The only category of skincare for women over 50 is “anti-aging” — but what’s the alternative? In reality, the only thing that stops aging is death. So the idea of buying a product that makes you stop aging — aka “reverses” “suspends” or “prevents” aging — is a serious crock. Caraline, which sponsored this post, exists to counter that idea with incredibly nourishing plant-based skincare that celebrates the skin you’re in. Read more and score one of FIVE Caraline Skincare Daily Hydrate & Nourish Duo sets, worth $95.  Kate Baer, one of my favorite poets, put it best: “How the dead must ..read more

Happy spring! Tomorrow is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, which means longer days and shorter nights — and in California, where I live, it’s a hop skip and jump to summer weather. That’s why each year around this time of year, I swap out my closet — all 100% thrifted or swapped, of course! How I Closet Swap It has nothing to do with fashion shows, but I do think of my clothes in terms of seasons. Spring is mostly light colors and fabrics, flowy skirts and with layerable short sleeves and lightweight cardigans. Fall is darker colors, long pants, long sleeved sweaters, and w ..read more

Do the pink and red boxes of mass produced chocolate made from cacao that can’t seem to shake its connection to slave/child labor make you uncomfortable? If so, please join me in choosing fair trade chocolate this Valentine’s Day! FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE FOR THE WIN As I reported in this oldie-but-goodie gift guide, fair trade chocolate manufacturers forge economic partnerships that can alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and create opportunities for farmers and artists—especially women, who produce 76% of fair trade goods. These businesses combat human trafficking by creating opportunities f ..read more

Wah wah. After feeling a slight sore throat and stuffy nose and testing negative for three days, on the fourth I got the dreaded covid double line. The good news (besides the fact that “The Crown” just dropped four new episodes) is that I’m vaccinated and my symptoms are mild. According to the World Health Organization, cases of the illness are down globally, but in California, where I live, there’s been a slight uptick in the number of people testing positive over the last few weeks. Time to break out the masks! Meanwhile, I’m N95’d up, pounding vitamins C and zinc twice daily, and ..read more

Have you tried shampoo bars? I’m loving this one from Brixy! SHAMPOO BOTTLES SUCK It’s a fact: 94% of plastic ends up in landfills or the environment, including 500 million shampoo bottles each year. These new Brixy bars are a solution: The shampoo bar lathers up great and rinses clean, the conditioner leaves my long hair easy-to-comb but residue free, the body wash is damn good soap — and I can’t wait to try the face wash line, dropping soon!  SUSTAINABLE CRED These vegan bars are never tested on animals, palm-oil free (and rainforest-friendly), and the essential-oil powered scents ..read more

When friends recently suggested we meet for Sunday brunch, I turned it into a challenge. How could we have the most fun with the smallest carbon footprint? The weather was beautiful that weekend, so I knew the plan had to involve the beach. I live only a few miles away, but the more sustainable choice was to not take my car: According to the EPA, if I drive just ten miles less each week, in a year I’ll save 500 pounds of CO2 — about as much as four trees sequester over ten years. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider this: If all Americans drove just ten miles less each year, we’d s ..read more

To my beloved children, Despite the fact that you have lived in my house for most/all of your lives, during which time I have consistently demonstrated effective recycling behavior, there seems to be some residual confusion about what you can can and cannot recycle. It’s complicated, I get it. From the time you were small, the a profusion of different materials has exploded exponentially and therefore you were required to continuously improve on your knowledge. This is a problem for all of us — that’s why we have that giant plastic trash slick in the middle of the ocean and microplastics in o ..read more

I first started thrifting in high school because it was the most affordable way to shop on a minimum-wage budget. My favorite store was Aardvark in Venice, where the racks were full of vintage items — floral dresses from the fifties and cashmere crewnecks with just the tiniest moth holes that could be fixed with a needle and thread. We weren’t thinking about it then, but thrifting is seriously sustainable. If you’ve been reading MG for a while, you know that I’ve been exclusively thrifting and swapping for a while now. Many of you even joined me for the annual Shop Drop Challenge which ended ..read more

Oh, aging. I’m 52 and, for a while there, it was like my skin was perpetually in Palm Springs — dry and desiccated no matter what I put on it. But I recently developed a quick-and-easy, Trader Joe’s sustainable skincare, anti-aging night hydration routine that really does work wonders — and together, these three products cost less than $25! TRADER JOE’S AND PLASTIC Full disclosure: My family has been shopping at the original TJs in West Los Angeles for my entire life and I raised my kids on their products. But over the last decade, the brand has switched to a lot of single-use and/or difficul ..read more

Every few weeks, we focus on good news about climate and conservation. Not on the list? Click here to join the conversation! The post January Newsletter appeared first on Mommy Greenest ..read more