I need opinions from people who eat clean/organic...

Ramberta

But not about food. (It IS related though from a health perspective, so please don't flame me for posting in the incorrect category...)

I don't claim to eat "clean" by any means, but I am working at eliminating food from my diet that is excessively processed, aka anything that has a bunch of ingredients on the label that sound like something I should have learned in my Chemistry class instead of a food ingredient.

However... I'm curious: if you, or someone you know, is very stringent about eating clean/whole/organic foods... then how does that affect your decisions when buying other products, such as hair care, makeup, and cleaning supplies? Do you only buy natural fiber sponges and mop heads, and 'green' cleaning products and shampoos / conditioners / soaps / lotions? Or do you not consider this to be the same issue as what you ingest? Why, or why not? Do you know anyone who does the reverse-- pays attention to the cleaning / laundry supplies, sunscreen, or bug spray that they buy and going with more "natural" picks, but does NOT eat "clean"? Does anyone have success with making their own products? (I have heard it is cheaper and better for those with sensitive skin)

Technically these products come into contact with your skin (except if you wear gloves when cleaning), so I'm just curious if any link is there. Because I am certainly bewildered by the ingredients on my shampoo bottle... :laugh:

highervibes

I use vinegar and water to clean. I use regular shampoo... pick your battles I guess. I only shampoo once/week. We have dechlorinated water so we're not soaking in it in the bath. I use a steam mop instead of floor cleaners but the odd time I do swiffer. I'm not militant but I'm conscious.

Willowana

I should say that while I was vegan, and I'm currently flirting with the idea of starting a raw foods diet right now, currently I'm just eating whatever. So you can take my position with a grain of salt. :happy:

I personally don't care much about items that aren't ingested, but I do tend to go with more natural things. It just seems...natural. I use coconut oil as skin/lip moisurizer, and as a hair conditioner. I go to work everyday fresh faced and sans makeup. The few times I even applied mascara, coworkers felt compelled to ask if I have a hot date. Even on hot dates I don't wear makeup! The face they see on the date is the same face they'll wake up next to anyways. :laugh:

I shampoo and condition my hair. That's it. I don't use any hair products or even a blow drier. When I get my hair cut, I tell them I'm a no-frills, low maintenance kind of girl, so whatever cut they give me better look good naturally. If it takes styling of any kind, I'm not going to do it. I prefer to "fix up" with clothes and accessories.

I don't care about what detergent I use on my clothes, or what deodorant I wear. As long as my clothes are clean, and I smell like a spring meadow, it's all good.

Carnivor0us

I make my own castile soap to shampoo my hair and use apple cider vinegar as a rinse afterwards. It works well enough for me.

Tehya85

I don't shampoo my hair. Ever. I double condition (I have very curly hair). My conditioner is an organic one from the health food shop and I love it. I don't use any other product on my hair other than coconut oil. My body wash, face wash and moisturiser are organic and most of my house cleaning products are. But I'm a realist and I'm not opposed to using chemicals if I require it, I just try to minimize it where I can. We are so lucky that there is such a variety of organic/clean products available these days!!

carissar7

Cleaning products, sure. Beauty products? not so much. 99% of makeup companies that claim their products are 'natural' or organic are loads of BS and it means nothing. The FDA does not regulate these claims and there is no basis of truth. I get asked every single day at work if there are products we sell that are "chemical free", and while I know that what they mean is that they want no SYNTHETIC chemicals, there is no such thing as chemical free. Everything that is made of matter is a chemical- without chemicals, we would cease to exist! Now that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a holistic approach, I use olive oil and coconut oil as moisturizers etc. but working with chemists I've learned so much about what goes into making products that work- and it's something the general public will never understand.

slkehl

If I tried to go with all natural green products, I'd be broke! I shopped at Whole Foods once and picked the cheapest stuff I could find. The total was still shockingly higher than my unspecial stuff from Safeway. I know people say its an investment in your health, but I have no money to make investments at this point.

WendyMc71

I go on a case-by-case basis, I guess. Eating clean (relatively) makes sense for me because it breaks the cycle of food cravings that I get when I'm eating more processed stuff. But I'm less concerned about chemicals in cleaning products and cosmetics. If it's cheap, safe, and does what it's supposed to, fine. I get a little more conscious about trying to avoid wasteful packaging, products that do just one thing, and disposable stuff, like those special wet wipes that are used for cleaning. (But about once a year I give in and get some.)

Ramberta

Thanks for the replies! I just like to get all the perspectives when it comes to health, because new things are being discovered and tried every day and some of them work. I never thought of using coconut oil for a lip balm, haha.

blondie_182_182

I eat clean most of the time (sometimes I have to have my cheese pizza!) and have been vegetarian or vegan for the last 9 years. I can tell you that it is so difficult to find cleaning or personal care products that are natural all the time, but I do my best. I try to avoid products that have been tested on animals, but they aren't always chemical free. I clean with vinegar and water, I make my own dry shampoo from baking soda and cornstarch so I only have to shampoo my hair every other day, and I buy natural laundry detergent.

The only thing that I cannot do is natural toothpaste. I used it for a long time and ended up with four cavities in a year. I am a fanatic about brushing and flossing, so I was shocked. So it's back to good old chemical filled Crest for me. Haven't had any cavities since.

kdiamond

I agree with the others, I pick my battles.

I try to eat as unprocessed as I can, but I still have some unprocessed foods in the house.

I try to recycle as much as I can, but I don't always remember to bring my grocery bags to the store...but then I will recycle the plastic bags by using them for doggy poop bags. I use common sense.

I try as hard as I can to be conscious, BUT I am a girl of convenience, and there are some things I just won't give up. I'm definitely not low maintenance like the OP said she was. :laugh: I need my makeup and I personally don't like the all organic natural stuff.

conniedj

I did a pantry make-over a little of a year ago, and it is an incremental change in the way you eat, prepare and purchase food. Little changes, a bit at a time. It's amazing how much you can change in a year!! I only eat "dirty" ; ) if we eat out, as there are no organic restaurants in our area. I try to eat fish that aren't endangered, or carry high mercury at that point.

With the change of eating came the realization that our skin is our biggest organ, that what we put on it is readily absorbed into the blood stream. So using chemicals found in detergents (cleaning, body, laundry) that contain neurotoxins makes no sense. Here I am investing time and effort and money into eating clean, only to undo it with lotions, soaps, cleaners, etc?

And then there are the environmental issues: reduce, reuse, recycle! We try to do all of this. Making over our pantry reduced the waste in our food, thus offsetting the higher amount paid at the cash register. I shop and donate at salvation army. I'm not cheap, but i like that I am reusing clothing instead of buying something made in china. recycling is not mandatory here in the states like it is in the EU....sad! We recycle plastic, boxes, paper. I compost food and biodegradables.

I still have a lot to go ( make up, cleaning supplies, a few food items that my kids love...), but small changes make a world of change!

I have to say that it took becoming a mom and thinking about my kids growing up with chronic illness, and feeling yucky all the time was a huge motivating factor.