1. Jeans are made of cotton.. while cotton in many ways is superior to synthetic textiles, 25% of the worlds pesticides go into cotton crops. While there are volumes of literature about the hazards of pesticides, I’ll just fill you in a few key points a. pesticides are one of the key contributors to water pollution, and b. according to the World Heath Organization  ‘3 million workers in agriculture in the developing world experience severe poisoning from pesticides, about 18,000 of whom die’ via Wikipedia.
2. Jeans use a lot of water. I’ve read some places saying 200 and some places 7000 litres of water (an average shower takes 160 litres…) and if your jeans are stone washes, you can tack on and extra 50 to 750 litres. Depending on where your jeans are produced and by whom, all that water may not be properly disposed, leaving water sources contaminated and sterilsed earth ruining crops.

Well, don’t get down just yet… there’s a lot of options you out there. And we’re going to take about a few here in this post.

Keep your Jeans

Back in the old days, if you clothes got torn or had holes, you wouldn’t just throw them out, you’d repair them. I know I’ve been guilty of disposing clothes in disrepair… Say your beloved jeans have holes… while this season that might be a good thing… there are places you may not want holes, but tend to happen with your jeans. SwanDiamondRose patches up her beloved APCs. Or if you prefer to get rid of the hole, Denim Therapy will reweave the holes on your favorite jeans, so their basically good as new.

Most of the water wasted on jeans is on making them look old and worn in, so why not just skip the process and wear your old and worn in jeans anyway.

Buy Vintage/Recycled

In terms of buying clothes… buying recycled is by far more eco-friendly than even the most sustainable clothing line for two reasons… 1. because your not using new resources to produce the garment and 2. you’re saving them from the landfills, a fate met by much of our disposable clothes. And since I tend to wear recycled clothes every day… it’s probably one of my favorite solutions (yeah, I’m saving these clothes from the landfill… hehe)

Here are a few jeans I found on eBay.com when I searched for vintage jeans. From the left, the 80’s fold over jeans I’m pretty sure I used to own these. You can also find high waisted acid wash skinny jeans more so than a year ago, so that’s a good thing. And finally, the last pair, I picked because everyone seems to be slashing stuff all over the place, and you might as well check into a pair that’s already been done up. I know in my experience, slashing isn’t easy…

Sustainable Jeans…

If you really must have a new pair of jeans, and there are reasons for this, like finding the right fit, and cut… etc. There is a growing selection of organic and environmentally friendly jeans out there. You can check out with each company to find out what exactly that means.

I actually had a hard time finding eco-jeans I really liked. As with anything else, the styles of jeans tend to change faster than anything. Like when I first started blogging in 2007, we’ve gone from boot cut, to skinny lo-rise, skinny high-rise, wide-leg, acid wash, peg leg, and now the ‘boyfriend jean’, holes, no holes and on and on… Many eco compaines tend to be more conservative with thier jeans, save Kuyichi, who had lots of styles to choose from, including the ‘carrot’ jeans, which if I was looking for new jeans, I’d totally get. Next Spring, they’ll be selling these lovely denim overalls, which I think are really fun… Kuyichi’s denim is all organic, some of which are mixed with hemp (stronger fibers) they use vegetable dyes, and in some cases, they re use denim left over from previous seasons. You can buy Kuyichi on Asos (boyfriend jeans are now £35) and ilovejeans.com.

I’m back from Kauai. OK, I actually returned a few weeks ago. I’ve neglected my Beautiful Tuesdays posts, and I apologize. Here’s what happened. After a fabulously relaxing, idyllic tropical holiday, my relationship ended — and it wasn’t my choice. Anyway, the last few weeks have been rough. For my own mental health, I needed to keep a healthy distance from Internet.

But all is not lost. I’ve made being good to myself my number one priority. Of course for me that includes (sorta budget-friendly) beauty indulgences. I paint my toenails while watching Sex and the City reruns and let my Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea mask work it’s magic during Season 5 of The Wire (thank God for Netflix). I also have fabulous, loving, kind-hearted girlfriends who have had my back.

Hawaiian Beauty Secret
And since I can finally talk/write about Kauai without crying, I want to share a skincare discovery. Despite my best efforts, I burned my back and shoulders (but not my face!). On a whim I bought a bottle of kukui nut oil from Oils of Aloha in Princeville. I slathered it on my burnt parts and I didn’t peel and the redness subsided quickly. Since then I’ve used it as a nighttime face and body moisturizer. It absorbs quickly, doesn’t cause breakouts and makes my skin look glowy. I seriously love this stuff.

