Yet another product lying about being natural

The brand Basic Earth calls their products Botanicals.

When you hear those names do you get the feeling they are earth friendly, containing natural botanical ingredients?

It's no surprise if you do because those names are designed to make people feel the products are natural and safe, from the earth and full of botanicals.

Then you look at the ingredients and see things are not even nearly as they claim.

Shampoo:
Water, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium lauroamphodiacetate lauroyl sarcosinate, sodium chloride, polyquatermium-7, parfum, disodium EDTA, citric acid, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, colours.

Conditioner:
Water, cetearyl alcohol, cetrimonium chloride, clyceryl stearate, glycerin, parfum, diazolidinyl urea, disodium EDTA, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, colours.

Body Wash:
Water, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, disodum lauroamphodiacetate lauroyl sarcosinate, sodium chloride, polyquaternium-7, parfum, disodium EDTA, citric acid, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, colours.

Body Lotion:
Water, cetearyl alcohol, paraffinum liquidum, glycerin, acrylates/acrylamide copolymer, polysorbate B5, PEG-75 lanolin, parfum, disodium EDTA, diazolidinyl urea, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, colours.

*   *   *

Methylchloroisothiazolinone has been restricted in the European Union for use in personal care products, including hair products, as it is sensitizing allergens.

Methylisothiazolinone has been associated with allergic reactions (contact dermatitis) and neurotoxicity.

Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) irritates kin and scalp and creates itching, may cause hair loss.

Note: people who use products containing these ingredients have reported hair loss.

*   *   *

Disturbingly, as with many products like these, the Basic Earth products were at a Big 4 caravan park, given to guests for free to use during their stay.

No doubt the places that stock these products have NO IDEA of the harmful ingredients they contain or the harmful effects they can and do have on guests.
  

Did Kylie Do More Harm Than Good

"Kylie Minogue's seal of approval sends sales of age-old skin lotion rocketing" ~ quote dailymail.co.uk

A few years ago now our beloved Kylie Minogue confessed that she had given up botox and was now dedicated to using a popular brand's cold cream.  Her announcement sent sales of the product through the roof with many other women hoping to hold onto their youth by using the same product and hoping for the same results.  

According to research the original Cold Cream formulation had a mere 7 ingredients in it: 
Water, beeswax, mineral oil, ceresin, sodium borate, carbomer and fragrance.

This product is now manufactured by Unilever who test on animals and have a high hazard ingredients rating (according to the EWG).  I can't help but wonder if Miss Minogue knew she was advocating animal testing firstly by using the product and secondly by making an announcement that caused a multitude of other women to buy the product?

According to one blogger who was trying to get to the bottom of the reformulation of their product (supposedly to save on manufacturing costs and increase their profits): They reformulated the product by adding toxic ingredients like that preservative DMDM Hydantion.  

In her blog writers have left various comments about the reformulation.

One such post states:

"If you check the ingredients, they've added a bunch of chemicals and preservatives.

New ingredients are: mineral oil, water, ceresin, beeswax, triethanolamine, behenic acid, fragrance, ceteth 20, cetyl alcohol, carbomer, DMDM hydantion, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, methylparaben.

A study found 'An increase in the use of DMDM hydantion in cosmetic products will also inevitably increase the risk of cosmetic dermatitis in consumers allergic to formaldehyde.'

'Iodopropynly butylcarbamate is used as a preservative in cosmetic formulations; it is acutely toxic by inhalation and should not be used in products that can be aerosolized or inhaled.'"

Triethanolamine (TEA): synthetic emulsifier, highly toxic, found to be contaminated with nitrosamines which are potent carcinogens, harmful if swallowed, irritant corrosive and serious eye damage, avoid skin and eye contact...

Parabens: display estrogenic activity, can have endocrine-disrupting action, possible link to breast cancer and reproductive effects in boys.

Was Kylie Minogue using the old formulation (less harmful yet made with mineral oil that clogs pores and stops skin from breathing)?  Did she stop using the brand after the (toxic) reformulation? Does animal testing and toxic ingredients concern her?  Do they concern you?  Tell us your thoughts. 

JOLI's all natural Rich Cream Moisturiser

  

Ethical Ways To Shop

JOLI Natural Skin Care ethical eco friendly products

Recently I asked the question "What Are Ethical Ways to Shop?" on our JOLI page and got some great feedback and ideas.

Packing

While glass is great because it is recyclable, as are metals, it can be less economic and cost more to transport because of the weight.  Plastics are light and cost effective to transport yet can be hazardous to manufacture and also contain BPA that can leach into products.  Aluminium packing is often lined with plastic and contains BPA and how this affects recycling is anyone's guess.
Going into a shop and bringing your own packaging is ideal though not always possible, yet, when possible supplying your own packaging is a very economical ways to shop.

Material

Natural fibers are better in that they allow skin to breathe and are often more fire retardant than man made material.  Certain fibers are better than others though, for example cotton takes a greater amount of water to produce than does bamboo.

