Butter Toxin free Nail Polish
Price: $15-$18 per bottle
Available at: www.butterlondon.com
Winter blues be gone…pick a new favorite winter color!
This is my new favorite, easy to find, healthy alternative nail polish! What I love best is that Butter London Nail polishes are proudly 7-free! That means that their ingredients do not carry these 7 highly known toxins-formaldehyde resin, formaldehyde, camphor, DBP, toluene, xylene or ethyl tosyladmide. Second thing I love about them are the rich, lush colors. Each application last about 10 days, especially when you apply the PD Quick Top coat! They are easy to find and a .4 oz bottle usually costs between $15-$18. Yes, it’s a little pricier than regular polishes but you’re paying for a non-toxic, healthy product, right? Mommy Mummy is one of my favorite colors, even if this “mummy” has older kids J.
Made in England, but available on Amazon, at Ulta and Nordstrom, you can also go to their website for the full-range of colors, www.butterlondon.com.
Herban Essential Towelettes
Price: $16 / 20 Count
Available at: www.herbanessentials.com and www.amazon.com
Besides my lip moisturizer, I carry a selection of these wonderful, non-toxic, yummy smelling towelettes in my purse AT ALL TIMES! Top uses include: germ-killing, mood lifting, scrape or burn antiseptic, instant bug repellent, make-up remover, and yoga mat cleaner! Made from pure essential oils, these towelettes smell delicious (yes, good enough to eat!) and carry no harmful chemicals. The essences are Orange, Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon and Eucalyptus. Read more about my favorite uses for Herban Essentials Towelettes.
Lower your flu risk with a quick wipe down of supermarket handles, menus and anything else that might carry other people’s germs. These are also fabulous for traveling-wiping down seat trays, armrests and door handles. Using public restroom soaps often leave your hands dry from the alcohol based harsh chemicals. I just whip out one of my Orange scented towelettes and voila, clean AND moisturizing.
Inhaling these scents also provides quick, therapeutic remedies:
- Lavender – relieves headaches and promotes sleep
- Lemon – enhances memory and concentration
- Peppermint – helps settle an upset stomach
- Orange – uplifting and invigorating
- Eucalyptus – can relieve congestion
I like to buy the large packages with 20 towelettes. I refresh my purse every weekend. These also make great stocking stuffers! They can be purchased at www.herbanessentials.com or www.amazon.com.
Moonjar Moneybox: Save, Spend, Share!
Price: $7.95 fold-able Cardboard, $25 Acrylic
Available at: www.moonjar.com
This fabulous learning tool was designed by a Seattle native and helps teach children about money! The name Moonjar comes from the idea of “Shooting for the Moon” and creating Big Dreams, along with the ancient custom of placing hopes and dreams in a jar. This 3 part foldable kit is a divided piggy bank marked Saving, Spending and Sharing that helps start the conversation about money. It also gives children the opportunity to start charitable giving sooner rather than later.
‘Tis any season to help children develop a basic understanding about good money habits on a daily basis AND learning that giving and “Sharing” can open the door to a lifetime of joyous, self giving. Highly recommended for children starting at age 3. While I’m not a big fan of plastic, this company also offers an acrylic Moneybox at $25 that comes with a family guide, passbook to track transactions and three moneyboxes with color-coordinated acrylic lids.
Paint Kit for Kids — From Glob Colors
Price: $20.00
Available at: www.globcolors.com/collections/frontpage/products/paint-kit
Paint with your Eyes, Smell with your Nose!
I’m always on the lookout for a non toxic product for the grandkids so I was delighted to discover Glob Colors for Kids! This kit contains 6 non-toxic botanical paints made from fruits, veggies and herb pigments. Cool!
The paints are in natural scented colors such as lemon verbena, berry blue, plum purple, tangerine, pomegranate and basil green. In addition they come with cups and 2 bamboo brushes. Easy to mix, just add water and clean up with soap and water. I also love that each kit comes in a 100% recycled box and is printed with vegetable-based inks. And refill paints are only $2.50.
Great for home crafts or buy them as a gift!
Right now, Free Shipping on orders over $30!
Swedish Dishcloths — From threebluebirds.com
Price: $6.95
Available at: www.threebluebirds.com/
Have you heard of the Swedish Dishcloth? If you want to replace your paper towels, read on.
A dear friend of mine gave me a couple of these last spring and I LOVE them! These cloths are made of 70 percent wood cellulose from Eco-conscious certified forests and 30 percent cotton. Get this, one Swedish Dishcloth replaces 17 rolls of paper towels, absorbs 20X it’s weight, is more hygienic than a sponge, won’t crumble or pill, can be washed more than 200 times in the dishwasher or washing machine and even be boiled or microwaved. For $6.95 you can perform all of your household chores with this amazing 100 percent natural cloth and after 9-12 months, throw it in your compost pile. It’s totally biodegradable. And most fun are the delightful patterns printed with water based ink. All made in the USA! A great gift to yourself, others and the environment!
