Weekend Product Review: Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid

Last month, I reviewed Trader Joe’s Next to Godliness Liquid Dish Soap. A number of things pleased me about the product, but I did find that it did not always seem to wash dishes that well, especially in washing oily dishes. I recently picked up a bottle of Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid in Lemongrass and Clementine Zest as I had run out of Trader Joe’s Dish Soap. (I previously reviewed Seventh Generation paper towels and liked them a lot, so I was eager to try another product from the company.)

At first glance, Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid appears to be rather eco-friendly. The bottle is made of #1 PETE plastic (easily recycled), and contains a minimum of 25% post-consumer recycled plastic. In addition, the bottle states:

… We disclose all
INGREDIENTS: A unique combination of naturally-derived cleaning agents (coconut-based surfactants), Whole and natural plant essences (a blend of lemongrass, clementine, bergamot, blood orange, and elemi essential oils), Preservative (less than 0.05%), Water.

This dish soap is also not tested on animals and does not contain animal ingredients. It claims to be non-toxic, biodegradable, and hypo-allergenic.

I purchased the soap with hardly a second thought, and was very pleased when I used it for the first time. It cleaned my dishes like a charm, and I needed significantly less soap than Trader Joe’s to do the job. The scent was light to the point of non-existence. My only complaint was that the soap came out of the bottle very quickly, so I wound up using much more than I had to and felt like I had wasted quite a bit.

To get ready to post this review, I popped over to Seventh Generations web site and found a somewhat more extensive list of ingredients than appears on the bottle:

Sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamide MEA and coconut alcohol ethoxylate (plant-derived cleaning agents), aqua (water), sodium chloride (thickener), magnesium chloride (cleaning enhancer), citric acid (cornstarch-derived water softener), essential oils and botanical extracts* (citrus clementina (clementine co2), citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot fcf), citrus sinensis (blood orange), cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), carnarium luzonicum (elemi)), hexahydro-1,3,5-tris (2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine (preservative, less than 0.05%). *d-limonene is a naturally occurring component of these ingredients.

This was really disappointing to me. The bottle says that Seventh Generation discloses all ingredients, which they do on their web site if not on the bottle. However, had I read on the bottle that the soap contained sodium laureth sulfate and cocamide MEA, and coconut alcohol ethoxylate, I would have tried another product. After all, I do my best to avoid personal care products that contain these ingredients due to their links to cancer. (Sodium laureth sulfate is a foaming ingredient and is commonly found in products like soaps and shampoos. It is a concern because 1,4 dioxane is a carcinogenic byproduct of this and other ethoxylated ingredients, and it is often found in products containing sodium laureth sulfate. Cocamide MEA contains diethanolamine (DEA), which the National Toxicology Program found to cause cancer in laboratory animals.)

Bottom line: This product is effective and I was very happy when I first used it, other than its overzealous spout. However, I was disappointed that the product contained ingredients that have been linked with cancer, and even more disappointed that a company as seemingly transparent as Seventh Generation does not list these ingredients on the bottle. This kind of thing bothers me even more in natural products than it does in non-natural products. Consumers have a certain trust in natural products, but I am learning that one has to be just as vigilant with them as with anything else.

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Product Review Friday: 365 Everyday Value Body Lotion

It’s not often that I leave Whole Paycheck Foods saying “What a deal!” but I did just that earlier this week. I was looking for a body lotion and while many of the lotions on the shelf were way too pricey (some more than $16 for a smallish bottle), Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Body Lotion was on sale for just $3.89 for a 32 ounce bottle. This should last me a while!

