By Chloe Jo on January 26, 2012
Obviously recycling or buying vintage is the most green way to shop. But if you jones for new clothes faster than Samantha Jones goes through condoms, eco-fabrics got you covered.
Bamboo
You’ve heard us wax rhapsodic about bamboo clothes before. No, they don’t come with a cute Panda bear – but they do have antimicrobial properties. Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. It feels like silk jersey – and is comfy beyond belief. Bamboo fabric has something in it called “Bamboo Kun” which means it’s naturally an antibiotic – even after 50 washes! Believe it or not, regular cotton is treated with pesticides and they do seep into your skin. Another cool fact about bamboo is it’s got mild UV blocking protection, so you don’t have to go too nutty with the SPF when you rock the ‘boo. So, I’m kinda in love with my Panda Snack tee shirts which are comfier than my 25-year-old nightie from Disneyworld.
Seaweed
Seaweed is something I wrap my salads in everyday. I’m obsessed with hunking sheets of Nori. And any other kind of seaweed. So much so that on a recent trip to Mexico, I pulled a big hunk of floating seaweed out of the Ocean and (much to my Fiance’s chagrin) stuffed it down my throat. Needless to say, my gag reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Blech. The newest eco lovechild is a fabric called SeaCell, a mixture of seaweed and wood pulp. The word on the street is that when you wear Seacell, your hotbod actually absorbs some of the delicious goodness found in seaweed; like calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E. Don’t believe our Girlie-typin’ fingers? Check out the 101 straight from the Professors themselves: www.smartfiber.de. All I know is when I eat Seaweed, I genuinely feel amazing.
Corn
What is more yum in the tum tum as BBQ’ed corn in the summer? Nothing. How about a corn dress nosh? Corn fabric, being sold as “Sorona” is touted as the new nylon. It’s a fabric that uses much less energy to create than traditional fabrics and is a renewable resource. I haven’t been able to find much made from Sorona just yet, but I know you guys like to be the first to know — so look out for it at your favorite Eco-Boutique.
Coconut
Nothing on this earth is more delicious than a fresh coconut water. It brings up the heady childhood smell of chocolate milk for me, for some odd reason. I always get bummed out throwing away the shells, wondering what I could have made out of it or how I could have reused it. Now I know someone is doing something tremendous with coconut leftovers; making wearable (though not yet gorgeous) clothes.
Soy
You will rarely hear us at GirlieGirl Army go bananas for byproducts, but in this case we are overjoyed! Soy fabric is created from leftovers in soybean and tofu production, and has all the great benefits of moisture wicking (which means it’ll help you out with your sweaty pits).
Silver
What’s up with all these natural fabrics that make us not smell? You’d think the earth was trying to tell us something! Could be! Go simple, get benefits? Silver fabric (yep, made from real silver) helps with that not-so-fresh feeling (that post-jog, pre-dog walk aroma) cuz it’s chock full of antimicrobial properties which expels any fungus or odors that come near it.
Thanks for the tips, Chloe Jo!
GirlieGirl Army
Originally published on March 19, 2009
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By Guest Blogger on April 14, 2009
Heather O'Neill
As the editor-in-chief of Eco to the People, I am constantly thinking about ways that I can live a greener lifestyle. I had switched to clean makeup, started bringing my own bags to the grocery store and changed all of my lightbulbs to compact fluorescents but there was one, ahem, area that still needed some work.
One of the first truly staggering statistics I came across when I started researching green living concerned conventional cotton and how bad it is for the environment. According to the Organic Trade Association, traditionally grown cotton uses approximately 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants), more than any other crop.
After I read this, it dawned on me exactly how much cotton is in my home. My sheets, my clothing, hell, even my tampons are made out of cotton, all of which has been sprayed with chemicals and God-knows-what-else.
Wait a minute, I thought. My tampons have been sprayed with chemicals? And I am putting them in my hoo ha? Gross, right?
According to my research, even tampons that aren’t made of cotton (some are made of synthetics, like rayon, or blends of cotton and rayon) are chlorine-bleached. Dioxin, a toxic carcinogen, is a by-product of all chlorine bleaching methods and is also found throughout the environment in varying levels as a by-product of pesticide spraying and pollution from incinerators.
