In making skin care and cosmetics, preservatives are always a great concern, especially for organic and natural products. There needs to be a balance between a long shelf life and a safe product when formulating non-toxic products.

Every product must include an antimicrobial that kills or inhibits growth of bacteria and an antioxidant to prevent the product from going rancid. Most organic and natural skin care companies choose one of two methods.

• formulating products with preserving plant extracts or
• adding a synthetic but safe preservatives.

Here are a few of the more popular choices:

Natural Preservatives

Antimicrobials – grapefruit seed extract, essential oils (there are many different combinations that work)

Antioxidants – rosemary leaf extract, green tea extract

Synthetic but Safe Preservatives (according to the Environmental Working Group)

Antimicrobials – potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate.

Antioxidants – vitamin E, vitamin C palmitate

Either way, often the use of safe preservatives means that products may not have the shelf life of products that use toxic preservatives. Personally, I would prefer to buy smaller amounts, use them in good time, and not suffer the fallout from toxins that may be cause cancer.

If you are concerned about the ingredients in your products put them to the test with the EWG’s cosmetic database.

How to tell if your skin care products need to be replaced? Although the answer changes per product, here are some things to look for.

• The product smells off.
• The colour has changed.
• The product is separating in its container.
• The product changes texture.
• The products is drying out.

When you buy skin care products, check for an expiration date. If it doesn’t have one, ask. And only buy as much as you think you will need. It isn’t always cheaper to buy the bigger bottle or to stock up during a sale, especially if you can’t use it up before it becomes unsafe.

I prefer to buy products in smaller quantities more often, knowing that I am treating myself and our planet with the respect and care we all deserve. And I have to say that since my change, I have had comments regarding how great my skin and hair look (for my age, of course).

A big thank you to Jessica at www.cocoonapothecary.com for her assistance in writing this piece. She was generous with her time and information and I am grateful to be able to pass on her knowledge.

We have a bit of a strange tradition in our family. Each summer we choose one of the many long steep hills in Vancouver and we challenge ourselves to make it up the hill, on two wheels. At the beginning of each summer, our first trip up the hill usually consists of us pushing our bikes up most of the way. We keep at it though and as much as it might sound like cruel and unusual punishment, the sense of achievement when we finally complete the hill is enormous.

Checking out the turtles

Recently I read an article on CBC, Active play eludes kids in summer: survey, which stated that kids are not getting enough physical activity during the summer months. About 50% of kids spend most of their time with parents while another 20% spend time at day camps. It turns out that the kids in day camp are more active than the kids who spend their time with their parents. This summer, we are all taking the month of July and hanging out as a family and since reading that article I have been thinking more and more about what we are going to do with this time.

The truth of the matter is that both of my kids are far more fit than I am. They regularly engage in unstructured active play as well as structured athletics, whereas I spend a great deal of time on my rear looking at a computer screen. If I shift my perspective and think of my kids as my personal trainers and engage in active play with them, I may regain some of my fitness level. I know I can’t keep up with them but I can certainly try and along the way I bet we will all have tons of fun.

According to Active Health Kids Canada only 12% of Canadian children and youth get the 90 minutes of recommended physical activity. I am willing to bet that adults get even less exercise. So I am nominating my kids as my personal trainers for the summer. My exercise will no doubt consist of skipping, tag, hide & seek, chase, swimming, nature hikes, bug hunting, running up the stairs to the top of the water slides, ropes courses and whatever else my kids can come up with. It may not be the traditional exercise program but I think I will enjoy it.

And if it doesn’t kill me, it will get me in shape.

Bug Hunting

Today is the first day of summer and what better way to start baby’s first summer than by getting some great summer threads. Green Bean Baby’s products are made from 100% certified organic cotton to address growing concerns about the environment, health and safety in the textile and apparel industries. All Green Bean Baby products are quality made in Vancouver.

Here is some great ways to dress baby this summer.

100% Organic Cotton Kimono Top. Dressing baby is a breeze with this light knit kimono top. Fabric manufactured in Canada. Sewn in Canada. size 0-6m (photo by Bopomo Pictures)

100% Organic Cotton Pants. These functional pants match the kimono top and are great for a day at the beach. Fabric Manufactured in Canada. Sewn in Canada. size 0-6m (photo by Bopomo Pictures)

100% Organic Cotton Hooded Jacket. (photo by Bopomo Pictures) This cozy, fleece jacket is an everyday essential. Fabric manufactured in the US. Sewn in Canada. sizes 6-12m, 12-18m

100% Organic Cotton Dress. (photo by Bopomo Pictures) This adorable dress is made from a beautiful, soft, textured knit that is manufactured in Canada. Sewn in Canada. sizes 6-12m, 12-18m

100% Organic Cotton Nightgown. (photo by Bopomo Pictures) This nightgown is made from buttery soft interlock. Fabric is manufactured in the US. Sewn in Canada. size 0-3m

Clear Lake Golf Course in Manitoba has been able to establish a golf centre and keep it maintained as an environmentally sustainable activity and part of the country’s tourism. So it’s no surprise that they were nominated for the Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award in 2009.

