biopic of Stephen Hawking in which he woos his soon-to-be wife with an analysis of why the men’s white shirts luminesce in the ultraviolet lights of a cocktail party. “Optical whiteners,” he says—and she swoons. I didn’t know that that meant, so I did a little research. Optical whiteners are synthetic chemicals that make laundry look brighter; they absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it as blue light. (It’s basically the same reason why white-haired ladies use blue shampoo.) So since optical brighteners have nothing to do with getting your laundry actually clean, I wondered if there was a downside to these chemicals—and if you…

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    Rachel Sarnoff 71 Comments

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    Readers Trust Mommy Greenest

    January 21, 2022
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Barlean’s Organic Culinary Coconut Oil + Healthy Popsicle Recipe!

    July 20, 2015
    model wearing au naturale natural beauty

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Au Naturale Cosmetics Natural Beauty

    November 24, 2014
  • jessica alba's honest company detangler next to a brush on a table with a blurry green background
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: The Honest Company

    August 4, 2014 /

    In the dog days of summer, the only thing my kids want to do is swim in the pool. Since we don’t have one at our house, I keep a bag packed with essentials that I can tote to a friend’s house, the health club, a public pool—basically wherever we can get some water time. I like products that do double duty so I carry less gear. And of course, I want them free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and dyes, formaldehyde, petrochemicals and any other baddies I don’t have room to mention. That’s why this year, my swim essentials bag is packed by the The Honest Company, which just…

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    Rachel Sarnoff 4 Comments

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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Spa Heroes Beauty Subscription

    October 13, 2014
    Allgood Provisions healthy snacks

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Allgood Provisions Healthy Snacks

    October 14, 2015
    healthy products on white background with kale and grass around them

    Heal Yourself, Heal the World!

    May 1, 2014
  • african american father with young son on his shoulders smile in front of large house with white columns
    Healthy Living

    Home Detox with Mommy Greenest

    July 11, 2014 /

    After many years of informally advising friends, family and acquaintances about how to reduce toxic chemical exposures in their homes, I recently launched Home Detox with Mommy Greenest, a service business here in Los Angeles. Meeting with families one-on-one for about 90-minutes, I assess the big picture—from what’s in your fridge to what’s on your floors—and follow up with recommendations on the spot, as well as an in-depth report within the week. The service helps families eliminate household toxins and make sure their homes are the healthiest they can be. And the response has been nothing short of amazing!

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    Rachel Sarnoff 0 Comments

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    Truly Natural Sex Guide

    May 9, 2013
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    Breaking Up With Yoga

    May 18, 2020
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    When to Toss An Off Gassing Toy

    April 17, 2013
  • woman wearing breathing mask and gloves inspects several unlabeled cleaning product bottles.
    Healthy Living

    Seven Shortcuts to Healthy Cleaners

    June 18, 2014 /

    The EPA estimates that the air inside our homes can be as more polluted than the air outside, and some of that pollution comes from our cleaning products. In fact, in their Guide to Healthy Cleaning database, the Environmental Working Group* found that a full half of the cleaning products on the market contain ingredients known to harm our lungs. So what’s exactly in these products—and what can we do to make them safer? 

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    Rachel Sarnoff 6 Comments

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    Deadly Popcorn?

    February 23, 2015
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    Go Semi-Vegetarian! 2 Ways to Ditch Dioxins

    September 27, 2013
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    Healthy Children, Less Judgement

    April 13, 2013
  • woman on news set stands behind table covered in flowers with green tablecloth
    Latest Buzz

    MG Earth Day on KTLA News

    April 24, 2014 /

    Using ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard, I shared how-to healthy housecleaning tips with the amazing KTLA News team on Earth Day. What are Jessica Holmes and Chris Burroua now doing with those red pepper flakes? You have to watch to find out!

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    Rachel Sarnoff 2 Comments

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    Spring Equinox Newsletter

    March 22, 2022
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    MG on The Entrepreneur Experience

    August 27, 2014
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    May Newsletter

    May 11, 2022
  • brown carpet before cleaning and after
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Detox the House with ZerorezSoCal

    March 14, 2014 /

    For years, I’ve been helping people detox their homes by getting toxic chemicals out of the picture. We’ve talked about eliminating pesticides, switching over to better laundry products, taking off your shoes at the door to reduce lead, dirt and pesticides by 85% and getting toxic chemicals out of your cleaning cabinets. As I shared earlier this month, in my hunt for truly cleaner cleaning products, I discovered ZerorezSoCal, which cleans carpets, upholstery, tile and grout using a special kind of patented water that’s high pH and so pure you can drink it. And I did, of course. 

