Kelly Bonanno

Your soulful coach for wellness, clean beauty & eco lifestyle Savvy | Sexy | Beautiful | Healthy | You

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The Savvy Mom’s Top Toxins To Avoid To Welcome Baby Into A Healthy Home

✱ Babies are typically born with over 200 toxins in their system before they are even out in the world ✱

You want the very best for your baby. You’re doing all you can to ensure he is healthy, safe and happy. But you know that environmental toxins pose a serious health threat, especially to a baby’s delicate system.

You realize how important it is to reduce the toxins in your home environment for your precious baby’s health.

That is exactly when the light bulb went on for me. I was pregnant with my now 13-year-old son when I learned how toxins seriously threaten our health.

I knew I had to do something to give my kids a healthier home environment. That was long before the green movement was big. Clean products were not nearly as easy to find so I did my research and made it my mission to help moms like you go green and healthy. 

Discover The top toxins to avoid to welcome your precious baby into a healthy home.

We sadly live in a very toxic world which is why I’m passionate about helping families reduce toxic load.

While you’re caring for your baby, you need to take care of yourself too. Self care is the latest buzz word but it truly is vital. You can’t be your best for your baby and loved ones if you don’t take good care of you.

There are many ways to show yourself and your family love, eco friendly and wellness living is one of them… to me the most important one. Why? Because while you are healing yourself you are also healing the environment. You live in and among every single person living in that environment. Your desire to detox your body and your home creates a ripple effect. You are taking on a task that not many consider taking or will take in their lifetime.

This is a list of some of the most toxic ingredients that are commonly found in personal care and household products.

Eliminate these and you will have a good jumpstart on cleaning up the environment in your home.

Grab this free guide: The Savvy Mom’s Top Toxins To Avoid To Welcome Baby Into A Healthy Home & discover the top toxins to avoid to welcome your sweet baby into a healthy home so you create a safe environment for your little one and your whole family.

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The Story Of Cosmetics

You may have already seen this video, perhaps even on this site. I try to post it once a year since it’s such important info. If not, take a few minutes today to watch, you’ll be glad you did. It might shock you and it will certainly enlighten you.

This video sums everything up so powerfully! “We are trashing the environment, we are trashing each other, and we are not even having fun..” Toxic chemicals in our personal care products are a HUGE issue! 

If you want pure, safe, luxurious personal care products for you and your kids that do NOT contain harmful ingredients, my favorite line is Pure Haven Essentials. No green washing with this company, their products are truly safe and effective (and affordable!) which is why I sell is on my site. Check out the video & let me know what your favorite clean, safe products are in the comments section. I’m always looking for suggestions! 

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Eco Savvy ~ 5 Easy Things You Can Do To Detox Your Home

  • Get Those Windows Open  There are 10 times more pollutants inside our homes than there are outside! Open your windows at least 15 minutes a day, longer on nice days. This will help dilute the pollutants. I know this isn’t easy for those of you experiencing snow storms all season but do it whenever weather permits
  • Ditch Toxic Air Fresheners  Exposure even just once a week can increase your odds of developing asthma by as much as 71% and can contribute to an increase in pulmonary diseases. Plus there is no evidence that they disinfect the air in any way but research is showing that chemicals in these products harm us. Use an essential oil room diffuser or try John Desilvia‘s natural version instead: 2 T baking soda, 5 drops of essential oil, 2 C water in a spray bottle. Spraying 100% Eucalyptus oil can be effective too.

A 2006 study found that those with high blood levels of  1.4 dichlorobenze, commonly found in air fresheners were more likely to experience a decline in lung function

  • Have Sweet Eco Friendly Dreams Replace your bedding with organic sheets. Forget about thread count, sustainable organic bedding is beyond soft and comfortable, naturally. My kids sheets are made from Bamboo which is a great source. I’m sleeping on Pure Beech Sateen which is regenerated from the Beechwood trees of Europe, made from Modal they are luxuriously soft and contain no pesticides or toxic substances
  • Green Up Your Space With Pretty Plants  They are nature’s air purifiers that give natural oxygen and help keep the air clean. 1 plant per every 100 square feet in your home will help clean the air & produce more oxygen. Snake plant, Golden Pothos, English Ivy, mother-in-law, peacock, tri color, peace lily, bamboo, nest, fern, snake plant aka mother-in-law’s tongue, aloe vera and bamboo palm are good choices

Grab my free guide with my top tips to help you go green with ease: The Savvy Girl’s Guide To Eco Friendly Living. Implement the tips in this complimentary checklist and you’ll be a green movement rockstar.

  • Don’t Toss That Dryer Sheet In Instead, try dryer balls or use a ball of tin foil. Throw it in the dryer with your clothes to combat static cling without all the irritating toxic chemicals and perfumes in those dryer sheets. It can withstand the heat the way it does in the oven. Be sure to recycle it when you’re done with it, foil sits in landfills for years and years. And, of course, use non toxic laundry detergent! 

