Trying to be green…a mom's journey

It’s not easy being green…part 2

This blog post is late, I know. I do have a few poor excuses; one of which is Jersey Shore [my guilty pleasure], but mostly just general procrastination. A bigger part of why I am so tardy is that I became grouchy whenever I began to go over the information about personal care products…and to note, I’ve gone over this information numerous times over the past year. It doesn’t matter how often I review the facts…I still feel slightly uneasy, kind of scared.

I went over what I’ve got in my drawers, shower and makeup bag. What could I have possibly done to myself over 30 some odd years?

In recent years, lobbyist groups have uncovered and publicized truths about the beauty product industry. The dangers have ALWAYS been there…the makers have known of the dangers since the 50s. It’s just recently that our own Government has started to give a damn and finally passed a law that cosmetics and personal care products are to have ingredient lists on them.

I was just emailed this link last week, and it fits perfectly into what I wanted to write about. It is absolutely BRILLIANT!!! Watch it, and you won’t be disappointed! http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/.

Back to the nitty gritty:

Did you know that the Environmental Working Group found that more than one-third of all personal care products contain at least one ingredient linked to cancer? 57 per cent of all personal care products contain chemicals known as “penetration enhancers” that can drive other ingredients faster and deeper into the skin [our largest organ]. 60 per cent of that which we put onto our skin goes into our body! I have to say, the worst part for me is the fact that 80 per cent of personal care products contain ingredients that pose serious health risks, but are deemed legal and unrestricted!!

The European Union [EU] has banned over 1,100 personal care product ingredients. The FDA has banned only NINE. 89 per cent of the near 11,000 ingredients used in personal care products have NEVER been evaluated for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, or any other institution for that matter. Whew! Lots and lots of numbers. Here are some more:

On average, a person uses ten products a day. Within those ten products are over 500 chemicals – many of them harmful to our health. Up until recently, I was completely oblivious to what I was dousing my hair and skin with. Do you know what you’re exposing your body to? My general recommendation is to use products with the smallest, healthiest ingredient list, to lessen the number of personal care products we use, and use less of those actual products.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: READ LABELS. I cannot stress the importance of reading labels enough. I listed a number of things to steer clear of in my first blog, but I will reiterate some of those again, and more: Components linked to breast cancer and reproductive disorders = PARABENS. You’ll find parabens listed as “methyl-“, “ethyl-“, “propyl-“, “butyl-“, and “isobutyl”; Components toxic to the reproductive system, listed as “fragrance” = PHTHALATES. You may see these listed at DEHP, BBP, DBP, DMP and/or DEP; ingredients interfering in testosterone production = TRICLOSAN [antibacterial]; known to be carcinogenic, but makes frothy bubbles =  SODIUM LAURYL/LAURETH SULFATE; harmful to the kidneys and liver, also found in brake fluid and antifreeze = PROPYLENE GLYCOL.

Total Debby Downer, hey?

Another thing with labels. Don’t be fooled by marketing claims. There are a bunch of terms used on products that are completely meaningless as they are NOT REGULATED. Some of these terms are: hypoallergenic, doctor tested, doctor approved, dermatologist tested or approved, nontoxic and no synthetic ingredients. I made myself a cheat-sheet at the recommendation of a friend and I carry it in my purse in order to reference it when needed. If I am ever suspicious of an ingredient, I don’t buy the product. That simple. I was given a GREAT piece of advice when looking for safe products: look for the dove symbol on the back of the bottle…two doves/birds in a circle.

Look over your products and try to find a suitable replacement if you find what you are currently using isn’t as safe as it could be. Try and cut down the number of products you use on a daily basis, and use less of those products. Try making your own products if you can. There are things that are probably in your kitchen that you can use: olive oil, almond oil and coconut oil can be used as moisturizers. Oatmeal can be used in place of a face mask. There are some wicked facial scrub recipes on the net using sugar and honey.  I do a lot of my shopping at Planet Organic where I can get what I need under one roof, with knowledgeable staff that can help me if needed. I have found many wonderful products, after having to try several duds, in my opinion.

Hand soap: I like Nature Clean which can also be purchased at Superstore and CTC in some provinces!

