Sulfate Free Shampoo

Have you ever checked the ingredients in the shampoo you buy? I bet if you were to go look at your shampoo bottle right now, there will be a 99% chance “sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate” (SLS) will be the first or second ingredient. This isn’t good.

Basically we have become a society obessed with “foaming” shampoo’s…and this is all SLS does for your hair. It actually doesn’t contribute to the cleaning process AT ALL. It just gives you the “illusion” you are washing your hair, and is a cheap ingredient to put in body washes and shampoo products. Unfortunately, it is in just about everything today and we as consumers need to me more aware of this chemical ingredient and opt for “alternative choices”.

Why is SLS bad? Well, too much of anything is not good and it is in about 90% of shampoos, hand soaps and body washes on the market! Furthermore, sodium lauryl sulfate is very irritating to the eyes and skin, and may contain the carcinogen dioxane (produced during manufacturing).

Eco-Savy has put together a list of our favourite “sulfate-free shampoo’s” Eco-Savy. Check it out here.

SULFATE FREE SHAMPOO

The Health Benefits of Black Tea

Though they come from the same plant, black tea has a more flavorful taste and richer aroma than green tea. This is due to the fact that the said beverage undergoes a certain process called oxidation, which also gives it its darker color.

Though black tea undergoes more processing than green tea, it still provides an array of health benefits to your body. Here are some of the positive health effects of drinking black tea on a daily basis.

Black tea benefits

Black Tea Energizes Your Body

Many people resort to energy drinks to boost their energy levels and productivity. However, consuming these beverages is quite unhealthy since they contain certain chemical substances that may be harmful to your body. On the other hand, drinking a healthy cup of black tea can give you the same energy-boosting effects you will find in energy drinks minus the harmful chemical substances.

The reason behind this is that black tea is a good source of caffeine. Aside from that, it also contains small quantities of a certain stimulant known as theophyline. Both theophyline and caffeine can effectively make you more energetic and alert by raising your heart rate.

Black Tea Is Rich in Antioxidants

Just like its cousin—green tea—black tea also contains high level of antioxidants, specifically catechins and polyphenols. These two antioxidants are very powerful. They can effectively eradicate free radicals within your body and prevent cellular damage.

Furthermore, several studies show that antioxidants, especially polyphenols and catechins, can help prevent and fight cancer. For example, in a certain scientific study it has been found that those women who drink black tea on a regular basis have lower risks of developing ovarian cancer than those who do not.

In addition, cancer is not the only disease that black tea is capable of preventing and fighting. Other diseases that this healthy beverage has positive effects on are the following:

–    Atherosclerosis
–    Kidney stones
–    Parkinson’s Disease
–    Diabetes
–   Osteoporosis
–   High Cholesterol

Again, it is the high antioxidant concentration of black tea that enables it to prevent and fight these serious health conditions.

Black Tea Is Good for the Heart

Drinking black tea on a daily basis is good for your cardiovascular system. Black tea contains a certain chemical compound called theaflavins. Theaflavins reduce your risk of acquiring heart disease by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Furthermore, black tea can also help people who have suffered from heart attacks increase their survival rate. Not only that but also it has been found that drinking this natural healthy beverage can help improve the flexibility or elasticity of your blood vessels. This in turn will help you keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

Not only is black tea delicious, it is very healthy to your body as well. However, in order for you to experience its amazing health benefits you need to drink it on a daily basis. Instead of grabbing a can of soda or a cup of coffee, why not go for a cup of black tea? It will not only reinvigorate your body and increase your productivity, it will also help you prevent and fight various diseases.

Kill Harmful Bacteria on Your Wash Cloth in 30 Seconds

Ever wonder how many microorganisms are on your scotch brite dish sponge or tea towels? Or how about that cutting board you used to cut the chicken for dinner? Whether wood or plastic, they can be washed in the dishawasher or cleaned with a dilute bleach solution. However, dish clothes and tea towels are another problem.

Bacteria in Wash Cloths and Tea Towels

The Sun recently wrote about a report by the Hygiene Council – a panel of the world’s leading microbiologists and virologists; revealing kitchen cloths and tea towels are the main culprits for harbouring and spreading bacteria. Shockingly, nine out of ten dish clothes are contaminated with bugs such as E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter – the bacteria that causes food poisoning.

Dirty Wash Cloth- Eco-Savy

How to Kill Bacteria on a Washcloth in Seconds?

Many people think they have to always just throw out their tea towels or dish cloth once they have been used to clean up a yucky spill or are smelling funky. Often when they start to smell you know there is a build up of bacteria.

The solution is really quite simple. According Dr. Joe Schwarcz, author of “Let them Eat Flax” (can find this book in Eco-Savy Store), wash clothes can be rid of microorganisms by putting a dry one in the microwave for thirty seconds or wet one for three minutes. The microwaves will kill all bacteria. HOW SIMPLE AND CONVENIENT IS THAT. What I like most about this is you don’t have to use any harmful chemicals and you will use less sponges in the long run, which is more sustainable.

It would be great to get feedback from our readers. What are your thoughts on bacteria and dishcloths? Have you ever heard of this technique to kill bacteria? What are you doing?

 

Be A Featured Writer on Eco-Savy~!

Eco-savy is looking for guest writers!

guest writer eco-savy

If you are as passionate about leading a healthier green lifestyle and sustainability as we are, we would love to hear from you! Or maybe you just have a great story to share? We want to hear from you.

Why not be a guest blogger? We are open to all suggested topics.

If you’d like to become an ongoing writer, then we would make you your own section, (mini site) that would be placed in a new community category which is in the process of being developed. This is a great way to get your name out in the community. Contributing to Eco-Savy is greatly appreciated to our many readers and fans.

If interested, please e-mail sbonham@eco-savy.com

P.S.
Eco-savy does not want copy-pasted articles from the internet.It should be genuine and pictures if taken from the internet should mention the source too.You cannot use the same article written for panache anywhere else.

 

FACTS FACTS FACTS

Check out eco-savy’s new SHOCKING FACTS page!

Eco-savy gets so many questions about everyday products, what we recommended people buy and chemicals to avoid, it only made sense to add this new section. It will basically just provide information/ shocking scientific facts about the chemicals in our everyday products.

Shocking Facts

Hope you like it! 🙂

Click here.