Have you been following Project Green Search's eco-modeling competition?

After a final round of interviews and photo shoots, the Project Green Search judges announced the winner of its eco-modeling competition. Drum roll please. And the winner is….Rachel Avalon.

 
Rachel Avalon, a holistic nutritionist, won the 2009 Project Green Search eco-modeling competition. Photo Courtesy Project Green Search

From Los Angeles, Rachel Avalon is a holistic nutritionist certified by the American College of Health Sciences. She owns her own business where she offers sessions and advice on holistic living to clients nationwide. She has published articles on holistic living in Chill Out LA, Yogi Times and In The Know Traveler. She is also an advocate for animal welfare, fair trade and human rights.

Are you interested in being Project Green Search’s next green “it” girl? Apply for the 2010 competition.

Every day, I find myself constantly reapplying lipstick to my pucker. The numerous coats of lip gloss and lipstick never seems to be enough saturate my lips. Never did I think that the product I was using could be hazardous to my health. For me, this makes choosing organic and natural lipsticks a no-brainer.

A study released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September found lead in lipstick at much higher levels than those discovered by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) in a 2007 study. Lead was found in the 20 lipsticks the FDA tested, at levels ranging from 0.09 parts per million (ppm) to 3.06 ppm—more than four times higher than the highest lead level of 0.65 reported in the 2007 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study, which found 61 percent of the 33 lipsticks tested contained lead.

The FDA did not disclose the names of the three manufacturers' brands which lipsticks scored highest for lead. The 2007 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report noted that L’Oreal, Maybelline and Cover Girl had higher levels of lead.   

Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause language, learning and behavioral problems. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says any amount of lead in lipstick is a health concern. Over time, the lead can build up and the body can be exposed to considerable levels of the metal.

Currently, the FDA has no standard for lead in lipstick.

Organic lipsticks are lead-free and contain shea butter and jojoba oil to hydrate and soften lips. Photo Courtesy Lavera.

Choose organic lipstick because it uses all-natural ingredients such as jojoba oil, aloe vera, vitamin E and grape seed extract. Also, some brands of organic lipstick contains no lead. If you want to make the switch to organic and natural lipsticks and lip glosses, try Lavera, Hemp Organics and Zuii Organic.

Will your next lipstick purchase be lead free? Leave me a comment in the comments section.

Although many destinations around the world offer green hotels and resorts, the eco-conscious traveler always stays close to home to keep her carbon footprint smaller. Luckily for me, living in the middle of the country means I have a springboard for just about any destination in the U.S. Los Angeles is only a few hours further drive from me than New York City—although with the holidays coming (and stress mounting), I’d much prefer a trip to a countryside resort than a big city.

As I said in my blog about green ski resorts, I’ve been pining for the mountains lately. Cool mornings, quiet evenings and breathtaking views of rocky slopes—with maybe a touch of wildlife watching—are just what I need to balance out my life on the Plains. Because I want to enjoy the beauty of nature, it makes sense to stay at a place that works to preserve the environment.

Enjoy a pristine slice of Montana countryside at The Resort at Paws Up. Photo Courtesy The Resort at Paws Up

The Resort at Paws Up is about half an hour’s drive from Missoula, Montana, on the western edge of the state. The resort offers a variety of outdoors activity all year, from fly fishing and mountain biking the summer to dog sledding and snowshoeing in the winter. Located in the largely undeveloped Blackfoot Valley of the Northern Rocky Mountains, the Resort at Paws Up offers visitors an unspoiled taste of Montana’s countryside.

This resort offers the basic amenities commonly found at green hotels—eco-friendly cleaning products, energy-efficient lights, linen reuse—but Paws Up’s commitment to the environment goes much deeper than that.

The Resort at Paws Up strives to protect its natural surroundings. Photo Courtesy The Resort at Paws Up

Carbon Neutral: To offset the carbon it produces, the resort invests in Montana forestry and rangeland projects. In addition, guests can purchase credits through the same projects to offset the carbon emissions from their travel to the ranch.

