First off, lets be clear: a cookie is a cookie. However, as far as ingredients go, these are healthier than many other options. These oatmeal cookies are made with whole wheat flour, oats, and dried fruit which not only taste great, but also add fiber. These cookies would also be hearty enough to do well with additions like flaxseed.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter (or substitute to make vegan)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats (slow cook, not instant)
A 12 oz bag of chocolate chips (any kind you like. I used milk chocolate.)
1 cup dried fruit of your choice (if you want apricots or another larger fruit be sure to chop it into small pieces first.)

Makes 48 cookies

Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy

3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
4. Add combined flour, backing soda, spices, and salt; mix well

6. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet

8. Let sit 1 minute on the cookie sheet; remove to wire rack
The cookies are really loose when you first take them off the sheet. Do not worry, you cooked them long enough. As they cool they bind together better and will no longer fall apart if you even look at them funny.

If you only want a few cookies, this recipe freezes really well. Just scoop out the dough into tablespoon size pieces before placing in a freezer safe container. I recommend layering the dough and using a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep them from sticking. The dough is also tasty straight out of the freezer : )

As college students are packing up to leave, piles of e-waste are growing larger and larger, especially at SCU. E-waste is one of those things that most people do not think about. Typically people toss it into the trashcan and it ends up in a landfill, or they take it to a recycling center and believe that it will be taken care of responsibly.

Do you know where your e-waste is going? 70 percent of computers in the U.S. end up in landfills. Of the 30 percent that are “recycled,” 50-80 percent end up exported to other countries, including India, China, and Ghana. (According to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition).

Have you ever considered how many products you have that will become e-waste? Every single item that runs on electricity (either plugs into an electrical outlet or runs on a battery) becomes e-waste when you dispose of it. This includes computers, televisions, cameras, cell phones, iPods, remote controls, headphones, gaming consoles, watches, blenders, and countless other devices.

Electronic waste is the fastest growing municipal waste as well as one of the most dangerous because of the toxic materials inside of them. These materials are not only harmful to communities near landfills where some of the electronics end up, but also the communities around the world where the e-waste is exported and primitively “recycled.”

After considering the amount of e-waste you inevitably create I encourage you to consider all of the electronics you own. Decide if all of the electronic items you own are necessary, or if you could live without them. If something breaks, do not only research a responsible recycling facility that will protect its workers and not export the materials, but also question if you really need to replace it. Treat your items well and make sure they last as long as possible.

Consider getting something fixed before you completely replace it. Just because your cell phone contract allows you to get a new phone every year or every two years does not mean that you have to. Resist the temptation to buy the latest and greatest things when the items you have still work well. If you are looking for a responsible recycler near you check out SVTC or e-stewards recyclers.

As the last few weeks of school are coming to an end I am starting to face the inevitable. I have to pack.

I do not know how it happens. Somehow between the time I moved in and now all of my things have multiplied. I did not notice how much more stuff I have since the last time I had to pack it all up in September.

As my roommate and I stared at all of our stuff last night wondering how we were ever going to fit it all in our cars or storage, I began to realize that this is a common problem. I know not everyone is moving out right now, but as college students across the country stare at all of their belongings in fear of packing them, I thought maybe we could all use a little advice so none of us end up like this:

Ways to pack with less stress:

1. Start by asking yourself if you still need the item. If you do not, you can donate or sell the item (which means less to put into boxes and carry, yay!).

2. Pack a section or a few things at a time. It’s easy to get burned out when packing. If you know when you have to move out, you can plan ahead and just pack a section a day at a time. I find that when I do this my stuff is better organized, I am able to fit more into the limited space in my car as well as the boxes. I also remember where things are better a few months later when I’m moving in again.

3. Label boxes and items. I know it seems unnecessary at the time, but when you are loading up the car it’s nice to know exactly what’s in the box so it can be safely packed. It also makes unpacking a great deal easier.

4. For college students, open your door and talk to people while you pack. One of the nice things about dorms is that everyone is going through the same things you are. I had a great time moving out with everyone on my floor last year, and it’s a nice way to have one last time together before everyone leaves for the summer.

5. Plan ahead. No matter what else you do, if you keep when you need to be packed by in mind and you don’t leave everything for last minute, you will be less stressed and your packing and unpacking will be much smoother.

