Hello,
Lately I have been trying to use products that are both good for the environment and good for my family as well. (I am talking about household cleaners as well as soaps and shampoos, etc.) My cousin has told me about Nature's Concentrate Cleaner, which is extremely gentle and good for both the environment and for people (and even pets). It supposedly can be used for anything from cleaning all household areas (floors, counters, windows,etc.), giving pets baths, hand soap, and even as shampoo and body wash. My cousin herself is in the business of trying to sell this stuff, but since we are related, I would be getting it for the same price she does (meaning, she would not be making a profit from me.)
I currently use a product called California Baby for my kids' baths (it is a body wash and shampoo combined), but it is $9 for an 8 ounce bottle at Target. I could buy this Nature's Sunshine concentrate at just over $10 for 32 ounces. I wouldn't mind buying this Nature's Sunshine product from my cousin if I were just going to use it as a cleaner, but it just seems weird to me to use the same product for our bodies that I would be using to clean the toilets with too! My cousin keeps saying that she hears it is great as a body wash and shampoo. She just started selling this stuff and she has not started to use this stuff as a body wash / shampoo on herself or her kids yet, because they are waiting until they run out of whatever they currently use. I guess other people she knows swear by it, though. She is my cousin and I trust her, where if she were just a salesperson, I would not even consider this product. I am just wondering if anybody has used this product, and what you think of it, and if you've used it just as a cleaner or if you've also used to for bathing! Any feedback would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance!
D., Get on line and check, better business bureau, consumer guides, any place where complaints may have been made!
Good luck, I have used the stuff for cleaning, not for personal use. I like it! K.
D., I have not used the "Nature's Sunshine" but have been a customer of a company that sell's products that are natural, save for the body and the enviroment at 30-40% cheaper than what you buy in the store. You save money and the products are concentrated. Their is a children's line also. For more info my contact is ###-###-#### or ____@____.com The company I deal with is committed to the health and wellness of it's customers.
S.
D.,
I would look into the product and see if it is safe to use on children. If it is, then I would use it. Soap is soap. Something that cleans our bodies will also clean our toilets and tile floors, but that doesn't mean it is safe to use on children's bodies.
I would stay away from any product that has Tea Tree Oil as an ingredient. I just read an article that indicated this oil can cause breast development in prepubescent boys.
https://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2006/07/11/lavendar-tea-...
However, there is another article that disputes this claim. Use your best judgement.
http://www.naha.org/articles/Tisserand,%20R.%20Gynecomast...
I've lately been switching to Burt's Bees products. I really like their body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. I also like that I'm using a product that does not have carcinogenic ingredients. The cost is not too bad and the products are concentrated so a little bit goes a long way.
As for cleaning products for your home, I use a lot of baking soda and vinegar. Vinegar kills most germs by drying out the cell walls (similar to a slug that has salt sprinkled on the skin) rather than using something like an insecticide to eliminate the germs.
I have found my allergies and asthma has improved since switching to baking soda and vinegar because the solution does not emit a harsh odor.
Good luck with your search.
I swear by the Natures Sunshine products. I have not used this cleaner, but I know people who have. It came down to cost and even if it is better it was more than I could afford and my mother stopped selling it.
I have used a various number of their products with very good luck.
Sorry I couldn't be of more use to you on this particular subject.
Also some of the best cleaners to use are plain old vinegar and water along with lemon juice and baking soda.
Good luck
Chelle
Well...I had a nice response all typed up and then had computer problems.
Basically what I said was that you can make your own cleaners with basic ingredients that you probably already have like vinegar, ammonia, baking soda, etc. I currently make my own glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, weed killer, and laundry detergent but there are recipes for almost anything you can think of. Not only are they better for you and the environment, they are also cost effective since you use alot of the same ingredients in each.
If anyone is interested in some "recipes", let me know and I can get them for you.
D.,
I use Nature's Sunshine herbal supplements and minerals. It's a good company.
What you need to know, as far as what you buy at Target and the environmentally safe products is that some are more concentrated, so that it might appear you're spending more, but because of the concentration it lasts longer. Is a shampoo or laundry soap effective judged by its suds amount? No. We're too attuned to that way of thinking. And by that we tend to add more so we see all those suds that would tell us it's working. Don't be fooled by the suds. It's working, but in a different way.
Also, what you buy at Target is manufactured commercially and the ingredients may not be good. The skin pores draw in or things GET in. Many products have Propylin Glycol, which is found in anti freeze. I probably spelled it wrong. But commercially made shampoos, hair conditioners, hand lotions, etc will often have that in it. Do you really want to put your kids in it? That's something to consider.
My first thought is that doesn't seem quite possible. I suppose if it's REALLY a safe product then you should be able to use it on yourself and your children. I haven't heard of this line though, maybe you can find it here...Check: http://www.safecosmetics.org/index.cfm
If you don't feel comfortable using it on yourself, then I would just use it as a cleaner.
Just looked it up on-line & it says it's safe as a bubble bath. I don't know that I'd feel comfortable using bubble bath as shampoo and body wash. http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/products/catalog/produc...
Here's the correct link to the Skin Deep website http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
I use California Baby and although it's expensive I prefer to keep my daughter's toxin load down as much as possible. As someone said in another email, check on the Enviromental Working Group's website to determine whether the product is actually safe or not. You can get most things clean with soap and water or non toxic household items you probably have already-vinegar, baking soda, Borax, etc. No need to purchase cleaning products. How wonderful that you're even thinking about these things!! Seems like most parents don't.
Hi D.! That's great that you are investing your time to find products that are safer for your family and for the environment! When I am deciding about products I use some of these criteria:
Is the company commited to purity ?(this goes way beyond organic)
Are they comitted to the point where they would not sell a product for a time because pure ingredients are temporarily unavailable? The company whose products I use, gave up sales for their #4 selling product for 2 years...representing millions of $$, because worldwide the source ingredients were not pure from toxins, while other companies continued to sell their version. That information settled for me which company I trust.
The Skin deep website and the cosmetic data base site are useful however, if not read carefully they give misleading information. A product can have a false score because of not being tested. I'm sure you can navigate that. Another website uses a certain logo to indicate that the company measures up but when you read the fine print...it's the companies that paid to get the logo.
It can be frustrating to slog thru all the voices clamoring about being green. I chose a company that puts its money where its mouth is, for it's whole history...not a new fad... in its commitment to safe and pure products.
Is that helpful? Is there any other information I can get for you?
M.
D.,
Sorry it took me so long to answer back to you... I forgot to call for almost a whole week. Well I just called and the rep. said that it can be used for all sorts of things, cleaning food (like veggies and stuff)to floors, and he said it is totally safe for skin contact but he has not heard of it being used as a bubble bath. If it is safe and all the ingredients are natural I don't know why you couldn't but I understand the hesitation. I think it's because we're so used to stuff that cleans floors to be harmful to swallow and not so great for our skin.
Hope that helped a little
B.
D.,
You can always go to www.skindeep.com it is a website that shows what is in many products including shampoos, etc. I highly recommend it. You can truly see if the product is as green as it states and if it truly is safe for your family.
