Using Good Sense When Choosing Scents

You can't deny it, you want to smell good. So does your co-worker and the woman sitting next to you on the bus. Whether you prefer light floral notes, complex musky tones, or refreshing citrus scents, have you ever stopped to wonder what's in your favorite perfume? 

It's a chemical cocktail made from any number of the fragrance industry's 3,100 stock chemicals.

MAKING SENSE OF SCENTS

In 2010, the Environmental Working Group did some extensive research and chemical analysis into what compounds make up the fragrances consumers are unknowingly spraying onto their bodies. 

The EWG found a variety of chemicals that weren't listed on fragrance products, some of which are associated with hormone disruption as well as chemicals that have been known to accumulate in human tissue and have negative side effects.

Adding up all the unnecessary chemicals used in commercial soaps, shampoo, lotions, and fragrances is a daunting and nearly impossible task. Even scarier is how these chemicals could be impacting our health. But before you swear off fragrances, which is the easiest and most viable solution to resolving this dilemma, consider making your own fragrance or opting for all-natural products.

Are Your Skin Care Products Toxic?

You stand in the skin care aisle of the supermarket, confronted by a whirlwind of products touting natural ingredients. Which one do you choose?

From creams to soaps, nearly every product you buy for your skin care regimen can be made at home or substituted with an organic alternative. Here's our recipe for happy, glowing skin — without the toxic chemicals.

1) BE SUN SAVVY: We all know it's important to protect skin from sun damage. Wear a hat, use a bandana to cover you neck, and consider the benefits of using sunscreen. But choosing a sunscreen isn't as simple as it seems. Some products can contain chemicals that may be hazardous to your reproductive health. To help you understand the health risks and choose a safe an effective sunscreen, check out the Sierra Club's sunscreen fact sheet. Then consult the Environmental Working Group's 2013 Guide To Sunscreens to find the best brand for you and your family.

It is possible to make your own sunscreen if you are wary of using a commercial product. Most recipes call for the use of zinc oxide, an inorganic compound that sits on the surface of your skin (instead of being absorbed into your body), where it absorbs UVAs before they make it to your skin. 

2) SWITCH BODY WASH FOR BAR SOAP: By making this switch you are already minimizing your environmental footprint. Avoid those plastic bottles and look for soap that has the least amount of packaging. Outside of making your own, the best option is to find local, organic bar soaps. If you're lucky, you might find them at your local farmer's market. Plus, by opting for natural soap, you can avoid substances like triclosan, a compound currently being reviewed by the FDA for possibly "alter(ing) hormone regulation."

Father's Day Gift Ideas for Every Budget

No matter how much cash you have to spend, our gift ideas will help you keep Father's Day (Sunday, June 16) green.

NEARLY FREE: If you're working with a tight budget, these ideas cost almost nothing. 

1) Get creative. Set aside a few hours, open up your tool box and channel your inner Martha Stewart to make your dad a repurposed key holder or a keyboard wallet. These gifts easy and fun to make — and they'll create a tangible memory for years to come. For other ideas check out Sierra's "Repurpose" column.

2) Head outdoors. Keep things simple and go hiking! If your dad is an outdoor enthusiast, there's nothing he'll love more than spending quality time with you while enjoying the nature. A website like trails.com can help you find a trail nearby and pick one at the appropriate difficulty level.  

MODERATE MIDDLE: If you are looking to spend between $25 and $200, our next list was designed with you in mind.  

Green Your Pick-Me-Up: 7 Coffee Tips

Amid the workweek frenzy, lethargy is bound to slow even the most productive of us. As our energy dwindles, so can our efforts to live sustainably. This week on Green Life, we’ll offer pick-me-up tips as energizing as they are eco-friendly. First, we list some simple steps you can take toward a guilt-free cup of Joe. 

According to the National Coffee Association's 2013 online survey, about 83 percent of adults nationwide drink coffee. That averages to three cups a day per person, or 587 million cups, making the U.S. the world’s biggest coffee guzzler.

