Green meets Girl on theecoluxelife.com

Check out my article on theecoluxelife.com!

Dying to know what the best green hair care products are depending on your hair type? We asked Nicole Leal, an eco-hairstylist from Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood, California.

Curly Hair VIXEN : To maintain curly hair you must keep it hydrated. A leave-in conditioner is a must. Also use a deep-treatment at least once a week. For Enhancing curls try Maternity Salon Curly Crème.

Straight Hair LADY: Even the straightest hair can be unmanageable. Keep those fly-aways down and add shine with Simply Organic Anti-Frizz Crème.

Thick Hair DIVA: A moisturizing shampoo is always best for thick hair because usually it tends to be dry. Hamadi Ginger Soymilk Hair Wash and Hamadi Shea Rice Milk Conditioner is the perfect combination to start with. Try Hamadi Shea Hair Cream to create softness.

Fine Hair BEAUTY: Start with a volumizing shampoo to set the foundation for maximum volume. John Masters Sea Mist (sea salt spray with lavender) provides extra body for your hair without over drying.

Bag it up at your favorite spots

From DSW to Tender Greens these places are bagging it up with purpose. Located on the DSW plastic bag it states- This bag contains recylced material and is 100% recyclable. On the Tender Greens bag it states- This earth-friendly bag will begin to biodegrade within 9 months and is made with recyclable and recycled materials. Plese reuse!

Now we all know that the other alternative for helping the environment would be not to take a bag at all.

Are you part of the Green Bag Tag?

If you shop at CVS, get a Green Bag Tag! Purchase this tag for about a buck and attach it to your reusable bag. Receive an extra buck for every 4th visit. The Lanyard is made from 100% recycled silicone and the card is made from 100% recycled paper.

Fed Ex and their GREEN mobiles

Discover Pink Link

What's so great about Pink Link is that they are amazing when it comes to creating strategic marketing plans for companies and they are all about social responsiblity. Learn more about how Pink Link can work for you at pinklinkmarketing.com

On the hunt for Organic clothing

I have the perfect solution for you, if you're not a fan of jumping from site to site when your on the hunt for that perfect organic tee. Take a peek at the greenloop- Just Sustainable Style. You can gather all your favorite Organic clothing picks for both him and her, while buying the accessories to match. If you are looking for the perfect dress to slip into, take a look at Eco Skin.

www.thegreenloop.com

Green meets Girl is PINK again...

Just a friendly reminder that I'm trying to gather a group of people to get involve in the Susan G. Komen Foundation 5K Race for the CURE on Sunday, March 14th.

You can either register under the Team i-empower or as an individual. Registration fee is $40 and it's for the CAUSE:)

Go to komenlacounty.org and register under the i-empower TEAM. Any ?'s contact me...

The CARD that keeps on GIVING...

You know those beautifully decorated pieces of paper with words of endearment sometimes scribbled on them? You know, cards! We get them for birthdays and holidays. The list of reasons to give a card is forever long. Well, the next time you get a Birthday card, why not try re-using it. Thanks to REGREET, I can now reuse any card I get and send it on its way.

"Get more mileage from your greeting cards." www.regreet.com

Green Meets Girl is having a BABY

Ok, so I'm NOT having a baby! My gal pal Denise B. is having a little munchkin and I was so excited about shopping for her baby gift (no, my biological clock isn't ticking). I was super impressed that I had the option of shopping online at www.diapers.com and that they had a category called "GREEN BABY." They offer a selection from Seventh Generation, Earth's Best, Nature Babycare, California Baby and Happy Baby. So, take a guess as to what Denise will be getting at her Prego Party...

Green Living Workshops in MARCH

This is the best $50 dollars I have ever spent. I'm so not kidding! It's been over a year since my relationship began with Sustainable Works and it changed my life! Talk about a Lifestyle makeover. If you haven't taken a workshop from them you really are missing out. In fact, I'm overdue for a refresher, so you just might see me at one of the upcoming classes:)

Want to know more...

Learn about the environmental problems and what you can do to help solve them!
The Green Living Workshop covers the following topics, one per week:
Water, Energy, Waste, Chemicals, Transportation, and Shopping & Food. Workshop meets for six sessions at the same location and time

Learn about the problems related to each of the above topics on a global, national and local scale. Then with the help of the WorksBook review and take action on ten related solutions.
To register visit www.SustainableWorks.eventbrite.com

Seventh Generation is commercial worthy

I watch very little television, but of all the vices I could have, this is probably the safest. After all, Abraham Lincoln (the 16th President of the United States) said, "A person with no vices, has very little virtures." At least that's what it said on a coffee mug at Coffee Bean. Any who...Seventh Generation is now officially big time.

Skipping though commercials has never been so easy thanks to Direct TV and TIVO, but don't fast forward to quickly. Seventh Generation now has a commercial. Great to see something that is actually informative and creating awareness for using less chemicals in the household.

Yay for Seventh Generation getting some much needed air time!

