A few months ago, Alex from Water Pik, Inc. contacted me about trying one of their products and writing a review about it on my blog. Although not food related, Water Pik’s products interested me for another reason – they are green/eco friendly. This is another topic I’m quite passionate about. I try to eat local, mostly organic foods, recycle, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, own a Prius, use re-usable shopping bags, etc. I’m even one of those weird people on planes that keeps using the same cup over and over, instead of getting a new one every half hour. Oh yeah, I’ve gotten looks on this one before! 
I just hate waste! One of the products that caught my eye was an eco-friendly shower head. We literally closed on our condo just days prior, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to put it to the test.
My father in law helped Adam put it in our shower – it took literally minutes! Just unscrew the old shower head and screw this baby in. Done! Now you can be more eco-friendly! 
I liked that the shower head could be hand-held as well as secured on its base. It’s very helpful for days I don’t want to get my hair wet (man, I’m such a girl sometimes! 
). There are also a few different settings, so you can change the type of water flow you prefer. All of them were much weaker than our previous shower head, but that’s to be expected. Overall, there is still sufficient pressure to get a good shower so I’d definitely recommend it. Let’s save the world one shower at a time 
Since we’re talking about being green and all, I thought I’d share some other green products that I like to use. Of course there is the eco-friendly reusable SIGG water bottle. I use this baby at the gym.
We also use energy-saving light bulbs. They cost more money but last a lot longer. Definitely worth it!
Our house is full of green cleaning products. We still have a few “regular” ones, but I replace them with their eco-friendly counterparts as they get used.
- All natural citrus air freshener
- CitraDish dishwasher gel in fresh grapefruit
- Citrus Magic 100% natural odor eliminating citrus air freshener – LOVE this!! It really smells like oranges in our bathroom
- Seventh Generations natural dish liquid
- Ecover cream scrub
- Ecover toilet bowl cleaner
- Green Works natural all-purpose cleaner
If you need some convincing about why green products are the way to go, watch this hilarious video! Seriously, watch it (it gets good after 16 seconds)!!
And finally my make-up and beauty products. This has been the hardest thing for me to adopt since I have so many favorites from days I couldn’t care less about this kind of stuff. I’m doing my best about replacing as many of them as I can but this is one area where I think it will take a lot longer for me to change. I’ve been using the Skin Deep database to determine which products are safe and which ones should be avoided. I hope one day they are able to have even more products tested! Here are a few of my new purchases and my thoughts on them:
- Pure & Basic liquid hand soap – a great liquid soap!
- Korres Sugar crystal cream (face moisturizer) – rated 1 on Skin Deep (0-2 = low hazard; 7-10 = high hazard). I’m not in love with it yet. It has light texture but I’m not sure it provides my skin with sufficient moisture. I may keep looking.
- Meadowlake Farm About Face (face moisturizer) – rated 0 on Skin Deep; ingredients list sounds almost like a recipe (include raw honey, EVOO, mango butter, etc.) – that’s awesome. This is a very heavy cream. I’d like to find a nice balance between these 2.
- L’Oreal double extend mascara – rated 5 (I think it used to be rated lower). I bought it because of a lower rating than some other ones I’ve seen but it’s not great! Looking through the database right now, I can find a few others rated at least 4.
So clearly I still have a long way to go on the green cosmetics front. Now let’s get to our pearly whites… Waterpik would like to send one lucky Healthy and Sane reader a Waterpik sensonic professional toothbrush!!
Here is how to enter the Waterpik toothbrush giveaway:
1) Leave a comment on this post! I would especially like to hear about green products you love
2) If you have a blog, let others know about the giveaway and link back to this post. If you don’t have a blog, tell someone about this giveaway and let me know that you’ve done so (after they enter the giveaway by commenting). *This earns you 2 bonus points*
3) If you have a blog, add Healthy and Sane to your blogroll (if I’m already on your blogroll, let me know – it counts!). If you don’t, shoot me an email and give me some feedback on my blog. *This also earns you 2 bonus points*
The giveaway will run for a week through 5pm EST on December 9. I will announce the winner that night. Good luck!
Great giveaway! I’m excited to be entered. I love my eco-friendly waterbottle as well! I think it’s soon time for a new one though! Mine has been bruised and battered for far too long!
I have been wanting to go green for a while! These products are great!
I also blogged about your giveaway here:
http://freckledfoodie.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/ohhh-were-halfway-there/
I love energy-efficient light bulbs — my entire house is converted. We’re slowly switching over to green cleaning products. Once one container empties, we replace it with a greener alternative.
My mom has always been big on cleaning with just vinegar and water, though, which is cheap and easy.
Interesting post. For some reason I never knew you drove a Prius. I will admit that when it comes to the environment I’m much better at some things than others. The food I buy has been an easy switch because I am so passionate about it that I don’t mind doing the research, but at other things I could definitely be better.
We use energy efficient bulbs, reusable bags, reusable coffee cups, water bottles, etc. As cleaning products empty, I am replacing them with green ones!
