What's in My Hair Styling Products? | Reading Labels

If you read my Facebook posts, you may have seen a post a few days back about the ingredient DMDM Hydantoin that's found in a lot of your everyday products like your hair care and body care products.
What is it?
According to wikipedia:

DMDM hydantoin is an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative with the trade name Glydant. DMDM hydantoin is an organic compound belonging to a class of compounds known ashydantoins. It is used in the cosmetics industry and found in products like shampoos, hair conditioners, hair gels and skin care products.^[1][2]

DMDM hydantoin works as a preservative because the released formaldehyde makes the environment less favorable to the microorganisms.

So basically, DMDM hydantoin is a form of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can hide in your products under other names, such as: diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, and sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate.

Why do I take issue with this? I don't want any type of formaldehyde on my skin or anyone else in my family. Plus, while I know these types of ingredients are cost effective to the manufacturers, I really believe continued use over long periods of time can and will have an effect on our overall health.

While purchasing safer, more natural products seems more expensive today, I believe on down the road you might prevent future doctor visits, illnesses, a general feeling of 'yuck' by switching. Just my two cents!

OK, so after finding out about DMDM hydantoin, I went on a search through our home to see if we had any products that contained it. I was CERTAIN that we didn't.  (I know our cleaning products don't have this chemical in them; we use the best and safest!)

Boy, was I wrong!

Here's what I found. These are the hair styling products in our home that contain DMDM hydantoin.

Ugh. Time to get busy on our mission of eliminating ALL potentially toxic products in our home!

Question for you: What hair products do you use that are safe and natural? I'd love to have some recommendations!!

Note: I'm not a scientist, nor am I an expert in the chemicals field. I'm just a wife and mom on a continual search to replace potentially hazardous products in our home with safer, natural, effective alternatives. If I have written something that's in accurate, please feel free to start a discussion below!

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 8

Hello! 
Today, I'm going to let you in on my secret to getting our sinks, tubs, and floors super clean. It's safe, natural, nontoxic, has no fumes or odors. It's Shaklee's Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste. Once you try this amazing scouring product, you will never go back to Comet, Ajax, Soft Scrub, or any other toxic and dangerous cleanser! This stuff WORKS!
We use Scour Off to get the grime out of our sinks, get ring around the tub out of the boys tub, get crayon off ceramic tile, easily clean pots and pans...really the uses of Scour Off are endless! 
Scour Off is a paste, so there are no dust clouds, no gross fumes, you don't have to clear out the house to use it. It's made from cherry pits (abrasive), and other natural mineral and biodegradable cleaning agents. No chlorine, no bleach, no dyes!
Check out some of the ways we use it in our home!

Homemade Apple & Pear Sauce | Healthy Recipe

Woo-hoo, it's Friday! Do you have any big plans for the weekend? We will be watching the annual OU/TX football game and doing some projects around the house. (In case you're wondering, I'm a Sooner fan and hubs is a Texas fan!)

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 7

Hi there! Today is Day 7 of my series, but I'm definitely a few days behind. It's been harder than I thought it would be to blog every day!
To catch up on the other days, you can go here! Today I'm going to talk about my favorite fabric softener. You guessed it, it's Shaklee's Get Clean Soft Fabric Concentrate.  Last year, I wrote a post titled, What is in My Fabric Softener?, that discusses all the harmful chemicals that may be in your fabric softener. You might be surprised! Yuck. And I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of being able to smell people when they walk into a room...the overpowering fragrance of some fabric softeners really makes my head start to ache. 

Well, we've been using the Get Clean Concentrate for just over a year and I love it. LOVE IT, and here's why:

• It's super concentrated. This 32 oz bottle will soften 64 loads of laundry, saving lots of money!
• It's nontoxic, biodegradable, natural, and does not contain any phosphates!
• It's compatible for both HE and standard washers!
• Shaklee's Get Clean Concentrate rivals Melaleuca's fabric softener for softening your clothes!
• It controls static and makes ironing easier!
• The Get Clean Concentrate also has a super light, lavender scent...it's not overpowering at all. In fact, some of my clients (even me) who are super sensitive to scented cleaners have raved at how much they like the light fragrance of this fabric softener!

I always recommend using this great fabric softener with our Nature Bright Laundry Booster and Fresh Laundry Concentrate! For the best deal, the Get Clean Starter Kit is the way to go....not only do you get all the laundry products, but you get all of Shaklee's other Get Clean products so you can clean your entire home naturally AND save a ton of money doing it! Check it out here! I've had such a great response so far to this 31 Days series...thank you for all your Shaklee orders and for helping support my small business...I so appreciate YOU!

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of my series!
Today I'm going to chat with you about a natural way to freshen the air in your home.  Before we found a healthier, more natural way of living, we were really big in to Febreze and other artificial air fresheners. Ugh, what were we thinking?
The Natural Resources Defense Council tested 14 air fresheners and found that all but two contained harmful phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that can cause hormonal imbalances, birth defects, and reproductive problems. Also, air fresheners may contain allergens and volatile organic compounds, as well as carcinogenic chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde. (from 360YourLife.com)
YUCK!
I don't know about you, but I just do not want my family breathing in that junk!
Our home is almost 30 years old and sometimes gets a musty smell to it. So on days we can, we open the windows to let the fresh air circulate through the house. On other days, we use essential oils and a diffuser to make our home smell great! Essential oils are a safe, natural way to freshen the home without all those gross toxic chemicals!
I just love using essential oils! Most of them smell amazing and have wonderful health benefits! I like to diffuse lavender and peppermint together for a great air freshener. Also, I like to diffuse Thieves to help get rid of any airborne bacteria that may be lingering. We do have two kids in preschool and they bring home lots of germs! :) 
I don't really have a preference on essential oil brands, but if you use them, make sure the oils are pure, food and therapeutic grade. There are a lot you can buy at the local store, which may be fine, but do your research first! I know that Young Living, doTERRA and Spark Naturals are great oils to try. 
Pay attention to this!! One of my great friends who LOVES her essential oils is offering a special just for my readers! Purchase any Spark Natural essential oils and receive 10% off your order!! Simply enter crunchyurbanmom in the coupon box when checking out!! 

