Baby Steps – Switching the kiddos’ products to “greener” products

Jan 12,2011 / By Maria / 4 Comments

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I’ve been wanting to switch all of our household and personal care products to more “natural” products, without all the added chemicals. If I were a millionaire, I would do a massive purge and buy all new stuff to try. Unfortunately, I’m not a millionaire, and I stretch our budget by shopping CVS (A.K.A. “CVS’ing.”) Since I started CVS’ing in 2007, I haven’t paid more than a few pennies for toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, soap, face wash etc. I only have 1 card, stick to all limits, and only use legitimate coupons, but I’m still blessed to be able to donate bags of products to the food bank, while still having a major product stockpile!

Unfortunately, all of those products are “mainstream” products full of chemicals. I’ve been using Method Baby bath stuff on my son, but shamefully, my daughter has been using Johnson’s Buddies and L’Oreal Kids products. Anyone who has shopped for natural/organic personal care products knows they cost a heck of a lot more than “pennies!” Note: on Monday, I received my CVS ad for next week in the mail (they mail it to me because my paper doesn’t put it in for some reason.) Tom’s of Maine Deodorant, Toothpaste & Mouthwash will be on sale for $3.99 with $3.00 ECB, limit of 2. Pretty sweet!

I finally decided that instead of dipping into my stockpile, I would replace items with a more natural product as we ran out. I really don’t know how I’ll feel about that when I run out of shampoo though! In any case, the kids’ bath products were getting low, and I don’t have much trouble handing over the cash for products that are better for them (things for me are a different story!)

I checked our two local organic markets (think the size of one department in whole foods) and I’ll admit, I let my nose do most of the choosing. I’m a sucker for a scented product, though I can’t handle very strong scents. I especially adore a sweet baby smell for baby bath stuff. I bought 6 products (the Burt’s Bees bubble bath pictured was a gift we haven’t used yet) and spent around $40 plus tax. Zoinks. I reminded myself that my kids are worth it, and that replacing the products as they’re used up won’t be so spendy. I think I’ve used two bottles of body wash and one bottle of shampoo for my son, since he was born 19 months ago. My daughter may have used two bars of soap, half a bottle of body wash and two bottles of shampoo and conditioner in that same time period.

While I did look at the ingredients lists at the store, I was surprised to pull up the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database and find that the “ratings” on the new products were about the same as the Johnson & Johnson’s products. I spent some time looking at the ingredients, and I felt OK with my purchases by the time I closed my browser. While the J&J products are full of difficult to pronounce ingredients, my new stuff’s highest “offending” ingredient was usually fragrance. Oops.

I know that in a perfect world, I’d be using only products (on the kids and everywhere else) that were rated “0 toxins,” but I have to take baby steps. I’m just not ready to give up my lather-licious, yummy smelling products just yet. If I tried, I’m pretty sure I would fail, return to my old products and just be out a lot of money!

So, for now, I am happy with my more “natural” kids’ bath products (which I will be reviewing in the upcoming weeks) and I’m happy to be taking a big donation of mainstream children’s products over to the food bank! I feel a little funny donating them, like “here, this isn’t good enough for my kids, you take them!” On the other hand, I think the majority of people are perfectly satisfied with J&J type stuff, and hopefully some kids will be happy to get some fun new bath stuff!

Has cloth diapering made you more determined to go “green” in other ways? What products do you want to switch over?

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Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion Review & Giveaway Open to the U.S. and Canada (CLOSED 1/5)

Dec 29,2010 / By Maria / 1 Comment

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I had never heard of Skin MD Natural before this review. I am so glad I know about it now! It is made in the U.S. in a 100% solar facility, is never tested on animals, and does not contain any animal ingredients, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes or fragrances.

I received a 4 oz. (full size) bottle of the shielding lotion to try. Initially, $18 seemed a little steep for a 4 oz. bottle, even though they estimate it will last 1-2 months with daily use. I was wrong again! The literature suggested a pea size amount for hands, but I needed even less than that. I’ve been using it for a few weeks, and my bottle still seems full.

The ingredients are 93% natural and the lotion hydrates and protects your hands. The bottle says to apply it every 2-8 hours initially, then every 12-24 hours after your skin’s moisture improves. I’ve been using it pretty much any time I think about it. Every time I wash my hands, any time my hands feel a little dry, any time I walk by the bottle…

I’ve mentioned before that I suffer from eczema on my hands, which is exacerbated by the constant hand washing that goes hand in hand (har har) with motherhood.

Here’s why I really love this lotion: it truly soaks into your skin and does not feel greasy. I am really weird about that. I’m not afraid of getting dirty, but I am totally squicked out when I have anything on my hands, and I have to wash them right away. I have gone so far as to squirt lotion on the backs of my hands and rub them together to avoid getting any on my palms. With Skin MD, even when I used way too much, my hands just felt soft. Not the slightest bit sticky or greasy.

It does not have added fragrance, but it has a very light, pleasant smell. It smells very familiar, but I am terrible at putting my finger on scents. I am going to guess that I’m smelling the aloe and chamomile!

With other lotions, even if it doesn’t feel terribly gross on my hands, it feels slimy rinsing off my hands the next time I wash them. Not so with Skin MD! Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that Skin MD worked miracles and cured my eczema, but it is noticeably improved. The skin between my fingers isn’t flaking anymore, and my hands don’t snag on diapers when I stuff them (ick!).

I also received some samples of the Skin MD lotion with SPF 15.

I was really surprised that it also had a great texture. Usually if I apply sunscreen, or even a lotion with added sunscreen, I have to wash my hands 3-4 times to get the greasy feeling off. I was able to put this on the palms of my hands with no such feeling!

If you want to try it yourself, you can request a sample by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope!

