For World Peace Day (September 21) the UN marked the annual event with calls for all warring parties to put down their weapons. Elsewhere, thousands gathered at 1,300 events around the planet to sit in silence and meditate for the cause. And Burger King, Wendy’s and Denny’s? Well, they combined ingredients from five different competing fast food chains in one giant burger for… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

It’s amazing what the sight of a big old tree can do for the soul. I love the city but I get twitchy and cranky if there’s no green space in sight. Humans just weren’t built to live on pavement, so we can, unconsciously, get pretty edgy when we’re not getting enough contact with nature, even if… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

My friends invited me and two dozen others to camp out at their cottage for a big 40th birthday bash. After my initial reaction (cottage party on a lake, woot!) came the fear factor (oh crap, what kind of northern Canadian bloodsuckers will be swarming and can I track down any DEET-free protection on time?). Two health stores I popped into had… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Love the outdoors but hate DEET? Good news!  Health Canada has changed its mind about yanking natural bug sprays from shelves – sort of. The feds said again and again that they were going to pull citronella-based insect repellents from the market since “there was a lack for safety data to support continued registration.” Had they found any major… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Ever wander into a cosmetic aisle crowded with BB, CC and DD creams and wonder WTF does it all mean? I always figured I was the last person on the planet to know what all the abbreviated fuss was about. After a little digging I discovered, surprise, they’re all essentially the same (namely tinted facial moisturizer, often with UV protection). At the… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Walk down the bodycare aisle of any drugstore and you’d swear you hit your head and woke up in a fruit stand. No one could really blame you if you accidentally chugged that juicy pomegranate bodywash, acai berry avocado shampoo or strawberry smoothie body buff. It does look delicious. Of course, we know that fruit explosion… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

It’s almost Mother’s Day and, like the rest of the continent, you’re scrambling to figure out a way to let your mom know that she’s pretty awesome. Forget the same old, same old (sweatshop chocolate, toxically-scented creams and perfumes, pesticide-laced flowers that wilt within days). This week’s Ecoholic guide to Mother’s day gifts features nothing but gifts that give… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

The first time I tried a natural mascara, I was just excited the concept even existed. Until the thing flaked all over my cheeks. I looked like I’d be cleaning chimneys. A decade later I’ve tried nearly every natural mascara brand in existence. Okay, well, maybe not all of them, but A LOT of them.  Here’s… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

I hate it when healthy things turn out to be tainted with not so healthy things. Take arsenic in rice. We first heard about rice being contaminated with arsenic a few years ago, but there’s new data out this month and it ain’t exactly consoling. First, a UK investigative TV show teamed up with a university there… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Ever been curious about making your own makeup? Who says we have to get petrochemical-laced brands from the drugstore or overpriced beauty counters? Of course, you can skip that whole scene by wandering into your local health store and looking for natural cosmetics or you can check out some great green beauty stores online, but… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

There are times in life when I say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with burying your head in the sand. Like mid way through August when everyone’s talking about the imminent arrival of fall and you’re all, ‘Hold up, people, I’m trying to enjoy every last minute of this blissful season!’ In honour of all those… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

You know when you think something’s going to be quick and breezy and it ends up being a knee deep slog through muck and fog? Well, that’s sort of what happened with my bronzer column. I thought I’d toss together a light column on summer makeup, until I remembered that mineral powders are mired in… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

No matter how confident you are, some things are just awkward to shop for. Take lube, for instance. A lot of us end up tiptoeing into the condom section of the drugstore, furtively snatching a bottle of KY or Astroglide then quickly burying it in our basket before bolting, all without taking the time to read… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Hey gang, Did you catch my spot on CTV’s Canada AM this week talking about alternative ways to keep mosquitos at bay – what works, what doesn’t, what’s healthy, what isn’t? It was a lot to cram into four minutes with a sleepy brain! So I figured I’d clarify a few points here. For one, anything… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Do you mind if I sing a little Cher? “If I could turn back time…” (this is me belting it out) I’d, well, I’d wear more sunscreen on my face. I’m pretty sure milky pale Cher loves the stuff and she’s got better skin at 68 then I do at nearly 38. Okay, fine, she… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Are chemicals in our environment connected to the rise in non-genetic causes of breast cancer? For lots of us following environmental toxin news, it seems like a no-brainer, but scientists are still trying to firm up the connections. A recent study by the Silent Spring Institute and Harvard School of Public Health published in the journal Environmental… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

There’s something weirdly hopeful about a good face scrub. Like if you find the right one it might just erase all the mistakes you (and by you I mean I) made popping, picking, sunbathing and generally abusing the delicate skin on our faces. Alas, the miracle has yet to happen for me and after a… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

It’s National Asbestos Awareness Week. Do you know where your asbestos is? Canada’s asbestos mines may finally be shuttered, but people are still finding the cancerous fibres tucked into all sorts of hidden corners of their homes. If your house was built before the 1980s/90s, it could contain asbestos in a dizzying number of spots. All fine… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

My family pops a lot of supplements. We could probably each start a mini health store with the vitamins cramming our cupboards and counters. And like a lot of North Americans, most of us are taking fish oil. Fish oil has grown to be a billion dollar business on this continent. The question is, which… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Spend a lot of time face time with your yoga mat? So many mats splash the words “eco” and “biodegradable” in their marketing but are they telling the truth? Long story short, too many eco mats claiming to be green are totally stretching their credibility (some puns can’t be avoided, sorry). It’s pretty astounding how many companies… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Everyone washes their hands (we hope) – the question is what are you washing with? Bar soap is a good way to avoid plastic packaging and unrecyclable pumps (click here for my bar soap guide) but considering the popularity of liquid hand soaps, they deserve their own special guide. So voila! In this issue of… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