Safe Cosmetics ~ Healthy Faces by Eve Organics

My Green Week 2 Cents

In honor of Green Week, my suggestion for the holiday season is to bring your own bags with you while shopping for presents. Consumer waste (including shopping bags) goes up 25% during the holidays. Do your part by bringing your own reusable bag. Besides helping out the environment, reusable bags are sturdier and more comfortable to carry!

Home Grown Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe

If you garden, I'm sure you're trying to figure out what to do with the overabundance of tomatoes. I was contemplating just that when I remembered an episode of Tyler's Ultimate I watched a couple of months ago, featuring Roasted Tomato Soup.

I found the recipe on-line and improvised with what I had in the house.  My version (which, by the way, was sooooo deep in flavor . . . it was awesome!) ended up like this:

3 lbs of various tomatoes

(I had orange cherry, yellow heirloom and red big boys(?). . . I don't know . . .some kind of red.  The idea is to have a couple of different kinds if you have them)

2 yellow onions, sliced thick

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 c. olive oil

salt and pepper

1 quart + 1 cup chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons butter

3/4 c. organic half-and-half, optional

Basil to Garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Core and cut tomatoes in half, or quarters if large.  No need to cut the cherry tomatoes.  Place tomatoes in a roasting pan with onions and garlic.  Add olive oil, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly into vegetables by hand.  Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, or until carmelized.  Remove from oven.

In a large saucepan add roasted vegetables, chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter.  Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to reduce liquid.  Use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth.  Reduce heat and add half-and-half.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Garnish bowls with sprigs of basil.

I then bought a little round loaf of whole grain bread, sliced it, drizzled it with olive oil and fresh grated parmesan.  I threw them under the broiler until the parmesan melted and browned.  OMG! 

Easy, filling and yummy.

What are your favorite recipes for excess garden vegetables?  Let us know.  Leave a comment.

5 Reasons to Buy (and Eat) Organic Food

I just read the feature article in TIME Magazine (August 31, 2009) titled "The Real Cost of Cheap Food".  The jist of the article is that, even though organic food is more expensive at the store, when the impact on our health and the earth is considered, the price difference doesn't seem so bad.  What I liked about the article is that it was very fact driven and thorough without being preachy. 

I won't go on for three pages.  Nor will I preach about what you should or shouldn't do.  I just want to throw some stuff out there to ponder about conventional vs. organic food:

1.  HEALTH.  Pigs, cows and chickens fed the conventional way are so overcrowded in small pens (feedlots) that they even cut off the pig's tails so that they won't bite each other.  The livestock are fed corn (fattener, which was grown with chemical fertilizers), and antibiotics to "prevent" them from getting sick.  They are slaughtered at a very young age, so they can be sold as "cheap" meat. The antibiotics get passed into the meat, and on to us. 

2.  EARTH PRESERVATION.  There are over 400 "dead zones" in the oceans due to runoff of billions of tons of chemical fertilizers and manure from overcrowded pens, such as the 6,000 sq. mile dead zone where the Mississippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico.  This area has almost no oxygen, and consequently is void of all marine life.  Pesticides and fertilizers are robbing our fertile farms of nutrient rich soil.  Contrastly, grass fed and free range animals' manure composts into the ground, free of chemicals and keep the soil rich in nutrients.  Taken directly from the article, the farmers say, "If you don't take care of your land, it can't take care of you". 

3.  OUR WAISTLINES.  The skewed goverment subsidies for corn, in part, have created a push for cheap food products made from corn and corn by-products (e.g. high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, etc.).  America has made it cheap to eat badly and it is showing in our waistlines.  Another contributing factor is the quick fattening methods used for livestock to "get it to market", resulting in fatty, hormone and antibiotic laden meat.  It just isn't as healthy or lean as organic meat or poultry.

4.  JOBS.  Organic farming requires more hired hands.  Especially here in Michigan, where we have the highest unemployment rate in the country AND many farms, switching to more sustainable growing practices should be a no brainer. 

5.  TASTE.  Organic farming rotates crops in nutrient rich soil and  allows produce (and meat for that matter) to grow in a natural time span, giving it time to develop flavor.  Organic food tastes better!

Check out the entire article by purchasing the 8/31/09 issue of TIME Magazine.

Get the Weeds Out of the Cracks in Your Drive- the Natural Way!

I know by driving around Michigan in July, weeds and grass start sprouting in between the cracks of the driveways and sidewalks. 

If it bothers you, yet you don't want to use chemicals to get rid of them, nor want to spend your entire Saturday afternoon picking and digging with something pointed to loosen them from the cracks, I have the answer for you.

Very simple. . .

Boil a teapot of water and pour the boiling water right on the weeds.  Within 24 hours, they'll be dead and ready to pick up. NO muss NO fuss . . . and earth friendly.  And you'll have hours to enjoy the beautiful summer weather another way!

Tested and Passed - 10 Home Remedies That Work (And They're Cheap!)

I was reading an article on home remedies in Ladies Home Journal for June 2009.  These home remedies were scientifically tested proven to work fantastically.  I am listing the Clif notes version, without the fluff:

1.  Bee Stings:  Toothpaste was found to relieve bee sting pain for up to five hours (better than 8 over the counter preparations and home remedies tested).

