Via Nature Skin Lotions: Swiss Apple Hydrating & Fragrance Free for Sensitive Skin: Product Reviews

When I was at Natural Products Expo East, I visited the Via Nature booth, and I spoke with Tracy about their products, which use Swiss Apple Stem Cell technology. She explained that their skin lotions and body lotions use Swiss Apple stem cells, which have been proven to work to rejuvenate the skin and offer a natural dry skin, and itchy skin remedy.

Tracy sent me some of their products to try. They have 4 different Hand and Body lotions:

• Swiss Apple Hydrating Skin Lotion with Peptides and Rosehip Oil
  for Sensitive to Normal Skin
• Fragrance Free Sensitive Care Skin Lotion with Argan Oil and Hyaluronic Acid
  for All Skin Types
• Vanilla Coconut Moisturizing Skin Lotion with Argan Oil and Hyaluronic Acid
  for Normal Skin
• Lavender Eucalyptus Soothing Skin Lotion with Antioxidant Omega Essential Complex
  for Sensitive to Normal Skin

My favorite scent is the Swiss Apple. It gives me the feeling of walking through a field of fresh apples. 

The Vanilla Coconut has a very subtle scent, like it is barely there. I find that to be very nice, so that you don't overwhelm everyone as you walk into a room. 

I also really like the Fragrance Free lotion for sensitive skin. As Tracy suggested, I tried it on my face, and it didn't give me any bad reaction, like you might get from a scented product that is not meant for the face. And it has a nice light feel to it.


Tracy told me that one of her customers likes to use the Lavender Eucalyptus lotion on her baby. She finds it to have a calming affect.

All the lotions are nice and light. They do not feel greasy on the skin, and they soak in pretty quickly. Yet they do have a good moisturizing feeling to them.

According to Via Nature, all of the ingredients in their products have functional benefits. For example:

• Plant Stem Cells: Awaken and renew your healthy skin
• Anti-Aging Peptides: Improve structural integrity, epidermal nourishment. Improve skin firmness and smoothness
  
• Rosehip Oil: Rich in Vitamin A & C plus Omega 3 & 6
• Hyaluronic Acid: Helps keep skin moist and agile, aiding in healthy, youthful appearance
• Argan Oil: Conditions and hydrates the skin deeply
• Omega 3,6,7,9 essential complexes: Calms and soothes; Enhances the skin's healing process; improves elasticity, softness, smoothness

I don't know how Via Nature does it, but with all these natural, functional ingredients, they have managed to keep their pricing very reasonable. In January, their products are currently on sale on my website. The sale price for the body lotions is only $5.31 for 8 fl oz, a 41% discount off the retail price of $8.99. Even without the sale, my prices are highly discounted off the retail price.

I definitely plan to order some for myself when my samples run out.

You can see all the Via Nature products here

Something I am really excited about is that Via Nature is coming out with a new skin care line, using the rejuvenating, age-defying properties of plant stem cells. Tracy said they are sending me some samples soon, so I hope to report back to you soon with my review of the new skin care line. Please stay tuned....

King Bio: Acute Pain Relief Cream and Advanced Arnica: Product Reviews

In October of 2014, I went to Natural Products Expo in Baltimore for 2 days. My goal was to visit approximately 150 vendors whose products I carry on my website, 100 vendors I had flagged whose products looked interesting, and many other vendors that caught my fancy as I was walking through the show. For many of the booths that I visited, I picked up literature and samples. By the end of each day, I was carrying several heavy bags of literature and samples, weighing many pounds. At the end of the 2 days, I was experiencing shoulder pain, and needed help. Fortunately, when it came to finding a source of natural relief of back, muscle, and shoulder pain, I was in the right place.

Fortunately, one of the booths I stopped at was King Bio, and they were sympathetic to my plight. They gave me a tube of Acute Pain Relief, and a spray bottle of Advanced Arnica, and suggested that I use these to recover from my soreness.

Over the next week I used the Acute Pain Relief cream on my shoulders twice a day, and took the Arnica spray internally several times a day. The cream had an immediate cooling effect, probably because of the camphor. It gave me an immediate feeling of relief. And when I got a massage, I had the massage therapist use the cream on my shoulders. That really seemed to help. By using the cream and the Arnica spray, my shoulders improved greatly. They probably would have improved on their own, but I felt that the cream and the Arnica helped speed up the process. Thank you, King Bio!

Andalou Naturals Brightening Skin Care Kit: Product Review

I'm always in search of the best skin care product—especially organic skin care and anti-aging products—and was intrigued when I was at Natural Products Expo East a few months ago and visited the  booth. The woman I spoke with told me about their different natural skin care products, which are based on plant stem cell technology. The theory is that the stem cells help your own cells to rejuvenate.

Andalou Naturals has several different regimens, including Age-Defying, Clarifying, and Brightening. I asked which would be the right one for me to try. I told her that I wanted the age-defying properties, to combat aging skin, but that my skin was looking pretty dull—probably from lack of sleep. She told me that all these lines would have age-defying properties, so she suggested that I try the Brightening line.

The company sent me a Get Started Brightening 5-Piece Kit. Each of the lines has a kit like this, and it is great either for traveling or for trying out the product lines.