Check out www.seventhgeneration.com

Greener Beauty at SEPHORA

There are some of us out there that love to be Green, but also Glamorous! Now, Sephora offers Natural & Organic products. Check them out and see if there is anything that is truly GREEN worthy. www.sephora.com

LISTED BELOW ARE SEPHORA's GREEN STANDARDS:
A minimum of 90 percent of a natural brand's assortment carried at Sephora (as reported by each brand) are formulated with high concentrations of:
antioxidants
botanicals
essential oils
fruit extracts
marine bioactives
minerals
vitamins

And are formulated to exclude a minimum of six of these eight ingredients:
GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
parabens
petrochemicals
phthalates
sulfates
synthetic fragrances
synthetic dyes
triclosan
Why not exclude all eight out of eight ingredients? Simply because sometimes an equally effective, viable, natural alternative is not yet available. Check out our natural glossary for more info.

*As the naturals industry continues to quickly evolve, many brands are reformulating (a time-consuming process), and the products we carry are regularly being updated.

Green meets Girl on The ECO LUXE LIFE

Q&A With An Eco-Hairstylist: Ways to Green Your Hair Color Routine
February 2, 2010 by Lauren
Filed under Blogger Blabber, Editor: Lauren, Guest Blogger

To color on not to color? So, you want to color your hair while staying all natural. The following questions were asked to eco-hairstylist Nicole Leal from Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood, California.

1. What are chemical-free options for coloring my hair?
Eco Colors is one of the best a choices out there for coloring your hair. It’s non-toxic and great for highlights, lowlights and grey coverage. There are only a few color choices and is a great option if you’re looking to make a one-two shade color difference. However, for those who aren’t ready to give up on traditional haircolor, try highlights instead of on-scalp applications.

2. What does ammonia-free haircolor really mean?
Proceed with caution with any salon that advertises that they use ammonia-free products. Ammonia-free primarily indicates that the haircolor being used is a demi/semi-permanent, which still contains chemicals. Ammonia is traditionally found in permanent color. Unfortunately, it’s the science behind what makes hair color work. Check with your hairstylist to see what your choices are.

3. Are there any organic haircare products on the market that will maintain my chemical-free haircolor?
Giovanni haircare systems introduces Colorflage. These colored shampoos are Sulphate Free and come in both shampoo and conditioner. Color choices include: Perfectly Platinum, Remarkably Red, Brazenly Brunette, Beautifully Blonde and Boldly Black.

4. What about Hennas?
* The Pros: Henna is derived by plants. It contains NO para-phenylenediamine, ammonia, peroxide, or chemicals.
* The Cons: The biggest concern is if you decide to go back to traditional haircolor, a previous Henna application can interfere with the process. Henna cannot be lifted out of the hair, so basically you have to let your hair grow out and cut it away.

When it comes to coloring your hair you have non-toxic options, you just have to do your research.
Check it out on theecoluxelife.com

Start the weekend with a "Green" drink

If you don't like VODKA, that's not my problem. I'm not promoting drinking, but if you are feeling the urge to partake in a lttle social happy hour than why not be eco-friendly about it. 360 Vodka is "the World's first Eco-friendly Vodka." The bottles are made of 85% recylced content and their website has an "eco- audit" that lists all of their eco-intiaives. Take a peek at www.vodka360.com

I only ask one thing: DRINK RESPONSIBILTY. Wait a minute, I'm not your mother...

Special touches from an Eco-consultant

When in doubt, hire someone? This motto is great for most situations... like "GREENING' your home. If you're completely lost when it comes to ECO-expertise check out www.greenbeanie.net. "A Guide for Healthier and Green Living."

Wrap it up with RECYCLED Foil

If you are still using plastic wrap...STOP! You have options. You could start using non-toxic, reusable plastic containers. Remember, we are trying to reduce WASTE. If that's too much to ask then take a baby step and start using Recycled Foil. I'm a creature of habit, so when I went to purchase foil the other day, I was glad to see that I could purchase RECYLCED Foil. How are you wrapping it up these days?

Keeping your roots clean ORGANICALLY

You thought looking for the love of your life was difficult, try finding an organic shampoo that works. Well, I found it...an organic shampoo and conditioner that hits the spot. While at the Green Expo I came across Organic Excellence and I may be spilling the beans to soon, but they are launching a leave-in-conditioner in a couple of months. Check em' out at www.organicexcellence.com

Ingredients: Purified Water, Olive Oil (and) Coconut Oil (and) Potassium Lactate, Vegetable Glycerin, Peppermint Oil*, Fennel Extract*, Hops Extract, Balm Mint Extract, Olive Leaf Extract*, Ginger Extract*, Mistletoe Extract*, Allantonin (Comfrey Root), Citric Acid, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Lemon Grass Oil*, Burdock Root Extract*, Sage Extract*, Rosemary Extract*, Grape Seed Extract*. *Certified Organic Herb

WTF is Yucca Mountain

WOW, looks can be deceiving. Thanks to my gal pal Nikki Lee I would never of known of this wasteland. Yucca Mountain is located in the South Western Nevada Desert. It's the home of nuclear waste and fuel. The biggest confusion to me is how someone could question whether or not there are side effects to nuclear exposure. Geee, let me think...