In the Kitchen
- A Better Beer
- Ban The Bottled Water
- Clip and Save While Doing Your Part
- Don't Pour Kitchen Grease Down The Drain
- ENERGY STAR Refrigerators and Dishwashers Will Save You Money
- Hidden Dangers In Your Cookware
- Homemade Baby Food Is A Great Way To Do Your Part
- How To Break The Paper Towel Habit
- How to Buy Organic Foods on a Budget!
- Is Organic Pet Food Worth The Cost?
- Organic Produce That's Worth The Money
- Party Time!
- Pick Your Own Produce & Save Big!
- The Benefits Of Buying Local Produce
- The Great Wine Debate: Box or Bottle?
- The Never Ending Glass Recycling Story - Local
- The Never Ending Glass Recycling Story - National
- Turkey Time - What do all those labels really mean?
- What Those Produce Stickers Tell You
- What's Better Than An Apple? A Locally-Grown One!
In the Bathroom
All Through the House
- A Big Break for Making Better Choices!
- A Cleaner Candle
- An Easy Attic Fix To Save Money!
- CFLs: The Good and The Bad
- Cleaning With Vinegar
- Control Indoor Pests Naturally
- Diapers: What's the Eco-Friendly Choice?
- Does Your Clogged Dryer Vent Cost You $20 A Month?
- Don't Trash it! Freecycle It!
- Earth 911 can help you recycle!
- ENERGY STAR products save energy, water and money!
- ENERGY STAR- New Homes
- ENERGY STAR: TVs: What's the Greener Choice?
- Father's Day Green Gift Ideas
- Get To Know Those Plastic Recycling Numbers - Local
- Get To Know Those Plastic Recycling Numbers - National
- Get Your Carpet Cleaned WITHOUT All The Chemicals!
- Green Gifts for Mother's Day!
- Green Holiday Table Decorations
- Green Volunteering
- High Fashion, Low Cost
- Home Energy Audit Makes Dollars and Cents
- Home Goods For A Lot Less!
- How Big Is Your Eco-Footprint?
- How Plastic Is Made
- How To (Safely) Get Rid of Household Hazardous Waste
- In With The New and Recycle The Old
- Is The Air Inside Your Home Polluted?
- Is Your Make-Up Making You Sick?
- It's In The Shampoo
- Junk The Junk Mail
- Let the Holidays Shine with LED Lights!
- Limitless Fashion On Limited Budget!
- My House Leaks Like A Sieve
- New Life For Old Shoes
- Paperless Tax Return Filing
- Programmable Thermostat: A Quick Fix for High Utility Bills
- Put Your Old Cell Phone To Good Use
- Put Your Old Clothes & Cloths To Good Use!
- Recycle Batteries and Recharge Your Battery Purchases
- Recycle Your Way To A Lower Eco-Footprint
- Recycling A Can - Can Change The World!
- Recycling Paper Is A Success - Local
- Recycling Paper Is A Success - National
- Recycling Plastic
- Reduce Your Eco-Footprint
- Rent Your Way To An Eco Friendly Party!
- Reuse Items You Already Own To Lower Eco-Footprint
- Safer Soaps, Shampoos, & Scrubs
- Shipping Solutions
- Shop (for organic cotton) til you drop!
- Soap: Bar vs Liquid
- Sponges
- Start Simply - At Home
- The Better Choice For Kitty Litter
- The Dirt On Clothes Washers
- This is it
- Treating Pet Smells and Accidents....Naturally
- Try Baking Soda Instead of Costly Chemical Cleaners
- Unique & Green Valentine's Cards
- What Do You Do With Old or Unused Medicine?
- Why It's Important To Do Your Part
In the Garage
In the Garden
- A Natural Jolt For Your Garden
- Adopt A Stream
- Charlotte's Secret Gardens
- Composting: It's Not That Complicated
- Create A Community Garden Where You Live
- Eco Friendly Lawn Tools
- Fall Leaves
- Go Native In Your Charlotte Garden
- How To Set Up A Rain Barrel
- Keep Your Cool And Save!
- Kill Outdoor Pests and Weeds Without Using Toxic Chemicals
- Lightning and trees: A deadly combination
- Local Fresh Food Delivered to Your Door!
- Make Those Mosquitos Go Away - Without Toxic Chemicals!
- Plant A Shade Tree and Reduce Cooling Costs
- Plants That Tolerate Drought Conditions - Local
- Rain Barrels Are Good For The Garden And More!
- Save Our Creeks - Don't Over Fertilize
- Scoop The Poop
- Test Your Soil Before You Fertilize - Local
- Tree Banding - Local
- Use Your Sprinkler System Wisely And Save!
- What's Really In Your Sunscreen?
Is Your Make-Up Making You Sick?
Most women have a make-up bag they just can't live without. It's usually filled with everything from lipstick to eyeliner. But, do you know there may be dangerous chemicals lurking in them? Now, you can Do Your Part to find out if their ingredients are cause for concern.
Here's an eye-opener: your favorite mascara could contain mercury, your lipstick may have trace amounts of lead, and even ingredients in your blush could contain chemicals which are known to cause reproductive problems. None of that sounds especially pretty. And, when you consider that the average woman uses more than an dozen personal care products a day - all those chemicals begin to add in our bodies and in the environment.
You should know that cosmetics companies are required to put their ingredients on their products but the federal government isn't required to test the products for accuracy. That's where you need to do a little digging before you buy your beauty products. CosmeticDatabase.com is a good place to start. It's run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group which tested thousands of cosmetics. You can search their database by category for specific make-up under its brand name. Then, they are ranked by its safety from zero to ten with zero being the safest and 10 being the most toxic. The ingredients are also listed and all the possible side effects. Now you're armed with all the information about what you're putting on your skin.
And, it's definitely worth it to recycle the make-up packaging! Aveda accepts rigid, screw on plastic caps - beauty product or not. Origins gives out free samples when you return their old beauty product containers. And, M.A.C gives free lipstick for six of theirs. That's a pretty payoff - for Doing Your Part!