What Makes it So Great?
Kukui nut oil is loaded with essential fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory, healing and hydrating. It contains 78% oleic acid, 19% linoleic acid and 6% palmitc acid.

Kukui oil has been used in Hawaii for centuries to protect, heal and nourish skin that has been exposed to the elements–harsh sun, drying winds and salt water. It’s also beneficial for these conditions:

• Burns – including: sunburn, windburn, radiation burns, and heat induced burns.
• Eczema
• Chapped skin
• Psoriasis
• Mature and prematurely aged skin
• Dry skin conditions
• Acne
• Scars
• Lesions
• Dry hair and scalp

xxKezia

After cutting my hair back in March, I’ve decided to grow my hair long again, but the problems always arise with the question of how often I should wash my hair. I have friends that could go a week with one or two washes, but my hair is so fine, that it’s difficult stretch the time between washes, leaving the problems of dry hair, the battle of the frizz, brittle hair, etc. Long hair is a lot of work. The real reason I look to alternatives, mostly is because I want healthier hair.

Cuts Thru Grease

Shampoos are detergents for hair. Just like dish washing detergent, laundry detergent, they strip the hair of it’s natural moisturizers by cutting through the grease, that’s why we need conditioner to replace the oils. Then the glands go into overdrive to replace the stripped oil, producing greasy hair, which then needs more shampoo, conditioner, etc.

It’s a vicious cycle.

I’m saying this from personal experience. When I wash my hair with shampoo, it looks good the day it’s washed, and if I go one day without washing, it’s greasy. Since I’ve started using baking soda/apple cider vinegar/honey in my hair I’ve been able to stretch washes two to four days without getting ‘greasy hair’.

How to go shampoo free:

People have been using sodium bicarbonate(baking soda) like soap since ancient Egyptian times. Baking soda has tons of uses, it’s essential in cupcakes, it’s a deodorizer, you can brush your teeth with it, add in your bath to soften skin, helps relieve rashes, burns, insect bites… and you can wash your hair with it. In the States, you can buy a 4lb box of baking soda for about $4. Here, in Germany, I’ve only managed to find small packets… I’ve heard they sell it in larger quantities, but not at the average supermarket.

Baking soda will remove the grime without stripping your hair of it’s natural oils. Use one tablespoon per wash. You can dissolve the baking soda in half a cup of water or add a small amount of water to make a paste. I generally use the watery kind because it goes through my hair easier. Massage the solution in your scalp and leave for a minute.

The second part is using Apple Cider Vinegar to soften the hair… after rinsing out the baking soda use a solution of two tablespoons of ACV to half a cup of water. Don’t worry about the smell, it goes away in a few moments. It makes your hair soft, but if used too often, you may experience greasiness.

Mostly I hear to experiment with different solutions until you get what works best. So far I haven’t had any disasters, but I’m still trying to figure out the perfect mix. Since I’ve been using baking soda, I haven’t had itchy scalp, my hair is more manageable, and I don’t think shampoo does a particularly better job.

I would not recommend you try this if you have colored hair. I have not found any information to confirm the baking soda is color-safe, and if this seems too ‘hippy’ of a solution for you there are several dry shampoos or ‘no poo’s out in the market.

Dry Shampoo:

Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo: $19 Got great reviews on Makeup Alley and Amazon, particularly popular amongst blondes who have issues with dry hair, and color protection.

No Poo:

Deva Curl No Poo : $17 This keeps getting mentioned in the New York Times, made from the hip salon for curly hair Devachan, it’s special for curly hair, but they also have specific nopoo’s for color treated hair.

Resources:

There’s a lot of information out there, but here are some favorites:

Info: Shampoo Free

Of course I washed my hair…

Life Less Plastic

The No Poo Method (video)

I stopped by the SF Library on Saturday to attend an event sponsored by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. And I’m so glad I did. It was energizing and gratifying to see women (and men) of all ages come together for such an important issue. And while the subject of toxic beauty products is undeniably heavy, the complimentary samples and demos from the event sponsors (all signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics) made for an uplifting afternoon.

Safe, Pretty Manis (plus Savings)
Manicurists from Acquarella gave non-toxic manicures with pretty, water-based polishes free of phthalates, methyl acetate and other petrochemical solvents.

This promo code SFEV7198 gets you a free polish with purchase of $20 on http://store.acquarellapolish.com/. I’m getting the clean, classic “Bikini.”