Body soap: I loooove Rocky Mountain Soap Company pumpkin patch soap, which is supposedly great for your skin, and those suffering from sensitive skin. Kogi is also an excellent line. Although expensive, cut them into thinner pieces, and let them dry out. They last longer!

Body lotion: Patrick Curelle. This is the cleanest lotion I can find on the market. I find it works really, really well and is reasonably priced. Kogi, Carina, Beautiful Basics and Rocky Mountain Soap Company also make great lotions.

Cosmetics: I am currently using and liking Pure Minerals. Pure Ananda is another very highly-rated mineral makeup that is hard to get your hands on. You can order it online through a company based in Airdrie, AB: http://www.naturalegreen.ca/

Dr. Hauschka is extremely expensive, but also very “clean” and very, very popular. The Company grows its own 100% certified organic ingredients.

Shampoo & conditioner: Kogi and Carina Organics are both excellent, but sometimes hard to find. http://www.naturalegreen.ca/ does sell these products. Druide for kids is AWESOME!!! Please, ditch that Aveeno Baby and get Druide. They are a much more affordable brand based out of Quebec and also offer shower gels, soaps and facial products. Weleda uses a high percentage of quality organics, as does B.C.-based Life Roots. You can also look to Terra Essentials and Aubrey Organics – but look at their labels, as they sometimes contain ingredients that I find questionable.

Styling agents: Carina Organics gets really great ratings, although I haven’t tried it…yet. Aubrey Organics, Jason and Kiss My Face offer aerosol-free hairsprays, mousses, gels and waxes without petroleum pastes.

Hair dye: Did you know it is safer to lighten your hair rather than dye it darker?? This blew me away. Hydrogen Peroxide is used as a chemical lightener, and it isn’t all that bad in more diluted solutions. It breaks down quickly into water and air.  The biggest issue with bleaching your hair, is that peroxide is most often mixed with ammonia which is a skin and lung irritant and is also toxic to aquatic life. If you wish to try to lighten your locks in a friendlier way, try lemon juice – blow dry it into your hair and continue until you get your desired effect.

All permanent hair dyes contain PPD [p-phenylenediamine – extremely toxic!! PPD is what allows the colour to “stick” to your hair. Dyes are made up of a concoction of nasty chemicals that are toxic to us, and to the environment. The National Cancer Institute states that deep-coloured dyes [dark brown and black] may increase the risk of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and multiple melanomas when used every month over a long period of time. As well, those dying their hair more than once a month using a permanent colour were more than twice as likely to develop bladder cancer.

Semi-permanent dyes and temporary colour do not share those risks…although, because they are not absorbed into your hair, they are washed down the drain, polluting our water supplies.

Natural Instincts is free of ammonia but still contains over a dozen chemicals. Herbatint is a biodegradable, ammonia and cruelty-free herbal air colour gel with low concentrations of PPD and peroxide. Herbatint also has a semi-permanent line that is vegetable-based and PPD-free! Other lines that are healthier alternatives are Ecocolors and Naturcolor. You can of course, use Henna to get darker tresses.

Antiperspirants: According to government bodies [aka: Health Canada], there’s apparently nothing to worry about with the use of antiperspirants. The aluminum and/or zirconian closes the pores to reduce perspiration and it’s been said there could be a link with these minerals and Alzheimer’s due to studies finding higher aluminum concentrations in the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients. I ditched my antiperspirant long ago as I will not risk it – no matter what Health Canada says.

Deodorants: These are just odour-masking products. They contain chemical fragrance, and coal tar-based colours such as Yellow No. 6 that are possibly toxic to the liver. Deodorants have preservatives such as formaldehyde in them which have nasty side affects that include being an air pollutant, a lung irritant, and a probable human carcinogen.

If you’re looking for a more natural-based deodorant, look for one with the highest organic content. Crystals made with the natural rock salt Alum are apparently effective and I’ve used Rocky Mountain Soap Company’s deodorants which I have found to work well.

Again, it’s not happy reading, but I hope you’ve found this informative and helpful. Watch: http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/ for even more information.

It’s not easy being green…part 1

Kermit the Frog said it for different reasons, but boy, was he right!

