Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year!

Take your green efforts one step further and incorporate it into your laundry room.  Did you know that washing your clothes in cold water will give you the same end result as hot water?….clean clothes.  However, you’ll save tons of cash on your electric bill.  It takes so much energy to heat all the water in your hot water tank.  Why pay for something that you don’t need to?  Switch to a cold water detergent and start washing your clothes in cold water.   Do some multitasking by saving money,  being kind to the environment, and conversing, simply by switching to cold water when you do laundry.

A big thank you to EcoBold for not only supporting eco-minded people and businesses, but for also featuring Supernatural Botanicals today.  The following article is courtsey of EcoBold.  Visit their site to learn more about the great work they are doing…then let it inspire you!

The founder of Supernatural Botanicals, Robin Feltner has a chemistry background and she just knows what ingredients should or shouldn’t be inside skincare products. This line is completely paraben-free and phthalate-free. Learn more with the interview below:

Tell us a little bit about the background and story of Supernatural Botanicals.
Supernatural Botanicals is an eco-chic bath & body company specializing in skincare that follows Green practices and principals, and formulates its products with intent and purpose.

At the inception of Supernatural Botanicals, we knew we wanted to create a company that knows its demographic. Growing increasingly disappointed with mainstream bath & body stores catering to teenagers, Supernatural Botanicals wanted to target the grown sexy woman demographic. We also wanted to focus on being Green and creating products that not only feel and smell amazing, but products that are highly beneficial for the skin.

We created products formulated without Parabens or Phthalates. Green products come from natural and organic ingredients, and that’s exactly how we formulate our products…with intent and purpose, and as natural as we can. After literally hundreds and hundreds of prototypes, we formulated perfection, bringing to you natural products that smell as incredible as they perform.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? 
I’ve always had “entrepreneur” in my genetic makeup. I was selling homemade cards to neighborhood ladies at the age of 4. I wanted to grow up and have a double major as a fashion designer and interior designer. That dream never materialized. In hindsight, I wish I would have had a mentor to help me prepare, telling me which art and business classes I should have taken.

What’s wrong with standard skincare products and why do you think such ingredients are allowed? 
I believe lack of quality ingredients poses a huge threat. Not only has quality fallen by the wayside, but we also should be concerned with the toxins in the products we are using every day. Many common ingredients have been proven by scientists to be harmful, yet manufacturers continue to use them because they are inexpensive, thus allowing for more profit.

How did you choose your ingredients and what to put in each product? 
Extensive research! Having a chemistry/pharmacy background, I’m always extremely cognizant about using quality, natural ingredients.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned while starting Supernatural Botanicals? 
I’ve literally learned a wealth of knowledge in forming my company. I’ve learned that customers sincerely do appreciate companies that are going the extra effort to keep them healthy. I, too, have learned how many mainstream companies use cheap fillers in order to make profits. 

If you could choose just one of your products, which one would it be? 
Extremely hard to narrow that down as I love all of the products. I do favor our Beach Body Spray. Not only does it smell absolutely amazing and I get numerous compliments on it every time I wear it, but it’s a multitasker. It works great in your hair, giving your hair extra volume and beautiful scent. I even use it as a linen spray on my bed sheets. It’s also our best seller.

Describe a typical day in your life.
I’m an early riser. I tend to get a tremendous amount accomplished in the early hours. I work on the business end of the business from 5-8…networking, emails, following up on orders, PR, social media, etc. From 8-6 I’m in our workshop, formulating skincare products and filling orders. The day flies by, and I’m always hungry for more hours at the end of the day. In the past, it would be very common to find me in my workshop until as late as 11 p.m. I’ve luckily learned time management, and the importance of accomplishing that task.

What’s one thing we could do to have an awesome skin, naturally? 
Check your labels. Use products that do not contain parabens. Don’t be fooled by companies that splash the name of an all natural ingredient, only to flip the label over and realize that they natural product they are promoting only has trace elements within it, and is filled with other harmful fillers. 

