Read: Body Care Gets Personal

Adria Vasil
Ecoholic Body
2012
$29.95 (CAN)

Is it just me, or is body care a hot topic right now? I know I may be tuned in a little more than the average consumer to what's on the green scene, but the fact that ENGOs from the David Suzuki Foundation to Environmental Defence are campaigning about the toxins in our personal care products is no coincidence.

Great timing for a new book all about products we're putting on our bodies then, no? Released this past April, Adria Vasil's book Ecoholic Body is an ultimate resource for learning all about the items we're slathering on our skin, wearing on our backs, and putting in our bodies.

While I happily read this book from front to back, I imagine some people might balk at the more than 450 pages of carefully researched details on sunscreen and supplements. Adria even confessed during one of her book launch parties that this one was actually much longer before being edited down. I would recommend (as she has) that this ambitious read be treated more like a resource to pick up when you want to dig deeper into personal care topics like body care for kids and babies or hair dye.

Best bits: what I like most about this latest edition in the Ecoholic book series are the product suggestions and rankings provided. It's hard to know which brands are really the greenest and also perform the way you want them to, so having Adria package all this up for us is awesome. The range of products covered is also impressive so you'll most likely find answers to your body care questions. I also appreciate the great breakdowns at the front end of each section in every chapter of the specific health issues associated with the product in question.

I'm also a sucker for lists, and Adria has created a memorable name for top chemicals to avoid: the Mean 15 (adding to Environmental Defence's Toxic Ten and David Suzuki Foundation-backed Dirty Dozen... see these lists are kinda catchy!!). Mean 15 ingredients to avoid can also be downloaded off Adria's Ecoholic website and folded to fit in your wallet.

I've bought sunscreen, chosen a hair salon and am eyeing a pair of jeans thanks to this book, so it definitely has my thumbs up. You'll definitely see me referencing this bad boy in upcoming personal care posts, so get ready!!

About the author: A Toronto gal, Adria Vasil has become an acclaimed and bestselling author for her past two Ecoholic books. She's also demoed her expertise weekly in her NOW magazine Ecoholic column since 2004. You may have even seen her on TV or heard her on the radio giving the skinny (no holds barred) on the latest greenwashers.

Related posts:

• Read the review on Adria Vasil's Ecoholic Home.
• Personal Care Product Guide from Environmental Defence.

UPDATE

Thanks to my sister and her good suggestions, here are some online shops where you can find healthier/greener personal care products (I can't guarantee all products on these sites get the thumbs up, so make sure to either cross-reference with Ecoholic Body or look the product up):

• grassrootsstore.com 
• notjustpretty.ca
• babyonthehip.ca

There are plenty more where this came from, so watch my blog for more on where you can find the best personal care for you and your family.

Healthier Homes... yes please!

Adria Vasil's
Ecoholic Home
2009
$24.95 (CAN)

They say home is where the heart is. It's also where we spend the majority of our time, outside of the office, that is. Makes sense then, that we want to pay more attention to what we're stuffing our "houses" full of, breathing in, slathering all over ourselves, laying all over ... you get the idea.

Ecoholic Home is a book for all homeowners, condo and apartment dwellers and, heck, even cottagers who are open to making their indoor space healthier and greener. Similar to its predecessor, Ecoholic, you'll get all kinds of background information and issues to be aware of on items like cookware and appliances. In this book, you'll also find renovation advice and tips on what types of energy is available for individuals. True to author Adria Vasil's style, she also goes further to give you her picks from endless research she and her team has conducted, which in my opinion, scores some major points.

Tasty tidbits: Don't want to waste your money on "green" cleaners that don't work? You don't have to - Vasil's done the work for you! She and others took on the task of dirtying up their abodes to share with us the best grime fighters on the Canadian market. Her "green thumb" index tells you which dish washing liquid won the sludge war and which "greener" laundry detergents perhaps aren't worth it. The eco-labels section and plastics guide are also great resources added to the back of the book, making this read one to reference for all things "green" and home related.

About this author: Adria Vasil is a well-known environmental journalist in Toronto, writing the "Ecoholic" column for NOW Magazine for more than five years. She is also the author of bestselling book Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada. She has a degree in political science and cultural anthropology from the University of Toronto and a degree in magazine journalism from Ryerson and has made it her mission to help green this planet.

Help bring "green" solutions to your block and check this book out!