Opp Shops

Buying second hand is a good thing to do for a number of reasons.  Firstly and primarily it STOPS us using up the earths resources and polluting it further - they way we do when we purchase something brand new.  Also we get to support the charities that sell second hand items and most of these charities support people with limited financial means.  Reusing also stops a large number of items going in to landfill (rubbish dumps produce a huge amount of methane as they decompose and methane is the number one cause of global warming).

Locally / Hand Made

Supporting local / hand made businesses is good for our economy.  It keeps our money in our country and we can put that money back in to infrastructure and more locally produced items and resources.   Plus it produces jobs.  More than that, though, it is good to know where your product came from and be able to ask the manufacturer directly about the ethics behind the items they produce.

Environmentally Friendly

This relates to things such as how much water it takes to produce a product, how big or small is the carbon foot print, were toxic dyes and other substances used to product the item?  Choosing organic and natural where possible is a great start to being environmentally friendly.

Fair Wage

In Australia we have a minimum wage so a fair wage tends not to enter our minds.  Yet there are some places in our country where fair wages are not adhered to (I've heard of factories for example who refuse to pass on wage increases to their workers).  Some places sell Aboriginal art and other works for hefty prices and pay the artist very little in royalties.  Some companies use overseas resources and people and don't pay fair wages or prices.  Again this is where shopping locally helps because we get to ask them questions about their practices.  
You have to think about the price here: if an item can be sold for a really cheap price how much did the company pay the workers to produce that item?  Cheap usually equals 'not ok', not just because it could break easily or be made with dodgy parts but also because the earth and people suffer to make that product only for it to be sold at low cost.  
Think about this: if an item cost more to purchase we'll purchase less which means we'll use up less of the earth's resources.

Purchase One Item At a Time

This is important for many reasons.  As consumers we tend to love spending money and have no problem with buying up big (i.e. Boxing Day SALES) yet the reality is huge amounts of resources are used up in order to produce ALL these products.  The more we buy the more we use of the earths resources.  We live in a time of plenty and think that having STUFF is a really good thing when the reality is 'less is more'.  It is better to have a few quality items that are ethical in production than a tonne of low cost items that reap havoc on our planet. 

Consider Your Ethics

What ethics are you looking for in a product?  Does the company you're purchasing from have the same ethics as you?  For example are you all about Animal Friendly and does the company you're purchasing from support this value?


Research Research Research

Don't be afraid to ask questions.  If you want to know about fair wages, animal testing or BPA free contact those companies you're thinking of purchasing from and get your answers.  Most companies are more than happy to tell the truth about their products, especially if they're ethical.  If you find a company that is reluctant to answer your questions they generally have something to hide.

What ideas do you have about shopping ethically?
  

Why I Grow Weeds

A weed by nowadays definition is any plant that is invasive and unwanted, however, weeds have always served a purpose (hence why Mother Nature created them) and getting rid of them can sometimes have detrimental effects on the environment.

weed holding soil in place

Weeds grow quickly, are hardy and offer certain advantages such as being fabulous ground covers, perfect for stopping soil erosion.

The flowers weeds produce often attract predatory insects which in turn eat pesty insects and this can save your fruits and vegetables from getting eaten by insects before you get a chance to enjoy them.   In other words 'weeds' and other flowering plants, such as marigolds, yarrow and Queen Ann's Lace, are natures pest control.

weeds acting as ground cover

Some plants we consider weeds have medicinal properties such as:
Fennel (not the bulb type) = promotes milk flow, anti-inflammatory, circulatory stimulant.
Plantain = anti-catarrhal, antispasmodic.

Chickweed = astringent, antirheumatic.
Dandelion = diuretic, liver tonic.
Stinging nettle = astringent, circulatory stimulant, promotes milk flow.

weeds with medicinal properties

Weeds are also a great way to get children involved in gardening because they're so easy to grow. Children will take more interest in gardening if they're able to grow things successfully and what better way to start than with weeds - which are hard to kill.  I remember as a little girl loving those little pink peak flowers and wanting to grow lots of them.

Some weeds are also in place here to stop our little dog from doing his do-dos in unwanted places ;)

This is why I grow weeds in my garden (not in the garden beds but along side them).
  

Bad Service - Microsoft Hotmail

This one really boils my blood and I know there are many who can relate!

Some years ago Microsoft Hotmail decided to change how users access multiple email accounts.  For those with multiple accounts, who could jump from one account to the next using the one login and password, Microsoft decided they would change that policy "for security reasons".  Instead users had to logout of each email account and re-login to their other email accounts.

How this makes multiple email accounts more 'secure' is anyone's guess and just aggravated Microsoft users.

Add to that: Micrsoft Hotmail since decided to add extra security to your Hotmail accounts by requesting (and making it almost impossible to avoid giving) your mobile number or email address (this was introduced around 2 years ago).  They do this by requiring you get an access code from them which can only be sent to either your mobile phone or another email address.  There are ways to access your account without this verification code.

However I decided I would delete my account instead, because I don't want to give them my mobile number or another email account (too bad if a person only had the one Hotmail/email account) only to find deleting an account, in itself, is near impossible due to Microsoft and their stupid security code system.

