Environmental Concerns for the Eco-Conscious Mer

[Miyu]

Here is a thread to voice all your concerns about being an eco-friendly mer! It can be hard and frustrating to be as "green" as you can be, but it can also be very satisfying, especially as a mer.
Let us know your thoughts and findings about any topics regarding being eco-friendly with your mer things, such as:



Shells that shouldn't be used (endangered species, animal welfare, etc)
Materials used for tails/accessories (which ones do you use, and which ones could be hazardous)
Tips and guides for interacting with wildlife
Research and findings
Carbon footprints, and what we can do about them


This thread is so that if you don't want/need to start a whole thread just to share a tidbit of wisdom, you can share it here!

This thread is also a place to feel free to vent a little - gentle rants are okay, we all need to relieve ourselves of the frustration of being very eco-minded sometimes, it can get pretty stressful, especially if few people around us understand our concerns!

Resources:

Plastics info:

Handy Guide to Plastic (http://io9.com/how-to-recognize-the-plastics-that-are-hazardous-to-you-461587850)
Research article about "BPA/phthalate-free" plastics and estrogenic chemical leaching (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/)

Makeup/Hair Info:

A lot of info about henna (http://hennaforhair.com/)
PPD in hair dye and "black henna", and the consequences of use and sensitization (http://www.hennaforhair.com/ppd/index.html)
Indigo as hair dye (black hair) (http://www.hennaforhair.com/indigo/index.html)
Indigo and woad as hair dye (two pages of an old discussion on the Long Hair Community forums) (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=56155)

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Makeup/Hair Shopping:

http://www.100percentpure.com/ (http://www.100percentpure.com/) - makeup pigmented with fruit, skin care/hair care; cruelty-free, synthetic-free (recommended by Mermaid Galene)
http://www.natureprovidesbeauty.com/ - makeup, face paint, deodorant; all-natural, no blue dyes, palm-oil-free, custom colours
http://www.naturtintusa.com/ - nature-based hair colour; ammonia-free, hypoallergenic (recommended by SurlySeaNymph)
http://www.hennasooq.com/ - natural henna supply (recommended by Mermaid Galene)

DIY Natural Makeup/Skincare/Hair Products:

Madame Isis' Toilette - historical makeup and beauty blog with recipies from antiquity (http://madameisistoilette.blogspot.dk/)
The Gibson Girl's Guide To Glamour: Natural Beauty, Victorian Beauty, and Edwardian fashion (http://gibsonglamor.blogspot.com/)
Historic Beauty - Natural and Historical Solutions for Health and Beauty (one of Miyu's blogs, in need of an update) (http://historicbeauty.wordpress.com/)

[Echidna]

That's a good thread, because it's really difficult sometimes.

There is no eco-friendly bathingsuit fabric, for example.
There are 2 or 3 labels which made a bikini from recycled bottles, or woven from bamboo fibers, but those are merely a novelty.
I haven't been able to find a way to buy one of these, much less access to a fabric I could work with myself.

I have experimented with other fibers (undyed, etc) for making tails and tops, but none of them is really satisfactory as swimming gear.
I use next to no paint on my stuff, because it's invariably toxic to wildlife.
No glitter, glue, and so on.
I wouldn't use real animals, shells, etc, although in the long run, using shells (if you find them yourself and don't support live gatherers) is probably a lot less detrimental than using a fake product which is made from oil :p

So far, the only eco-friendly fin out there is the Oceanika?
Rubber gives great propulsion too, so no reason not to invest in a M.Merfin rather than some uberexpensive high-tech fin (which might not be better in the long run).

I recommend making accessories on your own from green materials and not buying everything, unless you're sure the materials have not been "harvested".
Be considerate with stuff that worsens the water quality (make-up, sunscreen, deodorants/perfumes, hair conditioning/dye should all be a no-no when swimming near wildlife).

Let the wildlife come to you and don't chase after it for "that photo-shoot".
I really wish I could sue all the diver dudes who in their videos proudly harass and chase fishes to their heart's content, or worse, touch and handle them.
(This includes scientists. Idiocy knows no bounds.)

Touching a fish alone can damage it, because the outer slimy coat is part of their skin.
If you touch that, you damage it, and bacteria and other nasties can intrude, ultimately killing the fish!

The guy that sat on a whale-shark and rode it while clawing into its dorsal should be in jail, because he probably injured/killed it just to have a "cool" video to show.

[Miyu]

Yay, I'm glad someone else can see why I started this thread!

You make some very good points, ones I try to stick to as well - especially the NO TOUCHING WILDLIFE part... I get as close as I can with my camera and that's it!!!

Since mermaiding requires a lot of synthetic materials, I try to get mine either secondhand (usually fabric scraps or parts of old clothing), or at least get it when it's on clearance (when it's getting ready to head towards a warehouse and eventually a landfill). Most of my bra bases are secondhand (a good portion of my business/crafting deals with upcycling/recycling/repurposing). I do try to sew everything down rather than glue it - glue tends to fail on me, plus my chemical sensitivities mean that I really suck at glueing things before I run from the room crying :cry:I like mechanically bonding things, LOL

As much as I love paint, I do have problems with the fact that it flakes off and is "potentially" toxic - they test these things for humans, but not for animals/fish, and even though they say they're non-toxic, many companies still don't give half a hoot about the long-term accumulative effects of the chemicals in said paints.

I also have issues with using vinyl for fins/fringe/flukes, because of a) the fact that it needs yet more oil to make; b)the massive amount of toxic by-products it creates and pumps into the atmosphere/oceans/land, all in the creation process; and c) the fact that toxic chemicals continue to leach out of them over time (this is the same material most toys are made of). I'm pretty upset about the fact that most pools are lined with the stuff, but I still won't use it on my tails in case I get a chance to use the tail in nature. BPAs (among other chemicals) continue to be a huge problem so I am choosy about my plastics when I use them. I try to pick less-reactive plastics that are more thermally stable and don't leach (as many) chemicals. (actually, I am now fairly certain that the little "scale" dots on my tail could be vinyl, as they're clear and flexible. This upsets me.)

