LiveGreene is thrilled to have discovered a line of locally blended organically minded shea butters and lip balms. If you have dry spots or dry scalp, this stuff works like magic! We have limited quantities in stock and we know this will go fast. David has been using the Gaia’s Secret Shea Butter on a dry pot and it is going away quickly.

Like Livegreene, Jacara is committed to the well-being of our earth and all that inhabit it. Due to this commitment they created a line of globally aware skin care.

Jacara is a family owned business dedicated to producing the highest quality, organic/ natural, affordable products that are recyclable. Each creation was made with joy by the family with the belief of promoting a healthier, better world.

Here are some eco friendly recipes we have found that work extremely well:

All-Purpose Cleaner

• 1 24 oz spray bottle
• 2 tablespoons of borax
• Add the borax to the spray bottle, fill with hot water to dissolve the borax.
• Use as you would a typical all-purpose cleaner
• Avoid wood surfaces

If you are concerned about the toxicity of borax try this all-purpose cleaner

• 1 24 oz spray bottle
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• Add baking soda, dish soap, and vinegar to spray bottle and mix
• Fill spray bottle with hot water and shake.

Glass Cleaner

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 cups water
• 4 drops of liquid soap
• old newspaper (optional)
• 1 spary bottle
• Mix lemon juice, water, and liquid soap in a spray bottle
• Using an old newspaper to wipe glass clean results in streak free glass and is a great way to reuse old newspaper

Drain Cleaner

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup of white vinegar
• Boiling water
• Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with water to make a liquid paste and pour this in to slow draining drains
• Slowly pour in vinegar and let the mixture dissolve
• Pour in a pot of boiling water and let it work for about 30 minutes
• Repeat if necessary

Here is the LiveGreene guide to ingredients that you may not want in the products that you use every day. There are eco friendly alternatives!

Parabens

• Found in shampoos, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals, and moisturizers.
• Also found in food additives.
• Mimic estrogen and known to play a role in the development of breast cancers.
• In the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology, Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.”

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate)

• Known by over 150 different names.
• Commonly used in shampoos, soaps, detergents, toothpastes, carpet cleaners, shaving cream, mascara, mouthwash, moisturizers and sunscreens.
• Very effective chemical to create foam.
• Very inexpensive.
• Also used to degrease cars so it is very good at dissolving the natural oils on your skin.
• The American College of Toxicology published a study in 1983 saying that concentrations as low as 0.5% are “highly irritating and dangerous”. Many shampoos and soaps have concentrations of 30%.
• Can be absorbed into your skin and mimics the hormone estrogen.
• May be responsible for various health problems including PMS, menopause, reduced male fertility, female cancers such as breast cancer, eye irritation and deformities, and protein denaturing.

BPA (Bisphenol-A)

• Organic compound used in the production of polycarbonate plastic (clear and nearly unbreakable), epoxy resins and other applications including the lining of food cans, CDs and DVDs, eyeglass lenses, and as a coating on some thermal receipt paper.
• An estimated 6 billion pounds of BPA are produced globally each year.
• Plastics marked with a 3 or 7 may contain BPA. Plastics marked otherwise are very unlikely to contain BPA.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had found detectable levels of BPA in the urine of 93 percent of Americans over the age of six.
• In September 2008, the National Toxicology Program found that BPA at current human exposure levels may be toxic to the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.
• Known since the 1930s to be an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body’s own hormones.
• Canada became the first country to ban BPA as a toxic substance in 2010.
• Banned in the European Union and Canada in the production of baby bottles.
• Trace BPA exposure has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system and trigger a wide variety of disorders, including chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy.

Phthalates

• Called “plasticizers,” a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible or resilient and also as solvents.
• Nearly ubiquitous in modern society, found in, among other things, toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, lubricants, adhesives, detergents, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo.
• Found to disrupt the endocrine system. Several phthalate compounds have caused reduced sperm counts, testicular atrophy and structural abnormalities in the reproductive systems of male test animals, and some studies also link phthalates to liver cancer, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s 2005 National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Though the CDC contends the health hazards of phthalates to humans have not been definitively established, for some years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulated phthalates as water and air pollutants.
• 1998 study by the Environmental Working Group reported that dibutyl phthalate found in 37 nail polishes was also present in the bodies of every single American tested. A 2000 EWG analysis of CDC data, called Beauty Secrets, found that dibutyl phthalate was present in the bodies of every single person tested for industrial pollutants.
• In 2003, study published finding 210 industrial and consumer product chemical, among them, a half-dozen phthalates, in nine adult Americans who had agreed to submit their blood and urine to laboratory analysis.
• In July 2008, the U.S. Congress passed legislation banning six phthalates from children’s toys and cosmetics. Legislators in Washington, Vermont and California have restricted phthalate use in children’s goods.

