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      News — World Ocean Day

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      Seaweed Shampoo Bars- Great Hair, Clean Oceans

      Seaweed Shampoo Bars- Great Hair, Clean Oceans

      "What would happen if 10,000 people decided to reduce their trash impact for one month? We could reduce the trash on Earth by over 1 million pounds." 

      If you are looking for a way to reduce your plastic consumption our Maine seaweed rich shampoo bars are the way to go. Our shampoo bars are a natural way to clean and condition your hair.  

      Great hair, clean oceans, no plastic

      Both Carly and I have super curly, easy to frizz hair. In the past, we were hair product junkies. A large bottle of conditioner might last a week. I shampooed everyday due to my tendency to look like a deranged cartoon character with severe bed head.

      I also suffered from itchy scalp. I’ve battled flakey head since high school. At one point, it got really bad. I hoped my hairdresser wouldn’t notice- fat chance. He thought it was “unusual”. I dreaded my next appointment. He suggested seeing a doctor. I knew exactly what the doctor would prescribe- a highly medicated/toxic/unnatural shampoo. I was right. The chemical laden shampoo didn't help my scalp and gave me super horrible looking hair. By chance and desperation I began experimenting with different natural ingredients. Adding seaweed to my hair care routine brought me natural and lasting relief.

      The most important ingredient in our shampoo bars is seaweed. Seaweeds are the powerhouses of our shampoo bars. Kelp in particular contains essential nutrients to help hair grow. Seaweeds are super gentle cleaners and naturally hydrate. Plus seaweeds help control flaky scalps and can help promote hair growth.

      Dulse & Rugosa's Maine Seaweed Shampoo Bars

      We make three shampoo bars blends.  All are seaweed rich, the difference is the blends of oils.  

      Lovely Rita Super Conditioning:  Some hair needs more moisture and we should know since we both have SUPER curly hair. Our Lovely Rita Bar contains coconut and castor oil which help creating  superior thick lather but also condition those pesky locks. Olive oil and rose hip oil leave your hair shiny and soft.

      Sweet Melissa Gentle and Mild: If your hair is straight and needs less moisture our Sweet Melissa bar is for you.  Your hair needs protein and a blend of oils that moisturize without being too heavy.  Our shampoo bars harness the power of sugar kelp to pump up the protein which is what your hair craves.  

      Men's Shampoo Bar:  Our Seaweed Shampoo Bar specially packaged just for men.  The power of seaweed can help tame an itchy scalp or full beard and designed to be used anywhere including rivers and streams. 

      Thanks to the ocean conservancy for the opening quote.  Check them out.

      Make Your Money Count and Use Less Plastic

      Make Your Money Count and Use Less Plastic

      Last year, I took a business development course and the guru wanted us to find our customer's pain points.  I talked about our Maine Seaweed shampoo bars and how I believed they would appeal to anyone who loved the ocean and is concerned about the plague of plastic.  Our shampoo bars are a plastic free alternative to hair products packed in plastic bottles.  I got a gigantic "pshaw".  

      Shampoo bars for great hair with no plastic.

      About a week later I was in the grocery debating which peppers to buy.  I wasn't looking at the price as much as the packaging.  I bought my usual only to discover at home that an extra plastic nest had been added.  I thought to myself, "Won't buy these again" and made a purchasing decision based on plastic packaging".  And remember- this was a year ago, I've come a long way and now don't purchase produce wrapped in plastic.

      This quick vignette is to illustrate how your hard earned dollars can make a difference.  You can still eat great food, have lovely hair and enjoy an afternoon latte without creating a mountain of waste.  It does take a bit more organization and thought.  And be prepared to move two steps forward and one step back but stay on the plastic free  journey.  Choose an area to go plastic free every month or so.  Master one and pick a new goal.  Buy a few reusable grocery and produce totes. Try a shampoo bars.  Carry around a coffee cup for your afternoon fix.  Head outside to your favorite nature spot and pick up the trash.

      Think about packaging when making purchases.

      Even if you never become completely zero-waste you'll be amazed at how far you can go! 

       

       

      Plastic Free Journey- Doing Your Little Bit of Good

      Plastic Free Journey- Doing Your Little Bit of Good

      Do your little bit of good quote by Desmond Tutu

      At Dulse & Rugosa, our little bit of good is to switch our packaging to be as plastic free as possible.  Some of our products have always been there.  Our Maine Seaweed Shampoo bars are simply packaged in tissue paper that is made from recycled paper products.  The "plastic" bags we use for other products are actually biodegradable cellophane bags made from wood cellulose fibers sourced exclusively with sustainable forestry principles.  Our Shower Shots are packaged in these cool non-plastic bags.  They truly are a happy hour for your shower and the happy continues with compostable packaging.   

