You Stink!

Think Before You Stink

2010-11-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

It turns out that a woman named Carrie has explained very clearly what the problem is, what you can do about it, and why it matters. Here's a little bit from her home page:

In today’s society, the amount of hazardous chemicals used in common household products, beauty products, construction, and other industries is astounding. Many people go about their daily lives not paying much attention to which products they use and what’s in the air they’re breathing. I used to be one of these people. I didn’t think much of the unpronounceable ingredients in my soap, perfume, dryer sheets, or even my food. I didn’t think they were really harming me. Later in life, as I developed Chemical Sensitivities, I began to make the connection between what I put on and in my body, what I was exposed to, and how I felt.

I encourage you to read her site -- yes, all of it -- and to pass this link along to everyone you know. Let her know that her work is appreciated and being disseminated.

And, while we're at it, have you visited Not So Sexy: Hidden Chemicals in Perfume and Cologne lately. Definitely you should stop by and add to your education.

I'm so tired of this

2010-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here writing this post, it's 11:02 p.m. Monday. The temperature is finally below 85 and we can open the windows. Alas, someone in the neighborhood just got home (or perhaps just went out) and the perfume stench wafts in on the evening breeze. The headache is just starting. The breathing is getting shallower. Soon I'll get a painter's mask, take some painkillers and try to sleep.

I would like to find a solution to this. I would like for the person who is wearing all that fragrance to understand how much it affects me (and, I'll wager, many others). I believe in my heart of hearts that he or she would listen and try to grasp what the problem is, and would make an effort to stop poisoning my air. What if I said his cologne was contributing to his daughter's chances of getting breast cancer? What if I told her that her unborn child was being exposed to neuro-toxins and hormone disruptors?

But how do I find him? How do I start the conversation with her? WHAT CAN I SAY?

If it were you, how would you want to be told? What would you be able to hear? Talk to me.

Who knew?

2010-08-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Christin writes:
"A friend posted a link to your blog on Facebook. I enjoy your articles and appreciate the research done.

I know most people have no modesty, especially online, but I had an issue for over 20 years and couldn't find the cause. (I leave it to you to post on your blog or not). Since the age of 9 I had chronic, severe yeast infections. Doctors would test & test & test thinking it was something else, since it was such an issue for me, but that is all it was. I was miserable for a very long time. Finally a Physician's Assistant gave me a print out from the Mayo Clinic listing things to systematically cut from your lifestyle to try to determine the cause. I picked dryer sheets as my first thing to eliminate. Less than 2 weeks later, no more yeast infections. I have not had another one (not even caused by antibiotic use -- which used to cause major episodes) in over 3 years. I was amazed at how simple the cause and solution were.

Thank you for your blog & putting the information out there."

Her yeast infection cleared up by eliminating dryer sheets from her life! What a story. Thank you so much for letting us hear it. I've heard a few other stories about the wonderful things that happen when dryer sheets stop being part of laundry day.

Please tell us your story.

Let's Review

2010-08-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being gone so long -- no excuses, just an apology. But here I am and I want to hear from you. How do these issues affect you? What are you doing about them? Have you found alternatives for people to use to replace toxic products? Let us know. Please.

There are a number of issues in this blog and perhaps it's time to really clarify them and our purpose here. First, the issues:

1) Harmful, toxic ingredients in personal care products.
2) Harmful, toxic ingredients in household (cleaning, laundry, and so on) products.
3) The selling of said products to the unsuspecting consumer.
4) The resistance (actually it's more like refusal) of the manufacturers of said products to clean up their products.

And then there's our purposes:

1) To educate and inform consumers.
2) To provide alternatives to toxic products.
3) To work for change in the marketplace.

Wow. That's a lot. I think I'd like to do even more, that is, more than just blog about it. I'm concerned that I'm preaching to the choir here -- not having any impact on the people who most need to hear about these issues. Of course, there's always the matter of time and resources -- and courage.

It's important to me to remember that everybody is doing the best they can with the information they have. I prefer to believe that folks who wear lots of perfume simply haven't gotten the message yet and don't know about the choices they have. It's also important to "be the change you want to see in the world." One of the changes I want to see is more compassion, so that's where I'll start.

IT'S SO EASY TO BE FOOLED

2009-01-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

I've been reading and researching again. Uh-oh, you know what that means: untangling the truth from the slippery great-sounding trash. Where to start?

Well, you remember the post back in December 2007? The one about exposé books? Most recently I've had my nose in Not Just a Pretty Face, the Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, collecting ammunition for an upcoming trip that will include short stays with friends who could use a little re-education. Hey, I understand that everyone has her own agenda, her own issues that are important. Toxic chemicals are my issue, my priority. And, like any good self-important egotist, I know that my issues are the most critical and everyone needs to be aware of them. Therefore, I need to know what I'm talking about when I suggest to them that they're killing me with their perfume, dryer sheets, hairspray, etc.

