Posts filed under ‘Favorite Products’
We’re Moving. Welcome to Golden Gate Greenista!
A Project Called Life.com is going through an exciting change – a new look for a New Year! All content has been moved to Golden Gate Greenista.com, where you’ll get the same wonderful eco tips, reviews and information, but in a bigger and better way.
I hope you’ll continue to join me on my greenista journey in San Francisco and beyond!
Fresh Faced for the New Year
Image Courtesy of beautylish.com
In need of a beauty pick-me-up for 2012? Over the last five years I’ve switched all my cosmetics and skincare products to natural alternatives, and one product has always kept its prominent place in my beauty bag: rms beauty’s Living Luminizer cream.
When my skin is feeling a little dull or pale, I dab the non-toxic skin brightener on my cheeks and right below my brow bones. My complexion instantly becomes brighter and has a nice, healthy sheen. It looks like I just indulged in a long siesta and woke up to dewy skin!
Image Courtesy of outblush.com
rms beauty is hands-down one of the best clean beauty lines. All the ingredients used by founder Rose-Marie Swift are pure and organic, formulated to actually hydrate and heal the skin while providing coverage and color. An added bonus is that one pot of makeup lasts a long time. rms beauty’s Un Cover-Up is the only concealer I will use, and I’ve slowly been building up my collection of the line’s Cream Eye Shadows (Seduce is a great everyday color).
Rose-Marie’s reason for starting the healthy beauty line is personal and inspiring. Read about her high-profile career as a makeup artist and her viewpoints on the beauty industry in my featured Greenista Chat.
**I purchased all of my rms beauty products directly from the online store. However, there are a few retail locations that carry the line. In San Francisco, a limited selection is available at Clary Sage Organics or International Orange on Fillmore Street. The Living Luminizer is $38, Un Cover-Up is $36 and Cream Eye Shadow is 28.
Eating the Buddha Way
Image Courtesy of FlavourDesign.com
When it comes to food portions and conscious eating, the ancient natural science of Ayurveda recommends that you only eat what can fit in your cupped hands. This simple guideline has really helped me get a better sense of how much I should be eating to feel satisfied, not stuffed. Though I like to think portion size doesn’t matter as much since I pile my plate with organic vegetables and grains, the fact remains that calories are calories – no matter where they come from.
With this new eating philosophy, I have become addicted to using my handmade Buddha Bowl for my at-home meals. Created by designer Elan, who runs a small studio in Vancouver, BC and a collaborative studio in Southern California, my bowl is local and sustainable. All the materials, from the clay to the glazes, are from North America, which is great since most other Buddha Bowl manufacturers source internationally.
Holding the bowl while eating gives me a new sense of awareness of what is going into my mouth. Because I can feel the weight of the food, I am more conscious and thankful of the sustenance I am receiving. Try it and see how your perspective on nourishment changes.
I bought two Buddha Bowls – in Butter (yellow) for myself and Pacific (blue) for my boyfriend – on UncommonGoods.com for $19 each. I recommend those colors – they are calming, beautiful and are a shot of color among our neutral-colored dishware!
Natural Sound with Vers Earphones
Image Courtesy of VersAudio.com
If you’ve never given much thought to your earphones, that’s about to change. Over the past few months, I’ve been plugged in to iTunes quite a bit – listening to classical music when I study for my GreenMBA classes or catching up on the latest NPR podcast while riding MUNI to work. But when my second cheap pair of earphones failed me in the span of four months, I realized my frequent landfill-bound replacements were becoming very unsustainable.
Enter, Vers. Unlike the majority of audio equipment manufacturers that make plastic earphone parts from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a chemical that studies have shown adversely affects human health, Vers’ earphones are PVC-free and even comply with the European Union’s Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) directive. On top of that, the stylish, handcrafted shell is made from either U.S. sustainably sourced hardwood (cherry and walnut) or bamboo. And for every tree the company uses in production, it replants 100 through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.
I’ve been using my Vers Cherry earphones daily, and besides being very eco-chic, the acoustics are incredible! Who knew that a little pair of earphones could have such an impact – not only on superb sound quality, but also on your health and the planet.
Vers earphones retail for $49.99 and are available for purchase at the Vers online store.
Take This, TSA: Store Your Organic Liquid Products in GoToob
We eagerly await our summer vacations. But packing for them? Not so much. Personal care and beauty routines especially take a hit while we’re on the road – it’s a hassle to find TSA-approved sizes of our favorite products and most hotels still carry unhealthy brands.
