SMACK! Reviews: Ecco Bella Herbal Body Lotion, Lavender scent

I simply cannot believe that it's been nearly EIGHT WEEKS since our last product review. I love writing them, and you guys love reading them, so wha???????

No matter. We're back on the horse, so to speak, heading straight to a local health food store where I scored an 8 oz pump bottle of Ecco Bella's Herbal Body Lotion in Lavender in the bargain basket. I forget how much I paid for it, but it definitely wasn't the original retail price of $15.95. Remember, I'm a cheap b*tch really frugal.

I need another lotion like
 I need new shoes

In general I like lavender-scented products. Real, natural lavender. Not that chemical perfume-y crap that Bath & Body Works tries to pass off as lavender. So, I decided to buy it and try it out.

Full disclosure: this purchase was a shoot-from-the-hip decision. I have about a dozen bottles/pumps/tubes of lotion under my bathroom sink, but I got caught up in the patchouli hazy happiness of the health food store and next thing you know, I'm buying a bunch of things I don't need.

Here are the label claims: 100% water free, 70% organic, "ultra rich formula" that "hydrates and revives" with a "long lasting scent." There's also some fine print at the bottom of the back label that states no animal testing and no animal ingredients, and that the product is made in the USA.

I don't really understand why the socially conscious stuff is totally buried; after all, the very first line in the "about us" section of the Ecco Bella website reads: 

"I started Ecco Bella out of protest to the use of animals for testing cosmetics..."

                                                                            -- Sally Malange, President of Ecco Bella

I know, I'm confused, too.

So vegans and ethically-mind consumers and localvores in the NJ area can feel good about using Ecco Bella products. But I really don't know about the '100% water-free' business, though. Is this a thing? I didn't realize water was an outlaw ingredient in lotions.

The lotion is rated a '3' in the Skin Deep database, and would probably get an even better rating if not for the inclusion of tocopherol, or Vitamin E, in the formula.

It's a really nice lotion, not too thin and not greasy at all. Absorbs smoothly. The scent is light and floral and feminine without being heady or chokingly perfume-y. Downtown Abbey comes to mind. Not the Dowager, but those scenes when the windows are open and the sun's shining and you want to be there, strolling through the breeze of the estate...sorry, got a little caught up there.

It's pretty long-lasting, in both scent and effectiveness, even after repeated hand washings.

So...I really want to recommend this product, but I'm not going to tell anyone to go pay $16 for a medium-size pump bottle of lotion. It's even more expensive if you order directly from Ecco Bella. Maybe that's not an issue for you, and if not, then have at it. But me, I like a little more, er, value. Which I did get, rummaging through the bargain basket. But I don't see myself going back for more, certainly not at full price.

SMACK! grade:  B

Monday Funday

Another weekend, another readership milestone for SMACK! Thank you, thank you!

I made a promise for fewer rant-y wild tangents this week, so I thought lining up a couple product reviews and throwing in some news analysis would be better. Sound good? Sweet.

Yours in cleaner living,
Jazzy

Starting them young

I've been seeing these commercials, both on TV and the Internet, for a few weeks now.

I'm all for good hygiene, especially for kids who don't know about things like communicable disease. But I'm going to be honest; the commercial makes me kind of ragey, for a bunch of different reasons.

First, let's break down the voiceover: 

"You're always looking out for your kids but you can't be there 24/7. That's why Lysol has partnered with over 2 million teachers, to educate kids with healthy habits programs all across America, to give them a fun place to learn about things like how to fight germs and the importance of hand washing. So you can relax; Lysol will take the school shift. That's Healthy Habits Week with Lysol."

Do you see what they did there? With a wave of the pen, Lysol has created a perceived need: that the hours of the school day can't possibly be as disinfected as the time your child spends in your presence. So Lysol, with their brightly painted-over school bus, swoops in and saves the day from inadequate school staff and slobbery, runny-nosed classmates.

