Health and Beauty

Antibiotic, Organic, Phthalates, Oh My! Keep Yourself Healthy with Green Choices.

Organic Foods | Exercise | Skin Care | Hair Care

Organic on the Cheap

According to Mission Organic 2010, if everyone in the country increased their organic consumption just 10 percent, it would eliminate more than 2 million pounds of antibiotics used in livestock and more than 2 billion barrels of imported oil annually, and would significantly clean up our drinking water.

Make smart decisions at the grocery store by buying organic fruits and veggies and hormone-free meat, milk, and eggs.
Can't find organic produce? D.C.'s Environmental Working Group has done a great job creating a guide to which fruits and vegetables are most and least contaminated with pesticides.
Eating a wide variety of foods can improve your nutrition and reduce exposure to dangerous chemicals - this is of special importance for kids.

Exercise: Cut Fat and Carbon Simultaneously

If every American spent 30 minutes walking or cycling instead of driving each day, we'd cut carbon emissions by 64 million tons and shed 3 billion pounds of excess flab.

For quick trips to the store, walk or bike.
Going to the movies? Bike there. You'll be seated for the whole film.
Explore neighborhoods by walking around.
Commuting to work? Bike or walk all or some of the way to work. On top of health benefits - like the chance to exercise without taking extra time - it saves on the cost of fuel and carries a certain cachet at the office.
Take the stairs!

Change your Beauty Regimen

NYC's Dr. Fran E. Cook-Bolden advises, "Just two products, a gentle cleanser, and a good sunscreen are enough daily skincare for most people."

Skincare minimalism is good for the environment as well as consumers' health, since the ingredients in cosmetic products often include potentially toxic substances like mercury, lead acetate, formaldehyde, coal tar, and phthalates.
Look for organic cleansers and sunscreen products using the Environmental Working Group's report, called "Skin Deep," and resources from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Eliminate dead skin cells with a washcloth instead of invest in a microdermabrasion system.
Choose wisely: We've all been told to wear sunscreen, but it can damage our skin and the environment with chemicals that are useless in terms of skin protection, take ages to break down, and end up bleaching coral reefs. After investigating nearly 1,000 products, the Environmental Working Group put together a special report scoring sunscreens on a scale from zero (no hazard) to 10 (high hazard).

Health Conscious Hair Care

Protect yourself and the environment from harmful toxins by switching to organic hair products.

Some studies suggest that methylisothiazolinone (Mit), a chemical in many name-brand shampoos, may be linked to neurological damage. And if it's not good for humans, it's certainly not great for our groundwater or soil either. Learn more about what's in your shampoo and which brands are safe at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
Make your own shampoo: A tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a cup of water is a gentle way to cleanse without drying hair out. And as a conditioner, try two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with a cup of water.
If you’re really stuck on the suds, try shampoo bars. You can find great selection at specialty stores like Lush.
Create your own eco-friendly styling products: Try mixing sea salt with water (more salt for stronger hold, less for more supple locks). Add the mixture to your spray bottle and use in the same manner you would a spray gel.