I often wonder why our beauty products do not come with warning labels; most of them are filled with toxins harmful to our bodies and our environment. Ingredients such as parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, germall, coal tar derivatives, urea, phthalates, toluene, formaldehyde, mineral oil, propylene glycol, triclosan, DEA, TEA, MEA, synthetic fragrances, PEG, BHA, and petroleum. Many of these ingredients have been confirmed to cause a wide range of cancers, reproductive concerns, allergies, and a sizeable list of health problems. Furthermore the ingredients which pollute our bodies also pollute the environment.To see the health effects of your current cosmetics check out the Environment Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. In the search field of the website, type your brand of cosmetics, or simply type one of its ingredients. Information will appear using a 1–10 ratio scale; 10 being the most harmful brand or ingredient.Your skin is your largest organ. It is porous; everything you apply on your body seeps into your pores. Therefore, what you put on your body is as important as what you put in it. Why not use beauty products kind to animals, kind to the planet, and kind to you?

What’s the solution?After much research concerning cosmetics which are safe, yet provide the desired results, I’ve found a great website to share: Holistic Beauty.

Read more of this story »

While this is a little different from our normal fare, when the Craigslist Foundation asked us if we’d help get the word out on its Nonprofit Boot Camp event, we were happy to oblige. Sponsored by eBay, the event will take place on August 18 at the University of California, Berkeley, campus. If you’re a nonprofit leader or a social entrepreneur, it looks like this will be a day full of educational and networking opportunities. According to the foundation’s web site, "Nonprofit Boot Camp is designed to educate and empower the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs, connecting them with valuable industry resources, peers and potential supporters."

Boot camp features eight different educational tracks, ranging from nonprofit basics to fundraising to technology. Featured speakers will include Ami Dar, Executive Director of Action Without Borders/Idealist.org , and Aimee Allison. There will also be an exhibit hall featuring over 50 organizations that serve emerging nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs, and free one-on-one coaching sessions.

Sounds like a great event, and there’s still time to register. The registration fee is $50.