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This company lets you eliminate plastics from your cleaning, beauty, and personal care products

Grove Collaborative makes it easier to do your part to save the planet.

ocean plastic
Image via Unsplash

Ocean plastic



There’s no way to sugarcoat it; the planet is in crisis. Each day, we dump more and more plastic into our waterways. And scientists everywhere agree that if we don’t act now, the damage will be irreparable. But what does that actually mean for regular everyday people?




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When it comes to pollution and climate change, it’s easy to blame corporations or the government. But we also have to look inward. The choices we make in our everyday lives impact the world around us. If we want to make the world a better place, we all have to make better choices. Fortunately, some companies are working hard to help consumers make good choices. And one of the best is Grove Collaborative, an online retailer specializing in plastic-free, eco-friendly home products, including household cleaning, personal care, baby, kid, and pet products.

Why Grove Collaborative?

The term “eco-friendly” is used pretty loosely. But Grove Collective actually means it. The company specializes in healthy products made from non-toxic plant-based ingredients, and it only partners with producers that adhere to ethical and sustainable business practices. As a result, it only sells plastic-free or plastic-neutral products. And it’s committed to being 100-percent plastic-free by 2025.

Why does all that matter? It matters because, each year, only 9 percent of plastic gets recycled, while 6.4 billion tons are dumped into the ocean. It matters because toxins from conventional household products are getting into our waterways and wreaking havoc on our ecosystems. And it matters because studies have linked conventional household products to numerous health problems, including asthma and cancer.

At Grove Collaborative, they think we can stop all that. So if you’re looking for an easy way to do your part, you should check out some of the amazing home essentials they offer.

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Refillable Deodorant Sets

We all want to smell good. Thanks to Grove Collaborative and a company called Peach, we can do so without toxic substances that cause cancer and without sending more plastic into oceans and landfills. Peach Refillable Deodorant Sets are available in four different natural fragrances, all of which come with a reusable metal case and an aluminum-free deodorant refill stick. When the stick runs out, all you have to do is pop a replacement into the container, and you’ll be fresh as a daisy without killing a single baby sea turtle.

Buy Refillable Deodorant Sets here.

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Plastic-Free Soap

Almost all of the soap you buy at the supermarkets or big box stores come in a plastic container. But they don’t have to. All it takes to eliminate plastic is a little creativity. And Grove Collaborative offers a huge variety of plastic-free soap products, from zero plastic handwash powder to dish soaps in infinitely recyclable aluminum bottles. They even offer bars of solid shampoo. And they’re all certified to be ethically made, natural, and 100-percent effective.

Buy Plastic-Free Soaps here.

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Antimicrobial Reusable Face Masks

The pandemic has been an absolute nightmare for the sustainability movement. In many cases, it’s forced people to choose between doing what’s best for their health and safety or doing what’s best for the planet. However, Grove Collaborative is doing its best to make things a little easier. They have a nice variety of reusable face masks made from three-ply organic cotton with an antimicrobial silver ion coating that lasts up to 40 washes—which means they are better for the environment and better for you.

Buy Antimicrobial Reusable Face Masks here.

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Natural Lip Care Products

Just because you care about the planet, that doesn’t mean you can’t have gorgeous lips. Grove Collaborative has a wide array of sustainably produced cruelty-free lip products made from various natural, organic, and non-toxic ingredients. Many of these luxurious products, including the Lip-to-Lid Balmies Set, come in innovative no-plastic or zero-waste packaging. But for those that don’t, keep in mind that Grove is a plastic-neutral company. For every ounce of plastic you purchase, they collect and recycle the same amount of plastic pollution.

Buy Natural Lip Care Products here.







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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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