EVG Q&A: Natural Deodorant

Question:
Whats a good natural deodorant?

Answer: 

Do It Gorgeously - Sophie Uliano at T Salon

Today I went to an event at the T Salon in West Hollywood. I have been to the cafe/store before and really enjoyed it - almost all of their desserts are vegan, the building is very eco-friendly, and their tea is fabulous (video review coming soon). I wasn't sure what the event was going to be like, but I was excited because there was going to be a demo on how to make organic skin care products. I was also intrigued after hearing rave reviews of the book Gorgeously Green, so I looked forward to learning about Do It Gorgeously. The event turned out to be fantastic!

Eco-Vegan hair care in an aluminum container!

You may have read my post last week about the importance of avoiding plastic bottles. After seeing the documentary Tapped I went home and started recycling all my plastic containers. Then I walked into my bathroom and realized almost all of my body products were in plastic, and I felt defeated. Luckily, I found an answer to the problem at Natural Products Expo West.

There were a lot of natural and vegan body products at the Expo, but Eco Nature Care was offering something really different: biodegradable hair and body wash in an aluminum container. Their signage read, "a plastic bottle is a terrible thing to waste" - I couldn't agree more. I also liked that they combine hair and body wash in one container - saves an unneeded bottle (and equals less clutter in your shower) - and they also have a conditioner.
The bottle is entirely made from aluminum, so you don't have separate or sort when recycling, not to mention no loss in performance or downcycling. In fact, they're even thinking of offering a refill program.

Their products are completely vegan (even gluten free) and don't contain parabens, petroleum, sulfates, phtalates...talk about hitting all the marks!

I've used the Crisp hair and body wash twice and didn't notice a different from my other shampoos, which is a good thing. It doesn't have much of a scent, which some people might prefer - your hair will just smell clean. I'm very happy with this product and encourage you to try it out. Unfortunately right now it's hard to get, so you'll have to order it online, but hopefully it will be in your local natural grocer soon!

P.S. - if you'd like to see Tapped, it's screening again in Santa Monica.  If you're not in the area, it will be available on DVD and iTunes on March 22.

Natural Products Expo West: Sunday, March 14, 2010

My last day at the Expo was pretty hectic, but still fun. I almost didn't go, but decided to because I wanted to talk to the companies I missed the other days. So I raced down after working and spent 2 hours there. Surprisingly, I was able to meet a lot of people in that short amount of time. And, Sunday is the day when they give out the most products, so I left with 2 full bags of fun stuff to try!

The Expo is an interesting observation of human psychology. Waylon Lewis articulated this very well on Elephant Journal. There was a sense of rush-rush there and constant judgment - everyone has an agenda. Every-time I went to a booth I could tell I was being scanned to see if I was worth talking to, or just deserving of a sample. If I qualified to be spoken to, their eyes were often looking over my shoulder for their next opportunity. Granted, that's what these events are all about - networking and doing business. Most interesting was watching the attendees grab away at samples as if their lives depended on it. I kept thinking about how much waste was involved, and that most of us didn't really need any of it - but by nature we gotta have it because everyone else wants it. Even I fell into that trap and ended up taking home a ton of products - most of which I'm sending to my sister as a treat.

Overall, I had an incredible time and can't wait for next year. I met some amazing people and tried some great products. Here's my last video, but stayed tuned for the one I shot and edited for Elephant Journal!

Companies in the video:

• Aubrey Organics
• AvoDerm Natural Premium Dog and Cat Foods
• Betti Neti Nasal Pots
• Crystal Body Deodorant
• DariFree
• The DivaCup, an innovative menstrual cup
• durafresh
• ecoditty
• Eco Lips Organic Lip Balm
• Eco-Nature Care
• Fabe's All Natural Bakery
• Field Roast
• Green Genius: Biodegradable Trash Bags
• Giovanni Cosmetics
• Good Clean Love (now entirely vegan!)
• Hugo Natural Body Care
• icueyewear.com: ICU
• Living Harvest
• Natracare
• Nature's Miracle
• No Miss Nail Care Products
• Parissa
• Preserve
• SoCal Cleanse
• Suncoat Products
• Viana by Tofutown
• Wet Noses - The All Natural Dog Treat
• Zuke's – Treats for Dogs & Cats

Uniquie LA Holiday Show

Today I went to Unique LA's holiday shopping event and I was really impressed by it. Here's a video of some of the companies I saw and people I met.

Featuring:

• Your Daily Thred
• Green Fingerprint (stationary)
• True Natural Organics
• Rain Tees
• Chime Designs
• Chivas Skin Care
• Bee Gorgeous
• Jenkins Jellies
• ChemLine apparel
• PI Organic fashion
• Handmade Store on a Bike

Green holiday gift ideas

Why am I already writing about gifts for the holidays, you ask? Well, they're only about 2 months away, so you better start planning! Besides, I've got a few on my mind that you should consider, and this list is going to grow throughout the season.