Aluminum

• Lightweight metal with very good thermal conductivity.
• Will not rust or corrode.
• Not recommended for use with acidic foods.
• To clean, mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water and let sit for 20 or 30 minutes.
• Claims of aluminum’s toxicity are unproven at this time.
• The sale of aluminum lined bakeware and cookware has been banned in Germany, France, Belgium, the UK, Switzerland, Hungary and Brazil.
• Presents some toxic effects in elevated concentrations, mostly through the consumption of water, foods and antiperspirants containing aluminum.
• The FDA has concluded that a single aspirin or antacid pill contains more aluminum than would be found in a whole day of meals prepared and stored in aluminum bakeware or cookware. The FDA continues to review aluminum for its health consequences.
• The Alzheimer’s Society disputes medical and scientific opinions that link aluminum with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Some research suggests a link between aluminum in antiperspirants with breast cancer.
• Teflon is highly toxic when used at high temperatures, especially if the surface is scratched or chipped.

Beeswax Heart Candle

Here are some of LiveGreene’s green suggestions for Valentine’s Day. Consider placing most or all of your efforts on showing your love in ways that will coincidentally show your love for the planet by reducing the resources that would otherwise have gone into gifts. Here are some ideas:

• Write your love a heartfelt letter;
• Go on a moonlit hike;
• Go on a tandem bike ride;
• Have a picnic at the site where you first met or first fell in love;
• Create a video montage of fun times you’ve spent together;
• Write a song;
• Give a full body massage;
• Take digital pictures of yourself holding a sign that says “I love you”;
• String a bunch of old photos cut in the shape of hearts and hang above the bed;
• Make a book of coupons for a massage, bubble bath, or cleaning the house (clothing optional);
• Have a candlelit dinner with two twists – you cannot speak, and you have to feed each other every bite;
• Make a batch of sugar cookies in the shape of hearts;

If giving flowers is in your plans, consider buying organically grown flowers. These are free of insecticides, fungicides and growth regulators which can be ingested by touch or sniff. Online retailers of organic flowers include:

organicbouquet.com
californiaorganicflowers.com

Chocolate is likely on your list for Valentine’s Day. Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates are made locally in Petaluma, CA, and use organic non-GMO ingredients and are ooooh so tasty! Check out The Chocolate Garage, locally based in Palo Alto.

Cards are always part of the plan but we have some great alternatives! If a paper card is a must, please consider one of our 100% recycled paper cards. But here are a few paperless ideas:

• Bake a batch of healthy cookies and decorate the with “I LUV U”;
• Write your message in the sand;
• Send an e-card;
• Memorize a poem and recite it to your loved one;
• Write your message with chalk on the sidewalk;

Candles are the quintessential romantic accessories for a Valentine’s eve – the flickering light, the fragrance and the ambiance created by burning a bunch of them on the window sill. Paraffin candles are made from petroleum, a non-renewal resource that emits volatile compounds (like formaldehyde) when burned. Choose candles with natural essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances. LiveGreene has soy and beeswax candles in stock made with cotton wicks and scented with essential oils.

Fantabulous livegreene gift ideas for Valentine’s Day:

• Clean-burning sustainable beeswax or soy Candles;
• Wallets made from men’s suits and ties, bike inner tubes, and repurposed ad banners;
• VerMints CinnaMints made with organic ingredients and sweetened with Vermont maple syrup;
• Belts made from bike tires;
• Earrings made from repurposed bike parts;
• Bracelets made from bike chain, bike tires and belts;
• Facial crème made from organic goat milk;
• Picture frames made from repurposed bike chain or reclaimed redwood;
• A pair of recycled wine bottle goblets, a recycled soda bottle wine tote and a wine opener made from recycled plastic; and
• Wrap it in a reusable gift bag.

If you are looking for something with a corny sense of humor, consider a pair of our salad servers with a note “You’re the fork to my spoon”. Or an apple corer “For the apple of my eye”. Or a bamboo banana hanger with a message that we will leave to your imagination?

Have a very happy Valentine’s Day!

Hooray for stylish ways to stay hydrated! Check out this awesome article in the San Francisco Chronicle. We have lots of stylish bottles in stock. Check out the selection here.