Non-toxic products?

[blingbunny10]

I'm not sure this is the right place for this, but all the other "off-topic" sections of PS seem pretty dead....

Has anyone tried Zoya or any other 5-free or 7-free nail polish? Now that the warm weather is here, I desperately need some polish, and I couldn't help but notice the lovely nails that appear in these bling pics.

And more generally, does anyone have any other non-toxic product recommendations to share? I'm kind of in the middle of an overhaul, so non-toxic recs in pretty much any category (beauty, household cleaning, bedding/pillows, baby/kid supplies, etc.) are appreciated!

 

[telephone89]

I've never used zoya, but I really like butter london. its a 3 free, and has amazing longevity.

I will also be following this thread. I love using natural/non toxic products, but they HAVE to work as well as regular ones for me. I tried a home made dishwasher detergent the other day...that was a nightmare.

 

[Matata]

To clean floors, counters, and other hard, non-porous surfaces I use a squirt bottle filled with 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 peroxide. The peroxide is excellent at lifting up stuck on gunk. I just spritz a light layer over the surface and wipe or mop away. The combo has kind of a funky sweet aroma that some might not like but it goes away after the surface dries.

 

[Alistra]

I LOVE Zoya polishes! I have a fairly large nail polish collection, and Zoya is one of my favorites. I have also gotten several of my friends to try the brand, and they have all loved it too.

 

[blingbunny10]

I've never used zoya, but I really like butter london. its a 3 free, and has amazing longevity.

I will also be following this thread. I love using natural/non toxic products, but they HAVE to work as well as regular ones for me. I tried a home made dishwasher detergent the other day...that was a nightmare.

I've seen Butter around and heard good things, but had no idea it was 3-free! Worth checking out.
I just discovered that Zoya has some mini sizes, so I might buy a few $5 bottles and see how they do.

 

[blingbunny10]

I LOVE Zoya polishes! I have a fairly large nail polish collection, and Zoya is one of my favorites. I have also gotten several of my friends to try the brand, and they have all loved it too.

Ooh, good - do you have any favorite shades?

Also, do you find that you have to use the entire line in order to have the polish perform well -- i.e., Do you use the Zoya nail prep, base coat, top coat, and polish remover, too?

 

[momhappy]

I like Zoya too I don't often paint my fingernails, but my toes are always painted.
Butter is very nice too and they have some lovely colors.

 

[Alistra]

Butter London polishes are nice too, but they don't usually wear as well for me. I sometimes use Zoya's basecoat and polish remover, but I don't use their whole system. I really like the polish remover. It is great if you are using a hard to remove polish, but it does contain acetone and can be drying. What colors do you like? Gilda, Tanzy, and Aurora are a few of my favorites. You might also want to check out A-England. They are 3 free too. I love their holo polishes! I am wearing Her Rose Adagio at the moment. It applies and wears like a dream, and never fails to attract a compliment or two

 

[Gemzy]

I use Zoya by preference as it's kinder, but it also far outlasts other brands I find. I use their base coat, two layers of colour and then top coat. I do quite hard gardening, wash up, housework and it lasts almost two weeks. Favourite colour I keep going back to is Pasha, goes with everything and it needs to as lasts so long!

 

[ame]

I am a huge nerd for Honest.com products. Cleaning, body care, etc.

 

[blingbunny10]

ame - Is that the company Jessica Alba started? Do you have any must-haves from this line?
I remember seeing the Free Samples offer years ago, but heard that people had a hard time unsubscribing! So they fell off my radar.

 

[ame]

ame - Is that the company Jessica Alba started? Do you have any must-haves from this line?
I remember seeing the Free Samples offer years ago, but heard that people had a hard time unsubscribing! So they fell off my radar.

Yep! I don't subscribe. I just order what I want or pick them up at Target.

My must haves are the baby wipes (the only ones I am not allergic to!), I use for freshening up if I am out and about or if I can't immediately shower after sweating, also good for makeup removal, the hand sanitizer--I like the spray, the stain spray remover for laundry, the oxy boost pack pod things, the hand soap I really love, dish soap, I LOVE the healing balm in the tube, the spray leave in. Oh and the little dish brush thing in the porcelain dish is nice. I have used the dishwashing pods but they don't fit in my new dishwasher. And I use the shampoo body wash as body wash. My sister likes the nipple cream and diapers too. I got her a Beco Baby Carrier in a bundle for mothers day.

 

[maccers]

A friend of mine using the Honest Company for diapers/wipes and loves them! Not sure about the unsubscribing difficulty.

