Author: Mollie Bloudoff-Indelicato

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: Commercial wipes aren’t good for your skin. Even the ones that are marketed for babies have some sort of chemical to keep them from molding.

Why you should care: Again, wipes aren’t good for your skin, including a baby’s skin. I think, on this one, the health impact is the most important. The environmental impact is also pretty icky: https://www.proquest.com/openview/9d58febe5e1c637f87f152d2aaa0dbf8/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=5038271 

What you should buy: You actually don’t need anything for this one other than about 50 bits of cloth in wipe-sized pieces. You can use GOTS or Oeko-Tex certified cloth if you’d like. To make the spray, mix two tablespoons of castile soap and two tablespoons of olive oil and make sure they don’t separate. Boil two cups of water and let cool. Then add the mixture to it. Spray onto the cloth to create wipes. Put the soiled wipes in their own diaper pail and then launder them. (Make sure to use your handheld bidet to wash off any solids first.) These work great!

Image Credit: Natracare

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: All the same stuff that’s bad for you is bad for your pets—only their bodies are smaller and thus toxins are more concentrated. Here’s just one study of many: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1023818/full Get them high quality stuff to help them live healthier lives.

Why you should care: They’re your best friend. ‘Nuff said.

What you should buy: https://myessentia.com/products/kingston?sscid=b1k8_z1btr

Dog beds made of plastic and full of fire retardants are bad for you AND bad for them. It’s a good idea to invest and get something good and (mostly) chemical-free. This was an expensive purchase for me, and I waited for a sale. But it could save me money on vet bills, human doctor bills AND give me more time with my beloved animals. Worth it.

I actually didn’t buy the bed that I recommended. It was too big for my dog’s crate. I ended up purchasing from The Futon. https://www.thefutonshop.com/certifications (If purchasing, make sure to get a wool filling, which is temperature-regulating and no outside coating.) I don’t recommend The Futon Shop if you’re not prepared to wait. It took a couple follow-up emails before they finally sent me a shipping confirmation. You can message the company directly to ask for a discount on the product as it and shipping are expensive. If you live in California or Seattle you can pick the beds up directly. They also ship the beds with a ridiculous amount of plastic and now I have a huge pile of the stuff that I have to repurpose somehow. It’s a huge pain and not environmentally friendly at all.

If I were to do it over, I’d get My Essentia. I wanted to use non-plastic, Oeko-Tex and/or GOTS certified materials. Several of the sites fill their beds with recycled water bottles, which is awesome but not for me. Avocado had some parts of the bed that were certified but not everything. The Rawganique looked amazing, but the price was more expensive than My Essentia.

No matter what you buy, ask the company to ship you the product without plastic.

NOTE: Bearaby and Omi mattress are both no longer available. You can still get Avocado but not through the site. You have to message customer support with exactly what you want and they’ll send you a link to buy it. (I asked but they wouldn’t tell me why it’s such an odd buying process!)

Additional Reading:
https://www.leafscore.com/eco-friendly-pet-products/best-eco-friendly-dog-beds/
https://www.petplay.com/pages/oeko-tex
https://iheartdogs.com/best-eco-friendly-dog-beds/
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/eco-friendly-dog-beds
https://www.greenmatters.com/green-matters-approved/best-dog-beds
https://www.rover.com/blog/reviews/organic-dog-beds
https://theroundup.org/what-is-natural-latex/
https://rawganique.com/products/sesame-organic-cotton-dog-cat-pet-bed?Click=140523
https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/collections/dog-beds/products/organic-dog-bed

Photo Credit: Jamie Street

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: It seems that the worry over what’s in our hair dye is slightly overblown. From the studies I’ve read, not too much dye comes into contact with your skin, and the stuff that DOES get on your skin isn’t usually absorbed to a dangerous degree. What you should avoid is dyes containing a chemical called PPD. If you do that, even pregnant people don’t have to worry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK582739/ 

Why you should care: For this product, it comes down to plastic. I couldn’t find ANY dyes that didn’t involve plastic in some way. This is where the “adoption” part of my research comes into play. Am I willing to give up plastic, which is harmful to the environment, and stop coloring my hair? At this time, no. Coloring my hair is such a part of what makes me happy and what makes me feel comfortable in my body that giving it up would be too much of an ask. But if you can do it, I applaud you! The other issue is PPD—it’s not great for your health, and it’s looking like it’s pretty bad for the environment. https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/244736/20240623-5018-er6oe3.pdf and https://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(13)00737-0/abstract 

What you should buy: IroIro with 10% discount code: 10-3B6C8A9C List of ingredients: https://iroirocolors.com/blogs/news/iroiro-semi-permanent-hair-color-ingredients 

In my research, there aren’t any dyes that are totally natural that’ll give you fun, long-lasting colors. There are dyes that will do the job with minimal synthetic chemicals that are also vegan and cruelty-free. (Henna is an all-natural dye, but experts caution against it as it reacts with each person’s hair differently and can cause some pretty odd streaks and patches. Get a professional to show you how to do it the first time!)

