Teen Girls Exposure to Cosmetic Chemicals

A recent study by the Environmental Working Group has revealed that teen girls bodies are more contaminated with chemicals from cosmetics than adult women. On average an adult woman uses 12 beauty products per day, however teen girls use an average of 17 beauty products per day. The study included 20 teen girls ages 14-19 and revealed that every teen had parabens in her blood and urine samples. 16 other hazardous chemicals were also detected in the girls. Adolescence is a time of critical development and many of these chemicals such as parabens are disrupting our teens natural hormone levels. Parabens and Phthalates are both hormone mimicking chemicals that disrupt our natural hormone levels and pollute our bodies with synthetic "mimicking" hormones. 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. If you don't read the ingredients labels on your cosmetics you are unknowingly exposing yourself to these chemicals on a daily basis. Parabens and Phthalates are in everything from shampoo, foundation, deodorant and perfume.

I hear stories daily about women in their early 20s being diagnosed with breast cancer, I even saw a news story about a 13 year old who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Is this a coincidence? I don't think so. The cosmetic industry has no regulation and companies are free to put whatever chemicals they want into products. There's some government group that regulates the cosmetic industry right? Wrong! Our bodies, our children, our waterways and our aquatic life are all being affected by the hormone disrupting chemicals in our cosmetics products.

I encourage everyone to start reading labels. Resist the temptation to buy your teen the latest beauty products from the fashion mags. Get on board with green products and show her that you can still stay on trend while using products that are safe for your health. Green is hot and many commercial companies are jumping on the band wagon. A great drug store brand eco line is Physcians Formula Organic Wear. Buyer beware, even if a product is being marketed as green make sure you still read the labels. Many companies are taking advantage of the fact that consumers want green products and are marketing their products as "safe and natural" when they are anything but. Surprise, Surprise there isn't anyone regulating what is "natural" either so "Green Washing" is becoming a challenge for consumers. A good rule of thumb is if the ingredients aren't listed, don't buy the product. Not to fear there are some amazing companies out there that are producing fabulous green products free from all of the harmful chemicals we've discussed. Check out my website for recommendations, to read product reviews, get educated and read the ingredient listings on every product.

Are your pets living the green life?

A recent study has shown that dogs and cats bodies are contaminated with higher levels of hazardous chemicals than their human owners. Pets are exposed to toxic chemicals in their environment on a daily basis through pesticide-laden lawns, toxic flea medications and hazardous indoor air contaminants. Since their bodies age at an accelerated rate the chemicals burden their bodies sooner than they do humans. Scientists are seeing rates of cancer in dog’s skyrocket as well as hyperthyroidism in cats, leading them to the conclusion that hazardous chemical exposure is to blame.

Did you know that most popular flea medications work by entering toxic chemicals directly into your pets bloodstream? Vitamin B has been shown effective in keeping fleas at bay and is a safe and natural alternative. Keep your pets breathing easy by eliminating toxic household cleaners and air fresheners in the home. This will ensure that your indoor air quality is safe for your pets. Also be sure and use eco friendly products to keep outdoor pests away. Pesticides are extremely toxic to pets.

Good health starts from the inside out so check out your pets food and make sure that you're feeding them a high quality food that is free from artificial ingredients, preservatives and fillers. Many skin conditions can be cleared up by eliminating corn and wheat products from your pets food as well as choosing a green SLS free dog shampoo. For more recommendations on green pets products check out www.green4yoursoul.com

What is Fair Trade Anyway? Case Study: Shea Terra Organics

Fair Trade protects native workers from exploitation by ensuring that they receive fair wages and fair working conditions.  Many impoverished nations have great natural resources that are purchased by big businesses for use in cosmetic and food products.  Often times these businesses undercut the native farmers and destroy wildlife habitats.  Once company that's making a difference with Fair Trade is Shea Terra Organics.  Shea Terra Organics has been concerned about the exploitation of Africa’s precious resources and native people. Currently millions of tons of African resources are exported each year without consideration for the native people or the wildlife habitats.  Shea Terra Organics goal is to abolish this injustice. 

Shea Terra Organics works closely with self-empowerment programs and environmental groups throughout Africa.  Rather than looking for ways to undercut suppliers Shea Terra allows native farmers to set their own prices and determine what they believe the value of their goods are.  Shea Terra’s goal is to help native people become self-sufficient.  Their Marula Oil is cultivated by a group of over four thousand Namibian women.  Many of these women have escaped the war torn north and this opportunity provides them with their only source of income. By providing natives with money for their wild harvested crops they are given an incentive to protect the environment and it’s wildlife.  By purchasing Shea Terra products you are helping support wildlife preservation, Fair Trade, self-empowerment and education programs in Africa.  Always choose Fair Trade products and you can feel good in knowing that your hard earned money is making a difference in the lives of others. 

Green Washing

This past weekend I went to the Los Angeles County Fair.  As all regular Fair goers know the Fair is filled with Pavilion after Pavilion of the "latest and greatest products".  One such product marketed themselves as "All Natural"; they had huge banners in their multiple booths stating this and even a story about how their product was developed by the founders Grandmother in her kitchen.  This "natural" family recipe was a cure all for everything from bug bites to sore muscles.  My Mom had purchased the product the previous year and was excited to show it to me.  "Since it's natural you might be able to carry it on your website" she said.  We made our way over the booth and I picked up the box to read the ingredients.  There were only a few natural ingredients listed on the box including "Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Aloe Vera”.  Since my Mom loved the product and I could see how natural it was I was sold.  

Thirty-five dollars and several hours later I was in the shower as my husband was going through the items we had purchased.  We were both tired and sore from walking around all day and couldn't wait to try out our new natural pain reliever.  My husband came bursting into the bathroom to tell me that the company was lying about their products.  When he removed the bottle from the box he discovered that the box only listed the natural ingredients in the product, however the bottle revealed ingredients that made us both cringe.  "Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and a host of other ingredients we couldn't pronounce and didn't recognize.  Once again we'd been the victims of "green washing".  There are no laws governing the definition of what is "natural".  Companies are free to market their chemically laden products as natural with no consequences for their deception.  I'm always on alert to this and usually catch it before I've wasted my money on the product.  I wasn't expecting this level of deception and hadn't thought to pull the bottle from the package.  

Although this didn’t surprise me I was angry wondering how many other people had been taken.  I deal with customers on a daily basis that have extreme allergies, are recovering from illnesses such as cancer or simply want to ensure that they're using safe green products.  This is the reason behind Green 4 Your Soul’s full disclosure policy on ingredients.  If there is an ingredient you wish to avoid you can clearly see that ingredient on the website before you buy the product.  Marketing a product as green and withholding the synthetic and chemical ingredients from the packaging is shameful.  Many people wouldn't look beyond the ingredient listing on the box and would unknowingly use a product containing harmful chemicals.  I urge everyone to read labels and use your purchasing power to make a statement against green washing.  Don't spend your hard earned money on so-called "Natural Products", the less support these companies receive the harder it will be for them to continue this charade.

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