"To close your Hotmail email account, visit account.microsoft.com and login with the Hotmail account you want to delete. Click the Security & privacy tab, and then click the More security settings link. Scroll down and click Close my account, then follow the prompts to delete your Hotmail account."

Here's what happened.

1) When I click on 'more security settings' I'm told I cannot access that page without a security code so, in desperation, I decided to get a disposable phone number, give that to Microsoft in order to get a 4-digit code text to me.

2) When I entered this code I received a message saying I'm locked out of my Microsoft account for 30 days.

3) Thirty days later I try and gain access to my Microsoft Hotmail account using my previous 4-digit code only to be prompted for a 7-digit code.  Where this 7-digit code is meant to come from I've no idea, so I say I don't have the code and am prompted to give them my mobile number so they can send me another code.

4) I'm given another 4-digit code which I enter only to be told I'm in another 30 day lock-out of my account!!!!!!

This is an absolute joke and from a business perspective I can't understand firstly how Microsoft are allowed to get away with this type of extortion and secondly how they're still operating!  Surely vast numbers of people have either closed or stopped using their Hotmail accounts.  Complaints about this code system flood the internet and yet Microsoft do nothing and refuse to undo this new security setup.

I can't believe how hard they're made it for users to access their accounts.

Have you experienced this Microsoft lock-out and ridiculous security code system?  Tell us about it!
  

Do you lie about your age?

For years my middle son though I was 28. Years ago he tried to guess my age and when he guessed 26 and I just said "Oh yes!" (fib fib) not wanting to tell him the truth because admitting my age out loud was too scary.   Some years later he was talking to me about my birthday saying I must at least be 30 by now. Lol.  Again I just smiled and agreed ;)

They say age is just a number and we certainly do put a lot of emphasis on being young and beautiful even though that is more a spot in time and genetic luck than the accomplishment we treat it as - as Carie Fisher so eloquently stated. 

That being said many of us do take a lot of pride in taking care of our skin, body and mental well being and love being told we look younger than we are.  It's a nice feeling when people are surprised to find we're older than they thought we were.  It's also fun for those who are able to get away with saying they're younger because it's believable (may as well enjoy it while it lasts).

It is important for many to age well and not let ourselves go and many people are afraid of ageing because ageing is seen as a bad thing for a woman to do even though: 
1) it is inevitable and 
2) it is perfectly acceptable for men to age.  
Take Carie Fisher and Harrison Ford for example, he's aged and that's ok, while Carie aging is a big fat No No!

How about you?  Do you lie about your age?  Are you comfortable with ageing?  What scares you about ageing and what do you look forward to?

  

Warning! Does your skin care contain...

  

Healing The Body Naturally

Lately I've written a number of posts about aches, pains and ailments (yes I've been having a good old Aussie winge).

Around the time I wrote the post Aches, Pains and Migraines it dawned on me that doctors and other medical professionals don't really have an invested interest in whether I'm well or not.  None ever do a follow up phone call or anything to see how I'm going, to see if I'm better or well.  After I've paid them my money (in some cases $220 for a measly 10 minutes worth of their time) they forget all about me.  There seems to be little duty of care among our health professionals these days.

I've always know the body can heal itself.  My dad taught me that as a teenager when he used to show me how he would meditate to cure his headaches.  I've used the technique of 'body healing itself' on illnesses (such as cold and flu) yet never really put my energy towards healing my body of its physical ailments.

So I began a journey of self healing.

Most of what ails me is occurring on the right side of my body.  [The masculine side: this is same for everybody, both male and female, regardless of which hand you write with.]  Therefore I predicted the masculine side of my body is really suffering.  Perhaps from burn out, mental exhaustion and physical fatigue due to the amount of conflict I've had in my life over the past number of years.  That conflict has since come to a close and the right hand side of my body "sighed" and collapsed in exhaustion.  It needed a break!

This may sound foolish to some, however, I began using the left side of my body more but not just picking up the kettle with my left hand instead of my right (because my tennis elbow was worse on the right), but also by having a conversation in my head between my right and left whenever I did things.

My left would say "Let me help you with that."
My right would say "Thank you."

I began treating my body as though the left and right have been separate all this time and have just now decided to come together, work together, and support each other.  Most likely my masculine / feminine sides have been apart, certainly working independently from each side, because I have relied on different sides to do certain tasks.  Now I'm getting into the habit of having my body work together.  For example: when I stand I engage both the left and right thigh muscles and glutes to get me up, whereas before I predominately relied on my left leg to do the lifting (because the right side aches).

What I'm finding is, in addition to the essential oil rubs I'm using as well as flower remedies, this joining of sides and having right and left work together is having an amazing effect on my body.  The weaker side is slowly becoming stronger.  The dominant side is getting a break and muscles are recovering from exhaustion. I ache less which is, of course, the main result I'm after.  I'm on the journey to wellness and it feels inspiring :)
  

DIY Natural Fire Lighters

These natural fire lighters work well because citrus peel and beeswax are flammable while smoldering enough to keep the flame going.

