Bath products are a great way to add some extra benefits to your relaxation time.  Whether it’s to soften your skin or add a calming scent, there’s definitely a product out there for you.  One great product you should try, if you haven’t already, is bath salts.  There are several types of salts out there.  The most common one (in regards to health and beauty) is Epsom Salt which can help relax muscles and relieve muscle pain as well as aid in removing toxins and improving circulatory health by allowing the body to absorb magnesium while you soak.

Another popular salt option is salt from the Himalayas.  When properly collected from the right location, it is considered some of the most pure salt on earth.  Having formed over 200 million years ago, these sea beds were covered protected from pollution by volcanic lava.  This pure salt can help with respiratory health, sinus health, bone strength, and overall PH balance as well as just tasting great!

If your skin needs soothing, a good old fashioned oatmeal bath is a good idea for you.  Pure colloidal oatmeal soothes ski n and is gentle enough for babies but if you’re looking to give your skin a real treat, a milk or honey bath (or, better yet, both!) can’t be beat.  Milk powder softens skin while honey cleanses skin and both have many vitamins and nutrients leaving you with soft, clean, healthy skin.

For a great selection of bath products make sure to visit www.organictogreen.com.   Organic To Green’s ReUsed Glass Bath Line offers amazing organic bath products in eco-friendly packaging.  By reusing glass donated by community members in support of the ReUse Glass Bottles Program (www.reuseglassbottles.com), Organic To Green provides a very “green” bath time treat.

One popular ingredient in organic beauty products today is raspberry extract.  Raspberries themselves have long been thought to support healthy digestion and blood flow and have even been said to help prevent cancer when ingested but many believe that the extract of these berries has its own benefits.

In regards to beauty products, raspberry extract is used for many reasons including its high level of vitamin C and tannins (natural astringents).  It is also rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids making it suitable for all skin types but especially beneficial for mature skin.  Beyond all of those benefits, raspberry smells and tastes good, making it an excellent choice for products such as lip balms or facial lotions.

When shopping for beauty products, keep in mind that what you put on your skin is as important as what you put in your body.  Your skin is your body’s largest organ, make sure you are treating it right by using high quality organic products.

Not too long after the widespread use of these products began, so did the questions.  What about the bacteria they leave behind?  Are antibacterial soaps helping to create superbugs?  Are they making us more prone to allergens and bacteria by preventing the normal, healthy exposure to bacteria that kids used to encounter as a part of life?  Are the ingredients used to kill bacteria safe for us?  Are they even effective?  Unfortunately, even with these many questions about the overall benefit of antibacterial soaps, they are still popular.

In a study conducted last year at University of California, Davis, researchers showed, through three studies, that the chemicals Triclosan and Triclocarban, both commonly used in antibacterial soaps, have the potential to interfere with the nervous system and affect sex hormones.  Though there is debate on how much of the chemicals and in what form a person would need to be exposed to, the concern is still there.

Triclosan, which is in over 70% of the antibacterial products on the market, as well as some deodorants, toothpastes, and detergents, works by inhibiting the fatty acids needed for life in bacterial cells.  It’s possible for those bacteria that survive this to adapt to protect themselves from future attacks.  These mutated bacteria are then able to go on to reproduce.

Additionally, some antibacterial agents attack bacteria in the same way prescription antibiotics do which means if bacteria develop a resistance to an antibacterial agent, one found in household soaps for example, that same strain of bacteria can also be resistant to doctor prescribed antibiotics.  This is what microbiologists call cross-resistance.

So, is the risk of unhealthy chemicals and superbugs worth it?  Does antibacterial soap work any better at killing bacteria than regular soaps?  Many claim that the amount of these chemicals found in antibacterial soaps is not enough to affectively kill the bacteria which, as mentioned before, can lead to mutated versions of common bacteria.  Others have argued that for the chemicals to really eradicate the bacteria they claim to, the consumer would need to leave the product on for at least two minutes which is far longer than most people would ever consider.

Ultimately, until all manufacturers and scientists and government agree one way or the other, it is up to the consumer to decide for themselves.  With studies claiming that some antibacterial agents have caused cancer in lab animals, can affect hormones, and may be leaving younger generations without necessary bacteria, is it worth the risk when properly washing with regular soap has been shown to be just as affective?