You’re on my blogroll!
wow! great info! I’m always looking for greener products. So far I use all glass and reusable plastic containers and water bottles. I even bring my own coffee cups to coffee shops so I don’t have to waste a paper cup! But I’m always on the look out for new and better ways to stay green!
You are on my blogroll too!
I’ve also linked this contest back on my blog
Love the blog, I always look for natural detergents when I shop and wash clothes in cold water!
I am slowly going more green- purchasing natural products like Watkins, Method and 7th Generation. This is hard for me since I work for a manufacturing company and bring things home to test occasionally but I am trying to do my part.
This shower head is just one more small step I can take!
I do already have you on my blogroll
omg cool giveaway! i generally bring my own bags to the grocery store when shopping!
omg that was hilarious! enter me enter me in
so what makes the shower head “green”? it uses less water is that it?
awesome giveaway! I’ll definitely link back to this post and add to my blogroll. Thanks!
Those eco-products look great! I definitely need to get one of those water bottles. Please enter me into the giveaway, and see your link in my blogroll.
i never thought to reuse my water cup on the plane- i’m doing that from now on!
I just wish the CFL light bulbs were dimmable!
The shower head is ‘eco’ because it uses less water. You get a little less water pressure than a regular shower head, but you also get a lower electrical bill to match.
I love Green Works products. The area under my sink is filled with Green Works products, and I keep begging the school to switch over from Clorox and Lysol.
I love fancy toothbrushes, too!
I have swapped most of my light bulbs out for the energy saving ones. I also use eco friendly water bottles. I just discovered the Green Works products and so far I love them.
Great giveaway! I bring my own bags to supermarkets, take public transportation, and try to eat organic and locally grown foods!
i loveeeee handmade soaps from my aunt. she uses natural ingredients~
you’re on my blogroll~
I have the same SIGG bottle, and I love it!
Yay another giveaway! This is a fun one
I love Ecover products, and they actually sell them in the UK, too! I was surprised to find a natural toliet bowl cleaner that actually works!
You are on my blogroll of course
Hope you are well, Elina!
I would just like a moment to dissuade you from using the Sigg water bottle. As you may, or may not, now, Sigg has had BPA in their bottles, knew about it, and lied about it to the public. Here is a link describing the situation. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1932826,00.html.
If you choose (wisely, in my opinion) to go a trusted, safe, eco-friendly reusable water bottle, might I suggest the Klean Kanteen? I love mine. http://www.kleankanteen.com
What a great giveaway – I was just saying today I want a fancy “frou-frou” toothbrush. =) I like to use green cleaners (love that same citrus spray, by the way), and reusable water bottles.
Great giveaway, I think I need to get better at going in the green direction!
Great giveaway! I love Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods reusable shopping bags! I take them to the market…and everywhere else!
Great giveaway!
I love my sigg water bottles.
Hi Elana-
I have all the same cleaning products and lightbulbs, but have yet to move onto beauty products. That’s next! I’d love to win the water pik!
i’m in the midst of changing my products out for green ones, thanks for the info on the ones you use!
i’m all about reusable bags
you’re on my blogroll!
Thanks for this giveaway Elina.
i know you saw, but here’s the link
http://tri2cook.blogspot.com/2009/12/roasted-pears-whoney-rosemary.html
My husband is a teeth-cleaning FREAK and would love this
We go green as much as possible. The best tricks I have are to make household cleaners from scratch. It’s so easy and CHEAP!
#37 - Spring is back // Dec 4, 2009 at 12:07 am
[...] Green living + a giveaway [...]
hello and happy holidays….i need to start using more green products. thanks for the info on these products. amy from los angeles
#39 - Barney Butter free day // Dec 5, 2009 at 1:44 pm
[...] Green living + a giveaway [...]
Have you ever heard of/used Meyer’s cleaning products?
#41 - Multi-grain waffles for the road // Dec 6, 2009 at 10:56 am
[...] Green living + a giveaway [...]
I’d love the tootbrush. As for going green, I substitute green products whenever I can.
#43 - Getting fit with Wii Fit // Dec 8, 2009 at 12:08 am
[...] Waterpik giveaway here. [...]
J – I’ve heard about Sigg’s BPA scandal and I am disappointed in this situation; however I already purchased my bottle and it is BPA free. I will probably go with a different brand when I purchase my next bottle
Katy – I actually was thinking about trying to make my own cleaning products or cosmetics. I think they are some helpful books out there for that. One day…
Matt – I have heard of Meyer’s cleaning products but have never tried them. Are they any good?
I love reusable tote bags and water bottles! I also follow you on my google reader
Reusable shopping bags are the way to go! =)
#47 - Pretty hair helps deal with work (giveaway winners announced) // Dec 9, 2009 at 10:56 pm
[...] thing – the winner of the Waterpik giveaway is #8. I also never received addresses from 2 NuNaturals giveaway winners so I’m redrawing [...]