So what’s a jetsetter to do? Turn to San Francisco-based humangear, inc. The company’s GoToob, referred to as “the civilized, squeezable travel tube,” has a large opening that makes cleaning and filling the flexible silicone tube easy. And the product is food-grade and BPA-free, so you aren’t offsetting the benefits of putting your natural, organic lotions into a regular, chemical-leaching container.
I recently traveled to Scotland with my GoToobs and was very happy with the results. I breezed through airport security, nothing leaked and the tubes’ different “product type” cap settings – Soap, Lotion, Sun, etc – were a fun, helpful feature. Even my coconut oil survived the journey without making a mess. I guess packing a carry-on doesn’t have to be so bad after all.
I purchased my GoToobs at Whole Foods Market in Noe Valley. You can also go to www.humangear.com/GoToob for more information and retailer locations. Prices start at $6.99 for the 1.25 oz tube.
DODOcase Brings Traditional Bookbinding to the Kindle
Image Courtesy of www.daemonsbooks.com
When I was six years old, my favorite outing was a trip to the library. Each week, I would convince my mother to let me check out the maximum number of books allowed. Then, I would quickly turn around and assemble a second stash that my sister (who, fortunately for me, did not share the same passion for books) checked out on my behalf. Fast forward 20 years, and I have books coming out of the woodwork. However, when a five-foot-high tower of tomes came crashing down on my boyfriend last summer, it was only a matter of time before I was gifted with the Amazon Kindle.
A lot of speculation has naturally focused on the environmental footprint of e-book readers and how they stack up against traditional paperbacks. However, one widely shared study found that the Kindle is a great option for the voracious, not the occasional, reader. After 22.5 electronic book purchases are made, the eco-friendliness of the Kindle surpasses traditional books, despite other factors. I’ve had the Kindle for four months and have already made six purchases.
Yet, even though I love the free space on my shelves and don’t feel guilty buying novels I only read once, I’ve mourned the changing tides of the book publishing industry. Luckily, an innovative San Francisco-based business has taken the traditions of bookbinding and applied it to the future of reading devices and tablets.
Keeping the skill of craftsmanship alive, DODOcase makes Kindle and iPad covers by hand, using sustainable bamboo for the inner e-book holder. A classic black faux leather cover, reminiscent of old cloth hardbacks, is lined with the fabric of your choice (as you can see above, I chose the lovely pink shade). The company’s mission statement – “Protects from Extinction” – is both cheeky and serious. Preserving the art of bookbinding, and doing so in a way that promotes a local economy, is increasingly important as mass production and globalization take over markets.
Without a doubt, my DODOcase really does “make [my] Kindle feel like the book it wants to be.” The unique, quality and handmade touches of the case make it an item to treasure. Now if only it could have that old book smell…
I believe that supporting local businesses is extremely important. Go to www.dodocase.com to purchase a great, SF-made case for your Kindle, which retails at $49.95. And take a moment to watch the interesting video below on the company’s engaging story.
A Breath of Fresh Air: Natural Cure for Pesky Seasonal Allergies
For the San Francisco girl, springtime brings sunnier skies, outdoor dinner dates, gorgeous blooms in Golden Gate Park…and the unfortunate arrival of seasonal allergies. If the idea of escaping from the winter flu only to encounter a daily stuffy nose or sinus congestion is enough to drive you back indoors, it’s time to look for a healthy solution that lets you embrace Mother Nature.
Instead of popping a pill, why not try an all-natural, centuries-old approach to curing your pollen woes? While perusing the aisles of my favorite alternative drugstore Pharmaca in Cole Valley, I came across the Baraka Sinus Care Kit. The set came complete with a Neti Pot, French Atlantic Sea Salt and Sinus Rejuvenating Oil, and has successfully buffered me against the severe allergy symptoms I typically battle during this time of year.
Image Courtesy of SinusSupport.com
Neti pots, which have been used for thousands of years by practitioners of Ayurveda and yoga, are teapot-like devices used to run a saline solution through the nasal passages. This practice, according to Baraka and alternative medicine practitioners, rinses out undesirable dust, pollen, mucous and other matter from the nose to maintain optimal, healthy breathing conditions. My soothing blue, ceramic Baraka Neti pot is made in the United States and is lead-free. In addition, the company, which is a small, U.S., woman-owned business, gets all of its salts and essential oils from sustainable sources – definitely a green biz model to support!
The whole nasal-rinsing process seemed intimidating at first, but now that I’ve gotten the hang of it and experienced the benefits firsthand (it has even helped with my minor sleep apnea), I’ve incorporated the Neti pot into my normal routine. I use it every other day (experiment to see what works best for you) and use the invigorating sinus oil daily whenever I feel an allergy-induced headache or nasal stuffiness coming on.