The bottle itself is #2 HDPE, easily recycled in most communities. It is also made from 50% post-consumer recycled content, another strong plus. A few other good things about this product:

• It was not tested on animals
• It does not contain parabens (an ingredient linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and endocrine disruption)
• It does not contain fragrance (I chose the fragrance free version)
• It does not include artificial color or unnecessary chemicals
• It does not contain animal ingredients

So let’s look at what is in this product so we can see whether this is as good of a product as the label may lead you to believe. Ingredients include: Water, Brassica Campestris Oleifera (Rapseed Oil), Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame Seed Oil), Sodium Citrate, Lecithin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed Oil), Allantoin, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Of these ingredients, two are cause for concern:

• PEG-100 Stearate – an emulsifier and skin softener. Products containing this ingredient may contain 1,4-dioxane, an animal carcinogen and probable human carcinogen, and a “dirty dozen” ingredient found in personal care products.
• Benzyl Alcohol – an aromatic alcohol found in a slew of personal care products. The Cosmetics Database lists this ingredient as a moderate hazard, and the EU classifies it as harmful. It is a known neurotoxin.

Bottom line: The price is right for this product and I find it adequate as a moisturizer on my body but not my hands, which tend to be dry. I’m concerned about the presence of PEG-100 Stearate and would prefer a product that does not contain ingredients that produce 1,4-dioxane. Finally, some of the ingredients, such as lecithin, glycerin, and cetyl alcohol, can be derived from animals as well as plants. If you are looking for products without animal ingredients, you may want to find out the source of these ingredients in other products.

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Product Review Friday: Seventh Generation Paper Towels

Like many eco-conscious folks, I try to eschew paper products whenever possible. It has been years since I’ve bought paper plates or paper napkins, for example. I use cloth napkins, re-using them a few times before tossing them in the laundry, I always have a stash of dish towels on hand, and I use a sponge to clean up most spills. I will admit, though, that it is nice to have a roll of paper towels handy for some situations.

I will also admit that I’ve long held a prejudice against recycled paper towels. My lack-of-love for recycled paper towels started over a decade ago. The towels on the market then were brown and scratchy, and disintegrated into mush practically at the sight of liquid. I stopped buying them and instead became a master at making a roll of regular paper towels last for nearly a year. A few months ago, I decided to give recycled paper towels another go. They were just as bad as I remembered them to be and I continued to write them off as a product I wouldn’t buy. So, I have to say that I am very happy that I tried Seventh Generation paper towels this week, and even am happier to report that I think they are great. I still plan to use paper towels sparingly, but at least now I know that I have an alternative that (a) works and (b) has as minimal of an environmental impact as possible for a paper towel.

Are they as sturdy and absorbent as the “quicker picker upper?” I didn’t do a side-by-side test, but probably not. However, I use paper towels primarily for two things — cleaning mirrors and windows, and in cooking to drain or strain foods like eggplant, cucumbers, yogurt, or fried food — and in these uses, Seventh Generation paper towels more than delivered. I also used one to to clean up a small spill, and it worked just fine; I only needed one towel, and it didn’t turn into some weird kind of mush.

Seventh Generation is a bit of a green darling. If you know of Seventh Generation, you probably know of their good reputation, too. If you are new to Seventh Generation, I recommend taking some time to read about them on their web site. Based in Vermont, they’ve been around for decades and operate with principles of social responsibility. The name “Seventh Generation” stems from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” Certainly a principle to live by.

So about the greenness of those paper towels. When you buy paper towels, there are two main things two look for:

• The percent that is made from post-consumer recycled content
• What kind of bleaching process was used

If you are not buying a recycled roll of paper towels, still take the bleaching process into consideration, and also look into the forest practices of the manufacturer and/or its supplier.

Seventh Generation paper towels are among the greenest on the market. In fact, only 365 Everyday Value from Whole Foods scores higher on the environmental front. Seventh Generation’s towels are 100% recycled, with 80% of the recycled material coming from post-consumer sources. In addition, the towels are also whitened without chlorine bleach. 365 just edges out Seventh Generation, containing 80% – 95% post-consumer recycled material.

Perhaps the only drawback to the product is its wrapper, made from #4 LDPE plastic. While recyclable, many communities do not accept this material in their recycling programs. Safeway and Lucky’s, however, will accept this kind of plastic in their bag recycling bins.