I do dream of having an Oceanika monofin someday! It hadn't crossed my mind when I bought my Hydra - I had tried Morticia's Hydra and liked it, so I got one too before I really realized I could get an Oceanika in my size!

I've worked with various bamboo yarns before... though most of them are a "synthetic-type" fiber "extracted" from the plant by means of various chemical solvents, at least it's a renewable resource. You gotta read those labels closely though, they'll try to get you with a bamboo/synthetic blend quite often, because the sheen is so similar! I'd like to see how mermaid-proof some bamboo swim clothing could be... I'd definitely be down for investing in some of the fabric if it held up well.

There's also a company making clothing out of thread made from a core of recycled ocean plastic...I've emailed them and they've let me know that they've been getting enough inquiries that they're looking into offering the fabric/thread for sale! However, again, if not properly sealed, the plastic has the potential to leach chemicals, especially in water.

As for shells... Well, the kind I like best are the kind I eat my dinner out of! :lol: The shells on my first bra are from a dinner at Joe's Crab Shack! But I do also like to go looking for shells at my beaches, and I get a lot of secondhand shells as well.

[Mermaid Galene]

I echo all your thoughts and concerns! I've been making music with goldfish and seahorses for 7 years. That experience has taught me so much about the intelligence, creativity, and emotional capacity of aquatic creatures. And my relationship with these aquatic individuals deepens my concern for ocean habitats and the animals that inhabit them. For me, mermaiding is mostly about raising public awareness about animal welfare and ocean conservation. Through our mermaid/pirate performances and our fish + humans band, we try to teach through entertainment. When people are prompted to feel something, to see an animal or a habitat in a personal light as part of shared experience, they are more likely to care enough to take action. This puts us in the mermaid community in a unique position to do some good with our particular form of theatre. It can sometimes be daunting trying to figure out the right group to support or the eco-friendly product to use. But the important thing is that try, and that we stay aware of how we impact nature in everything we do.

[Echidna]

Wonderfully said! :clap:

I've always felt a very deep connection to aquatic beings.

With mermaiding, I hope to educate people who think it's perfectly ok (and sadly, it's still often legal) to torture, maim, and kill fish, because "Fish cannot feel pain", "fish are too primitive a lifeform to truly understand what's happening to them", "fish aren't cute/don't have a face" and whatever sort of bullcarp is brought up when you question someone torturing a fish.

By giving the mute aquatic creature a human face, more and more people should understand that even if it doesn't "speak" (which is also bullcarp, as most fishes, as well as clams etc, do make noises), it has feelings and should be respected as a living being.

There will probably always be friction with people who just love their meat so well they are ok a living being is killed for their meal, but hopefully at least the killing for sport and out of boredom will be outlawed soon.

As to the impact on environment, it's going to take a lot to make that better, considering that anything that makes someone money, no matter how detrimental to public health, is practiced openly and brazenly right in front of our noses, and somehow nothing is done about it.

[Mermaid Galene]

Yes, and I hope that some day, with a better awareness that fish really do think and feel both pain and emotion, more humane methods of harvesting will be developed.

[Genevieve]

With mermaiding, I hope to educate people who think it's perfectly ok (and sadly, it's still often legal) to torture, maim, and kill fish, because "Fish cannot feel pain", "fish are too primitive a lifeform to truly understand what's happening to them", "fish aren't cute/don't have a face" and whatever sort of bullcarp is brought up when you question someone torturing a fish.

I'm concerned about people who would have it in them to intentionally abuse or kill something living "for fun". Fish fleeing from someone is a good indicator that they feel fear.


Touching a fish alone can damage it, because the outer slimy coat is part of their skin.
If you touch that, you damage it, and bacteria and other nasties can intrude, ultimately killing the fish!

It is possible that some of the perpetrators just don't know how fish and other sea creatures work. I can thank many happy hours playing "Undersea Adventure" and "Odell Down Under" on my old IBM in the '90s for common sense under the sea. But even to people who should know better (looking at you, scientific community) it is probably easy to think, "Oooh, pretty. Photo op!" and go chasing and touching, because the fish won't show distress the way humans or mammals do.

But it's still a bit like a schoolyard bully going, "We were just having some fuuun."

[deepblue]

I intended to join this thread yesterday when Miyu created it, but my daughter very suddenly took ill, so I went offline most of the day.

If you're interested in an eco-friendly alternative to neoprene, I started a thread on a product in the tailmaking section. I've been thinking about the possibility of getting neoprene scraps from the wetsuit repair places around here... sewn together right they might make a pretty cool looking tail, but it would take a long, long time to do. It's a thought, anyway.

One thing I want to bring up is nautlius shells. They've become very popular as parts of headdresses. The import of nautilus shells isn't sustainable and will likely result in the animals becoming extinct, at the rate it's going.

24482

One article which covers this is Should We Stop Selling Nautilus Shells? (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2014/06/12/stop-selling-nautilus-shells/) They're not yet on an endangered species list (http://www.fws.gov/international/animals/nautilus.html), but if we could make sure that doesn't happen, it'd be nice.

[SeaGlass Siren]

yay!!

[Miyu]

Everything you all have said :clap: so much yes.

I haven't gotten to swim with fish yet, but I still try to keep a respectful distance from starfish and... sea urchins I think? whatever it is I find around here when the tide's low, haha... I know it's gotta be freaky to have a giant human come at you with a weird camera! @.@


Galene, your fishies are so awesome! I didn't know goldfish could do such awesome things! I'm checking out your youtube now, and watching this is very calming, almost like having a little musical fish tank on my desk haha!

