Could @EPA’s #SaferChoice Mean Dangerous Fragrance?
Talk about controversy. When the EPA’s new Design for Environment launched the “Safer Choice” certification program, it looked promising. But it seems to have inspired no end of headaches.
Fragrance Disclosure by @SCJGreenChoices: Does It Go Far Enough?
Want to know what’s in your air freshener fragrance? Now you can–up to a point. Last week, SC Johnson announced that they would disclose fragrance ingredients for the 200 candles, scented oils and air fresheners in product lines such as Glade. But there’s a catch.
DIY Natural Bug Repellant Perfume
Tis the season for bugs. And although I happen to love the scent of citronella, others—I’m not naming names, but we could be married—hate it. So I whipped up a new recipe for DIY natural bug repellant perfume that employs three of my favorite scents, with no citronella in sight. Want to try? I’ll show you how!
Make Your Own Perfume for Spring
Want to avoid phthalates? Make your own perfume. Those pesky toxic chemicals have been linked to obesity, among other health problems. And because fragrance manufacturers don’t have to tell us what’s in their formulation there can be as many as 3,000 different chemicals in one bottle of perfume, many of which are phthalates. One way to make sure you know exactly what’s in your signature scent is to make your own perfume, as I started doing last year. But after a few Mommy Greenest readers commented with worries about my vanilla-base perfume staining clothes and skin, I figured out a new recipe, a rose-scented number that’s perfect for spring. And it’s clear! Want…
Mommy Greenest Approved: Pour le Monde Natural Fragrance
Yes, I like to make my own natural fragrance. Currently, I’m rotating between Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter scents that I DIY as the seasons change. But as much as I layer in the essential oils, my natural fragrances tend to reflect one dominant note. They smell good, but there’s not a lot of subtlety. For that, you need a master perfumer. Wendi Berger came to the same conclusion, when she couldn’t find synthetic-free natural fragrances that provided the kind of layered scents she had previously found in conventional perfumes. So she engaged a master perfumer and set out to create a line of all natural eau de parfums that also serve…
Got A Rash? Check Your Fragrance
I love magazines. Ever since I was a little girl, I’d plop down on the floor with a pile in front of me, paging through articles and dog-earing their pages. These days, my two daughters join me on the carpet. But before I let them crack the covers, I follow a familiar ritual: Weeding through the pages, pulling out the fragrance samples and taking them to the outside trash. The magazines still smell faintly of the synthetic fragrance inserts that litter their pages, but at least the majority of scent is gone.
4 Steps to Natural Self Tanning Without Sun
Spring is here and with it bare legs and arms. And although we all know we should just accept the skin we’re in and eschew that sun-kissed look, there’s something about pale and pasty that’s just downright bad for the old self-esteem. Now, that doesn’t mean head up onto the roof with a bottle of baby oil and a roll of aluminum foil—that’s so junior year 1998. Nor does it mean slathering on some potentially carcinogenic self tanning chemicals that turn you orange. Actually, the active ingredient in most self tanning creams isn’t so bad. Known as DHA, dihydroxyacetone is a sugar that can be derived naturally from beets; it…
Want a Natural Pregnancy? 12 Tips to Protect Your Baby for Life
Getting ready for baby—or pregnancy? Congratulations! Going green for your growing belly—or for when you bring that baby home—sounds good on paper, but is a natural pregnancy doable in reality? Yes! Here’s how: 1. Eat organic: The dangers of common pesticide exposure are equal to those of smoking during pregnancy: low birth weight and early labor. Studies have shown that eating organic for just five days can eliminate many of the pesticides—linked to cancer, among other health problems—in our bodies. Following the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen lists can reduce your family’s exposure by 80 percent.
