Safer Products for our Doods!

[Katie & Mr. Bodhi]

Bodhi is a boy in a bubble!!! We had so many problems with him as a puppy when it came to finding the right food and the right shampoo to use! He its like he is intolerant to everything! He cant have chicken, beef, some fish, grains and has many issues with most synthetic scents. We spent so much time and money at the vet figuring out what was right for him and finally came to the conclusion that he can only have grain free venison! so we feed him california natural grain free venison! He loves it so much that he hoffs it down so fast, I think he is going to choke sometimes!! I have added water to aid in digestion and he is happier! Silly Dood!

I also had a hard time finding good shampoo to use on him because it seemed like everything what irritating him. I also have allergy issues myself when it comes to personal care products. I started doing research for myself on better products and the more research I did, the more I found out that there are very harmful and toxic ingredients in most of our personal care and cosmetic products! I learned that there is no regulation for what goes into our bottles and very little testing. the EWG has done some studies on these ingredients and found many of them to be neurotoxins and hormone disruptors that are connected to health issies like infertility. cancer, auto-immune diseases, ADHD and autism! It takes 26 seconds for those chemicals to get absorbed right into our bloodstream! I was taken back by all this since my family and I have seen more and more heartache over health issues than we would like! I wanted to make a change and find safer products, that then I ran onto Ava Anderson Non Toxic . She is a wonderful young woman who found out about the issue of chemicals in our products when she was 14 and wanted to do something about it! She learned that just because it is labled "green" "organic" or "natural" does not mean it is safe because most likely, these harmful ingredients are still in the products! She couldnt find a safe line out there that disclosed all their ingredients and made quality products so she decided to start her own line when she was 15!!! just an amazing young woman! and she is going to Washington DC to talk to congress about this issues and help support a bill for safer cosmetics and personal care products in May! Ava has a wonderful on products that I so thrilled to have along with cleaning and home products! 

After learning about all of this... I wanted to protect Bodhi from these chemicals too because I have also have heard one to many stories from people about their pets getting sick or having cancer! I couldn't find anything to my standards so I was using ava's shampoo (since I know is is safe and natural) for a while now until ava just came out with her  avaPETS line!! ahhh! She started her line with a pet shampoo/conditioner and a pet deodorizer for carpets and the pets! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! 

Bodhi gives it four paws up! 

I know you all care so much about your doods so I wanted to share all of this info with you!! I Love this company and what they stand for so much that I decided to join them in November and could not be happier!! I Love being able to educate women and families on this issue and provide safe, non toxic, organic, quality products to them!  

I am SOOOO happy that Ava has thought about the safety of our furbabies too! Hope you all appriciated this info and start taking a look at your back side (of the bottles I mean!! lol) Here is a website where you can look up your products and see the toxicity level! www.cosmeticsdatabase.com  XOXO

[Katie & Mr. Bodhi]

Here is a great document that helps you know what to look for in your products and why. All of them are important but the ones I like to look for are DEA. MEA, TEA, PEG, PPG, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and Triclosan. Triclosan is in all of your antibacterial hand soaps and hand sanitizers. It is a cousin of AGENT ORANGE! YIKES! Hope this is helpful to you all!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I hear you. I do try to use nonscented products as much as possible.

[Katie & Mr. Bodhi]

Hi F, I have actually talked with Adina on this one and she approved my Blog post. I actually am not trying to promote or get sales out of this (as you can see there isnt even a website or contact info) BUT I am trying to promote the info! I think it is really important for people to know about this important health message and I am very passionate about it. I just thought it was so wonderful that Ava added PETS into the mix because we all care about our pets and they deserve to be protected too so they can live a long healthy life! I hope you will give my blog post a read and maybe even take a look at your products you are using for you and your cuties! The one big ingredient you want to look out for is FRAGRANCE! The FDA allows companies to hide over 600 toxic chemicals behind this word because it is their "trade secret" The only thing secret about it is that the chemicals are not good but rather what we call Phthalates, these chemicals are hormone disruptors and in 100% of testing done on them, there was a change in cell or cell mutation. Phthalates are known to cause cancer, infertility, ADHD and Autism. It takes 26 seconds for these chemicals to reach our bloodstream! It is safer to eat our products than it is to put them on our skin. There is so much more research out there and if you are interested in more the EWG has a wonderful website to help educate. Just trying to get the word out because I love my dog and my family and I want others to be as informed as I am! XOXO

[F, Calla & Luca]

I dn't think promoting products in which you have a vested interest is acceptable on this site.

[Katie & Mr. Bodhi]

The Deodorizer smells amazing and helps out with any stale smell in general! Bodhi had a little actident the other day and we cleaned it up using another ava cleaning products and then sprayed the area and it was like brand new! 

Deodorizer ingredients: citrus sinensis (organic orange essential oil), citrus limonum (organic lemon essential oil), citrus nobilis (organic mandarin essential oil), amyris oil (organic amyris balsamifera), peru balsam oil (organic myroxylon pereirae), enzymes, rosmarinus officinalis (organic rosemary oil)

A highly effective and safe product that actually degrades the source of the odors rather than just cover them up! This formulation binds the odor molecules and degrades the odor causing molecules. These molecules are then converted into carbon dioxide and water. No synthetic chemicals, no foaming agents or other toxins - just enzymes and organic essential oils.