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    Rachel Sarnoff 3 Comments

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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Lash Food Natural Lash Enhancer

    June 30, 2014
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: #MinorMiracle with ZerorezSoCal

    March 21, 2014
    natural skincare saison beauty products lined up in a row

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Saison Beauty Natural Skincare

    September 28, 2015
  • woman's hand holding glass of water against white background
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Nixing the Five Second Rule with Zerorez SoCal

    March 6, 2014 /

    I was the second to get pregnant. My sister-in-law went first; two years later, I had my son—and then two more kids, in relatively rapid succession. The two of us had this joke—I’m sure you’ve heard it—that with the first kid you sterilize the bottle if you drop it on the floor, with the second you put the nipple in your mouth to clean it off, and with the third, you wipe it on your pants. Just writing that makes me cringe. But back then, we didn’t really think much about germs—or toxic chemicals in cleaning products.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 1 Comment

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    Enter the Natural Products Expo

    February 27, 2014
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Sneakz Organic Healthy Chocolate Milkshakes

    June 16, 2014
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: True Natural Self Tanner

    June 9, 2014
 Older Posts

Welcome! I created this blog in 2008 as a resource for healthier living with less judgment. I'm a mother of three, former journalist, and co-founder of the (shuttered, sniff) sustainable beauty and fashion site EcoStiletto. I was Executive Director of the nonprofits The 5 Gyres Institute and Healthy Child Healthy World and appeared as a sustainable lifestyle expert on "The "TODAY Show" and "CNN Headline News," among others. Oh, and have you checked out my TEDx talks: Trash is Ruining Recycling and Can One Straw Change The World? Today, you can find me here. Let's keep in touch! xoRachel

