5 Natural Cleaning Products You Can Find in Shanghai [5类天然清洁产品]
By Celina Huynh
Living in China, there are many things that are out of your control, especially when it comes to environmental health. It’s no secret that Shanghai’s air, water, and overall environmental quality is less than favorable. But the degree to which it is detrimental to your health is astounding. Here we take a look at the best natural cleaning products to use so your home can be healthier for your family.
When making the transition to live clean and green, most people eliminate processed foods and turn to organic produce. However, your stomach is equipped with natural defense mechanism, so your diet is the last thing you should worry about. In reality, the quickest way for toxins and chemicals to invade the body is through the skin as pores directly absorb fumes, carcinogens and other toxic substances.
Chemical cleaning products leave gaseous residues called VOC, or volatile organic compounds, which when breathed in, can cause irreversible brain damage. Human bodies are naturally built to fight off germs and bacteria, but chemicals are a whole new problem. This is especially bad for children since their immune systems are not fully developed.
A good solution to this produce is to opt for natural cleaning products. We interviewed five different eco aficionados to tell us their story.
1. Resparkle
Produced and certified organic in Australia, Resparkle offers a range of cleaning products. (This is a big deal because products must be 100 percent organic in order to be certified, compared to the American standard of 60 percent.) What’s special about their packaging is that the bottles come empty, with a covered lid of concentrated cleaning solution. Then, all you have you have to do is fill the bottle with water. Taking water out of the equation makes Resparkle products easier to transport, hence reducing its carbon footprint. Plus, their cleaning solutions are 100 percent plant-based, which ensure cleaner water waste.
Normal cleaning products contain loads of chemicals, preservatives and artificial fragrances, but the ones from Resparkle all contain chemicals that aren’t harmful in small amounts. Studies have linked these chemicals to causing cancer, allergies, and even damage to brain lining, but we come in contact with them everyday, especially for women who wear makeup. It’s these imminent and long-term health scares that drive Resparkle to be 100 percent natural and convenient so people can easily adopt an organic and natural lifestyle.
> resparkle.com.au
2. Eco & More
Eco & More is driven by sustainability and its philosophy is all about creating a lifestyle that benefits both people and the environment. Their products are all plant-based and they also emphasize on the use of essential oils since fragrance is a major water pollutant, and essential oils are the cleanest alternative. Another highlight of Eco & More’s products is that they are all made in China with ingredients sourced from local farms.
So why should consumers give up having a product that works or smell really good just because it’s green? This is the question that drives Eco & More to make products that work just as well, if not better than, their standard counterparts, with the added benefit of remaining environmentally friendly.
> www.eco-more.com
3. Eco-Max
Eco-Max is a Canadian brand committed to using natural ingredients to make a wide variety of products from dish soap to detergents. All of their products have natural and eco certification in North America, and is one of the first eco-friendly brands that China imported.
Rudi Messner, current director of Eco-Max, started to bringing in the Canadian green products to China six years ago when he noticed there was great potential in the local market. Back then, there were actually more green companies than there are now. Since China’s market for green products is very small and the entry barrier is high, many companies threw in their biodegradable towels. However, having previously worked at a chemical company, Rudi and his colleagues decided to carry on. He credits Eco-Max’s success to its wide product range, which fills the gaps of China’s sporadic demands for green products. They predominantly sell to Chinese consumers, and you can find Eco-Max products at City Super outlets.
> www.eco-max.ca
4. Soapnut Republic
Soapnut Republic is helping to make the safe and clean home you want easier. Their cleaning products are non-toxic, biodegradable, allergen free and never tested on animals. The company is owned and operated by Bobby Mitchell from New Zealand and Kim Gilliland from Australia. The couple resides in Shanghai with their two young daughters, so they understand the importance of having family friendly products.
What makes their products special is the use of sapindus mukorossi or soapnut berry extract. Soapnut berries have been used for cleaning purposes for centuries by Chinese and Native American societies. The 100 percent natural extract is used in all of their cleaners along with plant based ingredients, minerals and essential oils to add natural smells. Soapnut Republic’s products have scents such as tea tree, lavender and mint.
> www.soapnutrepublic.com
5. Planet Pure
Planet Pure is Eco-Max’s one hundred percent organic sister brand. All organic products are natural, but not all natural products are organic – the main difference being an organic product requires legitimate certification.
At the time that Eco-Max was taking off, there were no real suitable organic channels in China. Planet Pure’s products are made from soap nuts, which is a plant that naturally behaves like soap (or rather soaps that behave like soap nuts). Planet Pure is striving to create a space for organic markets to grow and develop in China. Right now, most convenience stores and supermarkets only highlight imported products and organic and natural products are not separated into their own category, which can be confusing for consumers.