Second, let's explore the very targeted correlation between germ-free and self-worth. When did this happen? I'm a good parent because I bleach the sh*t out of my house every day. Or, the opposite: Mary's son washed his hands, but she doesn't carry hand sanitizer and 4 kinds of disinfecting wipes on her at all times, tsk tsk.

To be fair, some folks NEED this level of disinfection in their lives. There are a number of medical conditions that cause or necessitate immuno-surpression (chemo, I'm looking at you) and disinfecting products offer safety and peace of mind for those individuals. But the rest of us? It's a bit much.

Lastly, I am super annoyed at the blatant marketing to kids here. Companies have NO BUSINESS going into schools and waving their heavily branded everything in front of children. There are strict guidelines about marketing during kids' TV programs, but nothing about the marketing that happens during a school day. Kids don't understand that the harsh chemicals in these products can do terrible things to their bodies, or the environment. They only understand that they trust their teachers and are learning to do what they are told.

What sucks most is that so many schools can't say no to programs like these, because there otherwise are no resources to provide things like cleaning supplies for teachers or whatever. Stuck between a rock and hard place, having to sell out because the need for free supplies outweighs the need to shelter our kids from undue influence.

That's my rant on Lysol's Healthy Habits. I promise, next week will a lot less rant-y. Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend!

-- Jazzy

Hand wringing

Here's how I know I am a pretty vain person: one of my favorite things about Fall is what the crisp dry air does for my hair. Seriously, I never have more consistently good hair days than during Fall. Last week I got a haircut and freshened up my henna (read my review of the henna here; it's awe-some!) and we've had a stretch of nice arid days and it turns out I won't have to dress as Albert Einstein for Halloween after all!

Cleaner clean

A few weeks ago I hit up Method for not making products that live up to their non-toxic claims (original post here). In most of the Method products that get sucky grades from EWG (their Healthy Cleaning Guide of about 2,000 products is totally searchable! Check. It. Out.), too much fragrance is the main problem.

So when I ran out of my previously favorite purple Method all-purpose spray cleaner, I wanted to choose something that really was non-toxic. The kitchen is the heart of a home, as they say, where the members of a household converge -- that's my nice way of saying everyone brings all their junk into the kitchen always while I'm trying to cook -- so there's no place for harsh chemical cleaners.

Murphy's Law -- my phone died while I was running errands and I had to wing it to choose a new all-purpose cleaner. I had planned to pull up EWG's Healthy Cleaning Guide right there in the store aisle. Nope. 

Speaking of searching EWG's ratings, isn't their mobile app supposed to launch like any day now? The website still says it's "Coming this September" but there are only a few business days left to the month. I signed up for email notification and haven't heard anything, other than a few letters requesting donations...ahhh, empty promises...

Back to cleaners. I really was blind, trying to decipher the different label claims and analyze ingredient lists. I decided on a spray cleaner from Seventh Generation (the Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, Lemongrass & Thyme scent), for really no  strong reason. I may as well have closed my eyes and chosen whichever product my hand touched first.

Back at the ranch I looked up my purchase to see how it ranked. Nope.  'D'. Definitely no better than the grades for the Method product (ranges from 'C' to 'F' depending on how old the formulation is). Frustrating, for trying to be an educated consumer (without access to the right information) isn't working.

I need that app!

What do you use for kitchen cleaners? Anyone do the whole vinegar and hot water thing? Let me know!

-- Jazzy

Leaning In

A few months back a friend of mine recommended reading Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In. Have you read it? I'm not a traditional businesswoman so I wasn't sure what I would get out of the book, but I added it to my GoodReads list anyway. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but apparently the suggestion alone was enough, for when I saw Lean In's official Facebook feed I hit the 'like' button right away.

One of my favorite features is when fans post photos of themselves with little signs that say -- no, declare! -- what they would do if they weren't afraid. In other words, how would you 'lean in' for yourself? What would you do to encourage personal success? It's brilliant.

I myself have been going through an emotional couple weeks, as happens just before I experience a crystallizing moment where I finally understand something that's been hanging me up or keeping me down.