The Brightening Kit contains the following:
- .8oz Meyer Lemon Creamy Cleanser
- .5oz Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask
- 1oz Clementine + C Illuminating Toner
- .4oz Probiotic + C Renewal Cream
- .4oz Purple Carrot + C Luminous Night Cream

When I got the kit, I looked at all the information, and I saw that the Brightening line is recommended for Normal and Combination skin. That used to be my skin type, but as I have gotten a little older, and especially during the colder months, my skin type tends more towards Dry. So this line might not be the ideal line for me, but I wanted to check it out anyway.

I started with the Meyer Lemon Creamy Cleanser, which has a nice fresh lemony scent. I rinsed that off, dried my skin, and applied the Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask for 10 minutes. That also has a nice, pleasant scent. I washed off the mask, and dried my face.  I then put some of the Illuminating Toner on a cotton ball. I love a good toner/freshener. It seems that no matter how well I cleanse my face, I always get more dirt off on that cotton ball with a good toner, and this time was no exception. The toner was not at all irritating, and my face felt refreshed and clean afterwards. Finally, I added the Luminous Night Cream. All the products felt nice and light. No heavy thick feel to any of them, and no heavy fragrances.

When I was done, my skin felt clean and smooth. I really liked the way it felt. And, after  using it for a couple of weeks, I think my skin does appear a little brighter, and the circles under my eyes are less noticeable.

I really like that their products are all natural, vegetarian/vegan, fair trade, no animal testing. As they say on their website:

We champion Certified Organic, Natural Origin, BioActive, Fair-Trade, Verified Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, Vegetarian and Vegan Ingredients, Eco-Friendly Practices, and a Meaningful No Animal Testing Policy.
We reject GMO's, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, Sulfates, Synthetic Colors, Dyes, Fragrances, Triclosan, PEG, MEA, TEA, DEA, or Paraben Preservatives. 

For long-term use, I'd like to try the Andalou Get Started Age-Defying Kit. I think that would be more appropriate for my skin type, since it is recommended for Dry and Sensitive skin. I hope to do a review of the Andalou Age-Defying skin products at some time in the future. And for people with Active and Oily skin, they recommend the Andalou Get Started Clarifying Kit.

Teeccino Organic Herbal Coffee Alternative (caffeine-free), for those chilly winter months: Product Review

I'm a tea drinker and prefer organic tea and herbal tea. (I've learned from Weight Watchers that it's good to have a nice cup of tea rather than to go for the food.) My husband grew up drinking Postum, which was discontinued years ago. We have one jar left, and serve it on special occasions. We've been searching for a convincing coffee alternative. I recently discovered Teeccino Herbal Coffee. Teeccino has a bolder, more savory taste that is more coffee-like than tea-like, and comes either in tea type bags or loose so it can be brewed like coffee. It even comes in an organic chocolate flavor! Is this the coffee substitute we've been searching for?

The advantage to coffee substitutes is that they have none of the caffeine or the chemicals found in decaffeinated coffee and non-herbal tea (which is really low-caffeine, not no-caffeine).

When my first package of Teeccino arrived, I couldn't wait to try the Teeccino Herbal Coffee Chocolate Organic Dark Roast! I dunk a bag in hot water just like preparing tea, then put in sweetener & milk. Bottom line? I think it's delicious! It's soothing and relaxing. It satisfies me and keeps me from eating more dessert. You can use any sweetener you want. To keep down the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values, I like to use Stevia and Skim Plus milk. Some of my favorite Stevias are: Nature's Answer Liquid Stevia, Cid Botanicals Stevia, and  Sweet Leaf Stevia. (Note: if you do use Stevia, make sure not to add too much, or it might have an aftertaste. I add a little at a time until it is sweet enough for me.)

The Teeccino Herbal Coffee Chocolate Organic Dark Roast is a little different in taste from regular hot chocolate, but is definitely chocolatey. Its ingredients are carob, barley, chicory, ramon seeds, natural chocolate flavor, cocoa, and chile flakes. The chile flakes give the drink a nice, subtle kick! All the ingredients are organic except for the natural chocolate flavor.

I served the Teeccino Herbal Coffee Chocolate Organic Dark Roast to my sister-in-law and her friend, and they really liked it. And I served it to my friend who has a discerning palette and tends to like gourmet foods. He liked it so much that he ordered several Teeccino products for himself.

If you're in the mood for something with a coffee-like flavor but want to avoid the caffeine, try the French Roast, a dark roast which is made from organic carob, barley, chicory, ramon seeds, and natural coffee flavor.

Teeccino also offers Vanilla Nut, as well as Medium Roast, Light Roast, Mediterranean Hazelnut, Chocolate Mint, and Mocha. Teeccino herbal coffees are available in "tee" bags or loose so you can brew it in your favorite coffee maker as you would with regular ground coffee.
You can see all the varieties we have in stock.

All Teeccino products are Kosher Parve, certified by Star-K of Baltimore.

Introducing Kendy Actiflora+ with Lactobacillus Bulgaricus

New Product announcement!

Kendy Actiflora+: Probiotic, Prebiotic, Synbiotic

We're proud to announce the latest addition to our extensive line of health-enhancing products: Kendy Aciflora+!

