This Is A Green - Organic Ethical T-shirts

by Mistie Dawn

Are you like me and like to know more about where your clothing comes from, how its produced and what materials its made of? Is it full of harmful chemicals? What is it the global impact?

Then This Is A Green may be the t-shirt company for you. Based in the UK and started by two brothers, their goal is to make ethical clothing and organic t-shirts.

This Is A Green T-shirt

These t-shirts are made from 100% certified organic cotton grown in India and then manufactured in a Fairwear Foundation audited factory that is powered by wind. This significantly helps reduce the carbon impact. They are then shipped to the UK where the message of each shirt is hand silk screened using phthalate-free ink. Each is delivered to customers door in reusable biodegradable packaging and anything from 2% to 50% of profits from each sale goes towards charitable causes. 

With more people wanting and looking for transparency from manufacturers as well as ethical production practices it's nice to see a company that is trying to do just that.

My personal favorite is this blue + yellow = green tshirt.

Organic Cotton T-shirt

This Is A Green is also venturing out into other products, like a wallet made out of upcycled seat belts. To learn more about this eco-friendly company visit their website.  

Gold Madness...but you can keep the Mercury!

by Katy Green

www.shoptobegreen.com

THIN GOLD BRACELETS

Do you love the look of gold? I do! I love gold earring and bangles.

For centuries people all over the world have adorned themselves with gold and over time gold continues to increase in value, production and consumption!

The Unites States of America is the largest holder of gold and it's not because of the jewelry...most of the gold produced here is kept in central banks and treasury holdings, 258 million ounces of gold...if you don't believe me click here for the US Gold Treasury Report.

It's amazing how much gold is mined every year...over 2,500 metric tons compared to 400 metric tons in 1900!  52% of the gold produced worldwide is used to create jewelry and the USA is second to China as the one of the top producers of gold.

GOLD PROMISE RINGS

Did you know mining for gold has negative effect on the environment:

• mechanized mining use to acquire gold destroys the land and the ecosystem

• use of cyanide and mercury to separate gold from the rock is toxic to the atmosphere

• miners are exposed to toxins daily which has long term and deadly effects on the miners and the families

• as gold production increases more mercury and cyanide will be released into the atmosphere circulating the globe, polar regions and our food chain

Recycled gold is the best option because gold mining is harmful to the environment! Please help stop toxicity in the air by ...

• Trading gold jewelry with your friends.
• Passing on gold to loved ones 
• Buy recycled or upcycled gold jewelry. Shoptobegreen sells gold recycled gold bangles, recycled earrings and gold recycled promise rings.
• Purchase vintage gold

GOLD SQUARE EARRINGS

GOLD IS USED FOR SO MANY THINGS:

• Gold is used in electronics from cell phones to calculators to TVs

• Nearly one billion cell phones annually contain about fifty cents worth of gold

• Gold is also used in computers like circuit boards

• Gold is used in medicine and by NASA for aerospace for travel vehicles

• Gold is also used to make medals and and in glass for climate control in buildings

 Help save our planet...upcycle, recycle and think locally and globally.

Natural Handmade Soap Obsession!

by Tricia Reyes
www.shoptobegreen.com

Desert Rain Soap$7.00
Desert Rain Soap - handcrafted with ground Chaparral leaves,
Clary Sage and Cedarwood organic essential oil, 100% Vegan

Shoptobegreen is obsessed with naturals soaps... 

Mistie Dawn, founder of Shoptobegreen suffers from allergies and has tried many soaps on the market that claimed to be great for sensitive skin but nothing seemed to work until she decided to create her own line of soaps via 910 Joy Avenue as well as work with reputable green organic vendors that produce natural handmade soaps or liquid soaps.

The thought of making soap reminds me of making bread from scratch... it's quite a process but  it's worth it because we all get to benefit from the aromatic smells of Shoptobegreen soaps, like Hemp and Kelp Face Soap, Lemon Honey Tea Soap (sounds yummy), or Lavender Shea Soap (one of my favorites),G.B. ProudFoot's Liquid Eucalyptus Soap (great for clearing up sinuses while you cleanse) and Rosemary Mint Soap to name a few.

Babylonians
Handmade Soap Originators

I am fascinated by the origin of things, like soap? When did people start making it?  When was the first soap created?

According to Soap History.net, the first evidence of soap is dated around 2800 BC and the first soap makers were Babylonians (first to create soap), Egyptians, Mesopotamian race,  Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans. 

I am sure some of you are thinking "that's not possible" people did not bathe for centuries. 

Soap was created to clean utensils and plates not to cleanse oneself and it was made from fat, oils and salts. Wikipedia, claims that a formula for soap consisting of water, alkali, and cassia oil was written on a Babylonian clay tablet around 2200 BC....so there is some discrepancy as to the exact dates of soap.

Middle Ages
Bathing

The Romans created aqueducts in 312 BC (during the Hellenistic period - this is after 2200 BC) they used the water to bathe and clean themselves until they were overthrown and then the Dark Ages and Middle Ages followed....aghast no soap!  NOT TRUE. 

According to Middle Ages.org., people in Medieval Times bathed with soap but mostly in cold water unless you were royalty or a wealthy noble. Most bathed in wooden barrels which were located in monasteries, convents, castles or public bath houses. 

Did you know Queen Elizabeth I was reported to have taken a bath once a month which was considered clean considering the outbreak of danger in bathing too much. People were instructed to wash their hands and face daily but bathed much less during the Renaissance period.

Marseille soap in blocks of 600 g
source Wikipedia Marseille

In 1370 in Marseille, France, Marseille soap or Savon de Marseille was created as a traditional soap made from vegetable oils. In the USA, William Colgate's company, started making soap in 1806, and is considered the first major soap manufacturing company in the United States. The company pioneered perfumed soap in 1866 and launched Cashmere Bouquet in 1872. 

Alfred Stevens "The Bath"

It is important to note, that people were making soap at home prior to mass production so it was not as if they were waiting for soap to purchase in a store so they could take a bathe. 

If you are thinking about making your own soap, check out these quick natural soap making tips:

1. Making soap at home can be a dangerous process so be very careful and make sure you understand the safety process. Handmade soap requires use of chemicals as well as heating soaps at a high temperature.  At Shoptobegreen, we list all of the ingredients in the soaps we create for our wonderful customers.
2. There are three ways to make soap, melt and pour, heat process or cold process. Melt and pour may be the easiest but your adding to a plain soap that was already created. Heat process is creating soap from the beginning but you have to heat it the whole way through and cold is the same as the heat process except you are not heating it the entire time.
3. Keep it simple in the beginning. Try to use a couple ingredients until you familiarize yourself with the process.
4. If you are wondering how long it takes to make soap, it depends on how familiar you are with the process, the type of soap you plan to make and don't forget set up and clean up. (varies from several hours to several days and that does not include trimming or curing which can take 3-6 weeks)
5. After you cure your soap you will need to store it in recycled cardboard box or glass container.

Soap is basic need for our daily lives so it is important that what we use to bathe is not toxic to our skin. 

Ingredients in Dove Soap:

For a detailed breakdown of Dove Soap, check out: End All Disease


Hi, I am Tricia and I also go by my alias Katy Green. Hope you enjoyed reading this article.