Talking Clean with Irene

No one has to convince me that technology is GREAT and that our devices allow life and business to be more efficient, engaging and (of course) fun! But we all know there’s a downside. Technology is so captivating because it’s designed that way. So what happens when our eyes get too much screen time?

Today’s guest is Dr Kristy Goodwin, a digital health and wellbeing expert, university lecturer and author of “Raising Your Child In A Digital World”. In this episode, Kristy tells me all about blue light (the light that’s emitted from our technology devices) and blue light glasses (glasses which combat blue light damage). In today’s world, we’re constantly exposed to blue light, which can actually have potentially negative impacts on our eye health and sleep habits.

In this episode listen out for some great advice like ‘Why you shouldn’t email your boss late at night’, Kristy’s top 3 tips to promote eye health and a really helpful tip that we can all use: the 20-20-20-20 rule!

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I am SO proud that I bought this brand to Australia!

Today’s guest is the amazing Susie Wang — the brains behind 100% Pure, an almost entirely vegan brand of certified natural skin care, organic makeup, hair care and body products. There are hundreds of products in the range, including their world-famous Coffee Bean Eye Cream (which was once responsible for crashing my website after I spoke about it on TV!).

In this episode, Susie tells me about how she first realised the importance of safe and clean ingredients in skincare. Years ago she was formulating for a cosmetics company, and in the lab she knocked over a chemical she was putting into a skincare formula. She watched in horror as it warped the lab table! This experience changed her approach completely, and now, she’s famous for developing her own ways to use fruit pigments and 100% clean ingredients in everything from makeup to hair care. You’ll also find out why I think she’s the absolute Queen of Vitamin C!

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For anyone who might be overwhelmed by the world of nutrition, let’s get back to basics!

This week I’m talking to fully qualified nutritionist Steph Lowe about the simple steps we can take to help improve our daily eating habits. Steph is the resident nutritionist at Melrose Health (known for their range of health foods and supplements since 1979) and she shares just how easy it is to make the switch to healthier eating ... often it’s in the dressing!

In this episode, Steph explains how nutrition affects our everyday lives, including the food/mood connection. She also talks about how we’re living in a society that defaults to carbs, and how these options don’t always include proteins and healthy fats, which are what we need to feel satisfied and full.

We talk ‘healthy fats’ and how to use them, and Steph even shares her ‘get-up-and-go’ smoothie recipe!

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According to a recent study, a single fleece jacket can release up to 250,000 microfibres in just one single load of washing. Those fibres are going straight into our waters and into our food chain, which means that we could actually be eating our own clothes!

Rachael Z. Miller has found a way to fight the microfibre nightmare, one laundry wash at a time. Creator of the Cora Ball, a device that helps to catch the micro-plastics from your laundry water, Rachael is big on little acts of sustainability.

In today’s episode we talk all things ‘global plastics crisis’, zeroing in on micro-plastics. We chat about her incredible invention and how it’s designed to help anyone who wears and washes clothes to reduce microfibre pollution.

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Would you believe me if I said that you could clean your home by adding bacteria instead of killing it?

Welcome to the world of probiotic cleaning. In a nutshell, it’s the process of spraying good bacteria onto your household surfaces and allowing the army of good bacteria to scare off the bad bacteria. No gloves required!

On this episode, Michelle Perkins, the creator of Counter Culture, tells me about her innovative range of probiotic cleaning products. We chat about the growing opposition in the medical field to harsh cleaning agents and she explains how we can kick the household cleaning toxins simply by adding good bacteria. Michelle also shares insights about the growing body of research proving the vital role bacteria play in our overall health and wellbeing.

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If you’re going to change once thing in your routine to make it toxin free, change your deodorant! This week I’m talking to Chey Birch, the founder of Black Chicken Remedies, one of the very first brands I ever stocked. Chey’s Aussie-made pure natural skincare, body care, and essential oil products are preservative free, and don’t contain any kind of ‘fillers’.