One hundred years ago Dr. Elie Metchnikoff (Nobel Prize Winner -- Medicine, 1908) identified the remarkably good health and long life of Bulgarians as being a result of their consumption of food containing probiotic bacteria found only in Bulgaria. Dr. Metchnikoff christened those bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus in honor of their only natural home. This was the birth of the field of Probiotics.

Those health benefits are now available to modern consumers through Actiflora Synbiotics by Kendy. Actiflora is the only probiotic containing the original finest strains of Lac. bulgaricus discovered by Dr. Metchnikoff, blended with Acidophilus, Bifido, Strep. thermophilus & Inulin prebiotic for optimum effect.

Check out this video, provided by Kendy:

Clinical studies show that the regular use of probiotics may:
-Support & strengthen our body's immune system by fighting pathogens & maintaining levels of Immunoglobulins A, M, & G.
-Promote correct digestion & absorption of nutrients from food.
-Help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels.
-Help restore & maintain normal gastro-intestinal microflora especially after illness & antibiotic treatment.
-Improve energy levels & general health.
-Help relieve lactose intolerance, acid reflux & Candida.
-Help fight stress related conditions.
-Prevent constipation, bloating, diarrhea & flatulence.
-Overcome skin problems.

Not All Probiotic Bacteria are the Same
-Actiflora+ is characterized by the presence of Kendy's unique and patented strains of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus.
-All our bacteria strains are especially selected for their higher vitality and ability to survive and multiply in the gastro-intestinal system. They can reproduce themselves once every 20 minutes and colonize on the intestinal mucous membrane thereby synthesizing biologically active substances and vital enzymes for a period of 10-12 days.
-After 12 hours in the GI tract just 1 CFU (Colony Forming Unit) of Kendy L.b. can reproduce itself into over 68 billion bacteria.
-None of our bacteria strains have ever been genetically manipulated.
Selection was made only from strains which have existed for hundreds of years or new strains found mainly in the blossom of wild herbs and trees in ecologically protected areas of Bulgaria.
-Actiflora+ products also contain high concentrations of vitamins A, B, C, D, pectin, minerals & trace elements such as calcium, potassium, iron, copper etc.

What makes ACTIFLORA+ so special?
+ All ACTIFLORA products are characterized by the useof Kendy's unique and patented strains of Lac. bulgaricus & Streptococcus thermophilus as their primary probiotic ingredients plus Inulin prebiotic.
+ Kendy products use a patented blend of bacteriaformulated for the fastest possible reproduction in the GI system where they colonize on the intestinal mucousmembrane and synthesize biologically active substances andvital enzymes.
+ After fermentation Kendy do not separate thesupernatant from the live bacteria so there is no filtration or centrifugal separation process. As the supernatant is rich in amino acids, metabolites, vitamins, immuno-stimulators, bacteriocins and other substances beneficial to human health this gives better results than consuming bacteria alone as offered by other probiotic manufacturers .
+ Enteric coating is a compensation for using unsuitable bacteria. Kendy do not enteric coat their probiotic capsules so the bacteria are released into a much larger area of the GI system.

Learn more and order Actiflora+ now!

Recipe: Oatmeal Pancake, sweetened with Stevia. Bonus Stevia Buying Guide!

I have been a member of Weight Watchers for a number of years. I think it is a great program! I get great ideas and lots of support every time I go to a meeting.

I like the Simply Filling plan on Weight Watchers. On this plan,  you eat Power Foods. These are mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins. Things that fill you up without triggering you to eat too much.

Some people on Weight Watchers use a lot of artificial sweeteners, to avoid the carbs in sugar. I prefer to use Stevia, which comes from the naturally sweet Stevia plant. I'm going to tell you about 3 different ways that I use Stevia, which is available at Lori's Earth Friendly Products. The first is a recipe, and the others are simple ideas.

Oatmeal Pancake

In our Weight Watchers meetings, our leader Val has given us ideas on how to make an Oatmeal Pancake. I have come up with my own variation, which is made up of Power Foods, and is very filling and satisfying. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:
1 egg
a small piece of banana, mashed up (less than 1/4 banana)
a small amount of Skim Plus or skim milk (less than 1/4 cup)
a few shakes of cinnamon
a few shakes of Stevia
1/3 to 1/2 cup of plain old fashioned oats

Optional Toppings:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I use the 6-packs of 4 oz unsweetened applesauce from Target)
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
Blueberries, cut up strawberries, any other fruit you like

Directions:

• Mix the egg, mashed banana, and Skim Plus in a measuring cup.
• Add the oats, cinnamon, and Stevia, and mix well.
• Let it sit for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, spray a non-stick pan with oil, and heat it to medium heat.
• When it is hot enough, give the mixture one more mix, and add to the pan.
• Shake the pan to evenly spread out the mixture.
• Cover, and let it cook until you see some bubbles, and the edges look a little browned.
• Flip over, and cook uncovered for a few minutes.
• Put on a plate, and add any of the optional toppings. When I am really hungry, I add all three.

I find that this keeps me satisfied for at least 2 hours.

