Natural Tooth Whitening

I enjoy coffee, tea and a few other things that probably aren't on my teeth's favorite foods list.  I have been thinking about whitening, but the though of chemical strips has me cringing, so I thought I would do some searching for natural methods.  Here's what I've come up with to try.  If you've tried these methods I'd love to hear how they worked for you.  I plan to report back on this in a month or so.

Strawberries
I've read that strawberries can help whiten your teeth because of their acid content.  Mixed with baking soda, this is suppose to deliver a power punch of teeth whitening magic.

The Method?
I took 3 strawberries (would have been 4 but my daughter ate one) and added 2 teaspoons of baking soda.  I put them all in my mini food processor and blended until smooth.  Once I had a nice smooth paste I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth gently for about 5 minutes.  I put the remainder in the fridge to use later.  I won't lie, it did not taste good, but neither do chemical whiteners (I tried them in high school and OUCH they made my teeth sensitive!)

After I brushed my teeth with the strawberry paste I brushed them with my regular toothpaste and then rinsed with water/peroxide and then with mouthwash.

I have to say that my teeth feel really clean.

Bananas
Bananas are said to help whiten teeth because of their potassium and manganese content.  Not sure how accurate or relevant this is, but we'll see!

The Method?
Peel a nice ripe banana and rub the peel in a circular motion all over your teeth for a few minutes.  Once you're done you can wipe off what's left on your teeth and go about your day.  I'm thinking that I might need to brush, but we'll see how it goes.  I am told that you can see results in as little as two weeks, and I have seen lots of rave reviews regarding this method.  I'm headed to the store today and plan to try this out!

Straws
Ahh, straws.  This one is pretty simple.  When you drink things normally your teeth are coated in acids, colorants, sugars and whatever else might be in your drink.  The idea here is to avoid all of that contact by using a straw.  It's a simple method and I'm pretty sure your kids will think it's cool too.  If you aren't into wasting plastic straws you can try a reusable straw like these from Glass Dharma.  I haven't had the pleasure of trying these yet, but I've heard great things.

And  before you start thinking Glass=Breakage, they offer a lifetime guarantee against breakage.  According to their site: If, for any reason*, your GlassDharma Drinking Straw breaks, you may return the broken straw for repair or replacement. If we cannot restore it to its original condition, we will gladly replace it.

Have you tried another natural whitening method with great results?  I'd love to hear about it!

Tate's Natural Miracle Conditioner (with Giveaway!)

I want to tell you about a product that I've been using for a while now and that I just love.  It's called Tate's Natural Miracle Conditioner and it's fabulous!  What makes Tate's so unique is that while it's called a conditioner, it's so much more than that.

Tate's NMC is my #1 go to as a facial lotion, wash, scrub (add sugar!) and makeup remover.  It does an amazing job and leaves my skin looking and feeling great.  My pores appear smaller (I've noticed this on my husband as well), my skin tone is much more even (no dry patches) and my skin is much less temperamental..  Let me show you!



In the video I mentioned that there are something like a hundred uses for this stuff, and I wasn't kidding!  Here are just a few of my other favorites:

Hair - Tate's is a wonderful conditioner and can even be used as a leave in!
Body - It's a great body lotion, there is no residue and it works well, especially with regular use.
Sunburn - Gentle enough to help moisturize after an unfortunate run in with the sun.
Bath - Add a few pumps to your bath water for a moisturizing soak.
Baby!! - This stuff is crazy gentle and perfect for little ones.  I use it in my daughters hair and it can even be used on baby's bottom to sooth and help prevent rashes.
Laundry - You can use this in the wash as a truly natural fabric softener.
Household Cleaning - Add a little Tate's to a spray bottle of water and use it for dusting, leather conditioning and ironing.

Want more ideas?  Check out the booklet that comes with your bottle of Tate's or this blog post!

In addition to this wonderful, amazing product, Tate's offers many others.  I have friends that use some of them and I look forward to trying them in the future!  You can check out their full line here.

Now, for the moment you've been waiting for - Tate's has generously offered one of these amazing bottles of conditioner for one of you to try.  If you don't win, no fear - this product is amazing and well worth every penny.  I have bought several bottles and will continue to do so.

Enter to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Follow our blog and tell me why you want to try Tate's Natural Miracle Conditioner!  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow EFFBlog & tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "You've got to see this stuff!  Win Tate's amazing, do it all conditioner @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Comment with a link to your tweet. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Like us on Facebook, The Eco-Friendly Family

*Add our Blog Button to your blog or web page. Leave a link!

