More Awesomeness about Shopping from an Environmentally-Friendly Viewpoint

Ok, so I said that I would include a separate blog about some of the other environmentally-friendly products that I have tried out.  Again, I'm just going to give a general name about the product and then my personal and honest experience with it (good OR bad).  If, at any time, you think that you and/or your family could benefit from one or more of these products, please contact me personally at queenogreenhealth@gmail.com !  Let the synopsis begin!

Okay, so this is a list of some of the environmentally-friendly cleaning products that I have tried out from the private, online shopping network that I like to use.  I used to work in a laboratory at the University of Idaho, and whenever I cleaned the lab, I used a concentrate of a specific cleaning chemical that I mixed with water.  It never occured to me that I could do the same thing at home too!  And I didn't realize how much money I have been wasting on other products like Windex, Tilex, Lysol, etc.  These products come already mixed for you, but what they don't tell you is that a lot of what you're paying for is advertising and water.  Yes, water.  By being able to mix the products yourself, you can save quite a bit of money!  Plus, a lot of these cleaning products are made with citric acid instead of ammonia, so they are better for your house too!  And, NO BLEACH!  I think that's my favorite part...I've always hated the smell of bleach and have felt like I was going to die whenever I used it before...slight exaggeration, but hey, this way I never have to even think about using it again!

• LIIQUID HAND SOAP: A little bit goes a long way.  My hands feel pretty soft after using it and I really like the way it smells.  I haven't personally found anything stupendous about it though when I think about comparing it to other hand soaps I've used.  My Mom has one that she bought around Christmas time in our house right now from Pier One Imports that smells like spices, but it isn't as thick as the environmentally-friendly soap, and it seems like I always have to use quite a bit of it to get the same effect.  That's just one comparison though...however, like I said, I've used others that seem to be just as good as the environmentally-friendly stuff.
• DISH SOAP:  Again, a little goes a long way!  My Mom actually tried this one out before I did (probably because I don't like doing dishes much haha) and she said that it took grease off more easily than what she was previously using (Dawn).  And when I did get around to trying it out, I did really like it as well.  It has a light lemon scent and will probably last a lot longer than the previous brand we were using.
• LAUNDRY DETERGENT AND FABRIC SOFTENER: I think this may be one of the best-selling items that my environmentally-friendly shopping network has to offer.  It smells PHENOMENAL!  I really have no other way to describe it.  I normally buy the cheap stuff like Sun or Wisk.  My sister can't use those brands on her skin because they give her a rash.  I like Tide okay, but it is always so expensive!  Plus, I recently read some articles about some bad chemicals that Tide has in it (I will have to do a separate blog about that on another day).  So, with this product, not only do my clothes smell amazing, but I know that they are being washed by something safe for me and my family!  Also, I think my FAVORITE thing about the detergent is that, again, a little bit goes a long way.  Same goes with the fabric softener.  One TBSP of detergent and one TBSP of softener per load.  That's it!  My friend Kat told me that her first container of detergent lasted four months!  That sounds pretty awesome to me.
• SPOT CLEANER:  This is a cool product because, like I mentioned, it is one that is made from a concentrate that you mix yourself.  Three capfuls mixed with water makes the most dilute solution per Windex-sized spray bottle.  I actually used this on my Mom's carpet in the basement (where there were a bunch of dark stains from God only knows what) and, even in its most dilute form, the stains came out right away!  Next time I find a stain, I'll have to take a before and after pic to prove it, but it really worked quite nicely.  It is also safe to use on your clothes and for pet stains.
• CLEAN-UP WIPES:  These are comparable to Clorox wipes, but without the bleach.  They kind of smell like Windex and are safe to use on granite or marble countertops.  Some of the other cleaners, however, cannot be used on granite or marble countertops.  But that is just because of the porous quality of the stone.  The same goes for other grocery store cleaners except for Windex.  The difference between Windex and these wipes is that they don't contain ammonia, and, of course, they are better for the environment.
• BAR SOAP:  I think I mentioned this one in my previous blog post, but it really has been great.  I normally use body wash and a loufa because I have felt like bar soap makes my body have a weird, rough feeling afterwards.  Some brands I've tried before include Caress, Dove and Ivory soap.  I like Caress the best, but I usually only used it to wash my face before.  The environmentally-friendly bar soap has extra shea butter in it, so when you use it, it makes your skin feel REALLY SOFT!  I actually like it to the point that I would prefer to use it over body wash.  My Mom and sister have tried it too and the Ivory soap that my Mom normally uses has been left in the dust haha.
• BODY WASH:  I didn't like the body wash, I'm not going to lie.  I don't mind using it, and I haven't looked into the chemicals that it is made from when compared to other body washes, but I just really don't feel that it is fantastic.  I normally use Caress body wash, and I like that a lot better.  This body wash didn't follow the norm of "a little goes a long way," so I was kind of disappointed by that, because if it did, it would probably change my mind.  So I don't think that I will buy it again personally, but there are other people who say they love it.  So maybe it's just a personal preference.  A coworker of mine says that she likes to use it instead of shaving cream and that she doesn't have to use very much of it for that purpose, so maybe it is better to use the body wash for that instead.
• HAND SANITIZER: This works just like any other hand sanitizer I have used.  It's scentless, which is nice.  I need to compare it to regular hand sanitizer though to find out if it has fewer chemicals in it...look for an update on this and other comparisons in the future!

