Green Daily

(Photo by Beautorium.com)

Reader Mary G. commented on last week's All Natural Beauty Round-up post, asking how to tell when a "natural" product was really natural, especially since so many of them have some skeevy sounding ingredients.

Good question, Mary! Interestingly enough, last week's Smart 2 Be Green newsletter addressed the same question, and guess what? Your husband is right, natural doesn't always mean what you hope it means. Unless it says 100% certified USDA organic, there's no certainty that all of the ingredients are organic. And natural can mean almost anything!

It takes a little work, but there are some great sites out there to help you sort through it all. For starters, there is the Consumer Reports Greener Choices eco-labels center that Smart 2 Be Green recommends. It's old school Consumer Reports meets the new eco-millenium.

Should all public fireworks displays be banned? Have you prepped the grill for a green bbq session? What organic ice creams will satisfy an Independence Day craving? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Stephen Colbert: Fourth of July Under Attack! Eco-activist Benjamin Schroeter is suing Seattle to block its 4th of July fireworks display -- set to be held at a defunct coal to gas plant -- because it may release all sorts of nasty toxic stuff, harm wildlife, etc. Is this dude talking sense, or taking his quest a bit too far?

Lowering Your 4th of July's BBQ Emissions Burgers and hot dogs are one of the most fundamental elements of a proper 4th of July par-tay, but when it comes to emissions, not all methods are created equal. Simple tricks like using lump charcoal and flipping your meats frequently can help you avoid extra carcinogens.

The Tastiest Organic Ice Creams Don't get caught with a tasteless, fake tasting ice cream this Fourth. The tasters at Grist have put together reviews of both the top organic and the top non-dairy ice cream options. The importance of flavorful, satisfying, ice cream can't be overstated, don't mess this up.

Eco Fireworks Aren't Necessarily Green The greenish color in fireworks is created using Barium, a particularly nasty chemical to breathe or find in you public water supply. There are eco-friendly fireworks available ... and they are considerably more expensive, but they won't blow up your local ecosystem.

Better Know Your SPF While soaking up rays at whatever body of water you choose to crowd around this weekend, it would behoove you to know what SPF (solar protection factor) is right for your epidermis. Hint: the SPF number has nothing to do with how long the sunscreen lasts.

Green in a Flash:

• Check out some eco-tips on proper flag flying.
• UK and US leaders call a swine flu crisis meeting.
• Bull sharks are swimming deeper into Louisiana swamps.

My favorite traditions for the 4th of July involve eating outdoors. Picnics, BBQs, coolers at the beach, nothing says summer holiday like the smell of sunscreen mixed with the salty goodness of a crispy hot dog.

And while I must admit a weakness for Cool Ranch Doritos, as a rule I like to keep my al fresco dining practices in line with my "regular" organic, sustainable and local habits.

One place where that's most important -- and easy -- is in the "meat/not-meat" main dish department:

(Photo by Getty Images)

One of the biggest discussions in the eco-community is about food. Choosing organic, eating vegetarian one a day week or growing vegetables on your back patio are all common changes people are making to reduce their impact and improve their health.

Just like businesses are discovering that green practices are good for the bottom line, a lot of us are learning that eating healthier is connected to making environmentally-friendly choices. A few weeks ago I wrote about Good Guide, a site that helps you figure out ingredients, environmental practices and how a product compares to similar brands. They just came out with a helpful list of 10 tips for Eating Healthier. Some of the ideas are common sense like avoiding processed foods and checking the sodium levels -- hint, lower sodium is better, even if salty = tasty!

Some of the other ideas include eating low on the food chain, which is another reminder that red meat is probably best limited to an occasional snack, and watching out for bright, artificial colors. Sure, hot pink M&Ms might be festive, but the dye that makes them so vivid might also contain some nasty compounds. In fact, Europe is considering eliminating some colors from use in foods!

(Photo by Priti NYC)

We can't all have a green thumb, but these days there are ways to make our fingers greener -- and if you're really fashion forward you can even make your nails literally and figuratively green!

Surprised? Of all the beauty treatments and rituals, nail polish has historically been the most toxic. That's finally changing, with most brands eliminating the three worst chemicals, toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate. Known as the "toxic trio," these three ingredients have been linked to cancer, asthma and reproductive disruption. Pretty scary for a vanity habit!

A new survey from the National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance and Women's Voices for the Environment found that 74% of major nail polish brands are now "Three Free." Many of them also tout their organic ingredients, which is sort of a brain twister -- I mean, it still smells like glue, so it's not like you can eat the stuff -- but also good news for those of us who want to use the least harmful products on our bodies.