Giveaway: Skin MD is offering a reader her own 4 oz. bottle of Shielding Lotion. (ARV $18)

Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below. I love comments, but comments don’t count as entries.

Mandatory entries include your name and email address. You may elect to receive a bonus entry if you are a new or current “liker” of ~~Skin MD Natural on Facebook. You may receive another bonus entry if you follow~~ ~~Skin MD Natural on Twitter~~.

I will accept entries until Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern. I will select a winner using random.org’s true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my giveaway rules page for complete details. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

# of entries received as of January 5th at giveaway close:137

https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dG1YUHp4dkpqRndxXzRBYjJ4ZWlOeFE6MQ

FTC compliance: I received the pictured products at no cost in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

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Natural Personal Care Products Review

Weleda Children’s Tooth Gel Review

Dec 22,2010 / By Maria / 4 Comments

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I was looking for an alternative to the fluoride-free toddler toothpaste my son was using, since it’s rated a “5” on the skin deep cosmetics database. I checked our local organic store and found Weleda‘s Children’s Tooth Gel.

The tooth gel is fluoride free, as well as free of detergents, artifical fragrances, colors and preservatives. It’s rated a 3 on the skin deep database with a 72% data gap. Since the only ingredent that is “yellow” (moderate safety) is limonene, I’m pretty confident that it’s safe for my son to use.

While I didn’t pay anywhere near the $7.00 MSRP, the $4.59 price tag was still a little gasp inducing for a 1.78 oz. tube!

The first little squirt out of the tube looked rather off white, but it’s really a pretty bright yellow. I tasted it, and it has a somewhat strong, natural mint flavor. I wondered how my son would do, since most toddler products are fruity flavored. He wasn’t startled by the flavor and seemed to enjoy it. My almost 6-year old likes it too! Then again, she’s weird, and has always liked minty “grownup” toothpaste!

Unless I find something with a “lower rating” in the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, I will continue to buy this!

FTC compliance: I paid normal retail price for this product, I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

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Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 11/22)

Nov 18,2010 / By Maria / 8 Comments

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I’ve been a Bzzagent for several years now, and my most recent campaign is for Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste.

I try to buy natural products for my kids whenever possible, but there really hasn’t been room in the budget to “green up” my own health & beauty routine. Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste contains fluoride (which I know some people avoid) and also contains sodium lauryl sulfate. It does not contain alcohol, or any artificial ingredients. It’s easy to find in “big box” stores nationwide, and it’s available in both Cool Peppermint and Spearmint Ice flavors.

Tom’s of Maine is cruelty free, with no animal testing or animal ingredients, no artificial colors, flavors, fragrances or preservatives. They share every ingredient, it’s purpose and it’s source on their website. Sustainable practices are a priority for their business, and they maximize the recycled content and recyclability of their packaging. They dedicate 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteering, and 10% of their profits go to human and environmental goodness.

My daughter, husband and I used the sample size boxes, which were all cool peppermint flavor.

The toothpaste had a natural looking color, slightly gritty texture, and a natural, almost herbal-y (not sure how else to put that!) mint flavor.

After I brushed, my teeth didn’t have quite the same slick clean feeling that I’m used to, but after I flossed and used my mouthwash, they felt very clean. I didn’t notice any extended freshening though! The suggested retail price for a 5.2 ounce tube is $4.19. I’ve been CVSing (yeah, I used it as a verb) for about three years now, so I haven’t paid any “real” money for toothpaste since before then. The Tom’s of Maine toothpaste really isn’t much more than other brands, but for someone not used to paying for toothpaste, it’s a lot!!

Giveaway: I am sending the full size, 5.2 ounce tube to one of my readers.

Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below. Simply enter your name and email address. Post will be updated with the # of entries received. I’d love for you to leave a comment, I’m always interested to hear what products others use. Keep in mind that comments don’t count as entries.

I will accept entries until Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern. This is a short one. I will select a winner using random.org’s true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my ~~giveaway rules~~ page for complete details. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

Entries as of November 22nd at giveaway close: 78

https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dGY2S3NyQ2dKM0hqdnJmNDB5Qnd6Z1E6MQ

FTC Compliance: I received the above samples at no charge as a Bzzagent. All opinions are my own.

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Natural Personal Care Products

Piggy Paint

Feb 16,2010 / By Maria / 5 Comments

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Do any other children of the 1980’s remember Tinkerbell cosmetics? I was clearly not a label reader when I was a little kid, but I remember that this was peel off polish and made for kids.

My daughter loves to have her nails painted. We started out with toenails only, then I allowed her to have her fingernails painted also. I’ve always been concerned about the chemicals in it, (have you smelled nail polish lately? Phew!) espeially since her fingers are still always in her mouth at age 5 (licking something off of them).

I get whatever brand and colors are available either free after Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)/Coupon at CVS, or better than free/they pay me to take it (meaning I pay less ECBs than I get back). We have quite a few colors open, and I’ll occasionally let my daughter choose a new color from my stockpile. I use a bottle until it gets old/gloppy.

A few weeks ago, I heard about Piggy Paint. It is non-toxic, odorless, and kid friendly. It’s water based and made of natural ingredients (no formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate or acetone).

They have lots of colors, and each bottle is $8.99. Pretty shocking prices for someone who doesn’t like to pay for this kind of stuff, but not bad compared to regular drugstore prices.

I don’t have much of a problem paying a premium when it comes to my kids. If I saw this in a store, I’d let my daughter pick a color and buy a bottle.

When I have some extra cash, and she’s earned a little treat, I want to buy her some!

P.S. I started this blog about cloth diapering, but I’m guessing that at least some people who are interested in cloth diapering, may also be interested in other earth friendly, natural “stuff.” If this is not you, sorry!

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