I am grateful for the fact that, above all, we have the opportunity to put a human face to marine life and to give them a voice. That's ultimately why I chose to become a "real mermaid" (I think I've always been a mermaid inside). I believe that as long as we try our very best and are very conscious of our impact on nature, then it is good. All we can do is try to respect nature as much as possible.

Another thought: If I ever do get to travel, especially by plane, I want to "buy negative carbon credits" to try and help make up for the impact on the Earth. I'd even like to buy more than my own footprint's worth, since I know the vast majority of the public doesn't do things like that :( But that's pretty much why I want lots of money coming in - so I can invest it in eco-friendly projects (yep, that's my dream, is helping fund/bring attention to environmental causes)

[Miyu]

SurlySeaNymph: Oh no! I wondered what happened! I hope she's alright :(

Awesome, thanks for the info on Nautilus shells! I may start a list at the top of the thread for shells that it would be nicer not to use :3

[deepblue]

She seemed to have the flu bug that's going around San Diego, and in her usual fashion, went to sleep for a couple hours and woke fine. She never *really* gets sick, she always recovers uberfast like that. It's very nice and I attribute it to how well I feed her in spite of being poor as a church mouse. :p

I'm so glad to see this thread garnering interest. There is so much more to cover.

[Miyu]

I really like the idea of tails made from scraps (neoprene or otherwise) - at some point I should be getting a tail from Morticia made out of her tailmaking scraps :3 But your thought of getting the scraps from dive repair shops/old wetsuits is great! Sometimes I even find wetsuits at thrift stores out here!

I already like to feature "upcycled/repurposed" materials in my work, if I ever get confident enough to make fabric/neoprene tails for others, perhaps I'll try to do it with the same ecological leanings, and make tails out of "scraps"... This would be geared mostly towards the eco-minded mers, since fabric colour choice is not going to be very extensive (at least at first), as it'll be entirely reliant on what I can find.

I'm also glad to see so much interest! There's so much to talk about that seems to fall through the cracks of our community, and I don't want to bring it up on other peoples' threads all the time and sound like the more-eco-than-thou type all the time :sweat drop: I know some people are in it more for fun than for being an ambassador, and that's ok too, because all mermaids are awesome.

[deepblue]

I agree- I think it's great that this thread can be here as a reference, but not to make anyone feel they're being judged if they do anything differently. We all make our decisions for ourselves based on our personal criteria.

[Miyu]

updated first post with a reference guide to plastics :3

[Genevieve]

Could neoprene scraps be turned into big scales and sewn together? I know next to nothing about putting fabric together, but it would make for an interesting tail.

[Miyu]

I've been considering exactly that! I like the idea of soft scales that won't fall off like sequins :3 Yes, it would be an insane amount of work, but it could be possible. I've never sewn neoprene before, but I do have a tiny bit of scraps that Morticia gave me to play around with... not really enough to do anything more than a small test, but it would let me get a feel for sewing the material, at least! I'll have to poke around and see how to sew neoprene. Then we could cut up old wetsuits and have coloured scales!

[Genevieve]

That would be awesome! Let me know how test scraps work out. I know I'm super far away, but if there's anything I can do to help, get at me. :D

[deepblue]

It's exactly what I'm talking about, making scales from scraps. The potential for more tears is there, but it could work out well. I'm moving from this beach village to a bigger beach town soon, I'm hoping to find more wetsuit repair places to ask.

One could also make the flukes using larger scraps, shaped into the pieces of each lobe, and using the seams as the place you'd normally see spines/bones.

[Echidna]

Incidentally, this is what I'm doing right at the time (making a tail from neoprene scraps).

I make the fluke from bathing suit scraps, mostly because I don't have enough neoprene, but I like that the fluke will in comparison seem floppier and slightly diaphanous ;)

I once tried sewing on cut out scales.
It didn't look bad, but it was such a carptastic heap of work I finally gace up and painted scales instead lol.
Also, it makes the tail less flexible wih all that thread on it.
I'm not sure how elastic it would turn out covered fully in the end, but probably not much different from a tail with sewed sequins?

Anyway, I save any scrap of fabric or thread and mostly use them all up some day.
Some of my flukes have been sewn together out of 15 scraps or more.
It might not make for the prettiest result possible, but I know nothing went to waste, and that alone is worth it for me.

(Besides, when you're underwater, very little detail from a tail is visible unless you make a high-res, digitally enhanced underwater photo.)

[Miyu]

Ooh, that sounds wonderful, Echidna! I really love tails with different/thinner fabrics for the fluke :3 I can't wait to see that! The difference in thickness between the two fabrics is going to look really awesome! I love that you use all your scraps like that, I hoard my scraps too (especially when it's nice fabric, but any scrap can be used as stuffing for projects!) The velvet tail I'm working on now will also have a different fluke fabric, all of it made from scraps :P

I totally agree, the underwater view is very kind to not-perfect tails... even the most falling-apart, chipped-paint, missing-fin tails look beautiful once underwater! Even just a plain fabric sheath becomes a beautiful mermaid tail :3



So about another eco-friendly find - earlier this year I found a supplier for all-natural, eco-friendly facepaints. They're so "green", they don't even carry the colour blue, because there's no natural source of it that is either safe or doesn't need preservatives. I have ordered samples, but this is more for dry events because it washes right off in water... Plus, I have issues with the short shelf life - it needs to be used within one month of opening! So now I have to paint my face like crazy for a month after I open it, because these babies are gorgeous and I'm not wasting them, nosirree.

I've been talking to her about coming up with a more waterproof formula, and one with longer shelf life. This weekend, she made and tested a sample of plain white face paint... and it's waterproof! Well, it does smudge if you rub it really well, but all makeup is going to do that unless you're using some serious chemicals on your face (I really shouldn't). But she sent me a photo, the water was beading right off of it! She wore it in the shower and it stayed fairly well through more gentle rubbing (scrubbing helps remove it). It's more like a traditional greasepaint, which I actually love because I adore greasepaints, and have been trying to come up with a natural greasepaint for over a year! The lady I talk to has a beautiful shop (she's an etsy seller), stocked with all the materials and equipment she needs, so I take my ideas to her.