Sustainable Food: A vegetable and herb garden on-site provide the resort’s restaurants with fresh produce and eggs. The resort’s culinary team also uses locally sourced organic produce (when needed) and meat.

Conservancy: In an effort to preserve the meadows and vistas surrounding Paws Up, the owners are planning a major conservation easement over most of the resort in addition to a foundation to conserve and enhance the land’s wildlife habits and watershed.

Xeriscape Landscaping: The Resort at Paws Up takes a natural approach to landscaping. It not only conserves water and energy but also ensures that the resort blends in with its natural surroundings.

Basics: To top it all off, the Resort at Paws Up offers all the basic amenities you want from a green hotel:

• Recycling program

• Organic in-room bath products

• Energy-efficient lighting

• Energy Star appliances

• Sustainable products in the gift shop

Camping in a tent city by the river is just one way to vacation at The Resort at Paws Up. Photo Courtesy The Resort at Paws Up

You can enjoy Paws Up in a number of ways. Rent your own private Wilderness Estate for the weekend, camp in comfort by the river with other visitors, or enjoy communal lodging at the Bunkhouse.

In August I wrote about Project Green Search’s call out to eco-friendly models to participate in its green modeling competition.

The ten finalists for Project Green Search have been chosen! Who will be the next green girl? Photo Courtesy Project Green Search.

Now the ten finalists are heading to Hollywood for the last part of the competition. The ten finalists include Rachel Avalon, Ariel Clay, Zion Francis, Rachael Joy, Vanessa Meier, Leilani Munter, Karen Pannocchia, Erika Schmid, Juliana Tran and Jessica Williamson.

The finalists will participate in an eco-fashion shoot with photographer Courtney Dailey on November 5. Each finalist will model apparel and accessories from eco-designers Deborah Lindquist, Peligrosa, Mountains of the Moon, Stewart+Brown, Rain Tees, Charmone Shoes, Jonano, Smart Glass, EcoSkin, Hess Natur, and McFlashPants. Josie Maran and her team and Aliesh Pierce will do the finalists’ make-up using Josie Maran Cosmetics and Jane Iredale mineral cosmetics. Using its own nontoxic product line, Shades Natural Color, a salon in Beverly Hills, will have its stylists do the models’ hair.

On November 6, the judges will hold one-on-one interviews with each finalist. Then, that evening, the Project Green Search Wrap Party will be held at the ECCO Ultra Lounge in Hollywood. At the party the finalists will mingle with the guests while the judges critique the models on their speaking abilities and their representation of the eco-friendly brands they will be wearing. The judges will choose a winner that night. The event also benefits Global Green, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to creating a sustainable future.

Follow the models’ progress and find out who the next green “it” girl will be on the Project Green Search website.

As more people are becoming increasingly conscious about the environment, they are also concerned about their home’s environment. The choices you make about the type of furniture you purchase can affect your home’s indoor air quality and can drastically affect the environment. The next time you go furniture shopping consider purchasing sustainable furniture, which is made from nontoxic, renewable resources.

Sustainably built furniture uses materials and processes with low environmental impact.  Photo By Mazzaliarmadi.it/Courtesy Flickr.  

Environment Furniture is a sustainable furniture company which honors its commitment of using materials and processes with low environmental impact. Environment Furniture combines its keen eye for aesthetics with its diverse sustainable woods and materials to create eco-friendly furniture. Environment Furniture’s collection is made from reclaimed, recycled and sustainably harvested wood. The primary wood used is Peroba Rosa, which is a Brazilian hardwood. Environment Furniture obtains this wood from old houses and buildings in Paraná, Brazil. The Perboba Rosa is then combined with other responsibly harvested woods, such as Indonesian Mahogany and North American White Oak. The selection of furniture pieces ranges from beds to benches. Environment Furniture has partnered with the Tropical Forest Trust to support the company’s continuing effort to use responsibly harvested wood for its furniture collection. Tropical Forest Trust is a global organization, established in 1999, that promotes sustainable forestry at the local level. Environment Furniture has revamped its carbon inventory and eliminated stains that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from its production process. Environment Furniture strives to raise awareness about sustainability through outreach to its customers and retailers.