My epiphany was so simple, of course. What would I do if I wasn't afraid? 

I would speak up, and give my ideas and convictions the voice they deserve.

Then I realized that this blog was a first step in doing just that. So, to you, my readers, I owe a big, big thank you. Thank you for stopping by when you do, thank you for reading my posts, even (or especially) the crummy ones that are little more than a tirade (Mammo Monday comes to mind), and thank you moreover for your patience as we find our way here at SMACK! It wouldn't be the same without you!

-- Jazzy

Mammo Monday

A mammogram AND dental cleaning today. In what universe did I think that would be a good idea????

Anyone else noticing the pink ribbons cropping up like weeds? Shampoo and wiper blades are the two random items I spotted last week sporting a pink ribbon. Pink bandwagon is more like it. I'll admit, they make me a little ragey. It's not a popular view, but I'm done with trying to please others. That approval-seeking compulsion disappeared sometime between having poison pumped through my body and losing a body part.

Anyhoo, I think the pink ribbon's time is up. No, really, hear me out. Pink ribbons are EVERYWHERE. It's a little disgusting to be in my local craft store and see an entire display of pink ribbon supplies, for the express purpose of making your own pink ribbon whatevers.

I'm bitter and angry, I know. But wouldn't it be better to save all that ribbon (honestly, how much of it ends up in the trash?) and put the same effort and resources towards a cure? A real cure. Or real prevention. Not just early detection, which is crucial, but actually LESS CANCER.

You marketing know-it-alls will tell me that that's a great idea, but the average American won't fork over cash money without getting something for it in return. And research -- real, microscope-and-lab-coat research -- isn't a thing you can show off to your neighbors or other school moms.

Ok, fine. But since when did complacency become a satisfactory substitute for action? Pink ribbon this, pink ribbon that. We'll donate money to breast cancer awareness or research, but only if you mail in the lids or buy specific products. No, a$$holes, you will donate money to research because too many women are still dying from breast cancer and because too many more women are getting new diagnoses. 

Let's start treating cancer like the health crisis that it is, mm'kay?

-- Jazzy

PS. Doesn't Komen call one of its massive events the "Race for the Cure"? So where is the cure?

Fizzy Friday

Y'all have a SodaStream out there? I got one as a birthday gift a few years back, and I pretty well love the thing. I started drinking seltzer as an adult, only flavored, but now freshly carbonated plain seltzer from my SodaStream is easily one of my favorite refreshing drinks.

We still use the original bottles that came with the carbonator, each of which carry this warning: "UNSAFE IF CLEANED IN DISHWASHER." And "Not Dishwasher Safe! Do Not Use After 9/2013."

Why is that? The cynic/skeptic that I am these days needed to find out.

Here's what the SodaStream website says about the bottles:

"SodaStream produces and markets specially designed, high pressure-resistant bottles for use with our drink makers. Our long-life reusable bottles have a lifespan of 3 years. The bottle’s hermetically sealed cap keeps carbonated soft drinks fresh and fizzy longer than store-bought carbonated beverages. Our latest SodaStream bottle developments include the dishwasher-proof PEN bottles and an attractive glass carafe.SodaStream bottles are BPA-free and do not use any polycarbonate materials or materials that produce phthalates or PCBs, ensuring an eco friendly drinks maker."

Sooooo, by 'specially designed' you mean a gimic, right? Maybe not, since the bottles withstand repeated pressure from the carbonator. BUT! What is it that makes the bottles unsuitable for dishwasher cleaning?

Alicia over at TheSoftLanding looked into the very same issue, and it turns out that the bottles are made from PET. Yup, the same plastic as single-use water and soda bottles. And Lipton's stupid pyramid tea bags. Huh?

Pretty ironic for a company that does a lot of plastic bashing. Right at the top of the SodaStream website is this wonky ticker thing that counts off how many bottles from which the company is saving the world. As of this writing it was claiming to have saved the equivalent of more than 3 billion plastic bottles. Where do they come up with this stuff?