Other ideas for Stevia:

Coffee:
To go with the oatmeal pancake in the morning, on days when I haven't had enough sleep (too many days in recent times), I will have a cup of coffee. I sweeten it with Stevia, and then add Skim Plus.

Yogurt:
And finally, for an afternoon snack:
I take 1/2 cup of fat free Greek yogurt, mix with a few shakes of Stevia, and add fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or whatever you like). 

Limitations of Stevia in baking:
You can't always replace sugar with Stevia. It doesn't brown the same way sugar does. If you try to bake with Stevia instead of sugar, your cookies will come out more like munchkins.

Stevia Product Guide

• Sweet Leaf: Many Sweet Leaf products are Kosher (Shaker and packets are Apple K). Convenient shaker, or individual bags equivalent to 2 tsp each
• Nature's Answer liquid stevia is kosher (Kof-K)
• Stevita: also high quality, although not kosher certified.
• You can search for Stevia to find all the different types of Stevia that we carry.

These Hemp Hearts Make a Yummy Salad Topping

Today I was in the mood for a salad. But when I have a salad, it's not just lettuce and cucumbers. I like my salad with lots of goodies, including strawberries, quinoa, low-fat cheese, and my special garlic dressing. (If you ask nicely, I might even give you my family recipe.) And my latest treat to sprinkle on my salad is Hemp Hearts (also known as hemp seed).

What's so great about Hemp Hearts? They are packed with nutrition, like Omegas 3 and 6, fiber, protein, and iron. They have a rich nutty flavor and a tender crunch. And a tablespoon is only 1 PointsPlus on Weight Watchers. You can sprinkle them on salad, cereal, and yogurt. Yum!

Note: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts are O-U Kosher Pareve.

Photo © Mason Resnick/Lori's Earth Friendly Products

Please allow me to introduce myself

Hi. Let me introduce myself. I'm Lori. The Lori in Lori's Earth Friendly Products. My husband Mason and I are the team behind Lori's Earth Friendly Products. How did we get into this type of business? We are vegetarians and are interested in promoting a healthy lifestyle for our family, our community, and our followers. And we want to do our part in saving the planet. I have been a vegetarian for 30 years. But even before that, my Mom raised me on big salads with wheat germ and lecithin.

Mason is the writer, photographer (he took that picture of me over there on the right), and marketing director. I am the programmer of the website and the kid in the candy store. What do I mean by that? I just launched a website with over 10,000 natural products. I'm so excited I can't decide which one to try next!

Should I try a natural skincare system? How about some volumizing shampoos and conditioners? Look at all these great nutrition bars and snacks that can support my weight-loss journey with Weight Watchers. Or protein bars and protein powders to have before a workout. Maybe we can find some healthy treats for our dog. Look--biodegradable doggie poop bags! Yum--hemp hearts on my salad. It has a great nutty flavor and is packed with nutrients. Let's get some luscious pampering soaps for our friends. I want to try a cutting board and a colander made from recycled food containers. Why don't we plant some edible flowers? Perhaps our kids would like this tasty vitamin powder. Do you get the idea? This just scratches the surface of all the cool products I get to play with.

So even though Mason is the writer and I am the techno geek, I'm going to try lots of products and tell you all about them. Stay tuned....

Report from the Fancy Food Show: Yes, There Were Healthy Products!

 Lori's Earth Friendly Products hit the Javits Center in New York on Sunday to peruse the Fancy Food Show. Besides the tons of gourmet coffee and chocolate, far away from the center of things (specifically, Javits North, located about 2 blocks from the main building via an above-ground tunnel), were a smattering of health-oriented exhibitors, including three whose products we carry!

 

Lori at the entrance to Javits North, where many health-related vendors had booths.

Lori with Kevin and Daniel of Think Products, makers of high-protein and high-fiber bars, including the delicious ThinkThin Fiber Toffee Almond Protein Plus Fiber bar, and ThinkThin Creamy Butter bars, which we both tried and loved. We also tried the new Salted Caramel bar, which Lori is holding. It was decadent. That's coming soon! Check out all ThinkThin products.

Lori also caught up with Ann from Kay's Naturals, makers of gluten free high-protein cereals. They introduced a chocolate-flavored cereal that will be available in September, and also had on display their classic French Vanilla O's, Better Balance Pretzel Sticks with Jalapeno Honey Mustard, Chilli Nacho Cheese protein chips, and their popular Mac and Cheese Puffs. Check out all of Kay's Naturals products.

We also visited our friends at NuGo, which makes a lineup of high protein bars, where they were introducing their new Stronger bar, which has 25 grams of protein and is great for strength and workouts. For dieters, they recommend cutting a Stronger Bar in half for better portion control. Stronger is available in Caramel Pretzel, Cookies 'N Cream, Peanut Cluster, and Real Dark Chocolate (really, really good!) in cases of 12 2.82 ounce bars. They also showed us the dieter-friendly Slim Raspberry Truffle and Slim Espresso. See all NuGo products.

Taking a Stand: Regulate Dangerous E-Cigarettes and Liquid Nicotene

Opinion

Lori's Earth Friendly Products strongly condemns the sale of "e-cigarettes" as they are currently made and marketed because they are unregulated, dangerous, and their contents can be easily ingested by children due to lack of childproofing.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a recent study has shown that calls to poison control centers about exposure to the liquid nicotine (“e-juice”) used in e-cigarettes are skyrocketing. There were 215 of these calls in February 2014. More than half of the calls concerned children under the age of 5. Poisoning occurs through contact of the liquid nicotine with the skin or eyes, ingestion, or even inhalation. Vomiting, nausea, and eye irritation are the most common symptoms, but ingestion could be fatal. LIQUID NICOTINE VIALS ARE NOT PACKAGED IN CHILDPROOF CONTAINERS, and the manufacture of liquid nicotine is totally unregulated. Read the full, damning CDC announcement.

"E-cigarette liquids as currently sold are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavors that are appealing to children.” --CDC Director Tom Frieden

OUTRAGEOUS! These are actual E-Cigarette liquid nicotine flavors currently being sold online. The "Fruit" flavors look safe, right? Wrong! Do you think young children will realize that? Nope! And what about those candy and soft drink flavors, which kids love? How many ways are the kid-friendly-lookng flavors more prominent than the "Tobacco" flavors?



Call to Action:

• Spread the word that E-Cigarettes and liquid nicotene should be kept where children cannot possibly get them! 
• Urge your local board of health to ban the sale of E-Cigarettes in your town (or at require that warnings about the dangers be prominently posted) 
• Write to your legislators and alert them to the need for regulation of this poisonous product. Specifically, tell them that liquid nicotine should carry warnings that they are deadly poisons and should be packaged in child-proof containers.

Let Us Help You Quit Smoking

If you are a smoker and are using E-Cigarettes to help you quit, there are safer ways to do it. Here is http://smokefree.gov/, which is filled with resources for anyone who wants to quit smoking. We'd like to help as well. Here are four products carried by Lori's Earth Friendly Products that can help reduce the cravings associated with nicotine withdrawal:

Medicinal Teas: A Safer Habit

Health King Stopsmoking Herb Tea: Stopsmoking Herb Tea is made of licorice, mentha (peppermint) with an excellent flavor. Grown on the pollution-free high plateau of northwest China, they contain glycyrrhizic acid, triterpenoid saponins, flavonoid, amino acids, mint oil, menthone, etc, and are extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine for its antitussive, expectorant and other qualities to clear respiratory ducts, stop coughing, and to correct addictive behavior. It is a detoxifier and system cleanser.

Quit Tea Stop Smoking Tea: A blend of herbs and spices intended to replace the habit of smoking with drinking herbal tea while helping with some common withdrawal symptoms. Quit Tea will help:

• Reduce Anxiety and Stress
• Increase Energy and Suppress Appetite
• Detox Body and Lungs

Homeopathic Helpers

NatraBio Smoking Withdrawal:  This Homeopathic tablet provides relief for symptoms of tobacco and cigarette cravings. It reduces nervous tension and irritability and helps detoxify the body.

NatraBio Stop It Smoking Lozenges: This Homeopathic anti-craving lozenge  is designed to reduce nervousness, anxiety, irritability and stress related to nicotine withdrawal. Use the lozenges throughout the day to reduce tobacco cravings along with Stop-it Smoking detoxifying tablets http://www.earth-friendly.com/natrabio-stopit-smoking-detoxifying-60-tablets-p-10942.html during the entire program to help you stay nicotine free. Stop-it Smoking tablets may be taken while cutting back on the use of cigarettes, tobacco or nicotine gum.


"Taking A Stand" is an ongoing series of opinionated blog posts regarding serious health and environmental issues which we share due to our concern for the health and welfare of our customers and our planet.

Earth Friendly Smackdown: Natural vs. Conventional Sunscreens

Goddess Garden products are available now at Lori's Earth Friendly Products

The conventional sunscreen you have purchased your whole life works just fine at preventing sunburn, but there's a big catch: Look at the ingredients. If you see oxybenzone, octinoxate, or even isobutane--all harsh chemicals that some people may have allergies to--you may want to consider the purchase of Goddess Garden’s natural sunscreen. At this time of year, when people are buying camp supplies for their children or planning a day a the beach, this is especially timely, important information.

The Difference Between Natural and Conventional Sunscreens

Goddess Garden sunscreens are non-nano sunscreens that take a more natural approach and block both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays, making them broad-spectrum sunscreens in accordance with the most recent FDA rules. Ingredients include: sunflower, radish, and active ingredients like zinc and titanium.  These natural ingredients are just as effective as those found in conventional sunscreens.

But in many ways, natural sunscreens are actually more effective than conventional sunscreens.

Here’s why…

Natural is Effective Immediately
When you apply natural sunscreen, you can go out into the sun right away without having to worry about a sunburn. With a conventional sunscreen, you need to wait 15 to 20 minutes before it protects you from the sun. This is because the active chemical ingredients in conventional sunscreens actually have to sink down into the different layers of your skin before they become “active.” Goddess Garden's natural minerals are effective immediately.

Natural Reflects, Conventional Absorbs
Goddess Garden's natural mineral ingredients actually sit on top of your skin and act like a mirror, reflecting sunlight away from your body. The ingredients used in conventional sunscreen actually absorb the sun’s potentially carcinogenic rays into your body.