Need:

• orange or lemon peel quarters or halves (any citrus fruit will do)
• small dried twigs, leaves, bark - crumbled up into small bits
• old newspapers / shredded paper - ripped into small bits
• beeswax (about a quarter cup)
• medium pot that can be scrubbed with steel wool
• metal spoon
• rubber gloves
• tray

Directions:

• melt 1/4 cup of beeswax in your pot over low heat
• when wax is fully melted remove from heat and allow to cool to the touch (but not cool enough to go hard again)
• add about 2 handfuls of crushed leaves / twigs / bark
• add about 2 handfuls of ripped up paper
• stir with a metal spoon to coat everything well (if you need to, melt more beeswax in a separate pot and add to the mix)
• put your rubber gloves on and scoop out a handful of mixture and squash down into your citrus skins
• set on a tray allow to cool and set

To use:

Place a citrus peel, stuffed with beeswax and burnable materials, at the bottom of your fire.  Add kindling and wood then set your beeswax peel alight.  It will burn nicely helping to get your fire started naturally.

Clean up:

Working with beeswax is messy and it sets hard.  You'll find your pot and spoon need to be scrubbed clean, along with your rubber gloves.

You can either use an old pair of gloves or wash your gloves with detergent while wearing them, as though you're washing your hands as usual. 

Scrub your pot and spoon with steel wool and dish liquid.  

Love this recipe?  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below :)

[recipe from my amazing cousin - thanks] 

  

Healing A Chest Infection Naturally + DIY recipes

You can feel a chest infection coming on.  It starts off with a little tickle in the throat and builds up to a rampant heaving cough that wracks your body.

That was me one Saturday afternoon about 3 weeks ago.  I noticed a small tickle in my throat and by the next day I was coughing to the point of vomiting.  As usual I didn't want to go to the doctors and be given medication, most likely antibiotics, because I know the human body has the capacity to heal itself.  Also, I strongly believe that allowing my body to heal itself from illness builds up it's natural immune system.

natural home remedies

Usually when I have a cold, flu or tonsillitis I sleep it off for as many days as it takes, making sure to keep my body warm (within reason) because high temperatures kill off viruses.  I've noticed since dealing with illnesses this way I am getting sick less often (my last bout of tonsillitis was over 2 years ago - touch wood). My last chest infection (prior to this one) was over 10 years ago, and the duration of sickness is getting shorter each time.

As soon as I felt that first tickle I got out the usual home remedy supplies: garlic, ginger, honey, peppermint tea, eucalyptus and peppermint oil, lemon; and did as much healing as I could each day.

• A good dose of fresh garlic and ginger in my meals.
• Eucalyptus and peppermint oil in a bowl of hot water, breathing in the steam with a towel over my head - a least once a day.
• Eucalyptus and peppermint oil on a handkerchief that I breathed in regularly.
• Rubbed eucalyptus and peppermint oil on my chest during the day and on the bottom of my feet before bed (add to 20ml carrier oil). Alternatively used JOLI's Natural Chest Rub.
• Heat pack on my chest almost all day (because being cold makes it worse).
• Rug up.  Keeping warm keeps the cough at bay and helps fight the virus.
• Peppermint tea with a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon throughout the day (i'm not a fan of sweeteners and yet I went through an entire jar of honey in a matter of weeks).
• Natural cough syrup made with ivy leaf extract - even though over the counter cough syrups are reported to be placebo I still took my syrup three times a day when the cough was at its worst.  (See below for home made cough syrup.)
• I did take the odd lozenge (3 times) but I have to confess they made the cough SO much worse!  Lozenges build up phlem in the throat, so when you're finished sucking on the lolly the cough comes back with a vengence!!!!  100x worse!!!! After taking a lozenge my cough would be wracking to the point I'd almost wet my pants from coughing uncontrollably.
• Sleep, lots and lots of sleep, especially during the early stages.  Sleeping helps the body heal itself.
• Sleep sitting up.  Laying down makes the cough worse.
• Very little talking or laughing, both made the cough worse.  I'm sure it was nice for my family to have me being quiet for a bit ... lol.

Three weeks later the cough is still lingering by way of a small tickle in the throat, yet it has been gradually dying since day one.  I can feel my body healing and getting better each day.

Natural cough mixture #1

cold and flu remedies

Mix one tablespoon of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, one tablespoon of pure honey and one egg white (optional).  Take one teaspoon every two hours.

Natural cough mixture #2

Grate a piece of ginger and squeeze out the juice into a small bowl.  Mix one teaspoon of ginger juice with one teaspoon of honey.  Take that dose three times a day. 

Natural cough drops:

3 tablespoons of sugar

3 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon of vinegar

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 drops of eucalyptus oil

Mix ingredients together and warm over low heat.  Pour mixture into a buttered tray, leave to cool, then break into small pieces and store in the refrigerator.
  

Why Go Green? JOLI Natural Skin Care Guest Blog

Q1: Tell us a little about your business.

JOLI Natural Skin Care have their own unique brand of skin care products that can be tailor made to suit individual needs.  JOLI sell genuine natural skin care as apposed to companies who claim to be natural and organic yet aren't.  

