Sunscreen and Deodorant: Convincing Myself to Try DIY Personal Care Products We all know that doing things ourselves typically saves money. But let’s face it, there’s not enough time to do everything ourselves, and we can’t always seem to make the project or product turn out as great as when left to the professionals. This […]
Why a Clean Floor Makes a Big Difference in Your Health Your shoes carry you across parking lots, through gym locker rooms, and into bathroom stalls, where they pick up E. coli (causes intestinal and urinary tract infections), Klebsiella (pneumonia bacteria), and Serratia ficaria (a respiratory tract infection bacteria).1 In addition to bacteria, your shoes […]
How I Learned to Love Pancakes I’m not a pancake person – I’ve always thought they were boring and I really dread a sweet breakfast. Even as a kid, I hated the feeling I would get after eating a pancake, a plain bagel, or French toast first thing in the morning. Given my pick, I […]
Erica joined the Branch Basics Customer Service team in January of 2015. If you’ve ever had a question about Branch Basics, there’s a good chance you’ve already chatted with Erica on the phone. One of the best things about working with Erica is she frequently organizes morning walking groups. Since we were already studying how […]
Non-Stick, Stain-Resistant & Water-Repellent: Chemicals of Convenience Aren’t Worth the Cost “Better things for better living — through chemistry.” This popular DuPont slogan solicited customers from the 1940s to the 1980s. But today, some chemicals, such as PFASs, developed by DuPont and other companies during that era are showing how “better living” comes at a […]
Harmful to Humans, Deadly to Birds Avoid Nonstick Cookware Within a few minutes of being heated on a stove, a nonstick, Teflon pan begins offgassing harmful chemicals. An example of the hazards of Teflon and other nonstick chemicals is the sudden death of pet birds exposed to heating cookware made with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), […]
Briefly, Why is Conventional Pesticide Use Harmful? Globally, 972 people die each day of unintentional pesticide exposure, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).1 Conventional, synthetic pesticides are indiscriminate killers affecting not only insects, but also “non-target organisms” – humans and every living creature.2 In adequate doses, pesticides can cause immediate death in humans, though most […]
Is the air quality in your child’s school making students sick? Marilee Nelson’s son, Douglas, was dramatically affected by pesticide exposures at school. In December 1989, at age ten, he was exposed to high levels of pesticides, which devastated him mentally and physically. Doctors offered no hope of recovery from the extreme chemical injury and […]
Joey and Tricia joined us this summer as interns in customer service and product development. Joey attends Baylor University and will be a sophomore Public Relations major. His enthusiasm and engaging personality have been a huge asset to the customer service team! Tricia is also studying Public Relations, and will be starting her senior year at […]
What’s Wrong with Tap Water? Why Drink Filtered Water? You may be accustomed to drinking tap water, which is inexpensive, readily available, and low-waste (no plastics needed!). However, there are many reasons to avoid drinking municipal water and seek out filtered water instead. For some, taste is a concern – you can generally taste the […]
What is Offgassing or Outgassing? Offgassing or outgassing are interchangeable terms that relate to indoor air quality. Offgassing refers to the release of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from a material or solution that has been trapped or absorbed. For example, when a room is freshly painted, the chemicals from the curing paint slowly offgas into […]
What is a VOC (volatile organic compound)? What do a fragrant rose, a new car, a new home, fresh paint, air fresheners, or new clothes have in common? All of these things release VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Anything that smells fragrant releases VOCs into the air (usually giving it that “new” or “fresh” smell) – […]
Dirtiest Place in the House? Maybe It’s the Air! Have you ever thought about how to clean the air in your house? To most people, cleaning means removing trash and clutter, wiping and mopping away visible dirt and dust, and getting rid of unpleasant odors. However, the “dirtiest” place in your home may be the […]
What are phthalates? Phthalates are a group of chemicals made from petroleum used in personal care products and are used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastics and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).1 Like harmful BPA, phthalates are considered stealth chemicals that are classified as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and gender benders.2 Health effects of phthalates […]
Nontoxic Air Fresheners Synthetic perfumes, air fresheners, plug-ins, scented candles, room sprays, and other artificially scented products often contain toxic chemicals like phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors. The chemicals used to make “air fresheners” have been linked to headaches, ear aches, depression, irregular heartbeat, and even diarrhea in babies. If you’d like to know more […]
This article marks the third in our series on Common Household Chemicals to Avoid, following pesticides and formaldehyde. And please remember! This series on reducing chemical exposure is designed to put you in a position of power instead of ignorance. Knowledge enables us to make informed choices that can make a huge difference in our […]
Glass technology is about 5,000 years old.(2) Despite its long history, the technology of glass manufacturing has changed very little in the past 50 centuries. Glass is the material of choice for virtually all food and drink uses. This is because glass is inert, which means it does not chemically interact with other materials. Glass […]
by Hannah Phillips Hannah joined the BB team as our Community Manager in August 2014, bringing on board her sweet pup, Lucy, as our official BB mascot. Check out her tips on natural dog care and how she creates a healthy environment for her pet. I adopted Lucy in 2013 from Austin Pets Alive, a local […]
The Huron House Bed & Breakfast, in Oscoda, Michigan, has been named one of the Top 10 Romantic Inns and is rated with a Diamond Collection award by BedandBreakfast.com. We found out that Huron House also happens to be the first Bed & Breakfast to exclusively use Branch Basics products for cleaning. We reached out […]
Lowering Fluoride Levels in US Tap Water For the first time in over 50 years, the United States has lowered fluoride levels in drinking water. A Guardian article written about this news implies that it is being lowered because too much fluoride causes white splotches on teeth in children. But according to a 500-page scientific review on […]
Earth to BB fans! As you know, our goal as a company is to remove harmful synthetics from the places people live, work, and play. We believe that using just this one versatile soap promotes a pure, sustainable lifestyle by replacing dozens of potentially toxic products. But did you know that switching to Branch Basics […]