Going Organic?

Sunday 11th April 2010

Going organic?

For a couple of years now my parents have been buying organic food and trying out organic cosmetic products, such as the so organic range in Sainsburys and bath bombs from lush, nothing to dramatic. I used to complain about these products all the time, the chocolate cake didn’t taste as sweet and the hair conditioner had no effect on my hair at all! Now that I am running my own household it’s up to me whether or not I ‘go organic’. This is one of the choices that you could make as well, when you go to uni, when you buy your first property or even when you start having children. It may not be a choice that you would automatically think about, but I am going to write a brief record of one day below and all the products I use. None of these products are organic. The food is probably genetically modified, and increased with manmade products and chemicals. The cosmetic and cleaning products may claim to contain some plant extract (or items similar) but the basis of them is chemicals.

So here we go, the products I use and the food I eat on a typical non organic day:

• Shampoo
• Bubble bath
• Toothpaste
• Moisturiser
• Foundation
• Mascara
• Pre made smoothie
• Granola bar
• Salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, ham, coleslaw
• Risotto with smocked haddock, fish stock, onion
• Washing up liquid
• Surface cleaner
• Disinfectant spray

This is quite a short list and on some days, like when I do a whole house clean or when I’m going out in the evening, a lot more products will be used.

All of the cosmetic products listed are based around the combining of different chemicals. These chemicals then soak into your skin, scalp, gums, eyes, etc. We do not know what these chemicals are doing to our bodies and health. It is a very clichéd statement to make, but it is 100% true. The average twenty-something does not recognise each chemical and what it does, using the ingredients list on the packaging. Because these products are so common, used by everyone and every day, we just take for granted that they are normal and therefore will not harm us. Well this isn’t necessarily true, they could be harming us.

The cleaning products I have listed are also based on the combination of many different products. When cleaning products are used, they are either sprayed or poured onto the surface which is being cleaned. Particles of it are therefore in the air, we then breathe them in. Particles are on the surface, which we then touch or put bare food onto. Again, because we see them so much, they are on adverts on the television, we see other people using them; we believe it’s normal and therefore not harmful. Anything based around chemicals, even if it claims to have some sort of natural product in it, must affect us in some way.

Lastly, let’s look at the food products. There is one product on that list which does not contain chemicals directly and that is the smoothie. On the ingredients list of this product, there is only fruit. However, this product does not claim to be organic, and therefore this fruit could be genetically modified and pesticides or other chemicals could have been used during the growing of these fruits. These chemicals are therefore in my body. Chemicals are used in every single food product we buy, but not just chemicals, bad bits of meat, etc, are used. If we really saw what went into the making or our food, I don’t think we would eat it!

So, what could we do about this? You could go completely organic, and in that I mean grow your own food, make your own cosmetic and cleaning products. Or you could just purchase more wisely, choosing the organic ranges where possible.

Before I decided which one to do, I am going to look into organic cosmetics products on the internet and in shops. I’m going to try and discover the cost of buying them compared to ‘normal’ products, but I’m also going to look into how expensive and time consuming it is to make them. There is a series on the BBC at the moment called ‘grow your own drugs’. It is very interesting and makes it look very easy. There is also a book to accompany it, which I am going to purchase.

With regards to the cleaning products, I have looked into this in the past and have found a lot of information on money saving websites. One of the main ideas on these websites is so buy Ecocloths (which you can get in supermarkets or online) and spray bottles. Fill the spray bottles with water and then add a few drops of some different essential oils, depending on what you want to use it for. It is very cost effective and means that there are no chemicals flying around your home. The essential oils contain natural anti bacterial and bug fighting properties.

On Friday I went to my local DIY/gardening store and bought seeds and bulbs, compost and grow bags. I have planted: potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions, tomatoes and shallots. I have also got seeds for some salad leaves, which I will be planting very shortly. I am also going to try and buy from the organic range, and eat mostly vegetarian or fish based meals if I can. I am going to try cooking from scratch as well. Making and cooking a pie, pizza or sauce, instead of buying a pre-made one.

This is going to be very hard and a huge culture shock, but I think it’s worth it. You don’t know who you can trust these days. As I have said in previous blogs, I want to be healthy and happy. I think going organic may help me achieve this. You just need to take it very slowly, changing a little bit at a time. Choose one organic cosmetic product, have a go with the water based cleaning products, plant a seed or two. Just experiment and see what works for you and what doesn’t. I will let you know how I am doing in the future. Maybe you could let me know your views on this. Would you ever go organic? What is your view on the chemicals used in our products?

Stargirl