8/25/13

If wearing perfume triggers headaches or makes you feel ill, there are two options for you. One is to look for Department of Agriculture-certified organic scents, which use food-grade natural oils free of any synthetic chemicals. Just like how produce with the USDA certified organic mark must be proven to be grown without chemical pesticides or herbicides, the same rules apply to organic fragrances. If you can't find an organic scent you like, another option would be to wear single-note scents or absolutes. Traditional perfumes use about 200 chemicals to create their complicated scents; a single note -- like sandalwood or rose -- uses significantly less and may be a calmer alternative to help you smell delicious and fresh.

8/24/13

When it comes to toilet paper, there used to be only two options: paper made from virgin tree pulp that comes from forests and recycled paper bath tissue that may have traces of BPA from contaminated recyclable paper. Either way, you couldn't win. A new alternative fiber tissue is coming to market that is made from sustainably grown bamboo and sugarcane husk. It has the feel and texture of regular paper, but it isn't made from trees and is 100 percent BPA-free. One brand sold at drugstores, Ology, is competitively priced and is even endorsed by the independent environmental organization Healthy Child, Healthy World as one of their eco-picks.

8/23/13

Do you want to support your favorite charities but wonder if your donation will actually go to charitable works or if it will just pay for fundraising and other administrative costs? If you want to give to a nonprofit organization and want 100 percent of your donation to go toward good works, why not fulfill its wish list instead? Many charitable organizations, like animal shelters and conservation cleanup groups, have wish lists on Amazon.com for items they need on a regular basis, like trash bags and cleaning supplies. Simply peruse the list of goods, fill your shopping basket with the items and pay for them. They'll get shipped directly to the charity, and you'll know exactly how your donation was spent.