Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA

As all of us have different skin/hair/water/expectations, of course results will vary. These are my experiences with these products, and I don’t expect any product to satisfy 100% of the people who try it… AND, I did become an “official” affiliate of Poofy Organics as of 6/15/14 after more than a year of recommending these products every, single day. So, I truly appreciate your support if/when ordering your Poofy products, by using this link:  https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/

THANK YOU in advance 🙂

Poofy Organics has been on my “approved” list for several months, after it was suggested I check out the line by someone on my page. Looking them up in EWG put a huge smile on my face, as did reading several of their labels. EWG lists 115 products rating 0-3. You have to scroll a really long way to get past the products that rate at 0 (nearly 2 pages) to even find ones that rate at 1, only 7/115 they list rate at 2. And, as always EWG is not all that up-to-date, and I noticed several products listed that aren’t currently offered via Poofy’s website. Indeed, the 4 products that EWG rated at a 3 have been eliminated from Poofy’s line! There are no harsh preservatives to be found, the ingredient lists are minimal, and the array of organic ingredients used in each product is astounding. I liked what I saw & added them to my list. But, I hadn’t tried any of the products, so was always hesitant to recommend anything specific when asked for recommendations for frequently asked questions such as shampoo/conditioner, etc. I am SO thankful that Kristina, the owner of Poofy Organics (and one of the 4 employees in addition to her mother) agreed to send me several samples. I’m well aware that companies such as Poofy get multiple requests a day for product samples from bloggers such as myself, and would go broke if they agreed to all of them. Kristina knew she could count on me to give my honest opinion of her products, and that you all place great value in my reviews, so she agreed to send me several samples! The amazing thing about dealing with a very small company like this is any time I had a question (and I ask a LOT of questions!), Kristina had them answered beyond satisfaction within hours. She knows everything there is to know about these products. Why? Because she makes them herself. I wish I could say the same for experiences I’ve had with other companies. I’ve had questions go unanswered for a month as the person selling them is so far removed from actually making them.

So, here’s a list of products I was sent, their ingredients, prices, and my thoughts on them. Followed by additional info on this company and their products that I enjoyed learning about, and hope you will too.

Dish Soap– A safe, effective dish soap is one of the most FAQ I get on this page, and I’ve been very frustrated with the options, even the safest ones have ingredients of concern. The ingredients in this are fabulous, and it works SO well The 1st time I tried it was with a tiny sink of dishes, just to see how it worked. I did the dishes, went outside for an hour or more, and came back & there were still bubbles in the sink! Then I let the dishes build up to the point where I had 2 sinks full and put it to the test again, the bubbles lasted through the whole load, and it was a pretty greasy load too! Last night hubby did dishes & without me asking for feedback he said “Wow, this stuff gets them squeaky clean”, and it really, really did. The dishes were so clean, no leftover grease or grime that I’ve experienced with some of the more eco-friendly brands I’ve tried. I cannot recommend this highly enough, and hope many of you are as excited as I am. Ingredients: Purified Water, Saponified Organic Oils of Coconut, Olive & Jojoba, Decyl Polyglucose ( EWG rating of 0!), Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Xanthan Gum (EWG rating of 0), Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Essential oils of Lemon & Rosemary, rosemary extract. Price=$10.00/16 oz. bottle. Many brands say just use a tiny amount, but I always find myself squirting quite a bit in for desired effect, but you honestly just need a little squirt of this stuff. AND, it has a wonderful, clean, fresh scent! Xanthan gum and Decyl Polyglucose are from non-gmo corn and the glycerine is USDA organic from soy.

Shampoo– $13/ 8 oz.  I was sent Orange Sweetness (I’m a huge citrus-scent fan). One of the most frequently asked questions asked on the page is about shampoo & conditioners. I had been using the No Poo method for several months (largely due to my frustration at finding a safe option), and was quite happy with it, but really wanted to have an answer to this question when asked, as I know the No Poo method isn’t for everyone. I had been pointing those asking to my list of ~15 ‘Approved’ companies & telling them to choose one from there, but that can be daunting too. So, I was really happy when Poofy Organics agreed to send me samples of these 2 products! Yes, the ingredient labels look great, but I always hate to recommend a product without trying it, as it’s nice to know if it really is effective. I now know that I can recommend them without hesitation. A little bit goes a long way (I did chop my hair shoulder-length recently though), it lathers, it smells great, it has all the features we all want shampoo to have. I used it a few times without conditioner, and my hair felt great, as apple cider vinegar is an ingredient that conditions also. My hair felt clean & not weighed down. I’ve been using this for about a month and have used ~1/4 of the bottle. The ingredient label is one of the most minimal I’ve seen on any shampoo: Purified Water, Decyl Polyglucose, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Essential Oil, Xanthan Gum. Here’s the link to the page with all shampoo/conditioner options:

Conditioner– $15 for 8 oz. I was sent the Hair Hero Intensive conditioner. As the name implies, it’s very intensive, and not recommended for everyday use. If you have wonderful, healthy hair, this may be too much for your needs, but if you have dry/damaged hair, this is the one for you! This works well with my hair washing routine which stems from my No Poo experience, which is washing it just a couple times/week. Also, $15 may seem expensive, but HONESTLY, you need a teeny, tiny dab of this stuff, any more & you’ll have greasy hair. I literally use a pea-sized amount, rub it around in my palms a bit, and gently finger it through the ends of my hair. I did recently chop my hair to shoulder-length though, so you’ll need a bit more with longer hair obviously, but still this will be the most minimal-use conditioner you’ll ever use. It leaves my hair feeling so soft, healthy & shiny-looking, I truly love it. I was also sent a spray/leave-in conditioner which is different from the one they are currently offering. The current formula was a bit greasy, so Kristina reworked it to make it less greasy, and appropriate for kids & adults alike. I’ve only sampled it a couple of times but loved how my hair felt after drying. It was soft, yet not oily or greasy whatsoever. Kristina is putting the final touches on this product & it should be available in the next month- I’ll surely let you know when it is! Ingredients for Hair Hero Intensive Conditioner: Distilled Water, Organic Safflower Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Grapeseed Oil, Organic Argan Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Organic Rosemary Extract, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate (Kimchi Seaweed), Organic Lemon essential Oil, Organic Rosemary Essential Oil.

Toothpaste– First USDA Organic toothpaste on market!! $8.00 for 3.4 oz. tube. The search for safe, effective toothpaste has not been easy. So many of the “natural” ones on the market (Tom’s, Jason, etc) contain ingredients such as SLS, carrageenan, and others that I don’t want to use myself, let alone let my toddler put in his mouth. If you’ve been on my page for any length of time you know I’m a huge Earthpaste lover. But, it is not certified organic, which I know many of you care about—so this is the paste for you! The version I sampled leaves your mouth feeling incredibly clean & fresh, cardamom & cinnamon are the overwhelming tastes that are left in my mouth. It is too intense for my toddler, he made quite the face when sampling it, but they have a cherry flavored one for kids ($6 for that version, it does contain organic glycerin which some like to avoid in toothpaste, others are fine with, I encourage you to research this & decide for yourself).  Ingredients: Distilled Water, Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Organic Maranta Arundinacea (Arrowroot) Powder, Bentonite Clay, Aluminum-Free Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Organic Erythritol, Organic Peppermint Essential Oil, Organic Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, Organic Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Essential Oil, Organic Elettaria Cardamomum (Cardamom) Essential Oil, Organic Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Essential Oil. This link provides more details about the ingredients used and their purpose/benefits to your teeth:

Deodorant—$10 for 2.65 oz. stick. I was sent a Peppymint tea, other scents include Piña Colada, and Patchouli Citrus Clove in stick form. They also offer a spray, and cream. This is one of the few products my hubby has been excited to have some input on. I make my own deodorant, it’s a very basic recipe that doesn’t work well as a stick so you need to apply it with your fingers, which he just isn’t thrilled about (I don’t mind it at all). Also, I’m not a huge peppermint fan, but hubby is, so this was the perfect product for him to try out. My husband is a very active outdoorsy-type, and has been using this deodorant for about a month. He really likes it! He feels it is very effective at eliminating odor and preventing sweat. Arrowroot powder is a natural moisture absorber. The beeswax and other butters seem to help clog pores to reduce sweating also, at least that’s the conclusion we’ve come to. I don’t know that that’s a scientific fact, but the stuff really works!  Ingredients: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Aluminum-Free Baking Soda, Organic Essential Oils of Peppermint & Tea Tree

