I’ve been looking for an environmentally friendlier laundry detergent for some time now.  And this ECOS brand is just the right laundry detergent for my laundry needs.  And the fact that Costco had it for such a great price was another plus.

Magnolia & Lillies is made with 100% natural coconut kernel oil-based surfactant, horsetail plant, lavender, coconut based fabric softener, essential oils of magnolias and lilies, with purified water. Image and info from Ecos.

At first I was thinking how could this natural stuff compete with the commercial brand like Tide. 

Maybe it wouldn’t even clean as well?  But I was surprised to know that it did it’s job very well. ECOS laundry detergent also has a built-in soy based fabric softener and cellulose based optical brightener.

And it’s not just good for laundry, but better for the environment too.  It’s free of SLS (Sodium laurel sulfate) and is vegetable based with other natural ingredients such as essential oils and plant material. 

Since I am not a fan of lavender, I was happy they had other selections too. The one I got was magnolia and lily, it has a nice and light scent that is not overpowering like many commercial brands.

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It has been really cold lately in northern California. A few weeks ago I went outside after the sun went down, and it was freezing cold. The kind of weather that required gloves, hat and scarf. I then came inside ready to drink some hot ginger root tea. But my head and chest was still feeling achy and stuffy.

Then I remember, I have a sample of Gaia Herb “Quick Defense: Quick Response at ONSET” amongst my other shelf of supplements. The Quick Defense is made mainly of echinacea roots, which are common herbs used to fight colds.

Here is a photo of blooming Echinacea (part of the daisy family) grown in North Carolina. These flowers are sometimes referred to as Purple Coneflower. The root is harvested as medicinal herbs. Image source.

Gaia Herb Farm is one of the largest and most productive commercial medicinal herb farms in the U.S. They are located in the pristine mountain valley in the southwestern Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Gaia Herb cultivates over 50 crops of organic herbs on 250 acres. They also cultivate organic passionflower, holy basil, and echinacea in the tropics of Costa Rica.

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My product review for today is a deodorant stick by Hugo Naturals scented with Mexican Lime & Bergamot.  I found mine at iherb, 1.5 oz for $5.45.

I don’t use antiperspirant anymore as I think it’s healthier for the body to breathe. I have also stopped using drugstore deodorants because there are too many strange ingredients I rather avoid - especially propylene glycol and aluminum.

I actually use these alum rocks from Thailand for years now, but I wanted to try something new.

And Hugo Naturals sounded really nice.  The design and packaging was also neat. I also like the list of natural ingredients. And the product description was very promising.

“Our Powerful Formula Helps Keep You Fresh All Day Long. Gentle yet effective, our rich deodorant contains rice powder to help absorb perspiration. Non-irritating, non-staining. Crafted from cruelty-free ingredients. Always free of artificial fragrances, artificial colors, parabens, petroleum products, and animal fats.”

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