10 Highly Recommended Eco Friendly Products

Being eco friendly doesn't always have to be such a chore. In fact, some products that have been introduced make it very easy, and won't break your budget. Leading an eco friendly lifestyle has never been easier. Here are 10 recommended eco friendly products that you should check out today to reduce your impact on the environment:

Biodegradable Trash Bags - Plastic is no longer the wave of the future. There are harmful chemicals found in trash bags, as well as unnecessary scent agents. Few, if any, plastic trash bags can make claims that they are BPA free, phthalate free, or biodegradable. Corn based plastics that break down in landfill conditions are the ideal alternative, and they're surprisingly strong. That's less animals harmed, less plastic created, and less plastic in our environment, just by making one simple switch.

Eco Friendly Baby Diapers - Diapers take a huge toll on the environment. Not only do they consume resources to create them, but they take massive amounts of space just to dispose of them. Diapers are not biodegradable, for the most part, unless the packaging indicates so. Other types of diapers may also have chemicals which will be absorbed into your baby's skin. Instead, opt for a more earth friendly option for your baby that doesn't have the chemicals. 

Reusable Paper Towels - In terms of wastefulness, paper towels rank near the top. Paper towels consume trees, which we need to help filter air and create oxygen. They also intake CO2, which our atmosphere has plenty of. To reduce paper towel waste, consider using a reusable set of paper towels to save trees and save money. 

Soap Nuts - These tiny little berries can actually wash clothing. It's sound unbelievable, but once you try them, you'll see them in action. While they may not produce overwhelming suds, they still contain saponin to help remove grime and dirt. Soap nuts also are far easier on your clothes, so you won't be finding as many holes, rips, and tears on your clothing. Expect the life of your clothing to substantially increase, while not spending any additional money on detergent (the price is about the same). 

Aromatherapy Reed Diffusers - Yes, those candles smell great, but what's in them? And as for those chemical disinfect sprays, what's in those? An array of parabens, metals, and propellents are included in air freshening products, and they aren't natural. Over time, you could experience headaches, smoke inhalation, and have black, sooty walls from candle smoke. A natural, green alternative is aromatherapy reed diffusers, made with just natural ingredients. The difference in scent is also astounding.

Eco Friendly Cat Litter - Kitty litter is a must for indoor cats (as well as outdoors), but they have their drawbacks. Namely, they create dust that can be inhaled by your kitty, and you. The carcinogenic dust can lead to health problems, and kitty is very likely to eat it, too. Buying a more earth friendly and cat friendly litter will help you, help the cat, and help the earth. 

Organic Perfume - The lack of integrity and utter disregard for the quality of the products produced by the perfume industry are appalling. Chemical fixatives, animal testing, petrochemicals, headache causing artifical fragrance, and an entirely synthetic composition make 99% of today's perfumes a really bad choice all around. Perfumes have been around for centuries, but only since the 20th century have they been synthetic. Revert back to the perfumes nature created by choosing an all natural, organic perfume instead. 

Organic Crib Sheets - The number of chemicals found in traditional cotton sheets are horrible for you, and even worse for little babies. Babies have less mass to distribute the chemicals absorbed by their body, unlike adults, who have far greater mass. This means babies will have a greater exposure to any chemicals and pesticides used on their sheets, and a greater risk of developing cancer. To reduce this risk, opt for a certified organic set of sheets. Organic mattresses are another great option, provided they are certified and are firm enough for your baby. 

Eco Cup - This brilliant invention is a great way to reduce take out coffee cup waste. Instead of throwing away your plastic or paper cups day after day, the Eco Cup will prevent that waste from ever occurring. Simply bring it in to your local coffee shop and fill it up. It's all the benefits of an easy to use coffee sippy cup, without the negative effects on the environment. 

Eco Friendly Cleaning Products - Cleaning products sound innocent, because they clean, but most are not. Specially formulated chemicals thrown together to create a grime stopping cleaner have their negative affects and flaws. Skip the chemicals next time and get an eco friendly cleaning product you can clean with, sans the guilt. These are also refillable via concentrate pouches, so there's less harm done to the environment and less transport energy used. 

For additional ideas, read this post on the top 10 eco friendly gift ideas, or head to TheGreenerEarth.com today to shop for eco friendly products like reusable paper towels, the Eco Cup, organic perfume, and others listed on this page. 

Are Salon Shampoos Killing Your Skin and Hair?

Sitting in the waiting room in any salon, you'll see product after product available for sale, to keep the color in your freshly dyed hair, to keep that teased, perfected hairstyle in place, and to moisturize your hair after all those treatments. These products are made by professionals though, so how bad can they be for you? After all, the bottle says "the true professional," so that must mean they know what's good for us, right? Maybe not.

