CBC Marketplace Lousy Labels: Canada's Top 10 Misleading Natural Products

Ultimate Blog Party 2011: Hello! Thank you for stopping by our blog. We're an eco boutique based in Vancouver, BC and we're all about helping you live a greener & healthier life. Learn about non-toxic, BPA free and eco-friendly alternatives for everyday living that are safe for you and the planet too. Visit our boutique or join us on Facebook for great giveaways, tips and deals. Hope to make some friends through this party. Greenest regards, Louise PS. Pressed the wrong link button so this isn't a dedicated Blog Party post, but it's a great example of what we're all about.

Ever wonder how 'natural' or 'organic' those body care products lining the shelves of your local drug store really are? If so, the recent 'Lousy Labels' episode of the popular watchdog show CBC Marketplace and countdown of the top 10 misleading natural products is a must-see.

Post by Louise

Fa, Aveeno, Covergirl, Aubrey Organics, Avalon Organics -- even Seventh Generation diapers make the Lousy Label black list. The #1 misleading product? Huggies natural care baby wipes - a baby product cited as natural yet it not only contains parabens but a nasty ingredient on Health Canada's hot list.

Watch the show here:
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2011/lousylabels/

Host Erica Johnson hits the shelves and people's homes with environmental activist Adria Vasil to investigate green labelling on many of Canada's most popular personal care products marketed to us as 'natural' or 'organic'. They find the labels rife with exaggeration, misleading verbage and many of them contain ingredients no different than those found in regular, cheaper brands.

Most shocking -- the companies behind these products hide behind excuses of 'proprietary information' and ignorance when asked directly about the percentage of 'natural' or 'organic' ingredients contained in their products.

In this episode, the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association is no help. The spokesperson repeatedly states without regulation it's up to the consumer to check and compare labels - a little difficult when you're rushing around the grocery store with one or two toddlers in hand. He does get it right though, when he says the best thing to do if you're not sure, is simply stop buying the product.

There's so much more to say about safe ingredients, labelling, product comparison -- this brief investigation is a great start and an eye-opener about how important educating yourself is if you're interested in knowing what exactly you're putting on your body.

For a great selection of truly natural body care products -- we've checked the ingredients lists ourselves and gone through them with the manufacturers -- visit us at Lavish & Lime. If you have any thoughts or comments about labelling or this Marketplace episode, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

Earth Hour: 5 Fun Things to Do When the Lights Go Out

Think ahead and you'll find there's more to do than just sit around in the dark when you turn out your lights for an hour on Saturday night to help raise awareness about climate change.

Post by Louise

The WWF started Earth Hour four years ago in an effort to get people to turn out their lights and raise general awareness about the need to take action around climate change. It's grown to become a worldwide phenomenon with Earth Hour 2010 reaching 1.3 billion people. A record 128 countries and territories took part making it the largest voluntary action ever witnessed.

So what to do when you turn out your lights at 8:30pm this Saturday, March 26th? We've come up with some fun ideas to keep you so busy, one hour just won't seem long enough!

1. Forget the i-Pod touch, the DS and Wii, sit down with the kids and play a good old-fashioned board game with actual dice, playing pieces, cards, etc.

2. Set up a 'camp' inside, turn on the fireplace and read stories by flashlight -- a great way to bring a much-loved outdoor activity in.

3. Prepare dinner in advance, including the table setting, then have a late night candlelit dinner with the kids - something so out of the ordinary, they (and you) will love it!

4. Cozy up by candlelight or flashlight and look through favourite old photos and photo albums. Remember when we were diligent about printing photos rather than letting them sit on our cameras and computers? An hour goes quickly when you're walking down a lane of baby, party, holiday and other memories.

5. Get outside and go for a late night walk under the stars. Take advantage of the fact that with lots of lights out, the night time sky will be less cluttered with light pollution and more visible to the naked eye -- fingers crossed the local cloud cover isn't too thick. Brush up on your constellations before you head out and play 'i-Spy in the sky' - a great way to teach kids about the stars.

Whatever you do during Earth Hour 2011, feel good knowing that you'll be joining more than a billion other people around the globe in taking a stand for the future of our planet -- having fun will be a bonus.

For more ideas about living a greener, healthier life and a great selection of the latest eco-friendly and non-toxic everyday alternatives, visit our eco boutique Lavish & Lime.

Best Ways to Get Plastic Savvy for Big Results

Plastic can be dangerous. Plastic is everywhere in our homes. It off-gasses into our air, it leaches into our food and it never goes away. These are just some of the facts about plastics Tanis Frame, aka Mamamaven, made clear at our recent Lavish & Lime Get Plastic Savvy workshop.

Post by Louise

Did you know that every piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists? It just keeps getting broken down but it's still here complicating the ecosystem, except for for the little bit that has been incinerated, which releases toxic chemicals.

According to Mamamaven, the first step to greening your nest and rid yourself of the potentially harmful effects of plastics in your home is to get fresh air. "Get outside and play!" she says. "Bring the fresh air in - open windows every day and bring in the plants to purify the air."

Mamamaven suggests trying Wide Open Wednesdays as a great way to remember to open your windows at least once a week.

