Conversations in a Laundromat

I was doing our laundry at the good ole' laundromat last night when I met a woman that seemed out of place. She was dressed well, didn't say, "yo, yo" and didn't smell of BO. She had the fear in her eyes of someone that wasn't used to the 'mat. I have learned to dress like crap, observe everyone, be polite, but always looked pissed off, while I am at the laundromat. It basically keeps you out of any bad situations. And yes, being polite and look pissed off simultaneously is key.

Anyways, I ended up folding my laundry next to the frightened woman and thought I would strike up a conversation in hopes to calm her fears that we all weren't crazy. I made a smart comment about most of the crazies finally being gone, and she said she was happy of that, too, and that her husband was waiting out in the car just in case.

We started talking about living in town and life in general. She mentioned that she lived on a farm. I asked some more and she informed me that her children (3 0f them) showed sheep growing up. (Side note: Both my brother's and my best friends growing up showed sheep.) She then mentioned that she raised all of her children on an organic diet and that they raised all their own food growing up. She said she was just a city girl and her friends couldn't believe when she told them she milked a cow for her daily dairy fix.

Now her children are grown and she is helping to raise the next generation of organic children (including 4 of her own grandchildren) by working at Boyert's Greenhouse and Farm in Medina.

I can't wait to go there now. I look forward to meeting her again. Hopefully looking a little more like myself and a little less like one of the thugs in the 'mat.

Oh the conversations you can have in the weirdest places.

Pictures from http://www.boyerts.com/index.htm

How Do You 'Poo?

I am sure your mind was in the gutter when you read today's title. Well, get out of there. I am talking about shampoo. For years I have tried shampoo, after shampoo, trying to find something I like. Currently, I am still searching. I did just start using the shampoo you see above. It is called Yes to Tomatoes. I like the way it smells and makes my hair feel. I might stick with it for awhile. We shall see.

But what I was really wanting to know is if anyone has considered giving up shampoo completely. I have been reading about all kinds of women leaving shampoo behind for good-old apple cider vinegar and baking soda. They call it "no-poo". When I first saw a title about it I thought it had something to do with not excreting fecal matter because it was bad for the environment or something. I really thought my tree-hugging friends were losing it (more than usual). Anyways, I was glad to discover it just meant not using shampoo because of its damaging effects on our hair, skin, and oh yeah, the environment.

Here are some fun facts about shampoo that I got from Nature Moms:
Following are just a small sample of the toxins found in most shampoos and their detrimental side effects.

Alcohol, isopropyl (SD-40) is a very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator that strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier, making you more vulnerable to bacteria, molds and viruses. It is made from propylene, a petroleum derivative, and is found in many skin and hair products, fragrances, antibacterial hand washes as well as shellac and antifreeze. It can act as a “carrier,” accelerating the penetration of other harmful chemicals into your skin.

It may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin. A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says isopropyl alcohol may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis, anesthesia and coma. A fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less.

FD&C color pigments are synthetic colors made from coal tar, containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.

Mineral oil is a petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. It interferes with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders.

Propylene glycol (PG) and butylene glycol are petroleum plastics which act as surfactants (wetting agents and solvents). They easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. Commonly used to make extracts from herbs, PG is strong enough to remove barnacles from boats!

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are detergents and surfactants that may pose serious health threats. They are used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers — and in 90 percent of personal care products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation and even death.

I haven't ventured into the "no-poo" world quite yet. I still hold onto some worldly possessions...like my shampoo. My worry is that if I start "no-pooing" (that sounds so weird) I might cross over into sainthood for all my selfless acts for the environment. (Last sentence to be read with heavy sarcasm.)

I get the idea of ditching the shampoo, but could I do it? I'm not sure. I am considering trying this for a week/month in the future to see if I could handle it. I understand that it takes some time so a month might be needed. We shall see. Let me know if you think I should try it.

Could you go without 'pooing? (You are welcome for the 3rd grade humor used today.)

Magic Soap?

Since starting out on my quest for more eco-friendly practices, I have been hearing about castile soap. I saw it everywhere but never knew how well it worked or if I would like it. Organic soaps always sound hippie-ish to me. But I got brave a few weeks ago and bought some. I use it exclusively for shaving since I have goat's milk soap for bathing.

So far I have been pleasantly surprised. It builds a great lather. It doesn't leave a residue, and I don't have to use any more lotion....than normal. It is great, and I am sold. Castile soap it is from now on!

I am pleased to see that it is eco-friendly, organic, fair trade certified, and isn't tested on animals.

Here is a little more information on the Magic Soap from Green Living Tips:

What is castile soap?

Castile soap isn't a brand but a type of soap made exclusively from vegetable oil rather than animal fat or synthetic substances. The purists feel it should be made from olive oil but there's a wide variety of castile variants that use oil from plants such as coconut and jojoba. The simple nature of the soap means a lesser environmental impact due to reduced waste stream during manufacture and also faster biodegradability.

While castile soaps can have additional synthetic ingredients, usually you'll find if it's marketed under that name, it's a fairly natural sort of product.

Castile soap - so versatile

Castile soap has many uses aside from washing your skin - it's also known as seafarer's soap due to its versatility.

I use an olive oil based one in place of shampoo - works great for me and I don't need to use a conditioner. I also don't have to wade through the dozens of shampoo brands at the local supermarket trying to translate what all the darned chemicals they use are any more - I tried that once and gave up in total confusion. As the soap I use comes in a simple paper based box, that also saves on packaging. Another benefit is that castile soap is far cheaper than other fancy label soaps and shampoos!

If you've ever tried using normal soap to wash your hair, you would have likely found your hair very dry afterward, but for some reason I haven't experienced that with castile soap - it's likely because the glycerin content is retained, whereas in normal soaps much of the glycerin is removed and sold separately in moisturizers.

Liquid castile soap uses

While bar castile soap is pretty amazing stuff, in a liquid form it's even more versatile.

- Liquid castille soap can be used for a shaving lather

- It can be used as a pet shampoo

- Great for washing clothes and diapers

- General cleaning, diluted and used in a spray bottle

- Heavy duty degreasing

- I've heard that pure liquid castile soap can even be used for brushing your teeth! But of course, don't swallow the stuff. I don't think it would kill you in small doses but I'm sure it would taste pretty yuk.

I think I will definitely have more to say about this stuff as time goes on, but I hope this helps for now.

Understanding the Labels

The Mr. and I were grocery shopping the other night, and we were coming across a lot of foods with the USDA Organic label on them. The Mr. asked me what that really meant and why should he care. I told him I had read about it awhile ago but needed to update myself on the regulations and why this seal matters.

The symbol looks like this. You probably recognize it.

If you are really interested in reading all the facts check this out. Otherwise here are the basic guidelines for the use of the USDA Organic label taken from the USDA website.

Guidelines:

• Labels that state that they are "100% Organic" must in fact be made with 100% organic ingredients (excluding salt and water).
• Labels that say "Organic" are made from at least 95% organic ingredients.
• Labels that say "Made with Organic Ingredients" are made from at least 70% organic ingredients.
• Companies may list organic ingredients in their label but cannot use the USDA label if they are not certified through them.
• Labels cannot say organic anywhere if they are made with less than 70% organic ingredients.

Do you buy organic? Why or why not? Is it something you think about when you shop?

Picture from http://site.savoieorganicfarm.com/