https://youtu.be/sOol1MIgois

rachellincolnsarnoff

This week, I received a beautiful card from a frie This week, I received a beautiful card from a friend whom I’ve only known through a zoom screen. Her words of encouragement could not have been better timed, as I’m wrestling a massive, sticky octopus of a new plot and had been wondering if I should just let it swim back into its inky, anonymous cloud. Getting this card was the push I needed to hold on. So today, I’m sending words of encouragement to another writer whom I know primarily through screens, and hoping she’ll pass it on, too. There’s something about the surprise of a message facilitated by ink and paper and a stamp that resonates more strongly than an email. Do you agree? #AmWriting #Writing #WritingCommunity #PacificMFA
What if you could wash your hair just once a month What if you could wash your hair just once a month? New MG story up — link in bio! #hair #hairstyle #ecohair #ecostyle
This has always been a challenging day for me, as This has always been a challenging day for me, as it is for so many of us who grew up without or have challenging relationships with their mothers. From kindergarten on, the week before was filled with questions and activities designed to honor a person who was not present in my life, and that reminder was a special kind of pain, like a shard of glass in your sole that shifts every so often into something sharp. The feeling softened as I became a mother, and is changing again as my children leave the nest — today, it’s just my youngest and me. But there is also sweetness in annually honoring all the amazing and generous women and men who have mothered me and taught me how to mother — some are mothers, and some love with a mother’s heart. I believe that we choose our own families — sometimes they’re connected by blood, but not always. If this day is difficult, please remember to honor and nurture yourself through it. For me, this means writing about these feelings, until I’ve worked out the glass and it can no longer make me bleed. #amwriting #writer #writersofinstagram
Happy trails to you… #lakearrowhead #arrowhead # Happy trails to you… #lakearrowhead #arrowhead #mountains #mountainlife #treehugger
Honored and inspired by last night’s conversatio Honored and inspired by last night’s conversation with Shannon Perry about her incredible vision and execution on @cityofsantamonica #sustainability and Daniel Thurmond about the amazing work of the student-led Team Marine @vikingssamohi! What’s the best way to ensure progress on #environmental goals? Take daily action and #VOTE! This fall, legislators could pass the #BreakFreeFromPlastic Act, and in my home state of California, voters will decide the #PlasticPollution Reduction and #Recycling Act. Let’s do this!
When is someone too old to wear band shirts? Askin When is someone too old to wear band shirts? Asking for a friend. #music #livemusic #bands #bandaid #wetleg #whatareyoudoingsittingdown
Flashback to last month, when my essay was feature Flashback to last month, when my essay was featured on the front page of the #WashingtonPost. Did I get trolled? Yes, until my editor shut off comments. Am I more thoughtful about consumption? Hell, yes. Link in bio. Would love your thoughts. xo
#AmWriting #Fiction #WomensFiction #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
Isn’t she magnificent? Please don’t kill #shar Isn’t she magnificent? Please don’t kill #sharks for #beauty! New MG post explains how to stop — link in bio. #naturalbeauty #naturalbeautyproducts #cleanbeauty #cleanbeautyrevolution #cleanbeautyproducts
Lula has new skills. #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsdo Lula has new skills. #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsdoingthings #dogsdodrive
Game changer! Who else is oil cleansing? This dail Game changer! Who else is oil cleansing? This daily practice has totally rejuvenated my skin. New story up on MommyGreenest - link in bio! #beauty #naturalbeauty #naturalbeautytips #oilcleansing #oil
My husband bought this wetsuit from @patagonia a d My husband bought this wetsuit from @patagonia a decade ago and the zipper was shredded. He sent it back, they fixed it, and now it’s good as new.  This is not a sponsored post — I’m just perpetually impressed with the company’s commitment to circularity, especially when it hits home like this. #Patagonia #Surf #LovedThingsLast
The bodacious and delicious Dolly Parton rose, ins The bodacious and delicious Dolly Parton rose, inside Octavia Butler’s mind-blowing world-building, the tree that has everything (leaves, flowers, scent), and how does my mother have less wrinkles than I do?!?
My essay about drinking was published in the Washi My essay about drinking was published in the Washington Post today (linktree in bio). Here’s context: During the pandemic, the number of women who have five or more drinks each day increased by 41% — today, this is the daily habit of 30% of American women. I’m feeling all the feels — especially about how my story will be received by family and friends — but it seems to be resonating with a lot of people. It’s scary to be this honest, but I think it’s an important conversation to begin. I’m slowly working my way through every one, avoiding trolls along the way. #amwriting #writing #writer #alcohol #alcoholism
When you can’t refuse a gift that comes in a pla When you can’t refuse a gift that comes in a plastic bag, make it reusable! #motivation #health #wellness #healthylifestyle #breakfreefromplastic
Sometimes you don’t even need a key to get thoug Sometimes you don’t even need a key to get though the lock. #amwriting #amediting #writersofinstagram
Going makeup-free to demo slugging, the beauty cra Going makeup-free to demo slugging, the beauty craze that’s taken over TikTok. But do you really need petrochemicals or animal products to nail this super-hydrating technique? No! For my latest MG post, I discovered an all-natural, vegan solution — and it’s just $15. Link in bio! #beauty #beautytips #natural #naturalbeauty #skincare #skincaretips #naturalskincare #vegan #veganbeauty #veganbeautyproducts #slugging #sluglife
Enchanted, as always. Enchanted, as always.
Party like it’s your birthday. #lula #lovepuppy Party like it’s your birthday. #lula #lovepuppy #dogsofinstagram
Yes, Fashion Revolution. #Design #ShopDropChallen Yes, Fashion Revolution.
#Design #ShopDropChallenge #WearYourValues #Fashion #SustainableFashion #EcoFashion #EthicalFashion #SlowFashion #FashionRevolution #LovedClothesLast #LovePreloved #Preloved #PrelovedStyle #PrelovedFashion #PrelovedClothes #Thrift #ThriftedFashion #PreOwned #Vintage #VintageStyle #SwapDontShop #Secondhand #SecondhandStyle #Repair #Reuse #Sustainability #MommyGreenest #Activist
I knew that pursuing an MFA through Pacific Univer I knew that pursuing an MFA through Pacific University would help me as a writer. But I underestimated the joy that being part of its community would bring. This week, I had the privilege of reading an ARC of The World of Pondside by Mary Helen Stefaniak, who was my advisor and is now one of my favorite writers. The book comes out in April and is available to pre-order now. It is fantastic! As with every world that Mary Helen creates, this one is deep and vivid and the characters are alive and real. The plot is complicated in the best possible way and at every turn I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Pondside, yes! #fiction #books #author #bookstagram #writing
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