An old friend to this gal, Dr. Bronner’s is pushing change in the coolest way. This company that produces liquid soaps that I’ve used since I was 15, has brought about a lawsuit in conjunction with the OCA (Organc Consumer Association) against a list of so called “natural” companies using not so natural and often carcinogenic ingredients. The gruesome list of offenders can be found on the press release below. Its time we hold these companies using the term “Organic” on their labels, accountable!
Archive for the 'Personal Care' Category
I’ve been buying from online shops for awhile now and am constantly
checking for new places. I was using (and recommended here previously)
A1Nutrition for awhile and was happy with them but they’ve since gone
WAYYY downhill with me having to cancel my last order AFTER they took
my money and then 2 weeks later nothing (only to find out that everything
was on backorder…when did they plan to tell me?) This happens from time
to time from these discount places but figured I’d share my current favorites.
I’m currently splitting my orders between Vitaglo.com and Vitaminlife.com
You really have to continually check pricing. For instance, I order
MegaFood Essentials Mini Tabs for the kids..most places online are selling
this for around $27.00 (for 270) but I found it at VitaminLife the cheapest, at
$18.00.
VitaGlo.com had the cheapest Aubrey Organics, except for some Mens
Aubrey that my dh uses, I found VitaminLife to have the better price there. Weleda
toothpaste (2.99) was the cheapest I’ve found at Vitaglo.
Shipping is really decent with being around $5-9.
I just love Mike Adams! Can everyone relate?
My husband tells me I have a hypersensitive sense of smell but I think its ONLY to chemicals. Perfumes, fake aromatherapy candles, etc…..all make me tense up (among other lovely things like headaches, itchiness, watery eyes). If I’m suddenly in close quarters with someone who is doused in perfume/cologne, you can bet that ALL I’m thinking about is how to get away FAST.
Toxic Perfume Lady (comic)
I’m thinking its a really good thing that the media has recently been focusing on Bisphenol A, pthalates and PBDE’s. If you’ve not had a chance to glance at the news lately, bottom line is that these chemicals are used in a variety of every day products and are proving to be a burden to our bodies, especially our little ones. Bisphenol A is used in hard plastic, think baby bottles. Its also used in the plastic that lines food cans. PBDE’s are flame retardants and used in TV’s, sofas, mattresses. Pthalates are used not only in cosmetics but are the main softener used in polyvinyl chloride (think soft plastic….like baby toys).
All of these chemicals are labeled “endocrine disrupters” as they can block natural hormone functions and they have been shown to cause genetic changes in the reproduction system (low sperm count, egg production disruption, changes in breast/testicular tissue). Endocrine disrupters are the cause of the sex changes that we’ve seen in amphibians and fish. JUST what you want to be experimenting on your bodies, heh?
A recent collaborative of environment groups across the country tested a small group of volunteers representing a cross section of the population (ranging in age from 12 to 50). All were found to have these three chemicals in their bodies. This small monitering mimics the results of a recent CDC study of over 2,500, where 92% were found to have Bisphenol A in their urine.
One of the things that has always driven me bonkers about this chemical issue is that the responses we get from the powers that be are always singular. Meaning, they respond to the outcry against each individual chemical as if it is not really the sum of our entire exposure that is important. No one is regulating or calculating our entire body burden and no one who markets chemicals in any way (from personal care to plastics) is stepping up to take responsibility.
Anyhow, back to my point of the recent media attention. I think its important that we don’t let this topic die. That we continue to talk and blog about it and thereby keep it active enough for the news media to report on.
Here’s a quiz you can take to get an idea of YOUR body burden. http://extras.insidebayarea.com/bodyburden/bodyburden.html
This is one of those things that I just can’t get past. As many know, on this natural living path, there are many times that you have to weigh out what is important to you. Its near impossible to eliminate all toxins and/or chemicals that we are exposed to. Propylene glycol in ice cream and Entenmann’s is one of those things for me that I can’t get out of my head enough to be able to consume them (not that I eat them anyhow).
The chemicals in personal care products is another for me. Let me show a statement made by EWG recently and see if it has as much impact on you as it did on me;
98% of all products contain one of more ingredients never publicly assessed for safety.
Not only that,
More than 750 personal care products sold in the U.S. violate industry safety standards or cosmetic safety standards in other industrialized countries.
EWG states the following in regards to their massive and extensive analysis of ingredients in over 23,000 products sold in the U.S. ;
We found nearly 400 products sold in the U.S. containing chemicals that are prohibited for use in cosmetics in other countries, and over 400 products containing ingredients that cosmetic industry safety panels have found unsafe when used as directed on product labels, including the U.S.-based Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) and the International Fragrance Association.
If you’ve read through the HP site’s space on Personal Care products, you know my stand on this already. There’s so much tossed at us that we all just assume is safe because otherwise it wouldn’t be permitted to be sold to us. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The cosmeceutical industry is largely a SELF REGULATED industry. Do your research on those ingredients you are putting on your family. Will it kill them? Probably not but it certainly isn’t helping them any.
There’s really not alot out there in the natural arena that has what I would consider acceptable “natural” ingredients. SLS is a common ingredient in most natural bubble baths which is safe according to The American College of Toxicology as long as its use is brief, discontinuous and rinsed thoroughly from the skin. Hmm….sounds like the exact opposite of bubble bath, heh?
Anyhow, we started using the Children’s Shampoo as Bubble Bath! It works really well (as long as I force the tap to shoot the water out with more force by holding my hand on half of the faucet) and is quite inexpensive if you consider how much natural bubble bath WITH SLS costs.
Terressentials is a brand that I haven’t tried yet but has been on my radar for a number of years now. I keep emailing them pleading with them to start an affiliate program. ; )Â
 If toxic chemicals in your personal care are of a concern to you, THIS looks like the brand to try and it comes highly recommended by many HP mamas. Today I stumbled upon a site offering some of the shampoo on clearance so its a good way to check it out.Â
http://www.thegreenloop.com/TerrEssentials_Organic_Hair_Wash_p/te-hairwash.htm
This was reported in the news back during the summer but is once again appearing. I tried to find some more information on the studies but I’m highly suspect. Why are we zeroing in on the NATURAL ingredients that no one major pharm or chemical company produces? Now I know natural can be dangerous too but it just seems to me that there may very well be ANOTHER ingredient in all three of hte products used by these boys that mimics hormones….say like PARABENS?
3 Cases of Gynecomastia Reported in Boys Using Products With Lavender or Tea Tree Oils
I usually buy via co-op but there aren’t any to be found and we’re in need of some stock on the Aubrey Organics products we use (baby shampoo, men’s face scrub, shampoos, etc). I found this site that is offering many Aubrey products at 50% off!!! Just about at co-op prices! Just wanted to share.
Okay…wow, this is so exciting. On November 9th, the ADA did something, I never expected. They are now urging parents who use water to constitute the formula for their babies to AVOID FLUORIDE. They are concerned that at that age, infants will be getting too much fluoride harming their teeth instead of protecting them. Not that some of us ever thought it protected anything but someone’s bottom line somewhere. But this is major. NOW the question can be asked, “how much is too much?” And where is the line drawn? At what age? So much to think about and this opens a door.
Here’s the link to the article covering this at EWG (environmental working group) and asking folks to sign their petition to Wal Mart asking them to take “nursing water” (apparently just fluoridated water for babies) off their shelves.