Auteur - IT Admin

Il n’est pas très difficile de trouver le mot parfum sur les étiquettes des produits de nettoyage ou de soins personnels. La réglementation fédérale américaine autorise les entreprises à répertorier les «fragrances» sur tout, des détergents à lessive aux nettoyants pour surfaces en passant par les shampooings et les déodorants. Mais ce qui peut être difficile à repérer sur les étiquettes des produits, ce sont les ingrédients contenus dans les mélanges de parfums. L'étiquette «Fragrance» à elle seule peut souvent constituer une panoplie de multiples produits chimiques, dont certains peuvent être liés à des allergies ou à d'autres effets indésirables sur la santé. En fait, le Groupe de recherche sur l’intérêt public des États-Unis indique qu’environ 3 000 produits chimiques peuvent être utilisés pour fabriquer un parfum, dont certains ont été liés au cancer, à des problèmes de reproduction et respiratoires et à des allergies. Pourquoi il est difficile de trouver des informations sur les parfums Les mélanges de parfums présents dans les produits de tous les jours ont deux rôles: ajouter des odeurs agréables à vos soins personnels et produits de nettoyage ou masquer les mauvaises odeurs. Ainsi, lorsque vous recherchez les ingrédients de parfum utilisés dans un produit, que vous souhaitiez les éviter ou en apprendre davantage, vous ne les trouverez probablement pas. Les formules de parfum sont souvent protégées en tant que secrets commerciaux et leurs ingrédients ne figurent généralement pas sur les étiquettes des produits. En outre, la loi fédérale n'exige pas que les entreprises divulguent les ingrédients sur les étiquettes des produits de nettoyage, y compris les détails relatifs aux parfums. Heureusement, des progrès ont été réalisés pour donner aux consommateurs le droit de savoir. Voici ce qui se passe au Congrès et dans des entreprises individuelles à travers les États-Unis: En mai, le Représentant, Raul Ruiz, a présenté la loi fédérale « le droit de savoir » sur les produits de nettoyage (H.R.2728), ramenant au niveau fédéral la lutte pour la divulgation des ingrédients dans les produits de nettoyage. Cette loi exige des fabricants de produits de nettoyage pour consommateurs et industriels qu'ils divulguent tous les ingrédients ajoutés intentionnellement, y compris les parfums, sur les étiquettes et les sites Web de leurs produits. Le sénateur Ricardo Lara (D-CA) a présenté en février la loi sur le droit au nettoyage des produits de nettoyage de Californie (SB 258), qui invite les fabricants à divulguer les ingrédients et les contaminants préoccupants d'un produit, par ordre de concentration - y compris les produits chimiques utilisés dans les mélanges de parfums - sur l'étiquette du produit et en ligne. En janvier, Target Corp. a dévoilé une nouvelle politique en matière de produits chimiques visant à éliminer et à divulguer certains produits chimiques nocifs contenus dans leurs produits. La nouvelle politique de Target supprimera progressivement un large éventail de produits chimiques préoccupants, notamment les phtalates, certains parabens et les donneurs de formaldéhyde. Elle a également pour objectif de divulguer tous les ingrédients de parfum dans les produits de soins personnels d’ici 2020. Notre société mère, Unilever, a annoncé en février une nouvelle initiative visant à fournir d’ici à 2019 des informations détaillées sur les ingrédients de parfum pour tous les produits de son portefeuille de marques de produits de beauté. Le droit de savoir Il est important de se rappeler que l’énumération des parfums sur les étiquettes n’améliorera pas la sécurité d’un produit. Mais ce que la divulgation d'ingrédients va faire, c'est donner aux consommateurs le droit de choisir ce qu'ils utilisent chez eux et près de leur famille. En ce qui concerne les parfums, la divulgation permet aux consommateurs d'éviter les ingrédients avec lesquels ils ne sont pas à l'aise. Les consommateurs ont le droit de savoir à quoi ils sont exposés et comment éviter les ingrédients susceptibles de provoquer des réactions allergiques ou d'autres effets sur la santé. Nous avons tous le droit de savoir ce que contiennent les produits que nous utilisons chez nous, chez nos familles, nos animaux de compagnie et nous-mêmes. Apprenez-en plus sur notre lutte pour l'industrie visant à #ComeClean sur les ingrédients qu'ils utilisent.