*Tell others about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link. One entry for each way you share!

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends May 30th.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned to review. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. Review & Ad Information, Giveaway Guidelines

Girly gift idea!

I have two little girls, my oldest being nearly 3 and as girly as they get.  She loves all that Mommy has and wants some of her own.  Late last year I introduced you to Piggy Paint, a fantastic company that offers safe nail polishes for little girls (and moms too).  I was recently contacted about their new Piggy Paint Project Earth line of polishes that feature fun neon (even glowing!) colors targeted at eco-conscious tweens.  These colors are vibrant and feature quirky names like 'LOL', 'The Boyfriend Blues' and 'Eat Your Peace' - to name a few.

I love the line of Piggy Paint products so much.  I use it on myself exclusively (as well as my girls) as well as for gifts.  It makes such a fun gift and I know that it's introducing something safe.  Piggy Paints water based polishes and safe remover do not the awful chemicals found in traditional polishes and removers - like formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate and acetone - making Piggy Paint as "natural as mud".  As a great big added bonus, Piggy Paint products are made in the USA!

Piggy Paints make a great gift, either as a stand alone gift (check out the gift sets!) of fun stocking stuffer.  Speaking of stocking stuffers!  Piggy Paint wants to give one of you a chance to try their polish by offering the chance to win a $15 gift card!  I'm going to run this until noon tomorrow (12 Noon - EST - December 24th), so be sure to enter right away!  I want to give you time to add a note to your little lady's stocking saying that she can pick out her very own Piggy Paint!  How's that for a last minute gift idea!

If you see something you like, feel free to use code: splash15l (lowercase L) for 15% off!  This won't expire until December 31, 2011.  Thanks Piggy Paint!

----Update! We have our winner!----

The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to CeltiCutie!  Hope your little one enjoys this!

Here's how to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Visit Piggy Paint and tell me which is your favorite color!  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow EFFBlog & Piggy Paint and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win a last minute stocking stuffer from @PiggyPaint & @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Like us on Facebook, The Eco-Friendly Family & Piggy Paint (be sure to tell them you saw them here!)

*Follow the blog and post letting me know that you are :)  (Google Friend Connect or Feed)

*Put the our Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link. One entry for each way you share!

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends December 24th.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned to review. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. Review & Ad Information, Giveaway Guidelines

Well hello Sir.

My husband is what I would consider a 'manly man'.  When it comes to finding manly and safer body products the selection out there is rather limited.  I was asking for product recommendations one day when someone piped up and said "Every Man Jack".  Hmm..  Well it sure sounds manly.  I have been toying around with the idea of getting some for my husband, he's quite particular and being unable to find it locally, I was unsure of the scents.  When I was given the chance to try it out, I jumped at it.  I was thrilled to have an option to share with you for the men in your family.  Every Man Jack contains no parabens, sodium lauryl sufate or dyes and is not tested on animals.

To get started, let's talk scent.  Getting a masculine scent is a concern for my husband, so I imagine that it is for others.  Every Man Jack offers their body wash in Signature Mint, Cedarwood & Citrus Scrub.  Several of their other products even come in a scent free option.  I have to admit that the mint gave me some concern (I'm always concerned that scents will be too strong), but upon arrival I got to sniffing and I can say for certain that it is indeed a mild and pleasant scent.  I have not personally used it, but I imagine that it would be rather invigorating in the shower.  I do have a minty body wash of my own and love it.  I want to note that the scented items do contain "fragrance"which is a bit of concern as I would prefer that to be better defined.

Something that I really love about the Every Man Jack line of products is that they offer a lot.  They offer shampoos, conditioners, body washes, hair styling products, shaving supplies, facial cleansers, lotions - even lip balm.  The point is, that if your man is like mine, he wants everything to smell alike - or at the very least not clash.   Every Man Jack delivers when it comes to that, for sure.

I know it's silly, but I also love the packaging.  It's simple, manly - but not trying too hard.  It looks nice on the counter and in the shower.  The bottles are also clearly marked for recycling.

For review I was sent a great package deal that is being offered by Every Man Jack.  They have DIY kits for $25 that is a $50 value - including your choice on a variety of products including a hair product, body product, facial cleanser, shave cream (or gel) & facial lotion.  This all comes packaged in your choice of a gym bag or toiletry bag.  I love the toiletry bag.  I think it's perfect for taking on trips.

