Bubble and Bee Organic offers wonderful bath and body products that contain natural and organic ingredients. We are big fans of the Pit Puddy and root beer lip balm! So we are excited to introduce Stephanie, founder of Bubble and Bee, who has some wonderful information to share with us!

Name: Stephanie Greenwood
Place you are livin’ green: The Rocky Mountains of Utah
Environmental Motto/quote/saying: No Bad Stuff!
Favorite Little Green Star design: “Bee Green” of course!

Although there are thousands of chemicals to be concerned about, there’s one group that is particularly offensive to me: parabens. Methyl- ethyl-, propyl-, benzyl- and isobutylparaben to be exact. Parabens are a group of chemicals used in water-based cosmetic items like shower gels, shampoos, and lotions as a preservative. The problem with parabens is that they act like estrogen in the body when absorbed through skin. These estrogen mimicers enter the bloodstream and can interfere with the body’s delicate hormonal balance. In fact, according to the Breast Cancer Fund, all six parabens “have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors.” They also “increase the expression of genes that are usually regulated by estradiol and cause human breast tumor cells (MCF-7 cells) to grow and proliferate in vitro.”

Since the year 2000, thirteen studies have been done on parabens that link the chemical to either cancer or estrogenic activity. In addition to reproductive cancer risks, this estrogenic activity can lead to reproductive disorders. According to author and hormone specialist, Dr. John R. Lee, when the body has too much estrogen compounds circulating, it leads to estrogen dominance. This dominance doesn’t allow the body’s natural progesterone to “balance” the estrogen, and can lead to disorders like like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, infertility, ovarian cysts, PCOS, and anovulation.

One of the reasons that I started my company, Bubble and Bee Organic, was because I was exhibiting the signs of estrogen dominance myself. After cleansing my body from external sources of synthetic estrogens and supporting my body with healthy foods, I was able to conquer the symptoms. In making this change I found that it was very difficult to find paraben and chemical-free personal care products in health food stores, so I started making my own. After I realized the drastic change that these pure products had made in my life, I wanted to share them with everyone. My partner Steve and I created Bubble and Bee Organic and haven’t looked back.

Thank you Stephanie for this important information! You can find more information about organic products, the ingredients they use, and more on their website and blog. So please think of Bubble and Bee this holiday season and anytime you need a gift, as they have wonderful gift baskets and special holiday scents! You should even treat yourself to something too!

We recently met Kayse Gehret, Founder of Soulstice Spa, and instantly loved her and her products (we purchased a few things for ourselves).   Soulstice Spa is an innovative, boutique bodycare & cosmetic company that blends beauty, science and social responsibility.  Kayse’s favorite Little Green Star organic cotton shirt is “Future Entomologist”.  Kayse is livin’ green in Sausalito, California and her motto is “Look Good. Feel Good. Do Good.”  

Kayse has shared this helpful information on the importance of choosing bodycare and cosmetic products that only use natural fragrances! Please read her interview, you will be surprise by what hides in your conventional nail polishes…. 

“There is nothing like pregnancy to inspire us to start paying attention to what we’re putting in – and on! – our bodies… Advanced studies and scientific research have recently shown some common cosmetic ingredients to be linked with developmental, immune and reproductive impairment and toxicity — important to avoid for all of us, but especially vital for aspiring, expectant and nursing moms! Among the ingredients to avoid are: toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate…   These ingredients are very common in nail polish and nail treatments, such as basecoats, topcoats and nail hardeners.  Also be sure to avoid accutane or retinoic acid (prescription acne treatments) and minimize the use of high percentage Vitamin As (found in anti-aging/de-wrinkling potions.)  As far as skin & bodycare is concerned, you can greatly minimize your exposure to excessive chemicals by choosing products that only use natural fragrances, usually from essential oils, or those that are fragrance-free.  Many synthetic fragrances are composed of a “chemical cocktail” of sorts, many with over 200 components!  Synthetic fragrances can usually be found in ingredient labels listed simply as “Fragrance.” Fortunately more and more skin care creators have caught on, and there is a wealth of healthy products to choose from.  None of us wants to give up lush, beautiful nail colour, clear, glowing skin, or amazingly scented bodycare… With the development of safe, effective and high-performance natural products, thankfully we no longer have to!”