Avec l'abondance des fruits et légumes frais que le printemps apporte à son arrivée, la saison est aussi le moment idéal pour essayer de nouvelles choses en cuisine! Mais avant de commencer à faire briller vos talents culinaires, pensez à nettoyer votre cuisine en profondeur grâce à ces conseils de nettoyage de printemps:

• • Rafraîchissez votre réfrigérateur, votre congélateur et votre garde-manger: Fates le tri en vérifiant les dates d'expiration, en retirant les vieux aliments et en organisant ce qui reste. Pour nettoyer les étagères et les bacs, videz les puis essuyez les surfaces avec un nettoyant tout usage ou des lingettes désinfectantes.

 

• •  Nettoyez et polissez les appareils ménagers: commencez par votre four, puis la cuisinière, le four à micro-ondes et enfin le lave-vaisselle. Nettoyez votre four sans vapeurs dures, essuyez l'acier inoxydable à l'aide d'une serviette en microfibre et donnez à votre micro-ondes un bon coup de chiffon, à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur..

 

• • Faites briller votre évier: on oublie toujours de prendre le temps de nettoyer l'évier. Vaporisez dessus un nettoyant tout usage et frottez avec une brosse. Pour les zones ou la saleté persiste, ajoutez une pincée de bicarbonate de soude pour obtenir un abrasif doux tout en frottant.

 

• •  Organisez les tiroirs de rangement: Commes le contenu des tiroirs est bien caché, on oublie souvent d'y mettre de l'ordre - loin des yeux, loin du cœur! Enlevez tous, et choisissez ce que vous voulez garder et ce que vous voulez donner (ou mettre de côté en entreposage.) Nettoyez les tiroirs et les range-tiroirs avec de l'eau chaude savonneuse. Une fois complètement sec, rangez vos ustencilles par compartiments.

 

• • Placards: Pour les placards en bois, vaporisez la surface avec un nettoyant pour bois doux et essuyez avec un chiffon doux et sec, vous pouvez aussi utiliser des lingettes désinfectantes pour plus de rapidité.

Une fois que vous en aurai terminé avec le nettoyage de printemps, cuisiner et partager des repas avec vos proches sera un grand plaisir.

Spring cleaning can be more than just tackling dirt and grime – it's also a great opportunity to take inventory of the products you're using throughout your home, and to get rid of the ones that aren't making the cut. After you deep clean your bathroom, take a minute to deep clean your beauty routine! Reducing clutter is the best start to getting organized. Let's start with the bathroom: • Take it all out: Before you clean, start by removing all of the items in your bathroom. Wash the bath mats and towels. Set aside soaps, shampoos, and body washes. Remove all items you have hidden under the sink. Now that you've got everything in view, set aside items you no longer use or are past their expiration date. • Wipe down hard surfaces: For sinks, shelves and hardware, use a disinfecting spray to remove dirt and common household germs. Pay special attention to handles and faucets! Remove soap scum from tubs and tile surfaces and give your toilet bowl a good scrubbing. • Organize medicine & toiletry cabinets: Before you start adding items back in, wipe down the inside and outside with warm, soapy water and a washcloth, or our disinfecting wipes. Keep like items together, adding storage baskets and shelves if needed. Refold linens and towels. Now, let's focus on beauty products. Here's the truth: We all probably own – and use – way too many. Of course there's the issue of clutter – but did you know that over-using products can actually be detrimental to your skin's health? This is largely due to the fact that many mainstream beauty products are filled with things like synthetic ingredients, fragrances, artificial colorants, and fillers. Difficult for your skin to process and often inflammatory, these are not the ingredients for healthy skin. They are the ingredients for overloaded and irritated skin – and a messy bathroom. Here are three easy ways to scale back: • Remove a step from your routine: Whether it is your "foundation primer" or second cleanser, consider eliminating a non-essential product from your beauty regimen. You'll save time and money, your bathroom will be neater, and your skin will thank you. Can't decide? Chuck the product that has a strong fragrance or possesses an ingredient list that you can't begin to decipher. • Eliminate ingredients: The real issue in using lots of beauty products is that their ingredient lists are usually quite long and complex. This has additive results; applying three products can actually equate to applying 30+ ingredients. To combat this, look for skincare and personal care products with simple ingredient lists that you can understand; it's a philosophy that S.W. Basics strictly adheres to – five, all-natural ingredients or less is really all you need. • Make your kitchen your bathroom: Some of the best skincare ingredients can be found in your pantry or refrigerator. You can use fine-grain sea salt to combat acne and for chemical exfoliation, try any organic, plant-based oil (olive, avocado, coconut) for their moisturizing and anti-aging properties, and organic apple cider vinegar can help even out skin tone and balance pH. Happy skin and a Zen-like bathroom awaits!