Natural doesn’t have any harsh chemicals!
Goddess Garden was created because its founder, Nora Covington's daughter Paige, was allergic to conventional body care products. Because of this, Goddess Garden takes care to only include the safest organic ingredients to create our products. "I want what is the safest for my family just like you want what is the safest for yours," says Nora.  You will never find any hormone disrupting chemicals such as oxybenzone in our sunscreens. Only great natural ingredients like minerals, lavender, radish, soy, and sunflower!

Why Goddess Garden?

Goddess Garden Organic Sunscreens offer SPF30 sun protection. They are all Aloe based, non-greasy, and are easy to apply via recyclable continuous spray, trigger spray, and traditional tube packaging. All Goddess Garden products are 100% biodegradeable, reef safe, curelty-free, non-GMO and vegan. Goddess Garden is a woman-owned sun and skin care company based in Boulder, Colorado, and creates sunscreens for the whole family made with certified organic ingredients.

Lori's Earth Friendly Products is proud to carry Goddess Garden products.

Lori's Stories: Organic India

Beyond Tea, Sustaining A Community

Meet a company that develops healthy products and provides training and education to farmers that can be passed down to the next generation. We at Lori's Earth Friendly Products are proud to be able to offer their products in the United States.


Formed as a labor of love in the 1990’s, Organic India was created by a small group of people from different areas of the world that shared a common goal.  They set out to be trustworthy leaders that provided genuine, clean, organic products that promoted an all-around healthy lifestyle.  Their respect was not only guided towards the consumer, but also Mother Nature.   By providing a complete natural blend of teas while caring for the environment, the founders of Organic India sought out to provide customers worldwide with the purest organic food and health products.

Organic India Teas and Vegetarian Supplements are available at Lori's Earth Friendly Products.

Inspired by Sri H.W.L. Poonja, or known as Papaji by many, the founders of Organic India traveled to Lucknow, India to gain insight on his views.  Papaji is a well-regarded teacher who devoted a lifetime of service and commitment to the people of India.  Upon their arrival, they learned the teachings of Papaji.  His words inspired the group of visionaries, “Keep Quiet.  The eternal truth exists within you.  Do not entertain a single thought and the truth will reveal itself to itself.”  Papaji’s outlook on life made this group of individuals driven to make a change.  They wanted to create a business that would forever impact agriculture in northern India.  The founder’s mission was not only to develop healthy pure products worldwide, but to also provide training and education to farmers that could be passed down from generation to generation.

Following the success of their Original Tulsi Tea, Organic India began working with more farmers and expanded their natural blend of products.  By providing the proper training and education, the farmers of Organic India are experts in every aspect of organic.  Each and every Organic India farmers are certified organic according to NOP standards.  All Organic India facilities have also been awarded SQF, HACCP, USDA, and GMP certifications, along with kosher certification for a majority of products.  Currently Organic India products are distributed throughout India, the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Japan, and Australia.   Their powerful commitment to promote wellness for all and our natural environment serves as a movement that is being followed worldwide, and is wholeheartedly endorsed by Lori's Earth Friendly Products.

-John Grillea

"Taking vitamins doesn't have to be a hard pill to swallow."

Lori's Stories: alternaVites

alternaVites easy to swallow multivitamins are available from Lori's Earth Friendly Products.

Being the third generation of vitamin formulators, manufacturers, and marketers, Hallie Rich (photo, right) was regularly asked one question: "What vitamins do you take?"

Her surprising answer? "None. I can't swallow pills."

This put her in an awkward position. She had to admit to everyone that she couldn’t benefit from the vitamins that she not only spent years promoting, but also passionately believed in. While she wasn’t experiencing any of the benefits of taking vitamins, she was also very aware that vitamins can’t help if you can’t take them.

For many years, Hallie worked alongside her father and grandmother, where she learned all aspects of their business. Sadly, her father was diagnosed with cancer and despite a heroic fight, he passed away in 2008. Shortly after that, the company's doors shut.

Following her father's passing, Hallie entered a vitamin store as a consumer for the first time and acknowledged the fact that her body needed nutritional support. But since she was unable to swallow pills, her options were limited. Hallie couldn't find a product that had all the nutritional aspects she needed in non-pill form. It suddenly hit Hallie that there was a huge need for a daily vitamin for people just like her.

It turns out she has plenty of company: Over 40% of Americans have difficulty swallowing pills (according to the Society for the Advancement of Education). Hallie was motivated to create a new product, made for those who want to take vitamins, but can't because of the limited options available.

In 2010, she introduced alternaVites, a comprehensive Kosher multivitamin and mineral in crystal powder form that melts quickly in your mouth – the first of its kind. alternaVites quickly became the definitive "non pill" vitamin option and filled an unnecessary void in the market. It was awarded Best New Product 2012 by Vitamin Retailer. 

With its success, it became clear to Hallie that alternaVites is a product that’s great for everybody, not just those of us who have difficulty swallowing pills. Its convenience, delicious taste, portability, and high potency formula give it much broader appeal.

