Unique Find (and Review): Otter Wax

Last spring at UNIQUE LA I came across this product Otter Wax that is a safe and natural way to protect fabric and I picked up a few bars. They also have a great line of products to protect and care for leather products! All of their products are natural, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and proudly handmade in the USA. Best part I found out when checking them out online is that they do free shipping on all U.S. orders!!!

I was perusing Curated a shop by Hydrangea Hippo at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles and I was drawn to these clutches by Sahnda Marie. (Side Note: These bags are no longer available in her shop at CRAFTED :( Sorry it took me so long to post about my purchase.  You can find her work in her Etsy Shop Here)

The coloring and the pattern stopped me in my tracks. I fell in love instantly! However, I get so bummed when I fall in love with a tote or accessory where the fabric has white in the pattern. I just know in my heart of hearts I would ruin the purse immediately because I basically break everything I touch the first time I wear it or use it.  I thought this would be the perfect time to test out the Otter Wax to see if I can keep the purse looking nice for as long as possible.

Otter Wax is easy to apply, and amazingly pretty fool-proof way to protect fabric. It is smart to use the wax on a new item to keep it perfect for as long as possible but you can also clean and dry any item to preserve and protect.

The wax goes on the fabric really smoothly and easy to apply. Really all you do is rub the bar everywhere. Then using a blow dryer you can soften the wax and smooth the waterproofing seal in difficult areas. You can kinda see the fabric get smooth and shiny when sealing with a hair dryer.

It says to let the item sit for 24 hours after using the hair dryer for the product to fully set and protect the item which I did. I did however reapply a second layer after the 24 hours repeating the full process to make extra sure I keep the whites bright.

The review: I totally think it is a product worth checking out!

XOXO, KC

Review: Organix Hair Care Products

So, I am super picky about my conditioner. I've got thick hair that likes to frizz. I've also recently had a keratin treatment done on my hair (all natural, no formaldehyde) and I color it so that means I need to use a shampoo that doesn't contain sulfates. A friend had left her Organix argan oil shampoo in my shower and I gave it a try. Pretty good (not super foamy because it lacks those sulfates, but good).

Photo from Organix, www.organixhair.com

The next time I was buying conditioner I looked to see what Organix offered. I was a little skeptical if it's going to be as good as what I currently use, but I was also looking to find something that was a bit more eco-friendly so I gave their keratin conditioner a shot. I have to say I was VERY impressed. Super smooth, moisturizing and silky. Only complaint is that it is a little hard to wash out.

NOW, to the "green" aspects to this line. It's always hard to know when to trust manufacturers on this stuff and also know exactly what you are putting on your hair without a chemistry degree. So, this becomes hard for the lay person to figure out sometimes. I've read a few things that say they use other not-so-great ingredients in place of the really bad ones. That's not cool. 

In other aspects, the bottles are made with recycled materials, the labels use environmentally friendly inks, and the label film is made from corn (so that's also controversial at a certain level). It's also not tested on animals (I mean, it's 2012, why would any product like this still be doing that, but I guess not everyone does). 

As someone who doesn't have a lot of money to spend on salon haircare products (or time... this stuff is right at Target where I'm already doing some shopping), and as someone who likes green options but also options that work for my hair, this product seems like a good compromise. But I'm open to others. Anyone else have a great shampoo and conditioner that is also green? And how do you define green?

http://www.organixhair.com/

Unique Find (and Review): Further

My current obsession-- Further products!

Locally sourced depleted vegetable oil is refined into biofuel (so amazing already) THEN the folks at Further take the pure glycerin byproduct to produce their exceptional product line.

Their story is just as wonderful as their unique fragrance. I am pretty addicted on this stuff on the wonderful fragrance alone. It smells fresh, clean, and the hook for me is it has more of a masculine scent.  I don't really like floral, or musky scents so I usually go for unscented.  Once I picked up a Further hand lotion at Unique LA's Holiday Show I couldn't imagine not getting to slather this delicious scented lotion on my skin. It is thick enough to feel helpful on soothing dry skin while smooth enough to not feel greasy or sticky.

We were lucky enough to have the dish soap and the hand soap sent home to test out for our review when I purchased a hand lotion at the last Unique LA Spring Show. I feel confident that I  have used everything enough to give a truthful review of my findings in case it is a product that you would enjoy too. Using the full product line is really wonderful if you like the scent. The fragrance holds strong, but doubling up the hand soap and the lotion is a home run!