I know there are other "natural" makeup sellers out there, some with quite good reputations, but the thing they all have in common is that they carry blue - which is one of the more controversial synthetic colorants. Plus, blue colour really shouldn't be going on your lips - out of all the pure pigment powders I have (from the same company), the ones that say to keep away from the lips are the blue ones. Also, a good amount of "natural" makeup producers use synthetic preservatives, or really harsh natural preservatives, or ineffective natural preservatives. People don't often check that part of the ingredients list too well and that's where a lot of allergens/irritants are, because the preservatives are "trade secret" formulas you can never tell what's in them.

Anyways, I'm going to be trying to raise a bit of money to get some tester batch samples of this custom-request paint... Hopefully I can get some new pieces of jewelry up in my shop this week. If anyone wants any custom pieces, I'll cut you a mernetwork deal :P Examples of my work are all over the forums/my deviantart if'n you're interested.

[deepblue]

Can anyone here refer me to a source of information about the toxicity of platinum cure silicone? I'm not finding anything specific, but I am finding some silicone that says it's nontoxic, foodsafe, etc. So I'd like to know more. I'd love to play around with creating things from silicone if it isn't toxic.

I emailed one, EasyMold, to ask if they're skinsafe. Because their product looks like it would work fine and it is nontoxic, food safe, FDA compliant. (see http://eti-usa.com/easymold-silicone-rubber/) I also did a search here- a few searches- and can't find any threads mentioning EasyMold.

EDIT- The company got back to me:
Hello ,
EasyMold Silicone Putty was designed as a molding product; it was not designed for skin applications. However, with that said, there is nothing in the product to cause skin irritations.

One problem- I did NOT ask about the putty. I asked about a different product. But, this tells me a lot, so I wouldn't take the chance. DragonSkin and others are at least made for more purposes and intended to be on skin if necessary.

And on another subject....

Hair dye. For natural colors, if anyone is looking for an eco-friendly alternative to regular dye that works, Naturtint (http://www.naturtintusa.com/) is it. I've tried henna, but it's as if I've done nothing, and it rinses right off. My hair is incredibly resistant to dyes. But Naturtint works on my hair very well, and that impresses me. My skin is extremely sensitive, and Naturtint doesn't burn. The smell of hairdye when I was pregnant made me sick, but Naturtint did not bother me at all. They don't make colors of the rainbow, but for those looking for shades of natural colors, Naturtint is ammonia-free, cruelty-free, plant-based. It is vegan-friendly, and does not contain parabens, silicones, paraffin, mineral oils, heavy metals, artificial fragrances, SLS, or formaldehyde derivatives.parabens, silicones, paraffin, mineral oils, heavy metals, artificial fragrances, SLS, or formaldehyde derivatives.

[Mermaid Galene]

Both Manic Panic and Special Effect hair dyes are also vegan and free of the toxic chemicals contained in most hair dyes. It's too bad henna didn't work for you. I use henna, and it's given me fabulous results; it's an amazing conditioner as well as a permanent dye. A lot of things can affect results with henna. The powder needs to be fresh and uncut with additives. It has to be left on for 4 hours and covered in plastic wrap during that time. I get mine from hennasooq.com, and they are the best, IMO.

I've done a fair amount of research on plastics and silicone in aquatic environments, since I keep so many valuable fish. Silicone labeled food safe or aquarium safe is about as inert as any human-produced material can be. That grade of silicones is generally not harmful to aquatic life; both research I've read and my experience with silicone decor in my seahorse tanks supports that.

One thing to keep in mind about plastics, OTOH, is that even those labeled "BPA and phthalate free" are really not. A recent study showed that all plastics leach estrogenic chemicals, and those labeled "safe" often leached the most:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/

Based on this research, Stu and I went on a campaign to eliminate plastics from our food and water supply. We switched from plastic food containers to glass, from plastic zip bags to parchment bags, and we got a stainless steel filtration system to filter the bottled water that we drink. After doing so, I went from getting 3-5 migraines a week down to once a month on average. It was a truly dramatic effect!

[Mermaid Galene]

Regarding makeup and other skin hair products: I adore 100percentpure.com . Their makeups are colored with fruit and vegetable pigments. For each product, they list every ingredient on their site, and most are organic. I've had great results with their products.

[SeaGlass Siren]

atm Im using vegan certified makeup from arbonne (anyone heard of them?) They don't use parabens, animal products/by products/mineral oils, and they're pH correct.

There's only one make up pallet that uses blue but all the rest of the make up pallets are more natural colours. Love them. If you request info on certain products and what they contain they give you a full ingredients list of what they use and why they use it.

[Miyu]

Thanks for all the recommendations, lovely mers! I've updated the first post with the info you've provided (and credited recommendations).

While I do adore Manic Panic/SFX/Splat! hair dyes, sadly, they're not exactly the most natural and friendly of dyes :( (here's a blog article about it) (http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2009/09/hair-dye-continued-the-truth-about-manic-panic/) However, Manic Panic is PPD-free, and that's always a good thing! Plus, the cruelty-free aspect, and the awesome colours... I'd like to try and dye my hair blue or pink with indigo or woad, but if that's not possible I may have to stick with the Manic Panic! I'm not a huge fan of my natural colour, haha...

[deepblue]

Unfortunately for me, the only way to use all the unnatural colors I've been using for 30 years is to bleach the hell out of the hair first- there is not an eco-friendly bleach, obviously, so I stopped doing that last year. I still have bleached out portions that haven't grown out yet and I use various blues on them until they eventually grow out. But I don't cut my hair but for a trim every few years, so it'll be around for a while.

