If you follow the advice never to eat what you can’t pronounce, then wouldn’t the same be true of products which you use for your skin, hair and face? Not that you would want to eat shampoo or lotion; rather, shouldn’t the things you put on your body be just as natural and organic as the things you put in your body? A certain famous frog once lamented that it wasn’t easy being green. With so many beauty products claiming to be organic or natural, it can be pretty confusing. Products bearing the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) seal must adhere to strict standards regarding ingredients. The products listed below all have the NOP seal and are guaranteed to be 100 percent organic.

Eco-Friendly Products for Your Hair

Pure Earth Hair Wash ? Made by Terressentials, this product does not use chemical detergents, thickeners, preservatives or fragrances. It can be used for all hair types and is safe for children.

NuStyle Organic Hairspray ? Regular Hold ? This plant-based spray is made with organic quinoa protein that will leave hair smooth and shiny while holding its shape. The organic gum Arabic and rice syrup adds control and volume.

Dr. Bronner Magic All-in-One Organic Shikakai Conditioning Hair Rinse ? The prime ingredient, Shikakai, is a powder made from the seed pods of South Asian trees. The organic lemon juice is a natural rinsing agent that also constricts the hair shaft, which leaves your tresses glossy, smooth and manageable.

Eco-Friendly Products for Your Body

Alteyas Pure Organic Rose Water? From the Valley of the Roses in Bulgaria, this flower water can be used as an aromatic detoxifier. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties can refresh and rejuvenate skin. Use it as a body spray especially after a long day in the sun.

Aromafloria Organics Geranium Cedarwood Mineral Bath Salt The essential oils and botanicals coupled with natural minerals make bath time a relaxing experience.

Geranium Lime Pit Putty Deodorant Stick ?Made by Bubble Bee, this all-natural deodorant stick uses organic arrowroot powder to absorb wetness. Essential oils of coconut oil, lime and geranium leave you smelling fresh while killing odor causing bacteria.

Lemongrass & Ginger Botanical Body Soap?From Badger Healthy Body Care, this body soap is infused with essential oils of organic lemongrass and ginger to leave your skin feeling great and smelling fresh.

Eco-Friendly Products for Your Face

Bio Damascena Anti-Wrinkle Eye Contour Cream ? Brought to you by Alteya, this product uses a combination of Bulgarian rose oil and botanicals to tighten, brighten and restore fragile under eye skin.

Flower Therapy Detoxifying Facial Cleanser ? Made by Terressentials, this deep cleanser cleans all skin types. It contains natural ingredients like aloe vera juice, Echinacea, lemon and lavender. It contains no detergents to clog pores.

Healing Complex for Blemished Skin ? This product by Amrita is an antibacterial and antiseptic that will help heal skin that has been damaged by acne.The essential oils and herbal extracts encourage new cell growth.

When you use eco-friendly products you not only look great and reduce overexposure to harmful ingredients, you lessen the chemicals and toxins that can damage our environment.

Do it for yourself. Do it for your country. Do it for the world!

Cindi Lewis writes for Glossy, a skin care brands and beauty products online retailer.

If you could get products for no cost just by cycling to work you would likely be more motivated. Recyclebank is offering more than simple rewards for walking or biking to your job.

The best way to motivate people into doing the right thing is to reward them. This idea can also apply to the act of recycling. Recyclebank is targeting the UK population with its stance on social awareness, by rewarding those who get involved with credits for lowering their consumption of household energy. The credits can be used for discounts and special deals at local retailers. Transport of London increased its efforts to encourageits bikeshare program and get more people walking. The organization called Recyclebank to help in this undertaking.

A solution for Recyclebank is an application for mobile phone users. It was implemented to enhance the awareness and of its programs to reduce pollution and improve the fitness of London residents, prior to the hosting of the 2012 Olympics.

The application allows users living in and near London to record how far they travel every day to earn credits based on distance. When each trips is complete Recyclebank shows users the number of points they have earned along with the health and environmental benefits they have provided. Data such as the number of trees helped, miles of driving eliminated, and the reduction in pollutants. The app will also indicate where the nearest retailers are located to use the credits earned.