SodaStream's anti-plastic bottle message isn't well-received everywhere. Earlier this year, the company caught some heat from none other than PlasticsNews.com, which was all too happy to throw SodaStream under the bus for knocking its plastic bros. Drama!

SodaStream now offers dishwasher-safe plastic bottles and glass carafes. I'll check them out next week, since my bottles will turn into pumpkins at 11:59 on Sept 30.

Have a GREAT weekend!!

-- Jazzy

Whatever you do, don't inhale...

Sorry for the late post. I was having one of those mornings where, despite being awake early and having loads to do, my bed was so impossibly and perfectly cozy and comfortable that, well, I opted for that instead. And now I'm paying for it: catching up with writing, supervising workers in my house, an endless to-do list...ah, such is life.

News roundup

Some really great articles lately that make the case for fewer toxins in our every day lives. I'd love to write a post for each one, but I'd never get to all of them. So, instead, check out a few for yourself:

Jeanne Rizzo from the Breast Cancer Fund urges consumers and lawmakers to act against the 84,000 unregulated chemicals in personal and household products (HuffPo)

Your favorite exfoliant contains more than 300,000 microbeads made out of -- you guessed it -- plastic! Guess where it's ending up? (OnEarth)

A UMass professor wants to test his alternative to BPA-based linings for canned food. Tastes like chicken! (The Sun)

Big surprise, the American Chemistry Council used lobbyists and cash money to kill proposed legislation in Connecticut aimed at reducing children's exposure to toxic chemicals (Philly.com) 

I also added a couple new books to the SMACK! Book Corner. Happy reading!

-- Jazzy

Getting fleeced

Fall is in the air...at least it should be by now. It's mid-September, the Halloween stuff's been out since July, and I'll be damned if I'm not already seeing stuffing mix and roasting pans on display at the market.

So how nice is it to wrap up in a cozy fleece against the Autumn chill? It could be your favorite hoodie, or a super soft throw on your couch, or hell, you can even buy fleece sheets and bedding.

Here's why you DON'T want to. A really great piece over at Mother Jones from 2011 looked at how fleece sheds micro-plastic fibers during every wash cycle. The micro-plastic in turn ends up in the water supply and from there worms its way into ocean water. 

It's a really interesting article because it not only identifies a problem but puts it in the context of the bigger picture. Ocean pollution affects the entire aquatic food chain and, ultimately, us. Haters gonna hate on cotton for its high environmental footprint, but author Tom Philpott poses this simple but thought-provoking idea: what if we all just consumed less clothing? That's right, shopped LESS. Buy fewer items. Actually wear stuff out.

I hear you fashionistas scoffing about new styles and the such. For heaven's sakes, the  fashion and retail industries would not crumble if consumers stopped begging like dogs for the next new thing. Clothing companies might have to put some thought into what they make, to actually make it last. More classic styles that will stand the test of a few years, not these flash-in-the-pan trends that look sillier than the last. That's right, mullet skirt, I'm talking to you.

Off to dig out my sweaters,
Jazzy

Walmart for the WIN

Anyone who knows me knows I loathe Walmart. Like, even going there for one thing will put me in a right foul mood for the rest of the day. In fact, this is one of my favorite eCards:

I might have to eat my words, though, if last week's news is any indication of Walmart's future. The Breast Cancer Fund announced via a press release on Thursday that Walmart has committed to targeting as many as 10 toxic chemicals for elimination from personal, beauty and household products sold in its stores.

THIS. IS. HUGE.

There wasn't anything on the Walmart website about this announcement (or if there is, it's well hidden) but they did participate in the round of press that picked up the story: USA Today, Associated Press (via HuffPo), Fast Company, and others helped spread the word.


Walmart is leading the way, truly. A retailer of its caliber is just the thing to get manufacturers to adjust their practices and start turning out products that aren't toxic and poisonous. And also just what American consumers need to start paying attention to what they buy. My favorite line from the Fast Company piece:

"Walmart is even bigger than California--when measured by revenue, it's the equivalent of a large country. So when the company decides to make a shift like this, it affects entire industries."