Chapter Ten in Not Just a Pretty Face starts with: "Cosmetics should be safe enough to eat," says Horst Rechelbacher, who founded Aveda ....

That's him in the picture. I've been reading everything I can find about him -- what a fascinating individual! If you look at the very first result of that Google search, you'll see it's Aveda's main site. BUT HIS NAME IS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE ON AVEDA'S SITE -- NOT EVEN IN THE HISTORY SECTION! So, long story short, he's a famous hairdresser from Austria, makes a boatload of money in Minneapolis, formulates a new hairspray, sells it and makes boatloads more money, talks to his mom who is an herbalist about making healthy/safe/botanical beauty products. He starts Aveda, which is Sanskrit for "all knowledge", in 1978. Aveda grows and grows and grows and everybody loves it because the philosophy behind everything they make and everything they do is "take care -- of the customers, the planet and each other." Horst is very Eastern and mystical that way. He eventually got burned out, I guess, because he sold Aveda to Estée Lauder for $300 million in 1997. He stayed on for a few years, partly to use the facilities and partly because he couldn't start a new company for a certain amount of time (couldn't be in competition with Lauder).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 11, 2008—New York, NY—Horst Rechelbacher announced the launch of his new certified organic health and beauty brand, Intelligent Nutrients, at a press event in New York City. The health and beauty lifestyle brand, Intelligent Nutrients, was unveiled to the press and beauty industry and includes more than twenty SKUs for launch. The launch collection includes certified organic aromatics, certified organic scalp and hair care, certified organic hair styling, certified organic total body cleanser, certified organic lip delivery nutrition™, and the heart of the line—Intellimune™—an internal/external certified organic super antioxidant seed oil blend and tablets. This is the first phase of an entire lifestyle brand with future products to include skin care, body care, maternal/baby care, love therapy, pet care and INvironmental products for the home.

This new company of his looks and sounds almost too good to be true, but his history and track record say he means it. He's one very smart and caring and alive human being. I hope this current venture is hugely successful.

NOW FOR THE POINT OF ALL THIS:
Before Estée Lauder purchased Aveda, a customer could feel safe using those products. A tiny bit of research, just a wee little look at SkinDeep, reveals that Aveda no longer enjoys it's previous reputation. No, they do not test on animals. That's a good thing. But NO, they have NOT signed the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics -- neither has Estée Lauder, but that doesn't come as a surprise. AVEDA'S PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER SAFE TO USE (without checking the ingredients carefully). They are full of "fragrance" and we all know how dangerous that is: phthalates and other neuro-toxins abound.

Do your homework people! Burt's Bees is owned by Clorox, did you know that? And maybe Clorox hasn't dumped crap into the products (I'm not putting any money on that bet), but as far as I'm concerned, I will not give one red cent to the Clorox Company. They are part of the problem and they're busy back-pedaling and green-washing like crazy.

What say you?

THE POLLUTION IN NEWBORNS

2008-07-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

From Environmental Working Group:

"The human race is now polluted with hundreds of industrial chemicals with little or no understanding of the consequences. Babies are born pre-polluted with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies when they enter the world. Testing by Environmental Working Group has identified 455 chemicals in people, and again, no one has any idea if these exposures are safe."

Join one of the most important environmental campaigns in history. Help the EWG win this battle in the war against toxic chemicals. The Kid Safe Chemicals Act would fix this problem by:

Requiring companies to prove that their chemicals are safe for infants and children before products to on the market
Making all health and safety data public
Banning chemicals when manufacturers do not provide safety studies
Promoting green, safer chemicals in consumer products

Do you get it? It seems to me that global warming isn't going to matter -- our species won't be able to reproduce in a few generations. Visit EWG and see what you think.

WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID DRYER SHEETS AND FABRIC SOFTENERS

2008-05-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Although they may make your clothes seem soft and smell "sweet", fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. And chances are that the staggering 99.8 percent of Americans who use common commercial detergents, fabric softeners, bleaches, and stain removers would think twice if they knew they contained chemicals that could cause cancer and brain damage.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets:

Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
Limonene: Known carcinogen
A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

So how could products with pretty names like Soft Ocean Mist, Summer Orchard and April Fresh be so dangerous?

The chemicals in fabric softeners are pungent and strong smelling -- so strong that they require the use of these heavy fragrances (think 50 times as much fragrance) just to cover up the smells. Furthermore, synthetic fabrics, which are the reason fabric softeners were created in the first place, do not smell good either when heated in a dryer or heated by our bodies ... hence the need for even more hefty fragrances.

Fabric softeners leave an oil coating on clothes, which doesn’t really leave them softer or fluffy. This oil builds up on the fibers and takes the absorbency out (oil repels water). In the dryer, fabric softener leaves a sticky residue on all the components like the moisture sensors and drum of the dryer. This residue is very flammable, which is why on the back of some fabric softeners it tells you not to use on towels, terrycloth or fleece. The number one cause of house fires is the dryer. Fabric softeners even take the fire retardant out of baby’s clothes.

There are alternatives:

Anti-Static Ball (slightly different than dryer balls)
Dryer Balls
Here are some home-made DIY ideas
The Static Eliminator Dryer Sheet System

Do yourself and your family and your neighbors a big favor and skip the dryer sheets and fabric softener. Thanks, in advance, for your consideration.

WHY USE IT? BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED!

2008-05-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've just spent a whole lot of time on the road -- major relocation going on. So I found myself asking desk clerks across the country, "Does your hotel use air fresheners? Does your laundry service or housekeeping department use fabric softeners or dryer sheets?" And then the obligatory weird looks. You can see the wheels turning: "Is this some kind of nut? What's her problem?"

I found plenty of those automatic air freshener products. Sometimes the people who worked in the hotel didn't even know those products were being used. But in EVERY case, they were completely and totally unnecessary. There were no dogs lounging around the lobby, there was no kitty litter box under the table, I didn't see one unwashed bum in the area...nothing that would warrant the use of "air freshener". Nothing. No reason to use it. At. All. None. Not only was there nothing stinking up the place (except for the plug-ins), there was lovely fresh air pouring into the lobby every time a guest came in or went out.

The sad thing is that the advertising campaigns for these toxic little nasties are very very very good. Many people believe what they're told when they hear about the "freshness" or the "calming" or the "tropical" or the "citrus" -- the bullshit they're sold on.

I will never stop being angry about the use of these things. Especially in public places. These products are poisonous, dangerous, hazardous, toxic. How many ways can I say it?

So now I live in Portland, OR. I want to find like-minded people who want to make change happen. There are plenty of "clean air" laws. It's time for those laws to include air freshener products.

Join me. Let's do it.

Want your air freshened??? Think again.

2008-04-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

But you knew that, right? You already knew that commercially produced air fresheners were hazardous to your health, didn't you? You knew because you've been reading labels, haven't you? You're so good.

And to help you with your battle, here is some more ammunition:

Our friends at Seventh Generation have recently written about the unsafe chemicals found in these products:

"Used in 75% of American households, air fresheners are big business, generating sales of about $1.72 billion a year. Found in everything from plug-in, fake candles to peel-and-stick evaporating disks, these products don’t actually eliminate odors but merely use one of several strategies to make you think they’ve vanished. Some products simply cover up bad smells with stronger chemicals. Others use a nerve-deadening agent to reduce your ability to smell in the first place; some even coat the inside of your nasal passages with a film that stops smells from getting through."

Read the rest of the article...

And then there's an article, aptly titled Air Freshener or Air Poisoner?, from a few months ago in Green Living Online:

"A study recently published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found the regular use of sprays increased the risk of asthma by 30 to 50 percent. The study was done by the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, and followed 3,500 people in 10 European countries."

Here's the article.

I live between two families that both are huge fans of air fresheners. When their front doors open, we get a blast of that stench. It is so strong that I can't smell the cut grass as I'm going over it with my lawnmower. It is so strong that just a few moments in my neighbor's house coats me with that nasty smell. I've tried talking to both of these families. I've tried showing them research. They simply don't want to know. They have other, more important things to worry about. Actually, that's really true. But, in my not-so-humble opinion, they would improve their ability to handle these other problems if they weren't breathing poison. That's my two cents, what's yours?

The solution

2008-04-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Because I was a hippie in the 1960's (Google it if you don't know what "hippie" means), I understand about

IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

See, the deal is, if you don't do anything to get rid of toxic chemicals in your own environment, you are helping make the problem continue. If you keep using fragranced products, you put that toxic junk into the air and you harm yourself and others. That is the problem. So, every tiny step you take, every little bit of toxic chemical you eliminate from your life, every person you influence (even a wee bit), helps make this a cleaner world. It may not seem like much. But it is.

If individuals did not believe they could make any difference in this world, we'd certainly be doomed. Absofuckinglutely.

WHAT NOT TO BUY

2008-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

As usual, Environmental Working Group is doing all the hard work and research. They have put a page on the Skin Deep site with this title (What not to buy). The article begins:

"Major gaps in public health laws allow cosmetics companies to use almost any ingredient they choose in everything from sunscreen and mascara to deodorant and baby shampoo, with no restrictions and no requirement for safety testing. To help you navigate your store's aisles, Environmental Working Group researchers have scoured thousands of ingredient labels to bring you our top recommendations for what not to buy — products with worrisome or downright dangerous ingredients that don't belong in your shopping cart or on your skin."