Credits will also be available through the Recyclebank catalog. The company intents to show people how their behavior can affect their lives and their environment while rewarding them for making the efforts to conserve. By visiting the company’s website participants with reward pints can get discounts items purchased at Macy’s Brookstone and other well known retailers. There are overt 3000 organizations participating in the rewards program.

Recyclebank is growing to an international level. It recently partnered with Waste Management in North America to offer a similar program to its customers. Waste Management has also made a large investment in the Recyclebank program.

Recyclebank has no definite plans to expand the alternative transportation program to an international level. However, that could be different months from now. Plenty of large cities around the world will be interested in promoting alternative means of transportation among their residents with similar discounts and promotions as an incentive. If the company expands in efforts in America and Asia some large environmental protection efforts could have a huge impact.

Patrick Lindle is the head of sustainability at D-Mac Industries, a metal deck / steel decking facility located in Atlanta, GA.  Patrick is an avid bicyclist and triathology participant.  He lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and 3 kids.

GMo’s have received a lot of attention over the last few years with the companies who make them claiming they can be a way to solve food shortage problems and to beat drought and disease. Their detractors point out that not enough research has been done into their effect on ecosystems and that to introduce them so quickly is / was extremely foolhardy. In effect scientists are taking food and changing it at a molecular level in a way that does not happen naturally. They might then combine the DNA of two different cultivars of a crop (say both a fast growing and a disease-resistant strain) to increase production and reliability of the crops. While this seems a positive development in theory, the fact remains that there is not enough evidence as to how it will effect the crops it then mixes with and unfortunately once it has been released into the wild, there is no going back.

This of course is a concern for anti-GMO campaigners in the US where some of the staple crops such as soy or corn are already made with over 90% genetically engineered seeds. Although the cat is now out of the bag with regards to testing these seeds and keeping them contained, the Just Label It campaign are asking for consumers to be made aware that products they purchase might be genetically modified. A recent Consumer’s Union Poll revealed that over 95% of US consumers believed such products should indeed be clearly labelled. To date the FDA has not introduced mandatory labelling because the requirements are that material information should be shown, with material meaning something that can be tasted or seen – which GM clearly cannot. That, argue anti-GM campaigners is the whole point. People need to be told what they are consuming, as they are in the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Russia and many other countries around the world.

Alex is a freelance journalist and blogger. He writes about green issues and also maintains a blog about solar panels.

Being ecologically friendly means you are taking action to promote a natural and healthy environment. The environment can be greatly affected by the way we currently live, as not only do we produce a lot of pollution, we also use up vital resources and destroy habitats for other living creatures.

If all humanity carried on living a non-ecologically friendly life, we could end up using all of our oil resources, which may lead to the production of electricity becoming very limited. Also, destroying habitats for other living creatures could lead to the extinction of certain species which may then alter the natural balance of life. This could be capable of causing a domino effect with other species suddenly becoming extinct or endangered, which then may affect our own food resources not only meat-wise, but also crop-wise. So in effect, global warming is affecting our economy along with human health, the environment and wildlife.

Additionally, there is the big issue with global warming. When we burn fuels, we tend to release a lot of chemicals (greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere. By releasing these harmful gases into the environment, we add to the temperature of the Earth rising. According to the National Geographic website; an increase in global temperature may lead to sea levels rising, and will affect climates in other parts of the World.

To help put a stop to the decline in the Earth’s natural environment, there are certain things people can do. But are they cost effective? Many people may consider buying a Hybrid vehicle, as they do not release as much pollution into the atmosphere, nor consume as much fuel as a regular car. Although consuming less fuel is an excellent money saver, the initial cost of a hybrid car can be out of some buyers’ price ranges. There are however, other means of making transport more eco-friendly. Utilising public transport more, buying a bicycle and/or walking to places are cost effective methods of eco-friendly transport. Walking and bike riding not only reduce carbon emissions, they also improve human health and fitness!