There are plenty of great videos online that make mastering the Neti pot easy (see Body+Soul’s demonstration), as well as a selection of Neti products favored by top green gurus such as Sophie Uliano. So treat yourself to a breath of fresh air this spring by splurging on a Neti pot of your choice!
**Additional tips: Make sure the water is warm (not hot!) and that you are using purified, distilled water, such as water from your Brita. High-quality salt from your local supermarket can be used, but I personally prefer Baraka’s French Atlantic Sea Salt, which is filled with minerals.
Drink To Your Health: Eco Travel Mugs
Image Courtesy of Ecorazzi.com
If the whole BPA-lining debacle concerning reusable water bottles last summer had you worrying about meeting your daily hydration quota – because, seriously, if you can’t use your iconic SIGG to drink water from, then what can you use – it’s only natural that you’d turn a weary eye to the other travel mugs and containers in your on-the-go arsenal.
After recycling or tossing a few old travel mugs with chipped lining and discolored interiors, I moved on to my favorite go-to tumbler – a cheery, made-from-recycled-materials, “Go Green” travel mug from Starbucks. I was going to put it back on the shelf when it dawned on me that the tumbler didn’t have a BPA-free sticker on it when I bought it. As I’ve learned, just because something has environmental messaging plastered all over it (see my article on Disneyland’s Kermit the Frog wallets) doesn’t mean there is anything actually green about the product.
I did some research online and, to my dismay, discovered that my beloved mug did indeed contain BPA. In fact, the entire line of recycled-plastic drink containers from Starbucks was made with the toxic stuff. Official statements from the company have assured customers that all Starbucks products in 2010 will be made without BPA, but I’ve decided to go in a new direction with my reusable wares this year.
Image Courtesy of Aladdin-pmi.com
In my search to find a healthy (and stylish) container for my morning chai latte, I came across Aladdin’s Hybrid Stainless Steel Travel Mug. Part of the 100-year-old company’s “Drink It Hot” collection, the classic mug keeps my beverage at the perfect temperature despite my 45-minute bus ride. Made from food-grade stainless steel and Eastman Tritan™ copolyester Bisphenol-A free plastic, I feel safe knowing that my morning brew doesn’t come with an unwanted dose of chemicals.
I cart my Aladdin mug everywhere and the grande/medium options at most of my local cafes typically fill up my 160z container. However, for the few times that I have a latte craving and am stuck without my mug in hand, I’ve picked up a few tricks that make grabbing that disposable cup less damaging to the planet…and your eco psyche. I keep a recycled-paper cup sleeve in a few of my favorite purses and have started keeping a plastic coffee lid that I wash and reuse in my bag, so I automatically use 2/3 less waste when I grab a spontaneous afternoon treat. Drink up!
Denim Pioneer Goes Green – Levi’s® Eco Jeans Are a Bargain
It was a particularly windy day yesterday, and as my boyfriend and I were taking a stroll around the Marina in Long Beach, CA I felt an abnormal chill on my backside. I tugged my long shirt aside and noticed that I had a GIGANTIC rip in my Seven jeans. Besides being mortified that someone might have caught a glimpse of my underwear (not to mention my red face), I have no clue how it got there. Granted, I’ve owned the same pair for three years now and they do serve as a staple of my “everyday uniform,” but still…..
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- Levi’s® eco Skinny Jean
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- Levi’s® eco jean – Mid Rise Boot
I decided it was a sure sign that it was time to invest in a pair of eco-jeans – but where would I find such a pair? Online research didn’t help much – all the designer green label jeans were only available online (I called 15 stores and NONE of them had a single pair in-store). Plus, most carried a price tag of $220+. I finally stumbled upon Levi’s® Eco jeans line, and they were EXACTLY what I was looking for – reasonable in price and environmentally-friendly. Even though different styles in the line had varying amounts of organic or recycled cotton, I bought two great pairs for under $150 – Levi’s® eco Mid-Rise Boot 553 and Levi’s® eco Low Skinny 531 jeans. I highly recommend getting a pair from the storied brand.
And for those of you looking for some display of eco-cred, all Levi’s eco jeans are marked with a few subtle identifiers, including an embroidered lowercase “e” inside the front pocket (or at the bottom of the right leg of each jean), a natural-colored canvas “Levi’s®” tab and “Two Horse Patch” made from 100% organic fabric, and natural-colored pocket stitching.