Ok, I think that covers all of the cleaning products I've used.  So now I'm going to describe a few of the weight loss and dietary items that my environmentally-friendly shopping network makes:

• INSTANT OATMEAL PACKETS:  I love instant oatmeal!  Especially the strawberry flavor that Quaker brand makes!  In fact, when I had bad morning sickness during my pregnancy, sometimes that was all I could eat (my old roommate would laugh at me because I would eat insant strawberry oatmeal and scrambled eggs for dinner a lot).  But, I have to admit, even though I liked the flavor of instant oatmeal, it never really looked like oatmeal.  You know, with oats.  It always just looks like squishy mush.  And it is usually pretty sugary.  My environmentally-friendly oatmeal does look like real oatmeal though!  And it tastes just as good!  Actually, I thought it didn't taste as sweet as the Quaker brand because it probably has less sugar in it...I will have to look into that more to double check.  Also, I get full off of one packet whereas with the Quaker brand, I would usually have to eat two packets in order to get full.
• WORKOUT BARS:  These bars have been compared to a PowerBar (but better!) and are meant to be eaten on an empty stomach right before a workout.  They burn body fat faster and increase endurance.  They also have natural CLA in them, which helps people to lose weight and keep it off.  I have to say, the flavor I tried tasted soooo friggin good!  I can't remember what the flavor was called, but it was chocolate with caramel.  It was literally like I was eating a candy bar.  I feel like you just have to try them to see what I mean, because I could eat one no matter what time of day it was.  But, I am pregnant, so I may be a little biased.  I haven't been able to see whether or not they help with weight loss personally because of that, but I plan on trying them out when I get into a good exercise routine after the baby is born.
• SPORT DRINK MIX:  This is supposed to be like Gatorade, but it has fewer calories and more electrolytes!  The orange flavor is REALLY good...I could drink it all day every day I think.  Also, in one normal-sized glass, 1/2 of one packet does the trick.  So they last a long time.  But I usually have to use a full packet for a large waterbottle.
• FIBER SUPPLEMENT:  This stuff really works, but it is nasty tasting!  It is comparable to Metamucil, which I've heard isn't very good tasting either.  You can add it to a smoothie in the morning for a daily fiber boost though, which is good.  It tastes really good mixed with juice, though.  The difference between this supplement and other fiber supplements is that is has non-dissolvable fiber in it (which is what helps it to run through our systems more effectively because our bodies can't digest it).

Finally, I'm going to cover some hygene products and one facial product:

• AGE-DEFYING SERUM: Because I'm only 24..soon to be 25, I don't have many wrinkles yet, so I feel like I'm a bad candidate to be considered when looking at this product.  But I do like it so far!  I do have a few wrinkles on my forehead (which I eaglerly try to cover up with my bangs), so I mostly use it for that.  It has antioxidants from goji berries along with vitamins C and E.  It smells like oranges!  And it feels fresh and light on the skin.  I'm going to have to wait and see if it has any long-term effects.
• LOTION: I really like the environmentally-friendly lotion!  I normally use Curel, which I still like, but I have been going swimming a lot lately, and I noticed that my skin was still feeling dry when using Curel afterwards.  So I tried their lotion out and it did the trick!  It is also supposed to work really well for people who have psoriasis and eczema.
• TOOTHPASTE:  My whole family uses the toothpaste.  I usually flip-flopped between different brands before, depending on pricing and whitening, but the environmentally-friendly toothpaste works really well!  It makes my mouth feel nice and clean afterwards.  I do like it better than Aquafresh for sure, but there are still some other brands out there that compete with it (flavorwise...not sure, again, chemicalwise...I will have to double check about that).  But a word to the wise: the mint flavor is GREAT, but I have heard that the cinnamon flavor is not!  I haven't tried it personally, so I'm not sure.  But that's what I've heard.
• SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER:  These are fantastic!  They are compared to Biolage and Paul Mitchell, but they are much less expensive!  And there are no sulfates in them!  Whenever I use them, I feel like my hair has the quality of the salon products, but without the extra price or chemicals.  My old roommate was a hair stylist, and she always tried to get me to buy Redken.  I would end up buying this tiny bottle that would be gone in less than a month.  These products do follow the "little bit goes a long way" trend and I know that they will last much longer.
• MUSCLEACHE CREAM:  This product is kind of like Icy Hot or Bengay.  I  actually did look into the differences between the Queens of Green product and the others, and I noticed it has much, much less menthol in it (that's one of the active ingredients in Icy Hot and Bengay, and also one of the more smelly ones).  During my pregnancy, I have had Restless Leg Syndrome off and on, and this stuff really works for that.  And, again, a little goes a long way.  I will probably have my little tube of it for quite a while.

Well, that covers all of the products that I have tried out so far.  There are over 400 products that the company has made in total over the past 25 years though, so I still have quite a few to go!  Next month, I'm going to try out their foundation for sure, but I haven't decided on what else yet.  I will keep everyone updated though.  Thanks for following me, and again, if you are interested in learning more about these products, I do online presentations about them and the company, and I can (obviously) testify about their effectiveness!  If you would like to be notified about future posts, you can click on the "Subscribe" button at the bottom of the page.  Please contact me at queenogreenhealth@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments :)

Also, I would like to mention my friend Valerie and her blog.  Just click on her name to check it out!  She is also a customer of the environmentally-friendly online shopping concept, and is currently experimenting with do-it-yourself home remedies and products, including natural highlights, make-up remover, and more!