Tips to decreasing waste when moving:

College campuses are especially notorious for creating enormous amounts of waste when students move out. Carpets, furniture, and other items are just tossed into dumpsters so they do not have to be moved.

If you are a college student, or anyone else, who just cannot take an item with them even though it’s still in good condition, donate or sell it. Many places will pick up the item, or you can drop it off before you have packed your car.

For Santa Clara students, every dorm will have a location to drop off small and large items to donate, e-waste, used carpets, and things that actually need to go to the trash. The carpets, depending on what shape they are in, are recycled or reused. This diverts a great deal of unnecessary waste from landfills. For more information about where these services are located near your dorm, go here.

Before you move, (college students and everyone else) check out the services available to you to be sure that you can recycle and reuse as many things as possible.

No one knows sunscreen better than a lifeguard. I have spent the last four summers trying to not get completely fried in the sun. All of the eco-friendly sunscreens I highlight below have been thoroughly tested by myself.

Water resistant sunscreen (body)

One of the main problems I have with some eco-friendly water resistant sunscreens is that they can feel like you are slathering yourself in glue. Although the stickiest sunscreens typically stay on the best, it can get to the point where it feels almost impossible to rub in at all.

Badger: This is my go-to sunscreen for when I’m in the water at work. Teaching swim lessons mean I am in the water for up to 4 hours at a time. Little kids often grab onto my hands and arms, removing my sunscreen if it is isn’t tough enough. This sunscreen withstands it all! When I get out of the pool after a long day I have to really try to scrub it off. I have never gotten burned when using this, but I do try to reapply at least every 2 hours. As a warning, I would not use this on my face or back. It’s base is olive oil and I can see it potentially clogging pores if you have acne prone skin. Also beware that it will leave your skin looking blueish white.
EWG rating: 1

Non-water resistant sunscreen

Some of these sunscreens may say water resistant on the bottle, but I have found that they work significantly better out of the water, and I will not wear them in the water.

Face and lips

Lipcotz: This sunscreen lip balm keeps my lips well protected from the sun. Some warnings though: It will color your lips because of the minerals in the sunscreen. It’s not a bad color and it’s worth the protection. I also use another lip balm underneath this one for some moisture because this one is really best to just block the sun, not moisturize.
EWG: 3

Best aftersun

Korress Yoghurt Cooling Gel: If you accidentally get a sunburn (don’t worry, it happens to the best of us) this aftersun cooling lotion is the best. It helps take away some of the pain, moisturize your skin, and keep it from peeling later on (unless you really burned yourself, then you will probably still peel).
EWG: 0

You can find any of the sunscreens featured here online as well as some grocery stores like Whole Foods.

More options:
Wondering how your sunscreen is standing up? Check it against the EWG’s 2011 Hall of Shame sunscreens.

For more eco-friendly sunscreens that are safe to use, check out EWG’s list of some of the safest sunscreens.

As the weather warms up everyone rushes outside, but most people forget to protect themselves with sunscreen.

When you do remember to grab the sunscreen, have you ever thought about what’s in it? Reading the ingredients in sunscreen feels like a chemistry lesson gone horribly wrong. As with any product, knowing what’s in your sunscreen is key to protecting yourself from harmful chemicals and the harmful rays from the sun. This post will outline some of the basic things you to need to know before you head out to enjoy the weather.

How to protect yourself without slathering up:

Before you start breaking out the tanks and short-shorts, consider going old-school and covering up. Covering up with a shirt and a hat are easier and better for you than trying to get chemicals to absorb the sun’s harmful rays. A lightweight long sleeve shirt won’t wear off and you will not have to remember to reapply it.

Hang out in the shade instead of baking in the sun. Think your tan is too cool? Any darkening of the skin is a sign of skin damage. Once you are burned you have drastically increased your risk for skin cancer. Not to mention that no one wants to look like a lobster.

What to watch out for:

If you need to use sunscreen keep these quick tips in mind:

9 surprising truths

This year the Environmental Working Group compiled a list of truths about sunscreen. For more information on them you can go here.

1. There’s no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer.

2. There’s some evidence that sunscreen might increase the risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer in some people.