Uplifting Scents
I couldn’t resist helping myself to the basket of samples from Pharmacopia Natural and Organic Bodycare. Who needs coffee when you have the invigorating and energizing Citrus Organic Body Lotion.
Save 20% with this code: PHRIEND20.

All promo codes expire 7/31/2008.

Did you know: Popular brands of shampoo, lotion and make-up contain chemicals linked to cancer, infertility and skin damage. Find out what’s in your favorite products and discover the secret to safer alternatives at a free event Saturday, July 19, 12-2 at the San Francisco Library. Arrive early for a chance to win free non-toxic manicures and green makeovers!

WHO: MC’d by Alexa from Movin’ 99.7, featuring Stacy Malkan, author of “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry,” Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, MPH, science fellow, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); and Jessica Assaf, Teens for Safe Cosmetics. Sponsored by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and MOMS (Making Our Milk Safe). Makeovers by celeb make-up artist Yvette Beebe and non-toxic manicures by Acquarella.

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday July 19, 12-2; San Francisco Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street, conveniently located right across from Civic Center BART

Learn more about the beauty industry’s toxic secrets: www.NotJustaPrettyFace.org

Image by chaps1

Phthalates scare me. They’re linked to infertility and genital abnormalities in baby boys. Phthalates (a slippery hiss of a word) are many products we use every day, including baby powders, shampoos, lotions, some cosmetics and vinyl shower curtains and more. I learned this and much more in “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry,” Stacy Malkan’s expose about toxic chemicals in beauty products.

I saw Malkan read a few weeks ago at Red Hill Books and was moved by her stories about her work with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. I’m thrilled that she agreed to an email interview.

Stacy Malkan is the Communications Director of Health Care Without Harm and co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

The Coveted: What inspired you to write this book?

Stacy Malkan: For years, I had been working with some of the top researchers and activists in the field of environmental health. Their stories were so amazing and inspiring. Then we started interacting with the world’s largest beauty companies, and asking them to stop using chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. It all made for a very intriguing narrative!

TC: Cosmetics are virtually unregulated in the United States. Meanwhile, in 2003 the European Union banned chemicals strongly linked to cancer, mutation, or birth defects from personal care products. Why are we so far behind?

SM: The corporate lobby is very strong in the United States, and the regulatory system for chemical safety is completely broken. For decades, companies have been allowed to make any kind of chemical and put it into products with almost no required safety testing. Then it’s up to consumers to prove a chemical or product is causing harm before it can be regulated. It’s ludicrous. Europe is shifting to a more precautionary approach – requiring companies to safety test chemicals and eliminate known toxins. The result is that European industries are innovating safer, less-toxic products – while the US businesses fall behind.

There is a belief in the United States that regulation holds back innovation, but exactly the opposite is true. Cosmetics is a perfect example: companies have continued to use the same old toxic chemicals for decades, even though safer alternatives are available. It’s just easier for companies to keep doing what they already know how to do.

TC: Do you think there’s hope for change with a new administration?

SM: Yes absolutely. There is a huge increase in public awareness about these issues; people care about toxins in our environment and in our own bodies – especially women. And nearly every day you read about how all the politicians are courting the women’s vote. There is a lot of work to do though. Not only do we need to reclaim the administration, but we need to reclaim the agencies that are supposed to protect the health of the American public and our environment. Over the past years these agencies have been eviscerated, underfunded, demoralized and gutted.

All the major companies lined up at the hearing to complain that it’s too hard for them to get lead out of lipstick.

TC: The California State Senate recently passed the first bill in the nation that bans lead in lipstick. Next steps?

SM: They did! But unfortunately the bill died in the California Assembly under huge lobby pressure from the cosmetics industry. All the major companies lined up at the hearing to complain that it’s too hard for them to get lead out of lipstick. The outrageous thing is that many of them are already making lipstick without lead, and some of them aren’t bothering to do so. The bill will be re-introduced next year.

TC: How can we reduce our exposure to the toxic chemicals in personal care products?

SM: Simplify simplify. Choose products with fewer chemicals, no pesticides, no synthetic fragrance, and use fewer chemical products overall. Eliminate unnecessary chemical exposures wherever you can.

TC: I remember reading “The Beauty Myth” (way back in 1991 when I was a college freshman) and how profoundly it challenged and changed my world view. Your book had a similar effect. But what about the women who don’t– for whatever reason– want to hear these messages. How do you speak to them?

