Eco-Friendly Mama: Safe product recommendations with a focus on organic and Made in USA!

INSPIRED BY THIS POST!! All it took was 1 person to ask if I’d sell mine, and the rest is history 🙂

For those new to my homemade deodorant, here’s a pretty extensive thread with my recipe, Q & A, FAQ’s, and testimonials. I’ll always gladly share this recipe with anyone interested (it resides in my “Stuff We Make” photo album), but know that not everyone has the time, energy or desire to procure all the ingredients and make their own, so this offer is for that crowd!: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=537190792963232&set=a.494009763948002.128085.397517646930548&type=3&theater

**For those new to my homemade deodorant, here’s a pretty extensive thread with my recipe, Q & A, FAQ’s, and testimonials. I’ll always gladly share this recipe with anyone interested (it resides in my “Stuff We Make” photo album), but know that not everyone has the time, energy or desire to procure all the ingredients and make their own, so this offer is for that crowd! Recipe: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=537190792963232&set=a.494009763948002.128085.397517646930548&type=3&theater

**So, what’s the cost? I want to put this 1st so you don’t get all excited and then realize it’s out of your budget- I hate it when that happens! I’m asking $8  per 4 oz glass jar or 2/$15 (Kerr Mason jar, made in USA!), there are no frills, no fluff, just a plain Mason jar, a label with ingredients, and the Frequently Asked Questions. Flat rate shipping for 1 jar comes to $5, anywhere in the continental US, BUT I can also ship up to 4 in that same flat rate envelope-so buy multiples, it’s a good deal 🙂 SO, the total comes to $13 for 1 jar, $20 for 2 jars… Of course, if you have a friend or 2 in your area who is also interested, want to stock up & be set for a year, or give some as gifts, ordering more than 1 jar is a great idea and shipping won’t be a whole lot more for several jars vs. one, as I can put up to 12 jars in a medium flat rate box which will only cost $12 to ship anywhere in the country! Several of you have told me you’re fine sending me a check, and then me sending this out to you immediately. Otherwise, I recently set up a PayPal account so if that interests you let me know & I’ll give you the details to pay that way. So, what I’m asking is you send a message to my inbox with your address and I’ll send you mine, let me know which scent/combo of scents you’d like, and I’ll have it ready to go to drop in the mail as soon as your check arrives.  Sound good?!

**Even with shipping, I feel this is still a very reasonable purchase. I’ll compare it to three other safe options on the market, which I also recommend for anyone wanting a more “traditional” stick deodorant made with great ingredients: Poofy Organics & Bubble and Bee both offer a 2.65oz plastic tube for $10 + shipping. They use mainly the same ingredients as I do, but also include beeswax, shea butter and cocoa butter in their formulas, which obviously adds to the price as well, and helps keep it more stable (doesn’t melt as easily)… Ebay & Etsy have very similar sized jars going for up to $12.

Some frequently asked questions:

*Won’t this stain my clothing? No. Men & women who don’t shave their armpits may have to spend a few extra seconds making sure it’s rubbed in well, but just like any deodorant, it quickly absorbs into your skin.

*How do I apply it? Just rub a little dab on with your fingers. Or if you prefer you could transfer it from this glass jar into an empty deodorant stick (but it has to stay in the fridge). I prefer glass over plastic, and don’t mind applying it with my fingers. The natural stick deodorants I’ve used contain beeswax & other stabilizers to keep them from melting when warming up. These leave my pits waxy & greasy feeling, and definitely can stain clothing.

*Do I need to refrigerate it? No. But be aware that coconut oils melting point is 75 degrees. Once it reaches this temp it will liquefy & ingredients can settle out. You can find somewhere cooler in your house to store it, refrigerate it, or shake it up & apply it with fingers or a small brush. It’s an absolutely perfect consistency around 72 degrees, but the quality of the product doesn’t change whether it’s a bit firmer, or runnier…

Purpose of the ingredients:

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal so it’s a perfect ingredient for deodorant. I use organic, unrefined, cold-pressed, extra virgin coconut oil which means more nutrients are left in it to benefit your skin.

Arrowroot powder & cornstarch: both help absorb moisture. I use Bob’s Redmill Arrowroot powder, it’s not organic, but non-GMO. I use organic (non-GMO) cornstarch which I purchase at my food co-op through Frontier.

Baking Soda: helps keep bacteria from growing. I purchase Bob’s Redmill.

Tea tree oil: has antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic properties.

Scent options at this time: Lavender, orange (organic), rose geranium, peppermint, a combo of your choice, or unscented of course. Everyone knows what lavender & orange smell like. Here’s a description of the geranium, which has hints of rose, but is not a true rose scent:

Top Note: Fruity-minty, rich sweet-herbaceous

Middle Note: Rich, sweet-rosy, quite tenacious

Dry Note: Sweet-rosy, herbaceous

*I use the NOW brand of Essential oils, the orange is certified organic, the others 100% pure. I use the NOW brand primarily because it’s what my food co-op sells, and as I’m not ingesting it, I don’t feel the need to spend several times more/bottle for the top-end brands. We’ve been selling it for many years at our co-op, and from what I can tell it’s a quality product, but I’m not at all an expert in essential oils- I’m just looking to add a bit of scent. If you’re not OK with the NOW brand for whatever reason, I’d be happy to leave it unscented, and you could easily add any oils of your choice, I’ll even knock $.50 off for unscented ones.

**Also, tea tree oil is used, not for it’s scent, but for it’s beneficial antibacterial & antifungal properties. I’ve had one person who was sensitive to tea tree, so I made it without for her, let me know if you’d like this left out!