I am not ashamed to admit that I was a beauty product junkie. I loved all things that could “beautify” me. I had numerous make-up bags full of lipsticks, bronzers, shadows, pencils, mascaras…the list goes on. I used a different shampoo each time, because someone had a new, delicious scent. Lotions with bronzing capabilities and lotions with sparkle, lotions that smelled like you could eat it…it all enticed me. I was not a slave to brands…in fact, if it was less expensive, I’d just buy one of each colour! I have spent countless hours in the aisles and at the counters sniffing, testing, admiring, and buying. My obsession wasn’t consuming – but it sure was gratifying! I felt great smelling and looking nice.

When my husband first noticed he had scent sensitivities, and a few of the scents I wore would cause a very scary reaction, I had to start saying good-bye to some of my “friends”. Then one day, all the scents were gone. All of the air fresheners, all of the scented candles, perfumes, body sprays, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and soaps. I missed some of them dearly. Every so often when he was out-of-town, I’d dust the cobwebs off the Gain Detergent and do a load of laundry. Just like the commercial, I’d smell each piece of laundry while I folded it and thoroughly enjoying it.

Then I began my research on the scent-sensitivities afflicting my husband. Buh-bye Gain. It was very disturbing reading about scents and what they can do us. I no longer miss those items that used to bring me so much joy.

Chemical fragrances, or synthetic fragrances are mostly petroleum-based. If you see “fragrance” on the label, it usually means that the scent ingredients are unregulated and untested. Some research suggests that some of these chemicals act as hormone disruptors [causing defects in boys, and early puberty in girls], are cancer-causing carcinogens, and are neural damaging.

Ontop of scent, I have found other ingredients in my products to be just as damaging. I suggest reading labels. It may be time consuming, but I guarantee you’ll feel much better about using it. Although Canada itself doesn’t demand complete ingredient disclosure, my personal opinion is, if there’s nothing to hide, why not disclose it?? My personal rule of thumb is to not purchase if it doesn’t have an ingredient list.

The following list is taken directly from the book Ecoholic, by Adria Vasil. These are the Top 10 beauty product ingredients to stay away from.

1. Diethanolamine [DEA]: A suspected carcinogen common in shampoos, body wash and makeup. Cocamide DEA, MEA and TEA may be contaminated with DEA.
2. Formaldehyde: You might not see it on the ingredient list, but it is found in imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin and quaternium-15. Formaldehyde can evaporate into the air when the product is wet.
3. Parabens: All types of parabens [methyl, ethyl, etc.] hae been found to be estrogenic – they mimic female hormones. Parabens have been found in breast cancer tumor samples but haven’t been conclusively linked to cancer.
4. Petrolatum: Comes from non-renewable crude oil, kind of like tanking up at the pump. Not breathable. Mineral oil is also petroleum-based.
5. Phenylenediamine [PPD]: Also goes by the name of P-diaminobenzene. Found in all permanent dyes, especially darker shades, it has been tied to increase bladder cancer in long-term, frequent users.
6. Phthalates: You’ll rarely see this controversial family of hormone disruptors om labels. It’s often tucked away under the ingredient “fragrance”.
7. Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate [SLS]: Skin irritants; laureth is less irritating than lauryl, but can still cause dryness. Found not to cause cancer after much suspicion, but not everyone is convinced.
8. Talc: A powder found in everything from eye shadow and blush to baby powder and deoderant. Any talc that is contaminated with asbestos fibres is recognized as a carcinogen.
9. Toluene: This powerful solvent is found in nail polish. Long-term exposure affects the nervous system, liver and kidneys and contributes to smog.
10. Triclosan: An anti-bacterial chemical used in pretty much everything. It is building up in our rivers and sewage sludge and can turn into carcinogenic dioxins when exposed to sunlight and water.

If you are looking for safer alternatives to what you are using, please post a comment with your email address, and I will message you with a few alternatives that either come highly recommended through various eco-groups, and those I have purchased, tried and endorse.

I told you being green wasn’t easy! It’s a lot of reading between the lines. This is just the start of a multi-part series on beauty and body products for the entire family. At the end of the series, I will give a list of those products that I recommend, where to purchase, and the approximate price.