natural

[Kim Allen]

hello,
I am new to all of this. I have been hearing all the concerns for non-natural products. So i am now trying my best to make my home "natural" as i can. I grew up in a house that was anything but natural. haha. My mom now thinks im crazy for wanting to live like this. But recently she has became more open to things. i have been reading the post on here and reviewing some of the products and there is a local discount grocery store were i live that has alot of these "natural" products for really cheap prices. For instance i bought "ecos" dishsoap for .79 cents. they also have alot of Tom's of maine. But they dont know what these products go for and we live in a very rural community and most people have no idea what they are. Anyways i was just wondering what are some ways i can make sure all the products i buy are "safe" for my family?

[Tangled Hill]

I don't have a lot of advice for you, but I wanted to bump your post up so someone who knows more might see it.

As far as what to avoid and what to look for, there are so many, many things. Too many to list, I think.

For us, it took a while to switch over completely. We started out by no-pooing. That worked so well, I tried using baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. That worked so well, I switched over to natural deodorant. That worked so well, I decided to go ahead and try cloth pads. That worked so well.... And on and on.

My advice is this: don't try to switch over everything all at once. Give yourself some time to learn and research and get used to using each different natural product.

[holothuroidea]

Less is more!

1. Create less waste. If it's disposable, don't use it, find a renewable alternative.

2. Usually, the less ingredients something has, the closer it is to "natural."

3. Use less. Use half the amount of shampoo you usually would, half the TP, etc. You'd be surprised at how far a few squares can go if you just give it a try!

4. Buy less, or buy used. Do you really need that pair of sneakers?

Just some friendly guidelines to start with. These are all ways to be more green without completely changing your lifestyle.

[pixiepunk]

Originally Posted by holothuroidea

Less is more!

1. Create less waste. If it's disposable, don't use it, find a renewable alternative.

2. Usually, the less ingredients something has, the closer it is to "natural."

3. Use less. Use half the amount of shampoo you usually would, half the TP, etc. You'd be surprised at how far a few squares can go if you just give it a try!

4. Buy less, or buy used. Do you really need that pair of sneakers?

Just some friendly guidelines to start with. These are all ways to be more green without completely changing your lifestyle.

excellent advice.

i think also that you should contemplate what things are most worrisome to you and address those first. for example, is it health and beauty type products? cleaning products? which ones? then think about whether you can do without the product entirely, or whether you want to replace it with a more natural alternative, and whether there's an alternative that might be able to fill in for a number of products -for example, one of my fave natural products which i'm always rambling about is Dr. Bronner's soap, which can be used in the bath for hair and body, but can also be used for household cleaning as well. or vinegar and baking soda, which have a zillion applications and can usually be purchased for very little money in large volumes.