2.  Diarrhea and Intestinal Infections:  4-6 oz of Yogurt (that stated they contained "probiotics" on the label) per day shortened intestinal infections and cut the risk of diarrhea due to antibiotic use by 40%.

3.  Heartburn:  Chewing gum for a half hour after a high fat meal cut the burning sensation of heartburn to "mild" or none at all.

4.  Poison Ivy:  Everyday dish detergent spread over poison ivy rashes for 25 seconds before rinsing relieved the itch of poison ivy.  But, it must be done within 2 hours of exposure.

5.  Nausea:  Steep one slice of ginger (about the size of a pat of butter) in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes and drink.  This "tea" will calm nausea.

6.  IBS:  Peppermint oil will help 1 in 3 sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Prescriptions only help 1 in 6. . . pretty good stats!

7.  Packed Earwax:  Mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 2 teaspoons water.  When lying on a pillow, drop mixture into ear.  Wait one hour and flush with an ear syringe and warm water. (Do not use on children with tubes)

8.  Toe Nail Fungus:  Apply Vicks VapoRub to nails with fungus daily until the normal nail grows out.  This works on 38% of patients vs. 35% with prescription.

9.  Warts:  Duct Tape works better on warts than freezing. (80% vs. 65%).  Put a small piece of duct tape over wart for 6 days.  Remove tape, soak wart in warm water and rub away soft areas with a pumice stone or emery board.  Repeat until gone, about 2 months.

10.  Cough:  Honey's antioxidants and antimicrobials, as well as coating capabailities, make it a better cough suppressant than over-the-counter cough syrups.  1-2 teaspoon per adult; 1 teaspoon for kids over 1.  Do not give to infants under 1 year.

Organic Consumers Association - Coming Clean Campaign

Following is a video we received the our membership in the Organic Trade Association.  It is part of a press conference the Organic Consumers Association had on the presence of Dioxane in our personal care products.  This is part of their "Campaign for Organic Integrity in Body Care Products."

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about the issue. 

Guilted into Organic?

 

I just read an article that said (in a nutshell) people feel as if the organic companies are basically guilting consumers into purchasing organic products.  I understand there are extremes, but I think most of the companies releasing scary statistics are only trying to make the public aware, not impose guilt. 

In the latter part of the 20th century, industry grew at such a rate that most new ingredients (which were never used before on such a large scale in everyday products), were never tested for long term effects on the human body.  These ingredients were being used so that products would last forever on shelves so that profits didn't slide if products didn't sell as quickly as hoped. This goes for food ingredients (hydrogenated trans fats, saccharin, etc.) as well as personal care products (petrochemicals, phthalates, etc.).  

Mineral Makeup and It's Green Side

Mineral makeup’s base is made up of crushed earth (minerals).  Different types of minerals, such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and mica are crushed, blended to create different colors and sometimes mixed with other ingredients to be marketed as a number of products from foundation to lip gloss.

 

Mineral makeup has become the rage lately because of its positive effect on the skin.  The zinc oxide in mineral makeup gives it an inherent broad spectrum SPF and works on all types of skin (rosacea, acne, sensitive, and post-laser treated skin).  The particle size of most companies’ mineral makeup is larger than the pores, so it does not clog them; and the appearance of one using mineral makeup is natural and dewy and the coverage is exceptional, without looking like your face will wipe off on a napkin.  Mineral makeup is also inert, which means it cannot spoil and therefore needs no preservative. 

 

There is a green side to mineral makeup also; the flipside being there are ingredients that are best avoided when choosing a mineral makeup company. 

 

Bismuth oxychloride, although a mineral itself, is known to irritate skin and stretches pores.  There are many mineral makeup companies that use bismuth to increase profits by allowing the more expensive ingredients to go further. 

 

Carmine, another irritant, comes from crushed beetles and is used in some mineral makeup for a red color.

 

Parabens should never be on mineral makeup’s ingredient list.  If the minerals are pure, they don’t need preservatives.  Therefore, parabens on the ingredient list is a red flag to let you know other ingredients have been added to the minerals to warrant preservatives.

What is "GREEN BEAUTY"?

Green Beauty is beauty obtained by safe, natural means. Companies that manufacture truly green beauty products are concerned with the customer’s health and wellness.  “Green” beauty products are not to be confused with “natural” beauty products.  Even though a product’s label reads “natural” or “plant derived,” the ingredient in its original form may have been sprayed with pesticides when it was grown, extracted with chemical solvents or irradiated before it was distributed for use. 

 

The skin is our largest organ and we all know it absorbs what is applied to it (think of hormone or nicotine patches).  If “natural” ingredients formulated into a product were treated with any environmental toxins, the skin would absorb them just as it does any other chemical.  “Green” products are usually organic to guarantee no environmental toxins and they contain no petroleum based ingredients, synthetic substances (including synthetic preservatives) or dyes.

Green beauty companies are also usually working toward being more sustainable and environmentally aware when in comes to conducting business.  This is done by implementing programs that include (but are not limited to) following:

• Minimizing waste impact,
• Encouraging employees to keep up on environmental and social issues/trends so that they can purchase products from other socially responsible companies,
• Using energy and natural resources wisely and sustainably, so as not to compromise the future health or safety of the earth, and
• Being sensitive to employees’ family issues.

Green beauty is essentially beauty with a conscience.