P.S. You know how all hair dyes tell you to do a patch test before applying and then you don’t do it? Actually do the patch test. There is a small risk of anaphylaxis. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0536.1996.tb02348.x 

NOTE: The IroIro pink lasts forever: https://www.reddit.com/r/HairDye/comments/1chk2we/approach_iroiro_with_caution/ Purple seems to fade to pink: https://www.reddit.com/r/HairDye/comments/rwgqw7/iroiro This person didn’t like the platinum: https://omgluie.com/omgluie-hair-dye-review-iroiro-semi-permanent-hair-color-in-140-iro-platinum 

Additional Reading:
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/eco-friendly-hair-dye
https://sustainablykindliving.com/12-best-non-toxic-natural-hair-dye-brands
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/244736/20240623-5018-er6oe3.pdf This study does a good job of telling you potential risks, but it’s definitely fear-mongering. It doesn’t tell you the LIKELIHOOD of potential risks. 
Arctic fox ingredients: https://incidecoder.com/products/arctic-fox-hair-color 
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/well/hair-dye-health-cancer.html

Image Credit: Elizabeth Lies

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: Get good ingredients ‘cause this stuff is getting absorbed into your skin. And keep it sustainable! 

Why you should care: Lotion gets absorbed into your body. Plus, the bottles are a waste of plastic, which takes resources to make and then lives in our landfills and oceans. Gross. 

What you should buy: https://www.shopetee.com/products/lotion-bar or less expensive option would be to make your own 

I hate lotion that’s too thick, but I also hate lotion that’s too thin. I want the Goldilocks of lotion, dangit! I’ve tried this one https://www.plaineproducts.com/shop/#hairbodycare and found I was constantly reapplying. I actually really liked Ethique https://ethique.com/blogs/ethique-products/why-should-you-switch-to-a-solid-moisturiser but it’s made in New Zealand and some ingredients are sourced from Samoa, and the carbon footprint is too high for me.

There are also a lot of sustainable options that come in glass jars. I keep lotion all over the house, and I know I’m going to knock one over or a pet will so that won’t work for me either. I need something in aluminum or cardboard.

I decided that cardboard was the most eco-friendly. And I went with a vegan option that didn’t use beeswax since I have a lot of questions about the sustainability of beehives from my honey research and potential glyphosate in beeswax. I can attest that the bars actually do last a long time so you only need a small amount.

Beeswax, which is used in lots of cosmetics, also contains harmful chemicals.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691523002089 and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719353045

Additional Reading:
https://ecoroots.us/products/yay-for-earth-zero-waste-lotion
https://www.glam.com/1222963/best-solid-body-lotion-bars-for-sustainable-moisturization/https://www.sustainablejungle.com/lotion-bars/
https://ecoroots.us/products/lotion-bar
https://attitudeliving.com/products/body-butter-leaves-bar

Photo Credit: Romina Farías

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: Even supposedly “green” cleaning products can emit VOCs. It’s more cost-effective, more sustainable and healthier to make your own cleaners out of simple stuff you probably already have in the house. 

Why you should care: VOCs cause lots of health issues. It’s not worth it.

What you should buy: https://www.lung.org/getmedia/3030b2d9-02f0-4be4-ab86-d6bd86f88b88/ALA-Safe-cleaning-products-MHE-program-August-2022.pdf or, if you don’t want to make your own, https://www.shopetee.com/collections/household-cleaners 

I like Etee for SO many reasons. They’re based in Canada so they’re not too far away. They donate to good causes. They don’t do plastic. They don’t test on animals, and use safe materials. They care about their workers and supply chain. Their soap doesn’t have a strong scent, which is great if you have smell sensitivities. 