I don't know about everyone else but I have a heck of a time trying to sort out what products are truly natural/organic and devoid of unhealthy chemicals. It seems like the names of the harmful chemicals can change or appear under a new label. I did find an app that's been really helpful: ThinkDirty (http://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/). It lets you scan the barcodes of products in your home and it gives them a number from 0-10, indicating how 'dirty' it is. It's saved me some money from buying 'natural' products that aren't actually natural and I've also found out that some ordinary namebrand-buy-at-your-grocery-store products are pretty healthy! They're still adding to their product list; you can submit products that you'd like them to review, usually takes 2-3 weeks and then the product is added to the database.

It's worth reading their methodology for rating products, eg: any product that uses the ambiguous 'fragrance' or 'perfum' will rank higher as companies can hide dirty chemicals under the guise of it being 'proprietary'.

I looked at Zoya nail polish using the app...some of the Zoya colours (e.g. Gabrielle) contain "toulene" which is a carcinogen but other colours like Zoya Elodie do not have toulene. Go figure. Other brands that score low on toxicity are Piggy Paint, Priti Nail Polish, Dior Top Gel Coat, and Karma Organic. Of course, I don't know how well these other brands work. Sometimes the natural/organic products just don't do as good of a job as the more toxic stuff!

 

[blingbunny10]

Thanks, Ame! I'll have to check them out at Target.

maccers -- Thanks for sharing the app. Looks like I could use it to scan barcodes in-store before purchasing, which will be handy.

 

[momhappy]

I heard on the news the other day that women put an average of 168 chemical on their bodies each day. Yikes.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/women-put-average-168-chemicals-bodies-day-consumer/story?id=30615324

I'm not sure how accurate those numbers are, but when I think of my beauty routine, I bet I use a scary amount of chemicals each day in various products, make-up, etc. I'll be following this thread for some natural product suggestions

 

[maccers]

Thanks, Ame! I'll have to check them out at Target.

maccers -- Thanks for sharing the app. Looks like I could use it to scan barcodes in-store before purchasing, which will be handy.

Yup, you totally can. I do that all the time.

Be warned, if you're like me and have spent a fair chunk of money buying natural/organic products, as you scan your house you may find yourself swearing a lot! I've found some expensive natural products that weren't nearly as natural as they claim to be!

 

[blingbunny10]

Yeah, I've seen some of those exposure stats and they are scary! I'm thinking about starting a family soon, so I've been trying to at least cut down on the chemical exposure. I try to console myself with the fact that I'm probably doing better than most, because I don't use perfume, air fresheners, etc., and I avoid processed foods (Mostly ). But there are still major items that seem impossible to replace, no matter how many natural versions I try:

-Facial cleanser (I tried oil cleansing, baking soda, etc. and it made my oily/combo skin go nuts. Any other good natural methods to try?)

-Foundation (Haven't found a natural brand with the right consistency/colors, and it's an expensive mistake to make.)

-Scrubbing Bubbles (We have hard water, which leaves gross brown stains. Nothing else seems to get my bathroom tile clean.)

 

[qtiekiki]

A friend of mine using the Honest Company for diapers/wipes and loves them! Not sure about the unsubscribing difficulty.

I don't know about everyone else but I have a heck of a time trying to sort out what products are truly natural/organic and devoid of unhealthy chemicals. It seems like the names of the harmful chemicals can change or appear under a new label. I did find an app that's been really helpful: ThinkDirty (http://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/). It lets you scan the barcodes of products in your home and it gives them a number from 0-10, indicating how 'dirty' it is. It's saved me some money from buying 'natural' products that aren't actually natural and I've also found out that some ordinary namebrand-buy-at-your-grocery-store products are pretty healthy! They're still adding to their product list; you can submit products that you'd like them to review, usually takes 2-3 weeks and then the product is added to the database.

It's worth reading their methodology for rating products, eg: any product that uses the ambiguous 'fragrance' or 'perfum' will rank higher as companies can hide dirty chemicals under the guise of it being 'proprietary'.

I looked at Zoya nail polish using the app...some of the Zoya colours (e.g. Gabrielle) contain "toulene" which is a carcinogen but other colours like Zoya Elodie do not have toulene. Go figure. Other brands that score low on toxicity are Piggy Paint, Priti Nail Polish, Dior Top Gel Coat, and Karma Organic. Of course, I don't know how well these other brands work. Sometimes the natural/organic products just don't do as good of a job as the more toxic stuff!

Piggy Paint is more of a kid nail polish. It is water based. The company recently came out with an adult line called SOPHi by Piggy Paint. I don't know how long lasting the SOPHi, but piggy paint doesn't really last long on my 6 years old. Priti NYC is similar to Zoya for me, lasts a week or so.

 

[blingbunny10]

A great body scrub:
organic virgin coconut oil + sugar. I use a ratio around 1 oil :1.5 sugar or 1:2, depending on how exfoliating I want it to be.

I used this on my awful, horrible, cracked-like-python-skin legs this past winter and my normal skin came back after one use! Be very careful if you try it - It can make your tub dangerously slippery, as I found out!