      Dulse & Rugosa is moving towards plastic free packaging.

      But the truth is a lot of our packaging has been cheap plastic jars.  There's a reason for this- cheap.  When you're a small business starting out your focus is on getting people to try your products.  There is a BIG difference between eco packaging and plastic in terms of price per container.  Plastic is so much cheaper- I know this because as a consumer I find myself standing in the grocery store comparing the price of items based on their packaging.   We've been going through the same process as a business.

      One of the biggest changes we've made is with our popular Island Face Scrub.  Our $5.00 trial packs were packaged in a plastic/foil pouch.  Now they are repackaged in a kraft/plastic pouch combo.
       There still is some plastic but it's a lot less.  The same is true for our larger size.  We've replace the plastic jar and lid with the kraft/plastic pouch.  It's much less packaging and that's good for the environment.

      We're using less plastic in our Island Face Scrub. That's our little bit of good.  What's your's?

      Plastic Free Friday- Inspiration Is Everywhere

      Plastic Free Friday- Inspiration Is Everywhere

      The 3'R have changed into the 5R's.  Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and raise awareness.  My occasional blogs are a small contribution to helping raise awareness about plastic consumption.  It's a journey down a long and twisty road, not a quick zip down a super highway.

      The internet is full of inspiring tips and people to help you reduce your plastic consumption.

      The cool thing is once you start to raise your awareness- you find yourself making small but significant steps.  Each week I find myself making better choices and feeling proud of the progress I have made.

      Here are some great places to check out to raise your plastic awareness a bit higher.

      On Facebook- 

      Plastic Pollution Coalition - this is such a great site for info and tips, I love it!  And they have lots of great graphics to share.

      Snapshots of Simplicity- this is a reflective page with thoughtful posts including "What's in my Grocery Bag" and "Hanging Out With Seagulls".

      On Instagram-

      Anita Horan has a #plasticfreeproduce campaign going on right now because really there is no reason to buy bananas wrapped in plastic.  Just saying!

      Justgrabbits encourages folks to grab some trash, take a snap and post.  Here is your chance to find out about trash all over the globe.

      Plastic Free Mermaid-Kate Nelson is an Australian mermaid with lots of tips to switch out the plastic.

      And finally on Pinterest

      Monterey Bay Aquarium has an idea board for plastic free living.

      Hope you are inspired and find some good online support for reducing your plastic consumption. 

      Plastic Free Friday

      Plastic Free Friday

      World Ocean Day was June 8th and this year the theme was plastic.  “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planets” encourages individuals and organizations across the planet to take action for preventing plastic pollution in our ocean.


      In a nutshell, here is what's happening- we as humans are simply becoming far too dependent on plastic.  Plastic is everywhere.  And as our lives get busier and busier, convenience is what we want and plastic is often the solution.

      Single use plastic is plastic used only one time.


      The problem is plastic is a material that is made to be durable.  Yet so much of the plastic we use is single use- think water bottles, grocery bags, coffee cups, lids and straws.  Single use plastic is the term used to describe this type of plastic.  It’s often used only one time.  And let’s be honest- this type of plastic has the least chance of actually being recycled.  For example, after a great movie, it’s easy to toss your popcorn, soda cup and straw right into the trash.  The result, in America we use about 30 million tons of plastic per year and only 8% gets recycled.  The rest is incinerated or simply allowed to settle on the Ear

      Plastic is made from oil.  17 million barrels of oil are used to make water bottles that are used only once.  It’s not healthy to reuse many plastic containers because you have no idea what chemicals have been added.  Chemicals like BPA can seriously affect our bodies.


      When plastic settles into the Earth it simply keeps breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces.  These pieces end up in the water system and finally dumped into our oceans.


      The reason World Ocean Day focused on plastic this year is because our oceans make our Earth livable for all creatures big and small, land or water.  We need healthy oceans for a healthy Earth no matter where one chooses to live.   And sadly, much of our single use plastic ends up floating in our oceans.  Sea creatures mistake plastic for food and this leads to all sorts of serious issues.

      Plastic is a common sight on beaches.


      Dulse and Rugosa is an island based business.  We harvest seaweeds from our shores.  We want clean oceans now and for future generations.  And if that is a bit inconvenient- tough.   

      Here are some great resources-

      http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

      http://www.lonelywhale.org/