Toxic Free Talk Radio Archives
Soap Nuts: The All Natural Solution for Laundry
My guest today is Mona Weiss, a naturalist and actress who co-founded Eco Nuts in 2009 with her fiancée, Pirates of the Carribbean actor Scott Shields, to bring eco-friendly laundry and cleaning products to the marketplace in compostable or recyclable packaging. We’ll be talking about how to recognize toxic and natural ingredients on product labels and how natural products can improve health conditions. Having suffered from a “normal detergent” allergy all her life, as well as a sensitivity to dyes and fragrances, Mona is extremely discerning when it comes to products that come in contact with her skin. Mona discovered she had sensitivities to toxins on new year’s eve right before she turned 16 and was home alone. The idea to start Eco Nuts came about 10 years later. In addition, Mona loves to study our natural world. She’s studied salamanders, marine and freshwater ecology, discovered new species of micro spiders in the Costa Rican rain forest, and worked with leopards, lions, and bears. econuts.com
How To Read Labels on Personal Care Products and Use Natural Products to Benefit Your Health
My guest is Donya Fahmy, CEO, Founder, and Formulator for Dropwise Essentials—a health and wellness company specializing in premium aromatherapy and natural solutions for personal care. She is the author of author of Aromatherapy and the Expectant Mom: A Woman’s Guide to the Best Essential Oils for a Holistic Pregnancy. We’ll be talking about how to recognize toxic and natural ingredients on product labels and how natural products can improve health conditions. Inspired by her avid interest in alternative medicine and her personal experience using essential oils and herbs to successfully treat what doctors and traditional medicine couldn’t, Donya created the formulations that make up the Dropwise product line as a practical way to share the simple yet amazing benefits of “flower power.” 
By incorporating synergistic blends into everyday personal care products, that make people feel and smell great, she helps consumers recognize plants as a safe, effective, and environmentally sound alternative to pharmaceuticals, Over-the-Counter (OTC) medications, and mass-produced and potentially toxic personal care products. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/dropwise-essentials
Toxics in the Arts
My guest Monona Rossol is a chemist, artist, industrial hygienist, and President/founder of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing health and safety services to the arts. Author of nine books on toxics in the arts, Monona also is the Health and Safety Director for Local 829 of the United Scenic Artists, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). I’ve known of and admired her work for decades. Monona was born into a theatrical family and worked as a professional entertainer from age 3 to 17. She enrolled in the University of Wisconsin where she earned: a BS in Chemistry with a minor in Math, an MS majoring in Ceramics and Sculpture, and an MFA with majors in Ceramics and Glassblowing and a minor in Music. While in school she worked as a chemist, taught and exhibited art work, performed with University music and theater groups, and worked yearly in summer stock. After leaving school, she performed in musical and straight acting roles in Off and Off Off Broadway theaters and cabaret. Monona has lectured and consulted in the US, Canada, Australia, England, Mexico and Portugal. www.artscraftstheatersafety.org
In this show Monona lays it on the line about how toxic the world is today. She took us to the Chemical Abstract Service website which registers chemicals. There is a counter that clicks every time a new chemical is registered. During the show 49 new chemicals were added to the 70 million plus chemicals that were already registered at the start of the show.
She also talks about the inadequate and misleading labeling of ALL art materials, including the ones you buy at art supply stores and the common art materials sold everywhere. If you have a school-aged child that has an art class, listen to this show.
