I am a the world’s worst (best!) procrastinator. Right now, I’m procrastinating cleaning…
All right, that’s not entirely true. I was washing dishes and thinking about having a healthy environment and all of the things that contribute to that. Healthy environment in the most direct sense of the word–your home, car, etc.
During Yoga teacher training we’ve had to study the concept of sauca, or cleanliness (or, also, simplicity). That concept really hit home for me–like I mentioned before, I’ve let the cleaning go a bit in our house, and I also know that for me, a clean environment is more restful than one with clutter. Although—I am a clutter-aholic.
The beauty of the term sauca though is that it doesn’t only mean personal hygeine, it involves everything around you (and also encompasses the concepts before it–like ahimsa, which means non-violence or reverence/love). That, along with other reading, has gotten me thinking a bit about not only cleanliness, but what I use to clean myself and my home.
So, I’ve begun to slowly replace things—as a certain item runs out I’ve replaced it with an all-natural product. I’ve also decided to post reviews, because some of the stuff is truly wonderful, and some is truly awful and a waste of money.
So, here we go. First up, every redheads best friend, sunscreen:
Alba Green Tea Sunscreen, SPF 30
First off, I loved the smell. Not chemically at all; it smelled floral and a little sweet. It rubbed on smooth and non greasy. More importantly I played in the sun from 5:30 p.m. till dark (around 8:30) and not a hint of red. Of course, I should test it also in the midday. But so far, so good.
Grade: A-
Next: bug repellent. My poor husband, Jonathan, gets eaten alive by bugs. The only reason I get bit is because he attracts bugs to our vicinity! And since I don’t eat tomatoes with DEET on them, why would I spray it on to my own skin?
Burt's Bees All Natural Insect Repellent
I bought this from HEB for a BBQ we had last week. Verdict?
Oil. Slick.
No kidding. It worked, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t get a bite. But I, and everyone that tried it, was covered in oil. It also smelled like the herbs you put on a roast turkey. Oiled and herby. Not a great combination.
Though, like I said, it did work.
Grade: C+
—–
A few thoughts on replacing items with all-natural/recycled/etc.
I know that it is more expensive to buy these products. No one should try to convince you that they’re price compatible with Off, Coppertone, or whatever. It’s the same with household cleaners—Meyers, Method, BioKleen and Seventh Generation can’t compete with Clorox, Dawn, Joy or Ajax. And again with paper products—Seventh Generation and Green Forest will always be more expensive than Brawny or Kleenex, and for that matter, generic paper products. So should you switch if times are tight?
I would argue—yes. In moderation. Decide what matters most to you. Is it the ocean? Then look into Depth Shave Cream, which is made out of organic sea vegetables and supports marine education for kids (by the way–it smells amazing; I recently traded my shave cream for this stuff and…wow). Forests important to you? Then switch to recycled paper products.
The point is it doesn’t have to be everything all at once. If you see stuff on sale, grab it and use it when your other stuff runs out. If it’s simply out of your price range and you really care about non-toxicl home cleaning, then Seventh Generation just published a book called Naturally Clean to guide you through that.
There are options, if you desire them.
This isn’t about being elitist, or having the new cool green stuff. It’s not. It’s about health and cleanliness. It’s not imperative that you buy these products to lose weight or help the environment; it is, essentially, “green” consumerism. But it also has a point—what are these chemicals that are around us? What are they doing to us? What are these products in our lives that exacerbate our wastefulness and can we constrain them?
So I leave with that thought. I have no real conclusion. There are areas of my life that I am simple, clean and efficient in, and there are areas that I am not. Just a thought to nibble on throughout my day.
