A Jillion Uses for Honey

Aww, honey, honey… doo do do do do dooo!

Honey has an incredible number of uses and properties; it’s an antimicrobial, a mild laxative, helps the body retain calcium, a moisturizer, aids weight loss, and never ever goes bad. Woo, and that list isn’t even close to comprehensive. Best of all, though, honey has been a beauty secret to famous women throughout history.

Here are some uses I’ve gathered from my own experience and the experiences of friends and acquaintances that were generous to share them with me. They don’t quite add up to a jillion, but if enough be people share their own secret uses for honey, we could get close! Well, kind of close.

Sustainable Product Roundup!

Time for your weekly Sustainable Product Roundup! I see tons of new eco-friendly goodies that we’re getting in stock at the store for the holidays (it’s almost 2009… this year has absolutely flown by!) and I’m so excited to give ‘em a try.

Sexy Hair Organics
I’m a big fan of Sexy Hair products; their root lifter allows for the most outrageous, Amy Winehouse-esque volume that haunts your dreams (I know all about it!). Their Chocolate Soy Milk shampoo isn’t safe around me though, just because it smells exactly like hot cocoa! Despite my knowing that it’s a cleansing product, I would probably try to drink it anyway. Their

Back to Basics: A Lesson in Vocabulary

Photo by cdw9

I work in the cosmetics industry, and at least once a day, someone will come into the store asking for “organic makeup.” But here’s the thing: there are very few brands that are 100% organic, and there’s a reason: binders, pigments, preservatives are not all necessarily naturally-occurring and that’s OK; these additives keep our cosmetics fresh, microbe-less and vibrantly colored. One unfortunate side effect of eco-awareness is chemphobia—everyone seems to be afraid of chemicals! But there’s nothing to be afraid of; the FDA heavily monitors what can go into cosmetics. So when someone asks me to show them the organic stuff, I point them in the direction of products that have naturally-derived ingredients, are specially formulated for sensitive skin, or have a high mineral content.

Sustainable Shoes Can Be 'Simple'

Two Girls, One Garden

I know it’s really late in the season to be planting a garden; it’s the middle of fall and winter is nearly upon us. After discussing the bee crisis thing with a friend, however, we thought it would be a great idea to a) take advantage of the rest of the snow-less weather for a bee-friendly garden and b) to start planning for spring. So I’m writing this chronicling the beginning of our venture, with much more to come. 

My friend and I aren’t the gardening type, really. I’ve planted a few geraniums along my parents’ walkway in my day, but that’s the extent of it. Still, we love the idea of tilling the soil, working the land, and being as outdoorsy as two city girls can manage.

 So far, we have access to the backyard behind my apartment building and, more fitting as the weather grows colder, a little plot of land in a greenhouse through Chicago’s city garden effort. I borrowed a trowel and the bitty rake thing from my mom, and we’re going to get some soil from Home Depot tomorrow, as well as some plants.

Recycling Re-useables

• Ziploc: Because Ziploc bags are in fact plastic bags, many recycling operations will not accept them at the curb, even if it is marked with a recycle code. The best way to get the most out of your Ziploc is to rinse and re-use it.

Sustainable Product Roundup at the GS Corral!

It’s so exciting when mainstream makeup brands come out with new product that is eco-friendly, made from sustainable materials, or use fair trade ingredients. It gives us the opportunity to try, love and popularize these products and incite them to take further steps toward environmentally and socially responsible products. Here are a few of my favorites this week:

Physicians Formula has had their OrganicWear line out for a while, and to be honest, I’m really not a big fan (you really get what you pay for with this stuff… but I digress). One of the products I do like, however, are their Lip Veils. Granted, it’s pretty hard for any brand to screw up lip gunk, but this has nice, sheer pigmentation in pretty colors, a non-sticky consistency and is super moisturizing. And it has USDA Certified organic ingredients. $7.95 at drugstores.

Diamonds: Not All Are Your Friends

I admit it: I watch those terrible shows on VH1 about exactly how much money celebrities spend on their clothing, houses and jewelry. They showed Beyonce strutting around with the giant yellow diamond ring she bought herself, Puff Daddy (P-Diddy? Sean Combs?) with a white, kajillion-carat behemoth at his pinkie, and who can really keep track of the monster stones Jennifer Lopez has been proposed to with?

 Shameless celebrities of the world, how do you sleep at night? Haven’t you seen Blood Diamond? Guess not, but someone should let these guys in on conflict-free jewelry.

The Plight of the Honey Bees

Photo by Jenske

We’ve all heard about the honey bee crisis: since 2006, millions of colonies have died out due to the mysterious colony collapse disorder (CCD), a condition where worker bees suddenly abandon their hives. While there are many possible causes for the incredible decline in the population, no one has quite nailed down why these bees are disappearing in extraordinary numbers.

So who cares, right? You can’t pet a bee, or put it in a sweater, and if you try to cuddle with one you’ll probably get stung. But it is a big deal! Bees are an integral part of our agricultural system; they pollinate about a third of crops grown in the United States, including strawberries, almonds, peaches, watermelons, oranges, and tomatoes. Not to mention the countless uses greenies have for honey and beeswax. No bees equals no deliciousness.

October Feasting