Green Your Nail Polish

Toxic Chemicals in Nail Polish:
Did you ever wonder why your manicurist wears a respirator? Commercial nail polishes contain dangerous chemicals that have been linked to cancer as well as birth defects.  Three of the most hazardous chemicals are Dibutylphtalate (DBP), Formaldehyde and Toluene.   Nearly every commercial nail polish contains these chemicals.  Many people are also allergic to Formaldehyde and suffer adverse reactions from nail polish containing Formaldehyde.  Here is what the EPA says about Formaldehyde: "Formaldehyde can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing. High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans. Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions."

Green Nail Salons:
Many consumers are becoming aware of these hazards and are seeking healthier alternatives.  Although they are still something of a rarity Green Nail Salons are beginning to emerge.  Green Nail Salons benefit both the employees and the customers.  Traditional nail salons have very poor indoor air quality due to the high levels of chemicals used in nail polishes, removers and the application of acrylic nails.  These chemicals can lead to skin irritations, respiratory problems and even birth defects for the employees who work daily under these conditions.  If you frequent nail salons your exposure to these chemicals is also cause for concern, espeically if you are pregnant.  Green Nail Salons use non toxic nail polishes, removers and products and most refuse to do acrylic nails so the indoor air quality is much healthier.

How to Green Your Nail Care:

1. Choose a Green Nail Salon for your next nail appointment.
   
2. If you don't have a green nail salon in your area start bringing your own green nail polish to your mani-pedi appointments.  Zoya is a Green 4 Your Soul favorite and comes in all of the seasons hottest shades.
3. If you do your own nails always choose a green nail polish that is free from harmful chemicals and only use Acetone free nail polish removers. 

A Natural Way to Freshen Funky Carpet

Does your carpet have a funky smell?  I've got two dogs who love to roll around and lay on the carpet, often leaving it smelling a little less than fresh.  I'm also something of a clean freak so this drives me crazy, especially when I'm doing Yoga and my face is buried in the funk.  Since going green I haven't used any carpet fresheners for fear of exposing my pups to the toxic chemicals contained in them.  Since I've never seen a natural alternative at the store I decided to do a little digging.  Making your own natural carpet powder is easy, inexpensive and best of all it works!

Natural Carpet Freshening Powder Recipe:
1 cup of Baking Soda
10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (Adjust the amount depending on the strength of the scent you choose) 
Mix well to blend oils into powder

Essential Oils can easily be found at your local health food store or purchased on one of my favorite websites:
Mountain Rose Herbs

Directions for Use:
Sprinkle powder on carpet and keep dogs and children away for at least 15 minutes
Vacuum up and enjoy your fresh carpet


Since Baking Soda is a natural deodorizer this powder will absorb the smell instead of just masking it.  I also like to make my own linen spray by filling a spray bottle with water and mixing essential oils.  You can have fun mixing up different scent combinations. One of my favorite combinations is Vanilla, Peppermint & Lavender.  The linen spray can be used to freshen drapes, bedding and throw pillows. 

Are your candles sucking the life out of you?

Did you know that according to the American Lung Association candles are becoming the most common cause of poor indoor air quality? Many candles are made with paraffin wax and lead wicks. Burning several paraffin candles in your home could create poor indoor air quality in your home that rivals large cities like Los Angeles! The EPA has discovered that paraffin candles and the smoke and soot they give off contain several hazardous chemicals that are probable carcinogens, neurotoxins and reproductive toxins. Acetone, Benzene, Carbon Tetrachloride, Trichloroethane, Toluene, Mercury and Lead have all been found in paraffin candles. Worst of all the candle industry is not required to inform consumers of the ingredients they use in their candles, even if their candles contain lead wicks!  

To keep your indoor air quality pure and protect your family's health always look for Soy or Vegetable wax Candles with Lead Free Wicks.  If the candle doesn't state that the wick is lead free it probably isn't.  Also try and buy candles that are scented with essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances.  Synthetic fragrances can often aggravate respiratory problems.  Read the labels before you bring anything new in to your home to ensure that you are not contaminating your environment with toxic chemicals.  Luckily there are many companies out there that are producing safe and natural candles so it's not a matter of avoiding candles all together but rather making a healthier choice. 

Waterless Car Washing Products

Did you know that washing your car at home uses more than 100 gallons of water? It's estimated that 800 million gallons of water are used per day in the US to wash cars. Only 1% of the world's freshwater is safe for drinking and nearly 1 Billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. In addition 1.4 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water.  We need to protect this precious resource and look for ways to conserve it rather than waste it.

At home car washing contributes to pollution as well. When you wash your car at home the oil, grease, metals and soap run off of your car and into the storm drains polluting our rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. Ecolo Green Car Wash is an amazing California based company dedicated to educating consumers on the importance of protecting and conserving water. As the population grows and our climate heats up we need water more than ever. In the next 20 years it's estimated that humans will need 40% more water than they do now.  If we continue to waste water at the current rates where will this water come from?

Ecolo Green Car Wash products allow you to keep your car sparkling clean while conserving water and protecting the planet.  Ecolo Green Car Wash products give you all the performance of a traditional car wash product without the wasted water or polluting chemicals. Did we mention that they’re 100% Biodegradable too? Ditch the hose, buckets and toxic car washing products and reach for a bottle of Ecolo Car Wash instead. You'll feel good in knowing that you're doing your part to conserve water and protect the planet. Ecolo makes a great gift for green guys too!