Spring cleaning is officially in full swing! One area that should never be overlooked is the oven, but many people struggle with finding a way to remove the grease & food debris without reaching for a harsh cleaner. Here’s our step-by-step solution for a sparking-clean oven so you can check it off of your list: • Remove all metal trays in oven, put them in sink and spray them with our Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner • Clean/sweep all of the crumbs or debris in the oven • Spray All Purpose Cleaner directly on a cloth and start cleaning from top, walls, bottom • Directly spray All Purpose Cleaner on burned spots left in oven; leave it there for 3 minutes • As you return to the burn spots, take a metal spatula or a razor blade and move it one direction to the other, lifting up the spot directly • Clean the inside of the glass door (you can directly spray All Purpose Cleaner on the door and use a sponge if needed!) • Don't forget to clean corners of oven! Use a spatula covered with microfiber towel • Clean exterior of oven with All Purpose Cleaner applied to a microfiber towel, cleaning in a top to bottom motion • Return to the sink & wash the trays with a sponge or steel wool • Let the trays dry before returning to oven Your oven will be clean and ready for roasting spring veggies in no time – and your nose will thank you! Happy spring cleaning!

Just like us, our plants cannot live on water alone. We try to eat healthy, and so should our plants! Before you reach for a day-glo box of crystal synthetic powdered plant food at your local store, give some natural alternatives a try. You can make own balanced fertilizer to take care of your green friends. Follow this simple recipe for some outstanding results. For potted plants, you'll need:

• 1 Teaspoon Epsom salts
• 1/2 cup of organic dried worm castings, easily picked up from your local natural garden center. Or, substitute a handful of the rich humus at the bottom of your own compost pile!
• A 5 gallon bucket.
• A couple of drops of Natural Dish Soap (this makes it slippery, so it penetrates into your potting mix and gets to those roots)

Combine the ingredients at the bottom of your bucket, and cover with about 7 inches of water. Leave this in a sunny spot for a full day. After the "brew" has steeped in the sun, fill the bucket and give it a good stir. You can use this fertilizer every time you water for the best results. It's most effective when used fresh, but storing it for a day or two in a cool place is also recommended. Sound like too much work? Well, if you have a fish tank, you can use the water from your regular cleanings as a wonderfully nutrient rich plant fertilizer. All that fish poop finally comes in handy!

Barbecues are fun, but ketchup drips and sweat stains can make summer the worst season for laundry. We asked members of our Generation Good Community to share their best tips on tackling tough summer stains. Over 500 parents weighed in. Here's what you had to say: Choose the right stain remover for the job: You’ve tried it all — from store-bought solutions to grandma’s secret recipe. These are the stain removers our Generation Good parents rely on.

• Make a paste with baking soda and a little warm water. Scrub into fresh stains.
• Dab greasy food stains with a gentle dish soap. A few drops can help lift oily messes. Just don't overdo it or you'll have a bubble party!
• Remove “organic” stains like blood with hydrogen peroxide (try our peroxide-based Chlorine Free Bleach!) Pour directly onto the stain and blot with a clean rag.
• Saturate stinky stains with a mix of vinegar and water. The vinegar can help remove odors (and won’t leave shirts smelling like pickles).
• Tackle tough stains like grass, sweat, and berries with Seventh Generation laundry stain remover. It has triple enzymes to fight even your worst messes. Plus, it’s made for sensitive skin.

Treat stains before they sink in: Generation Good parents agree that treating spills and splashes as soon as possible is the most important step to prevent permanent stains.