Bottom line: I am really happy with this product and will continue to buy it when I need paper towels. It’s a product that works well and one that I can feel good about. Per its packaging — and I have no idea where they get these numbers — if every household in the US replaced just one roll of 70 sheet virgin fiber paper towels with 100% recycled ones, we could save:

• 544,000 trees
• 1.4 million cubic feet of landfill space (2,000 full garbage trucks)
• 196 million gallons of water (a year’s supply of water for 1,500 families of four)
• and avoid 33,400 pounds of pollution

Not bad! If you have hesitation about recycled paper towels due to bad past experiences, give these a shot. And, if you want to see how your regular brand stacks up, the Natural Resources Defense Council has a great resource for comparing paper towels and other common household paper products.

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Product Review Friday: Formula 409 Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner

Up until today, the products I’ve reviewed on Fridays have been on the green side: Burt’s Bees, Trader Joe’s, Method. Today I decided to review something that can be found in thousands of homes: Formula 409. I found this product in the cabinet of my new apartment, and, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I’ve been using it. However, since I use it to wipe down my counter tops, and since I prepare food on those same counter tops, I thought it would be a good idea to find out exactly what I’m spraying around the house.

Formula 409 comes in a plastic #2 HDPE spray bottle, one that is easily recycled. The nozzle is a different plastic, but you can hang onto that and buy a Formula 409 refill for the spray bottle if you wish.

My first impression upon looking at the bottle is that this is a serious product, one that I don’t want to mess with. A big “Caution” statement is right on the front, referring me to the back for more information. The front also warns me to keep the product out of reach of children. The back continues with the warnings:

1. It is a violation of Federal law to use the product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
2. For surfaces that may come in contact with food, a potable water rinse is required.
3. Hazards to Humans and Domestic Animals.
4. Causes moderate eye irritation.
5. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing.

In addition, Clorox (the makers of Formula 409) recommends that you not use this product on soft vinyl, varnishes, or aluminum, and that you test a small area before using it on a painted surface. If you get Formula 409 in your eyes, the bottle directs you to rinse them for 15 – 20 minutes (if you have contacts, take them out after the first 5 minutes of rinsing), and the same if you get it on your skin. If you get it on your clothes, it says to take the clothes off, though it gives no information about what to do with them. There’s no info about what to do if you or your kid or your dog swallows the stuff.

About using the product, here’s a straw poll: if you use an all-purpose cleaner around the house, how do you use it? I asked around and everyone I asked uses this kind of product the same way I do: spray some on the counter, and wipe it off with a damp cloth or sponge. People! If you are using Formula 409 like this, you are breaking Federal law!!! Here’s how you are supposed to use it:

General cleaning: Spray it onto “soils” and wipe clean with a dry paper towel or lint-free cloth. Repeat if you are cleaning up something heavily soiled.

To disinfect: Spray until thoroughly wet. Let stand for 10 minutes, then wipe. Pre-clean if heavily soiled.

To sanitize non-food contact surfaces and deodorize: Same instructions as for disinfecting, but wait for 30 minutes before wiping.

And again, if you do use it to clean something that comes into contact with food, rinse the surface with water. I’m not sure if a damp sponge counts as rinsing, but I’m not about to flood my counter top with a bucket full of water.

Other than all the fear-inducing warnings, I don’t have any complaints about the way Formula 409 works. It’s easy to clean up oil splatters on my stove, and I haven’t yet become sick from salmonella or some other bacterial funk in my kitchen (though I never did using a natural all-purpose cleaner, either). The smell is both clinical and perfume-y. I can’t say I really like the smell, but it dissipates quickly and it doesn’t bother me a lot either, though I don’t have asthma nor do I normally suffer from allergies. My husband, however, suffers from both allergies and asthma, so I do try to avoid products that can cause respiratory irritation.

