10/29/11

This Halloween, instead of buying your kids face paints, some of which have been found to contain toxic ingredients like lead, try using cosmetics-grade makeup like lipsticks; they come in all sorts of shades. Another alternative is to make your own makeup with cornstarch, a little water and food coloring; just stir them together into a paste and apply.

10/28/11

The next time you need to buy a pack of gum, buy it from Project 7 -- Products for Good. A "cause-related company" that makes food and apparel items, Project 7 "partners with nonprofits to help provide financial support ... and raise awareness ... in seven areas of need," including hunger and homelessness. By purchasing just one tube of Feed the Hungry Peppermint Mints, you are also helping provide food to Americans in need. Learn more at project7.com.

10/27/11

When buying essential oils in the supermarket, make sure what you're getting is actually natural. Even if the words "naturally derived" are on the bottle, it means the molecular structure of the flower or plant oil was simply derived in a laboratory. Choose oils like peppermint or rosemary, which are plentiful, inexpensive and good choices for a healthy, natural scent at home.