Dioxin has been found to collect in the fatty tissues of animals, including humans and should, therefore, be a real concern for women. I don’t know about you but I have plenty of fatty tissue for dioxin to camp out in and considering a woman may use as many as 11,000 tampons in her lifetime, she may be subjecting herself to additional dioxin exposure.
While everyone is walking around with some chemicals in their blood stream – known as a “body burden” – thanks to pollution and other sources, women are uniquely vulnerable. Certain substances, including environmental estrogens, can affect hormonal activity. Further, some toxic chemicals that are linked to birth defects are being found at alarming levels in women of childbearing age. I don’t know about you but if I am going to pollute my body it should be with something more fun than a tampon!
I am proud to say that my vagina is now completely eco-friendly. I switch from OB to Natracare tampons, which are made from 100 percent certified organic cotton and which claim to be the only fully certified organic cotton tampons available in the world today, though I can’t vouch for that. Seventh Generation, which may be more readily available, also makes a line of organic feminine hygiene products, as does Trader Joe’s. I picked Natracare up at my local health food store and they cost $3.39 for a box of 10, cheaper than the conventional tampons I used to buy.
Here are some other products I use on my eco-friendly lady parts. Making some or all of these changes will benefit your health. If it could talk, your vagina would thank you.
1. There’s nothing eco-friendly about most vibrators. The ideal vibrator is free of phthalates, a deadly chemical found in some plastics that can absorb into your skin upon contact. Although phthalates are banned in sex toys abroad, these play things aren’t regulated by the government here because vibrators are considered novelty items in the U.S.
Some gals with real common sense over at Good Vibrations made the decision to sell only plastic vibrators that are labeled phthalates-free and are safe for close contact with the body. Besides being harmful to the skin, these chemicals aren’t biodegradable, but then – while they may be a healthier, better buzz – neither are all the phthalates-free vibrators whose motors have conked out. Close your eyes and make a mental picture of how many vibrators are clogging up landfills right now simply because of a dead motor. The image would be funny if it weren’t so scary.
Jimmyjane solves that conundrum: its vibrators come with a replacement motor guarantee, making them one of the first eco-conscious sex toy companies. At $125, the Little Chroma is especially sweet. It is nearly silent when on but still strong, waterproof to up to five times the depth of your bathtub and – to top it all off – is dishwasher safe. A motor replacement costs about $35.
2. If part of your eco-friendly efforts include reducing the amount of trash you create, switching from tampons to the Diva Cup is a great alternative. The soft, latex-free cup is inserted into the vagina and to collect menstrual blood. The soft, latex-free cup is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood. The cup is then emptied, rinsed and reinserted. It sounds gross but the product works really well, and since it only needs to be emptied twice a day, is very convenient. I like to use mine at night to prevent leaks.
3. On the same vein, I love the washable panty liners by Lunapad. The pads are designed for light to very heavy menstrual flow, as well as light or stress incontinence. The Liner-on-top design allows you to change liners quickly and easily throughout the day without having to change your entire pad. Toss them into the wash and you have a brand new set of pads and have created no new trash.
4. Diva Wash is made specially for cleaning the Diva Cup or it can be used as a body wash. The botanically-based, all natural formula is contained the essense of sweet orange and is naturally deodorizing. The wash is free from sulfates and harmful chemicals and it 100% vegetable-based.
5. Like with tampons, it dawned on me that using lubricant made with chemicals was probably not the best idea. Collective Wellbeing and Yes both make organic personal lubricants that work just as well as the chemical brands.
6. If you have the yeasties, which can happen from taking certain medications, try Boiron Homeopathic Yeastaway Suppositories, which will relieve symptoms of vaginal yeast infection, such as minor itching, burning and discomfort using all-natural ingredients.
7. When my kitty feels like getting fancy, I use Moom Classic Organic Hair Remover. The hair remover is chemical-free, wax-free and resin-free and conditions your skin with chamomile and healing tea tree oil.
Before founding Eco to the People, a blog dedicated to green living, Heather worked as the managing editor of a beauty trade magazine; as a copy editor for an online tech magazine; as the associate editor of a city magazine and as a newspaper reporter and columnist. Most recently Heather served as the senior editor at the popular online newsletter ecofabulous.