[Miyu]

I've also switched from plastic to glass wherever I can! I even have two glass straws, I love them so much (seriously, I can't go somewhere without one, my teeth were in terrible shape before I got mine). I buy foods specifically for the glass jars (as long as it's a wholesome food I would already get)... So I have this enormous stash of glass jars, but now I'm starting to use them on homemade lotions/scrubs and such, and I may end up giving some away as gifts (I'd like to figure out how to sell them properly). I've also got some neat glass jars I plan on using for my yerba mate (as soon as I get around to crocheting sleeves for them to avoid burning my hands!).

Hmm, Arbonne needs to work on its transparency issues. I like to know exactly what the ingredients in my makeup/skincare/supplements are, LOL! When you're allergic to random things in makeup, you have to be diligent. http://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/arbonne-pure-safe-cosmetics/ Their makeup looks lovely, but they do seem to use a lot of "healthwashing"... And I really don't buy anything that doesn't list the ingredients.


SurlySeaNymph, on the topic of silicone... From what I've read, as long as it says "food-safe", then it's going to be pretty much completely inert when cured. You should always be doing the curing in a well-ventilated area, I know that the "caulking" type is acetic-cure and puts off some fumes, but even that is 100% safe to be using for tails (as long as it says food-grade). Platinum-cure should be the same. As Mermaid Galene says, food-grade/hospital-grade/aquarium-grade silicones are pretty much the safest, most inert synthetic material we make as humans. I'm interested to know more about the manufacturing process behind the raw materials, though!

Also, try visiting my blog http://historicbeauty.wordpress.com/ to see how you can use honey to lighten your hair... I'm growing out my natural colour now to test how it bleaches my virgin brown hair!

[deepblue]

I'm interested to know more about the manufacturing process behind the raw materials, though!

Me, too. Been looking at pages about that, as well. I've only just started though. It will take a lot more time, esp considering my schedule lately. bah.

[deepblue]

You know how everything we do as human beings in modern human society brings a degree of damage? And how no matter what we do, it feels like such a Band-Aid effect? And sometimes, I just think... gah I give up. I want to give up. But I don't. I'll still do better where I can, and not beat myself up over smaller things that I did not go 100% all out on. Bah.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I've also switched from plastic to glass wherever I can! I even have two glass straws, I love them so much (seriously, I can't go somewhere without one, my teeth were in terrible shape before I got mine). I buy foods specifically for the glass jars (as long as it's a wholesome food I would already get)... So I have this enormous stash of glass jars, but now I'm starting to use them on homemade lotions/scrubs and such, and I may end up giving some away as gifts (I'd like to figure out how to sell them properly). I've also got some neat glass jars I plan on using for my yerba mate (as soon as I get around to crocheting sleeves for them to avoid burning my hands!).

Hmm, Arbonne needs to work on its transparency issues. I like to know exactly what the ingredients in my makeup/skincare/supplements are, LOL! When you're allergic to random things in makeup, you have to be diligent. http://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/arbonne-pure-safe-cosmetics/ Their makeup looks lovely, but they do seem to use a lot of "healthwashing"... And I really don't buy anything that doesn't list the ingredients.


SurlySeaNymph, on the topic of silicone... From what I've read, as long as it says "food-safe", then it's going to be pretty much completely inert when cured. You should always be doing the curing in a well-ventilated area, I know that the "caulking" type is acetic-cure and puts off some fumes, but even that is 100% safe to be using for tails (as long as it says food-grade). Platinum-cure should be the same. As Mermaid Galene says, food-grade/hospital-grade/aquarium-grade silicones are pretty much the safest, most inert synthetic material we make as humans. I'm interested to know more about the manufacturing process behind the raw materials, though!

Also, try visiting my blog http://historicbeauty.wordpress.com/ to see how you can use honey to lighten your hair... I'm growing out my natural colour now to test how it bleaches my virgin brown hair!
i have their products lol they list the ingredients on the packaging and if you want to see what they use you can ask the people who work there for a full comprehensive list. i think only the consultants have access to that info. i think i have one from a year back when i first tried out the products let me pull it up

[SeaGlass Siren]

24581 i lie, a list from a few months back. Miyu i was gonna send you PM for the image cuz i dont want to derail thread but the messaging wouldn't allow uploaded pictures from the computers - only urls :S

edit: anyway i'm not complaining. it works super for me but might not work for others. :P

[deepblue]

After reading a lot of information on silicone, it so far looks a lot more green than neoprene. If anyone has any links to sources specifically saying what is not eco-friendly with silicone production, please share.

Here's what I've found so far- not a lot says anything about problems with silicone. It's hard to find, possibly because it's just not that bad? Everything points to it being non-toxic, eco-friendly. The waste produced in manufacturing isn't really allowed to go to waste, because there is money in selling it for other uses.

http://www.silicone.jp/e/info/begin1.shtml
http://www.simcoa.com.au/environment-2.html
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Silicon.html
http://lifeyourway.net/is-silicone-bakeware-really-safe/

[Echidna]

sounds amazing!

I'm already set on buying a silicone tail next, because I'm dissatisfied with other materials
(fabric=drag, neoprene=floating device AND drag).

[Miyu]

Thanks for those links, SurlySeaNymph! I didn't realize that even the silicone waste gets used! Just one more point for silicone!

I can personally vouch for safeness of silicone - it's pretty much the most inert material I've ever found. I have a DivaCup made of it, and I've used it for over 6 years now, with no adverse effects at all! And that thing goes in absolutely the most sensitive part of my body, LOL, so I'd be able to tell if it was effecting me negatively. It's so inert that I no longer have the "normal" complaints that generally go along with "shark week", haha!