Eco Friendly… it’s not just a buzz word, it’s a way of life

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How To Find Safer Sunscreen Protection

I love the smell of Coppertone… brings back fond memories of my childhood. Oooh and baby oil… I’d slather that stuff all over my body in hopes of achieving that deep dark tan. If we only knew! Not only were we damaging our skin but that pleasant smell of Coppertone is a highly toxic synthetic fragrance.

file9151265810349In my post, You Know The Sunscreen You’re Using Is Toxic, Isn’t Time To Make A Healthier Choice? I detailed the harmful chemicals that most sunscreen brands contain. Because the FDA does not conduct any safety testing on sunscreen, we consumers have to be savvy about what we use. It’s infuriating, we’re trying to protect ourselves from skin cancer but the damn sunscreen itself contains carcinogens. So what the hell are we supposed to do?!

Don’t worry, there are alternatives. There are brands that offer quality sunscreen without the harmful chemicals that get a good rating on the Environmental Working Group sunscreen report. Look for products that have zinc oxide made without nanotechnology. Zinc is a physical barrier against the sun’s rays that does not get absorbed by the skin. The sun’s rays break down chemical sunscreens and you have to reapply them frequently. The physical sunscreens do not break down so they protect your skin from the sun longer.

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SPF 15 & 30, sunscreen stick and lip balm with SPF 15

California Baby and Badger are good but they do leave a white film on the skin (which my 11 year old won’t tolerate!) , UV Natural is good but a bit greasy.

I like Solar Protective MoisturizerSPF 30 by Devita Skin Care. It’s good for us gals because it contains hyaluronic acid which gives a little anti-aging boost.

I know sunscreen sprays are convenient and easy to use but they are especially harmful because we inhale the ingredients as well as absorb them.

Protect Your Health, Protect The Environment

Lake Arrowhead 009Avoiding sunscreen with toxic ingredients is not only important for our health, it’s important for the environment. After we slather ourselves with it, it washes off into the ocean harming sea life. According to a study conducted by Environmental Health Perspectives in 2008, these chemicals are killing the coral reef.

Research shows that octinoxate, oxybenzone, parabens and camphor derivatives kill hard corals which could have a negative impact on biodiversity and reef ecosystems. Help inform your friends – tweet this, share it on Facebook & send it to friends, especially those with kids. No one should use sunscreen with harmful chemicals and with all the safe alternatives, they don’t have to.

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When Should You Choose Organic?

To go organic or to not go organic. There are many benefits to buying organic. The majority of experts in the scientific community believe pesticides have adverse effects on health and on our environment. Babies and children are at even higher risk when exposed because their delicate systems are not fully developed.

hot-farmers-market-lgCertified organic produce is not grown with genetically modified seeds, fossil fuel or sewage-based fertilizers or manmade chemical pesticides. The same goes for certified organic meat  and dairy and you can be assured the animals were not given antibiotics or genetically engineered bovine growth hormones. Organic farmers conserve water and soil, use renewable resources and do not irradiate their crops.

                      Research shows that we can lower our health risks by as much as 94% by choosing organic produce

There is no doubt about it, organic can be costly. Save some $$ by buying conventionally when it comes to what the Environmental Working Group [EWG] calls them The Clean 15: onions, sweet corn, pineapples,  avocado, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, cantaloupe (although other sources say that cantaloupe has a dangerous amount of pesticides so this one’s up for debate), kiwi, cabbage, sweet potatoes, grapefruit & papaya. Tests show that after washing these fruits and vegetables they were least likely to have pesticide residue on the parts you eat. 

I always buy organic when it comes to the The Dirty Dozen. The Dirty Dozen are 12+(there are a few ‘bonus’ items added) fruits and vegetables that still have high pesticide levels even after having been washed: apples (pesticides pool around the stem & drip down inside through the core), celery, strawberries (because they are low to the ground, farmers typically give them a lot more pesticide to ward off bugs), peaches, spinach, imported nectarines, grapes, hot & bell peppers (they have the largest amount), cucumbers (can have as many as 35 pesticides), cherry tomatoes, summer squash, spinach (it can drink in pesticides through its stalks), potatoes, snap peas and kale/collard greens. Lettuce, sweet bell peppers, and blueberries didn’t make the list this year but were on previous lists so I still try to buy those organic. Some argue that pesticides are used on organic crops as well. Yes, naturally occurring pesticides may be used but they are less harmful than most synthetic pesticides.

farm_suit_0804If ingesting pesticides along with your food doesn’t phase you, how about the humanity aspect? While earning poor wages, hard working crop workers on conventional farms are working in extremely unhealthy conditions as they are subjected to heavy pesticide exposure on a daily basis. Consumers can buy organic but this doesn’t solve the problem for farmers, farmworkers or the environment.

The harmful effects of fumigants drifting from farms into nearby neighborhoods, schools, daycare centers, etc. is another dilemma according to The Pesticide Action Network.