Remember that there’s a difference between cleaners and disinfectants. See my post on bleach for more information. https://lospatiperros.com/eco-friendly/bleach-is-bad-for-you-and-the-environment/ 

Additional Reading:
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/cleaning/things-you-should-never-clean-with-vinegar-distilled-white-vinegar-a3336471803/
https://www.lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/cleaning-supplies-household-chem
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/household-cleaning-products-emit-chemicals-associated-with-heart-disease-cancer 
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/14/health/cleaning-products-chemicals-safety-wellness/index.html
https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/content/cleaners_and_health
https://sixdollarfamily.com/how-to-make-liquid-castile-soap-from-a-bar
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a31264367/is-vinegar-a-disinfectant/ 
https://www.healthline.com/health/is-vinegar-a-disinfectant#products

Image Credit: Jeshoots.com

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: Buying the right cutting board will cut down on your risk of food-borne illnesses.

Why you should care: “In the United States, billions of dollars are spent directly on medical expenses from foodborne diseases and billions more are lost due to decreases in employee productivity. Cutting boards could serve as sources of contamination by allowing pathogens to survive and multiply, especially if remnants of raw meat or poultry remain on the surface after food preparation” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0260877412000040 

What you should buy: https://www.johnboos.com/products/maple-bbq-cutting-board-with-juice-groove-professional-collection 

(Not all John Boos cutting boards are NSF certified so check before you order. The board comes with two coats of mineral oil so just wash that off. Also don’t worry about rubbing it with a rough sponge. More surface area actually means less bacteria for wood!)

OK, cutting boards are SUPER interesting, and there’s a lot of contradictory information floating around out there. I went directly to the scientific studies to find the best one for your health.

This study suggests that you should get an iron cutting board. https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/expedition/article/view/199721 I would go a step further and say you should get a copper cutting board. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3067274/ But neither of those are readily available or affordable or even necessary. 

Most people use either a stainless steel or wood cutting board. Plastic cutting boards aren’t recommended because they add microplastics to your food, which is bad for your health. https://www.foodandwine.com/are-plastic-cutting-boards-safe-8624857 

For an extra layer of caution, you want a solid wood cutting board that does NOT have a coating and does NOT use glue but DOES have a deep juice trench. That’s because wood is pretty awesome at killing a lot of bacteria. Wood is porous so when you get wet bacteria on it, it tries to create an equilibrium. That means it draws the water into its grain and the bacteria inside it dies. https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4337.12199 If you have a coating, all that water just stays on top and the bacteria won’t die. This study shows that European beech had one of the lowest levels of bacteria overall https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/4/752 In one study, the bacteria Campylobacter (which causes diarrhea) survived for only 3 hours, whereas it lasted longer on stainless steel and plastic. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/17/3245 

So what does this mean? Should I buy a wood cutting board? Does it need to be beech? Not necessarily. It depends on the type of bacteria you’re worried about. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00003-015-0949-5 

Overall, wood is probably better if you want to be extra cautious. But thoroughly washing your cutting board (no matter what it’s made of) with soap and hot water is really the best way to get rid of most bacteria. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713523000786 Again, it’s a matter of which bacteria you’re worried about. This suggests that you should have a separate cutting board solely for cutting meat and another cutting board for stuff that’s not going to be thoroughly cooked. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/17/3245

It’s also good to get a cutting board with a deep juice trench to keep icky bacteria from leaking onto the counter.

So the stainless steel vs wood debate doesn’t matter too much. Let’s look at sustainability. My pick is NSF certified. I also liked this cutting board because it’s black walnut, which is pretty sustainable, but it doesn’t have a NSF certification. https://fromourplace.com/products/walnut-cutting-board 

Some cutting boards are made of bamboo. Isn’t that more sustainable? It might be, depending on where it’s made and if forests were clearcut to grow bamboo. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it because there aren’t enough studies that look at the bacteria levels on bamboo cutting boards. 

Additional Reading:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0260877412000040
https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2024/01/only-these-three-cutting-boards-are-truly-non-toxic.html
https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling-cutting-boards-21-inch-x-16-inch-cutting-board-beechwood–35118-100/35118-100-0.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713522001657
https://www.carawayhome.com/products/cutting-board-set
https://www.costco.com/teakhaus-extra-large-cutting-board.product.4000284129.html
https://theboardsmith.com
https://thegoodnesswell.com/the-best-non-toxic-cutting-boards/ https://sustainablykindliving.com/non-toxic-cutting-boards/
https://theroundup.org/non-toxic-cutting-boards/
https://themindfulfork.com/eco-friendly-cutting-boards/

Photo Credit: featured image, Thomas Park/in-line photo Joel & Jasmin Førestbird

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: It’s probably time to repurpose your plastic plates and bowls. Switching to a safer option is easy and relatively cheap.

Why you should care: This is mostly an issue of microplastics, which are a big problem for the environment and probably your health. 