JOLI wanted to offer the public a skin care range that truly does not contain hazardous, nasty ingredients, many of which are the cause of skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, skin irritation, rashes etc. 

JOLI have been making genuine natural skin care since 2005 with tried and true natural skin care formulations, and are Australian Made and Australian Owned.  JOLI are also approved by Choose Cruelty Free and are part of the Safe Cosmetics campaign (which means they're animal and human friendly).

Q2: When did you decide you wanted to go green?

After my second child was born I noticed a pattern; that my children were unable to use mainstream skin care products without developing rashes and skin irritations.  I, myself, was also suffering from overexposure to chemicals in my skin care and makeup.  Upon investigating this I found that many products on the market contain certain ingredients known to cause allergies and skin irritation, plus a wide range of other side effects. 

This was around 2003 to 2005 when my research into the way corporations use chemicals and toxic ingredients began.  I started looking into greener options, primarily for my family, and this grew into wanting to go bigger and larger and help many more people aside from my beautiful children and other family members and friends.  

Q3: What prompted you to make the move to go green?

The move to go green was almost accidental.  After researching skin care ingredients and realising they can be carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting and cause young girls to bud and bring on puberty I realised there is something drastically wrong with modern day skin care companies / corporations - who are more concerned about making millions than the care and wellbeing of the population, animals and our earth.  

From there I learned these chemical additions also affect our food, our water, our clothing, our cleaning products, our farm animals, the earth etc. and I knew I had to do something very special (I had a calling you could say) to help save our earth and people from these harmful ingredients.  By creating a product range that does not contain nasty and hazardous ingredients JOLI reduce the amount of chemicals people (who use our products) come into contact with on a daily bases. 

Q4: What difficulties have you found with going green?

Family support, primarily my husband.  Whilst he is very supportive of my endeavors to save the world he just isn't as passionate about it as I am.   From time to time he will still come home with some awful chemical filled product that he is convinced does a better job than green brands (i.e. washing powders, liquid soaps).  Educating him has been one of my biggest challenges because hubby is yet to realise my expertise on the subject.  

Also sharing my 'green' message with the public (especially when it comes to natural skin care vs mainstream products) has also been difficult.  Many consumers love their chemical filled products purchased conveniently from shopping centers and don't want to hear the truth about how damaging those products are to them and the environment.  Though the good news is awareness is growing :) 

Q5: Is there one area you’re still yet to go green?

Packaging!  I have found plastic packaging almost impossible to get away from entirely.  For example we can't purchase a loaf of bread that isn't wrapped in plastic (that flimsy, non recyclable plastic).  Although I have made major reductions over the years by using fregie sacks at the supermarket, purchasing fresh foods instead of packaged or frozen foods, making our own produce at home when we can, I still find (non recyclable) plastic a hard one to avoid. 

Luckily our council offers a great recycling program so much of what we use gets turned into reusable products. 

Q6: Can you list some of the benefits / positive effects going green has had on your life?

Family health would be top of the list plus the savings - never having to go down the cleaning or beauty isles in the supermarket.  What we save on money there we are able to put towards organic food choices.  My children's skin, with their lack of skin irritations and rashes, plus the bonus of having great skin and looking younger because natural is so good for our skin.  Gotta love that! 

Q7: What suggestions would you make to those wanting to go green but not knowing where to start?

Going green is a process.  There are so many areas to go green: skin care, makeup, cleaning products, food, clothing, packaging, menstruation, toys, electronics (not consuming or purchasing things you don't need to survive).  Start small and take one step at a time.  You can try to do it all in one hit, however, I find it's easier to tackle one area at a time.  For example start with skin care (or what you feel is most important to you) then move onto cleaning products, then food etc. 

Consult experts and read and follow green, earth friendly, natural blogs.  A vast many people are making moves to go green and have infinite knowledge to share.  

Q8: Any other advice / comments regarding going green you’d like to share?

Don't think going green is not important and can be put off.  The truth is 'our earth depends on you making good, green, eco friendly choices'!  You can be one of the masses, burying your head in the sand and pretending that purchase you made has no ill effect on the earth or other people... but you'd be wrong in your thinking.  Start now and spread the word.  GREEN is the new black ;)


Author BIO

Jodi is the lady behind JOLI and when she's not busy working on skin care products or pampering people in her salon she is joyfully tending to her garden and veggie patch, teaching and educating her children on sustainable ways of living.
  

Starting a Vegetable Garden: Pumkins

At the time of writing my first blog about starting a home vegetable garden I had planted some pumpkin seeds not really expecting they'd do much. I've had so little luck when it comes to growing food (not that I'd previously put in any big effort) that I didn't have confidence in those seeds growing.

To my surprise pumpkin plants sprouted up and soon pumpkins were beginning to grow. At the time of harvest (in June before the cold weather really hits) the plant had supplied 10 healthy pumpkins.

As you can see by the picture the pumpkins we've grown have slight differences, some are squat and round, others are elongated and difference colours. They are JAP pumpkins and the seeds came from a lady who gave me a pumpkin she had grown herself.