• The Conscious Cook: cookbook by Tal Ronnen. Check out my rave review here. Love this book!
• Handkerchiefs from Hank & Cheef: I am in love with mine! They are a great eco alternative to tissues, and they have really cute and modern designs. These would make great little gifts or stocking stuffers.
• Tea from Indonique: They have delicious, loose leaf tea. Maybe pair this gift with a mug and tea strainer, or a tea pot. My favorite flavors? Ginger Peach Orange Flavored Green and Honey Bush Herbal.
• Bamboo Utensils from To-Go Ware: I am obsessed with mine and I use them on almost a daily basis. I get so many compliments on them because they're very handy, eco-friendly, and cool looking!
• Glass Straws from GlassDharma. I love these straws - great for all sorts of drinks (they even have some for boba tea!)
• Body Products from small companies like Strawberry Hedgehog. Local, handmade, and vegan.
• Body Products from LUSH. You probably already know about LUSH, but they have a ton of vegan products and they're very sustainable. Plus they're very colorful and fun.
• Neti pot: everyone should have one. Whether or not you have sinus issues or allergies, a neti pot is very soothing, and great when you have any sort of congestion.
• TOMS shoes: I got a pair of vegan wrap boots for Christmas last year and I'm wearing them today. I get endless compliments on them and they are very comfortable. Wouldn't mind another pair as a gift...
• Accessories from Elvis & Kresse: they sell products made out of old firehouses! Most of them are vegan, and can make them leather free upon request.
• Cooking classes: find a local chef and gift their classes. There are plenty in Los Angeles, but I recommend Christy Morgan, Seed Kitchen, and Spork Foods.

Here's a great green gift guide: Green with Glamour

Twitter links: May 29th

@greenrobeen:

1. Greener alternatives to personal care
2. The dirty 30 chemicals to avoid in products we use everyday

Good Health Natural Foods: video review

Eco-friendly Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just a few days away (May 10), and although it may just be another reason for companies to profit on a silly holiday you might still want to buy your lovely mother something! So why not make it eco-friendly? Here are some ideas:

- Potted plants instead of cut plants (what's the point of a dozen roses if they die in a couple days?)

- Organic (and perhaps vegan) chocolates. Dagoba has some really neat flavors, like Lavender Blueberry! (you can find them at Whole Foods)

- Organic body products - I love Hugo Naturals because they have great scents, and you can find them easily at places like Whole Foods

- Eco-vegan makeup - I love Gabriel Cosmetics and they're offering 20% off on their website for Mother's Day!

- Organic cocktail mixes by Modmix - they're vegan,and are available at Whole Foods. You can find a free downloadable $1 off coupon for Modmix here

- Fair-trade/organic/shade-grown coffee, or loose tea and a strainer. These teas from Tea Forte look nice.

- Jewelry made from recycled materials. Here are some examples: Smart Glass and Cool Planet.

- Donation to a eco-friendly organization. Author Rory Freedman (Skinny Bitch) will match donors to Peta2 dollar-to-dollar (up to $5,000) for Mother's Day.

- Carbon-offset gift certificates.

Here's a nice article from EcoMii with more ideas.

If your strapped for cash (and time), Peta suggests making a microwave cake!

Here's another article, from GoGreenBlog, and one from The Green Girls

Online shopping: packaging

I have to order a lot of items for work, and often I need to buy them online. Some people say buying online is more eco-friendly than driving to buy a product, especially if it's far away (wasting gas). It seems like it's a thin line, but since companies like USPS, UPS, and FedEx are out anyways (especially if you are in a busy area) you might as well have them drop off a package. It's also better to have products shipped ground, instead of an expedited method that will require a plane.

Anyways, my new fixation is on packaging. I decided to start keeping track of how companies ship their products. I do a lot of ordering via Amazon, but usually it's through one of their vendors. Today I received 2 packages. One package had one small item inside, and the other had 4 items. Believe it or not, the first package was large enough for the second package to fit inside, even though the first package only had one item inside! I decided to email the company, Skin Care RX and express my concern over the environmental impact of using such large packaging for a small item. They wrote back: "Are shipping department only has one size box that they use if possible please recycle the box if posible" Clearly they don't have excellent grammar, nor do they care that they have now lost my business. (And of course I will recycle the box - that's not the point). Not to mention there were a ton of catalogues and flyers in the box as well - I can find all of that info on their website, which is how I ordered from them in the first place.

On the other hand, I would like to commend Brand Vitamin Discounters for their nice use of packaging.

Please consider this next time you order online, and join me in writing companies to express your dissatisfaction with their packaging - maybe together we can make a change.

