review of Green People toothpaste for children

There is a lot of concern about the unnecessary amount of fluoride in toothpaste and particularly in toothpaste for children who often swallow paste when cleaning their teeth. Some kids even like to suck it out the tube. Not a good idea when you consider that the manufacturers advise against swallowing it, using only a peas-sized amount and rinsing well after use.

As well as fluoride, regular brands of toothpaste also contain sodium laureth/lauryl sulphate (SLS) which is a harsh foaming agent that can cause irritation, ulcers and dryness in the mouth. As an alternative, Green People have formulated an organic, fluoride-free toothpaste with a mild taste and only a very mild foaming action. It's also made without preservatives. It really is 100% natural.

Green People toothpastes contain antiseptic, antibacterial essential oils and rather than rinsing the paste away at the end Green People say that by leaving a coating of paste in the mouth the essential oils will continue to protect the teeth and gums.

It's certainly quite a different experience brushing with this type of toothpaste compared with the zingy, blow the top of your head, fill your mouth with foam toothpastes that we used to use. It took a bit of getting used to however children's toothpastes are generally milder in flavour than adult ones so it was an easier transition for them to make.

I think this a great product. My children have been using Green People toothpaste for about five years and their teeth are filling free. I, who have a mouth full of fillings due to a high sugar, low dental care childhood, have also been using Green People toothpaste for the same length of time. Before I started using it I had a problem with bleeding gums but the aloe vera and myrrh (which is renowned for it's affect on the gums) have made a tremendous difference. My gums are now strong and healthy and I also think my teeth are whiter than they've ever been. So that's something to smile about!!

bags of change

A couple of years ago we started the Willow Trading "do you need a bag for that?" campaign. Actually "campaign" is really too strong a term for it. That implies some sort of organisation. It was really just a case of us deciding to ask every customer whether they needed a bag or not, rather than just giving one automatically.

I would say that since we started doing this the number of carrier bags we use (that's paper bags, we've never used plastic) has dropped by about 60%.

Most people when asked, will have a think and then realise that they can easily use their hand bag, ruck sac, bottom of a pram, another carrier bag or even their pocket.

Obviously it's easy in a shop like Willow Trading where the products are small and people aren't coming in to shop for their weekly groceries.

But we are seeing an increase in the number of people who come prepared with their own shopping bag and I have seen signs in both Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer to the same effect. Maybe it is a campaign after all!

Rather than taxing plastic carrier bags we should just encourage shop owners to stop handing out bags willy nilly. Which, of course, is only going to save them money.

I'm sure the practice of giving everyone a bag started as a form of customer service but I don't think any of our customers feel that we're being rude when we ask them if they need a bag. They are very welcome to one if they do. (We'll even gift wrap with a smile).

There are so many attractive shopping bags around now (and shopping trolleys for that matter, courtesy of Habitat and Ikea) that we don't need to look like our grannies going for the messages!

This is where Bags of Change come in. If you buy one of their rather funky hemp bags (just £14.85) you'll automatically get discounts when you use it to shop in any of the stores and restaurants that are participating in their scheme.

For example if you shop with a Bags of Change bag at Willow Trading you get 10% off any of our organic products that carry the Soil Association logo. Not bad eh? It's like getting a reward for having having a really cool bag!

You can buy the bags from the participating stores - such as ours - or directly from the Bags of Change web site. Once you've registered with them online they'll send you a regular newsletter so you'll always know where to get the best discounts on local, organic or fair trade products.

It's a brilliant yet simple idea and I think it's going to go from strength to strength.

Essential Care organic lip balm review

Lip Silk Essential Care lip balm is just the most amazing lip balm I've ever tried. It's soothing and healing, keeps your lips feeling supple, it lasts brilliantly and it tastes great. Lip Silk stays on well through eating and drinking and I think it's the best protection against those cold winter winds. It's also certified organic so there's no nasty chemicals to worry about.

I used Lip Silk for the first time a couple of weeks ago at the onset of a cold sore. My lips healed really quickly without the usual messy, weeping scab that usually accompanies the irritating tingle and general nerve pain. Any fellow cold sore sufferers will know what a joy they are.

One of the problems with cold sores is that as they heal the skin dries out. So when you smile your lip splits open and the whole healing process needs to begin again.

However, if you can keep the skin supple the cold sore will be able to heal and you can smile without falling apart. Which is always a bonus. Who wants to look grumpy and scabby!

I started using Essential Care lip balm at the first tingle and whenever I felt that my lips were getting a bit dry I would slap some more on. However it does last incredibly well so I wasn't applying it that often. I'd put some on last thing at night and my lips would still feel nourished and silky in the morning. Not stuck together so that they split as soon as you open your mouth! (a common cold sore phenomenon).

My cold sore didn't amount to much and healed completely within just 4 days. I think this was largely due to the nourishing and healing ingredients in the lip balm and the fact that my lips didn't split once.

Lip Silk has a rich base of shea butter and calendula and a slight taste of orange essential oil. It also contains rosemary essential oil which helps skin regenerate. At £4.50 it's not the cheapest lip balm on the market but it works so well that I think it's worth every penny.