Have You Been "Greenwashed"?

Currently worldwide Green is the key word that companies are eager to demonstrate. I stumbled upon this article this morning and was motivated to stand up and say something:

The average citizen is finding it more and more difficult to tell the difference between those companies genuinely dedicated to making a difference and those that are using a green curtain to conceal dark motives. Consumers are constantly bombarded by corporate campaigns touting green goals, programs, and accomplishments. Even when corporations voluntarily strengthen their record on the environment, they often use multi-million dollar advertising campaigns to exaggerate these minor improvements as major achievements.

Sometimes, not even the intentions are genuine. Some companies, when forced by legislation or a court decision to improve their environmental track record, promote the resulting changes as if they had taken the step voluntarily. And at the same time that many corporations are touting their new green image (and their CEOs are giving lectures on corporate ecological ethics), their lobbyists are working night and day in Washington to gut environmental protections.

To read the full article click here.

Are you tired of seeing the words, Green, Eco, Bio, Natural and Environmentally Friendly in association with products that common sense tells you are most certainly NOT?

I am.

According to Wikipedia:

Greenwashing is a term describing the deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company's policies or products are environmentally friendly. The term green sheen has similarly been used to describe organizations that attempt to show that they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment.

A new survey suggests that over 95% of all companies claiming to be green are guilty of at least one count of greenwashing. The upside is that 5% of companies claiming to be green actually are. I can say that we are one of them :)

You can avoid being Greenwashed.

1. Look at labels.
For example: If a product claims to be recycled - the company must list the recycled content percentage. If a cleaning product claims to be green it may be that just the packaging is green. You want the product to be: Biodegradable, phosphate free, chlorine free, bleach free and scented with natural oils or fragrances.

2. Look for the country of origin.
There are several reasons to see where your product was manufactured. One reason is that if it was made outside the USA or Canada you want to make sure it has a "Fair Trade" label. Fair trade doesn't equate environmental responsibility but it does mean that children weren't making your product. Another reason to check the country of origin, especially when using creams and supplements, is that other countries do not have the same health and safety guidelines which are enforced in the USA and Canada. Do you really want to use a face cream that was made in Asia, quick and cheap, without the USA Health Codes? Oftentimes big companies who buy such products to sell here do not do their due diligence. Just a warning...

3. Food products must be labeled.
Organic food products will be labeled "USDA Organic" if they are truly organic.

4. Use common sense
If a product is disposable, even if it's organic, it should be biodegradable or compostable if it's truly green. If you look at a product and think, "how in the world can this be environmentally friendly" - chances are that it's not.

Diaper Rashes

What can you do for babies with diaper rash? The first step is identifying the type of rash. Originally I googled photos of different rashes in attempt to post coordinating photos with this post. Unfortunately the photos were all worst case scenarios and I didn't want to scare folks. I am listing some rashes and remedies below - I am NOT a doctor so please check with yours.

A few things to note:

• The diaper rash is usually caused by the feces and if the feces happen to be solids then the risk of the rash is high.
  
• Breast-fed babies are less prone to this infection. A balance of breast milk and semi-solid foods or formula would go a long way in controlling this rash.
• Avoid perfumed baby powders
• If you are cloth diapering - try changing detergents and then strip your diapers. My easy diaper stripping instructions (scroll to the bottom)
• Do not use wipes, lotions, or powders that contain alcohol or fragrance, because this can irritate babies delicate skin and prolong the diaper rash.
• Look at the obvious clues. My daughter Rylee had a horrible diaper rash. She was in pre-folds and a wool cover. After switching out the wool the rash went away. WE had her tested and sure enough she had a lanolin allergy.
  

Rash Remedies for every type of rash

• Air your baby out as much as possible.
• If naked time isn't an option then make sure you are changing diapers as soon as your baby dirties it.
• Calendula cream encourages healing and helps with pain.
• Avoid foods that cause diarrhea and acidic urine.
• Plain old corn starch helps any kind of chafing on your body just pat on dry skin.
• If you are lactating - squirt some breastmilk on the rash. It will be sticky but breastmilk has natural antibiotics that work as well topically as they do orally.
  

Candida aka yeast
If you go to a traditional doctor they will give you an antifungal topical treatment.

Natural Remedy

• Both of you should start taking acidophilus if you are breastfeeding to help get your systems in balance again (and in your case, to prevent thrush on your nipples).
• Also avoid sweets and yeast!
• You can also apply acidophilus directly to your baby's bottom.
• Paint baby's bottom with gentian violet (once a day for 3-4 days), which you can buy from small drugstores. It usually works very well, but is also very messy - it turns everything purple! Also it can irritate the skin so use moderately.

Painful Red Bleeding Rashes
In addition to the rash remedies listed first in this post you can also:

• Use vinegar in the bath water and let the child soak for about 10 minutes - fill tub to waistline, and add 1/4 -1/2 cup white vinegar.
• Just rinse the baby's bottom in the sink at each change instead of using wipes.

When to call a doctor

• If the rash lasts longer then a few days
• If it spreads to other parts of the body - arms, face...
• If your baby is under two months old
• If the rash is getting worse instead of better
• If your baby has a high fever or is lethargic
• If the rash is bleeding, has pus, crusty patches or boils

Note: If you are using a LolliDoo ™ Diaper - you can boil it once in a blue moon to sterilize it. Do not try this with PUL (polyurethane) diapers because you will ruin the PUL.

This is a great article from WebMd for more information