As it turns out, those hair products could be destroying your hair more than fixing it, all the while depositing a range of chemicals into your scalp, skin, nails and hands. What chemicals? The internet is full of conflicting information about chemicals. At the very least, the chemicals could be doing nothing (though many articles and studies have suggested otherwise). Worst case scenario, the petrochemicals in salon products and shampoos could lead to severe skin irritation, cause birth defects, and potentially shampoo could cause Alzeheimer's Disease. Are salon products going to kill you overnight? No, you have a better chance of winning the lottery and then being struck by lightning while seeing a flying pig in your last moments. Over long periods of use, your salon shampoo that contains petrochemicals cause some annoying irritation, weaken and damage your hair, strip it of vital nutrients, and expose your hair and scalp to unncessary agents (and some of the potential risks described previously).

What About Animal Testing with Shampoos?

One brand that doesn't test on animals is Paul Mitchell. However, you do have to be careful when a product says that it "has not been tested on animals." The final product itself may not have been tested on animals, but the individual ingredients may have. How can you be really sure your product hasn't been tested on animals? Look for the little bunny. Products that have the "leaping bunny" logo have met standards where the product is cruelty free, including suppliers, all ingredients, testing, and manufacturing.

What are the alternatives to traditional salon shampoo?

There are some alternatives out there for salon shampoo. An organic shampoo is a great choice, but you have to look at the ingredients just like any other product. Just because the product states that it's organic, that doesn't mean it's healthy. First, you'll always want to look for certified organic products. Some companies cannot attain organic certification because some of the ingredients simply aren't made organic, or the price difference in certain ingredients is astronomically different. If you have questions about any product, check the cosmetic database, and check reviews from other consumers online by doing a quick google search for the company name + reviews. There's also biodynamic shampoo, which is not just organic, but a product that is made from a self sustaining ecosystem. In other words, nothing comes from outside of the farm. The herbs are grown on the farm, and all of the other ingredients in the shampoo. The cost of the biodynamic organic (which you can find here) shampoo will also be comparable to that of a salon product, but will be far higher quality - and won't damage your hair.

If you're interested in reading more about what chemicals might be lurking in your cosmetics, you may want to read the following posts from our blog:

• Why Buy Certified Organic Perfume?
• Organic Baby Bath Products

Certified Organic Perfume - Why Buy All Natural Perfume?

Ah, the sweet smell of your favorite perfume. Who can resist the aroma, the memories, and... the antifreeze? Traditional perfumes often contain synthetic compounds from petroleum (yup, as in gasoline - the type you fill your car with!), and Propylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze. Luckily, there are high quality types of certified organic perfume available.

But first, let's talk about perfume for a moment. The fragrance industry does not have any regulation - they are self regulated. It isn't like food, which has to meet certain requirements, or governed by the USDA like our produce in the USA. Instead, ingredients that perfume manufacturers use are considered "trade secrets," and do not have to be disclosed. In other words, it's anything goes in the perfume world. Whatever smells good, put it in there. Are you wondering what else is found in your perfume?

Your perfume can also contain phthalates. Phthalates are plastic by-products used as a sort of filler to make things more pliable, and in perfume's case, it is used as a fixative (to make it stick in place and not run). The dangers of phthalates have been widely documented, so much so that the European Union has banned phthalate use in cosmetics in Europe. We're still waiting in Canada and the United States for a phthalates ban.

How the Perfume World Has Changed

Way back in the day, perfume was natural. There were no such thing as phthalates, glycol, and other synthetic substances. The only ingredients being used in perfumes in the days of Mesopotamia and Egypt were natural ones, the highest quality available. They were never overpowering, they were always pleasant, and they had no petroleum. Ingredients used consisted of bergamot, flowers, almonds, herbs, spices, and conifer. Today, far less money is used on the actual ingredients as is spent on the packaging, marketing and advertising of the perfume. Cheaper ingredients, namely synthetics, were introduced in the 20th century. These "breakthroughs" allowed scents to be created for a cheaper price that would otherwise be harder to get naturally. An all natural perfume is something you would have a hard time finding at any perfume store or at your local Macy's.

Certified Organic Perfumes Available

This all natural perfume is going to have a lot of benefits over the typical commercial variety of perfume. Here are some of those benefits:

• Natural perfume is subtle, not overpowering. Your friends, family, and coworkers will appreciate this!
• Each bottle is unique. You'll experience different looks to the actual liquid in each bottle, a natural occurrence.
• This particular certified organic perfume (click shop for products when you arrive at the previous link) is free of animal products, and hasn't been tested on animals.
• It's vegan friendly (a small amount of beeswax is used).
• Natural perfumes can be layered for a unique natural scent.
• Best of all, you'll be synthetic free! No more phthalates, chemicals, petroleums, or alcohol. To top it off, it's certified organic.

Made with a base of 100% natural coconut oil infused with fruits, rare grasses, rare woods, and exotic spices, and is made with the most natural and organic ingredients as possible. The end result is a wonderful, intoxicating aroma that will leave your other synthetic perfumes in the dust. The alluring organic perfumes come in four amazing natural scents. The 4-Scent Oil Set includes: Fleur Savage, Kesu, Llang Llang and Kizes. 4 ml each.

You can order the organic perfume here (click shop for products).

If you're also looking to give your home a wonderful scent without potential toxins found in common household sprays, first try opening the windows, ventilating, and vaccuming, and topping it off with a spray of natural aromatherapy room spray.