So it looks like silicone is pretty much the way to go in terms of eco-friendiness AND performance! Don't get me wrong, I do love me some fabric tails, but silicone has so many advantages once you know you can swim in a tail! :P

[SeaGlass Siren]

How's the diva cup btw? I'm looking into it but I dunno if it's right for me

[Miyu]

hooboy someone asked me about the cup, here I'll try to make my shpiel short this time:

**********************************WARNING WARNING TMI ALERT **********LADY PARTS TALK HERE *************************************************

SLIGHTLY NSFW MAYBE

I freaking love it and couldn't recommend it more! It's made my cramps/flow way more tolerable, thus my mood is better - my housemates and even my mertender don't know I'm on Shark Week unless I say something! It's pretty much done away with my chronic infections, too... I used to get at least one UTI a month, usually more, just because I'm more prone to them. I'm also ah... much nicer smelling in the downstairs region, something my mertender can't stop raving about to other people, LOL! Yes, that's right, my mertender is now a menstrual cup advocate! We actually got one of our best friends a cup for Christmas one year (yep, we give weird gifts), and it did away with her debilitating cramps within two months.

It does take a little getting used to, it's a little odd for the first couple of months, but then you get used to it and your body gets used to it and you wonder why you ever used anything else... I get a little spotting when it's not inserted properly, but nothing I personally worry about (don't we all keep our special panties for that time of month?).

As for how it holds up to activity: the friend we gave it to is... ahem... an "exotic dancer". Her cramps would keep her from work for a week. Now that she's using the cup, she goes to work just fine all through her Shark Week, and no-one's the wiser! I think it really helped her gain a lot of confidence in herself, because she's such a strong person that being knocked out by her own body every month was getting to her. I'm pretty sure I've worn it swimming at some point too, with no problems.

There are different sizes: DivaCup makes two sizes, and there are a few other brands that use silicone instead of latex. MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR SIZE FOR SERIOUS. Don't judge the size on how it looks or what you think will fit - seriously, get your size. It's pretty fool-proof. I'm the larger size (and I'm a tiny person all over), my friend was definitely the smaller size (even though logic based on her intimate life would suggest otherwise).

It looks like a huge cost for something you shove into nether regions, but I can't even tell you how much money it's saved me over the past 6 years or so of not buying the usual products. Not mention the fact that there are no more emergency runs to the store, which is welcome because I live in the middle of nowhere.

Yep, you'll have to touch your own bodily fluids. Oh well, they come out of you and aren't poop. People should be more comfortable with their own bodily fluids. Besides, it's not like you're playing with it.

Other benefits: regulation of period start times (I used to be all over the place, now I'm fairly regular), purging of all those toxins in the usual products that actually get absorbed into your bloodstream (hence the sterotypical "fishy smell" - yep that's caused by tampons and pads), and I can't tell you how many times this thing has saved my life while camping (for serious, I could praise the cup on that alone).

Lemme know if you've anymore questions on the topic, I am (obviously) way too happy to oblige - I've been advocating for these things since they were only heard of in the serious yoga mags :P

[SeaGlass Siren]

gasp, nsfw labels just because a woman naturally bleeds from her vagina? oh what on EARTH shall we do :P because god forbid woman actually be comfortable sharing talks about their period!

I'm a little wary and terrified that you'd have to shove it up your cavity though. I can talk about periods but can't stand the sight of my own blood :( i'm a sad hypocrite.

is it available at drug stores maybe? i've only ever seen tampons and pads at mine.. ._.

[deepblue]

I love cups, and really- thinking of it as shoving might not be helpful. lol You can get various brands of cups at some grocery stores, and usually 'whole foods' type places have them. My vegetarian co-op carries them, Whole Foods does, ao does Sprouts here in San Diego. And there are websites galore that carry them. You get different size for pre and post childbirth, and yes a little blood will get on your fingers when inserting and removing. But that's part of nature, too, so as long as you can wash your hands, no big deal.

Saves money, saves waste. It's that saving money part though... one purchase that lasts ages.

This LJ community covers reviews and discussions of pretty much every available cup: http://menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/

[Miyu]

LOL, well, I never know who's going to get offended by talk of periods, and I'd like to give a little heads-up just so the info doesn't need to be taken down :P Seriously, I dunno why it's still such a taboo subject...


I got mine at Whole Foods both times, but you can order them online as well.

It's not so much "shoving" as it is "folding and inserting", and for me it's more comfortable than putting in a tampon... and um, "other things", because it's more flexible and it's not a solid object (and tampons are so dry, so that's more uncomfortable-ness). Since it's silicone it just kind of slides up in there. My hands don't get too messy when using it, nothing a quick rinse or wash can't fix. I was a little icked out at first when I started using it, but then I realized that it's actually way less gross than dealing with tampons or pads... Now those things are scary, LOL! They just hold onto all that blood, and if you're out camping you have to tote them around in a baggie - ewwww. With a cup it's just a quick flush and it's all gone! So clean and easy, and no more hiding the lady products from co-worker/family/friends/other people in the bathroom!

Then again, after going through childbirth, blood from my nether regions suddenly seemed a lot less icky. :p

Oh! I forgot to mention the best part of my period getting regulated - I never suddenly start, I don't get caught off-guard, and I don't stain undies/bedsheets - I now start in the morning when I first go to the bathroom! Seriously, I haven't accidentally messed up anything in years. I even get advance warning the day before in the form of gentle cramps. Actually, the cup put me way more in tune with my body, so I can tell it's coming a week ahead of time (my boobs tell me LOL).

There's also measuring marks, which comes in SUPER HANDY if you need to measure your flow for medical reasons.

But seriously, like Surly says, THAT MONEY SAVING omfg... I don't even know what I'd do if I had to buy lady products. I'm flat broke most of the time and I can't afford that stuff, not to mention the hospital visits for the infections they give me :/ I still don't understand why tampons and pads are not free if you need them... It's really a travesty. I've had to use the services of women's centers before, and even they never gave me lady products (which I would have gladly taken for my roommates at the time). Cups can literally save you thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the cup.