When I was a teen I was obsessed with the sales at Bath and Body Works. I was that girl. As I got older I was either too broke to continue my habit or my taste had shifted to where I would spend more if I just found the right product (eco, thoughtful, smells good)-- I just was too broke to test everything out to find which one I loved. Whatever ratio and recipe Further came up with, they found the yummiest fragrance for their lotion that totally fits all my requirements for a forever favorite. The dish soap, which is available in person at events like Unique LA, smells so good it is actually pleasurable to do dishes! The price tag for the dish soap is a bit pricey for dish soap, but if I had a guest house or had a situation where the soap wasn't used too frequently this would be a perfect investment stocked in the kitchen. They would all be great housewarming gifts or a hostess gift for crashing at a friends place and saving them from using up all their products too! Overall, I think you would really enjoy adding some of this in your life if you like bergamot scent. And if you don't know if you like bergamot you should totally give it a try because it is awesome!!

Best part for us Culver City shoppers is their products are sold in my favorite retailer Ludeen's in downtown Culver. Another must to check out if you haven't already. It is like a Unique LA + Patchwork + CRAFTED in a small boutique just east of the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City!!!

XOXO, KC

Compostable Trash Bags

I hate creating garbage and throwing away a bunch of trash encased in plastic just feels unsettling to me. Regular plastic bags can take 100 years to degrade.  I understand the need for regular trash bags for some things. One of those tips and tricks is using black lawn trash bags to keep light off uncured screens once screen printing emulsion has dried on them in a dark room. They keep light out so wonderfully there is really no other thing that could tackle the job of saving your screen while waiting to burn your image in it.  For everything else, I use compostable trash bags to dispose of our household trash.

There are some "drawbacks" to compostable trash bags when you compare them to something like a ForceFlex garbage bag; for instance they are very thin and are not as forgiving. They do not have fancy drawstrings, and you can't put liquids in them since they are more porous.  If your household accumulates a ton of trash the difference in cost for the compostable bags would really add up. While all these "drawbacks" are true, I think there is something to be said about making life choices that don't include preserving trash in plastic for years to come. Also, as you are utilizing choices that accumulate less trash you will have less need for so many voluminous trash bags.

Since there are no ties up top or anything like a lip to secure the bag, it will slide down (as shown right) if not secured with a very large rubber band. Give this idea a chance and feel better next time you drop the trash off in a compostable bag. Also pictured far right: Using compostable bags for recycling - seems more logical than wasting a plastic bag for recycling. Just a thought.

I have tried World Centric, If You Care, and Bio Bags. All of them will run you from $5 - $7 depending on where you purchase them. The main plus for Bio Bags over the other brands is each bag has four flaps that you can use to tie and secure the bag. Plus the bags are a fun green color :) Usually the World Centric is my bred and butter. Seriously they are all pretty comparable so you can't go wrong.


Live Green,
KC 


I get no benefit from these reviews other than the sheer enjoyment of using the products. I get no payment from affiliate links or off my reviews.

Review: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dryer Sheets

I have been using Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dryer Sheets for years now and I am totally in love with them! I love the smell and how it radiates from each different sent so wonderfully and each so unique. I find myself overstocking the house with them because they are better than air fresheners before even using them.  But what about when they are finished with a laundry load?  Now I got to figure out how to make it art - trey bonus!!!

I like that they are like perforated paper- not that flimsy weird stuff that seems like pure chemicals that regular dryer sheets are made of. At first I was skeptical about how they would stand up compared to the softness achieved with using the traditional sheet; throwing in scented paper seemed like a stretch. Seriously, these dryer sheets worked great! Plus, after they are used they make one of my favorite staples which find numerous uses as upcycled craft materials. They can be recycled like other paper products as well as being fully biodegradable.  Rest assured each time you're doing laundry that the load isn't piling up leaving a ton of waste behind.

One of my favorite things to do with the leftover dryer sheets is to make these little delicate circles for all kinds of end decorations. They are really easy to make and they still have a faint smell; using a bunch of them in a home decor project leaves everything nice and fresh too.

These dryer sheets are a great substitution to work in to your routine for:

• Laundry and Art!  Making something out of top quality Eco products is right up your alley- I am talking to you Upcyclers!
   
• You really want an eco alternative that is scented.  seriously.

I get no benefit from these reviews other than the sheer enjoyment of using the products. I get no payment from affiliate links or off my reviews.