An Interesting Initiative

Found this interesting article about initiative taken for eco-friendly goodbye to Maa Durga by one of Delhi's Durga Puja organisers.

 The article can be read here

 

Happy Navratri

Ecoliciously Organic

Stand Out from the Crowd - Happy Navratri!!!

The 9 days of festivity and fasting has begun. There is a little nip in the air and celebrations all around. Navratri or Nine Nights (in Sanskrit) is a festival dedicated to Hindu Deity Maa Durga. It is celebrated with much fervour in India. 

It is also time for Garba, which means getting decked up in beautiful clothes and  jewellery and dance with abandon. Or, if you are in Eastern India, just wear beautiful clothes, jewelleries and hop from pandal to pandal.

So, this festive season, would you stand out from the crowd and wear jute and khadi instead. Don't get alarmed. Not just yet. Turns out there are beautiful sarees and lehengas made of Jute Silk and Khadi and Khadi silk. Apparently, very fine threads of jute can be separated out and made into imitiation silk.

Have a dekko

Wishing you a very Happy Navratri!!!

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Non Violent Products

In spirit of 2nd October, instead of 'Thrifty Thursday Finds', I bring today some non-violent products.

• Ahimsa Honey - Its a honey which is bee-friendly!! Tribes of India in Orissa and South India have already been following this method since time immemorial. Now with the rise of veganism, it is in great demand. For the uninitiated, Veganism is different from Vegetarianism. Vegan people do not consume animal products as well as products derived from animals such as milk, honey etc. I could not find any site selling non-violent or Ahimsa honey. Although there are some 'Forest honey' and 'Organic honey' available on some sites.

•  Ahimsa Silk - Silk which is produced after the moth has left the cocoon. I have written a post on different types of silks. You can read the post here. Some Ahimsa silk sarees are available for sale on different online sites.

•  Vegan Shoes/Bags/Belts - Products that are not made from leather. Sensoveg is one such company in India making 'Vegetarian Shoes'.

 Do you know of more such products? Let us know

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Organic Silk 101

No, no, no......I was not going to talk about that soymilk brand. Neither about Silk Smita. Nope. Nada. What were you thinking? wink, wink

I am going to talk about our favourite silk, which is an unique and one of the oldest fibres of the world, aptly titled as ‘Queen of Fibres’. After all, who doesn’t drool after silk and feel like a queen after wearing it.

So, when I came across this thing called ‘Organic Silk’, I was intrigued. We all know that silk is made from cocoons who live on mulberry trees. And we all know that organic means something that does not have chemicals. So, if silk is made from cocoons how can it have chemicals? Which means all silk is supposed to organic. Simple, isn’t it?

Turns out, nothing in this world is simple. silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, which is a caterpillar and not a worm!! Go figure. For more technical definition of silk, you can see it here. 

What exactly is Organic Silk?

While I was searching for information on silk production, I found few quite graphic representations, due to which I will not be able to look at my silk sarees the same way again (at least for some time!!). But mainly the process involves, rearing the moths in captivity and dissolving them in boiling water for extraction of fibre. 

I know, I know, you get it, so I will stop blabbering.

Well, the production process is what differentiates silk from organic silk. Organic silk is extracted when the silkworm is allowed to emerge from the cocoon naturally. Also the mulberry trees are not spread with insecticides or other chemicals. No synthetic additives are added during its manufacturing process. Organic silk is also dyed with natural dyes.

Other types of Silk

Vegan Silk or Peace Silk or Ahimsa Silk – Very much like organic silk where the cocoons are allowed to hatch naturally

Raw Silk – Simply Silk that has not been chemically processed.

Pros of Organic Silk

• Some claim that it has medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties. However no such research or study is there to substantiate it.
• Since, it does not have chemical dyes, it is definitely going to help people with sensitive skin.
• And if you are vegan, it is going to give a huge boost to your conscience.

 Cons of Organic Silk

•  No Certification of Government regulation of Organic Silk.

• Though available in India, it is very costly.

So that’s all for you to ponder about organic silk. Meanwhile, here are some awesome organic silk sarees from Jaypore Sarees to ogle.

