Showing posts with label Personal Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Care. Show all posts

What I Use Now: Non-toxic Household Cleaners & Personal Products

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Knowing my propensity to over-research consumer products, sometimes a friend or family member will call me to ask my advice about a particular non-toxic cleaner, lawn treatment, or mattress. But recently my neighbor decided to completely overhaul all her household cleaners and personal products and asked me to share with her what I use. And as I pulled up some old blog posts to share with her on these topics, I noticed that while much of the information and reasoning behind my choices was still up-to-date, many of the products were not. Some products have been discontinued. Some have been replaced with less toxic or more effective ones.

So I decided to make an exhaustive online list of our household cleaners and personal products to share with her and others that I intend to continually update. This list shares what I am actually using now in my own home and with my own family, 10+ years into the eco-friendly journey. The page also includes links to posts on the category (laundry, kitchen, teeth, hair, etc.) and where to find more information about your own cleaners or my cleaners

I would also like to note that there are a lot of great green cleaners out there now (or you could make your own non-toxic cleaners, although I never have), but for certain categories, it took a lot of trial-and-error to find something that worked for us: in particular, dishwasher detergent and hair products (our family has thick curly hair). I hope my painful experiences will spare you some.


You will find the continually updated list here:
What I Use Now: Eco-friendly Household Cleaners & Personal Products

Did I leave something off that you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments below. 


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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Your purchase via these links helps support my blog. Thank you for your support. Read my full disclosure policy here.

How Green Is Your Hair? Non-toxic Hair Care for the Entire Family

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We are a family of very thick, very curly hair. I am particular about hair products (I never use whatever happens to be in the shower when I stay at hotels or with family), and it always takes me a while to find non-toxic products that I like and that work for me and my family. I go through a period of mourning when a product I love is discontinued.

I last wrote about my favorite non-toxic hair products in 2013. Most of those products have been discontinued (sadly), or in some cases I have found something better. So here is an update. This post addresses the hair products my entire family uses.

If you are interested in the nitty gritty of my approach to choosing personal care products and the reasoning behind it, check out this post.

Make Time Every Day to Do the Things You Love

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On a walk around 7:30 pm. The kids should have been getting ready for bed, but oh well.

Once upon a time I taught elementary school for many years in Los Angeles. Although working with kids was often rewarding, there was plenty about teaching that I did not enjoy. Some of the required curriculum was decidedly lackluster. Then there was the endless paperwork, the depressing home situations, the demoralizing staff meetings (your test scores still suck!), the discipline issues, the test prep, and the staff politics. Worst of all, I felt like a failure almost every day. In the beginning, I just didn't know what I was doing. And even later when I did, there was simply not enough time in the day to do everything, and certainly never enough time to do it well.

But despite the overwhelming pressures of teaching in low-income under-performing schools (often in danger of being "taken over" by the state), I decided for my own sanity to spend some time each day doing things that I enjoyed and considered important, even if nobody else cared that I did them (or even if my principal and other higher ups actively discouraged me from doing them). I read aloud to my students every day. We exercised every day. And we talked about poetry and sang songs every single day.

Turns out that learning to cope with an incessant sense of failure and always having more to get done than can possibly get done were excellent preparation for being a parent. Now as a parent of three little ones, when the sense of failure becomes especially overwhelming, I remember this lesson from my teaching days: make time every day to do the things that you love.

Safe & Healthy Pregnancy: the Best Free, Online Resources

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Pregnancy is a great time to go green! Here are several excellent online guides for a natural pregnancy that are free, concise, and doable.

Environmental Chemicals: Stay Safe During Pregnancy 

by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2013)
This infographic is the shortest and sweetest of all the recommendations, but it comes from an authoritative source. In 2013, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine issued a joint statement urging ob-gyns "to advocate for government policy changes to identify and reduce exposure to toxic environmental agents," and to counsel their patients on how to avoid environmental toxins.  Their infographic offers women six tips for a safe pregnancy, mostly related to diet. If you want to delve deeper into the reasons for their recommendations you can read the document "Exposure to Toxic Environmental Agents." Be warned though, it's scary stuff (I wouldn't read it if I were pregnant).

Goddess Garden Spray Sunscreen: Convenience without Toxic Chemicals {Review}

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This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood. All opinions are my own.

Summer is just around the corner (at least here in Northern California!). It's time for me to sign up my three little ones for swim lessons and to get out the beach and swim gear. This is the time of year when I make sure we are well-stocked with non-toxic, broad spectrum sunscreens so that I'm not stuck with an old expired sorta icky tube of sunscreen the first day of swim lessons or the first time we head for the beach. This summer we will be using Goddess Garden Organics sunscreens. Goddess Garden sunscreens are safe, effective, convenient to use (non-toxic sunscreen spray, anyone?), and non-whitening.