So the big question becomes, what’s in this stuff, and is there anything to worry about? Finding out what is in Formula 409 took some work. According to the label, Formula 409 contains Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and “other ingredients.” The Formula 409 web site says that the Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner contains nonionic and cationic surfactants, solvents, and dye. It does not contain phosphorus according to the label, nor does it contain ammonia or bleach according to the web site. I often look up products’ Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to see if there is anything else I should know; you can sometimes find other ingredients not listed on labels there. Clorox’s web site has the MSDS for this product in PDF format, and here I found out that the product also contains n-Propoxypropanol and Monoethanolamine. I also frequently refer to the Household Products Database put together by the NIH and the National Library of Medicine. This database had an MSDS for Formula 409 Antibacterial Lemon All-Purpose Cleaner, and showed 2-Butoxyethynol as an ingredient. The MSDSs also explain what to do if you ingest this product: drink a glass of water and call a doctor. Also, if you have trouble breathing, get some fresh air.

Here’s what I found out about the ingredients:

Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride -This chemical is used for disinfectants, biocides, and pesticides. It cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation.

Dye - I don’t know what specific dye Formula 409 contains, so for all I know it is a perfectly safe dye. However, some dyes are known to cause allergies, irritations, and possibly cancer.

Nonionic and cationic surfactants – Surfactants are widely used in cleaners and detergents, and are used to lower water tension thus allowing cleaning chemicals to do their job more easily. There are many kinds of surfactants; some are safe and some are not. One nonionic surfactant that is of particular concern is alcohol ethoxylate, which releases 1,4 dioxane, a probably carcinogen.

Solvents - Again, this is another vague ingredient, so I can’t comment on the safety or environmental friendliness Formula 409’s solvents.

n-Propoxypropanol – This solvent causes eye and skin irritations, and is found to be a central nervous system depressant in animal studies.

Monoethanolamine - MEA is used in detergents, personal care products, textile finishing and weed treating. It can cause burns to eyes and skin, and also cause respiratory irritation. Overexposure can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

2-Butoxyethynol – This is also known as ethylene glycol butyl ether or EGBE. It is on California’s list of toxic air contaminants, and is linked with reproductive problems, such as testicular damage, reduced fertility, death of embryos, and birth defects in animal studies. It also causes nose and eye irritation and headaches.

Bottom line: I stand by my initial impression that this is a serious product that I don’t want to mess with. Indoor air pollution is a problem, and this is just one more product that decreases air quality around the home. I’ve always been happy using green all-purpose cleaners, and have never missed the extra “ooomph” of a product like Formula 409 — in most situations, I really don’t need a powerful cleaner like this and it would not be worth it to me to buy it for use on a regular basis.

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Product Review Friday: Trader Joe’s Next to Godliness Liquid Dish Soap

In my quest for replacing products in my house with eco-friendlier options, I recently bought a bottle of Trader Joe’s Next to Godliness Liquid Dish Soap in Mandarin Orange. This replaces a bottle of Joy dish soap that had been left in my cupboard by the previous tenant in the apartment that I am renting.

Now, I don’t mind using extra elbow grease to reduce my impact on the planet, but I just don’t find this product to be all that effective, and it is important that eco-friendly products work in order to be viable alternatives for most people. Case in point: I use a lot of olive oil in my cooking and to make my own salad dressings. The Next to Godliness dish soap does very little to clean oil off my plates and bowls, so I have to use extra soap and also use a clean towel to wipe off leftover oily residue. I have used other “green” brands in the past (Caldera, and, I think, Mrs. Meyers), and I don’t remember having this problem with them (though I can’t promise that, not having used them in over a year). I also find myself washing things like coffee cups and wineglasses twice, because one wash doesn’t get everything out. The bottle claims that the soap is concentrated, and that a little goes a long way. This was not the case in my experience; I often would use twice the amount that I would with the Joy that was left in the cupboard. On the positive side, the scent is very mild (derived from mandarin oil), and my hands are not overly dried out after doing dishes.

Ecologically speaking, Next to Godliness dish soap does have some strong advantages. First, it natural and naturally-derived ingredients, other than trace amounts of color. It is also biodegradable, cruelty-free, and comes in a recyclable bottle made from #1 plastic.

Bottom line: While this product strikes the right notes on an environmental front, it’s not a great product for someone like me who washes all her dishes by hand. (I think it would be fine for someone who normally uses a dishwasher and hand washes only on occasion.) I also want to say that I like TJ’s products generally, such as their laundry detergent and honey oatmeal soap. The dish soap is just a miss for me. If anyone knows of a great green dish soap — especially at a comparable price — please let me know in the Comments. At this rate of double-washing my dishes, I’ll need a new bottle soon!