Raising Backyard Chickens for Fun and Food
My guest today is Sarah Griffin-Boubacar, Retail Store Manager at Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply the largest organic gardening supply company in the U.S. Since both Sarah and I will talk about our experiences raising backyard chickens and Sarah will give her expert advice and talk about the resources they have to offer to make raising chickens a success. Sarah is a graduate of Humboldt State University in Northern California and worked on an organic coffee and fruit farm in Hawaii. She loves to be involved in the local agriculture scene in California and enjoys helping farmers and gardeners with their questions and problems. Sarah was trained in Integrated Pest Management by the University of California. She teaches popular workshops at Peaceful Valley on Canning & Preserving, Cheesemaking, and Irrigation. At home Sarah has an extensive organic garden, and raises backyard chickens and little boys. Backyard Chicken Supplies. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/peaceful-valley-farm-supply
How Seventh Generation is Eliminating Toxics Throughout Their Supply Chain
My guest is chemist Martin Wolf, Director of Product Sustainability and Authenticity for Seventh Generation, a manufacturer and distributor of ecological household and personal care products. We’ll be talking about what Seventh Generation is doing to eliminate toxic chemicals in every phase of manufacture, and how they are helping make the world less toxic by working to improve toxics regulations. Martin brings more than 40 years of experience in industrial and environmental chemistry to his work, including the occurrence of hazardous chemicals in the environment, conducting life cycle studies of industrial processes, and designing more sustainable household cleaning products. At Seventh Generation, Martin has developed frameworks for environmental product design, helped educate his co-workers, customers, and consumers about the environmental impacts of consumer products and the industries that produce them, helped develop standards for voluntary disclosure, and brought change to the cleaning products industry through more sustainable product designs. In 2010, Martin received a 2010 EPA Region 1 Environmental Merit Award for his work. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/seventh-generation
Show #100 – How To Earn Money Selling Toxic-Free Products & Services
It’s my hundredth show, so I’m going to celebrate with a special topic: how to make money selling toxic-free products and services. We’ll explore all kinds of businesses to get involved in and three specific business models:
- affiliate programs (www.pureeffectfilters.com)
- local businesses (www.itsournature.com)
- multi-level marketing (debralynndadd.mytouchstoneessentials.com)
Make it your business to help others live toxic-free. I’ve got three guests who are doing it and making good income. One of my suggestions is an excellent product that is widely needed, and you can get in for zero money down. Tune in and explore the possibilities.
Toxic Free Cleaning Basics
I met my guest Annie B. Bond many years ago when her publisher asked me to write the forward to her first book Clean and Green. We’ll be talking about how to clean your home with natural substances you probably have in your kitchen, plus a few more that are easy to find and inexpensive. We’ve both been cleaning toxic-free for years, so we have a lot of experience and knowledge between us. Annie is the best-selling author of five books, including Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999), Home Enlightenment (Rodale Books, 2008), and most recently True Food (National Geographic, 2010), and winner of Gourmand Awards Best Health and Nutrition Cookbook in the World. She was named “the foremost expert on green living” by “Body & Soul” magazine (February, 2009). Currently Annie is the Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Wellness Wire and leads the selection of toxic-free products for A True Find. www.anniebbond.com
Gluten-Free Skin Products
My guest today is Anthony Vargas, Founder and Owner of Tilth Beauty, and former Vice President of Research and Development for Elizabeth Arden. We’ll be talking about his natural-based, high-performance, gluten-free skincare line, where gluten is found in beauty products, how gluten in skin care products can affect our health, and who should be concerned about gluten exposure through the skin. Based on three decades of experience, research, and development, each Tilth Beauty product has been painstakingly crafted with a unique and potent blend of botanical and industry -proven ingredients without ANY potentially harmful elements commonly found in most skincare products: no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petroleum-based products, silicones, synthetic fragrances or GMOs, animal/dairy-derived products, or artificial colors. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/tilth-beauty
Natural Art Supplies
My guest today is Leah Fanning Mebane, founder of Natural Earth Paints. We’ll be talking about some of the toxic exposures from art paints, and safer paints to use. Leah began using all natural earth paints about five years ago, after being an oil painter for more than eighteen years. She eliminated all solvents and toxins from her studio and then began collecting her own pigments from nature. This transition away from toxic, modern paints gave her the joy of doing no harm to the environment and the freedom to express her art and passion in partnership with the earth. Her constant allergies and headaches cleared up with the removal of solvents and toxins in the studio. She also developed a deeper connection with the natural world as she spent more time outside the studio directly connecting with the origins of her paints. In 2010 she launched the business, Natural Earth Paint, with her husband Drew and now creates and sells natural art supplies all over the world. Their products include Children’s Earth Paints, Natural Face Paints, Natural Egg Dye Kits for Easter, Earth Oil Paint Kits and also professional, non-toxic supplies for artists. See her beautiful earth paintings at www.FanningArt.com. www.NaturalEarthPaint.com
Packing a Lunch Without Plastic
Whether you are packing a lunch for school, work, travel, or picnic, my guest Sandra Ann Harris, California eco-mom and Founder of ECOLunchbox, can tell you how to pack it without plastic. Her food containers are plastic-free, waster-free, BPA-free, PVC-free, and petroleum-free. We’ll talk about the toxic chemicals in standard lunch boxes, utensils, containers, and wrappings, and explore the many toxic-free options for carrying your own nutritious, delicious, organic lunch. Sandra started ECOLunchbox to empower families with non-toxic lunchtime tools to help them learn to reduce their dependence on plastics. Scientists are learning more everyday about the health and environmental hazards of toxins in plastics. ECOlunchbox’s mission is to offer lunchware alternatives that are healthy for both people and our planet. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/ecolunchbox