What you should buy: https://www.target.com/b/corelle/-/N-5y2i5 

OK, so somehow I did like four hours of research on this and can’t find the doc I saved it in. Typical. Luckily, this link pretty much sums it up and doesn’t get into all the studies and rabbit holes I went down. https://thegoodlifedesigns.com/safest-dishes-to-use/ 

Primarily, I wanted something safe. Something that wasn’t going to leach chemicals and that I could put in the microwave or oven. (I always tell myself that I wouldn’t microwave plastic and then find myself doing it late at night when I’m too tired to care.) I also have a clumsy streak and needed stuff that wasn’t going to break easily. If you have kids, this is doubly true for you. Corelle ticks all those boxes.

I didn’t look into the sustainability of this option. Mostly because I have a set of corelle dishes I bought 15 years ago and they’re still going strong. So I figure this purchase of bowls will last me a long, long time.

Photo Credit: Raúl Cacho Oses

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

TLDR: “Choosing a reusable cotton q-tip is an eco-friendly option that can reduce your environmental footprint, as well as your spending.” https://ecofriendlyhacks.com/reusable-q-tips/index.html 

Why you should care: This photo will tell you everything you need to know https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/seahorse-ocean-pollution

What you should buy: https://www.walmart.com/ip/8-Count-Reusable-Silicone-Q-Tip-Cotton-Swabs-Portable-Swab-Ear-Cleaning-Makeup-Women-2-In-1-Set-Case-Cosmetic-Mirrors-2-Pack-Green-Grey/6617918475

“Single-use Q tips contribute to the global plastic waste crisis. An estimated 1.5 billion cotton swabs are produced every day in the world and the average person throws away approximately 415 of them each year, according to a report by market intelligence company Acute Market Reports. These products are frequently found in landfills and oceans, polluting the environment and posing a threat to marine life. By opting for reusable Q tips, individuals can play a part in minimizing their ecological footprint.” https://ecofriendlyhacks.com/reusable-q-tips/index.html 

Don’t use a Q-tip for cleaning your ears: https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-dangers-of-q-tips-1048870 If you’re going to use it to clean your ears, buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Removal-Cleaning-Cleaner-Keychain/dp/B07PTPX4GZ I like brass because it contains copper, which has antimicrobial properties! https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3067274/ 

It sucks that my pick is a Walmart buy. But I honestly couldn’t find what I wanted elsewhere except Amazon, and I tried!

This is another option: https://lastobject.com/products/lastswab?Color=Turquoise I don’t like that it’s made of “durable materials,” which tells me absolutely nothing about what it’s actually made of. I also think the plastic carrying case is completely unnecessary. 

Some Q-tips say they’re compostable/biodegradable. I’m extremely skeptical of this. I’ve tried composting those Q-tips and three years later they haven’t decomposed one bit!

But, if you HAVE to buy regular Q-tips, I’d recommend these from The Humble Co. https://earthhero.com/products/the-humble-co-biodegradable-cotton-swabs-100pk “These organic cotton swabs with bamboo sticks go a step further than traditional eco-friendly cotton swabs by using only sustainably sourced, and “panda-friendly” bamboo, and packaging everything in a recycled paper box.” https://zerowastememoirs.com/zero-waste-eco-friendly-q-tips/ 

There are other brands out there like https://zerowasteoutlet.com/products/biodegradable-swabs-bamboo-cotton?sscid=11k9_83q7v& but they don’t have the sustainability that The Humble Co does. I emailed and asked! https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/gf5q2l/has_anyone_tried_those_silicon_qtips_and_if_so_do

Additional:
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/39fj3w/ive_used_this_thing_as_an_ear_cleaner_for_the
https://lochtree.com/blogs/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-reusable-q-tips https://citizensustainable.com/q-tips/#google_vignette 
https://www.amazon.com/Pampoo-Case%E4%B8%A8Reusable-Packaging%E4%B8%A8Strengthen-Stick%E4%B8%A8Eco-Sustainable/dp/B08NCP6CLR/#customerReviews
https://www.amazon.com/BOETECO-Reusable-Makeup-Silicone-Cotton/dp/B082YLNPGK
https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Reusable-Portable-Silicone-Beauty-Black/dp/B085737GM8/
https://www.thehealthy.com/ear-nose-throat/reusable-q-tips/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/gf5q2l/has_anyone_tried_those_silicon_qtips_and_if_so_do/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/magazine/ear-wax-removal-ear-pick.html https://www.greenmatters.com/p/zero-waste-q-tips-reusable

Photo Credit: Jen Theodore