SM: Thank you, good question. It’s hard to speak to them because they usually run away! There is definitely a segment of people who are not ready to hear the message. I’ve seen them literally back away from the book when they see the cover. And that’s ok, that’s where they’re at. But I’ve been totally amazed by how many people are ready to hear the message – and in a big way. I’ve heard so many stories from people who say the book and our work has changed the way they think about the world, or inspired them to change their career, their major in school, or their life path. That’s huge! It’s exciting. I am especially hopeful about the stories I hear from teenagers. These girls are going to be the ones who change the world.

TC: How can nail salons be made safer for their workers?

SM: Better ventilation. Labeling of salon products. Long term health studies of nail salon workers, and air quality studies of the salons. We need better work safety laws. But ultimately, it is going to take the beauty industry making a serious commitment to women’s health. This industry needs to eliminate all chemicals suspected of causing cancer, birth defects, infertility, learning disabilities and other health problems, and develop safer alternatives. They can do it. They just haven’t had to do it.

Simplify simplify. Choose products with fewer chemicals, no pesticides, no synthetic fragrances…

TC: Is it possible to ensure product safety without testing on animals?

SM: Yes. It is true that animal testing is currently the best method for understanding the health effects of chemicals. However, companies continue to use chemicals that are known to be toxic – and continue to test them on animals – rather than going back to the chemistry lab to figure out how to make non-toxic chemicals. The new field of green chemistry is very promising. But it needs to be funded!

TC: I have to ask, given all that you know, what’s your beauty routine like? Any favorites?

SM: Given all that I know, the first thing is, I don’t allow the products made by the largest beauty companies into my home. L’Oreal, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Avon – not allowed. It’s a challenge but I can’t support these companies because they have been so resistant to our concerns. The good news is, there are many companies making wonderful products. I can’t say which brands I use but I favor smaller companies, local companies, companies that get a good score on Skin Deep, and companies that show a commitment to taking care of the planet and the people on it. I still use lots of products as I always have, and my skin and hair is healthier than ever.

Related Posts:

Beauty Politics
Be Wary: 5 Un-pretty Ingredients
Green Wishing
M’Lady Organic
How to Buy Vintage

I was designing and making clothes for as long as I can remember. I always enjoyed this a lot, but it was a few years ago when I first started using only organic materials and opened Ekovaruhuset in Stockholm that it got really exciting.[...]

At Ekovaruhuset all the clothes you will find are made the natural way, using all organic materials. This means the fibers that the fabrics are made of have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and made into fabric, then dyed in facilities that are environmentally responsible.

~Johanna Hofring
“Self-elected godmother of the eco-nerds”

photos courtesy of Ekvaruhuset

Finding lovely bags can be difficult at best. Lately, I’ve just been using vintage bags because I really couldn’t be bothered by determining the latest ‘it’ bag… whatever that means. Sarah Donegan makes lovely bags that are both new and vintage… made out of 95% vintage textiles these bags have a distinctive modern shape, roomy for schelpping all my goods around town, they also have the boudoir-like delicate feeling much like the Hetty Rose shoes that are also made of vintage textiles….

We might as well put beautiful fabrics to good use, eh?

At least that’s how I feel when I come across designers like Becky Earley. For the past decade she has been working on various techniques of printing and producing sustainable textiles. She teaches, and she makes art. All with fashion, because she thinks out of the box when it comes to the process of developing and designing a garment.

In her Master’s studies at Central Saint Martins Earley integrated her love of photography with textile design… by developing a beautiful process of permanently printing photograms on fabric with ordinary objects, she used pins and barbed wire, found objects… feathers. The medium makes the object’s facsimile have an ethereal quality. Then she went on to develop more ec0-friendly(er) printing techniques using left-over inks from other print runs minimizing pollution. She also changes production paradigms by buying up cast-offs from large retailers like Marks & Spencer who produce thousands of garments based on a foretasted trend. She takes them and re-prints the garment and modifying the design.

“If you think about ’stamps of approval’ or the way that fridges and freezers are graded with their energy consumption, could you try to imagine some kind of grading for garments? - sounds terribly scary and a little bit boring and not what you’re looking for when you’re buying a new outfit, but I do believe that consumers want to know more about what they’re consuming.” -Becky Early

I find people like Earley to be really inspiring, because she not only makes beautiful clothing but she puts a lot of thought into the production as well as the construction, it’s effects on the planet, and she participates in the fashion community. This holistic approach to fashion is what gives our tradition of adorning ourselves in clothing a real soul.

images via The David Report