Safe and effective ingredients


Here is a surprising truth: there is no proof that sunscreens prevent most skin cancers. Researchers offer several explanations for this counter-intuitive finding: one is that people who use sunscreens spend more time in the sun than those who don't (ultimately exposing themselves to more UV rays than the non-sunscreen users who stay out of the sun); there is also evidence to suggest that some ingredients commonly used in sunscreens (such as vitamin A/ retinyl palmitate) may actually speed the development of skin cancer; finally, another possible explanation is that many sunscreens protect users only against sunburns from UVB rays without protecting users from UVA rays, which are linked to skin cancer and premature aging.


6 Strategies for Choosing Non-toxic Personal Care Products

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This past week concerned customers have been taking letters to Walgreen asking them to #MindtheStore by keeping products containing any of a list of 100 hazardous ingredients off their shelves. Similar previous efforts have resulted in Target and Walmart agreeing to take steps to reduce and eliminate hazardous chemicals in their products. Some might wonder whether this course of action is really necessary. I mean, don't our national laws and regulations prevent retailers from selling hazardous products in the first place?

Acceptable Levels of Risk


Although most consumers believe the U.S. government regulates the safety of personal care products, the sad truth is, personal products (a.k.a. cosmetics) are among the least-regulated products on the market. The current cosmetics law in the United States dates back to 1938, long before thousands of ingredients had even been invented. The FDA (charged with oversight of the cosmetics industry) has no authority to require pre-market safety testing, does not have the authority to regulate what goes into cosmetics before they are marketed for consumer use, and has no authority to require recalls of harmful cosmetics or even to require that manufacturers report cosmetics-related injuries to the FDA (source).

In fact, the cosmetics industry rather than a government agency is in charge of policing itself. Like many other industries before them (tobacco, alcohol, and now food), when faced with the possibility of meaningful government regulation (in 1978), the cosmetics industry volunteered to regulate itself by creating the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Panel. Who determines if ingredients are safe enough to be used in personal products?
"Acceptable levels of risk are entirely at the [Industry] Panel's discretion" (source).

Why I Don't Use Tampons Anymore

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I had no intention of ever writing about this. Menstruation isn't my favorite topic, and I am a rather private person. Even after I became one of those weirdly enthusiastic menstrual cup users, I still wasn't planning to publish a post about alternatives to conventional feminine products. It was when I read the troubling report Chem Fatale by Women's Voices for the Earth about the potential health effects of toxic chemicals in feminine care products that I decided I would write a post about my experience switching to eco-friendlier menstrual products. As the report points out, "products intended for use on or in an incredibly absorbent part of a woman's body are marketed and sold with little to no data assuring the ingredients they contain are safe." That's in part because tampons and pads are considered medical devices by the FDA, and "medical devices lack any government requirement to disclose ingredients to the consumer."

Unfortunately, according to the report Chem Fatale, studies have shown that many chemicals of concern can be present in tampons and pads.

Hazardous chemicals in tampons may include:


Use Bar Soap {Easy Eco-tip Tuesday}

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Today's Easy Eco-tip: 


 Use bar soap instead of liquid soap.

Give bars a chance.


For several years now, body wash has outstripped bar soap in sales. I think it's safe to say most Americans are using liquid hand soap rather than bar soap as well. But before 1980, liquid soaps were virtually non-existent. One of the things I love about our 1960s bathrooms is that the sinks have little indentations on each side of the faucet for bar soap. Imagine that! Instead of a built in stainless-steel soap dispenser, the latest and greatest in 1960 was a built-in place to store your bar soap. There are many reasons to give good old-fashioned bar soap a second look.

Compared to liquid soaps and body washes, bar soaps:

Use Eco-friendly and PVC-free Yoga Mats to Avoid Phthalates and Other Toxic Chemicals

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Once I began exercising again after my third child was born, I decided it was time to retire my decade-old yoga mat and invest in a new one. My old yoga mat was very thin and not very high quality (it came free with a yoga DVD), but still usable. However, after years and years of using it, it dawned on me that it was almost certainly made of vinyl (PVC).

PVC is arguably the most toxic plastic. It's made with toxic chlorine which results in toxic dioxin being released into the environment. PVC products are also made using toxic additives such as lead and endocrine-distrupting phthalates, additives which readily migrate and off-gas during the use of PVC products. I especially wasn't comfortable with exposure to phthalates, which are added to PVC to make it soft and flexible (like a yoga mat), and which readily migrate to the surface of PVC products in which they are found. Phthalates also readily pass from mother to fetus through the placenta and are also found in breastmilk.

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors and have been linked to:
  • lower testosterone levels
  • decreased sperm counts
  • poor sperm quality
  • malformations of the male reproductive tract and testicular cancer
  • obesity
  • reduced female fertility
  • preterm birth and low birthweight
  • a worsening of allergy and asthma symptoms
  • behavior changes

Natural (PVC-free) Yoga Mats


Ten years ago, I'm guessing it was pretty difficult to find a PVC-free yoga mat. But now, thankfully, there are many PVC-free options. I wanted a natural rubber mat, and also a thicker one that would give me some decent cushion on top of my hardwood floor. I ended up purchasing the Gaiam Sol Power-Grip Yoga Mat made of natural rubber (note: I remember that it smelled strongly of rubber initially). It is pretty thick (4 mm) and has a nice grip to it too. I use my mat for beginning yoga but also for general exercise (while barefoot on hardwood) that includes pilates, weights, cardio, and stretching. I do not get super sweaty when I workout and am not terribly concerned about slippage. If you are a serious yogi, see the reviews below by yoga experts.

Some other natural (PVC-free) yoga mats include:


TPE and PER Plastic Yoga Mats


There are also less expensive synthetic yoga mats made from Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) and Polymer Environmental Resin (PER). TPE is a synthetic rubber that is touted as a healthy alternative to PVC. According to Thinksport, TPE is "free of BPA, PVC, Lead, Phthalates, Dioxins, and biologically toxic chemicals." What exactly TPE is I couldn't tell you. But I feel confident stating that it is far better than traditional PVC.

Yoga Mats Made from Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) 



Probably the least expensive alternative to traditional PVC is Polymer Environmental Resin (PER), which is touted as a less-toxic form of PVC. According to one manufacturer, which describes PER as "clean PVC," PER is free of "phthalates, dioxins and furans, phenal, or heavy metals and has a ecologically safer method of production which is better for the workers and the environment."

Yoga mats made from Polymer Environmental Resin (PER)


For my daughter, who often likes to "exercise" with me, I got a smaller mat so it wouldn't take up as much room. I purchased the Namaste Kid's Eco-friendly Kids Yoga Mat (made of PER). It measures 24" by 48" and is much thinner than mine, but suitable for my toddler, 4yo or even 6yo. It's main purpose is really to keep them off my mat and out of my way. I actually didn't realize PER is a form of PVC when I bought it. I couldn't find a small-sized rubber yoga mat. In retrospect, I would have preferred a TPE mat such as the Little Yoga Mat for my kids, but I don't feel strongly enough about it to stop using the PER mat.

Looking for additional PVC-free products? Check out these posts that describe and review PVC-free:
Stay tuned for additional posts about PVC-free alternatives to traditionally vinyl products.


Additional Eco-friendly Yoga Mat Reviews for Serious Yogis



How do you avoid PVC?
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Your purchase via these links helps support my blog. Thank you for your support. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Finding Non-toxic Lipstick Using the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database

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The only make-up I ever wear these days is lipstick. I like lipstick because it instantly makes you look done up (my sister taught me this trick). Less discerning souls might even think you spent 30 minutes in front of a mirror putting on makeup and trying to look your best.

Recently I decided I wanted to purchase some non-toxic lipstick. Some of you may have heard about lead in lipstick. The FDA has an allowable level of lead in lipstick. Personally, I'd like my lipstick to be lead-free and toxin-free, since I am both constantly eating as well as absorbing through my skin its ingredients. Although I have shifted much of my purchasing to online simply because I loathe shopping with my small children, make-up is the kind of thing I like to shop for in person. So here's what I did.

My Favorite Non-toxic Hair Products

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My hair after washing with shampoo bar and rinsing 
with vinegar (no conditioner).

EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database


To determine the toxicity or safety of products or specific ingredients, I often consult EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database, which evaluates the safety of personal products based upon research regarding known and probable carcinogens, reproductive and developmental toxicants, as well as allergens and irritants. The higher the score, the more potential toxins your product contains. Personally, I pay more attention to ingredients linked to cancer and developmental/ reproductive problems than those that are allergens (essential oils are often potential allergens or skin irritants).

The one problem with this database is that sometimes it is out-of-date or incomplete. Sometimes for the product I am investigating, an old formulation might be listed. I always cross-check the ingredients listed in the Cosmetic Database against a list of online ingredients (either from the manufacturer or from an online drugstore that lists all ingredients such as Vitacost). Other times the product is not in the database at all. Sometimes I use the Build Your Own Report function of the database, which takes a few minutes, but is easier than typing in individual ingredients in the search box. And then you have your custom report to refer back to whenever you please.

Here are the hair products I am currently using.

Easy Steps for a Healthy & Safe Nursery: a Fantastic Free Resource from HCHW

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Easy Steps eBook Cover.png


Healthy Child Healthy World, one of my favorite and most trusted sources, has just released an invaluable resource to help parents and other adults keep children safe from toxins: Easy Steps for a Healthy & Safe Nursery. This interactive eBook is 40+ pages and packed with user-friendly information and tips.

I love that the Easy Steps eBook begins with a section entitled "How to Use This Guide" which directly addresses the toxic information overload that so many parents encounter when they first discover the number of toxins in our everyday environment. Next, the eBook briefly discusses why we need to pay attention to chemicals in the environment, including a discussion of childhood diseases that are on the rise -- a great section to share with partners and other caregivers who might need a little convincing that baby products can be unsafe.

The bulk of this eBook, though, is all about solutions. Here are some features you'll find within Easy Steps for a Healthy & Safe Nursery:

Does Your Sunscreen Protect Against Skin Cancer?

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Hello, June! School's almost out and the temperature is rising. It's time to hit the beach. Most of the time we opt for covering up over wearing sunscreen when spending time in the sun, but for long outdoor adventures, we use sunscreen.

Environmental Working Group has released its 6th Annual Sunscreen Guide. Let's review the main reasons you need to consult this guide:

Ten Tips for Sun Safety

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Last year I wrote about the surprising fact that, according to the FDA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there is no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer. Because both UV radiation and many common sunscreen ingredients generate free radicals that accelerate skin aging and cause skin cancer, if you use sunscreen improperly, you may be causing more harm than good. According to EWG, "Most experts agree that people should use sunscreens to protect their skin from the sun, but they disagree widely on how well they actually work." Many experts now recommend clothing and shade, not sunscreen, as primary barriers from sun exposure.

My children and I spend at least two hours and as many as six hours outside whenever weather permits, which is nearly every day in northern California. We use clothing and shade as primary barriers from the sun, and sunscreen only on occasion (beach trips and a few other occasions). Here are my some tips for avoiding sunburns and carcinogenic UV radiation without exposing your family to harmful chemicals.


Natural Deodorant that Works for My Husband

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For years, I've been searching for a less-toxic deodorant for my husband. My husband has gone along with most of my green upgrades pretty willingly, but he insists on having a deodorant that is up to the task, and so far the less-toxic deodorants have largely not worked for my husband. Now I am willing to let a thing or two slide here and there, but I did not let go of my quest for a new deodorant for my husband for one major reason: he often sleeps with our kids, and after they sleep together, I can smell the fragrance of his deodorant on my kids. Which means the fragrance is on them. 

Pregnancy, Pain, and Prenatal Exercise DVDs

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If ever there was a good time to get serious about regularly exercising, it's pregnancy! Exercise during pregnancy decreases your chances of preeclampsia, builds endurance for labor and delivery, and allows for a quicker postpartum recovery. In addition, exercise also helps regulate your blood sugar levels and can be as effective as medication in treating gestational diabetes. For me, exercise was an important way to cope with the discomfort and pain of pregnancy at a time when I wanted to avoid taking pain relief medications. 

Non-toxic Tooth Care

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I’ve known for a while to avoid amalgam (metal) fillings because of possible mercury exposure, but recently while flipping through Smart Mama’s Green Guide I found out that the white fillings may be a source of BPA.  Great.  Bottom line: for these reasons and more, I would like to avoid cavities and fillings.  Here is what tooth care looks like at my house.

Natural Cold and Flu Remedies

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Actually, I don't really know much about natural cold and flu remedies.  Note that I am not a medical professional nor an herbalist. But I have survived many, many, many illnesses with children too young to take common cold remedies such as decongestants or cough suppressants, as well as many colds myself while pregnant (when I try not to take any medications unless absolutely necessary).  So how do we deal with the stuffy noses and sore throats and other miseries of minor illnesses around here?

Avoiding Phthalates in Deodorant and Everywhere Else

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I've been searching for a less-toxic deodorant for my husband for years.  My husband has gone along with most of my green upgrades pretty willingly, but he insists on having a deodorant that is up to the task, and so far the less-toxic deodorants have largely not worked for my husband.  Now I am willing to let a thing or two slide here and there, but I have not let go of my quest for a new deodorant for my husband for one major reason: he often sleeps with our kids, and after they sleep together, I can smell the fragrance of his deodorant on my kids.  Which means the fragrance is on them.

Eczema

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Eczema is a pretty common skin disorder, especially among babies and children.  Children usually outgrow their eczema, but it can be extremely frustrating for parents and uncomfortable for children while it lasts.  My husband has suffered from eczema, particularly on his hands, throughout his life.  After several years of "going green gradually," switching to more natural cleaning and personal products, my husband announced that his eczema seemed to be gone for good.  Then recently we stayed with some friends, who use conventional cleaning and personal products.  In less than a week, my husband's hands were dry and beginning to peel again.  When we returned home, the eczema cleared up again.  We'll probably never know what the exact trigger was, but it was a dramatic illustration of how the environment could affect his condition.

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