One doesn’t usually think of a golf course as being particularly environmentally sound, other than those who slice into the trees a bit too often. But Clear Lake Golf Course is different than many other courses in Canada.

This course operates with a very small impact on the environment, while still remaining not only profitable but also charitable financially. They take every opportunity that is presented to them, in an effort to promote sound and responsible ecologically friendly practices, which in their case includes herb gardens for their restaurant food, reducing carbon emissions from course maintenance, the use of bio-diesel fuels, less water usage, recycling and composting.

Clear Lake Golf Course was once reliant on chemical fertilizers in order to keep their greens… well, green, but now they rely on organic growing practices. And the level of play on the course has not changed - it still provides a premier, challenging golf experience.

This golf course has not only planted native species on their grounds, but they have also implemented ways to conserve water, including using composting toilets with digesters to minimize the amount of waste water they produce. This set-up has also been utilized to create the resource for a natural fertilization process, and they use biological and natural methods to control fungi and weeds.

This Eco-friendly golf course management technique did not come about by accident. One of the biggest facets of golf courses is their design, and Clear Lake Golf Course has extras in their design that most courses do not. This quality of design includes a variety of hole placements, but also more natural aspects of the course, like the variety of trees and shrubs that are native to the area, to insure that they will remain hardy and healthy.

After you have spent some time with the workers and the founder of Seascape Kayak Tours, you will experience first-hand why the company was nominated for a 2009 Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award.

The founder promotes the ethic of “leaving no trace” of yourself behind, while he teaches kayakers to become good stewards of the land. The company combines paddling with conservation, and they are an often-visited place by Eco-tourists. These are travelers who wish to improve their local communities, conserve their environment and have guides who help to interpret the cultures and environments that they encounter on their journeys.

Seascape Kayak Tours practices sustainability in their tourism, which is highly responsible. Even though the company is small and locally owned, they are one of the leaders in sustainable tourism. This has won them recognition from international leaders in Eco-friendly tours. Bruce Smith, in his Seascape work, has helped to create an awareness of environmental issues, and has helped to protect the land and water where the company operates.

In addition to their 2009 Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award nomination, Seascape also won the 2003 Council Visionary Award from the Gulf of Maine, for their sustainable tourism and marine education. They were the winners of the Savvy Traveler Award, and they were nominated the 2005 Adventure Travel Trade Association Pioneer Award.

Seascape follows very sustainable guidelines for their tourism trade. They only take out small groups, to minimize their impact on the environment and on the fragile ecosystems of the coastal areas they serve. The smaller tours also allow the individual tourists to achieve a more enriching connection to the environment they are visiting.

Seascape’s approach to impacting the environment as little as possible in a negative way has led to their methods of traveling as well as waste management, and they currently compost, reuse and recycle, as well as only purchasing items for use that have limited packaging. All of their promotional materials are printed on recycled papers. They are clearly doing all they can for the environment that they love.

It’s no mystery why Cape Jourimain Nature Centre won the Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award in 2009. The Nature Centre upholds highly its responsibility to teach people about choices that help the planet. Visitors can learn about natural choices, renewable energy, food and sustainability. You can learn about all the work done in making their own operation economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Cape Jourimain Nature Centre is a not-for-profit organization that has dedicated itself to improving the way people understand the natural and human history of the area. They also endeavor to make the smallest footprint on the environment that they can. They teach people who visit to strive at making small footprints of their own.

Cape Jourimain holds programs daily, on demand, and special programs for bus tours and school groups. They hold events every year, including the EcoArts and Osprey Festivals.

The centre offers to show tour groups their efforts at renewable energy, including technologies that help to lower the impact of visitors on the environment of the area.

When Cape Jourimain Nature Centre was designed, it was difficult to determine how a learning centre located in a National Wildlife Area and on an island could use strict ecological rules to protect the nature they live with. The centre was designed so that it would leave nothing behind, as far as waste and foot traffic. They will teach all the visitors to the centre as well, to lessen the marks they leave on the Earth.

The centre uses wind power for some of their electricity, and they use solar power to heat the water in the kichen. They use the energy of the Earth to help cool and heat the buildings, and they collect rainwater to help reduce their use of well-water. They also use composting toilets to reduce the need for water.

The entire Cape Jourimain Nature Centre is a teaching tool and an example for how we can live off the land without destroying it in the process.