One pumpkin accidentally got cut off early in the grown stage and that one was used for roasting, risotto and soup, while the seeds were dried out to snack on.

Another pumpkin was used to make pumpkin pie, the first time I'd ever made pumpkin pie, and it was delicious.

The next stage is preparing the remaining pumpkins for storage. Research suggests sitting the pumpkins on a sunny windowsill or other place where the sun hits and leaving them there for two weeks to harden their skins. Rotating once at the end of the first week.

Then they go into storage in a cool ventilated place out of the sun (I'm still yet to figure out where that will be). Put on a wrack that allows airflow around the pumpkins, not touching so they don't rot. Apparently the skins can be rubbed in oil for more protection.

It's all very exciting to have some home grown pumpkins and to be able to feed the family a number of dishes with food we've grown ourselves.

  

What's In That Product?

Nivea Visage Young Freshen Up Toner

Aqua (Water), PEG-8, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Caster Oil, Panthenol, Aluminum, Chlorohydrate, Maris Sal (Sea Salt), Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Benzoate, Frctose, Glycine, Inositol, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Urea, Methylparaben, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Alpha-Iso-methyl Ionone, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salictate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Parfum (fragrance).

Garnier BB Cream

Cyclopentasiloxane, Aqua / Water, Propanediol, Alcohol Denatured, Clycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Bis-PEG/PPG 14/14 Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Magnesium, Sulfate, Talc, Phenoxyethanol, Caffeine, Aluminum Hydroxide, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tetrapepetide 7, [+/- May Contain CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 77163 / Bismuth Oxychloride], (F.I.L. B5406 1/1).

I looked up what those numbers mean and according to EWG / SkinDeep Database they refer to inorganic colourants. From EWG (Environmental Working Group)

About CI 77491: This is an iron-based inorganic colorant, composed primarily of ferric oxide.

Other HIGH concerns: Persistence and bioaccumulation; Other LOW concerns: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Dimethicone, Leuconostoc/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf/Sorbus Aucuparia Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Cucumi Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Eta-Carotene, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Triethylhexanoin, Carrageenana, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Dextrin, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Hexl Nicotinate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-10, Behenyl Alcohol, Cocamide MIPA, Glyceryl Oleate, Calcium Citrate, Hexlene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sea Salt, Sodium Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.

Burt's Bees Lip Gloss

Ingredients: ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, oleic/linoleic/linolenic polyglycerides, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), aroma (flavor)*, silica, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, jojoba esters, ammonium glycyrrhizate, tocopherol, glycine soja (soybean) oil. +/-: CI 77163 (bismuth oxychloride), CI 77861 (tin oxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (iron oxides), CI 77019 (mica), CI 75470 (carmine), CI 77891 (titanium dioxide), CI 77947 (zinc oxide). *natural flavor/arôme naturel

  

Why Go Green? Laura Trotta ~ Green Guest Blog

Q1: Tell us a little about your business.

For my entire adult life I’ve been driven to reduce the impact of humans on the environment.

I worked in heavy industry as an environmental engineer for over a decade, managing and monitoring the environmental impact of some of the world’s largest companies. After I became a mother I switched my focus to helping everyday people reduce their environment impact.

My online business journey started in 2009 and coincided with the birth of my first son. After deciding during pregnancy that I didn’t want to combine motherhood with my established environmental career in the corporate world, I created Sustainababy, an online eco-parenting store which specialized in providing greener alternatives for conventional baby products.

Despite Sustainababy making a much-needed impact in the eco-parenting space, I yearned to make a bigger impact on a broader eco-living scale.

My customers were keen to learn more about the “how” to live more sustainably, so in 2013 I started to package up my experience and knowledge into several eco-living e-courses, namely the HomeDetox Boot Camp and greenHOUSE Home Energy Blitz.

These programs have been really well received and I’m

Juggling a business and a young family is always challenging. Juggling two businesses and a young family is even more so! By mid 2015 I’d made the difficult decision to sell Sustainababy so I could just focus on the broader topic of eco-living.

I launched my eco-living blog (http://lauratrotta.com/blog) and my Eco Chat Podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/eco-chat-laura-trotta-podcast/id1052760251) and am really proud to be inspiring and educating others to create a healthier and more sustainable home. I’m also really enjoying guiding others to create and grow a conscious business through my coaching services.

Q2: When did you decide you wanted to go green?

I’ve felt that I was born with a green heart. I was a kid that loved being in the outdoors and I was intrigued by the natural world.

As a brownie guide I completed my naturalist badge and met the assessor, a most amazing woman who was a naturalist. Her passion was infectious and from the age of around 10 I knew I wanted to combine my love of science and mathematics with helping the environment.

Q3: What prompted you to make the move to go green?

N/A

Q4: What difficulties have you found with going green?

The main difficultly has been unwelcome remarks from family or friends. I still remember my father calling me a ‘greenie’ (in a not very nice tone) when I confronted him about his littering in my early teens. While such remarks haven’t been pleasant at times, they’ve made me more determined in my work to make a difference.