BTW, some companies make cute ones, with different colours or sparkles in the silicone - I'm fine with my plain normal silicone-colour one :P

[SeaGlass Siren]

All this period talk made me go on my period :P I'm terrified of cups but I think I might purchase reusable pads I can wash. Tbh I'm still a little iffy about those too.

[deepblue]

I used cloth pads ages ago- they just didn't suit me. Too bulky, I'm just not a pads kind of gal. Any kind of pads.

Yulex never got back to me. Argh.

[Miyu]

I'm not a huge fan of pads, but for days when all I need is a little spot control, I'd like to make my own thin cloth pads. I don't forsee any ick problems with those, because my siblings and I were raised in cloth diapers, so I've handle far more mess in those things than a little blood :P In an emergency, I've been known to use a folded-up sock :P

ARGH come on Yulex, WE WANT TO KNOOOOWWWW THINGS!!!

[Mary Marine]

It's made my cramps/flow way more tolerable, thus my mood is better - my housemates and even my mertender don't know I'm on Shark Week unless I say something!

BWAHAHAHA I've never heard anyone call it Shark Week! I am totally going to use that now!

Back on topic, I know this is on the haircare thread already, but coconut oil is great for hair. I have a big jar of organic coconut oil that I work into my hair before I go pool swimming. It helps prevent the hair from sucking up all the chlorine and makes it much easier to wash later.

[Echidna]

Ooh, that sounds wonderful, Echidna! I really love tails with different/thinner fabrics for the fluke :3 I can't wait to see that!

24824

it's not done yet, but close.
I made a black top with a pink trim that is a perfect match!

can't wait to try it out in water.

[deepblue]

Back on topic, I know this is on the haircare thread already, but coconut oil is great for hair. I have a big jar of organic coconut oil that I work into my hair before I go pool swimming. It helps prevent the hair from sucking up all the chlorine and makes it much easier to wash later.

Oh thanks for that tip! I must have missed it in the hair thread, I don't look at it as often.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

How's the diva cup btw? I'm looking into it but I dunno if it's right for me


All this period talk made me go on my period :P I'm terrified of cups but I think I might purchase reusable pads I can wash. Tbh I'm still a little iffy about those too.

The cup has a bit of a learning curve, but they're not scary at all. I'll never travel without one now.

[Miyu]

I wonder if coconut oil in the pool is a potential allergen for people with coconut allergies? Hmm...

Yep, there's a learning curve with the cups, but it's not so bad - just stick with it and you'll be an expert in no time! I make sure to take mine whenever I travel, just in case I'm way off-schedule, and it's seriously saved me several times... >.<

[Mermaid Galene]

Wow, what a gorgeous tail, Echidna!

[Echidna]

You think?
Thanks! :)

I hope to make a video from the event, maybe I can get some swimming footage.
I've never swum in a neoprene tail before, I wonder how that works out.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Is there a link to a list of seashells to avoid buying? I've never bought shells before, since I always had a beach, but now I live in the middle of the desert. I already refuse to buy shells or corals at souvenir shops because I don't trust the source, and the only coral I'll ever consider using is small bits I've picked up myself, but I see real dried starfish at Michaels all the time. The problem is, I know they're sea biscuits, and they were becoming near extinct in the Fl Keyes last time I was there. I'd never buy the starfish, but it makes me wonder, are they just as irresponsible with the shells? Are there shells that are responsibly collected, and where would I get those?

[SeaGlass Siren]

I kinda want to know that as well. I never buy shells or starfish because my friends always go out of their way to buy them as gifts for me :| but I feel super guilty not knowing where they were sourced from.

[Miyu]

I have ordered from this website: http://www.sealifegifts.net/ . They have an environmental notice about not using any illegal/endangered species, and it looks like it's mostly by-product of seafood production.

I don't generally buy shells from the big-box stores... most of my shells are secondhand in one way or another - some were collected by myself, some from dinner, some as gifts, some bought/bartered for at thrift shops and boutiques.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Oh cool, thanks for the link! I think I'll probably stick to collecting my own shells or using fake ones. I'd rather have the excuse to collect my own anyway :P Any excuse to get to the beach that is 10 hours away from me!

[Tiger Lily]

Does anyone have any suggestions for paint products to use on a tail? I was thinking about putting black stripes on mine when I get it from growatail. I thought about acrylic but I want it to be safe in the water, for people and water life.

[Miyu]

Sadly, paint does flake off as you use your tail... The best way to prevent it would be to use a silicone "seal" layer on top of the paint, but I think even that would be compromised over time. There are many non-toxic paints usually used for painting tails, and that's the best we have right now - still not ideal for a critter to ingest, but at least not terribly toxic. You could "paint" with dye, but you DO NOT WANT to use the home-dye kinds (like RIT, etc.) because they never fully "set" like factory-strength dye (which you need special equipment to work with, I think, because it's pretty noxious before it cures). RIT-type dye is also generally toxic... and because it never fully "sets", it slowly washes out of the fabric over time (it doesn't really dye synthetics well anyways).

Yep, just one of the reasons I want a silicone tail over a painted tail - paint flakes and needs to be repaired, and leaves paint flakes in wildlife :P

[Tiger Lily]

Thanks Miyu! Hey you wouldn't know any of those non-toxic brands would you? Hmm I was also thinking about a coating over the paint with a thin layer of clear nail polish maybe diluted a bit - do you think that would help? I used it when I used to customize ponies from MLP, but I did use the original strength.

[Miyu]

No problem, this is one of my favorite topics of conversation :cool:

I don't know many of the brands off the top of my head, but I've also been up for almost 24 hours now LOL! :lol: I'm pretty sure all of the ones listed elsewhere on the boards are non-toxic, and any of the mers who do painted tails should have a few favorite brands they use (I know Morticia uses several kinds).