Why this matters:
Have you ever counted how many cosmetics or personal care products you use in a day? Chances are it's nearly 10.

And chances are good that they include shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, lip balm, sunscreen, body lotion, shaving products if you're a man, and cosmetics if you are a woman. And what about your children? On any given day you might rub, spray, or pour some combination of sunscreen, diaper cream, shampoo, lotion, and maybe even insect repellent on their skin.

Most people use these products without a second thought, and believe that the government must certainly be policing the safety of the mixtures in these myriad containers. But they are wrong about this. The government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for these products before they are sold. And as people apply an average of 126 unique ingredients to their skin daily, these chemicals, whether they seep through the skin, rinse down the drain, or flush down the toilet in human excretions, are causing concerns for human health, and for the impacts they may have to wildlife, rivers and streams. Read more...

OLD NEWS THAT'S STILL NEWS

2008-03-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

This was posted way back in September -- urging Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to enact a bill that would protect Californians from super-toxic flame retardant chemicals. I found it on Huffington Post.

Dear Readers,
I apologize for being gone so long. It's a long and boring story, but I'm back. Please keep fighting the good fight. Keep letting people know that there really is something to look at and understand about living in the 21st century.
Yours in activism,
Self-righteous

THIS IS SERIOUS, THIS IS WAR

2008-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

This is an excerpt from an interview with Mike Adams at NaturalNews.com:

"Medical care in the US will drive our nation bankrupt, period. It will bankrupt our cities, our states and our federal government. It will collapse and it would be a very dear price to pay for that because I think we are losing the health of several generations in this country. I predict massive infertility, massive widespread neurodegenerative diseases, widespread cancer, mental disorders, depression. Basically, we’re going to have a population of mutants because of all the chemicals that are in our foods, and products, and drugs, and you can quote me on that, a population of mutants."

And then there's this:
“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.”
Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University

From a recent article in the Wisconsin State Journal:
"Today more than 75,000 chemicals are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but less than 20 percent of them have been tested for toxicity. That lack of research means doctors and researchers often know little about the effects these substances have on humans or how much is safe."

Sounds serious, doesn't it? That's because it is. You can do so much to protect yourself and those you love: go natural, go organic, get off drugs as much as possible, exercise, eat really good food, no perfume, no fragranced products, clean with vinegar and lemon juice (that's all you need), read labels, cook your own food, don't buy anything wrapped in plastic, reuse as much as you can.

But what about the on-going poisoning of America by big industries? Can we do anything about that? Sure we can: stop buying their products! I mean it, STOP BUYING THEIR PRODUCTS. If it's made by Proctor and Gamble, SC Johnson, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Avon, you get the idea -- we're talking about the BIG companies -- DON'T BUY IT! Find alternatives.

And do it now.

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

2008-01-22T09:05:00.001-08:00

Today started with a shock. Debra Lynn Dadd sent an email to her mailing list that opened with this:
"For the next few weeks I'm going to be on a 10-city media tour. Proctor & Gamble is sending me out as their spokesperson to explain the environmental benefits of their new concentrated detergents, and I get to promote my new Really Green book, too."

Spokesperson for Proctor & Gamble? I thought there might be some other company with a similar sounding name, but no, she means THE Proctor & Gamble, the quintessential transnational consumer-products company that has a presence in almost every American and European home. That Proctor & Gamble. I'm stunned. I'm speechless. I can't believe she's serious. But I looked at Fox Morning News in Kansas City and sure enough, there she is, touting her book and a new P&G laundry soap.

Now, I suppose one way to look at this is that perhaps P&G is trying to make things more right. Maybe they're attempting to move in the right direction. I'm not buying it.

P&G is one of many companies that complies with the seventh amendment of the European Union's Cosmetic Directive which came into force in March 2005. This directive requires that all "products intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body" would henceforth be subject to scientific review. The seventh amendment mandates that chemicals determined to be carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins -- known collectively as CMRs -- be removed from cosmetics sold in Europe.

That's right, CMRs are prohibited from cosmetics that are sold in Europe. P&G still uses CMRs in products sold in the US. That tells me something very important. This new laundry soap is not enough.

It also tells me that I cannot support Debra Lynn Dadd. I assumed she was serious about helping us get out of the chemical soup. Nope. Not this way.

If you want to see the incredibly long list of brands owned by P&G, go here. It's staggering. I thought they owned L'Oreal, but it turns out Nestlé owns most of L'Oreal.

WE DO THE BEST WE CAN

2008-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Slayde writes:

It is overwhelming, especially since I'm worried about cost as well. Judging from this and the previous post, I should probably stop buying bulk Garnier at Costco, and the cheapest linens I can find that aren't complete crap. So much to think about. It is unfortunate that being concerned about cost AND things like the environmental and human impacts of products makes shopping such a stressful experience. I appreciate all the information you pass along, though, making the research part that much easier for me and others.

