Which paraben free products do you use?

Since the topic of plastic has come up, I have to ask...are we supposed to avoid plastic water bottles? I had always heard about not heating food in plastic, but I don't know about water bottles. We always buy those and use them in our lunch boxes. Thanks for any input on this!

I never did use plastic of any kind in the microwave. I've always preferred glass or ceramic containers. Most often I drink from a glass glass but will use a plastic cup or one of styrofoam once in awhile,too.

Mel, all plastics have a number, usually stamped on the bottom of the item. A quick google of plastic water bottle numbers will give you the info you need. Every bottle has a number underneath. Here's an excerpt from one article, follow the link below to learn more information:

The Bottom Line: Which Numbers to Avoid, Which are 'Safest'

In the end, it's really best to avoid using all plastics if you're able. But at the very least:

• Avoid recycling symbols 3, 6, and 7. While Number 1 is considered safe, it is also best to avoid this plastic.

• Look for symbols 2, 4, and 5, as these plastics are considered to be safest. These are the plastics to look for in terms of human and animal consumption.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/recycling-symbols-numbers-plastic-bottles-meaning/#ixzz3ThGdMw00

I have 2 different brands of water bottles here,, both are Number 1,,, I wonder if any brand uses a safer plastic.

love this thread and am taking notes!! Especially about deodorants. I've tried some natural brands but I really need to find one that WORKS!!

Also, what about anti aging facial creams? Do they even work?

Products that I love so far:

Egyptian Magic skin cream 6 ingredients!

Burt Bees Pomagranite lip balm

Nioxin shampoo and conditioner, especially for my thinning hair

I use Urban Decay make-up. It's also not tested on animals

Dr. Brommers baby soap for body and face

Baby Badger sunscreen. My daughter is so fair skinned, we live at the beach and this is wonderful!

Dr Brommers body lotion

What a great way to share info

When it comes to anti-aging creams, the only ones that will work are the ones with Retinol or Retin-A. Ones with retinol will be cheaper. It has to be converted to retinoic acid and it takes a long time. With retin-a, the process is faster. Both will essentially result in a sort of chemical peel and actually do what they claim. I've recently discovered sweet almond oil for use as an anti-aging serum and quite like it. It certainly isn't a peel, but it does a pretty good job of puffing out the trenches in my neck and reducing the fine lines on my face. Best of all, it's like 10 bucks for a bottle that will last a really long time. After using it for about a year, my pores are also less visible. PS....Sweet Almond Oil...not to be confused with bitter almond oil.

I have a ZeroWater filtered bottle so I can have filtered water anytime. About $20.

I use Now Solutions toothpaste (my health food store) and Nature's Gate shampoo and conditioner (thru Amazon). Eco laundry soap (Kroger/Walmart/most anywhere). Coconut oil or Mee day cream (amazon) for facial moisturizer. Aubrey brand blush and Physicians Formula organic BB cream (love it/has great coverage) instead of regular foundation make-up. Coconut or sweet almond oil for body moisturizers-add a few drops of my favorite oils for a pleasing scent. Kirks coco Castile soap for bath soap (walmart has it)-so gentle I even use it on my face rather than expensive beauty bars I used to buy. I use Tom's unscented roll on deodorant and I think it works pretty well but I'd be open to other natural deodorants-it's not great, LOL. I used the crystal rock deodorant for awhile and it worked okay too, but I found it somewhat irritating.

Several years ago, we got a fridge with a water dispenser which is filtered. I bought a one liter glass bottle and kept it filled and chilled in the fridge. I'd constantly fill my glass with water till one day I looked at that cute bottle and said to myself, why not drink directly from this? So I have ever since. I got it online at The Container Store for $3.99 plus shipping. Here's a link: http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10013...

I take daily meds & keep a bottle of water on my dresser right beside the pillbox. This helps to take the meds every single day and not forget because I have to go find water and then forget what I was doing and go on to something else. I got a nice glass bottle at Amazon for $12.50 and free shipping since I have the Prime membership.

http://www.amazon.com/Libbey-Hydration-Decanter-Ca...

Anna, thanks for mentioning a lip balm option. The Burt's Bees stuff gives me a rash. I've been using (and collecting) the cute little EOS eggs, but I honestly like the package more than the product. Is this Bumble and Bee stuff available in stores or just online? I was checking it out and found stuff from a company called "Bubble and Bee". Is that the stuff?

Thanks Anna!

Leggo, I'm interested in trying the sweet almond oil. My skin is already rather oily. Will this make it more so? I usually use face powder to try to hold down the oil. Does anyone have any recommendations for face powder?

phthalates are not our friends! Great article from the Washington Post, thanks for sharing!

Hi Vickle. I got some of these as a sample from my health food store. My experience has been less than great so maybe you can tell me what I did wrong. I noticed it doesn't remove food particles (like in dish cloths and mop heads). It did better in warm water than cold, but I really dislike washing some clothes in warm water. Also, I noticed that if I did a load of light colors and didn't take the bag of berries out right away, they stained. My fault, I know, but I usually don't get to my laundry the minute it's done washing.....it sits until I get around to it. I used a muslin bag that came with the berries. Is there a better option than muslin? Also, on about the third use, I noticed light colors had little brown dots, I'm assuming from the husk. They shook out, but it was really annoying....and I'm guessing those flakes are on my darks too, but I just don't see them. Also, I need to do A LOT of pre-treating, which kind of defeated the purpose of using an all- natural product. I have been using them for hand washing delicates and they do work really well for that. Maybe you can give me some tips?, I like the idea, and would live to keep using them but I  just can't get them to work right for me. Maybe it's my HE machine and the violent spin cycle? 

I love all this info. I have been trying to get rid of most of the bad stuff. I have been using and loving c. Booth 4 in 1 body lotion. I also use face products from a company in Florida called Mango Madness that I really like. I am going to try the yes to carrots body wash next. What are people using on MX scars?

Thanks, Ang7604

I am using Ava Anderson night serum on my port scar - - it looks so much better than my untreated - 11 year old C-section scar!

I have NEVER had any of these problems with my Soap Berries. Maybe they are not a good quality? The ones I use are organic, whole (or almost whole) Soap Berries. I never use warm water, I have never had a problem with staining, and I have a HE washer too. You have to be careful not to overfill your washer, or the soapberries can't circulate in there. I ditched the muslin bag because it was too hard to tie/untie and who has time to fiddle with that! I found a long thin sock that was missing its mate and use that instead. It works better. I agree that they don't get your whites as white as with bleach products, but that is the price I am willing to pay for having a chemical free alternative. My son has always had bad skin reactions to other detergents, and since using these, he has not had ANY issues. So for that reason alone I will keep using them. For stains on whites, I pretreat with peroxide.

I recently tried them in my dishwasher and the dishes came out pretty spotty. I have used vinegar, baking soda and a tad bit of citric acid in the dishwasher and that seemed to work as well as store bought dishwashing soap. But I don't care if my dishes have spots - as long as they come out clean and are not cleaned with dangerous chemicals!

I have been finding natural alternatives for household issues for a while, so anyone out there who has a question, feel free to contact me!