The products themselves are made of high quality organic ingredients.  (As an added bonus, many of the products are also vegan.)  The line consists of cleansers, moisturizers, and bath products, all organic and all fabulous!

Additional lines including specialty facial products as well as products for mommy and baby will be arriving soon so make sure to keep checking out www.organictogreen.com for updates.

Having spent years as a performing artist, California native Rianna Loving knew the importance of her skin’s outer appearance, but it wasn’t until motherhood brought an increased awareness of organics and social responsibility that she went back to school to study skincare.

In 2009 she started Organic to Green, where she sells beauty products made with “ingredients the earth naturally provides to treat skin.”

She soon realized that finding healthy ingredients was only the first step. “I didn’t want to put a quality organic lotion in cheap packaging where it would absorb the plastic it was packaged in,” Loving said. “I wanted to be green all the way, not be the contradiction I see out there.”

Her decision to package her products in reused glass bottles meant starting a second company, ReuseCycle, and turning her backyard into a donation center where local restaurants and neighbors drop off wine, beer, and other types of glass which Loving then sanitizes before filling with soaps, moisturizers and salts. Any glass she can’t use is donated to others who want to lengthen its life. “Restaurants donate these unbelievably gorgeous whine bottles that are too big for my beauty line, but you can make them into the cutest lamps.”

Rianna Loving, creator of Organic to Green^TM, has been busy!  The time and hard work she’s put into developing her line is obvious.  Not only are the products a delicate balance of her high quality organic ingredients but she’s put her creativity to use on her product’s packaging as well. She’s reusing glass bottles.  The idea of using glass bottles isn’t new but she’s not just using glass, she’s ReUsing it.

While researching options for how to package her products, Rianna found that there were few “green” options available.  This started her thinking and she began looking into alternative forms of packaging.  That’s when she began the community program, ReUse Glass Bottles.  This program takes donations of common glass bottles and then cleans, sanitizes, and sterilizes them so they are able to be reused.

Let’s take a moment to clarify.  What is the difference between reusing and recycling?  Though recycling comes in many forms, when most of us use the word “recycle” we think of taking one item and breaking it down to make another item.  It’s a broad use of the word and is sort of like when you refer to all soda as Coke or all tissue as Kleenex.  Recycling comes in various forms and though the previously mentioned process that begins with us putting our trash into the blue bin rather than the trash is very important, this form of recycling uses a certain amount of energy to complete this process.

Reusing just takes human energy, good old elbow grease.  Reusing takes items, such as glass bottles in this case, and gives them new life.  www.ReUseGlassBottles.com was established to encourage others to reuse as well.  Various businesses and restaurants have shown interest in reusing this glass for their own products just as Rianna has done with Organic to Green and the proceeds from this program go toward various well-established environmental charities or organizations.

Aside from being eco-friendly, this reused glass packaging offers a very unique look for the Organic to Green line.  Your standard, boring soap pump will be replaced by a brightly labeled beer bottle.  It also offers variety since the packaging will depend on what has been donated to the program.  Though they try to keep products in similar bottles if possible, mainly to avoid consumer confusion, it is possible that you will see the same product on the shelf in two or three different bottles, the label on the outside and the products on the inside being the common denominators.

The company also reuses when it comes to shipping their products.  Whenever possible, boxes are reused from other shipments, the “filler” that wraps and protects the products inside is mainly from shredded paper donated by a local office, and they try to use minimal packaging with each order.  In short, they are doing all they can to supply you with quality products while keeping “green.”

Rianna’s unique idea is starting to generate some local buzz around the hip and “green” west coast. She will no doubt soon be finding herself with a long line of top boutiques knocking at her door.

To see a the full line of Organic to Green products, visit their website at www.organictogreen.com where you will see ANOTHER green option, refills!  These allow you to extend the life of your bottles even further and also reduce packaging for shipping. And, if you’re in the Venice, California area and are interested in donating to the ReUseGlassBottles program, or you’d like to learn more about it, go to www.reuseglassbottles.com.