I started my environmental engineering degree in the mid 1990’s and the environment wasn’t as big a focus as it is now. Nowadays people are more aware and subsequently I there’s more and more support and encouragement out there for people to go green

Q5: Is there one area you’re still yet to go green?

I’d love our home to be fully self-sufficient when it comes to power. We’re currently in the process of building our dream self-sufficient home in the suburbs of Adelaide and I’m literally frothing at the mouth with excitement that it will have full solar and be made of sustainable materials.

Q6: Can you list some of the benefits / positive effects going green has had on your life?

There are so many benefits!

My family and I enjoy above average health and the financial savings from living greener has enabled us to easily afford an organic diet and activities like dance lessons for our children. I love the simplicity of sustainable living and the fact we’re not obsessed with collecting stuff and having a home full of clutter!

Q7: What suggestions would you make to those wanting to go green but not knowing where to start?

Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Your journey is exactly that and you’re where you need to be right now. Start small and keep making more changes as each change becomes habit. Every step you take to become greener is making a difference!

Q8: Any other advice / comments regarding going green you’d like to share?

N/A

  

Aches, Pains and Migraines.

Are you one of those people who live with aches and pains? Do you get migraines often? There are a great many of us 'sufferers' out there, and if you are like me you like the idea of dealing with these ailments as naturally as possible.

My story:
Over the past few months I have developed a great many aches and pains; firstly I developed tennis elbow (epicondylitis) from, of all things, something I really enjoyed! Aerial hoops. I had been doing aerial hoops for a year and a half when I suddenly noticed it hurt to pick up a cup of tea. I had to give up this activity even though it had given me so much joy, yet it was slowly damaging my body.

A couple of months later I fell on my coccyx and dislocated (subluxated) the bone. The doctor all but fobbed me off, telling me there was nothing that could be done to help me. I needed to do very little, lie down, rest and take pain killers to manage the pain for 8-12 weeks. I couldn't sit, couldn't drive, could barely walk or stand. It was a miserable period where I mostly lay on my side watching TV. This of course put the rest of my body out and I ended up with hip, back and neck issues. Five months later my coccyx still causes me discomfort to sit.

I also have sore ribs just under the breasts where, I assume, bras press on my rib cage causing pain and swelling. I've had xrays and MRI's, regular checks and no one can find the cause of this pain.

Plus I am prone to the odd migraine caused by stiff neck and shoulder muscles, which cause stress and tension to the point where I cannot move my neck without my head feeling like it's been hit with a sledgehammer.

All up I'm like some crazed walking wounded where it aches just to exist and it frustrates me to the point of misery at times.

Of course the doctors like to prescribe me pills to manage my pain and it costs a small fortune visiting all manner of specialists trying to find solutions. However, I don't want be popping pills just to face the day, so I looked up natural remedies and am sharing with you in hopes you also find some natural relief.

Majority of what ails me is caused by inflammation of the muscles and joints so I researched natural anti-inflammatories.

Spices: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric.
It is suggested that eating a half teaspoon of one of these spices daily aids in reduction of inflammation. You might find them hard to eat by themselves so try adding them to a meal each day, or add turmeric, ginger or cinnamon to a beverage such as chai tea or a green smoothie.

Essential oils: chamomile, clary sage, ecalyptus, frankinsence, >lavender, majoram, >peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, thyme, vetiver.
>good for migraines

Essential oils should NOT be used directly on skin or ingested (read here for essential oils & pregnancy) due to their potency (one drop of peppermint oil is equivalent to approx 20-30 cups of tea). When using an essential oil you should do one of a few things: add a drop of oil to a warm or cold compress and apply to the area; add a drop to a cloth for wafting under your nose; place a couple of drops in an oil burner with water to scent the air; add a drop or two to your bath or add an appropriate massage oil to your bath or body; add a drop or two to at least 20ml of carrier oil before applying to skin. Using essential oils this way means a little goes a long way.

Foods: leafy greens, beets, broccoli, berries, kidney beans.

Colourful foods are high in antioxidants and antioxidants are great for assisting and protecting the body. Eat as many of these good foods each day.

Note: I have been using turmeric in beverages, herbs in my meals and vetiver essential oil as a massage rub onto my inflamed areas. While I am a fair way from feeling better I have found the vetiver is working well in relieving aches and swelling and is a natural alternative to Nurofen and Voltaren.

P.S. Use these remedies for a while, not just for a couple of days. When I stopped using the essential oil rub because I was feeling better, the ache in my elbows came back slowly. It takes a while for your body to heal so give it time.
  

Celebrity Sellout

I adore Kate Blanchett, admire Nicole Kidman, believe Julia Roberts is a great actress and have a great deal of respect for a great many actresses. However sadly these actresses, and more, sellout for money.

What do they all have in common?
They promote corporate brands of perfume, skin care and other personal care items. Jennifer Aniston is at least attempting to promote a clean brand of skin care (Aveeno) yet, unbeknownst to many, falls short since Aveeno are not as 'natural' or as healthy for us as they claim.

