HEALTH & FITNESS
ecology
A Green Market
Ecostore USA taps into environmentally friendly products.
Ruthan Brodsky
it. That is true for cleaning products
Special to the Jewish News
and especially for personal care prod-
H
ucts because anything you put on your
skin is absorbed by your body."
Downing found considerable suc-
er grandmother died of
breast cancer when Lyne
Downing was 19. Twelve
years later, her mother also
cess at marketing the products with
"mommy bloggers," women with
died of breast cancer. "Both of them
children who are very well connected
smoked," recalls Downing. "I was 31 at
the time and declared I'm not dying of
to each other and give muscle to all
the ways of making the world a better
breast cancer."
Downing was then a bartender in a
smoked-filled restaurant. She under-
place for their children.
Jessica Gottlieb in Los Angeles, for
example, tried and approved of the
cleaning products, but then criticized
stood the hazards of secondhand
Ecostore USA in her blog for ship-
ping the products in nonbiodegrad-
smoke and started exploring another
line of work. Inspired by her passion for
a healthy lifestyle, she became a per-
able packaging peanuts. Thousands
of mothers read her blog posts. When
Gottlieb found out that the packaging
sonal trainer, working two jobs until she
built a solid base of clients.
"I didn't fully realize the importance
materials, the peanuts that look like
of a healthy lifestyle until our daughter,
Kasey Madelyne Butler Downing, came
Styrofoam insulator, were made from
into our lives," says Downing.
"From then on, I made sure our fam-
ily was eating the right foods and I
A GREEN on page A34
Natural Products
eliminated toxic products around the
house. I read about global warming and
become a tree-hugging personal trainer
and certified yoga instructor."
Downing tells the story how she and
a friend had been searching for health-
related business opportunities for two
years. After seeing the Al Gore movie on
global warming and examining the mar-
keting trends, they focused their search
on environmentally friendly products.
"I located a business in New Zealand
where the owner and founder, Malcolm
Rands, had been manufacturing toxic-
free household cleaning, baby and
personal care products for the past 15
years," says Downing.
"I did the due diligence on the
company, checked out the products
and bought some to test. I was very
impressed about the quality of the prod-
ucts and the fact that it was already a
known brand name in New Zealand."
Downing sent an e-mail message to
Rands asking, "Are you interested in
U.S. distribution?"
The rest is history.
The next two years were spent
acquiring the North American licensing
agreement for Ecostore USA and work-
ing out the myriad legal, manufacturing,
importing and distribution details.
In the meantime, Downing surged
ahead with campaigns directed at tar-
Lyne Downing: "I didn't fully realize the importance of a healthy lifestyle until our
daughter came into our lives."
get markets. The major one involved
ment committee at Temple Israel in
mothers with school-age children.
West Bloomfield.
"Children may suffer more negative
Downing spread the news about
Ecostore USA products by asking
mothers, online and offline, if they were
effects because they weigh less and
their immune and detoxification sys-
interested in reviewing them. Mothers
who agreed were given free samples
tems are less developed. Children may
be exposed to pesticides, for example,
of the household cleaning products.
Reviews were collected and testimoni-
from residues in food, in their homes
als given.
Downing shared her story this week
in honor of Earth Day, which this year
fell on April 22.
or yards, or in schools, parks and play-
grounds.
"My philosophy has always been: if
you can't eat it, then don't use
Naturapathic Pesting
Dr. Jen Green, ND, a West
Bloomfield-based naturopathic doc-
tor, tested the cleaning products at
her home.
"Pesticides can have a variety of
side effects on a person's endocrine,
nervous and immune systems," says
Green, who also chairs the environ-
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Fortunately, natural cleaning prod-
ucts are increasingly available.
They are generally made with nat-
ural fruit and vegetable enzymes
and extracts, vinegar and essential
oils, organic salts and other safe
compounds that are as effective as
the chemical alternatives.
Here are a few Ecostore USA
cleaning products and a list of
their ingredients:
• Auto Dish Power is a blend
of plant cellulose, simple mineral
salts, citrus and coconut oils.
• Lemon Spray Cleaner is citrus
based, and contains ethanol, palm
and coconut oils and filtered wa-
ter; works well on all surfaces.
• Cream Cleanser uses only
plant-based ingredients, including
lemon verbena oil, glycerine and
Xanthum gum.
• Dish Liquid cuts grease with
no synthetic chemicals. Contains
light amount of palm and co-
conut oils, mineral hydroxide
and natural citrus oil.
• Laundry Powder
consists of simple mineral
salts and plant-based in-
gredients, sodium percar-
bonate for whitening and
natural lemon verbena oil.
April 23 • 2009
A33