Parents can get pretty intense when it comes to picking the most natural, safe, and beneficial products to use on or have around their newborns. And rightly so, although this puts a lot of pressure on people picking baby gifts -- you don't want to be the bad friend who put the vulnerable little angle in any danger!

Just like with products for adults, in the past five years it's gotten easier to find high quality organic baby products that are also stylish.

One great source for organic, all natural baby gifts is peek a green. This site was started by a mom who was hunting for safe and eco-friendly baby gifts. She packaged her finds into collections, like bamboo, newborn essentials and safe $10 gifts. She also has them categorized by activity, price, and age.

(Photo by Sephora)

I'm so excited to see so many cosmetics companies have embraced earth-friendly and sustainable practices. Clearly they finally figured out that it's a money maker -- I know I'm twice as tempted by organic eyeshadow when it's in a bamboo package!

Physicians Formula's OrganicWear line is sold in completely recyclable packaging, from the paper compact holders to the corn-based brush handles. Sephora is offering a "Pure Palette" of 95% natural ingredients, and at least 10% organic ingredients. It comes in a compact made of sustainable bamboo and recycleable metal.

The latest cosmetic temptation to catch my eye is the Mother Earth Palette from Smashbox. It's has four subtle and versatile eyeshadows that are certified-organic, as well as a peachy blush that will compliment most skin shades.

The compact is made from sustainable materials, and for each purchase Smashbox will plant a tree through Trees for the Future, a global non-profit that dedicated to sustainable agroforestry. You can take home this sweet, limited edition palette at Sephora for $45.

While you're shopping for "green" makeup, check out some other Smashbox products that have earned the Sephora natural seal, like:

• O-GLOW -- a cheek color with Goji Berry-C complex and pomegranate seed
• Bionic Mascara -- ionic mascara that contains aloe, silk and wheat proteins to make your lashes long and healthy
• Photo Finish Lipstick with Sila-Silk Technology -- super smooth, silky, long wearing and organic

(Photo by Getty Images)

For most of us, the day doesn't start until we have a cup -- or two or three! -- of rich, aromatic, eye-opening coffee.

Even if you're the kind of person who wouldn't dream of buying anything that contains high-fructose corn syrup, or your vegetables anywhere but at the farmer's market, there's a chance you're less discerning about your coffee's eco-pedigree. I know there are mornings when I'll drink anything in a mug, as long as it has caffeine!

There are a few important things for to consider when selecting our morning mocha or cappuccino. Remember to ensure that your coffee is:

• Sustainable - Coffee & Conservation offers 5 tips for identifying sustainable coffee, including making sure it has one of many certification seals, and checking to see where it's grown. Mexico and El Salvador are top shade growing coffee countries.
• Free-trade -- making sure that the people who grow the coffee are fairly compensated for their crop
• Organic -- pesticides do nothing for flavor!

And remember the cup! As I've said one million times, Starbucks hot cups are not recycleable! Find a local coffee house that serves your espresso in a demi-tasse, or a chain that has compostable cups, like Tully's. Or even better, bring your own reusable mug!

In honor of Earth Day, we have a truly eco-fantastic giveaway this week. It's an amazing eco-friendly bag from the Sak, filled with amazing natural treats for your home from Altru, and gorgeous organic goodies for you from Physicians Formula. Everything in the prize is earth-friendly!

(Photo by The Sak)

The Sak Eco Harmony Dip Drawstring Bag -- You'll love the look of this fabulous and fashionable bag, which is made of 100% Bamboo and Recycled Cotton. As always, you can count on the functional SAK interior, with two pockets and a zippered pocket. It also has some eco-cool bling: a hand carved and painted mandala made of sono-wood, a sustainable wood from Indonesia, attached with traditional Indonesian prayer beads.

The Unity Collection from Altru -- Make your home an oasis with this collection of Altru home frangrance items, in the sensual Unity flavor, a combination of burmese woods and honey. The collection includes a soy blend wax candle in hammered copper, interior fragrance oil with diffusing reeds, and rich exotic incense sticks.

Altru, which was created by Manuela Testolini, is commited to social responsibility through it's support of Perfect World, a non-profit organization that she also created, to help children become "compassionate, socially conscious and responsible leaders."

(Photo by Altru)

Physicians Formula Organic wear® 100% Natural Origin Makeup -- this is an incredible line of natural makeup available at drugstore prices. It's 100% free of harsh chemicals, synthetic preservatives or parabens, comes in eco-conscious packaging, and contains 100% certified organic ingredients. The prize includes a huge set of Organic wear® products, including the yummy Superfruit lipgloss and the mascara with the green leaf applicactor that everyone is talking about!