While a children’s product was always part of the plan, Hallie and her team were overwhelmed with requests to develop an alternaVites formula that would be suitable for kids. Understandably, parents were equally as unhappy with the choices available for their children as they were for themselves. They were disappointed in products with high sugar content, incomplete formulas, and artificial ingredients. She developed alternaVites Kids, a children’s multivitamin and mineral supplement that has awesome kid-approved flavors while maintaining the integrity, quality and versatility associated with the original alternaVites formula.

With alternaVites, Hallie has eliminated the excuses of adults and children not to take the daily dosage of vitamins, even if they don't swallow pills. Rich Vitamins, LLC, the parent company of alternaVites, donates a portion of every box that's sold to cancer charities in memory of Hallie's father.

Lori's Earth Friendly Products is proud to carry alternaVites.

Lori's Stories: BioBag

Waste Bags That Can Be Composted!

One of the cool things about the new Lori's Earth Friendly Products is that we're now working with hundreds of companies, all of whom share our goal of improving the planet and our customers' health. Each one has a story—and its own inventive way to make things better. In this blog, we'll be sharing their stories on a regular basis, as well as highlighting products that we think stand out. Here's the first of Lori's Stories.

Plastic bags have staying power, and are wreaking havoc on the environment. A typical plastic bag that you buy at your local supermarket is made with non-biodegradable ingredients, and will not break down for thousands of years. They are polluting the landscape, and poisoning and killing wildlife. It's time to abandon plastic bags!

Enter BioBag.

BioBags are corn-based, and designed to collect waste for the purpose of composting, and because they are corn-based, they can be consumed by micro-organisms that live in our soils. Because of this, BioBags can also be readily composted along with organic waste in municipal composting facilities.

BioBag,  available through Lori's Earth Friendly Products,  is a world leader in providing bags and films for the collection of organic waste for the purpose of composting, and we at Lori's Earth Friendly Products are proud to be able to offer their products to the public. BioBag is a small company of dedicated employees who are fully committed to only producing certified compostable bags and films.

BioBag makes:

• 13 Gallon Tall Food Waste Bags
• 3-Gallon CompostWaste Bags
• 33-Gallon Lawn and Leaf Bags
• Cling Wrap
• Resealable Sandwich Bags
• More!...see the entire BioBag lineup at Lori's Earth Friendly Products

BioBag strongly supports the use of GMO-free certified crops. The resin they produce in their bags is sourced from Italy. Most of BioBags are proudly manufactured in the USA.

Little steps really do make a big difference, especially when creating green products is all BioBags does!

--Mason Resnick
Marketing Director, Lori's Earth Friendly Products

PRESS RELEASE: Lori's Earth Friendly Products Announces Relaunch of Web Site With Over 12,000 Healthy and Eco-Friendly Products

Earth-friendly.com now offers personal care products, dietary aids, health supplements, and environmentally friendly home and garden items as a one-stop resource for healthy and green lifestyle consumers.


For Immediate Release:

Highland Park, NJ, Monday, May 26, 2014: Lori's Earth Friendly Products, LLC has joined forces with a major wholesaler of green, organic and natural products in the United States and has just launched a major new online retail site at the domain earth-friendly.com. In business online for over 15 years, until recently Lori's Earth Friendly Products carried fewer than 100 products, mostly in the area of dietary fiber. With the relaunch of Lori's Earth Friendly Products, consumers now have a one-stop resource for their holistic and natural personal care items, healthy, organic snacks and beverages (including healing teas), vitamin and mineral supplements, and low-carbon-footprint home cleaning, organic gardening, and food service items.

"The new goal of Lori's Earth Friendly Products is to provide consumers with products that are good for them and good for the planet," says owner Lori Resnick. "I am excited to be able to offer low prices on a range of products that are truly earth-friendly."

Right: Screen shot of the new Lori's Earth Friendly Products homepage.



Wide Range of Green Products

Many of the personal care items, sports, fitness and health supplements, teas and vitamins are organic, come from responsibly farmed natural sources, and are packaged in environmentally friendly material. Nearly all foods are organic, and all household cleaning and gardening products are free of toxic chemicals that can be harmful to individuals or the environment.

Items initially featured on the site include e-cloth household cleaning mops and cloths that remove 99% of bacteria with just water, MaxiHealth Kosher Vitamins, which are available at very low prices, and Seedballz, densely packed food and garden seeds that are packed by hand by adults with developmental disabilities. "The products we're focusing on initially are just the tip of the iceberg," notes Lori Resnick, who invites visitors to subscribe to her mailing list, bookmark her blog,  like her Facebook page or subscribe to her Twitter feed so they can learn about the many products now available through Lori's Earth Friendly Products in a timely manner.

Environmentally-Conscious Packing

In an effort to minimize shipping waste, products are packed in boxes made from 36% recycled cardboard and are wrapped in unique, patented "plastic pillows"that are inflated on demand for shipping and are recyclable by customers.

Lori's Earth Friendly Products: Backgrounder

Lori's Earth Friendly Products started as a local mom-and-pop business selling environmentally friendly cleaning products, then became a resource for high-fiber supplements and began selling online in 2000; for many years, Lori was known as "the Fiber Lady." Lori's Earth Friendly Products relaunched as a major retailer of healthy, organic, earth-friendly products in May 2014, with a solar-powered warehousing and shipping partner facility on the East Coast.