Thanks to Every Man Jack, one of you will be able to win and give this 6 piece set to a man in your life.  If you just can't wait, Every Man Jack products are offered at Target stores nationwide (oh how I wish we had one here), Fred Meyers, Drugstore.com and Walgreens.com (I saw a few items listed as available in store!).  I think these products would make great (and useful) stocking stuffers.  I know I was very excited about giving this set to my husband.

----Update! We have our winner!----

The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Magie! I hope that your husband one loves it!

Here's how to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Tell my why the man in your life would love Every Man Jack (or if you're a man - what interests you about EMJ).  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow EFFBlog and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Show the man in your life that you care with a kit from Every Man Jack & @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Like us on Facebook, The Eco-Friendly Family & Every Man Jack

*Follow the blog and post letting me know that you are :)  (Google Friend Connect or Feed)

*Put the our Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link. One entry for each way you share!

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends December 28th.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned to review. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. Review & Ad Information, Giveaway Guidelines

Healthy Hair

I love when my hair is healthy and shiny.  Like most, I spent most of my years lathering up my hair with harsh shampoos and then loading up on conditioners to help soften and replenish.

I tried going 'no poo' (a wash method consisting mostly of baking soda an apple cider vinegar), but that didn't work out.  I haven't totally given up on the idea, but I'll need to find a better system before I try again.

One thing I did take from my first attempt was the use of natural products and my favorite, Apple Cider Vinegar.

As a side note, if you're looking for a great bar shampoo, I encourage you to try J.R. Liggetts Shampoo.  I got great results with it in combination with a good natural conditioner and ACV (which I'll explain in a moment).

So here is my routine.

1) Wash my hair with natural shampoo - I've become fond of both Giovanni and the J.R. Liggetts mentioned above.

2) I condition my hair.  For this I keep a cup in the shower.  I put a splash of ACV in the bottom before getting in (maybe an inch in the bottom of the cup) and then put in a little squirt of my conditioner.  I use Giovanni.  After that, I swirl it a bit to mix it and then before using I add warm water up to nearly the top of the cup.

I like to dip the ends of my hair in the mixture first to give them extra attention.  After I've given them some attention I dump the rest over my head as I run my fingers through it to help rid any tangles and disperse the 'conditioner'.

I typically let this sit while I finish washing up and rinse it out last thing before getting out of the shower.

Apple Cider Vinegar does have a vinegar scent, but it is not as strong as white vinegar.  Also, after you have dried your hair, the smell is gone.  It does not linger, and the results are worth it.  Not only does it cut down considerably on my conditioner budget (I use to use twice as much conditioner as shampoo on a regular basis) but my hair is much healthier and shiny!

My facial cleaning secret!

I've been meaning to share this with you and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

I seem to have a bit of a problem with dry patches on my face if I don't exfoliate well.  I also don't care for most facial cleaners.  They seem to all be full of chemicals and I don't want to spend a ton on specialty products.

My newest love is felted goat's milk soap, mine happens to be Green Tea.  I was given a bar as a gift and found that it is amazing for my face.  I lather up the bar and use the lather (not the bar) to give my face a good wash.  Then with the soap still on my face, I *gently* rub the felted bar in circular motions around my face and neck, paying special attention to any areas that may need it.

The felted wool is great tool to gently exfoliate my skin and the goat's milk soap leaves my skin squeaky clean and super soft.  When I'm all done, I massage in a little bit of facial lotion and I'm done.

As I was typing this up, I wanted to be sure it was safe to recommend using goat's milk soap on your face and found that many sources say that it is great for acne.  I had no idea, but I won't complain!

Do you have any tips like this?  I'd love to hear them.

Personal Care Products: Ingredients to Avoid

When it comes to products, it's hard to know what's safe, what's not, what to buy, what not to buy, etc.

I thought I would do a little research and put together a short list of things to avoid in products. This is by no means a complete list, but at least some of the worst offenders to avoid. I hope you find this helpful. Happy shopping!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate - Often called SLS
SLS is a surfactant. It is often used for it's ability to lather and remove oils. It can be found in so many personal care products: Shampoos, Toothpastes, Body Wash, Shaving Cream, etc. It can also be found in Engine Degreasers, Household Cleaners, Car Wash Soap, etc. It can cause skin and eye irritation.

Parabens - Methyl, Ethyl, Butyl and Propyl Parabens (keep an eye out for anything ending in -paraben, there are lots!)
Parabens are used as preservatives in personal care products. There is some concern that these chemicals are carcinogenic, especially in breast tissue. They have also been found to mimic estrogen, again being found in breast cancer tumor samples.