And even better? We're giving away another whole set of these prizes at sister site, StyleList! So when you're done entering here, you can go and enter there, too, for a second chance to win.

Are you ready to celebrate Earth Day with all of this schwag? Then let's get this giveaway rolling!

Pomme bébé is a line of organic baby food that is so swank and groovy, I almost want to call it organique baby food.

The dishes are made fresh by a team of chefs, supervised by Executive Chef Laurent Brazier, in a kitchen in Newport Beach, CA. If you are local, you can place your order online and swing by to pick it up. They also offer mail orders, which are packed in ice and shipped out overnight. You keep them in your freezer until you're ready to heat and serve!

The menu includes choices for babies 6 - 12 months. It would be nice to have more finger food for toddlers, but with fresh, seasonal choices (the menu change every week) like chicken provencal, gluten-free brown rice mac and cheese, and veggie korma, you'll be tempted to snack on them yourself!

Each serving comes in a perfect portion size, in a BPA-free, microwave safe plastic container. Also, it's easy to pop the serving out if you're a mom who prefers to heat up baby food in a glass or ceramic container.

Most importantly, babies love the flavors. It just goes to show, baby food can be tasty, creative and convenient!

When it comes to our sense of taste and smell, lets face it, human beings aren't exactly leading the animal kingdom. We may think our tastebuds are advanced, but consider for a second phenomenons like cheeze wiz, Gogurt, and the Pepsi Challenge (anybody can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi right?). When it comes to blind taste tests, sometimes it's better to defer to someone with superior skills. Like a hamster named Hammy.

Does it strike you as a little disingenuous that meat advertised as "naturally raised" at the supermarket could come from animals raised in a cage, never exercised, and that have possibly never seen the light of day? It does to Steve Ells, CEO of Chipotle -- purveyor of the delicious gut-busting burrito bombs and apparent natural meat crusader. In an op-ed in the Denver Post, Ells says that under the latest standards, factory farms are getting the benefit of calling their meat "naturally raised." Even when it's raised in obviously supernatural unnatural conditions.

I'm a big fan of the all natural and organic von Natur skin and bodycare line. I always have one of the lip stains in my bag and I'm growing to love the mineral eyeshadows and cheek colors.

Now my friend Kristen over at StyleList has turned me on to the Von Natur Absolute Facial Line, which, as Kristen points out, smell great.

Even better, they claim to leave your skin clean, refreshed and rejuvenated. On Kristen's recommendation I tried out the Absolute Facial Crème Cleanser.

I have very sensitive skin, so I'm always a little nervous to try products that smell this good. But so far so good -- after a couple of weeks my skin is soft and gently glowing in a way that Cetaphil never quite achieves.

At $37.50 it's also a little more of an investment than most drugstore cleansers. Still that's the same neighborhood as a lot of the stuff you can get at Macy's, minus the creepy chemicals. I think your face is worth it!

I try to buy organic whenever I can - when it is a food that would easily absorb pesticides, and when my wallet can afford it and I'm guessing you probably do the same thing. There are other places besides the produce department to look out for pesticides though, some of which might surprise you.

• Coffee - go for organic. Coffee comes from tropical places with lots of bugs, which could mean lots of pesticides if it's not organic.
  
• Milk - organic milk comes from cows that are fed pesticide-free food, and that's a good thing.
  
• Toothpaste - look for brands without triclosan, especially if you are currently (or considering) breastfeeding since it leeches into breastmilk. It's not good for guys to brush with pesticides either though!
• Make your food at home - that way you have control over the ingredients, can include organics and know what your family is eating.
  
• Skip fruit-based soft drinks - the fruit used is probably treated with pesticides, which are then in the drink. Go for water or organic juice if you need some liquid fruitiness.
  
• Chocolate - cheap chocolate uses cheap ingredients, which are likely to include some pesticide residues. So, go for organic on this one. Quality over quantity wins in this area.
  

Also consider what you are using for bug spray, lawn and garden care and weed killers and such in your own yard. You're much more directly exposed to those types of chemicals than any you are getting through food.

Celebrity style setters like birthday girl Jennifer Aniston and Kate Beckinsale are fans of the casual chic of Sanctuary Clothing PEACE pants.

The pants, which come in cropped, full length and stretch styles, are now available in 100% organic cotton. Now they're the an eco-friendly choice for a casual night out or a cook out in the backyard.

Going organic is the new direction for Sanctuary, which has all kinds of fun cotton styles -- flirty tops, kicky shorts and sweet dresses. I can't wait to see what's next on their list to convert to organic. My vote is for the Lace Shore Tee, please!