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Product Review Friday: Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo

Light, crisp, citrus scents make me happy, so when I saw Burt’s Bees grapefruit shampoo I had to give it a try, and overall, I was not disappointed. Truth be told, its aroma is pretty strong due to the natural oils it contains — grapefruit, orange, lemon, tangerine, lime, ginger, and petigrain — so if you are sensitive to smells, this might not be the best shampoo for you.

Otherwise, this shampoo is a natural winner, no pun intended. First, it is 98.8 % natural, and gets a low risk in the Cosmetic Safety Database. (Burt’s Bees is a signer of the Compact of Safe Cosmetics, which obligates signers to “ormulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing.”) The shampoo is free of sodium laureth sulfate, paraben, and phthalate, all of which are linked to health problems.

I’m also pleased with the packaging. The bottle is #2, so it is easily recycled, and it is made from 80 % post-consumer recycled material.

As to its effectiveness, every person is different and has their own preferences and reactions to shampoos. I am fairly picky about shampoo, but this one meets my main criteria: it smells nice, it is natural, and it gently cleans my hair. I admit that I don’t like the associated conditioner that much, as my hair feels coated and weighed down after using it, so I usually follow up with my regular conditioner instead of Burt’s Bees.

I do have one nit-pick, and that is about the company, not the product. While the bottle is wildly informative about all the great things that are in it, and all the bad things that aren’t, there is no information about its biodegradability. So, I used the “Contact Us” form on the Burt’s Bees web site to as whether the product is readily biodegradable, and I heard zilch back, not even a form “thank you for your inquiry” email. I’d love to know.

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Product Review Friday: Method Hand Wash

I started using Method products a few years ago. Specifically, I liked using the all purpose spray in grapefruit. It didn’t contain a lot of crazy chemical ingredients, and it had a light, pleasant aroma. I was also very taken by the Method story: the company’s commitment to being a different kind of company, to designing low-impact products with cradle-to-grave in mind, to making “green” cleaning products sexy and fashionable.

I was happy, therefore, when I moved into a new apartment and found that the previous occupant had left half a bottle of Method hand wash next to the kitchen sink. From a usage perspective, I have to admit that I am not nearly as enamored with the hand wash as I am with the all purpose spray. My three main quibbles are:

1. The smell. The hand wash I have is cucumber scented. If anything is innocuous smelling, it is a cucumber. Method cucumber hand wash, however, is so strongly scented that the inside of my nose burns and the back of my throat swells up every time I use it. And to top it off, I really don’t think it smells like cucumbers. Cucumbers smell light and fresh, while this soap just smells perfume-y. The bottle lists the catch-all “Fragrance” as an ingredient, so I don’t know what they are using for scent, but I would be willing to bet that this “fragrance” was never derived from the delightful cucumber. The smell also lingers on my hands well after I’ve rinsed and dried them. By the way, here’s what the Environmental Working Group has to say about “fragrance:”

2. The color. The cucumber hand wash looks like something out of Dexter’s Lab: it is bright green in the manner of Gatorade, or nuclear waste. (Not that I know what color nuclear waste is.) The bottle lists Yellow 10 and Green 5 as ingredients. From what I’ve read, these ingredients aren’t terribly harmful other than causing irritation to the skin and eyes. It just seems unnecessary to me to add color, if you are a company that markets itself on naturally derived ingredients. On the other hand, it is a dramatic color to behold in the clear bottle, so perhaps it is good for sales. People like funky-looking products.
3. How my hands feel after using it. My skin feels dry and tight after washing my hands with this hand wash, so more often than not I follow up with some hand cream.

In addition, the Environmental Working Group gives Method hand wash a moderate hazard rating due to its ingredients, fragrance being the most questionable. The full report can be seen here. (Note that the EWG does not have info on cucumber, so I’m linking to pink grapefruit. However, they give all Method hand washes a moderate rating, so I have no reason to believe cucumber is different.)