I’ve consulted with a professional whose opinion I trust on the use of these essential oils, and any concerns for pregnant and/or breastfeeding women- here’s what she had to say about the oils I’m using:

“If you are only using a little Lavender, I don’t think there would be any concern. It doesn’t change your blood pressure or anything like that…..Orange and Tea Tree are also fine and Rose Geranium is THE SAFEST essential oil I know”. If anyone has contradictory information, PLEASE share it! Some sources online cite that pregnant women should avoid lavender during their 1st trimester, but that it’s fine after that. My deodorant contains ~10 drops of whichever scent you choose per 4 oz of coconut oil. Of course, if you have any concern at all, I can leave all oils out.

**Some with sensitive skin can have issues with baking soda. My original recipe left it out, but I felt it wasn’t working as well as I’d like- I felt it worked MUCH better with baking soda in it. If you know that you have very sensitive skin, I can definitely leave out the baking soda, or cut the amount in 1/2 (there’s 1/5 TBSP per jar).

So, send me a message if interested, and we’ll take it from there!

 OATMEAL & SUGAR BODY SCRUB:

 Ingredients: organic coconut oil, organic oats, organic raw turbinado sugar, and your choice of scents: organic orange (my personal favorite), lavender, rose geranium, peppermint, unscented, or a combo of your choice! It’s a wonderful exfoliator & moisturizer, and you’ll have no need for any lotion when you get out of the tub. I LOVE the stuff. This is slightly cheaper to make, I’ll sell it for $6 per 4 oz jar, shipping will still be $5 total to any location in the continental US, although purchasing multiple jars will save a little money, as I can use a flat rate box 🙂

Here is the thread with all the info on the body scrub: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=627514937264150&set=a.494009763948002.128085.397517646930548&type=3&theater.

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http://www.honeycolony.com/article/13-banned-foods-still-allowed-in-the-u-s/#44b4bb65eb9c0aafec897da6bd6e8e5b

Glow Sticks – Hidden Dangers: We recently had a question about glow sticks, and wanted to share what we found out- Jolene did some excellent research! Question: I saw a post about bubbles made to glow by mixing in the contents of a glow stick. I’m concerned about the safety of this as my cousin had one of them break open on her table and it ate the varnish right off. I’ve found info saying the chemical in them is dangerous and then in the same paragraph it says they are safe.”

Glow sticks are a popular choice for summer holidays such as Fourth of July, as well as stock piling our emergency kits in our houses and schools. While they are pretty, fun, and many parents think of them as harmless, there are first a few things that you should know about before giving them to your kiddos, such as the ingredients inside.

Glow sticks have the following ingredients inside: dibutyl phthalate, Hydrogen peroxide, Phthalic ester, phenyl oxalate ester, and small shards of glass. When you ‘break’ or ‘crack’ a glow stick, you are literally breaking the small pieces of glass inside and causing a chemical reaction. When you start to shake the glow stick to let it ‘glow’ you are mixing around that chemical reaction in order to let the ingredients travel the entire length of the stick.   The ingredients themselves have a long list of horrible health hazards and concerns. Among some of the most concerning are infertility, negative effects of unborn child, cancer, and endocrine disruptions. We will go through each one and explain the hazards of the chemical.

Dibutyl Phthalate is used, in general, as a fragrance ingredient, plasticizer, and solvent. It is found in over 300 products according to the EWG including nail polish, wart remover kits, inks, dyes, leather, and glue. In the case of glow sticks it is used to make the plastic flexible. It is the chemical that has the highest concern for toxicity not only to you but your unborn child. There are known reports of reproductive toxicity for men and women, as well as clear evidence of endocrine disruption. Also it should be noted that this ingredient is banned in several countries and is on California’s Prop 65.

Hydrogen Peroxide is something that is familiar with all of us, and is sold over the counter in a much diluted solution. When it is used in the glow sticks it is much, much more concentrated. This concentration is poisonous for your skin, nails, and lungs. There are moderate concerns (according to EWG) of organ system toxicity and highly corrosive when used in this concentration.

Phthalic Ester is a substance that is added to plastics to increase flexibility, durability and transparency. Phthalates are being phased out in many products due to health concerns. It is another ingredient part of California’s Prop 65 and has been known to cause fertility issues as well as cancer. It also has a high concern of being passed to an unborn child.   Phenyl Oxalate Ester is responsible for the luminescence in a glow stick. The reaction with hydrogen peroxide causes the liquid inside a glow stick to glow. There is no information on EWG about this specific ingredient however, being that it is responsible for the luminescence in the glow stick, we can assume that it is no safer than the preceding three ingredients.

Glow sticks are a fun way to enjoy many activities but there are some safety precautions that are suggested if you are going to let your children play with them. First, inspect them and make sure that there are no leakages or cracks. You should also never let a child put them in their mouth, chew on them, continue to ‘break’ them after they are already glowing and keep a careful watch on them. If you get these substances on your skin immediately wash off with cool water and (personally) would contact your doctor or even poison control to be safe. Our skin is the largest organ we have and things that get on our skin, wind up in our body at an alarmingly fast rate. It is recommended that only older kids use this product and be told of the potential dangers if they are used incorrectly.  Even though this is sold as a ‘non-toxic’ product for young (3+) children, it is clearly not ‘non-toxic’ and clearly not for young children – at least not unsupervised. Keep your children safe this summer and be aware of the potential hazards that are out there. While some parents may think that it is silly to try and ‘ban’ everything that has a potential hazard for their kids, especially when it impedes on them having fun, it is great to be at least aware of the dangers so that you can act appropriately if an emergency occurs.