9/12/10

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a chemical detergent added to products ranging from shampoo to body wash to toothpastes to help the products foam. Many people find that products with SLS dry the skin, stripping away any natural oils that help the skin, scalp and hair retain moisture. People who are prone to canker sores can also experience more frequent breakouts when using toothpaste with SLS. Instead, look for SLS-free products, commonly found in natural food stores, which use coconut-based oil as the organic foaming agent.

9/11/10

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical building block used to make polycarbonate plastics -- the clear, tough material still found in some baby bottles. While the Food and Drug Administration continues to study BPA, there are concerns that BPA bottles could leak this chemical into the baby's drink, which could cause hormone disruption. Looking for an alternative? There's a new glass bottle from Lifefactory, which wraps a hi-tech silicone sleeve around a glass bottle, preventing slipping or breakage. The bottle is made of borosilicate glass that can be safely moved from the freezer to boiling water without fear of shattering.

9/10/10

Not only do inkjet cartridges cost a lot of money, they also dry out quickly and need to be replaced. There are small tricks you can do to extend the life of the cartridges. Try defaulting all of your printing to "draft" mode instead of "best" mode to save ink; use only the finest mode when printing photos or resumes. Also, choose a less ink-intensive font -- like century gothic -- when the choice of font doesn't really matter. Believe it or not, it will save ink over time.