Monthly Archives: March 2009

The Tastiest Organic Cracker Ever

March 30, 2009

Yes, I’m going to devote an entire blog post to my favorite cracker. That’s how good they are.

Doing the grocery shopping at my heavily organic leaning Safeway last week, I picked up Back to Nature Organic Stoneground Wheats. The box said “baked wheat & flaxseed crackers”.

I like flax, I like crackers and I especially like organics: sold!

I’ve gone through two boxes in one week; they are SO TASTY! I’m picking crumbs out of the bottom of the last box as I write this blog post.

The Back to Nature crackers are fully organic and stamped with the USDA organic seal. The crackers are made with organic wheat and barley flours, organic flaxseeds, organic safflower and more. The organic flour is even enriched with vitamins.

Oh yeah…and did I mention they’re TASTY as sin???

And to top it all off, the company that makes them supports conservation efforts and helps with the Whole Planet Foundation which promotes economic programs in developing countries.

Oh yeah, and they’re really, really, really tasty.

Posted in: Foods – No Comments

Carcinogens in Josie Maran Cosmetics??

March 16, 2009

Finding carcinogens in my new favorite Josie Maran eco makeup is not something I’m thrilled about.

I picked up the premier issue of Organic Beauty magazine and found an article interviewing Josie Maran. Josie Maran is a former Maybelline model turned eco makeup guru.

I liked what she had to say and so decided to try some of her cosmetics.

I LOVE the Josie Maran cosmetics I bought. I got a cream blush that looks very natural and stays on like a dream. I also got a gorgeous lipstick, lipgloss and mascara that doesn’t clump at all and has no parabens to boot!

I thought I had found my dream cosmetics. Then I read the fine print. Likely carcinogens in the blush, lipstick and lipgloss.

I should have read the Organic Beauty article a little more carefully. In it, Maran admits she’s had to “compromise with red dyes in order to acheive certain strong pigments.”

The blush I purchased lists D&C Red #6, 7, 21, 27, 30, 40, FD&C Yellow #5,6 Aluminum Lake, D&C Orange #4 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Blue #1 Aluminum Lake under “may contain”. The lipgloss and lipstick contain lake dyes as well.

Elsewhere, Organic Beauty magazine notes that the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists these lake dyes as possibly carcinogenic.

The Environmental Working Group’s cosmetics safety database lists Red 7 Lake as a human neurotoxin.

What really irks me though is that the Josie Maran website lists their blush, lipgloss and lipstick as “toxin free” when Josie Maran herself admits that they’ve made compromises.

From the Organic Beauty article it really seems as though Josie Maran is concerned about these issues in her cosmetics and is actively looking for replacements.

I will be sending an email to the Josie Maran website regarding these toxins in her cosmetics and will keep you posted!

Posted in: Cosmetics – No Comments

No VOC, No FUN?

March 4, 2009

So, I don’t just preach, I also practice.

To clean up the air in my own home I purchased some purifying houseplants and am trying my darndest not to kill them with my black thumb!

I also took a look at the no voc paints at the local lumberyard to brighten up the living room. I found a brand called Freshaire Choice that has paints and colorants that have no volatile organic compounds.

What I discovered, however, is that no voc paints are also no fun paints.

The color palette for voc free paints was, not surprisingly, earthy. While I’m quite content with a natural color scheme, my husband was hoping for something in more of a knock-your-socks-off orange.

Hmm. Maybe no voc paints are a blessing in disguise!!!

Posted in: House & Home – No Comments