It is overwhelming. That's the truth of it. When we stop believing the lies that are fed to us by company after company, when we wake up from our dream of beauty and loveliness and everything-is-fine, we are confronted with horrendous greed, unbelievable greed, terrifying greed. Why would anyone make a decision that involves the poisoning of human beings?

For me it has become a sort of mission or quest to become more of a human being and less of a consumer. When I stop thinking in terms of things and think in terms of living, life, creating, I find it simplifies the choices. The other day I was reading a blog by a woman who has committed to NO plastic in her purchases. Wow. NONE. I went around my house and looked at ALL the plastic that we bring home. Again, it's overwhelming. But it can be done. Eliminating harmful chemicals from your personal life can be done.

We are taking the first baby steps when we are willing to look. We must look first. That is the beginning of undoing the brainwashing. I have stopped wearing make-up, coloring my hair and worrying about the shape of my body. I don't know if I could do these things if I was 25 years old. It would certainly be harder, but still it's possible to let go of someone else's idea of what is beautiful.

And the money part should get easier too. What if I didn't own anything I didn't make myself? What if I pretend I'm living in the distant past, when there weren't trucks to haul products all over the country? What if I have to make, or find someone nearby who can make, the things I need? There's another important word: need. Consumerism is all about want, as in The Real Housewives of Orange County. How impossible it would be to live that way once you've opened your eyes.

Dear Slayde,

I understand about the difficult choices. I'm driving my husband crazy trying to "do the right thing." So we compromise, tell ourselves that even a small change is better than none and that we will try harder each day to make the best decisions. What else can we do? And the same goes for you. You've opened your eyes, you're willing to look at the hard stuff, and you acknowledge that you have a bit of responsibility in this whole thing. What else can you do?

Respectfully,
Self-righteous

WHAT IS FRAGRANCE?

2008-01-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

AND THE LOSER IS...

2008-01-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

L'Oreal and its offspring Garnier. I was doing some research about parabens, what they are, what they're in, what might be wrong with them. And, using SkinDeep, I discovered that all parabens are not created equal. There are some completely benign parabens that could be in your cosmetics, hair care and shower/bath products. BUT, there is also a really nasty, you-should-stay-away-from-it, paraben. It's name is SODIUM METHYLPARABEN. On the SkinDeep database there's a list of 163 products containing sodium methylparaben. The way the list works, the higher the number, the more toxic the product. In the #153 position is L'Oreal "Kids 2 in 1 shampoo, extra gentle, burst of fruity apricot." Not only does this shampoo contain sodium methylparaben, it also contains two other toxic chemicals -- one of them a known immune system toxicant. THIS IS A SHAMPOO FOR CHILDREN!

Here's the key thing: you must read labels, especially if you're the one buying products for babies and children. The companies that have not signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics do NOT CARE about your children. They do NOT CARE that they are risking your children's future health. They do NOT CARE that they are risking the health of future generations.

Note: Just because a label doesn't say "sodium methylparaben" on it, doesn't mean it's not in there. This chemical goes by a dozen other names. I have adopted a simple rule since I cannot memorize all the possible names. If I need a degree in chemistry to read the label, I don't buy the product. Now, it may be that the things I cannot pronounce and have never heard of, are non-toxic, possibly even beneficial. But, at the moment I'm considering that product, I will put it back if it sounds like something made in a laboratory instead of something I could grow. I know that's too simplistic. Perhaps the thing to do is carry around A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winter. I noticed that used copies are going for $.36 on Amazon.com.

There really is a lot to know about the stuff you put on your skin and in your hair and on your children's skin and hair. A lot. Too much actually. We shouldn't have to know all this chemistry. At least that's my feeling about it.

L'Oreal is a huge multi-national corporation. They do not care about you or your children. I wish I could write to and convince the beautiful actresses that do L'Oreal and Garnier commercials to stop promoting those products. Pretty unrealistic, huh? I love Penelope Cruz and Sarah Jessica Parker -- they're both wonderful. And it seems to me that neither of them NEEDS to do commercials. Why do they?

