Ideal Bite

Oh, boy. I just watched your "eco-gadgets" video and was stunned to see that you'd been bought up by Disney. You do realize they are the Evil Empire, don't you? Nothing they stand for has anything to do with saving the environment; everything they stand for is about unnecessary consumption. I will be curious in the coming weeks to see if you publish any Bites that have any hint of anti-consumerism. If you don't, you'll be irrelevant; if you do, back to penny-pinching.

I completely agree with eco-beauty! I hosted a L'Bri party a couple of years ago and LOVED the products so much that I became a consultant! The ingredients are all-natural with an aloe base. There is NO animal testing. And the best part...they are 100% customizable based on your skin type. A little goes a long way with these products and the packaging is recyclable. Okay, I don't want this to sound like a "pitch." I am a teacher and always will be, but I do love L'Bri and can help you go eco-friendly while also being wallet friendly :) My website is www.carriey.lbri.com You can order or email me.

Hey Terry: A - I love that you checked out our eco-gadgets tip - there was some great stuff in there (my own personal fave is the Ted Energy Detective). B - I think it's fantastic that you are empassioned enough about Ideal Bite and what we are doing here to publish your comment (and to be really frank about your feelings). I just wanted to respond and set the record a little straight. We were actually acquired about a year ago, so I don't think you'll see much of a change in our tips in the coming weeks. In fact, in this past year since the acquisition, we have actually published MORE "easy changes" tips that don't mention any consumer products than we did the year before. Meanwhile - under Disney - we have been able to launch new Ideal Bite editions in Chicago, LA, Seattle and Denver, and created the Mama Bite - allowing us to spread the green word to an ever-widening audience. I totally get your skepticism - these days, we definitely aren't used to trusting big businesses. But at Ideal Bite, our motto is "Small Changes Add Up," and the more people we can convince to change, the better. Disney has been completely supportive on that front. You don't have to trust big business as a rule of thumb. But trust us. We'll keep giving you good, green tips.

while checking out your parabeen-free skin care products, I see that they are not all paraben - free. What gives?

Pharmaceutical Specialties Incorporated (PSI), which is located in Rochester, MN has a line of Skin and hair care products that are free of common chemical irritants: dyes fragrance & masking fragrance parabens lanolin formaldehyde Their website is psico.com and their products can be found at WalMarts, Targets, WalGreens or can be purchased on their website. Vanicream is their largest seller and is an awesome skin cream.

i do have to say, as a semi-employee of a scent business, that not all scented beauty-care products are bad. there are lots of resources out there that use environmentally friendly scents, essential oils (although those can be allergy-making), etc, to make those things that make our skin happiest smell good too. just for an example, try a natural honey-oatmeal bar. the oatmeal exfoliates, the honey is anti-bacterial, and, depending on the honey, smells divine (my friend uses clover honey, and her soap smells luscious, and there's not an artificial chemical within reach)

The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild and the Indie Beauty Network are organizations whose members are dedicated to creating natural products that are gentle, smell good, and feel great on the skin. You can see a variety of wonderful products from their members on their websites. Earlier today, I had a customer tell me that my handmade soap helped her granny feel comfortable in her skin, not itchy. A well-formulated handmade soap contains the natural glycerin, which is sooting and moisturizing to the skin. So take granny's lead and try a handmade soap today! http://www.aStableSolution.com

Speaking of brands you know and love that have recently taken bad chemicals out of their brands, my Bobbi Brown salesgirl told me all of their products are now paraben free! YAY! She said alot of other department store brands are getting on the eco-wagon FINALLY--but I guess we'll see if it's true or not.

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