> www.planetpure.com/e/
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说道选择“健康绿色”的生活方式，大多数人都会立刻放弃加工食品去选择有机类的。实际上，人的胃具有天然的防御机能，所以饮食并不是最需改变的方向。在日常生活中，毒素和化学物质对人体最快的侵害途径是和肌肤的直接接触，透过毛孔可吸收气体，致癌物及其他有毒物质。
化学类清洁产品会遗留一些被称作“挥发性有机化合物”（VOC）的残留物，人体吸入后可造成无法修复的大脑损伤。人体有抵抗病毒和细菌的自然机制，但是化学物质和这些不是一个概念。尤其对于免疫系统还没有完全形成的儿童来说，其危险性更加大。
相比之下，使用纯天然的清洁产品会比较安全。下面为介绍的产品就是5位环保拥趸推荐的。
1. Resparkle
Resparkle是澳大利亚生产认证的有机品牌，旗下有很多清洁产品。（所有通过认证的产品有机成分必须为100%，美国的标准为60%，这点非常重要。）他家产品的一大特色就是，包装时瓶身是空的，清洁溶剂压缩在瓶盖里面。用户只需直接往瓶内注水即可使用。非液体形式的包装既便于运输，也可减少碳排放。另外，他们的清洁溶剂是100%植物性的，所以排放出来的水也是无污染的。
一般的清洁产品罕有许多化学品，防腐剂和人工香料，但Resparkle产品中的化学成分含量对人体不会产生伤害。不少研究表明，这些化学成分可诱发癌症，过敏以及脑神经损伤，但是我们日常都会接触到，尤其是习惯化妆的女性。正是出于安全的考虑，Resparkle才会承诺产品100%纯天然及方便操作，这样更易于用户选择有机天然的生活方式。
网址：resparkle.com.au
2. Eco & More
Eco & More以“绿色环保及可持续发展”为理念，努力建立一个健康适宜的环境。他们的所有产品都是植物萃取，而且强调使用精油代替香料，以防止水污染。另一大特色是所有原材料的中国本地的农场种植的。
但是消费者真的会因为这个产品气味舒适、使用安全而购买吗？这也是Eco & More一直在思考的问题，所以他们在保持自身优势的情况下，还将和同类商品一样做到绿色环保。
网址：www.eco-more.com
3. Eco-Max
加拿大品牌Eco-Max致力于使用纯天然原材料制作产品，无论是洗碗碟的香皂还是洗涤剂。该品牌旗下的所有产品都获得北美天然环保认证，并且是第一个引入中国的环保品牌。
Eco-Max的现任董事长Rudi Messner于6年前将产品介绍给中国市场的时候就已经意识到这个市场有很大的可能性。其实，当时的环保公司比现在的还要多。但中国市场对于环保产品的需求量比较小而且对进口产品的门槛设比较高，因此很多公司都早早放弃了。鉴于之前在化学公司工作的经验，Rudi和他的同事们决定坚持下去。他把Eco-Max的成功归结于产品的多样化，可以满足中国市场对于环保产品非集中式的需求。他们之前的主要市场还是中国客户群，现在他们已经进驻City Super的品牌直销区。
网址：www.eco-max.ca
4. Soapnut Republic
Republic帮你轻松打造清洁干净的生活空间。他们的清洁产品都是无毒，可生物降解，无过敏原，且从未用动物做测试的。这家公司是由新西兰人Bobby Mitchell和澳大利亚人Kim Gillilland一同创建运营的。这对夫妻和他们的两个女儿住在上海，所以他们非常了解再次旅居的家庭对于产品的需求。
他们的所有产品都是用无患子浆果萃取的，这类植物长期被中国和美国土著人用于清洁。除了清洁产品之外，他们同样用100%萃取的方式对原材料，矿物质和精油的萃取，保留天然的味道。Soapnut Republic的产品有茶树味，薰衣草味和薄荷味 等。
网址：www.soapnutrepublic.com
5. Planet Pure
Planet Pure是Eco-Max100%纯天然有机的姐妹品牌。所有有机产品都是天然的，但不是所有天然的产品都是有机的：最大的差别在于，有机的产品需要通过合法认证。
在Eco-Max刚开始在中国发展的时候，国内并没有适合的有机渠道。Planet Pure的产品都是用无患子浆果制作的，这类植物是带有清洁属性的。Planet Pure一直努力在中国开拓和发展有机产品的市场。目前，大多数便利店和超市只强调“进口产品”，而对有机和天然产品却归为一类，这可能会对消费者产生误导。
网址：www.planetpure.com/e/
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