ECO Desi

Naturally beautiful you

Hello, EcoDesi here.

Ok so this is for the ladies.  Well men can read it too but the article mainly deals with makeup so if you happen to be a man then you can read it and pass the info along to your lady friends. Or, if you are one of those men who wear makeup then read on honey, I don’t judge ;)

Anyway back to the topic of the day.  Makeup!   

I’m one of those lucky girls who can get makeup for free because of my sister-in-laws (SILs).  One works for MAC (grab bags baby) and the other is a fantastic make-up artist on the side (www.perfectglow.ca).  You would think that based on this I would be some kind of an expert but no, that’s not the case.  I am more into natural skin care which is about nourishing the skin, rather than make-up which is more about enhancing your natural beauty.  So my routine has been washing my face with besan (gram flour/chickpea flour: I know it’s a weird thing but it acts like a natural everyday exfoliant), spot treatment with tea tree oil and then moisturizing with JoJoba oil.  All these things are very natural with no man made ingredients and the packaging is recyclable and/or biodegradable so I always considered myself covered.  However, my makeup routine consisted of MAC foundation, and a lip gloss or a lip stick. Not really the most natural of products and the packaging is not that eco friendly either but I never took the time to find an alternative.

So the other night my SIL’s were visiting and we all happened to be in one room together without any men around (which is rare) and the conversation took a turn towards makeup and my blog.  And that’s when they told me about all these makeup companies that specifically cater towards the earth friendly green trend that is so important to me.  To be honest I had known about these companies before but I always thought that to cater to a trend sometimes companies just release a green line or so but, to find out that these companies participate in environmentally conscious behaviour on a corporate level for all products made me feel all warm inside and made me actually want to check them out.

So here are the companies that I am most impressed by based on my conversations and my own online searching.

 

Aveda	www.aveda.com	They care about what goes in the product, how much energy is used in making the product, the sustainability of the ingredients they are using, the packaging of the product.  This company is an environmentalists dream based on what I’ve read and heard about it.
Burts Bees	www.burtsbees.com	Another company that cares about the ingredients and the packaging and by 2020 they plan on becoming the "greenest personal care company on earth."   By then, they plan on being carbon free, operating on 100 percent renewable energy, none of their waste being deposited in landfills and much more.

An honorable mention goes to Bare Essentials because their Bare Minerals line is makeup with good natural ingredients.  They even have a video on their website comparing the effect of their makeup on a flower compared to other brands.  But they don’t go on the wall of fame because based on my conversation with the customer service rep their jars are not recyclable.  Which is a bummer because I really wanted to try out their foundations.  I guess this means that I will have to email the owner of the company and demand eco-friendly packaging.  Oh well, the fight continues.

But before I sign off I want to make it clear that just because these companies use natural and/or organic ingredients doesn’t mean that these products will work for everyone so keep an open mind but always question. 

Until next time.  Take care people.

To A/C or not to A/C

Hello, EcoDesi here.

As I write this I’m outside enjoying the warm summer that we’re having which is a nice change from the chilly summer we had last year.   I suspect the warm temperatures might have something to do with global warming (note to self: read up on this) but I have to admit I’m enjoying and loving every minute of it. 

I’ve encountered a few people who like the cold months more than the warm ones, but they were few and far between and none of them were South Asians.  We, South Asians, don’t usually go out and sun bathe (we obviously don’t need to get any more chocolatier) but we still get out and enjoy the balmy temperatures.  Just take a stroll down Gerard street on a warm summer night and you’ll see the bhutas being grilled on the sidewalk, you’ll smell the charcoal and tandoori chicken in the air, you’ll hear the chatter of people strolling down the street with all their kids in tow and the music from the latest  Bollywood hit blasting from the shops.  Everywhere you look the patios will be full of people eating and talking and soaking in the warmth. 

Which brings me to my topic of the day.  Air Conditioner usage.  Why is it that as soon as summer  comes people, on the one hand, try to get out every chance they get, and on the other hand crank up their air conditioners when they are at home or in the office?  Whenever I wear my capris and short-sleeve tops, I have to put on a cardigan as soon as I step into the office so that I don’t catch a cold.  It’s ridiculous.  What’s wrong with feeling a little warm people?

I personally prefer to be warm then cold so we only turned on our AC a handful of times this summer, most of the time we used pedestal fans.  And when we did turn on the AC I kept the temperature mostly at 25-27 degrees Celsius (based on www.GreenYour.com the ideal temperature at which most of us feel comfortable is 25.5 degrees Celsius) and we turned it off whenever there was no one in the home. 

To be honest I’m double minded about AC’s.  I personally feel claustrophobic when the house is all sealed up and the AC is running.  But I would not get rid of it completely because even though I love warm temperatures I can’t sleep when I’m hot and though pedestal fans work great, AC’s are better at combating the humidity factor when the day or night is hot and muggy.   You know it would be great if AC’s worked on solar power.  That way if it was hot outside we could cool our houses/offices down and not have to feel guilty about it (note to self: look into this as well.).

So what is the official word on Air Conditioners by the Environmental experts?  Well, other than the obvious energy consumption issue, the refrigerant used in the coils of the air conditioners that transfer heat from the house is also a primary concern.  According to Toolbase.org the gas used as a refrigerant can escape into the atmosphere through a leak or during service and since these gases can have negative environmental results ranging from ozone depletion and green house gas affect the earth loses yet again.  So how do we prevent this from happening?  Well get the air conditioner checked regularly to make sure it’s not leaking and if you are looking to replace your unit get one that uses less energy (use the number on the EnerGuide label to guide you) and that does not use CFC or HCFC refrigerants.

Anyway until next time.  Take care people.