If there is one thing/thought/idea that you could pass on to the next generation, what would it be? 
One huge concern I have for our next generation is the condition of our planet. Global warming and eco concerns will certainly be a problem in which they inherit. My hope is that we can educate the masses enough to get everyone on board with being green and eco-responsible. 

What’s your # 1 green tip? 
Recycling is an easy way to start being green. Every human being on the planet creates waste. There’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be more responsible for the garbage we create. This is also something that even children can learn and be a part of. If we start them early, it will become second-nature to them.

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
• Unplug appliances when you’re not using them. Or, use a “smart” power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts “phantom” or “vampire” energy use.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.

In clinical studies, celery always tops the list as being the “dirtiest” veggie.  Because celery stalks are extremely porous, they retain pesticides they are sprayed with…and if you aren’t eating organic celery, that’s about 13 pesticides your stalks are being sprayed with.  When purchasing celery, go with organic.  You’ll reduce your family’s chances of ingesting dangerous pesticides.  Have celery in the fridge that’s not organic?  It’s okay, it’s still edible, but be sure to wash it several times.  Using a good veggie wash or a homemade blend of one part vinegar and three parts water will do the trick.

So it’s no secret that we here at Supernatural Botanicals are tree-hugging, granola-eating, Earth-loving people, so an event like Earth Day 2011 is a celebration for us.  In our effort to be Green, we ask that you do one thing kind for the planet today.  You can approach this in a myriad of ways…try to walk instead of drive, recycle something, reuse something instead of chucking it into the garbage, avoid putting toxins down your drains,  reduce your consumption, plant a tree, start a garden.  Simply, live a cleaner, more eco-friendly  lifestyle.  Start today, and see if it “sticks” tomorrow.  Stand for something, have a cause.  Happy Earth Day!

If you are serious not only about working out, but about being stylish while doing so, look no furhter…Spirit for Living  has got you covered. 

My friends over at Spirit for Living  was generous enough to send me one of their gorgeous classic boat neck shirts.  Being a huge Green fan, I was ultra-impressed that the shirt was made of natural soy and cotton blend.  The shirt is super-soft.  I love the way that the shirt just barely slips off one shoulder once in a while…a little dose of sexy without trying too hard.   

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 It’s a perfect shirt for working out, as it’s comfortable and not confining whatsoever, but it’s also a great shirt to wear with jeans or even a skirt.  We all love multi-functional pieces in our closet and need more of them. 

One look at Spirit for Living’s website and you’ll want every single item they offer.  My next piece will be the slim fit skirt.  It’s so pretty and flattering to the body….and it’s going to look great with my boat neck shirt.  Kudos to Spirit for Living’s founder, Jennifer Smith, for being a female entrepreneur with a consciousness about being Green and ultra-stylish.  Love that! 

“I don’t mind paying a bit more for things made with sustainable materials.  I love FEED bags by Ellen Gustafson and Lauren Bush (feedprojects.com).  They are eco-friendly and most of the proceeds go to feeding and educating children around the world. “  Kristen Bell on how she goes Green.  …Way to e eco-friendly, sister!

Get rid of those Christmas trees responsibly this year….recycle them.  Why recycle?  Christmas trees take up tons of space in landfills, and the decay of the trees are painfully slow due to the lack of oxygen.  Instead, the trees can be ground into wood chips or made into useful compost.

Check with your city’s online website to find if your township is holding a Christmas Tree Recycling day…and most cities do.  You can also check out Earth911 for additional resources to get rid of that tree responsibly.

Start the year off  Green and do the right thing.  Recycle!

It pays to go green!  Have you started walking, biking or taking public transportation to work in an effort to go green?  Not only will you save on gas and maintenance (and improve your body and health), but you more than likely can get a break on your insurance rates.  If you’ve made efforts to go green by driving less, be sure and call your insurance representative and let them know.  There could be a nice reward, in the form of cash savings, for you.  Team Earth!