Argan Oil– 100% pure & raw, USDA organic. $30 for 2 oz glass bottle. I’m totally new to this product. I’ve been seeing it pop up more & more in products recently, and recommended often by others, so was very happy when this item was sent for me to review- I always love to try new products as long as I have no concern over their ingredients/source. I’m assuming many of you are as unfamiliar with this oil as I am/was, so here’s some info on it that I gleaned from Poofy’s site: “The Argan, a Moroccan tree exist no-where-else in the world! Very rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin E and more, AO is famous for its pure natural hydrating and revitalizing properties. An anti-wrinkle product that is made by mother nature.” They give many suggested uses for it: revitalizing oil for face and body, strengthening soft & brittle nails, emollient (capillary mask for beautiful hair), massage therapy, and I’m sure there are plenty of more uses for it. I have mainly been using it after washing my face before bed as a moisturizer. YES, it is expensive. BUT, it comes with a dropper, and you honestly do just need a drop here & there. I put a drop on my finger for under each eye, 2-3 drops on my chin/neck, and a couple of drops for the rest of my face. I’ve used it in my hair a few times after shampooing with no conditioner. I let my hair dry, drop 3-4 drops of the oil in the palm of my hand & lightly run my hands through my hair. It does a wonderful job taming dry, winter, static hair.

Sunscreen– $14 3.4 oz tube– SPF 30. Safe for the whole family! The only other sunscreen I’ve used on my babe, on the occasion when covering up isn’t practical, is Badger Balm. Poofy’s sunscreen is very similar to Badger’s, both contain non-nano particle zinc (a must!). The one difference that many of you who’ve tried Badger will like is that Poofy’s isn’t as thick so it applies easier & smoother. Spring has been very, very late in arriving here in Wisconsin this year, and I’ve only sampled this on my babe once so far when we went to the park for a few hours on a nice day. As it was some of his 1^st sun exposure of the year I was nervous about him turning pink quickly. He kept his hat on for 1 hour, and the other hour I left the hat off to let him absorb some Vitamin D, and applied the sunscreen to his face, which didn’t turn even the slightest shade of pink. I will update my post on this as summer finally gets here & I have more occasion to sample it, but I have no doubt it is an effective, safe sunscreen that I have no hesitation recommending. Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Beeswax, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Camellia Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, Zinc Oxide, Organic Rosemary Extract, Organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Natural Vitamin E.

***And here’s an article Jolene just wrote about all things sunscreen-related: https://www.facebook.com/notes/eco-friendly-babyfamily-products-made-in-the-usa/sunscreen-spf-is-it-just-a-numbers-game/656768194338824

All Purpose Cleaner- $8 for 17 oz. I usually use orange peel-infused vinegar as my all-purpose, but this happened to arrive right as I was at the end of a batch of that, and I didn’t have the next batch soaking yet which takes a couple of weeks, so the timing was perfect to put this to the test. I have used this on numerous surfaces in my home: everything in the bathroom & the kitchen, mirrors, anything you would use an all-purpose cleaner on. In addition to working great, what I love about it is being able to spray down my bathroom & get some cleaning done while my toddler is taking his bath right next to me with absolutely no concern for what we are both inhaling in the air. The spray has a wonderful, clean smell, and really, truly works on all surfaces I’ve tried. Ingredients: Saponified Organic Oils of Coconut, Olive & Jojoba, Organic Aloe Vera, Essential Oils of Peppermint, Lavender & Tea Tree, Rosemary Extract. h

Bug spray– $10 for 2.8 oz. I know many of you live in climates where you do have pests year-round, so wanted to bring this option to your attention. I live on the banks of a river and it’s just a matter of time before mosquitos are a real issue here. I will update this post & let you all know as soon as I’ve had a few opportunities to put this to the test. I can tell from the ingredients that it should be an effective, yet very safe option for our families! Ingredients: Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Peppermint Essential Oil, Organic Lavender Essential Oil, Organic Lemongrass Essential Oil, Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil, Organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Organic Geranium Rose Essential Oil, Organic Clove Essential Oil, Organic Rosemary Essential Oil.