Homeowners can purchase solar pv panels, which convert light energy into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect and are effective in powering the home with clean, renewable energy. Some people are sceptical as to how effective solar panels will be for their home; generally if the homeowner has a south-facing roof that isn’t shaded then solar PV will be an efficient energy resource. The feed-in tariff, which is backed by the government, pays homeowners for every unit of electricity they produce whether they use it or not. For homeowners who can’t afford the investment costs, many Solar PV companies receive funding from the government which enables them to install free solar panels for homeowners.

There are methods in which a person can become ecologically friendly without burning a hole in their pocket. They could become more involved with recycling, as this reduces the use of new resources, and generally creates products using less energy and therefore, less carbon emissions. There are means of becoming green with little or no cost, and although some ecologically friendly products are costly to run or purchase currently, this may all change in the future, as more cost effective materials are found. Help the environment AND your pocket by giving the green lifestyle a chance!

Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Solar Choice and Solvis, you can follow Steph on Twitter @StephStaz for more green posts.

The Japanese “Washlet” Functionality and Cleanliness

Perhaps the restroom is the last thought of room, but choosing its features ranks high in importance on hygiene and functionality. When you step into your restroom, you should feel “rest,” relaxation, calmness, and tranquillity. It is, in a sense, a safe haven. Functionality simply conveys comfort. Comfort is essential.

No one wants to use a restroom which is dirty. Likewise, no one wants to leave the restroom feeling dirty. Hygiene says a lot about the respect you have for yourself, your family, your guests, and your home.

It is functionality and hygiene that provide healthy wholeness. The restroom, as it seems, is of great importance.

The “squatter” type and the washlet

The Japanese have two types of toilets. One is the “squatter” type and the other is referred to as a “washlet” or more commonly referred to as “super toilet.” The “squatter” is very similar to most other toilets in Asian countries that are flat to the ground and feature concave reservoirs with holes providing waste removal into the sewer.

The “squatter” is most popular in public places, as it does not necessitate the user’s skin to come into contact with the toilet. Because of its squatting use, the “squatter” is not easy to use for disabled, elders, and for some westerners.

The “washlet” toilet is like a standard Western toilet, but features a spray of water as a bidet. The “washlet” also features a deodoriser, sounds of running water, and a seat warmer.

The “squatter” and the “washlet” are more hygienic than the standard western toilet; however, the “squatter” is more hygienic of the two. The user’s skin does not come into contact with the “squatter.” There is less water in this toilet so risk of back-splash is miniscule. The squatter toilet is also easier to clean because of its flat surface.

The “washlet” room is East meets West. It optimises hygiene and functionality. The “washlet” used in the home is not as clean as a “squatter,” but because it’s private to the individual and/or family, there are less germs than a public restroom. The “washlet” is able to be sat-upon and so its use is easy.

Restroom slippers

In a typical Japanese home, shoes are not worn. The Japanese typically wear restroom slippers. The slippers protect your feet from urine and faecal matter as well as serve as feet-warmers. The sink is inside the restroom. There is usually a sink next to the toilet and hand washing is done there.

One does not typically practice non-shoe-wearing in a European home and so may wear shoes inside the restroom. Slippers are not typically provided in a European restroom.

European toilets

Europeans typically use the standard Western toilet, which does not feature a combination bidet. European restrooms, depending upon the country, will either have the sink within the same room or separate from the toilet. France and other European countries offer bidets. The bidet is separate from the toilet; although, there is a combination model, which is very similar to the Japanese “washlet.” The standard Western toilet features hidden nooks and crannies which bacteria can thrive.

Out of all the possibilities listed above, the “washlet” room, because of slipper wearing, body cleansing-affects, and instantaneous hand washing offer most feasibility in regards to function and cleanliness.

John is the owner of the Sydney based Complete Bathroom Renovations and his team is specialised in renovating bathrooms and laundries.