Most of us probably grab our morning Joe without thinking twice—even if we should. Reports of worker exploitation and habitat destruction in the coffee industry can make a humble latte both an environmentally and socially fraught purchase.   

Here’s how you can ensure your beans come from a farm that’s good for workers and the environment. 

Ditch the paper cup: Fifty-eight billion paper cups are thrown away each year, according to BetaCup. Although the cups’ plastic resin coating helps insulate our brew and prevent leaking, it also complicates recycling. Do your part to reduce paper waste, and opt for a reusable mug.  Bonus points if you choose a mug made of ceramic or stainless steel instead of plastic.

Forget paper filters: As long as you’re abandoning paper cups, why not forego paper filters, too? Instead of a traditional coffee pot, consider buying a French press, which doesn’t require a filter.  It’s also cheaper and makes more flavorful drinks. A reusable mesh filter is an option for those who already brew their Joe in a pot. Linda Green Homes offers an array of reusable filters for the gamut of coffee brewer brands.

Look for socially and environmentally responsible labeling: Next time you refill on coffee beans, make sure you choose bags bearing the following labels:

4 Cool Bike Accessories

It's Bike to Work Week, which means you have the perfect excuse to spruce up your bike with these unique accessories!

Wearable Bike Planter:  We've seen an old bike repurposed as a giant flower planter, but what if you could just strap a plant to your bike and take it with you on your daily adventures? Well, now you can! Check out this petite bike planter and other adorable planters that you can wear as accessories.

Bicycle Wine Rack/Beer Holder: We don't advise drinking and biking, but this gadget could come in handy if you're headed to a party or barbeque this spring. Don't bother trying to squeeze these beverages into your purse or bag, just head over to Etsy and get your bicycle wine rack or beer holder for under $30!

6 Great Gifts for Moms

Love is unlimited, but money and time aren't always as abundant. With Mother's Day fast approaching, many of us are scrambling to find a gift that shows our love, but not our lack of resources. Whether you're restricted by a tight budget or you're just low on spare time, we've got a few gift ideas that will make your mom smile.

Gifts on the Go If you're flush with cash but don't have a second to spare, a few clicks will put one of these products en route to your mother.

• Order one of these five eco-friendly cellphone accessories. Extra points if you follow up with a phone call.

• Keep an on-the-go mom refreshed and healthy with one of these five BPA-free drink containers.

• Spread the love around by giving one of these upcycled gifts: Purchase a recycled candle holder that helps homeless mothers in Chicago or a recycled necklace that helps support impoverished Ugandan women.

Gifts on a Budget If your pockets are empty but you're full of creativity, go the DIY route this year.

Dialed In

Smartphones have become our mailboxes, maps, cameras, clocks, calendars, books, and music players. In that spirit of multipurpose minimalism, we went on the hunt for some eco-friendly cell accessories. 

Whether you're pumping reggae or Rachmaninoff, the durable Zion In-Ear Headphones from HOUSE OF MARLEY keep the bass deep and the beats clean. If a call interrupts your groove, answer via a center button and mic embedded onto the Rasta-threaded cord.These earbuds are made from sustainable wood and recyclable aluminum  and come packaged in recycled paper and plastic. The audio-goods company, created in partnership with Bob Marley’s family, donates 5% of its profits to 1Love, a nonprofit that funds green initiatives. $100

Finally, a way to charge up while backcountry camping: With the CampStove from BIOLITE, you can warm your hands on the same fire that charges your phone. The 33-ounce thermoelectric gadget needs no gas. Just stuff in some twigs, set 'em on fire, and plug in. $130

A splash of water can make a smartphone dumb. Keep yours high and dry by strapping it into the nylon ProCase by 

T-REIGN. The rugged cocoon is made via a zero-waste manufacturing process by a company that recently switched its packaging to be more minimal. $35

The Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit from GOAL ZERO, a company that claims to be the world's largest manufacturer of portable solar products, charges your phone (or tablet) anytime the sun shines. After dark, juice up with the kit's four rechargeable batteries — they come in a pack that doubles as an LED flashlight. $120

A phone case may seem like just another unnecessary thing to buy. But when you consider that a naked cell is much more likely to break than a protected one (remember, its outsides are made of glass), a cover starts to look like an ecological investment. The slim, stylish, and biodegradable Interchangeable iPhone 5 Case from INNOVEZ sports bright-colored style and two layers of buffering to prevent an early death knell for your cell. If you haven’t upgraded to the 5 yet, don’t worry: Innovez makes degradable cases for all versions of the iPhone. $25

--Avital Andrews

Schmear Campaign: The Best Eco-Spreads

Spreads have come a long way from the days of instant-soup packets mixed with sour cream. Animate your Ak-Mak with these eco-friendly slathers. 

The Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Hummus from EAT WELL ENJOY LIFE is a low-fat pate made with corn, pineapple, red peppers, pecans, chipotle chilies, and a medley of spices, all without GMOs. Michelle Dudash, a Cordon Bleu-certified chef and registered dietician who wrote Clean Eating for Busy Families, loves this particular flavor and admires the brand for its unique taste combinations and eco-values: The PET plastic packaging is easily recyclable, and the paperless company recycles all of its waste. About $5 for 10 ounces

JUSTIN'S Honey Almond Butter, creamy and sweet, goes perfectly on everything from rice cakes to bananas, says Amie Valpone, a Manhattan nutritionist who runs the Healthy Apple blog. To give the butter texture, she sometimes sprinkles it with ground flaxseed. The spread is high in protein, comes in a recycled-plastic, BPA-free jar, and doesn't have genetically modified anything — the only ingredients are California-grown almonds, sugar, honey, sea salt, and palm oil, which the company sources from a sustainable farm. Justin's uses mostly organic ingredients. About $9 for 16 ounces

The Premium Organic Sesame Butter from GOLDEN MILLSTONE is made from just a single rare ingredient: sesame seeds harvested by small organic farms in Ethiopia, slow-roasted at temperatures low enough to qualify them as a raw food, then ground on a 90-year-old millstone. The nutty, nutritious spread is packed with those fatty acids that are hard for vegetarians to get, plus protein and antioxidants. Use the sesame butter right out of the glass jar as you would peanut butter, or mix it into dips, smoothies, or salad dressings. $8 for 14 ounces 

Are Grocery Delivery Services Green?

It isn’t easy being green. Sometimes, adopting eco-friendly habits — whether avoiding plastic bags or researching sustainable food options — only seems to add more stress to our already hectic lives.

But one green habit might be as easy as skipping next Sunday’s grocery trip. A study published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Forum reveals that grocery delivery is easier not only on you, but on the planet, too. Using Seattle as a model, engineers at the University of Washington found that delivery service trucks generated 20 to 75 percent less carbon dioxide than personal vehicles driven to and from the grocery store. 

While zero emissions are ideal, grocery delivery offers a conveniently green option for those who don't live walking or biking distance from a store.

It turns out that delivery services also help grocery companies green their wallets. Goodchild and study lead author Ericka Wygonik, a Ph.D. candidate in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington, observed that delivery service providers produced up to 90 percent less carbon dioxide if they used routes that delivered to groups of residences, rather than individual households at separate delivery times. 

4 Ways to Green Your Closet This Spring

Spring is here! And many of us may be tempted to head out to our favorite stores to stock up on those lightweight, brightly colored, open-toed, and overpriced "essentials." But before you empty your wallet on spring shopping, take a look at these tips to minimize cost and maximize green.

1. DIY: Braided Scarves

Many of us have tons of old T-shirts in our closets. Whether they are from college sports teams or some retreat you went to 10 years ago, they can still be of use. Make these shirts into awesome braided scarves for those cool spring days. All you need are some old T-shirts, a ruler, scissors, and iron-on adhesive (which can be found at your local convenience store for about $3). Check out the tutorial below by YouTube Guru AnneorShine. And for those of you who can't wait until summer to whip out the shorts, check out our DIY: 10 Summer Shorts You Can Make at Home.