GREEN BEAUTY: Strawberry Cleanser for Your Face

A precious, green beauty isn't complete without her daily health and beauty regimen! Whether you have been using the same beauty products for years or you have recently switched to more natural, non-toxic products, you know that your skin is going to show how well you take care of it. Years ago, I purchased a wonderful little paperback handbook, titled The Herbal Body Book by Stephanie Tourles, filled with natural beauty tips and recipes. Inspired by many of the recipes, I began making a few of my own beauty products at home. One of the things I did, was to experiment with natural ingredients to create facials for myself. Here is one of those fabulous recipes!

STRAWBERRY CLEANSER

• Good for: normal or oily skin
• Use: daily - when strawberries are in season
• Follow with: astringent or toner
• Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes
• Mix with: mortar and pestle, spoon
• Store in: Do not store. Mix only as needed.
• Yields: 1 treatment
• Special: The strawberry juice can also serve as a tooth cleanser and whitener. Very refreshing!

Ingredients: 4 very ripe medium-sized strawberries, sliced , 2 drops essential oil of yarrow or peppermint

Mix/Prepare: Mash the strawberries and press through mesh strainer or squeeze through cheesecloth or panty hose. Catch juice in small condiment bowl. Add essential oil and stir to blend. Apply to face and neck with a saturated cotton square and massage with finger tips for about 1 minute. Avoid eye area. Rinse with cool water.

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

GREEN CLEAN: Dr. Bronner’s Classic Soaps

I can remember as a little girl, the strong smell of peppermint in our family’s bathroom on the second floor of the house. Was the smell coming from peppermint candy? No. Or how about peppermint room spray? No, not at all. It was the scent of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap, a product that has been around since 1948! Dr. Bronner’s makes several scented, non-toxic soaps which can be used for a variety of things. I love the peppermint soap because of it’s fresh, clean smell. Sometimes I use the soap to clean the bathroom and I also use it as a hand soap. You can definitely use Dr. Bronner’s soaps in place of any toxic, chemical ridden, cleaning product that you have in your home. One thing is for sure, this soap is strong! My bottle of peppermint soap states, you must “dilute, dilute, dilute” the soap with water before using. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll be happy to know that Dr. Bronner’s soaps are 100% Vegan! Also a little bit of the liquid soap goes a long, long, way! My second favorite Dr. Bronner’s soap is lavender. Lavender is probably my favorite natural scent of all time (followed by rose, orange, patchouli, honeysuckle and ylang ylang). I love lavender bath salts, lavender room spray, lavender satchets and hair products with lavender. If you have a favorite scent, you may find that Dr. Bronner’s makes a product that is just for you!

Additional green info. to make you smile: All oils and essential oils in Dr. Bronner’s soaps are certified organic to the National Organic Standards Program. Dr. Bronner’s liquid soaps are packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

TIPS to Help You Get the Most Green Use Out of Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Soaps:

• Wash your face and body with the soap
• Wash your hair and scalp with the soap
• Wash your baby
• Use it to shave
• Wash your delicate clothing
• Wash your hands and feet
• Clean your car
• Wash your pet
• Dilute in water and mop your floors
• Dilute in water and wash your sink, counters and dishes
• Wash your make-up/beauty tools
• Wash your children’s toys

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

GREEN HEALTH: Ways to beat the summer heat!

The summer season can be relaxing, fun and entertaining for some, or a hot, sticky, bothersome season for others. There are a number of ways in which you can stay cool and healthy during the summer, while also saving energy in your home.

TIPS FOR STAYING COOL IN THE SUMMER

• When it is especially sunny outside, during the daytime, I close my blinds in the living room so that it stays cool.


• If I use the air conditioner I turn it on just long enough to cool the place, and then to save energy (and to keep from getting too cold), I turn the air off.


• I try not to use a curling iron or other heating tools on my hair when it is very hot. These tools use up alot of energy and with a full head of hair like mine, my hair may frizz out anyway. In this case I opt for my favorite "air dry" hairstyles.


• On a hot day, my kitchen and living room are usually warm. To avoid heating my entire place to an uncomfortable temperature, I try to cook on top of the stove as much as possible.


• If you do not have an air conditioner and you find yourself using one of more fans to keep cool at night, try dampening a small face towel and leaving it in your freezer in a sandwich bag for a few minutes. Once the wash towel is nice and cold, rub your face, neck, chest and arms with it. This method should cool you off in no time!


• Drink plenty of H20. If you do not trust the good ole' tap, try instilling a water filter on your kitchen faucet so that you can drink cool water round the clock and take a bottle or two with you when you go out.