Yes! Of course, nothing happens overnight, but this a huge shove to get the ball rolling. I love how Walmart's using its muscle; in addition to axing a bunch of toxic chemicals from its store shelves, the company will lean on its suppliers to disclose ingredients to consumers. LOVE.

Wasn't I just saying last week that Target needed to man up, because offering better products at a good value really aligned with its corporate image? Well sorry, Spot, you really missed the boat on this one. Everything (anything) Target does now will be playing catch-up to its longtime rival. Best of all, Target will have to do something to avoid being seen as unresponsive to a major industry change. 

Hahahahahhahahha. This tickles me, how Walmart is dragging the rest of the industry along, kicking and screaming.

It's GREAT news, but I'm not ready to add Walmart to my weekly list of errands. I want to see their timetable and target chemicals and products to see just how much effort they're putting into this initiative.

Forever cynical,
Jazzy

Toxic Art

Friday, why you always play hard to get?

(now read that again pretending you're Craig Robinson)

I'm dabbling in artistic expression. My go-to medium right now is pastels. I have a decent amount of skill, and it feels good when I'm in the groove and can get lost in the colors.

Creativity can be a challenging endeavor, for sometimes most of the time I am just so choked up with stress that nothing comes out. But now is not one of those times so I am trying to strike while the iron is hot (my autocorrect keeps changing 'iron's' to 'Irwin's' which if I wasn't so effing tired would make me giggle b/c I don't know who Irwin is, but apparently my iPad thinks he's a stud).

The other day I decided to fork over some real money for a set of Rembrandt pastels. They're made in the Netherlands, and they're the real deal. I hit my local craft store but it ended up being a disappointing trip, because the box of pastels was damaged, and also because of this:

#!*!€%!*#*! Everywhere I turn, seriously. Without any more information, I can't really form an educated opinion, so I'm hoping Google can help me get to the bottom of this. I'll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, it's a good example of how chemicals are hiding in plain sight.

Exhaustedly yours,
Jazzy

To the Capitol

Any Hunger Games fans out there? Yes, Jazzy, DUH. Right. So you've seen that Cover Girl is launching a line inspired by the series and timed to the upcoming Catching Fire? The announcement came in May and some preview images made their way around the Internet last month to promote the line's official October 1 launch (does anyone else find this annoying, the preview of the preview of the sneak peek of the trailer?). Check them out here.

If you're not familiar with the books, Amazon's got good synopses here. The Hunger Games movie caused quite a stir, but it seemed like the discomfort wasn't over just the violence. Because, you know, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and Quentin Tarantino. Maybe that discomfort was because we see a little bit of ourselves in the people of Panem? Because the world Suzanne Collins created isn't such a stretch from the one we live in here and now? 

Back to the Cover Girl campaign. There's a look for everyone here, inspired by each of Panem's 12 oppressed districts, plus the uber indulgent Capitol. And here's what I mean, that the United States of Panem isn't all that fictional: not the outlandish looks per se, but the willingness to alter our natural appearances to almost the point of deformation all in the name of seeking some unattainable ideal.

Whoa, Jazzy, step off with the sanctimonious lecture. People have been decorating themselves (sometimes bordering on mutilation) since caveman times. And, well, Lady Gaga. What, do you expect us to go all Abnegation here?

(do you like what I did there, the sneaky Divergent reference? The third book, Allegiant,  comes out next month, can't wait)

Don't get me wrong, I love a good mascara as much as the next gal, and I definitely have a slight lip gloss problem, but when did this all become so necessary? Remember that cover shot of Hillary Clinton makeup-free, and all the catty backlash that ensued? Aren't we beyond that yet? Where's the balance between self-value and expressive freedom?

I know, I suck right now. This wasn't an entertaining post with an informative tie-in to pop culture. But we're all better off for it.