Propylene Glycol - Also keep an eye out for Polyethylene Glycol and Polypropylene Glycol
Used as a surfactant and helps break down oils. Also a thickening agent. Known to cause rashes and dry skin. Also an ingredient in oven cleaners and antifreeze.

Phthalates - Look for "fragrance" DBP (Di-n-butyl Phthalate), DEP (Diethyl Phthalate) and BzBP (Benxylbutyl Phthalate)
These are hormone disrupting chemicals, often shown simply as "fragrance". Try to find products that you know use natural fragrances, or say so on the label. Can also cause nausea and headaches.

Cocamide DEA, MEA and TEA - Diethanolamine, Momoethanolamine and Triethanolamine
Often used as a emulsifiers and/or a foaming agent. Suspected to affect hormones and produce carcinogenic nitrates and nitrosamines. Can cause eye and skin irritation, as well as other allergic reactions.

Diazolidyinyl Urea, Imidazolindinyl Urea, DMDM Hydantoin and Quaternium-15
Preservatives like Parabens. Can cause skin irritation, migraines and allergic reactions. Release formaldehyde (known carcinogen).

FD&C , D&C Color followed by a number - Synthetic Colors
Used simply for appearance, along with synthetic hair dyes. Many are carcinogenic.

Talc
Probable carcinogen. Shown to cause tumors. Related to carcinogenic asbestos.

Petrolium - Petroleum Jelly
Mineral oil, derived from crude oil. Interferes with the skin's ability to breathe. Can lead to dryness and chapping.

Toluene
Solvent used in nail polishes. Known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system.

*If you think there is something that should be on this list, please feel free to comment or email me :)*

There are lots of great resources to check your products and ingredients. For a more indepth look at these things, please check out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.

Pretty Nails

My daughter will be two in March. She is *so* girly. It is adorable. She loves to do what Mommy does. She loves her shoes, her bows and her clothes.

It came as no surprise to me when, a few weeks ago, she wanted me to paint her nails when I did mine.

I didn't think for a moment that she would sit still and let me do them, but she did :) And when we had finished with her fingers, she wanted me to do her toes :) So we did.

The next day, she had rubbed most of the polish off and I quickly realized that I had no way to remove the rest. Yes, I have remover. However, I didn't want to use harsh polish remover on my baby who likes to put everything in her mouth. I do mean everything.

So, there the polish stayed.

I got to looking around the internet and came upon Piggy Paint. Great! Natural paints I thought :) I didn't expect them to be what I was use to (color selection), but I thought I'd take a look.

The colors were way better than I could have expected! They are pretty and shimmery! Check out these colors!How amazing that I can get not only beautiful colors to use on my little girl, but that they are safe for her too. According to their site, Piggy Paints are *Low Odor, *Non-toxic, *Water-based formula & *Hypoallergenic. They are completely free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, BPA, Ethyl and acetone.

They also offer a no acetone, low odor polish remover made from natural ingredients. (This is so huge for me!)

Check out this comparison done between traditional polishes and Piggy Paint.
After seeing this comparison, I knew that I needed something else to use on my little girl. No way could I knowingly use traditional paints on her. And for that matter, me!

I contacted Piggy Paint and they kindly sent me a polish and remover to try. My daughter was thrilled when it arrived.

I followed the directions that came with the polish. I washed her hands, painted her nails and then used a blow dryer (on warm) to set the polish. That part is optional, but I did it to help dry it faster.

Here is my baby girl showing off her Piggy Paints :)

I'd also like to mention that after dinner that night, my daughter decided to chomp at her food *with* her fingers in her mouth. I was very happy to know that her polish was safe!

I love these paints and can't wait to order some more colors (for me too!).

As a special bonus Piggy Paint is offering one lucky reader a $15 gift code and a discount to our readers!

Use code: MINT15L for 15% off through February 14, 2010

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to DieselMonkey! Enjoy, the colors are awesome!

If you'd like to enter to win, here's how!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Post here and tell me your favorite color! Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Pretty Nails! Win safe nail polish from @piggypaint & @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1" Leave a comment with a link to your status.

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :)

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of the Piggy Paint on facebook, leave a comment.

*Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter, leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a comment with a link.

US Only. Giveaway ends December 22nd. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product to review for the giveaway (Thank you Piggy Paint :) My daughter loves the polish and I am thrilled to know that it is safe for her to use.). No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.