• Wear sun glasses, sunscreen, cool hats and anything else that will help you enjoy the summer and stay healthy.

Here is an article featuring other tips for staying cool. Enjoy!

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

RECYCLE: Now you can get rid of all those magazines!

If you are like me, a lover of information, you have probably collected hundreds of magazines over the course of several months and years. A trip to the grocery store or Barnes & Noble for me, usually results in an unplanned purchase of several magazines (apart from the handful I actually have subscriptions to) and the actual necessities I had on my shopping list. So what's a mocha beauty to do with the magazines on her shelves and coffee tables after she has read them all? Recycle of course! Recyling magazines and catalogs is easy and one of the things we can do to help our environment. I started recycling my magazines two months ago. It was quite simple. All I had to do was bundle the magazines and catalogs together, then put them out along with my other recyclable waste for the city to pick up.

Here is some information I recently found on what New York City and several organizations are doing in 2008, to promote the awareness of magazine recycling to the public:

"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on January 30 the New York City launch of ReMix – Recycling Magazines is Excellent! – a national public education campaign aimed at increasing residential recycling of magazines and catalogs. Joining the ReMix effort for the New York City campaign is the Hearst Corporation, Pratt Industries, Time Warner Cable, the Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) and its Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (OROE) and the Department of Sanitation (DSNY)."

If you live in the New York City area, and you would like to find out more about how you can recycle your magazines and catalogs call 311 or visit http://www.nyc.gov/.

TIP FOR REUSING YOUR MAGAZINES:

Do you have children? Are you a child at heart who loves visually stimulating works of art or DIY crafts? Well why not create a beautiful, one of a kind, collage with your old magazines and catalogs?

• Step one: Gather your old magazines, glue sticks, glitter, medium and large size contruction paper in various colors, and markers.


• Step two: Review the pages of your magazines to decide upon which images and text you would like to use for yours or your childrens' collage.


• Step three: Have a theme or subject in mind. Let's say you want to make a collage that represents all the things you love about summer. You can look for pictures and words that describe summer, the activities you do in the summer and how you feel during the summer months. For example: pictures of people or children playing at the beach, words such as "fun", "sun", "joy", "hot", and "relax". You can also cut out letters to create your own words and paste them together on your construction paper.


• Step four: Cut out your images, letters and word phrases and decide how to place them in an overlapping, aesthetically pleasing structure on your construction paper. Note -- there should be no "empty" space on your collage. All the construction paper background should be covered by the beautiful words and images you paste on to it.


• Step five: You can create your own "picture frame" or border around your collage, by cutting out images or background color from magazine pages and pasting it around the edges of your collage.


• Step six: After you have pasted all of the words and images on your construction paper, you can finish it by sprinkling a little craft glitter on the areas that may still be wet from your gluestick. This gives your collage a little shimmer!


• Step seven: If there is room, somewhere on the collage, cut out the letters of your first name or your child's first name and glue it in the center of the collage. Or you can write your name on the back of it with a marker that will not bleed through.


• The final product will be a one of a kind piece of artwork that is fun for you or your children to look at. You can have it framed or laminated if you like!

Here is an article on magazine collage which you may find helpful!

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

GREEN EATS: Wanna be more green? Eat your greens!

Greens and other vegetables are filled with nutrients which our bodies just cannot live without. It's amazing how when we are stressed and busy, shuffling from job to home, to class , to job, to pick up kids, etc., some of us actually eat less fresh vegetables and less of a balanced meal period. Well if you are a busy professional, busy mom, busy student...you need more of the good stuff: greens, fresh, whole foods to carry you through your day. So this is the basics of what we were taught as kids. Just to take this advice a "green step" further, how about mixing several kinds of greens in with a salad? How about juicing your greens? How about taking your greens in the form of a "superfood" supplement in tablet form (hey some people would rather take a green pill than cook a pot of greens or make a large raw salad)?

The green issue with veggies and fruits: buy your produce locally, from a farmers market or buy organic produce. Many proponents or natural and organic foods believe organic is better for you and better for the environment. Organic produce is grown without hormones and pesticides and it is not genetically engineered "cloned" food. Others believe as long as the produce is locally grown it is healthier than what you might buy in your grocery store. If you buy organic produce, just know that it is organic because its' been certified as such by the government in regards to how a farmer grows their product. Most of us were not raised on organic produce, but we know that the quality of our food has changed from 10, 20 and 30 years ago. This includes produce. And if you are a parent, you may be more concerned about the produce you buy because you want your children to ingest only the purest, highest grade of food there is. And that is understandable.