[Katie & Mr. Bodhi]

Here are the ingredients to the shampoo/conditioner! Bodhi had a bath yesterday and smells WONDERFUL!

Directions: lather thoroughly with a palm-full of shampoo. Gently massage deep into coat and skin, working into lather. For best results: leave on coat for several minutes, allowing time for the minerals to work their way into the skin. Rinse off, then towel dry thoroughly. Repeat as necessary. A common sense caution is to be careful around the face area, and try to keep out of eyes and clear ears out with washcloth. This product is for external use only.

cocos cucifera (organic coconut oil) - is used to treat dry and damaged hair and is a lathering ingredientfor natural shampoos and soaps. Coconut oil works wonders for dry and damaged skin, cuts, bruises,and speeds the healing while it fights infection. Coconut oil forms a protective barrier to hold inmoisture while penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin to helping to keep connective tissuesstrong and supple. Coconut oil hydrates and protects hair from heat and chemical damage.

elaeis guineensis (organic palm oil) - is a rich in vitamins E & K, making it a great source of anti-oxidantsthat protects cells from environmental damages. It has deeply nourishing and conditioning effects onthe skin, which increases the skins capacity to retain moisture, and encourages new skin cell formation.

simmondsias chineses (organic jojoba oil) - has the capacity to trap moisture, and nourishes andreplenishes hair. Jojoba oil is naturally designed to make hair strong, healthy and well moisturized. It has natural properties that adds shine to the hair, prevents flaking, and reduces brittleness by sealing in the moisture. Organic jojoba-oil spreads well and absorbs well, which, for hair is like water to the dry earth surface. It replenishes and rejuvenates the scalp and hair for shiny, thick and strong hair.

laminaria hyperborea (organic kelp serum) - a yellow-brown plant commonly known as kelp is packed with essential vitamins and minerals and provides multiple health benefits. It is a macro-algae with an high content of trace elements, with high moisturizing and emollient properties. Kelp nourishes your pet’s fur and restores its natural texture and shine, by microscopically coating each one of your pet’s hairs — making brushing and detangling much easier.

thymus vulgaris (organic thyme) - a Mediterranean herb, well noted for its antiseptic, toning and antioxidant properties and is often added to preparations to treat acne, flaky scalp and thinning hair. It is often used to invigorate and stimulate hair growth and to help treat dandruff and hair loss. The antibacterial property also helps kill any bacteria which may infect your skin and can be used to treat scabies, lice, and thrush.

aloebarbadensis(organicaloeveragel)-anothermiracleingredientforpethair(andpeoplehairtoo). It promotes hair growth, and contains enzymes that directly promote healthy hair growth. These proteolitic enzymes are able to eradicate dead skin cells on the scalp that could be clogging the hair follicle, not allowing for the proper penetration of nutrients in the hair. Aloe Vera’s keratolic action, breaks down the sebum and dead scalp cells, allowing for further hair growth. Aloe has anti-pruritic properties that can alleviate itching and dryness. Pruritus ailments include vexing skin and scalp issues, like psoriasis and eczema. Aloe can also reduce redness, scaling, itching and inflammation of scalp psoriasis, which directly benefits the hair, as well. In a study reported in Archives of Dermatology, more than 80 percent of the psoriasis patients treated with Aloe Vera showed improvement. Aloe is also anti- inflammatory, and historically has been used to reduce redness and inflammation. In fact, Aloe Vera has long been used on burns and external wounds as an antiseptic to reduce swelling, and eliminate bacteria. It also soothes sensitive scalps that are prone to irritation. In addition to soothing and eradicating skin problems, the benefits of aloe vera for hair as a great conditioning agent is overwhelming. The gel-like substance of the aloe barbadensis leaf gives it a similar chemical composition of keratin, the naturally occurring protein in hair cells. This structural similarity allows for easier penetration along the entire length of the hair shaft. It has been proven that the skin can absorb the benefits of Aloe Vera up to 7 layers deep; as our scalps are more absorbent than our skin, can you imagine the conditioning benefits available to the scalp? The combination of aloe’s 20 amino acids (which are the building blocks of hair and scalp) also adds both strength and luster to the hair. And finally, aloe helps hair retain water & moisture.

rosmarinus officinalis (organic rosemary oil) - is known to stimulate hair growth and has been used for centuries by many cultures for this very purpose. Rosemary is related to lavender, sage, peppermint, hyssop and many other plants, and has similar stimulating, tonic, restorative, antiseptic, carminative, antioxidant, antimicrobial and astringent properties. ‘The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy’ recommends the use of rosemary oil for hair growth, stating “rosemary oil stimulates cell division and dilates blood vessels and, in turn, stimulates hair follicles into producing new hair growth.”

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Thanks for the suggestion. Allergies are nasty and I do believe they are caused by our environment and what we eat. I was just fine for 30 years and developed wheat allergy from one year to another. Now I have to be gluten free and carry an epi-pen. I ate bread my whole life! WTD?  It's so hard!