We chat about her wonder product that sparked a revolution — the famous Axilla deodorant paste — the first deodorant paste made in Australia. Whilst Black Chicken are known best for their deodorant, Chey shares some of her other best-selling products, including an essential oil blend for procrastinators! She explains the story behind her company’s unique name and how what started as a hobby quickly grew into a brand that our Nourished Life community absolutely adores.

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In this episode we’re talking medicinal mushrooms (or as I like to call them, magic mushies!). I’m joined by medicinal mushroom expert and Founder of SuperFeast, Mason Taylor.

Mason is a tonic herbalist and a passionate health educator. After suffering from exhaustion, he was blown away by the power these mushrooms had on his energy and made it his purpose to help others discover their benefits.

Get ready to learn about out how medicinal mushrooms can clear up your skin, give your more energy and even boost your libido - all of this whilst still being able to have your morning coffee!

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Here’s a story: I was once banned from an online forum for talking about natural deodorants. Can you believe how far we’ve come in recent years? Mainstream deodorants are some of the worst offenders when it comes to potential toxins as they can be full of synthetics, aluminium and parabens. Making the switch to a natural deodorant is such an important part of cutting the toxins out of your everyday life. 

In this very highly requested episode, I get all the goss on natural deodorants from Melanie McVean and Chris Caley, the creators of Australian-made ‘No Pong’. We talk about how natural deodorants differ from mainstream antiperspirant products and they talk me through the different formulas they’ve created and how you can get started with using them. Chris and Melanie also share their top tips for re-using their deodorant tins as well as what it’s like to run a business with your partner.

For all the vegans: I’ll keep you posted about the launch of their vegan version coming up soon!

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We all know that sustainability is best when it’s fun and social. What if I told you there was an easy way to declutter, shop for bargains, connect with your community AND participate in the war on waste? Would you believe that you don’t even need to leave your street to participate?

Introducing: Garage Sale Trail — a weekend of garage sales on one weekend right across Australia. Last year alone over 3 million kilos of secondhand items were sold.

This week on the podcast, I talk to Andrew Valder (Co-founder of Garage Sale Trail) about this incredibly successful event.

Garage Sale Trail is a not for profit social enterprise which organises a yearly weekend of garage sales right across the country, with total support from local councils. Shining a spotlight on how important it is to reuse things and think about the waste that we create, this event also sounds like a heap of fun and a great way to get involved in your local community.

What started as a community event in Bondi Beach with the tag-line “Don’t Dump It, Sell It”, Andrew tells me his team realised what was needed was people coming together in their local area to declutter, to buy, to swap, to sell and to reduce waste.

In this episode I asked Andrew NOT to get me started on fast fashion, but we DID have a little chat about it (oops!). But I’m pleased to report that the rate of growth of secondhand fashion is outstripping the growth of fast fashion! We also talk about the concept of a circular economy versus a linear economy.

You can get involved by registering a garage sale on their website. And shoppers can find out what’s going on in their local area by searching the site. If you put your postcode or suburb in, the site will show you all the Garage Sales that are happening nearby.

It’s free to register, and this year it’s taking place on October 19 and 20. 

(P.S. If you’re in Sydney and have some vinyl to sell, get in touch and let me know!)

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What if I told you that I have found a simple way that we can stop over 80 billion plastic bottles from ending up in landfill and in the ocean every single year? What if I also told you that I’ve figured out how to replace five 350ml bottles of regular conditioner with just one product? Join me as I chat to qualified scientist Brianne West, the founder and creator of Ethique, a range of completely zero waste solid beauty bars. They might look like soap, but trust me, they are anything but!

Back in 2012, whilst searching for a solution to our global plastic crisis in her science lab, Brianne wanted to find a way to create an entire beauty range without using one single bottle. And you know what? She went ahead and did it. In this episode, Brianne tells us exactly why and how she created the most sustainable cosmetics company in the world, as well as how we can get the most out of these game-changing bars. Brianne actually reminds us that we used to use bars for everything – before plastic and liquid products took over.

Brianne teaches us how to properly use and store solid bars to get the longest possible use out of them, and also helps clear up the confusion surrounding the difference between biodegradable and compostable products. Make sure you listen closely because she even drops some serious hints about brand new Ethique products coming very soon!

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