10 LUSH tips for a green bathroom

Then how come some of your LUSH products contain Sodium Laurel Sulphate...and even worse...PARABENS?

get rid of that stuff PLEASE

I agree, your products have dangerous chemicals in them. Please refer to a cosmetic chemicals database to see what we are talking about.

For the most part your products are wonderful, thanks for the great tips.

Hi
I found the most amazing green cleaning product at the green Living Show last year, called the Universal Stone. Surprised you don't mention it here! It cleans everything, all your metals, plastics, bathroom, kitchen, even your car and running shoes. In fact, it all I use now. No more Bleach, windex, pisole.....so remarkable I now sell it. i sold it to the St. Catharines Catholic School board...yeah for them on going green. Everyone should follow there example. See you at the Show. Great Web Sight!

Where might I get this Universal Stone cleaning product in Calgary? Thanks

I would love to use soap instead of liquid soap or body wash, but I find it leaves my skin 'sticky'. I never had this problem in Ontario, but since moving to Vancouver, I have not found a non-scented soap that does not leave my skin feeling sticky - I can't smoothly slide my hand over my skin. Does anyone have an idea?
Are their soaps, shampoos, etc that don't have the Sodium Laurel Sulphate or PARABENS?
As far as LUSH stores go, I can't go in because their stores are far too scented for me, which makes me wonder about their products.

Theresa

there are a TON of organic personal care items out there
My faves: Avalon/Alba organics, Eminence Organics (is on the pricey side but SO awesome), J A S O N, Burts Bees.

Real Canadian Superstores sell them in their organics section, and so do most health food stores. Eminence can only be bought at Spa's as far as I know
All do NOT contain SLS or parabens.

Choices has a lot of good soaps. On Granville Island at the market, you can find exceptional good soaps. During the Christmas season I pick up several bars of soap & shampoo at crafts fairs which are made by the crafters which show all
ingredients. I pick up a whole bunch for the coming months. Many women started their own businesses and you can get these products all year. At the Farmer Markets (which start in spring) you will also find natural soaps, etc.

This list and these comments are so ignorant. Made by people for people who think that buying organic is all that's necessary, and paying twice as much for it is all that i takes for a clean green soul.

Case in point Sodium Laurel Sulphate IS NOT toxic. "The American Cancer Society have stated that the common belief that SLES is a carcinogen is an urban legend"

As for these tips, you've got to give me a break. Taking off the packaging and leaving it at the store?! That's just plain dumb. You're littering the store. If you don't like the amount of packaging then don't buy the product, and in that way send a direct message to the manufacturer!

And the whole thing about washing plastic bottles is just plain wrong. Most recycling programs wash the plastic once it reaches the sorting center. This is true of recycled glass as well. Do you seriously thing that recycling centers would bother with paying to have things shipped away that they could easy take care of and still profit out of?

Plus the real things that would make a great green difference are in the way of water use, and toxic chemical use. Seriously, how about suggesting people do simple things like switching to easy to make natural cleaning products, and to put a brick or a bottle full of coins in the toilet tank so that the toilet uses less water with every flush, or switch to a low flow toilet.

Just last week I came across this great soap maker:
http://www.herbariasoap.com
They tell you what soaps they offer which can be used as shampoo. They don't put any of those terrible ingredients in them. And, they even ship all over. I am in Germany and am considering ordering some here (just gotta get some $$ together first :-)
(I have no connection with them at all, just liked what I saw)

To Jose A

You've fallen into the trap. Of course the American Cancer Society is going to say that. Its a ploy...buying more products that contain carcinogens, keeps them in business.

By the way, going organic with personal care products is not just about the environment, its also for personal health as well. Get with it and figure it out. Enjoy your toxic products.
www.cosmeticdatabase.com Find out exactly what you're putting into your and your family's bodies.

And by the way, I DO agree with your point about leaving packaging at the store...kind of dumb.

Most of these 'tips' are pretty common sense, it seems. Leaving trash at the store is pretty crappy, though. It sends a message you are an ass; someone will have to clean that up, and that person will not do anything.

A lot of these comments are pretty ignorant, too. Anyone who is claiming one source has the answer, or there is some big conspiracy to keep us sick, needs to open their eyes and put down the propaganda. The businesses behind 'alternative' products need money just like anyone else. Marketing is marketing; marketing a ploy. Look up things for yourself.

The hardeners in bar soaps create soap scum. Considering the quantity of water and "cleaners" required to eradicate soap scum, it could be more beneficial to the environment to use liquid gel "soaps."

Use caution even when you buy from a health food store! Just because it says organic on the label doesn't mean there aren't ingredients in the product that are bad for you. Jason products for one, are a big offender and there are numerous others. It's helpful to have a list of chemicals and food additives with you before you go shopping and cross check with what's on the product label.

This goes for packaged food at health food stores as well. You still have to read the label. For example, there's a food additive called Xanthan gum in organic cake mixes, salad dressings and numerous other products. According to my little reference book on food additives, xanthan gum "may cause intestinal distress; extracted from santhomooas camperstris by solvent extraction which may leave a toxic residue; may contain allowable amounts of lead, arsenic and heavy metals". Tasty huh?
They also hide MSG under about 20 different aka's in too many food products. Some of the names are carageenan and maltodextrin. These are thickeners that are made of things like corn but can produce MSG when they are processed. MSG can cause all sorts of problems from weight gain (they inject it in lab rats to fatten them up) to brain damage (when MSG is heated and ingested). See Pubmed.com for more info on MSG or look up excitotoxins.
The food additive book I have is called 'food additives. A shoppers guide to what's safe and what's not' the author is Christine Hoza Farlow, DC. I think it can be purchased on Amazon.com for anyone who's interested.

Where might I get this Universal Stone cleaning product in Montreal ?
Many Thanks!!!!