I have been reading a great book titled "Gorgeously Green" by Sophie Uliano. It's about gradually making lifestyle and product changes that lead to an "Earth-Friendly Life." Ms. Uliano's motto is "One change makes a difference." Her idea is: if everyone would make one change each week, imagine the cumulative affect we could have on the world! It is always easier to tackle a large project one step at a time, keeping the big picture in the back of our minds, so we don't lose our focus.
I don't know about you, but the thought of going green can be quite overwhelming. We've heard the media talk about Global Warming and greenhouse gases. Environmentalists often blow the facts out of proportion and scientists can't seem to agree on what the facts are and what needs to be done. Personally, I have never been a tree-hugging, global-warming, spotted-owl fanatic, but I DO believe we should be environmentally responsible and take care of this beautiful planet God has given to us. So what are we to do to achieve this goal? And how should we go about it?
Ten years ago, I started my personal "go-green" process by planting an organic garden. Talk about a lot of work! Double-digging a quarter-acre plot, making 28 raised beds, and designing a formal herb garden with herbs for seasoning and healing. I don't have the time to tend that large of a garden now, so I'm very grateful that our local grocery stores carry organic produce and herbs. Reusing things like coffee cans, boxes, or zipper lock plastic bags is something I've always done. I've had to be very thrifty over the years and this helped tremendously. One of my more recent changes is using those reusable grocery bags you can buy at the store. I am really having a hard time implementing this change - I can't seem to remember to take them into the store with me! I guess I will have to write myself a note and post it to my dashboard.
One of the major things that urged me on in the "go-green" process was my youngest child's migraine headaches. Sean has had migraines for the last three to four years now, so of course I've been researching possible causes and reading the labels of every food product we've bought. I now rarely buy any prepared, processed food and we have learned that he needs to avoid foods made with corn syrup (especially the high-fructose kind), aspartame and MSG. While this helped, it didn't completely alleviate the headaches! What's a mother to do? In chapter five of her "Gorgeously Green" book, Ms. Uliano shows us which chemicals and cleaners we should avoid and alternatives we can use right away. Distilled white vinegar is an excellent cleaner and germ killer, and it is really inexpensive. Amazingly, I have known that, but really never used it for cleaning! Oops! Most of the cleaners available on the market are terribly bad for your health, so I started buying "green" cleaners and got rid of most of the toxic cleaners we used. I changed to a natural laundry detergent, which didn't cost much more than my old detergent. I am not totally green in the household cleanser department yet - one step at a time!
Still having migraines, Sean started reading the labels on everything he ingested, and made very wise choices about food, snacks and drinks. (He was the one who figured out that corn syrup bothered him.) He also discovered that the energy drinks he liked weren't helping him at all, so he weaned himself off of those, and now keeps caffeine intake to a minimum. Sean's involvement in ridding himself of his headaches only added fuel to the fire of my quest! I kept researching possible causes of migraines and ran onto something I had never heard of before - toxic, carcinogenic chemicals in the personal care products we use! I was flabbergasted! Horrified! Even guilt-ridden for a time! Unknowingly, we had been poisoning ourselves for years! Have you? To see a list of the worst chemicals of concern, visit The Green Guide.
So a new quest began for the Johnston family - the search for organic, toxin-free personal care products that were affordable and easy to find at the store, and that worked at least as well as what we had been using. Living in a small town, our choices are somewhat limited, but after reading every label on every bottle of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, bar soap and deodorant, I found some really great products in our local grocery store. I even found some hair styling products that work fairly well! As for my son, a few weeks after our newest product changes he started to notice that he wasn't getting the headaches as often, and when they did come, they were much shorter in duration. For him, our going-green changes meant a better quality of life! "Going Green" has now become a habit for me. Someone who has gone totally "green" would probably think I haven't gone far enough, but as I always say - "one step at a time!" So continuing my quest for quality, toxin-free products, I started looking for special skin care products for me. A woman just has to have something more that soap for her face. Men should, as well, and many are these days. I decided not to bother with grocery store products. I've always had a really difficult time finding a skin care system for my overly sensitive, combination skin. Every product I tried dried me out too much and I still produced too much oil, not to mention I still had acne at age 43. How embarrassing!
Our skin is the largest organ of our body. It absorbs everything we apply to it directly into our blood. Understanding this made it very important to me to find a skin care line that was organic, non-toxic and didn't harm animals or our planet in the process of making it. Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group has built a website devoted to educating consumers. We can research what is in our personal care products at CosmeticDatabase.com. It also lists companies that make safe cosmetics and personal care items, without harming the environment. As this is becoming more and more important to our welfare and future, I was relieved to find we had this resource and grateful for the work they do at EWG.
I did finally find a skin care line that addressed every problem I've had with my skin. Ah, the relief! Gone now are the itchy, irritated dry patches. Gone are the pimples that were so hard to eliminate. Gone is the over-production of oil in my T-zone. Amazing! Then...I couldn't believe it, but the hyper-pigmentation that had just shown up due to too much sun disappeared. My skin tone has evened out and my acne scars have started to fade. My skin feels like it is being nourished and hydrated, but it doesn't feel like it has anything on it. My husband has noticed that the fine lines around my eyes are disappearing and said my face "glows!" I don't know about you, but for someone to say your skin glows is wonderful! Now my skin looks younger, but not adolescent! As I'm quickly gaining on middle age, looking younger is definitely a plus. My latest picture that I posted on my Facebook page brought a message to me that I haven't changed since high school (25 years). I hear that more and more these days, all because of...Glimpse Intuitive Skin Care!
My process of "Going Green" and learning to live an Earth-Friendly Life is far from over. The more that I research, the more I learn, so on it goes. I'm very grateful for those who have paved the way for me, so my quest isn't as arduous as it could be. And I'm glad to be able to find products that won't harm my family or the environment at my local grocery store. I may not make one green change a week yet, but I'm certainly more environmentally conscious, and make all new changes accordingly. So, how about it? Ready to "Go Green?"