I wouldn't personally use nail polish, for several reasons: It's not really flexible structurally, so it'll flake off the fabric pretty fast as you swim/move/etc. Second, nail polish is probably more toxic to wildlife than the paints are :p And third, nail polish is not meant as a long-term top coat (it's meant to be removed from your nails in roughly a week), so it's not really formulated to withstand things like UV light, chlorine, general wear & tear. I used to use clear coat nail polish to seal my polymer clay creations, but after a few years the polish is severely degraded, leaving a sticky, tacky feeling to the pieces, and its poor resistance to UV light (even UV-resistant polishes are not designed for more than a week's wear really) led to it discoloring from a nice translucent-ish bone-white to an icky, nicotine-stain-ish yellow-green :(

I do know there is available small tubes of silicone for use in aquariums, food-grade equipment, etc. That may be a more economical option for coating the paint with an appropriately flexible/non-toxic material. I have one laying around here somewhere, I'll try to look up the brand for you after I wake up LOL. If you stretch the fabric out correctly while you're painting on the silicone, it should "infuse" itself into the fibers fairly well, according to some preliminary testing.

[Tiger Lily]

Thanks so much it's a wonderful idea - and what about sharpies? Pearly suggested it and I thought it was brilliant (another thread) how safe do you think it would be?

[Aziara]

BWAHAHAHA I've never heard anyone call it Shark Week! I am totally going to use that now!


I refer to it as 'the red tide coming in', lol. Also a fan of reusable cloth glad-rags. And I now have a teeny cup I can't use...gonna have to get the 'post childbirth' size now. Oh well.
I found a blog post reviewing all natural sunscreens, I'm super excited. I haven't been able to wear sunscreen in years, I break out in a terrible rash (It looks a lot like sunburn... So imagine how that was for me as a kid-"Oh, you're burning! More sunscreen!" = More burn, repeat again every two hours. Not fun)
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/07/20/natural-sunscreen-review-do-mineral-based-sunblocks-work-2/
I'm currently thinking about getting the Badger Balm brand. Bonus: It says it's safe for coral reefs and other ecosystems. :yay:

[Moana.the.mermaid]

I use badger balm products all the time, Aziara. They are great for the environment.

much love, one love - Moana

[Miyu]

Sharpies aren't terrible, especially on items that they actually "set" into, but they're still made primarily of synthetic dyes that aren't intended to be used in wildlife water/ingested/etc.

I should also mention, I have some of that Tulip fabric paint, and some (glow-in-the-dark) got onto one of my pajama pants... And to this day, the one knee still glows! :lol: I've washed it lots, it seems to have gotten pretty set in there, so I would assume it's (relatively) safe for tails.

I looooove Badger products... Though last year I made my own sunblock and lotions as well :)

[Tiger Lily]

Ooh I use tulip paint too in some doll beds I do for my nieces for pretty edging. But would it make a fabric tail stiff where its applied?

[Miyu]

Not if you really "smush" it into the fibers, like you're trying to dye it, and wipe the top "layer" of paint off - like how most Tulip paints are meant to "sit on top" of the fabric and add texture? You don't want that. Act like you are trying to stain something with tomato sauce, LOL! My pajama knee got pretty much saturated with it, and I wiped off as I could, but the bits that got smushed down into the fibers are really not budging :) And they're still just as flexible and soft - I keep forgetting they got paint on them until I turn the lights out and it glows!

[Mermaid Menanna]

I just found this conversation and I think it's wonderful! Thank you for starting it!!!
A few things I'd like to contribute...
I admit I have not read every post in this thread yet, so forgive me if I repeat anything that has already been said.
In regards to touching the wildlife, I disagree a bit on what was said in the beginning of this thread. It is more about knowing what CAN be touched and HOW to do so safely rather than everything being completely hands off. The fish's slime coat is generated naturally and there are many things that naturally will affect it, interfere with it, etc. They also shed their slime coats regularly and regenerate new slime at a constant rate. It would take some rough handling to cause the kind of problem mentioned. I have been working, hands on, with fish for over 25 yrs and there are many species out there that seek out human interaction when they have the opportunity, and that includes rubbing against a person much like a cat would rub a person's leg or caress their face. There are safe ways for both person and animal to interact in a hands on manner (at lest with the animals that aren't toxic/dangerous) and I would love to help explain and teach this to anyone who is interested in learning.

I don't know if it was mentioned in another comment or not, so I'm just going to put this out here and see what everyone has to say about it. Have any of the mers gotten together in a conservation effort to literally clean up a body of water? By hand? One of my goals as soon as my tail is finished is to get out into my local waterways and clean them up! I am sickened at the many places I have gone swimming over the yrs only to find broken glass, plastic everything, and other trash littering our waterways. Once I am confident in the water with my new tail I am hoping to organize a local meet, maybe next summer sometime, and ask other mers to join me here to help clean up a chosen lake for a day or a weekend. Removing what is already out there is just as important as not adding to it. Our abilities underwater with tails give us an opportunity to really make this a huge advantage to our natural habitats. And how better to inspire the general public to get involved? I see so many efforts in the "adopt a highway" programs all over the country, but I have yet to see one that targets our waterways in the same fashion. There are also a lot of invasive species that could be collected and removed from these same waterways, such as zebra muscles and invasive plant species. I am hoping to get in touch with the local DNR and get them to work with this effort, support it, and offer guidance to anyone willing to get involved. My biggest desire/dream in becoming a mermaid is the amount of good I can do with that new ability/opportunity. IF I am able to turn my mermaiding into a professional situation I would like to expand on this cleanup effort in that way, too... the chances to get the information out there in that kind of format is something I see to be a huge effort in conservation. People need to be TAUGHT to care and there are so many ways to do that. I have always said, talk is cheap... it takes action and setting an example to really make the most difference.