What is so wrong about promoting these brands/products? 
These brands/products contain ingredients that are deemed hazardous to our health, such as ingredients that are carcinogens (chemicals that cause cancer), endocrine-disrupting (hormones), and cause contact sensitivity and skin irritation, to name but a few problems. There are literally thousands of ingredients used in mainstream personal care/beauty products that do a great deal of damage to the human body and sadly these actresses are promoting these products.

In a time when cancer rates are high and rising (1 in 2 Americans will get cancer) and the Anti Cancer Foundation is launching it's Biggest Morning Tea (something JOLI do not endorse and here is why), these celebrity endorsements do us all a disservice because they inspire vast amounts of people to purchase products that are harmful to humans, animals and the earth.

Not to mention these companies test on animals as well, which is not something any good actress should support or endorse.

What can YOU do about it?
* Don't buy into the hype. Just because the beautiful and talented Kate Blanchett says she's uses a hazardous product doesn't mean you should join her and put your health at risk.
* Don't buy into the Biggest Morning Tea if you're still using mainstream products like fly spray, hair spray, hair dyes, perfume, bleach, germ killing liquids and soaps, non mineral makeups etc etc. Sadly there is no point raising money to cure cancer while you're still using products that cause it.
* Don't support brands that are not willing to ditch chemicals that are causing a great deal of ill health for many. There is a movement called the Cosmetics Safety Act where people are campaigning for companies to ditch the chemicals in their products. JOLI Natural Skin Care are on the list of Campaign For Safe Cosmetics Compact Singers. Notice non of the big brand names have signed.

What other things can be done? I'd love to hear your views.
  

Why Go Green? Oz Baby Trends ~ Green Guest Blog

Q1: Tell us a little about your business.

At Oz Baby Trends, we work with dedicated retailers, helping them bring sustainable parenting products to families across Australia so that those families can enjoy a simple, natural parenting journey. We are wholesale distributors for a beautiful range of cloth nappies and baby carriers.

Over in my other business – Eva Van Strijp – I help mothers thrive by teaching strategies that they can implement to create change that really lasts.

Q2: When did you decide you wanted to go green?

My decision to “go green” probably began way back in primary school when I started collecting items for recycling. Back then, we didn’t have a fortnightly curb side pick-up for recycling so we had to do it the old-fashioned way. Each week, we took our buckets of recycling and deposited it at the nearest recycling depot. Our family needed to reduce the amount of garbage that was going out each week, and to be honest, rather than being about “being green”, I think it just had more to do with the practicality of it. It just made sense to recycle whatever we possibly could. It seemed a shameful waste to throw away something that could be reused.

Q3: What prompted you to make the move to go green?

When I started my own family, I knew I wanted to use cloth nappies. I was called a hippy and a greenie but while the eco factor was a great bonus, again, my reasoning was practical. I wanted to be more self-sufficient and using cloth nappies meant I wouldn’t need to rely on the supermarket for a staple baby item. I also just had a gut feeling that they would be better for my baby’s skin.

Got a new baby on the way? Eva has a free mini eCourse to help you choose, use and love cloth nappies from the very start.

Q4: What difficulties have you found with going green?

I honestly don’t find it to be difficult. Because being green ties in with lots of our other life decisions, it doesn’t feel like a big drama or some extra stress on our lives.

For example, many decisions that we’ve made for our family budget have also been, by default, the “green” choice. All of the decisions we’ve made in terms of self-sufficiency have also been “green”. Everything we do to live more simply is, naturally, “green”. It just goes hand-in-hand with our lifestyle and I love that.

Q5: Is there one area you’re still yet to go green?

I still have lots of little food fails. While we do really strive to be self-sufficient, I also know that life with a big family is hectic sometimes, and heavily-packaged frozen food gets a look-in during those times!

Q6: Can you list some of the benefits / positive effects going green has had on your life?

I love that for our family being green also means being more self-sufficient. Whether it’s simply growing lettuce in a pot on the verandah or avoiding excess packaging by curbing the purchase of consumer goods that we just don’t need, it’s highly empowering to be able to make choices that have a healthy impact on our family and on the environment.

Q7: What suggestions would you make to those wanting to go green but not knowing where to start?

Start at home. There are numerous small steps we can take around the home to “green up” our lives. Just start by making the switch on one thing (serviettes for reusable napkins, tissues for hankies, paper towel for old towels, baking paper for butter wraps… the kitchen is a GREAT place to start!). You’ll find that within a few days you’ll have hardly noticed the change and will feel motivated to continue.

Q8: Any other advice / comments regarding going green you’d like to share?

Start small. It’s better to begin with baby steps and actually have them stick than to bite off more than you can chew and find yourself falling promptly back into old habits. Begin with one small, simple transition. Do it till it’s second nature, then take on another one. It’s all about changing our habits through changing our mindset – and mindset changes can take time.

But keep at it - it’s worth it!

Author BIO

Eva Van Strijp is a mother of five, business owner and creator of SimplicityKickstart – a free 14 day guide to conquering the chaos.

When Eva isn’t hanging out with her family or running a business, she’s eating chocolate, listening to podcasts or tending her veggie patch.