How to Go Green: Thanksgiving Day

[by Rachel Sarnoff]

With all the planning, cooking, and cleaning, the last thing you want to think about is greening your Thanksgiving, right? But this is the perfect time to reflect and reassess your holiday preparations with a nod to sustainability.

It's not as hard as you might think: Do you typically put a wreath on your door and a cut flower arrangement on your table? Try buying organic, or better yet, find living succulent wreaths for both. Is your centerpiece a turkey? Find a heritage breed, or consider a vegetarian alternative. Find out how to shop your local farmers' markets for your feast, and find recycled elements for your holiday decor.

We've broken it down to make Thanksgiving an easy, eco-friendly, and fun holiday for all involved. Follow our countdown and you can make an easy transition to a more sustainable holiday tradition. With extensive tips on menu planning, decorating, shopping, cleaning and more, we've got you covered from now 'til leftovers.

There can you find an heirloom turkey? Where are cranberries grown? How much food do Americans normally waste? We've got the answers and lots more questions about Thanksgiving in our quiz: Do You Give Thanks With Minimal Impact? Click on over to get started and learn tons of great green knowledge along the way.

full article:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/thanksgiving-day/

Hair Coloring

Here are some tips for safer hair coloring products. They are not all perfect, but a good place to start. The main problem with hair dyes are ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, PPD (p-phenylenediamine), diaminobenzene and coal tar.

Developing safer hair coloring has been a challenge. We’ve given a range of products here. The safest ones are the all natural products, though they tend to not last as long. The products that many find give the best results still have small amounts of some toxic ingredients, but much less than the usual. PPD and peroxide are needed to open and penetrate the hair shaft and produce permanent color. Be wary of permanent products without them as they may rely on toxic ingredients such as mercury or lead.

Since many salons have not embraced safe hair coloring yet, we encourage you to see if they will use one of these products. Sometimes, something just needs to be brought to attention before it catches on…

Aveda
Aveda uses green tea extract as the oxidizer in their hair colorings. Colors vary from 93% to 99% naturally derived. You can visit one of their salons. Or if you are diligent, and knowledgeable, about salon hair color, you can order products on line.

Color Me Natural (Aubrey Organics)
This is a natural indigo, dark brown, henna based product.

EcoColors
EcoColors has a salon in Atlanta, but you can also buy their product online. They have low PPD, low ammonia and some peroxide. They also have a salon locator on their web site.

Herbatint (Herbavita)
You can buy this in many stores and it is a no ammonia, no alcohol, low peroxide and low PPD permanent dye. There is also a semi-permanent line that is PPD and peroxide free.

John Masters Organics Salon
New York City salon that uses only ammonia-free herbal and clay based products. Does not offer perms, relaxers or bleaches.

Light Mountain Natural Hair Color
This is a semipermanent henna product.

Naturcolor
This is ammonia free and low PPD permanent and semipermanent color.

Naturtint
Available in stores and online. It has no ammonia and is permanent.

Rainbow Henna
This is 100% organic and comes in a variety of colors. It is semipermanent and lasts up to about six weeks.

Surya Henna
Semipermanent Henna.

Susan Henry’s Natural Color Process
Ammonia free permanent hair colors. Available online.

Tocco Magico
This is an Italian product that is available in salons only.

Vegetal Color (Herbavita)
These colors have no ammonia, PPD or peroxide and are semipermanent, lasting only five to six washes.

Henna for Hair
A wesite community of henna users with real life pictures of results and do-it-yourself mixes.

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