NEW YEAR, NEW THINKING

2008-01-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

I mentioned buying real perfume and trying it out, right? I mentioned that it's different than commercially produced perfume, right? Did I mention that I love it? I picked a favorite out of the ten tiny samples I bought from Ayala Moriel. It's called Rebellius.
It is so incredible to put a drop on my wrist and then experience the layers of scent. There's the initial layer -- a burst of luscious fruit in a tropical jungle. That settles into "greenness" and finally, just as that fades, comes leather, cumin, and something else, very masculine. And this last deep scent doesn't cling to clothes or the air or the furniture. It slowly, but completely, dissipates. That is the BIG difference between real perfume and the other stuff. The other stuff has synthetic (and sometimes natural) ingredients added to it to keep it going. That's a large part of what makes that other perfume toxic: the fixatives used to prolong the evaporation process. Often coal tar is used and that's a known carcinogen. These unnecessary ingredients make the perfume linger in the air, but they also make the scent into fine particles that embed themselves into fabric and travel long distances in the air. Haven't you ever smelled someone's scent on their clothes? Or the perfume worn by someone on the other side of the room? Sure you have. (I can smell my neighbor when she walks from her front door to her car. Yuck.) I noticed that my new perfume doesn't do that and I really, really, really like that it doesn't do that. I like that the fragrance is so subtle only someone standing right beside me would notice it. I like that it doesn't bond to my clothes, my pillow, my favorite chair. I don't want to smell it when I've stopped wearing it.

Note: I've also been trying other products from that list (the one on the right with better-for-you products) -- soap and deodorant from FragranceFree Body Products; shower gel and shampoo from Terressentials; household cleaning goods from Seventh Generation. So far I like and will continue to use these new items. It's a different world -- one without harsh, harmful, toxic chemicals. And it's easy to think about making more and more changes. I invite you to join me.

AN EXPERIMENT

2007-12-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

I bought perfume. I know, what was I thinking?

I've ranted and raved about the evils of perfume, but the key is not the perfume -- it's the nasty extra crud that's in it, i.e., phthalates, toluene, coal tar. I've never tried real perfume, the kind made the old-fashioned way with botanicals and maybe some alcohol or other oil as a carrier. So I looked around at a few sites and picked Ayala Moriel. I didn't have a particular reason, except that she is really good at communicating. I wrote to her asking questions about perfume and toxins, she wrote back and was pleasant, professional and sympathetic with my concerns. That spoke volumes to me. I ordered a box with 10 samples in it. And believe me, the samples are tiny. I chose the 10 randomly, reading the descriptions and looking up perfume terms. As with many other professions, perfumers have their own jargon. I wanted to give perfume as a present to a few young women and maybe keep one or two for myself (if they weren't too awful).

The descriptions are delightful: Spicy roses with incense and amber dries down to a powdery snow of fluffy fur. And: The scent of the West Coast rain forest after the rain.
I've tried a couple of the samples on myself and they are divine. They're subtle, they don't leave that horrible trail of smell everywhere you go -- they're too intimate for that. I'm glad I tried this. It's important for me (and you too) to know that perfume is NOT the problem. Toxic chemicals are. Enjoy.

GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF US

2007-12-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is an email I received today. I wanted to share it with you and encourage you to give any amount you can to this organization. They are part of the solution. Do you remember that thing from the sixties? "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

Environmental Working Group
We reached our goal!
Thank you
WE DID IT!

With your support, we surpassed our goal by $40,000. Thank you. And the Pollution Solutions Gift Bag has become the green hit of the holiday season.

Dear Donor,

Since I told you about our goal of raising $175,000 last month, your response has been amazing.

EWG supporters donated over $215,000, including the $75,000 match, for a healthy and safe new year. Thank you.

One of the best parts of my job is reading what inspires you to give. Here are some of my favorite recent comments.

I was inspired to give to EWG because...

* I'm grateful for your work on sunscreen and cosmetics and kids' products. Keep up the good work!
* I've been using your site for years and have found it to be invaluable. Your advocacy is making a difference.
* I want to do my part in helping the world get greener.
* Instead of Christmas presents, my in-laws decide each year on a charity to give to, and this year they chose EWG.
* I am a nutritionist and always interested to find out about making the world a healthier place!
* I appreciate your fight for organics and the research you do to keep my family safe.
* You have finally offered me chocolate for a donation...excellent job!

With your support in 2008, we'll update Skin Deep, support the Kid Safe Chemicals Act, fight for organics, get dangerous chemicals out of your food and water, and protect your favorite national parks from mining damage.

Thank you again for all you do. You are making a real difference and I look forward to an even better 2008.

Happy holidays from all of us at EWG,

Ken Cook, President
and the EWG staff

2 BLOGS OF NOTE

2007-12-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

Blogger has added Flawless Beauty and Living in a Toxic World to the list of notable blogs. I agree and I hope you'll check them out.

WHAT? YOU EXPECT ME TO FIND A NEW JOB BECAUSE YOUR PERFUME IS KILLING ME???!!

2007-12-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

I'm really steamed. I've come across this ridiculous sentiment enough times today to make my blood boil. I cannot believe anyone is this stupid. Please, tell me you don't think it's logical to expect a person to go find a new job because they have a serious reaction to the chemical soup in their workplace. This is just unbelievably ludicrous. I'm actually sputtering, I'm that mad.

