Green Living Tip Tues: Green Your “Personal Items”

Today’s consumer has a wide variety of personal care products to choose from. Soaps, shampoos, creams and lotions come in an extensive range of prices and all promise some sort of improvement to your appearance.

However the potential risks are often overlooked or dismissed.  Choosing a safe product that is also eco-friendly is particularly difficult because there is no common regulation that would help a consumer make the decision. In fact, many personal care products contain ingredients that are not only harmful for the environment but also toxic. It is also important to note the packaging of these products and the waste it creates.

Finding a truly green product can be challenging, limited information is available and many labels omit potentially toxic ingredients.  In this post I would like you to follow my lead in helping locate products that would be beneficial to you and harmless to the environment.

• Make your own. Internet provides many recipes for home made personal care products. Follow the rule, “if you eat them you can wear them”.
• Read the labels and know what you are looking for. Learn about the most harmful ingredients and avoid products that list them. Beware of labels containing incomplete information.
• Look for certified organic products.
• Use natural deodorant, like crystal stick, or at least avoid using aluminum based products.
• Choose petroleum free products, opt for organic based.
• Do not rely on sun block alone. Use natural sun creams and cover up – your skin health is far more important than summer tan.
• Choose products that were not tested on animals.
• And lastly, make sure that packaging is made of recyclable material.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User Bern@t