Green Your Baby Products

When selecting products for babies and children less is more. Commercial baby powders, oils, lotions, shampoos and other products often contain phthalates. Phthalates have been linked to endocrine and reproductive system problems. Babies who are cared for with phthalate-laced products have shown developmental problems, especially in the reproductive development of male children. Phthalates are hormone mimickers and disrupt natural hormones in the bodies of babies and children. Parents should also beware of overly fragranced baby products. The term “Fragrance” can mean a combination of over 400 chemicals, many of which have never been tested for safety.

A friend of mine was told by her pediatrician that she sees more allergic reactions in children caused by Johnson and Johnson baby products than any other baby product on the market. I often hear from people who are resistant to greening their children's products. Their excuses are often "My Mom used those products on me and I'm fine". These chemicals often take years to accumulate in the body and cause health issues. We didn't have the knowledge of the effects of these chemicals then, but we do now. If their Mom's knew the harm that those products were doing to their children you can bet that they wouldn't have used them.

The Price You Pay For Cheap Cosmetics

Once again I visited the Target Dollar Bin to see what dangers lurked within. To my surprise the lip gloss that I notified them about had been recalled. I was happy to know that children wouldn't be ingesting lead laden lip gloss, however I discovered that the same company was pedaling other toxic products.

I picked up two of their $1 products, a Roll on Fragrance and a Body Lotion. I immediately flipped them over to see if they contained lead. Thankfully they did not contain lead but they had a plethera of other toxic chemicals in them. Once again the packaging was full of bright colors and boasted fun fruity fragrances targeted towards children. The ingredient listing read like a bottle of pesticide. "Mineral Oil, Methylparaben, Triethanolamine..." to name a few. Both products also had a warning not to ingest them.

Out of curiosity I googled the company that makes these products. I found that the products are made in China and that the company is no longer in business. As many of you know China has been responsible for shipping all sorts of toxic products to the US, from toxic toothpaste to deadly pet food to children's toys laced with lead.

I know that with the economy many people are looking for a bargain but I would urge you to investigate what you're buying before getting sucked into the deal. You get what you pay for and when you're paying a dollar for something chances are you are also paying a steep price with your health. Read the labels on all cosmetic products just as you would food labels. The products you put on your skin soak into your blood stream and can lead to many health issues over time. Check out this handy list of some of the worst cosmetic companies on the market and what harmful ingredients their products contain before your next shopping trip.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/whatnottobuy/

Personal Care Product Ingredients are Hazardous to Wildlife

Most people never stop to think about the environmental impact that their personal care products make. Consider for a moment how many millions of people each day rinse commercial shampoos, conditioners, body washes and shaving creams down the drain. It's estimated that the average woman exposes herself to over 100 hazardous chemicals a day through her personal care products. All of these chemicals are washed down the drain into our rivers, streams and oceans.

The hazardous chemicals contained in personal care products are not only putting humans health at risk but also wildlife. Hormone disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and parabens are washed down the drain when we use personal care products containing these ingredients. These chemicals are polluting our rivers and streams and have been linked to the feminization of fish and other aquatic life. By choosing green personal care products you can protect your health and also the health and welfare of our wildlife

Green Your Sunscreen

Did you know that the FDA still hasn’t finalized its sunscreen standards? This means that companies are free to promise that their sunscreens are safe and effective when no safety guidelines have actually been set. According to a recent study by the Environmental Work Group nearly 600 of the top selling American sunscreen brands contain a chemical called Oxybenzone, which can actually mutate your cells!

The last safety review for Oxybenzone was done in the 1970s, and does not reflect a wealth of information developed since that time indicating increased toxicity concerns and widespread human exposure. Oxybenzone is a penetration enhancer, which means that it allows enhanced penetration of chemicals into your skin. This is of great concern considering that Oxybenzone can allow hazardous ingredients to be penetrated directly into your blood stream. Oxybenzone has also been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, cell damage and low birth weights in baby girls whose mothers were exposed to the chemical during pregnancy. In addition the EWG research found that 84% of 910 name-brand sunscreens offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain hazardous ingredients, like Oxybenzone.

It’s recommended that you purchase a sunscreen with at least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide content in order to receive the maximum amount of sun protection. Broad Spectrum protection is the highest level of sun protection and means that a sunscreen protects you from both UVA (ultra violet, skin aging) rays and UVB (ultra violet, burning) rays.

Be sure and reach for a green sunscreen this summer. Choosing a chemical free alternative will protect the environment and your family's health.

Lead in Children's Lip Gloss

I just returned from my local Target where I had quite a shock. A friend had recently told me about a well know environmental activist she saw on PBS explaining that cheaper products contain less harmful ingredients. This claim didn't seem at all plausible to me given what I know about the toxic ingredients contained in commercial health and beauty products. I picked up a flavored lip gloss in the dollar bin to test this theory. This lip gloss had brightly colored packaging with a picture of a delicious looking ice cream sundae on it and the words "Mango Flavored". As I flipped over the back of the package to read the ingredient listing I was astonished to find the following warning "This product contains lead which is known to cause birth defects and cancer. This product is not meant to be eaten or ingested." I began to feel sick to my stomach. This lip gloss was obviously being marketed to children and obviously meant to be ingested or it wouldn't have been given a fruity mango flavor.

Horrified I paced around the store imagining how many little girls were going to beg their Moms for this toxic lip gloss and how many Mom's would willingly buy it for them. I would have done the same thing when I was a little girl. What busy mom has time to screen her child's lip gloss for Lead? Most people operate under the misconception that some government agency is ensuring that the products we use are safe and free from hazardous chemicals. Why would a children's lip gloss contain lead? This is America right? We have people watching out for our safety and our children's safety right? When it comes to the health and beauty industry this couldn't be further from the truth. There is no agency testing ingredient safety before they're marketed in beauty products. Often companies can legally get around listing cancer causing ingredients on their label by hiding them under the term Fragrance.

Now I know I can't change the world, but I still believe in standing up for what's right. I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I didn't do something about this. I spoke to the manager and made her aware of the product. She thanked me and seemed shocked that they were selling this product as well. When I returned home I called Target's corporate office only to be transferred to India where a customer service representative acted shocked at my concern. I'm sure that Target won't pull these items off of their shelves as legally they can sell products containing lead if they have a warning on them. My hope is that more consumers will start reading labels and making educated decisions about the products they purchase for their families. There are many companies that are dedicated to providing their customers with healthy organic products so we always have the option to use our purchasing power to send a message to the health and beauty industry.

So I guess the moral of the story is cheaper isn't safer or better. Keep it green!