Kristina loves making new products, and I have samples of a couple more products en route that she would like feedback on. I’m excited to try them out, and be part of this growing line of great products. Other categories of Poofy Products, with several options in each category: Holiday Gifts & Baskets, Baby & Mommy, Bath & Shower, Body Butter, Lotion, & Scrubs, Cosmetics, Deodorant & Toothpaste, Eczema Relief & Natural Remedies, Essential Oils, Facial Care, Hair Care, Henna for hair & body, Lip Balm, Nail Polish & Remover, Soap & Sanitizer, Sunscreen & Bug Spray, and their I AM goddess line.

Additional info about Poofy Organics that I’d like to share with you:

You’ve now got two lines – Poofy Naturals and Poofy Organics. What is the difference (from interview: http://www.healthybeautyproject.com/beauty-space/understanding-organic-certification-poofy-organics/)? “Poofy Organics is entirely USDA organic.  EVERY product in the line is certified USDA organic.  On the other hand, Poofy Supernaturals uses USDA organic ingredients; however, because technically the organic standards are not separated for food & personal care products, any ingredients not allowed in food are not allowed in personal care either.  So, ingredients such as decyl polyglucose which is a corn sugar (non-GMO) is not certifiable.  Rest assured, it is a completely safe and benign ingredient and used as a saponifiying agent in our shampoos. NSF allows it in their certification process, but the USDA does not.  Because of this, we have Poofy Supernaturals.  I think what makes Poofy Supernaturals different from your typical company trying to use organic ingredients with conventional ingredients is that we still uphold the strictest standards in those products.  With some companies, you can see organic ingredients mixed with chemicals.  We feel that defeats the purpose of the organic ingredient and would never do so!”

*They actually have 3 lines, with a teen line in the works! The I AM Goddess collection is a direct sales/middle-level marketing/home party line, I’m sure you’re all familiar with this idea. Here’s what Kristina had to say about this approach: “So far, with our Direct Sales portion, we have 12 DIVAs- they are doing a great job spreading the word… we do not have all the same products in the I AM goddess collection- it is much smaller in comparison to POOFY… it’s just that at the time, people were asking to do parties, so I gave in”. For $150 you can buy a starter kit & get started selling these great products from home!

Are these products only available online? The do have one retail location in Rutherford NJ. Otherwise you will find them stocked in select Whole Foods locations on the East Coast, and they also have outlets in 6 states (one in WI even, I’m hoping to make that 2 as I work to get the line on the shelves of my food co-op!). This may lead you to believe this is a large company. Poofy Organics has only 4 employees 2 of those being Kristina (the owner) and her mother. Which leads me into my next topic which I absolutely LOVE about this company. Most people think only huge companies can take the necessary steps to become organic certified. Not true. Poofy Organics is a great case in point that anyone with enough determination can make this happen. It’s not an easy process, but one I’ll gladly support by paying a couple extra dollars per product to reward. The following paragraph discusses why they decided to go for the certification, and there is a fabulous article attached that discusses what the entire process entails.

Why did you decide to get USDA certification? We wanted to show our customers what we already knew! Anyone can claim organic status. We wanted our customers to have peace of mind. I know when I look at a product, I feel better when it has a seal on it- otherwise, it’s just hearsay. There are a lot of bath & body companies who have recently launched in response to the realization that the government allows such horrendous ingredients into our products. We wanted to stand out from our competitors. Plus, I wanted my company to be the best it could possibly be. I looked at it as a challenge that I wanted to complete! To read the entire article which discusses organic certification and so much more, please follow this link: http://www.healthybeautyproject.com/beauty-space/understanding-organic-certification-poofy-organics/

I LOVE this Q & A from their FAQ section:

Q: How quickly will I receive my products?
A: We do our best to create your product the day you order it. Because all of our products are fresh, we cannot overstock our items. (How many companies can say that?!)

As you can tell, I’m VERY impressed with the products & the company philosophy of Poofy Organics. This line truly has something for everyone. I hope you found this info useful & it will help you when making future decisions regarding safe products you need for your family. For more info, please visit their Website and/or Facebook page.

Website: poofyorganics.com/ecofriendlyusa

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poofy-Organics/137445399609077