I was actively encouraged by my mother to start wearing facial moisturiser from the age of 16, applying to not only the face area but down the neck and across the decolletage area....as "people see that too ya know!". I think she was on to something as my skin is still kinda soft and mostly wrinkle free but I have taken her advice to a new level and added in some more modern thinking. Namely SPF.
I still use facial moisturiser on a daily basis, but it now contains a SPF of 15 in the winter time and 30 in the summer. (The rest of me is treated to factor 15, 30+ if I am actually sunbathing). Now I know that most of the world knows that they should be using SPF creams, especially on the younger ones, but did you know the following:
1. Not all SPF creams are created equal. Sunscreen should be protecting you from UVA AND UVB. Read the packaging as not all protect against both.
2. There are two systems of SPF labelling, American and European. Typically the American numbers are double that of European, so an American SPF20 is a European SPF10.
3. Sunscreen doesn't really begin to work it's magic until 20 or so minutes after application.
4. Don't trust/rely the SPF in make up. Just think of it as an added bonus to your regular moisturiser.
5. Don't believe that because it is cloudy - you don't need protection. Up to 80% of the sun's UV rays can penetrate through clouds.
6. A shot glass of sunscreen is sufficent to cover an average sized adult for the day, not including the face. (take a shot glass out of your cupboard now and see how much that really is!)
I am sorry for the list making thing again but I thought that I would try to keep todays rant short'ish and sweet'ish - with a small parting comment on the varying SPF factors you can buy. SPF 30 is probably the best factor you can buy...not only does it rub in more easily than the higher ones, it blocks 96.7% of UVB rays. Not bad when you consider that SPF50 blocks 98% and SPF100 blocks 99%. Telling us that there is no 100% protection against the sun except maybe staying indoors and living the life of a hermit!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Reuse, Repurpose or Recycle?
Nothing, I mean nothing comes into my house without me asking the above question when I am finished using it. To reuse, re purpose or recycle....that is the question!
I will only go into detail about a few ways I achieve this, one mainly being the "plastic carrier bag". The average plastic carrier bag is used for five minutes and can take up to 500 years to decompose, which is madness! Although being small in stature, they take up huge amounts in land fill space, if they even make it there. Many are unslightly sores at the side of the road, intangled in trees and shrubs. endangering small birds and other animals. Biodegradable bags are now becoming more common but I feel the only way that we would truely be "environmentally friendly" would be when we start using less of them and when we are actively aware of our impact further down the road. I am not saying that we should ban the plastic carrier bag completely, but intelligent use of them should reduce our demand for them to a reasonable and manageable level.
In an ideal world, you should always refuse plastic carrier bags at the till and have on hand a fabric reusable tote. This would drastically reduce your imprint on the plastic carrier bag world and if you do find yourself with a few carrier bags in your house, here are some ideas on how to reuse them.
1. Small bin liners. Crazyiness to think that we would throw out perfectly good carrier bags and then buy MORE carrier bags, abet in a larger size for our trash.
2. Storage. Perfect for hanging in the pantry filled with lightweight items.
3. Gro-bags. Filled with soil and doubled up if needbe - a great starting point for seedlings.
4. Picking things up. Smaller "produce" carrier bags are ideal for pooper scooping.
5. Recycle them. I normally take other people bags to recycle them in the ways mentioned above, (as I am in the habit of using fabric totes), BUT it is possible to return them to the supermarket, where normally - there is a bin at the front entrance for recycling plastic bags.
I have even gone onto the next level with my environmentalist soapbox stance and started to CROCHET with the carrier bag! Although it takes a lot of bags to achieve a small, (yet infinitely sturdier!) bag, which then can be used for storage of say washing line pegs outside. I will blog at a later date on how to do this, if anyone is interested.
I will only go into detail about a few ways I achieve this, one mainly being the "plastic carrier bag". The average plastic carrier bag is used for five minutes and can take up to 500 years to decompose, which is madness! Although being small in stature, they take up huge amounts in land fill space, if they even make it there. Many are unslightly sores at the side of the road, intangled in trees and shrubs. endangering small birds and other animals. Biodegradable bags are now becoming more common but I feel the only way that we would truely be "environmentally friendly" would be when we start using less of them and when we are actively aware of our impact further down the road. I am not saying that we should ban the plastic carrier bag completely, but intelligent use of them should reduce our demand for them to a reasonable and manageable level.
In an ideal world, you should always refuse plastic carrier bags at the till and have on hand a fabric reusable tote. This would drastically reduce your imprint on the plastic carrier bag world and if you do find yourself with a few carrier bags in your house, here are some ideas on how to reuse them.
1. Small bin liners. Crazyiness to think that we would throw out perfectly good carrier bags and then buy MORE carrier bags, abet in a larger size for our trash.
2. Storage. Perfect for hanging in the pantry filled with lightweight items.
3. Gro-bags. Filled with soil and doubled up if needbe - a great starting point for seedlings.
4. Picking things up. Smaller "produce" carrier bags are ideal for pooper scooping.
5. Recycle them. I normally take other people bags to recycle them in the ways mentioned above, (as I am in the habit of using fabric totes), BUT it is possible to return them to the supermarket, where normally - there is a bin at the front entrance for recycling plastic bags.
I have even gone onto the next level with my environmentalist soapbox stance and started to CROCHET with the carrier bag! Although it takes a lot of bags to achieve a small, (yet infinitely sturdier!) bag, which then can be used for storage of say washing line pegs outside. I will blog at a later date on how to do this, if anyone is interested.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