3. There are more high SPF products than ever before, but no proof that they’re better.

4. Too little sun might be harmful, reducing the body’s vitamin D levels.

5. The common sunscreen ingredient vitamin A may speed the development of cancer.

6. Free radicals and other skin-damaging byproducts of sunscreen.

7. Pick your sunscreen: nanomaterials or potential hormone disruptors.

8. Europe has better sunscreens (and more options)

9. The 34th summer in a row without final U.S. sunscreen safety regulations.

Check back tomorrow for my favorite eco-friendly sunscreen choices.

After all of the posts I have had recently on dangerous materials in cosmetics, I was excited to see a post on Treehugger.com about a new study from Environmental Defense Canada. The study found that toxic heavy metals have been found in 49 products tested even though none of heavy metals were listed on the label.

TreeHugger.com nicely summarized the article:

“The study tested 49 products from popular brands like Laura Mercier, MAC, L’Oreal, Mary Kay, and Sephora and found that 100 percent of the products contained nickel, 96 percent contained lead and 90 percent contained beryllium. Only one product, Annabelle Mineral Pigment Dust (Solar), was found to not contain a single metal of most concern.

On average, products contained four of the eight metals of concern—mercury, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, nickel, lead, selenium, and thallium. The Benefit Benetint lip gloss contained the highest level of lead at 110ppm, which is 10 times higher than the limit set by Health Canada.

The heavy metals found in the products tested are categorized as unintentional contaminants. They are not required to be listed on the labels, which is why it may come as a shock to some that they are in the products in the first place. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics points out that, in Canada, there are draft guidelines for impurity levels of some metals it believes are “technically avoidable.” In the United States, there are no standards for these metals in cosmetics, nor are there “draft guidelines.”

“Individual exposures to these metals in small amounts are unlikely to cause harm, but heavy metals can build up in the body over time and may increase risk for a variety of health problems,” the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reports. Meaning, if you’re using cosmetics laden with heavy metals on a daily basis, or more than once daily, you could be putting yourself at risk.

Visit Environmental Defence to download the report (pdf) and make sure your favorite products aren’t listed. While you’re there, sign the petition asking Health Canada to better regulate impurities in cosmetics.

Are you shocked? Or is this what you’ve come to expect from the cosmetic industry?”

I don’t know about you, but I am sadly not too shocked. I am appalled that this is going on without any regulation or reprimands. Instead of continuing to support this dirty industry, we need to boycott their products by refusing to buy them and educate others about the dangers of the products.

Want to know more? You can also look at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

I have had acne for what feels like forever now, but is probably more like 10 years. I have tried nearly all dermatologist prescribed medications with little to no results. So when I say this oil works, I mean it.

I know it seems completely counter productive to put oil on an oily face that is prone to acne, but just hear me out. Because jojoba is actually a liquid wax and not an oil, it behaves differently than we expect. The jojoba “oil” is very similar to the oils that your skin naturally produces. Because of this similarity, when you use jojoba your skin responds by not producing excess oil.

The oil soaks in quickly, and then you have skin that is not shinny, but well moisturized all day. You have to give your skin about 2-4 weeks to get used to the oil before it will stop producing extra oil. After a month my skin no longer got oily, even if I forgot to wash it in the morning.

This recipe has been a lifesaver for me. In the summer I swim and lifeguard which means my skin gets so dry it peels. The jojoba helps keep my skin hydrated while not increasing my breakouts all year long. Another reason I love this recipe is because of how cheap it is. The oil is 8oz for $16, and it has already lasted me more than a year.

Ingredients

4 oz bottle with dropper (cleaned and boiled)
jojoba oil (organic is preferred)
1 teaspoon vitamin E (as an antioxidant as well as a preservative)

Use a funnel to add the 1 teaspoon of vitamin E. Add the oil until the bottle is nearly full and shake to mix it.

If you would like you can add essential oils for smell or other benefits, but I like to keep anything that is going on my face as simple as possible. Be sure to test any oils slightly diluted behind your ear to be sure you will not have an allergic reaction as well.

I ran out of vitamin E a while ago, and so far I haven’t had any problems just using the jojoba oil straight. If you use the oil fast enough and want to save a few bucks, I would recommend leaving it out.

You can find all the ingredients and necessary materials locally, online, or at mountainroseherbs.com.

Enjoy!

This homemade rose oil blend is perfect to use on all dry skin including elbows, hands, feet, and everything in between. If you have a dry face and you do not break out very often, this oil can also be used a moisturizer. For men this makes a great after shave soother or a dry skin salve. It also makes a great gift!

What you will need: