DIY Sunscreen in a Pump: Safe & Cost-Effective
Sunscreen is expensive, especially if you’re purchasing a brand that is natural and safe (see my picks for safe sunscreens that work). There’s no way around it: ounce-for-ounce, safer ingredients are priced higher. If you wear sunscreen on a daily basis, if you have active kids, or if you just like to save a buck, making your own sunscreen might be the cheapest, the safest, and the most effective method of blocking UV rays. I had no idea that making sunscreen is so simple. Four ingredients are all it takes, and you can get them all on Amazon (if you can’t find them...
Read MoreWhere Should You Buy a Bouquet? Truths About the US Floral Industry
It is no secret that the floral bouquets reign queen as a top gift for women in the United States. According to AboutFlowers.com, the floral industry generated 34.5 billion in sales in 2012. Seventy-one percent of blooms are imported. Before sending a bouquet to someone in your life, it’s important to take a closer look at where flowers originate, how they are processed and shipped, and what is done to these glorious buds before becoming the coveted arrangements meant to bedeck a loved one’s abode. As with many U.S. industries, the floral industry has moved outside of American...
Read MoreTop Picks for Natural, Safe Sunscreens
Why use a natural sunscreen? Most natural sunscreens use UV blockers/reflectors, meaning that the product sits ON TOP of your skin, versus needing to soak into it. Think of the white-nosed lifeguards at the beach. They’re using zinc oxide—a physical barrier against long-term sun exposure. Natural sunscreens work the same way, but have been formulated to avoid coating you in white paste. In contrast, most traditional sunscreens use chemical agents to absorb UV rays (usually ingredients ending in “-one,” like avobenzone), but these ingredients can act as hormone...
Read MoreStop the Spray! Spray sunscreens are awful for your health.
Crashing waves. Sand warming your toes. Bright rays of the joyful sun. Vibrant laughter floating on the seabreeze, as well as….PSHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsssssssssssssssst! Oxybenzone entering your lungs… Without fail, each summer, beaches up and down the coasts (and playgrounds, sporting events, picnic areas, and campsites across the country) are infiltrated with families who insist upon using spray sunscreen. The invention of sunscreen in a can revolutionized the sunscreen application process. Parents of wriggly, excited children everywhere found a quick, simple way to protect their...
Read MoreLet’s Lighten It Up: It’s Spring!
Spring has arrived! It’s time to lighten things up a bit on Healthful Mama! Bring on the sun and welcome, spring! I’ll admit, spring has been, generally, my least favorite season. When I lived on the East Coast, I hated the usual springtime indecisive bounce from cold to warm to chilly to hot, with large doses of dampness. I’m not a gardener by nature (thank goodness for a husband with a green thumb!), and, as strange as this may sound, I’m not a huge fan of grass. Where I am now, in New Mexico, sunny days aren’t hard to find. Spring brings a lot of windy weather, but it’s...
Read MoreI’m Part of the Green Sisterhood! Three Reasons Why *YOU* Should Care
So, Healthful Mama (and me, Gretchen) is now a part of the Green Sisterhood Network. What does this mean? Why should YOU care? Lemme break it down for ya: 1. Green Sisterhood is about Being Green which means that this site is now joined with others which have the same mission: to improve our earth, to improve our health, and to make some CHANGE. The mission of Green Sisterhood is “to make safe, healthy and sustainable living easier, to help you be selective in choosing products that will keep your family healthy, and to work together to be positive and support each other to make...
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Brands I Love
The Book That Changed My Life and Influenced My Health Philosophy