On the positive side, Method claims that the product is biodegradable, though it doesn’t specify the timeline for biodegradability. The product was also not tested on animals, another plus in my book. Finally, the bottle uses #1 plastic, the most easily recycled plastic there is. Method is also moving its entire product line to using 100% recycled plastics this year, another great thing.

Overall, as much as I would like to use my dollar votes to support a company like Method, I won’t be buying this soap again. There are other similar products on the market with lighter scents and better ingredients, though admittedly I haven’t found one as low in price as Method.

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Product Review Friday: Trader Joe’s Liquid Laundry Detergent

Well I guess I’ve drawn a line in the sand now, and Fridays are now Product Review Fridays! (And just to put in a disclaimer, these are personal reviews, not the opinion of Greener One, and I’m not affiliated with the makers of anything I’ll review here.)

I’m kicking off this regular blog feature with a product that I’ve just started using recently, Trader Joe’s Liquid Laundry Detergent. This product isn’t in Greener One, but I did put in a request to have it added.

In terms of clothes-cleaning, I really like this product. The smell is very clean and light, with a hint of lavender (it contains lavender oil, but it is not overpowering in the least). I actually like the smell so much that I hold the wet clothes up to my face and breathe in before tossing them in the dryer. It also seems to clean as well as any other detergents I’ve used in the past: Tide, Arm & Hammer, some generic stuff that I found in my sister’s garage, and Persil.

On the environmental side, this is a product that a green neurotic like me can feel OK about bringing home, at least insofar as the packaging claims go. So, let’s drill down on that, now that I bought the stuff and have used it on a few loads:

Packaging and Recycling: The jug is made from #2 plastic, which means it is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). While this is a petroleum-based plastic, it is one of the most commonly recycled types of plastic. Because I have to climb 85 steps to get to my apartment, I chose a small jug; however, you only need to use a little bit for a standard load, so this jug will still last me a good while.

Ingredients: Per the label, this product contains Plant Based Surfactants, Earth Salts, Soy Based Fabric Softener, Cellulose Optical Brightener, Lavender Oil, and Water. Of these, two things jump out at me: surfactants and optical brightener. (Actually, “water” jumps out at me too, since it probably would have been smarter to find a powder-based detergent, but that’s another topic entirely.)

Surfactants can cause a whole host of problems, though plant-based ones do have a lighter impact. Since the ingredient list is vague about exactly what plant-based surfactant is being used, I really can’t judge. However, I did dig this up on the Green Guide in the article Virtuous Cycles by senior editor Emily Main:

Still, detergent manufacturers have yet to find a perfectly healthy replacement for LAS, NPEs and other APE surfactants. Alcohol ethoxylates derived from plant and vegetable oils have a lighter impact but are created using a process called “ethoxylation,” which produces the probable human carcinogen 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct. Present in very small amounts in the final product, dioxane poses a serious cancer risk when inhaled at high levels in occupational settings.

Optical brighteners cause rashes and eye irritations, and are toxic to fish and other plant and animal life. But what is the impact if optical brightener is made from cellulose rather than petroleum or synthetics? I haven’t been able to find an answer to that specific question, but I can tell you that “cellulose optical brightener” is found in other “green” products, such as ECOS. Synthetic and petroleum optical brighteners also are not biodegradable, but Trader Joe’s Liquid Laundry Detergent claims to be 100% biodegradable. Since Trader Joe’s is using a cellulose optical brightener rather than a synthetic or petroleum-based, and since the product is biodegradable, I can only assume that the its brightener is OK.

A Few Other Claims: Cruelty Free – great! No Phosphates – good, but they have been phased out of laundry detergents already. I suppose it still makes sense to put it on the label since other household products still do contain phosphates. 100% Biodegradable – good, but is it 100% readily biodegradable?

So what is my overall assessment? I like the product and it seems to be pretty good environmentally, though like many things, there is probably an alternative that is greener still. What are your favorite detergents with a low environmental impact?

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