Great website resources:

For DBP-toluene-formaldehyde free nail polishes:  www.soulsticespa.com

To ask questions on skin care & cosmetic use during pregnancy, and general feedback from moms on all subjects:  www.babycenter.com

Little Green Star is so very happy to introduce Aaron, our second blog interviewee!  Aaron is livin’ green in San Francisco, California.  His environmental motto is “Green Every Building on Earth”. 

Aaron shared this knowledgeable and helpful perspective on green building practices with us:

I always hear about climate change in the media, yet, very seldom hear about green building practices.  What are green building practices and why are they important?  Well, I could write a short novel on this topic, but will choose to quickly brush up on a few key points.   First and foremost, buildings account for the majority of CO2 emissions and consume the largest amount of energy in the US.  When thinking of how to combat climate change, you must not leave out the Nations’ largest contributor – the building sector.  Second, there are standardized metrics in which you can quantify how green a building is.  The most widely accepted and well known is the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.  The rating system is different for each building type, but all certifications can be broken down into 5 sub-categories; Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Air Quality.  LEED provides a systematic way in which someone can quantify and track their progress - how can you improve something if you have no way to measure it?  Third, if buildings are such a large problem and there seems to be a viable solution, why aren’t all of our buildings green?  Trust me, before you know it, they will be.  It takes time to transform the marketplace where we do business.  With help from philanthropic organizations, the government, and the capital markets, green building practices and the green economy as a whole is changing the marketplace.   

Where does a guy like me fit into the whole picture?  As the Co-founder of GreenLite Development, I strive to green every building on earth.  Currently, we are working on the re-development of an old dilapidated seafood processing plant into a mixed-use property with retail, office, and living quarters.  The project is located on pilings over the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria Oregon.  This re-development will strive for LEED gold certification and will be the first green building in the Astoria community.  I am focused on sharing green building practices with communities where little to no green buildings exist.  I hope to leave a positive impact in the communities I contribute to.  There is a great deal more to this story and topic, this is hopefully just the first of many blogs to come.  Please see my link below to get more information on my company, our project, and other green building resources.   Aaron Halimi * Managing Partner * LEED Accredited Professional  * GreenLiteDeveloment.com

A few website resources that provide a bit more information:  

 www.GreenLiteDevelopment.com 

www.usgbc.org 

http://www.architecture2030.org/ 

http://www.greenbuildingfc.com/

We will posting interviews a couple times a month, so be sure to check back with us!!  If you know someone who would be a great to interview, let us know by emailing us at littlegreenstar@gmail.com!  

We are ecstatic to introduce Tiffany, our first blog interviewee! Tiffany is livin’ green inSan Diego, California. Her environmental motto is “Be the change!” and her favorite Little Green Star design is “My other ride is a hybrid”.

Tiffany shared this wonderful, honest and motivating perspective with us:

Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming and disheartening to feel like one person can make a difference with so many headlines and evidence of environmental degradation. So, I try to hold on to Ghandi’s mantra to “be the change” and to look at my activism as a marathon rather than a sprint so it doesn’t feel insurmountable. If I husband my resources and plod along doing that which is in my power, it makes me feel that I am able to make a difference to not contribute to the problem and setting an example of what one person CAN do to improve the world.

In that way, I can look myself in the mirror every day and know that I did something. I would hate to have my children ask me in the future when I knew that Earth was in trouble and what I did about it and shrug. It is our responsibility and we are accountable for the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. So, I put integrity first and foremost to “be the change” where my thoughts, words and deeds are in alignment. Gotta walk the walk!

Tiffany’s awesome photo of her car license plate:

Tiffany’s Green Link Recommendations:

• Activism - http://www.globalgreen.org/
• Local Organic Produce - http://www.eatwellguide.org/
• EcoBags - http://www.ecobags.com/
• “Be the change” - http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/27184.html

Welcome to Little Green Star’s blog interviews!   

As you know, one of Little Green Star’s missions is to provide families with unique educational resources that promote the exploration of nature and the interest in science.  The purpose of our interviews is to introduce the Little Green Star community to people making an environmental difference in the world right now. 

We have new and old friends that are truly fabulous people.  We have asked them to share with us an environmental topic, idea, or perspective, of their choice, that promotes the environment, nature or science.   

We will posting an interview the second Monday of every month, so be sure to check back with us!!  If you know someone who would be a great to interview, let us know by emailing us at littlegreenstar@gmail.com!

Little Green Star specializes in unique organic cotton baby clothes that inspire & educate your little star!