More greens, more fruits and other veggies means decreased chance of disease, less stress and more nutrients and energy for your mind and body. Now that's eating green!

Favorite greens: kale, collard, mustard, bok choy, arugula, spinach, broccoli and dandelion. I like to steam my greens and mix them with other ingredients or soak them in a homemade marinade over night with seasonings! You gotta make eating fresh veggies fun for yourself.

Favorite green juice smoothie: Odwalla Superfood! Yum! It has several fruits in it and barley, wheatgrass and spirulina. Don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself!

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

REUSE: Grocery 'Bag Lady' Save Some $$$

Singer and hip hop artist Erykah Badu was not lying when she sang about women carrying alot of bags and baggage in the song "Bag Lady." Well ladies, carrying the right bag can be both positive and purposeful. How many of us go grocery shopping only to bring home tons of plastic bags we really don't even need? Not to mention that we're barely helping the environment by using all of these bags. In the past I brought home so many bags, now I have two cabinets that house them and I've started using them in the trash cans in my home. So I never need to buy trash bags in the store. If I know ahead of time that I am going to the store, and I am not getting too many things (I do still take public transportation, so I have to "pack light"), I will fold my reusable bag in my purse and take it. Reusable bags are an eco-conscious way to help the environment and save money over time!

If you carry your own reusable (even recyclable) grocery bag or bags to shop at Whole Foods Markets, well when you arrive at the cashier they will take off .10 cents for your entire purchase! It may not sound like alot, but I'm sure that .10 cents adds up over time. Whole Foods is certainly giving us incentive to carry a reusable bag. So several months ago, before Whole Foods started using 100% recyclable paper bags, I purchased one of their reusable grocery bags for .99 cents. My bag is cute, it's light and easy to carry and it's big enough to carry a load of groceries (as long as I don't buy water jugs, juice or soymilk cartons). Since then, I have purchased another reusable bag at a different retailer that is recyclable and has the words "Save the Planet" all over it. Love it!

So ladies, you can take one of your tote bags from home or purchase a chic and inexpensive reusable bag to help our environment and yourself, when you go to the grocery store.

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

RECYCLE & REUSE: Here's How

I live in New York City and here it is the law to recycle. Like most major cities across the country, there is a recycling regime put into place for all residents. Whether you live in a house, a privately owned building, apartment, condo or co-op, it is mandatory to recycle. When I first moved into my apartment a few years ago, my landlord had containers and large cans clearly marked: 'TRASH', 'CARDBOARD', and 'BOTTLES/CANS.' When I dropped my bags or bundles of trash in the large cans in front of my building, I assumed that my landlord and/or building superintendent was recycling. Just a year ago I found out that he didn't always separate the recyclable bottles and related waste for the recycling pick-up. This bothered me. I took the time to separate my trash (only the bottles and cardboard) accordingly, and so I wondered why each week he didn't seem to be putting the recycling out. That's when I called NYC information at 311 and asked them what are a tenants duties to recycle. The representative informed me that landlords/building owners are required to recycle and that they would receive a hefty fine for not doing so. I was like, "Wow!" I knew my landlord wouldn't want to be fined. Just to help along the process, I started religiously gathering up all of my recyclable trash waste each week (not forgetting to do it at times, as I had in the past). My landlord started to see me putting my own recycle bags out on the curb for the city to pick up on Fridays. It didn't bother him, he probably figured I was making it easier on him. I decided I wanted to be more conscious of this process. Of all the things I've accumulated through the years, I thought surely I could be doing more to recycle my waste besides separating cardboard and bottles. That's when I decided to go online and look at the entire list of items that should be recycled here in New York City if you live in an apartment, home, etc.

What I found is that I could separate into a clear blue bag (here in my apt.) the following items and more: printer paper, newspaper, boxes from food product (like the boxes of rice, veggie burgers, cereal boxes), aluminum foil, junk mail, used envelopes, etc. After becoming aware of this and beginning to be more conscious on a daily basis to recycle, I realized I could recycle in other ways too. After I print something from my computer, if I'm not mailing it or giving it to someone, I reuse the other side and print on the same paper again!

How happy that made me to be able to do that. I now include the .99cent little box of clear blue recycling bags in my weekly grocery list. And I even try to use my own tote or reusable grocery bag, If I know in advance that I'm going to stop at the grocery store and shop (provided that I'm not buying too much). Another thing I do is when I'm finished with a cleaning product, hand soap pump, room mist spray bottle or lotion bottle, I figure out another way to reuse it before recycling it. Don't get me wrong, I really don't like to have a bunch of unused bottles. I only have but so much closet and dresser space to store them, but it's worth it to find multiple uses.

