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by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

What do pacifiers, mattresses and carpets have in common? They are often made from natural rubber materials. Natural rubber is one of the materials widely accepted as being a healthier material. Prior to World War II, natural rubber was more widely available and used to make footwear, clothing, and other products. (1)

What is natural rubber?

Natural rubber, as its name indicates, is made from a natural product. It’s a plant...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

An easy way to help boost your digestion, soothe your nervous system, improve hydration, and improve your skin, hair and nails may be to start your day with salt water. Yes, salt water. In fact, it's a thing. It's called sole (pronounced so-lay). You can read more about the reported health benefits and my personal experience with drinking it in my upcoming article on Well+Good. Below is the recipe.

WHAT YOU NEED

• Unprocessed, mineral-rich salt, like ...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

When looking for headboards and bed frames, consider nontoxic options. As the structure that surrounds your mattress, the headboard and bed frame are important considerations when detoxing your bedroom.

It would be demoralizing to invest in an organic mattress or bedding, and later learn that your headboard and bed frame are toxic!

Headboards and bed frames can affect the air quality in your bedroom by releasing Volatile...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Clutter accumulates quickly in our homes. Before we know it, the one storage cabinet has expanded to three. And flat surfaces are covered with...well, anything and everything.

What we often don’t consider is how this clutter may be affecting our health. In addition to the dust that accumulates with clutter, so do the number of products that may contaminate our homes with chemicals. Of special concern are those that have...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

When it comes to kitchen cabinets, you don’t have to trade beauty for healthy.  You can have both!

Nontoxic kitchen cabinets can help the air quality in your home, and they come in a variety of styles and finishes. Below are three tips to filter towards healthier kitchen cabinets.

1. Solid Hardwood

Wood cabinets can be made of solid hardwood wood or composite wood. Examples of composite wood...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

When detoxing your home, it can be overwhelming to think of replacing each little item with nontoxic versions. However, the opportunity of replacing each little item is that it can be done incrementally, one item at a time. In the bathroom, shower curtains are one of the little things that can be replaced without a lot of hassle or a lot of cost.

Why replace the shower curtain?  

When you open a new shower curtain, it has...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

As you detox your home, it’s important to understand what materials to avoid, but almost more important to know what materials to choose! Glass is one of the materials consistently preferred over plastic for two big reasons: it’s better for people and for the environment.

In 2013, 299 million tons of plastics were produced(1). That number increases each year. Plastic water bottles alone increased by 39.8 billion within 14...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

It’s not every day that people replace their mattress. In fact, not even every five years. It’s every seven years, if you follow the suggestions of the Better Sleep Council.(1)

How much time do you spend sleeping on that mattress?

The average adult American spends between nine and eleven hours per day on personal care activities, including sleep.(2) That’s an average of 3,650 hours per year.  A quick calculation of...

Holiday string lights are often an integral part of the festive decor. But did you know that holiday string lights can contain lead that can rub off on hands and contaminate your dust? 

Below are tips for healthier string lights.

1. Seek lead-free string lights. They exist! Each year, there are more options available too.

2. Look for ones that are also RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) compliant.  RoHS restricts the use of specific hazardous materials--such as lead,...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Placemats help to protect tables and add interest to table settings. While many people focus on the style of placemat, the material it’s made of is equally important.  

Place mats can be made from natural materials (like cotton, hemp, or linen), or synthetic fibers (like polyester and nylon, vinyl, plastic, or wood). In addition, they can be dyed and treated with other chemicals. Some of these materials can contain...