7 Delicious Ways To Add Fiber To Your Diet

Note: For the last 10 years our most popular product at Lori's Earth Friendly Products was a juice that was filled with soluble dietary fiber. Unfortunately, that product is currently unavailable. It may return eventually but we wanted you to know about other fiber products that we now carry and which are available now so you can get enough fiber for yourself or your child! Read on to learn more.

Most Americans simply don't consume enough dietary fiber. Children are especially at risk. A low-fiber diet can cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome, weight problems, constipation, and other intestinal tract health issues. We know you want to enjoy the healthy benefits of a high-fiber diet for yourself or your child. Fortunately, there are many sources of fiber available through Lori's Earth Friendly Products, and you can find them all here

Read on as we highlight seven ways to add essential fiber to your diet, including several choices that kids will love!

FoodScience of Vermont Clearly Fiber: No Grit, No Taste

Sugar-free and low-calorie, Clearly Fiber has 5 grams of soluble dietary fiber per serving with no grit or lumps and no flavor, and can be added to any hot or cold liquid, such as tea or fruit juice, without affecting its taste or texture. Fiber is from Maltodextron.

Sunsweet Naturals SupraFiber: 5 Grams of Fiber, and Kosher Certified

Using fiber derived from whole food fruits rather than from grain husks, SupraFiber combines prunes, acai berries, pomegranate and blueberry for a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber totalling 5 grams per serving. It is Kosher, vegan, non-GMO, and has no added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or sugar substitutes, preservatives or artificial color.

Smarty Pants Multivitamin: Kids Fiber Complete Gummy

Let's face it, most kids get enough sugar so if you want fiber but not sugar for your child, Smarty Pants gummy vitamins are made with organic and eco-friendly ingredients. In addition to containing 4 grams of soluble dietary fiber, these also contain vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, B12 and more. Even better: For every purchase, SmartyPants will make a 1-for-1 matching nutrient grant to a child in need through our partnership with Vitamin Angels.

Rainbow Light Fiber Garden Gummies

These sugar-free sour fruit gummies are made with NutraFlora FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides), a prebiotic fiber that strengthens the immune and digestion systems. Xylitol, which may reduce the risk of dental problems, has been added. Designed for children ages 4 and up, Rainbow Light Fiber Garden Gummies have 3 grams of dietary fiber in each gummie.

 Schiff Vitamins Digestive Advantage: Probiotic Gummies

Kids love gummies! These offer Probiotic BC30, which delivers good bacteria to aid digestion, and also have 3 grams of dietary fiber.

Ultra Fiber DX: BarnDads German Chocolate Shake

Packing a powerful 14 grams of dietary fiber, BDFX's German Chocolate Shake is said to reduce hunger and support healthy weight management, lean muscle and a healthy digestive system.

ThinkThin Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee Protein Plus

Primarily designed as a protein supplement, each bar packs 5 grams of fiber (along with 13 grams of protein). If you can handle peanuts, these Kosher bars are a delicious way to add fiber to your diet!

Getting closer to launching our new web site!

We are in the final stages of preparations to launch the new Lori's Earth Friendly Products web site, and we're very excited.

This is going to be a completely new business with many, many new products. Our new mission:  help you live a healthier life while reducing your carbon footprint.

This blog will become a resource not only for behind-the-scenes information about the companies whose products we'll carry, but we'll also have expanded information about how the items we sell can help you live a healthier and more environmentally responsible life.

We're almost ready to launch! If you haven't already joined our mailing list and want to learn more, now would be a great time to do so. Also...

Meet the team: 

Lori Resnick: President and founder of Lori's Earth Friendly Products, long-time vegetarian, computer programming genius, and environmental activist. Mother of two beautiful daughters and one miniature poodle, Lori founded Earth-Friendly.com more than 10 years ago, at first selling gourmet Kosher Cheese and high-fiber products locally, then on the Internet. In her other job, she works for a major telecom company, and lives with her husband, Mason, in Central New Jersey.

Mason Resnick: Vice President and Marketing director of Lori's Earth Friendly Products, a life-long vegetarian and environmental activist, Mason has worked for the past 30 years writing about photography for some of the most recognized names in photo web sites, magazines and retailing. As marketing director, Mason has tapped into his inner activist self and is using his energy towards promoting personal health and taking individual steps to protect the environment. You'll be reading a lot of Mason's writing on this blog.

We also have our warehouse and fulfillment teams, located in Philadelphia and New York, who will ship products to you and make sure we have a lot of goodies to offer on our site. More about them in a future post!

—Mason

Climate change is real! It's time to deal with it.

Today the White House reports that climate change is affecting daily life right now. Read the report and be informed:
 
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/

 
In the coming days and weeks, we will re-launch Lori's Earth Friendly Products with an entirely new range of products. Among them will be many carbon footprint-reducing products, and they will be packed in recycled/recyclable material and will be shipped via the least wasteful methods.

A healthier planet starts with YOU! 

Details coming very soon!

Something's happening here...

Five years since the last post? Fugetaboutit!

A new web site is in the works with lots of exciting new products—Look for it in May!

Find out more—join our mailing list now!

A HEALTHIER WORLD BEGINS WITH YOU!