Equally important is choosing household cleaners and personal care products that are truly organic. Our skin absorbs up to 60% of what we put on it. The scalp, groin, and underarms absorb up to 100% so keep your products clean. Check ingredients. Many companies claim to be natural but they are not. One name you can trust to be 100% free of toxic chemicals is Pure Haven, the entire line is pure.

Visit your local farmer’s market. Many may not be certified organic farms but they grow their produce organically without toxic pesticides. Plus there is the added benefit of supporting local growers. And of course, an 528695217economical and convenient option is to grow your own. We just put in a lemon tree, we have some herbs and a strawberry plant but it’s not exactly flourishing so I’ll have to learn more about it. Do you have any tips on growing your own fruits and vegetables?

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Is Your Beauty Routine Toxic? Part II

As I mentioned in part I of  this series, up to 60% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed which leads to our bodies absorbing up to 5 pounds of chemicals through our skin every year. If something isn’t pure enough to eat we really should not put in on our body, should we?

It’s inauspicious that manufacturers of personal care products are not regulated and therefore not required to disclose ingredients, toxic or not. Fortunately, many organizations are on top of it and bringing awareness to the issue. Some of these watchdog groups may have a political agenda, but not all of them do.

Agenda or no agenda, much of the information they share is based in science and they do have an important message: do not use products containing harmful ingredients that will compromise your health and threaten the environment.

There are many brands out there claiming to be pure and while they may not contain carcinogens, they do have synthetic fragrances, irritants, endocrine disruptors and other unfavorable ingredients. So what can we do? How do we find products that won’t harm us? We have to be cautious but there are some fabulous lines on the market which I will talk about in upcoming posts and videos.

You can also check the ingredients of your products in EWG’s cosmetic data base.  It’s not a complete list of every personal care item out there but it is a helpful resource. I’ll be writing about ingredients to avoid in the near future as well so stay tuned.

Did you read the article I posted on my Facebook page the other day? They tested over 400 lipsticks for lead content, check to see if yours is on the list.

It’s not always easy to find suitable alternatives and many of the organic and truly pure, clean cosmetics are way over priced. But there are companies that offer good, safe products such as Pure Haven. I’ll write about of my finds in upcoming posts. Another one of my favorite lines is 100% Pure.

Mascara has been a tough one for me. Do I really want to spend $25 on mascara that flakes off and leaves a smattering of black dust under my eyes when I can spend $7 on Lash Exact by Covergirl that really does give my lashes great volume and length?!

What’s an eco savvy gal to do?! I’m giving Ava and Organic Wear mascara a try, I’ll let you know how they measure up. If you like an earth friendly mascara that works well and doesn’t break the bank I’d love to hear about it.

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Is Your Beauty Routine Toxic? Part I

Lead in lipstick, coal tar in lotions, formaldehyde in shampoo… harmful chemicals are lurking in our everyday products and most of us don’t even know it. If you’ve been reading my blog regularly you know how passionate I am about clean, chemical free living. I make it a priority to use pure, clean products, both personal care items and the products we use in our home.

gty_cosmetics_jef_130401_wgI love playing with make up. It’s fun to get all glammed up and go out but the stuff they put in most make up is scary. The cosmetic industry is not regulated so manufacturers can include anything they want in their formulations.

Our bodies absorb up to 5 pounds of chemicals each year through our skin which is the largest organ in our body. Up to 60% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed so if something isn’t pure enough to eat we really should not put in on our body.

Because they are not regulated, manufacturers of personal care products are not required to disclose the ingredients so there may not even be a label to read and frankly, reading labels isn’t enough, you have to know what the ingredients are.

Very few people have the time or even the desire to know the scientific properties of dozens of different chemicals. That’s the hard part. But I’ll help you sort it out with a series of posts about chemicals we should avoid in our personal care products as well as our household items.

Be sure to check out part II of this series, it includes some eco friendly solutions such as Ava Anderson Non Toxic.

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5 Ways to Green Your Beauty Routine

A few simple changes can make a positive impact

86525535-300x200What we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in our bodies. The skin is the body’s largest organ; it absorbs up to 60 percent of what we put on it. Most women use an average of up to 20 personal care items every day and the ingredients in those products go straight to our bloodstream. Treat the earth and yourself a little kinder with these five natural tips to be a greener glamour girl.

1. Know Your Ingredients
Many are carcinogenic, others adversely affect our reproductive systems, and some disrupt our endocrine systems. The cosmetic industry is not regulated, so companies are not required to disclose ingredients. Safety testing is left to the manufacturers, so they can use nearly anything they want in their formulations. The European Union bans over 1300 cosmetic ingredients. The U.S. has banned only 11. If you are curious about whether or not your favorite cosmetics contain toxic chemicals, a good resource is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Data Base. They rate the safety of several products. Ava Anderson Non Toxic has great products and the whole line is pure and non toxic. 

2. Screen Your Sunscreen

Most dermatologists agree that the number one anti-aging secret is protecting your skin from the sun’s damaging rays. However, like cosmetics, most sunscreens have harmful chemicals as well. Steer clear of sunscreen that contains ingredients like… Read entire article at Parent Society.