Now that you know about essential oils as an air freshener, how do you do it? You'll need a diffuser. There are so many diffusers on the market and many of them are super EXPENSIVE! 
However, I bought this a few weeks ago and so far I really like it. It's the Greenair Spa Vapor. It's quiet, and really works well to diffuse the air, plus it was only about $33! Bonus! It has these color changing LED lights, which I'm not too sure about...they're a little too 'far out' for me, but some people might like them! :) 
I hope you found this interesting and informative! What do you use to naturally freshen the air in your home?
Have we connected in my Facebook group yet? See you there!!

October Special Offer Just for You!

I am so very excited to let you in on my special for October...this is just for you and I really encourage you to take advantage of it!

We are quickly coming in to the cold and flu season. As a busy wife and mom, I just do not want to get those germs if at all possible. There is really no time to be sick, right??  Boosting our immunity is our best defense during cold/flu season or traveling!

So that's why I've created this fantastic special program...it's chock full of the Shaklee products that we use to keep our immune systems healthy!

From now until October 31, get a FREE Shaklee Membership (this is a lifetime membership!!) and a FREE bottle of Defend & Resist from me with purchase of my best-selling Nutrition & Immune Support Package!! 

Immune Support Package 

1. Vitalizer (includes the perfect multi, fish oil & probiotics)

2. Nutriferon (impacts Natural Killer cells)

3. Vitamin C (Chewable 100mg or Sustained Release 500mg. We love the chewables because our kids can take them too!)

FREE with this offer:

Shaklee Membership (read below about why I think a membership would be great for you!)

Defend & Resist (reduces duration of illness when taken at the first sign)

That's $37 in FREE goodies for you!

Contact me via my Facebook page or email directly at ourhealthyhappylife@gmail.com for more information!


Here is a little information about our Shaklee memberships and why I think you would love it!

When joining my Member Team you:

• get discounts on all Shaklee products (save 15% on everything and even up to 25% on some!)
• receive shipping specials
• get your own secure ordering website with LOADS of health information
• receive 100% money back guarantee on all products - no questions asked!

Now, here are some answers to questions you may be asking yourself:

• There is no yearly renewal fee. Joining as a Member is lifetime!
• There are no minimum orders EVER! You can order once a month, or once a year...it's up to you!

In addition to Shaklee's 100% money back guarantee, we offer:

• 100% guarantee that the ingredients listed on the label are in the product
• 100% guarantee of quality controlled product formulations that ensure product safety, purity, reliability, and performance.
• 100% guarantee that we use the finest quality ingredients available. 

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 1

My husband and I decided to make a healthy change in our lives back in 2012 and we haven't looked back since! Sharing our new found healthy lifestyle is a passion for both of us. I hope you enjoy this post...check back daily for updates!

Welcome to Day 1 of my Healthy Living Series! 
Today, I'm sharing with you my absolute favorite cleaning product; one I use exclusively for our home: Shaklee Basic H2 Organic Cleaning Concentrate! I use it to clean counters, dust furniture, clean windows and mirrors, mop floors, clean bathrooms, wash my dogs (YES!), rinse off vegetables, and so much more!
Not only is it versatile, but it's the cheapest, and safest cleaner you can find. And don't let me forget...it WORKS! (It's even cheaper than white vinegar, plus it doesn't stink!)

Some of the most questionable chemicals used in household products are ammonia, chlorine bleach, phenol, butyl cellosolve, and formaldehyde - DANGEROUS! Basic H is NONTOXIC and SAFE for your family!

Important Things to Remember!

• Basic H is the most economical cleaner you can buy. One quart makes 192 gallons of cleaning solution by following directions.
• Just 1/4 teaspoon of the concentrate makes a full 16oz bottle of cleaner! 
• DO NOT USE MORE THAN RECOMMENDED! A little goes a long way! Save $$!
• Basic H contains no acids, no alkalis, no kerosene or solvent, and has no offensive or detergent odor.
• Basic H has pH factor of 6.5, right in the range of human skin.
• Basic H makes water many times wetter.
• Basic H is a fantastically versatile cleaner. The successor is soap!

I just know once you try it, you're going to love it! All of my wonderful clients RAVE about Basic H...they haven't turned back to their toxic cleaners at all! Get some today!

Orange - Pomegranate Energy Drink | All Natural!

I love to drink coffee in the mornings; it's a comfy wake up ritual for me. But in the afternoons, I usually don't want something hot as a pick me up. So I created my own refreshing drink using some of my favorite drink mixes!

My recipe is easy, super tasty, and gives me that extra boost I need during the afternoon!
Orange - Pomegranate Energy Drink

• 1 packet Shaklee 180 Pomegranate Energy Tea
• 3 tablespoons Shaklee Orange Performance
• 8 oz of cold water

Put all of these in a shaker cup and shake it up. Serve over ice and enjoy!
Do you have a favorite 'go to' drink for a pick me up in the afternoons?