Purchase 10 or more and get free shipping.
IMPORTANT: Please enter CNTL in the “gift note” box, on the shopping cart page, when you are checking out.
Sunless Tanner — Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunless Tanner
Price: $7.00
Available at: https://www.amazon.com/
First and most important, this self- tanner is paraben and phthalate-free, in short, no toxic chemicals. All of the ingredients are vegetable-based and there is no animal testing involved. Next, this sunless tanner smells good, unlike many traditional tanners out there. It goes on smoothly, is streak-free and makes my legs and arms feel silky smooth, offering wonderful moisturizing properties.
I love this tanner too for the reason that it hides little imperfections. In addition to year-round sunscreen, this is my “go to product” without exposing my body to the damaging rays of the sun. If you want some year round color using a healthy and easy to use self tanner, I highly recommend Alba Botanica’s Very Emollient Sunless Tanner. It’s also available at most Targets, Walgreens, Bed Bath and Beyond and specialty health food stores.
If you want more helpful information on sunless tanner application, check out my recent blog post, “8 Awesome Anti-Aging Tips for Summer” and the use of self tanners. Be sure to click on the tips under the Christy’s Take Aways.
Dry Brush — Massage Warehouse Boar Brush With Strap
Price: $3.00
Available at: www.massagewarehouse.com/products/boar-brush-with-strap/
I became a fan of dry brushing about 10 years ago. After learning of the health benefits associated with this simple daily activity, I added it to my pre-shower daily routine. My favorite dry brush is a palm held boar brush, though some people prefer the ones with longer handles. My $3 brush does a fine job though if you’re interested, similar brushes are available from online retailers and at your local Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Here’s why I’m a fan of dry brushing:
- Helps stimulate the lymphatic system, ridding the body of toxins
- Increases blood flow and circulation, creating firmer skin and reducing the appearance of cellulite
- Helps exfoliate dead skin cells, thus helping skin look smoother and brighter
- Has been known to improve digestion and kidney function
If you want more helpful information on sunless tanner application, check out my recent blog post, “8 Awesome Anti-Aging Tips for Summer” and the benefits of dry brushing
Non Toxic Insect Repellent — Crocodile Herbal Insect Repellent
Price: $6.00
Available at: http://www.dancingroots.com
This is my new favorite store-bought insect repellent. What really appealed to me when I purchased this product, in addition to being non toxic, was it’s effectiveness at repelling black flies. My family and I were planning a summer trip to New England, a time when black flies can be particularly thick and nasty, so this was the perfect choice. It’s also very effective with mosquitoes and gnats. This product contains no DEET and no Citronella and is safe for people and pets. To be truly convinced, check out the comments and testimonials on the Dancing Roots website listed above!
To purchase, check out their website and to read about some of my other recommendations for healthy and safe insect repellent options, see my earlier blog post, “Non Toxic Insect Repellents to the Rescue!“
Sunscreen — Kiss My Face Sun Lotion SPF 30
Price: $20.00 for 32 oz
Available at: www.kissmyface.com/natural-sun-care-sunscreen
I love this sunscreen because it provides broad spectrum sun protection, covering both UVB and UVA rays, and it is super moisturizing. It uses safflower oil and the whole family can use it. This 32 ounce size at a reduced rate also makes it easy to ensure that putting sunscreen on everyone becomes a daily ritual, like brushing your teeth.
Ingredients are gluten-free, contain no parabens, no phthalates, and no artificial fragrances or flavors. In addition there is no animal testing that takes place in the making of this sunscreen. It can also be purchased at most Targets, Walgreens and specially health food stores. For other highly recommended sunscreens, check out my April 7, 2015 blog post, “Sunscreens: UVA, UVB, SPF – What do they all mean?“
Yoga Mat — Manduka Eko Lite
Price: $52.00
Available at: www.manduka.com
I have come to really appreciate this line of yoga mats since my daughter (who owns a yoga studio here in Colorado) introduced me to them. In addition to using them in her studio, she also sells them. They are a little more expensive than some yoga mats, but I’d rather be doing my downward dog with natural materials that don’t off gas toxic PVCs, the material used in many yoga mats.
The Eko Lite mat s made of sustainable rubber, is lightweight and has great grip wet or dry. This company works hard to seek out low or zero emissions manufacturing plants, as well as simple long-lasting, natural, renewable materials. It’s a company built by and for yoga students and teachers. To learn more about their interesting company, including their effort to give back, I urge you to check out their site.
To read more about the dangers of PVCs in many mats sold throughout the US, read my February 24, 2015, blog post, “Just Say No… to Toxic Yoga Mats!”