UPDATE: I just received a third package (told you I order a lot) and I had to mention this one from Good Health Natural Products as well. Not only was the box a perfect size for the contents, but they used shredded paper as stuffing/packing.

I received a very nice email from Good Health after writing this post:

"Many of our products have a huge vegan following. We try to keep in mind when developing a snack product that some people do not want dairy products in the seasoning so we always make sure we have a flavor or two that are dairy free.
Every day we try to look at ways that we can become more eco-friendly. We're taking steps to make changes like new biodegradable and recyclable packaging on our soaps and opening an East and West coast warehouse to make our carbon footprint smaller. Within the next six months our vegetable oil soaps will switch to a natural sodium gluconate base that is truly 100% biodegradable in the environment. We realize we have a long way to go but we are getting a little closer every day."

Recess Nail Spa (Los Angeles)

Today I treated myself to a mani/pedi at Recess Nail Spa in West Hollywood. It was my first time there, so I got both for $50 (normally it's $60). 

I was really excited to go because it's a very eco-friendly place. Not only are the polishes and body products non-toxic and organic, but the space is entirely green. "Recess builders used only wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), guaranteeing that it came from well-managed forests, defined by far-reaching standards governing everything from worker's rights to environmental impact. In the loft-style salon, low-emitting paint coats the natural tone walls and skylights let in plenty of natural light. The furniture is made of recycled materials or those made from renewable or sustainable sources." And, "most of the salon's equipment is Energy Star rated"

I was very warmly greeted by Jessie at the front desk - he was incredibly helpful and kind. I was the only client there (it was a dreary day, plus the economy), so I got all the attention. 

It was a challenge choosing from all the pretty polishes by Zoya, but I decided on a pastel pink for my fingers and pastel blue for my toes (I kinda look like an Easter egg! But hey, it's the first day of spring). I didn't look at the names, but based on the website: the pink was either Maria or Piper; and the blue was probably Yummy but maybe Tart. 

After you pick your polish, you get to pick the scent for the lotions and oils the technicians use on you. There are a bunch to choose from. I almost picked Rose but Jamie convinced me to go with his favorite: Sugar Cookie. It wasn't a strong smell - I didn't leave smelling like a cookie - it was just a subtle, sweet, non-chemical scent.

I was a little disappointed that they don't have massaging chairs, but realized that they probably consume a lot of energy. Besides, I got great simultaneous lower leg and arm massages from the the technicians (Yayo did my manicure and Naima did the pedicure). Before applying the polish they wrapped my hands in warm bamboo towels - ahhhh. It was so nice not to smell chemicals! And there was a big screen TV in the middle of the room for my entertainment. 

I really enjoyed my time at Recess. It's a bit of a drive from Venice and I'm not that into getting my nails done, but next time I feel the desire I will definitely consider going back. $60 is three times the price of a mani/pedi on Main Street, but it's worth it for the all-natural and eco-friendliness. The only other drawback to Recess is that they only have 2 parking spaces - if they're full you either have to park on the street or risk being towed from the restaurant's lot next door (I did the latter and I was fine). 

Recess is located on Beverly near La Cienga (east of the Beverly Center). Parking is in the back or on the street.

Whole Foods discoveries

I went to the Whole Foods in Santa Monica (Wilshire & 23rd) and found some great eco & vegan items.

• Most importantly was my discovery of Whole Trade Brownie, which are vegan and packaged in 100% recycled paperboard
  
  
• Whole Foods now carries an exclusive home cleaning product line, which is also vegan
• Alba has a cute "Un-Petroleum" chapsticks, but are not vegan due to beeswax. 
• I bought some recycled gift wrap from Global Solutions

Strawberry Hedgehog

On this lazy Saturday I Stumble(d) Upon a great new site called Strawberry Hedgehog, which sells handmade vegan bath and body products. The owner also has a great blog with vegan recipes like cupcakes - yum! I love that most of these products are stored in glass containers - very eco-friendly! Her products would make great holiday gifts. 

PS - Next time you're bored you have to try Stumble Upon!

Spotlight on Body Products: La Natura & Merry Hempsters

La Natura offers some great vegan and eco-friendly body products. I use the Body Butter (I like the Soy)

• * Not all of their products are vegan - some have ingredients like beeswax.
• They also have great eco-friendly (and vegan) candles
  
  

My favorite vegan chap-stick is by Merry Hempsters

Kiehl's & Brad Pitt

This morning I passed a store front and discovered that Kiehl's (body products) is partnering up with Brad Pitt by donating their profits to help the fund "Make it Right". Their first contribution comes from sales of “Aloe Vera” Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser. This is the first 100% Biodegradable formula and fragrance for Kiehl's, which is made from 100% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) Bottle.

Kiehl's does not test on animals, but I'm not 100% sure that they don't use animal products.