While, I will see my silks and shed some tears (crocodile tears? Or maybe caterpillar tears?) till the organic silk become a little bit more affordable.

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Ecoliciously Organic

Thrifty Thursday Finds

Autumn is here and winter is lurking just round the corner. This weather requires extra TLC for our skin. Here are some moisturizers, which are free of toxic chemicals, to do the same.

 Images- From their respective websites

Clockwise from left

• Omved Intense Moisturising Cream – Rs. 440/-
•  Omved Ultra Light Day & Night Moisturer – Rs. 490
• Soul Tree Ayurvedic Moisturiser – Rs. 350/-(available on Natural Mantra)
• Young Mango Butter Moisturiser – Rs. 250/-

  *Thrifty Thursday Finds is not sponsored post

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Why Organic Cotton?

It’s a question that I am asked a lot of times. To be honest, I myself have asked this question. We all can understand the immediate benefits of having organic food. In simple layman terms organic food means food without chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, hormones etc. And we all understand that ingesting food has a direct effect on our health and which in turn means that chemical free food is directly beneficial for our health. Same thing goes for cosmetics, since we are putting them directly on our skin we understand the benefits of chemical-free cosmetics.

But what about clothes? Why the hullabaloo about organic cotton?

Cotton is entwined with our daily lives. Towels, Bed sheets, Blankets, Diapers, Fabric - its everywhere. It’s the most popular fabric in the world. Cotton evokes images of purity and comfort and many of us think that it is pure and natural. So we put cotton next to our skin because it breathes, absorbs and offers comfort.

But turns out that cotton is among the dirtiest crops in the world. The Environmental Justice Foundation lists 16 pesticides used in cotton growing, many of which are extremely hazardous and carcinogenic. It uses more chemicals in its production than any other human grown plant.

You may say, so what? The pesticides and chemicals are sprayed during the growing, and we are not eating cotton, we are wearing it, so what does it matter?

Turns out the story doesn't end there. Manufacturing cotton fiber into fabric and garments consists of several major processes such as cleaning, spinning, knitting or weaving, dyeing, finishing, and cleaning. Conventionally manufactured cotton must be chemically processed to become the soft fiber that consumers love. During processing, it is subjected to chlorine bleach, heavy metal dyes and formaldehyde resins (the hidden hazard of 'easy care treatments'). The bleach is almost worse than pesticides, causing myriad health problems and vast environmental damage. The chemical residues of these processes constitute the major sensitivity problems. Washing and dyeing of fabric again involves use of toxic chemicals.

Which begs the question – Would you wear toxic chemicals or let your children (who have a delicate and sensitive skin) wear them?

So, how is organic cotton good?

Organic Cotton is grown without the use of any synthetic chemicals i.e., pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic farmers rely on crop rotation to replenish and maintain soil fertility. Mechanical cultivation and botanical or biological means are used to control pests and weeds.

A field must be pesticide-free for at least three years to be certified organic, and the cotton must be processed according to international organic standards.

During manufacturing and processing organic clothing manufacturers do not add chemicals, formaldehyde, antiwrinkling agents, chlorine bleaches, or other unauthentic materials. Natural alternatives are used. Strict testing ensures the absence of contaminants like nickel, lead, formaldehyde, amines, pesticides and heavy metals.

Babies and people with allergies and skin sensitivity benefit greatly from organic cotton. But, even if your skin is not sensitive, organic cotton would just feel great when you wear it, when you sleep on it and when you dry yourself with it. It would just feel right, both for your skin as well as your conscience.

So will you buy organic cotton clothes? 

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Thrifty Thursday Finds

Beautiful, Funky Organic Tees*

Images Courtesy - Samtana & Do You Speak Green

Clockwise from Left

• 1-5 - Organic T-shirts from Samtana, ranging from Rs. 499 - 599/-
• 6-12 - Organic T-shirts from Do You Speak Green, ranging from Rs. 670 - 895/-

 *Thrifty Thursday Finds is not sponsored post

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Ecoliciously Organic