Clean Air Day is here, and you’ve probably asked yourself what you can do to help. There are many ways in which you can ensure cleaner air and a healthier climate, and the more of us that help, the better the results will be.

People account for roughly 28% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. That is almost six tonnes for each person, per year! Think about it before you turn on that light, drive to a local store, boot up a computer or do anything else that uses energy. We can help lower the total greenhouse gas emissions.

You can start in your home. The average house has various cracks and gaps in the caulking, around the windows, doors and vents, etc. That makes about 1.50 square feet per house. Use weather stripping and caulk to seal all the leaks in your house, and you can not only help the environment, but also save about 20% on your energy bill!

Insulation is a sound investment, particularly in our Canadian climate . A small amount of money spent on insulation will pay for itself in only a few years.

You can use an automatic thermostat, too, to regulate your air conditioning and your heating, when you’re not home. And clean out or replace that furnace filter, to keep a good flow of air and to allow your furnace to work at peak efficiency.

Installing low flow showers and fixing leaky faucets will save you money on your hydro bill. And purchasing a new energy-wise refrigerator will allow you to consume much less energy than owning an older model, or one with bad seals. Be sure to check the EnerGuide label on refrigerators and any other appliances you buy, and get one that is energy efficient, so it will cost less to run.

Use cold water whenever you can and let your dishes air dry, which will save the heat generated when the dishwasher dries them.

Think ahead, think about the environment, and think about how we can help.

From the Atlantic to the Pacific, Canada is enormous in size, and offers lovely landscapes that include mountains, forests and lakes. There is much land still to be wandered in Canada, since about 90% of Canadians live within 160km of the US border.

Eco-tourists will be especially drawn to Canada’s scenic, vast wilderness. One such place is Gatineau Park, an area that is protected for wildlife and which offers camping, biking and snowshoeing, all with a strict focus on education in conservation.

There are many Eco-tour operators in Canada, as well. Travel agents can also help you find Eco-friendly tours and trips in Canada. Tourism is a $71.5 billion industry in Canada. This is more than the fishery, forestry and agriculture industries combined. In 2009, 23% of money spent on tourism were by foreign travellers, while domestic travel expenditures reached $57 billion.

Some of the most breathtaking Eco-friendly tours include Wilderness Adventures in Arctic Canada, which will offer wondrous wildlife and wilderness for your camera as well as for your heart and your soul. This is one of the most remote places on the planet, and you may spot caribou, musk-oxen, wild wolves and even the Aurora Borealis!

For a trip more along the agri-tourism lines, you can visit a 19th century family goat farm, in Manitoba. It is situated in front of a boreal forest, native prairie and riparian zones.

Eco-tours are offered in the coastal regions of Canada, near Vancouver Island, where you can wander through rainforest, along with seeing wildlife, marine life and birds. Your guide for some of these trips will be a trained biologist from Interpretation Canada.

Frontiers North has a Tundra Buggy Adventure that will take you to Churchill, Canada, where you can watch polar bears on the tundra. This is an image that may not be seen for many more years, so it’s all the more meaningful now.

You can also book Eco-tours in the Pacific Rainforest of Canada. You will have a guide who is an experienced naturalist, and you’ll have all the comforts of home with your 4-wheel drive travel to the remote beaches and spectacular rainforests of Vancouver Island.

Congratulations to Anne-Marie T. She is the winner of our “Keep Earth Day Alive” giveaway.

Here are 10 quick tips to get your started on saving energy.

Tip#1 Unplug electronics when not in use and save up to 15% on energy use. Use power bars with a timer or auto shut off.

Tip#2 Use energy efficient light bulbs. When replacing appliances look for ENERGY STAR® appliances.

Tip#3 Do your laundry in cold water. Hang your clothing to dry rather than use a dryer. Wash only full loads of laundry. Wash laundry during off-peak times or on weekends.

Tip#4 Install a smart thermostat that adjusts the temperature automatically depending on your schedule. Turn your thermostat down 2° in the winter. Turn your thermostat up 2° in the summer.

Tip#5 Don’t overfill the refrigerator, as this blocks air circulation. Conversely, a full freezer will perform better than an empty one.

Tip#6 Change your heating/cooling system air filters regularly and have your heating and cooling system tuned up by a professional.

Tip#7 Rinse dishes in a tub of clean water instead of under hot running water. If using a dishwasher, let the dishes air dry rather than using the dry cycle.

Tip#8 Use area rugs on cold floors - if your feet are cold, your body will feel cold. If you feel cool, put on a sweater rather than simply turning up the thermostat.

Tip#9 Install ceiling fans and use them to supplement or even as an alternative to air conditioning - ceiling fans generally use very little electricity. Make sure your fan is blowing air downwards in summer.

Tip #10 Turn off unnecessary lights in the house especially in the summer as they produce a lot of heat which works against the AC.