I believe NIOSH and OSHA have something to say about toxic environments, don't they? Maybe we should give them a call. Or, how about the EPA? I've heard they have something to do with air quality. What do you think? Perhaps the Centers for Disease Control would like to put in their two cents worth.

Is it just me, or does it seem like there's a great big, gigantic, humongous gap here? On one side, we've got people who are saying that perfumes and fragranced products make them sick, from mildly uncomfortable to fully, flat-out, unable-to-function sick. Way over there are the people who don't think perfume is a problem and who think some people are just too sensitive and are making up a weird "disease" that doesn't really exist and we don't need to do anything to help them and besides, there are more important chemical problems to worry about, so those too sensitive folks should just get a different job if somebody is wearing perfume in their workplace.

Let's have a look at these notions. 1) Perfume is not a problem. Ok, it's true that real perfume, the kind that is made from purely botanical sources the old fashioned way, is not toxic. I don't know if people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) have problems with real perfume. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE WOMAN IN THE CUBICLE DOWN THE WAY IS WEARING! Her perfume can be smelled two floors away. You know who and what I'm talking about. But the real question is, is perfume harmful (whether you have any "sensitivity" to it or not)? There's this:

"Fragrance is a known trigger of asthma. Many of the compounds in fragrance are suspected or proven carcinogens. Phthalates in perfumes are known hormone disruptors. In 1989 the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health evaluated 2,983 fragrance chemicals for health effects. They identified 884 of them as toxic substances. The US Environmental Protection Agency found that 100% of perfumes contain toluene, which can cause liver, kidney and brain damage as well as damage to a developing fetus." (from the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia's site Guide to Less Toxic Products)

Moving right along, we have 2) Some people are just too sensitive. Hmmm, I'll admit it may, on the surface, appear that there are "too sensitive" types. But who gets to determine what is "too sensitive" and what is the right amount of sensitivity? We're probably actually fortunate to have these "too sensitive" folks around. Maybe they're like the canaries that used to go down into the mines with the miners. I do not suffer from MCS but I am sensitive to fragrances in my vicinity. I'm very aware of them and I do not like them. I do not, however, get a strong physical reaction like people with MCS get. For some people, the presence of fragranced products triggers migraines that can last three days. And it may not take very much to get that reaction. Are these people "too sensivitive?" I don't think so. And they have a right, yes, a right, to a non-threatening, non-harmful work environment.

Next we have 3) MCS is a weird "disease" (as in, it doesn't really exist because I don't know anybody who has it). It's true there is lots of debate on this one. Is it or isn't it? Well, let's see, if people miss work because of the poor indoor air quality, does that prove there's a condition of some sort? How about if the health care costs sky-rocket because of poor indoor air quality? Here are some statistics: "In 1992, EPA conservatively estimated that poor indoor air quality costs the U.S. $1 billion annually in lost productivity. That same year, the National Academy of Sciences estimated indoor air pollution contributes $15 to $100 billion annually to health care costs." (taken from An Overview of MCS by Cynthia Wilson, Executive Director of the Chemical Injury Information Network [CIIN]). There is substantial research into the causes and existence of MCS. At the request of the US Interagency Taskforce on Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, CIIN prepared a report on MCS as a global health problem. The report, written in 1995, documented MCS health problems in 36 countries. CIIN was the only group to be asked to make a presentation to the taskforce. The Wikipedia article is also enlightening. Please inform yourself before you go jamming your foot even farther down your own throat.

Here's 4) We don't need to do anything to help them. Yeah, you're really being asked to make a huge sacrifice. The important thing here is that, if you made some changes in your life to reduce the amount of fragrances you were putting into the environment, you'd ACTUALLY BE DOING YOUR OWN SELF A BIG FAVOR. Remember that part about it's harmful whether you're sneezing or not? That's a key part of this equation. You light your "aromatherapy" candles, throw those dryer sheets around like confetti and slap a few handfuls of your favorite odour du jour on your neck and you've just inhaled and absorbed a dose of toxic chemical soup. It's not good for you. Besides, not help other people who are suffering from something you have control over?? Come on. Who thinks that way?

Now for 5) There are more important chemical problems to worry about. This one is so silly I'm not sure I can even respond to it. Yes, there are lots of nasty chemicals floating and flying around in our environment and some will do more damage than others. SO WHAT?? Who says that new carpet chemicals are more harmful than the toluene, phthalates and coal tar in perfume? How would we ever adjudicate these sorts of questions? They're completely irrelevant anyway! Our focus, our impetus, our goal, our destination should always be no more damage, no more chemical soup, no more hiding our heads in the sand, no more letting some bit get by because some other bit is larger!