While we all know about them, sometimes it's hard to keep the plastics numbers straight. Here's the lowdown once and for all:

• opt for #2, #4, #5 -- these are the safest
• don't reuse #1 -- many plastic water bottles are made with this
• avoid #3, #6, #7, unless confirmed bioplastic
• look for phthalate-free and BPA-free labels

Mamamaven recognizes we all have plastics in our homes and offers some basic do's and don'ts when dealing with them:

• avoid microwaving plastics
• avoid hot contents
• hand wash all plastics, DO NOT put in dishwasher
  
• discard worn plastics -- scratches, cloudiness -- put these to a safer non-food use

She also points out that many everyday electronic devices like key fobs, cell phones, blackberries, etc. contain plastics made with chemicals like flame retardants. These are by no means food-safe plastics and should not be in children's mouths.

Getting savvy about plastics use means looking to alternatives: stainless steel, wood, bamboo, glass, wool, fabric, lead-free ceramics are all great options. There are also safer plastics that are free of nasty toxins like bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC and phthalates. Some of these are new bioplastics made of starch-based resins from sustainable, renewable plant crops like wheat, corn, tapioca and potato. The bioplastics market is growing 20-30% per year at the moment.

It can all be overwhelming, but Mamamaven suggests taking even little steps like opening the windows can make a big difference. She recommends making these three areas top priorities when looking to green your nest and make it safe from toxic-laden plastics:

• hot or wet food storage
• toys that go in the mouth
• finding and removing PVC#3 'vinyl' poison plastic items, found in everything from shower curtains and blackout blinds to flooring, backpacks and lunch bags

More ways to live a greener, healthier life and reduce the effects of harmful plastics:

• choosing reusables over disposables
• refusing excessive plastic packaging
• buying in bulk, buy concentrated products, buy refill packs
• buying powders in paper rather than liquids in big plastic jugs

Some great resources for further learning include:

• Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE)
• Healthy Child Healthy World
• Centre for Health, Environment and Justice

Watch for our Live Facebook Forum featuring Mamamaven coming in April. Become a Lavish & Lime facebook fan now so you can receive updates about this exciting upcoming event.

For a great selection of eco-friendly and non-toxic alternatives for everyday products and more ideas about living a greener, healthier life, visit our eco boutique Lavish & Lime.

Eco-Friendly Floss Picks & Toothbrush for Guilt-Free Brushing

Ever feel bad about using those little plastic flossers or manual toothbrushes then throwing them away? We've found a solution: eco-friendly compostable floss picks and an eco-friendly toothbrush for easy, guilt-free dental care!

Post by Louise

Our natural eco flossers biodegrade in a compost facility within 180 days into organic soil - a little longer if you simply throw them in your home compost or garden. That's because they're made from renewable crops like corn and potatoes instead of petroleum, like name brand conventional flossers.

It took five years of development and consultation with dental professionals to come up with this truly environmentally sustainable product made of the new safe plastic option: bioplastic. Bioplastics are made from renewable, sustainable plant-based crops. Our eco-friendly flossers are made of starch-based resins from corn, wheat, tapioca and potato starches -- ecologically sound substitues for petroleum-based plastic products -- that come from primarily the Midwest (versus oil from the Middle East).

Not only are these natural eco flossers free of potentially harmful chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates, but they're fully certified biodegradable and compostable in the US and Europe. (Canada does not yet have certifications for biodegradability and compostability.) Unlike materials designated as biodegradable, those certified as compostable are designed to compost quickly, within 60-180 days, without releasing any toxic residues.

In terms of functionality and quality, our natural eco-friendly floss picks work just as well, if not better, than their conventional counterparts -- and the little 'Mr. Molar' character on the top of the kids' design is a favourite with little ones. The adult eco flossers feature a pointed end, ideal for cleaning specifics in between teeth.

Complete your dental care with our eco-friendly toothbrushes for kids and adults -- also made from safe, sustainable and biodegradable bioplastic. Similar to conventional toothbrushes, our compostable eco-friendly toothbrush lasts about three months and the children's eco-friendly toothbrush is good for kids up to about 12 years.

It's spring and a great time to rethink our old ways with fresh, new ideas. Why not feel good about cleaner teeth and a cleaner planet with effective dental products made from plants?

The eco-friendly flossers and compostable toothbrushes mentioned above are available at our eco boutique Lavish & Lime. If you have any thoughts or ideas about dental products or care, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

Go Green with St. Patrick's Day Recipes

On St. Patrick's Day, going green takes on a whole new meaning. It's no longer about our usual healthier, planet-friendly goals.

Post by Louise

Going green on March 17th literally means looking the colour green: wearing it -- or risk getting pinched -- and even eating or drinking green-coloured foods. While in Ireland the colour green was long thought to be unlucky, here we've always thought the opposite, especially on St. Patrick's Day.

Regardless of luck or not, it's always fun to get into the spirit and one of the best ways is to go green for kids and adults alike. Check out these green recipes we've found and bring a little luck of the Irish to every meal you cook today and through the weekend! Remember to pick up organic ingredients when you can...

Apple and Avocado Smoothie
Green Eggs and Ham
Green Risotto
Beer Battered Broccoli
Green Chocolate Slimedoo

Enjoy your day and if you want to go green in an eco-friendly way, be sure to check out the special St. Patrick's Day savings in our Sale Shop - save 40% on every item there! Use code STPATRICK March 17-18th.