-- Jazzy

Mea Culpa

My brain is sh*t this week. It was sh*t last week too, when I couldn't get so much as a single blog post out. I'm coming up on the anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. It's literally all I think about, from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep. Doesn't help matters that I have a bunch of doctor's appts all clustered together, a checkup here and a follow-up with that one, which all eat into my writing time.

Of course that's no excuse to go radio silent and let the blog fall through the cracks, especially when I'm supposed to be building readership, so this is my apology. I'm adjusting my time a little and trying to buckle down now that I know what's stressing me.

It is what it is. Back to business.

We're overdue for product reviews here at SMACK! Any ideas? I think this calls for a trip to my local health food store. Notice I didn't automatically say Whole Foods. I'm *trying* to support local business in addition to improving my buying habits. I'll keep you posted!

-- Jazzy

Way off, Target

**** WARNING **** BAD PUNS AHEAD ****

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has a new target for its Safe Cosmetics Week of Action: Target. That big red bullseye is coming in pretty handy! Target is the latest retailer to come under fire for not only selling toxic beauty and home products, but also for NOT offering enough safer alternatives.

Look, I love Target. It appeals in so many ways: merchandise, helpful employees, value and even the simple concept of maintaining inventory (ahem, Wal-Mart). But, the fact remains that shopping at a big box retailer comes at a price, especially when the idea is supposed to be lower prices. As consumers we deserve better.

CSC has a great 'action kit' here and is urging folks to take their local Target stores to task, and bring the heat at the local level. The idea is that the store managers report these requests to their district managers, who then report to their VPs, and so on and so forth. Depending on the retailer, it can be a very effective strategy.

Imagine how trailblazing it would be for Target to see the value in widening their offerings to include safer cosmetics and home products. Even if it was just in certain regions of the country, to get the ball rolling and help create demand for better, less toxic products.

Are you going to help out? Word of mouth is huge here; get that sh*t on your Facebook profile and promote your activism to all your friends, too!

-- Jazzy

Let the pinkwashing begin

I'm finding it no coincidence that the day I buy my first pumpkin spice coffee is also the day I see my first pink ribbon. It was Labor Day, after all, a full 4 weeks before the actual start of Breast Cancer Awareness month. So it stands to reason if a little is good, a lot is better, right?

Wrong. Everyone gets a little too 'pink happy' this time of year, if you ask me. One of the harbingers of the ubiquitous pink ribbon is Avon, the cosmetics company. Surely you see where this is headed.

Yup, I'm setting Avon in my sights. Won't you join me?

It all started when I read this post by Erin Hyman over at b'matzav (that's transliterated Hebrew for 'in the thick of it') about her choice to raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund rather than the larger Avon or Komen foundations.

Few of us can say we haven't had a brush with Avon in some form or another. Either your mom was a consultant, or your aunt hosted Avon parties, or your grandmother gifted you Avon cosmetics to 'get you started.'

And of course, there's the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk launched in 2003 and is now held in 8 major US cities. It's a huge, huge event that aims to raise money for breast cancer awareness, treatment and prevention.

According to the Avon, more than $423 million was raised by the walk events from 2003-2011. The website also says that Avon Philanthropy donated almost $780 million to Breast Cancer programs globally from 1992-2012. That is HUGE money!! But for posterity's sake let's pretend we believe their numbers. My beef, after all, isn't the reporting or marketing of a not-for-profit organization. 

It's the position of its for-profit parent/sister/whatever company that WOULD NOT participate in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. That has only four, just FOUR, current products listed in EWG's Skin Deep database. Out of the hundreds that it sells.

C'mon, Avon. What do your customers (and supporters) really get for all the rah rah empowerment baloney that you serve up? Besides products that contain a bunch of junky chemicals, that is.

The future of cosmetics is this: consumers demanding that their bodies are no longer treated like laboratory test tubes. We shouldn't be buying whatever manufacturers or retailers tell us to; they should be making what we want to buy!

Look for a complaint letter to Avon coming soon.

Yours in every color BUT pink,
Jazzy