 

[february2003bride]

We've made the switch a long time ago to organic veggies, fruits and milk. In the last year we've made the switch to free range eggs, and organic/antibiotic free chicken, deli meat and wild salmon. We're still a work in progress though- we had Chickfila for dinner and there are oreos in my pantry right now. And I'm having a hard time convincing my two younger boys that whole wheat bread tastes better than white bread.

As for products...
- Zoya nail polish is fantastic! Their nail polish remover is great as well. I bring my own Zoya nail polish to my manicurist.
- Burt's Bee's facial wipes (I like the grapefruit)
- Burts Bees facial cleanser
- Josie Moran organic Argon Oil
- Arm and Hammer deodorant (aluminum/ paraben free)
- Burts Bees chapstick
- Paraben free make up- go to sephora and tell them you want paraben free make up. They are amazing at knowing which brands don't have that chemical!
- Natural/Alcohol free Listerine
- Method cleaners
- Honest kids products- love them!

Since purging the toxic products, my kitchen and bathroom are so uncluttered and I love it!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I like Zoya. Wait for a sale. They always seem to be happening. I have 6 different colors. All are pretty. I do notice the tips wear off faster than other polishes. I type a ton for my job though and my nails are long.

 

[blingbunny10]

Feb03Bride -
What do you use the argan oil for -- facial moisturizer?

 

[ame]

I like Acure's argan oil better than Josie's. It's not got any fillers or dilutions in it. Her's has some kind of fragrance or refinement done to it.

 

[iluvshinythings]

I got a manicure at a really nice spa and they used Zoya products. I loved it. I'm too lazy to paint my own nails myself so I don't own any.

I've been using olive oil as a moisturizer lately. I haven't tried it on my face but it's very soothing on my arms, legs and cuticles. It stains fabrics so be sure and let it soak in before dressing.

 

[blingbunny10]

Thanks to everyone for all the info, and especially for those who vouched for Zoya. I placed an order for a few colors and the base/top coat. It's always hard to commit to colors, so I went for several mini bottles -- Tove ("misty slate grey cream"), Livingston ("lush autumn red"), and Brittany ("rose mauve cream").

 

[kgizo]

I recently learned most dryer sheets contain animal fat in addition to the bad chemicals and fragrance. Really grossed me out. My local health store, Sprouts, carries two brands that have the cruelty free bunny logo.

I use a mix of 60% water, 30% vinegar and 10% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle for everything else. Works better than the name brand cleaners. I also have hard water and for tile, I spray it on, sprinkle with baking soda and lightly scrub with a sponge which works well. I don't have brown stains (rust?) though so not sure if it will work on that.

Good luck with your green initiative.

 

[telephone89]

I recently learned most dryer sheets contain animal fat in addition to the bad chemicals and fragrance. Really grossed me out. My local health store, Sprouts, carries two brands that have the cruelty free bunny logo.

I use a mix of 60% water, 30% vinegar and 10% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle for everything else. Works better than the name brand cleaners. I also have hard water and for tile, I spray it on, sprinkle with baking soda and lightly scrub with a sponge which works well. I don't have brown stains (rust?) though so not sure if it will work on that.

Good luck with your green initiative.

Have you ever tried this with a shower door? We have very hard water and its a b!&^% to get it off, because nothing 'sticks' and just runs down.

 

[kgizo]

telephone89 - It works for me. I have a really good spray bottle to prevent it from running and it needs to sit for about 15-20 min. I use a sponge with a scrubby side if it is really bad. The best thing for shower doors was eliminating bar soap and only using clear body wash so that there isn't soap scum. I have read to use auto rainguard products to prevent buildup, but have no idea on the toxicity of it.

 

[blingbunny10]

I recently learned most dryer sheets contain animal fat in addition to the bad chemicals and fragrance. Really grossed me out. My local health store, Sprouts, carries two brands that have the cruelty free bunny logo.

I use a mix of 60% water, 30% vinegar and 10% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle for everything else. Works better than the name brand cleaners. I also have hard water and for tile, I spray it on, sprinkle with baking soda and lightly scrub with a sponge which works well. I don't have brown stains (rust?) though so not sure if it will work on that.

Good luck with your green initiative.

Animal fat?? That is so gross.

The water/vinegar/rubbing alcohol cleaner sounds good. I will give that a try. The city tells us that the brown is due to iron, and it's really hard to prevent it from building up.

 

[ecf8503]

Most mainstream nail polshes are 3-free now - they have to be by California law. So OPI, Essie, etc all changed their formulas to 3-free back in 2008-2009. Zoya is actually 5-free and vegan, which is nice - but some people do have trouble with drying time with Zoyas when using some fast-dry topcoats. I always use Poshe topcoat with Zoya (it's a "free" formula as well), and they play nice together. Sometimes Seche Vite doesn't work so well with Zoya, and SV has toluene (so it's not 3-free).