When artificial wood and other materials are used to make furniture, it releases various toxins into the air. Formaldehyde is the most common toxin found in artificial wood furniture, which is a chief contributor to poor indoor air quality. The amount of formaldehyde in furniture corresponds with the quantity of glue used to make that piece of furniture. The more glue the wood contains, the more formaldehyde is present.

Have you purchased sustainable furniture? Will you in the future? Leave me a comment in the comments section.

In my family, people fall into two categories: tea drinkers and coffee drinkers. I belong to the former category. I’ve always had a bit of a sweet tooth, so the thought of light, aromatic teas appeals to me more than taste of bitter, black coffee (not to say I abhor coffee; I just take it heavily doctored).

Many different kinds of tea appeal to me, but my favorite brand is probably Choice Organic Teas. It’s an ethical brand by many means—it’s USDA certified organic and TransFair USA fair trade certified—but as a consumer, one concern trumps the others: the taste. In that category, Choice Organic Teas never lets me down.

Choice Organic Teas offers a wide diversity of tea flavors, ranging from the traditional flavors of Early Gray and English Breakfast to more unusual blends, such as Sweet Liquorice Mint and Mango Ceylon with Vanilla. My personal favorite is the Chamomile Citrus, a mild blend with a sweet, floral taste; a close second place is the Lychee White, a delicate and sweet white tea that’s blended with lychee fruit and osmanthus flowers.

Not sure which tea you'll like? Try the sampler. Photo Courtesy Choice Organic Teas.

A few months ago Choice Organic Teas introduced a new product: the Whole Leaf Organics Sampler. If you’d like to try Choice Organic Teas but aren’t sure what type of tea to order, consider this product. It includes eight tea bags, each in a different flavor:

• Lychee White

• English Breakfast

• Jade Green

• Earl Grey 

• Jasmine Green

• Chamomile Citrus

• Sweet Liquorice Mint

• East Blend Darjeeling

The sampler sells for $4.75 and is available online.

Are there any other Choice Organic Tea fans out there? If not, please share your favorite kind of organic tea. I’m always on the lookout for new things to try!

My roommates and I are tracking leaves in to the house. The bathroom sink isn’t looking its best. And I wish I knew how to get these stains out of the carpet.

Lucky for me I stumbled upon a nice list of nontoxic cleaners you can make at home that can (and will) solve my cleaning problems. My three favorite cleaning recipes are below.

Stop buying all of those harsh cleaners and start using homemade, nontoxic cleaners for most of your needs. Photo By himmelskratzer/Courtesy Flikr. 

First, stock your pantry with these great green cleaning supplies:

• Baking soda

• Bon Ami Cleanser

• Borax

• Lemon or lime juice

• Liquid dish soap

• Vegetable or olive oil

• Washing soda

• White vinegar

• Non-scratch scrubber sponge

Rust remover

If your tub or sink has some rust on it, sprinkle salt on the rust and soak it in lime juice for two to three hours. Nothing special is needed to soak the area, just juice the lime right onto it and let it sit. After that, use a rag to rub off the lime juice and salt; you can also (preferably) use the the lime rind to scrub it off. Your rust should be gone!

Bacteria, mold and germs

A spray bottle of vinegar, straight out of the store bottle, is a great way to kill germs anywhere in your house. The smell will dissipate in a matter of hours, and is proven to kill 99 percent of germs. I like to use it in my home because we have a cat, and I don’t want to spray possible toxic cleaners where he’ll be pawing around.

Carpet cleaner

After a spill, blot the area with a water dampened rag. Sprinkle the spot with baking soda, cornstarch or borax and allow it to dry. Wash it with club soda, blot with a rag and vacuum.

What nontoxic cleaners do you use in your own home? Which do you not recommend? Share below in the comments section.

Here are a few more nontoxic cleaning recipes from Natural Home, and if you must use store-bought cleaners, here’s a run down of what to look for in pre-made cleaners.