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Oil is everywhere. Seriously. It's in the products we use everyday, from aspirin to toothpaste, it's an ingredient in cosmetics from lipstick to nail polish, and most ominously, it's the basic building block of plastic—which means it permeates our lives from credit cards to soft contact lenses.
So while we need to cut back on the fossil fuels consumed by driving and flying, gasoline is only where about half of every barrel of oil goes. We also need to reduce our dependence on oil in all other facets of life.
The average American uses 13 times more oil than the average Chinese. Making changes in diet alone can make a huge difference: according to the Sierra Club, "the typical American diet requires the staggering equivalent of 400 gallons of oil each year," and switching to local, vegetarian food slashes that immediately.
Watch Recipes For Disaster. Then try your own oil detox, using this recipe as a starting point.
Ingredients to avoid:
Petroleum
Petrolatum
Mineral Oil
Fragrance
PVP/VA Copolymer
Paraffin oil
Liquid paraffin
White petrolatum
Paraffin wax
Di-ethyl phthalate (DEP)
Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP)
Benzyl butyl phthalate
Polyurethane
Things they are in (just about everything):
Skin creams—hand lotions, facial products, etc.
Hair spray
Candles
Paint
Deodorant
Antihistamines
Cortisone
Soft contact lenses
Detergents
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Bandages
Diapers
Perfume
Insect repellants
Food wrap
Toothbrushes, toothpaste
Crayons
Purses
Shoes
Rubber boots
Rubber bands
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, flooring, shower curtains, and countless other household products
Method for detox: cut down, and find alternatives
1. Start by reducing your consumption levels: even when you find totally sustainable brands, the products still have to get to you by road, plane, or sea. When it comes to the environment, less is always more.
2. Find companies that avoid the use of petroleum-based ingredients.
Be on the lookout for natural skincare lines, including brands like Avalon
Natural healing ointments
Try making your own hair spray
Use petroleum-free candles
Natural cleaning products; some not only avoid petroleum, but other toxic ingredients as well
3. Always use nondisposable versions of products you sometimes find more convenient when disposable. Branch out from this list on your own, but here's a start:
Paper towels
Plastic bags
Contact lenses
Utensils, plates, cups
Reusable diapers
Watch Recipes For Disaster on Planet Green
Thoughts? Advice on how we all can wean ourselves off oil? Please leave comments if you're up for the challenge or have tips to share.
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