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By Guest Blogger on March 12, 2009
Hi gang,
I’m Jenny Hwa and I’m a newbie blogger! Now that I have that confession out of the way, I can’t wait to get down to business. After following the Crazy Sexy Life blog for months and reading so many incredible tidbits about meditation, diet tweaking, affirmations and exercise, I realized something critical was missing. Something each of us deals with every day. Its something that can cause even the coolest to throw a tantrum or can transform a wallflower into a star …this sometimes controversial topic is fashion…the clothes you put on your back.
Now, one might wonder how much depth can be extracted from fashion, which can be seen as materialistic, artificial and unnatural. But I see a whole different side of fashion and I am on a mission to bring a sense of meaning to an art form we encounter everyday when faced with the question of: what to wear? My specialty is eco-fashion. And when I say eco-fashion I am not referring to itchy burlap sacks assembled into unflattering silhouettes, but gorgeous and scrumptious styles that make you happy to wake up in the morning.
How can fashion be sustainable you ask? Well, first let’s talk about the numerous toxic elements that go into creating clothes. One of our favorite fabrics, cotton (“the fabric of our lives”!) is reeking havoc on the planet, society and our health. There are many steps to creating a conventional cotton garment, including: growing, milling and dyeing.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:
Everything about this crop (that was once naturally harvested) is contaminated. Chemical companies (ahem, Dow and Monsanto?!) have genetically modified cotton seeds to purportedly reduce dependency on pesticides. However this plan has back fired and more pests are attacking the plants requiring further insecticides to keep the plants alive (notice the vicious cycle?).
Growing conventional cotton uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. It takes about 1 pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce the cotton for one pair of conventional jeans and t-shirt. That is 2 cups of synthetic chemicals for just one outfit!
Milling and dyeing cotton are also chemically intensive processes that include toxic bleach, formaldehyde and heavy metals.
Because the chemicals used to grow, mill and dye conventional cotton remain in the plant and fibers, we end up wearing fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and known carcinogenic chemicals.
Now that the atrocities of conventional cotton have been covered, let’s review the beauty of farming, milling and dyeing organic cotton.
Organic cotton farming incorporates the following principles:
-Never uses GMO seeds
-Builds strong soil through crop rotation
-Retains water more efficiently due to healthier soil + is often rain-fed + drought-resistant
-Weeds are controlled thru cultivation, hand hoeing + physical weed removal
-Pest control includes: using natural predators, beneficial insects, trap crops and organic matter such as manure, worm compost, herbal pesticides and/or cattle urine
-Harvesting relies on the seasonal freeze or water management, not defoliating with chemicals
Milling and dyeing organic cotton also follows a strict code of conduct:
-Fibers and fabrics are naturally scoured and cleaned without uses toxic chemicals
-Low-impact or natural dyes are used that have a higher absorption rate, contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances or use plant extracts and natural mineral salts
With all these points covered, you can probably see now that the lovely cotton dress you are pining to purchase at H&M for a measly $29 has many more implications than you thought. That cost is not taking into account the damage that is being done to your health and the environment (or the sweatshop worker who sewed it, but that is another blog all together!)
My vision is that all of us will celebrate nature articulated through style! It is my wish that a whole new level of consciousness can be brought to shopping and your wardrobe. Just as you shudder at the thought of buying non-organic romaine lettuce at the supermarket, I hope you will be horrified at the thought of buying and wearing clothing doused in lethal chemicals.
With this said, I am not here to take the fun out of your morning ritual of getting dressed. Understandably, there is concern over the environment and your health, but that shouldn’t impede your sense of style and fashion savvy! But you don’t have to sacrifice style to dress sustainably.
As the founder and creative director of loyale, my priority is merging style and sustainability. We exclusively use organic cotton and other sustainable materials for the collection, the clothing is produced fair trade in New York City and we donate a percentage of annual sales to the environmental non-profit, Green Corps. The edict of loyale is that you do not have to relinquish your sense of style in order to be a conscious shopper.
In addition to loyale, there are a growing number of eco-clothing companies out there designing beautiful organic cotton clothing that you would be delighted to wear: Delforte denim, John Patrick organic, Stewart+Brown and Loomstate. To get you started on your eco-fashion mission, use coupon code crazysexy09 and get 20% off loyale’s luscious Spring collection with free shipping (valid until April 15)! Loyale’s Online Store
It has been great sharing this information with you and I hope I have added a whole new element to living a healthy and happy life!
Eco-chic peace!
Xoxo, Jenny
Loyale’s Blog
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