USES FOR EMPTY PRODUCT BOTTLES:

• Spray bottles: try filling it up with water and a fragrant oil to naturally scent your place


• Lotion bottles: if you have a bunch of product samples such as conditioner, shampoo or travel size lotion try combining the same type of product into a larger bottle and then get rid of the small ones (or only use them if you're traveling)


• Other small/medium size bottles or jars: If you're going to your buildings laundry mat downstairs or the neighborhood laundry, use one of your empty product containers to put 2 or more cups of detergent in. Now you won't have to lug your gallon of detergent with you

Go online or call your City's information number to find out how you can become more aware of how to recycle and grow more conscious about your home's waste.

Here's what your city may be doing to RECYCLE!

Philadelphia Recycle NOW

Washington, DC Recycling

Atlanta Recycling

St. Louis Recycling Program

Detroit Recycle

Los Angeles Recycle

Miami Recycle

Cleveland Recycle

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

INTRO: Hey Beauty - We're Going Green!

I named this blog Mocha Beauty Goes Green because as a woman of color I know that women of every shade and hue do care about issues toward saving our earth, living healthier, raising children to be strong and healthy, and maintaining our unique beauty. I am a woman with so many interests and passions and being more conscious about how I live and the environment around me has increasingly become more important to me. I know that people of color have not always been widely represented in the discussion of how to live a more environmentally conscious, natural and non-toxic lifestyle. But just recently two magazines which are geared toward our diverse community, Essence and Black Enterprise have featured articles about going green! How fantastic! We have to be a part of this dialogue. Whether you are a Hispanic woman, an African American woman, a multi-racial woman, or a Caribbean American woman, I desire to share tips and all the wonderful things I have learned about going green to help you enhance your life!

"Going Green" is a new phrase, not necessarily a phase but a lifestyle choice and an effort to undue what we’ve come to know as a wasteful, unconscious and toxic way of living. Over ten years ago the environmental movement was but a whisper to many, now none of us can remain ignorant to this cause. From Al Gore’s recent Nobel Prize win for his outstanding push to bring environmental issues to the forefront, to the popularity of mega health food stores like Whole Foods, and the widespread promotion of World Earth Day, to help save natural resources, more and more people are awakening to the idea that going green is actually doable and imperative. If you take it one step at a time each, one of us can do something toward helping our environment and our bodies heal from the pollution, disease, decay and neglect that have become a standard way of life for most. As a woman of color, I care about the environment. I care about what I put into my body and how I live just as much as anyone else. I think at times, we only get a picture that certain groups of people care about earth issues and living naturally, when in fact it’s on all of our minds. Many of us may be hesitant toward giving our attention to these issues because we either think it will take too much time, money and effort to live more consciously or we think this whole eco-friendly movement is a fad. Well if you had the chance to see Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth”, or read any of the numerous online and print articles which talk about our need to recycle, reuse and buy natural and organic produce and other products to save ourselves and Mother Earth, then you would know going green is no joke!

It’s amazing that in my years on this earth I have gone through many phases, times in my life when I was extremely conscious and strict about my diet, my activity outdoors, my support of certain causes and times in my life when I’ve been immersed in the hustle and bustle of the daily career grind, paying bills, budgeting, traveling, shopping, etc. So at times, I haven’t been the greenest sister I could be, but somewhere lingering in my mind has always been the thought that I could be so much more of a champion for living a more natural, non-toxic lifestyle and to inspire others to do the same. I think back to 1997 when I began making my own natural body products and the only people who got a chance to use them were a handful of people close to me. And I think about a time when I had a friend and healer visit the class of third graders I was teaching, to talk with them about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, spending time to meditate, exercise and take good care of their young minds and bodies. This is championing natural and non-toxic living. Great memories, but no more reminiscing for me, the time is now; we can all have our own revolution to add to the greater good. Mocha Beauty Goes Green is going to talk about what we can do as beautiful, aspiring, smart and creative women to go green and still live a fabulous life filled with all of the things that make us feel good about ourselves. It’s about starting where you are right now with what you have. Each one of us can do something, one or two small things to make a difference in the way we live. No one is perfect, but Mocha Beauty, we’re going to strive for our own sense of perfected wellness, beauty and harmony in our lives.

I want to share with you what I am doing to go green, as well as fabulous products to enhance your life, ways of caring for your home in a non-toxic way, organic recipes, issues in greening and more!

It’s all about you Mocha Beauty! Get ready, because today we’re going green!


Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier
The “Green Diva” Writer