• Scrub soiled spots with stain remover and an old toothbrush. The bristles are gentle enough to lift out dirt and grime without ruining fabrics.
• Soak, soak, soak.  Soaking clothes in cold water until wash time can keep stains from setting.
• Keep an empty bucket in the laundry sink for soaking stained clothes. Bypass the laundry basket and toss items directly in the bucket.
• Don’t throw muddy clothes straight in the washer — do this first: “Kids love to play in the mud — and the wetter it is, the better it is. When it's time to wash those muddy jeans, do your best to brush off all of the loose mud. Then soak the garment for ten minutes in a solution of one tablespoon baking soda, a fingertip of Seventh Generation detergent and a gallon of warm water. Lightly brush the stain to move and suspend the soil. Squeeze the solution through the fabric. Repeat as needed. Wash as usual." -Ivette Z.
• Dab dribbles with a napkin and water when you’re on the go. This will keep spots from setting until you get home.

Wash and dry: These easy tricks from our Community can help your laundry come out of the wash looking like new — even if you’ve been playing in the mud.

• Skip the chlorine bleach, since it can break down fabrics. Use a detergent that contains an oxygen bleach instead.
• Avoid putting stained items in the dryer — the heat can set stains. Take advantage of the nice weather and hang clothes outside to dry.
• Harness solar power to fade stains on white and light fabrics (including cloth diapers): "We use the sun to treat a lot of our stains! It's amazing what a few hours outside will do!" -Jennifer O.
• Stash detergent packs in a resealable bag for summer travel. They’re pre-measured, easy to pack, and powdered packs won’t explode or leak.
• Don’t spend your summer stressing about stains. Keep a pile of "play clothes" on hand for messy summer fun.

What are your tips for tackling tough summer stains? Join Generation Good and jump in on the conversation.

Coconut oil is making a big comeback. Extracted from the "meat" inside the hard-shelled fruit of a coconut palm, coconut oil can be used for cooking, baking, taming your hair, smoothing your skin, and even whitening your teeth. Cooking Coconut oil has a light, nutty flavor and works best when cooking or baking with high heat. For years, coconut oil was shunned because of its high saturated fat content. These days, the tide has turned in coconut oil’s favor. Now considered more of a healthy fat, coconut oil is used as an alternative to butter, lard, or partially hydrogenated oils. Try using virgin coconut oil when making granola, roasting vegetables, or baking muffins. While cooking or baking with coconut oil is fine in moderation, olive oil or canola oil are generally recommended for everyday use. Body moisturizer  Do you have dry skin? Coconut oil has been shown to increase hydration and reduce water loss in skin. The lauric acid in coconut oil may have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Best of all, it helps your skin feel smooth as well and look radiant and fresh. Tames Frizzy Hair Coconut oil is a must for anyone with frizzy, unruly hair. It penetrates hair easily to help smooth ends and keep fly-away strands in check. Rub a tiny size amount of coconut oil between your fingers and apply it to the bottom inch or two of your hair. For thicker, coarser hair, apply the coconut oil from the mid-shaft to the ends. Your hair will look and feel like new. Lip balm Apply coconut oil to hydrate those pesky chapped lips caused by cold or dry weather. The fatty acids in coconut oil hold onto moisture and can keep your lips feeling hydrated. Coconut oil will not excessively coat your lips like some petroleum-based lip products may, and it moisturizes for beautiful results. Teeth Whitening Looking to whiten your teeth? An at-home remedy known as “oil pulling” is a type of oral therapy that has its origins in Ayurvedic medicine, which dates back 3,000 years. The procedure involves swishing about one tablespoon of oil around in your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing with water. As the oil hits your teeth and gums, bacteria is pulled out and held firmly in the coconut oil. Oil pulling can help whiten teeth, alleviate halitosis, and reduce gingivitis. It does not take the place of biannual dental visits or brushing and flossing at home. Shaving cream Out of shaving cream? Rather than using soap, coconut oil is inexpensive, may have antimicrobial properties, and its skin-soothing benefits will leave your skin looking vibrant and smooth. Coconut oil allows for a close shave, and your legs will be well moisturized in the process. Be aware that coconut oil is very slippery, so it’s wise to shave with it outside of the shower. Cuticle softener Our hands and nails take endless wear and tear every single day. You can kiss those ragged cuticles goodbye with just a little bit of coconut oil. Dab a small amount onto each of your cuticles to moisturize just before going to bed. The coconut oil will strengthen your nails and hydrate the cuticle skin, making your hands look smooth and more youthful.