And last, but not least, 6) Get another job. There actually are people who think this is a kind of solution. They don't think the perfume wearer could help out by maybe wearing a lot less, or, god forbid, none. They don't think the perfume manufacturers should be taken to task for ignoring the research implicating their ingredients in horrific damage to reproductive systems. They don't think that human beings should be aware of and considerate of other human beings who are suffering and do something to help. So the person who is choking for 8 hours a day at their job because of the toxic perfume lady, should just quit that job and go find a different one. Doesn't matter if it's a job they've had for a long time, or a job they like a lot and do well, doesn't matter that it's a bad time to be unemployed. Nope. Never mind that stuff. If the perfume bothers you, go get another job. Unbelievable.

To those of you who have to endure someone in your workplace who doesn't have the good sense to tone down the perfume, I say, stand up and say something! Look at the research, print something you can use and take it to your boss or the perfume wearer's boss. Leave anonymous notes all over the place. Quietly ask others if they're having a problem, then hand out copies of the research to them. Form a coalition. By the way, in doing your research, you may come across information about how Canada is taking this much more seriously and has banned fragrances from hospitals and government offices. Use that. The CIIN is a good place to start. Then just trust in Google to take you where you need to go. Good luck and keep us posted.

A LITTLE LIGHT READING

2007-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

I ordered a few books to help me become educated about the issues, the research and the agencies involved. It's scary to me how many of my assumptions have been wrong. For instance, one assumption is that there are federal agencies charged with overseeing these matters and they have laws they're following. Nope. There may be agencies charged with protection, but something else is going on. So, first on my list is Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power, by Mark Schapiro, an investigative journalist who reports for the Center for Investigative Reporting. I read the first couple of paragraphs and already I know this isn't going to be pleasant. But then, I didn't expect it to be. The next one is The Safe Shopper's Bible, a Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics and Food. I glanced at the index and I have to say I was shocked that MSG wasn't there. How could that be? Perhaps after reading it, I'll know. On the surface it seems possible (if problematic) that they somehow missed it as a prevalent toxin. In their defense, I found this in the Author's Note in the front: "Anyone who knows of data that may alter the evaluation of the products and foods reviewed in this book is encouraged to make this information available to the authors by them, etc." This one is designed to help us figure out what to buy and what to avoid -- I guess that's pretty obvious. But along the way it educates. It lists the chemicals that are toxic and why they shouldn't be in the products we buy. Another not fun one. Next we have The Breast Cancer Prevention Program, the First Complete Survey of the Causes of Breast Cancer and the Steps you can Take to Reduce your Risks. These two books are by Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., and David Steinman. Dr. Epstein is also the author of The Politics of Cancer Revisited and many other books about the causes and prevention of cancer. He's been fighting the two big agencies (National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society) that are supposedly on our side, for some years now. He doesn't think much of them and is not shy about it. And last, but not least, I've got Not Just a Pretty Face: the Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. This is the expose I hope everyone will read and heed. It's by Stacy Malkan. She is Communications Director of Health Care Without Harm and media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition working to eliminate hazardous chemicals from personal care products. Stacy is a former journalist and newspaper publisher who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Description of the book from Amazon.com:

Lead in lipstick? 1,4 dioxane in baby soap? Coal tar in shampoo? How is this possible?

Simple. The $35 billion cosmetics industry is so powerful that they've kept themselves unregulated for decades.

Not one cosmetic product has to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration before hitting the market. Incredible? Consider this:

The European Union has banned more than 1,100 chemicals from cosmetics. The United States has banned just 10.
Only 11% of chemicals used in cosmetics in the US have been assessed for health and safety – leaving a staggering 89% with unknown or undisclosed effects.
More than 70% of all personal care products may contain phthalates, which are linked to birth defects and infertility.
Many baby soaps are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical 1,4 dioxane.

It's not just women who are affected by this chemists' brew. Shampoo, deodorant, face lotion and other products used daily by men, women and children contain hazardous chemicals that the industry claims are "within acceptable limits." But there's nothing acceptable about daily multiple exposures to carcinogenic chemicals — from products that are supposed to make us feel healthy and beautiful.

Not Just a Pretty Face delves deeply into the dark side of the beauty industry, and looks to hopeful solutions for a healthier future. This scathing investigation peels away less-than-lovely layers to expose an industry in dire need of an extreme makeover.

I'll keep you posted about what I read and any other books that make their way into my research project. I intend to be educated as well as self-righteous, so that when I go about on my high horse, I'll have something to say and it'll be the truth.

A NOTE ABOUT THE LIST OF SAFER PRODUCTS

2007-12-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

The list (on the right) of companies that make products that are better for you and the environment came from me just surfing around and reading about different products. It is by no means a particularly exhaustive list of the possible companies you could use. There is a directory of companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics site. From that site: "These companies have pledged to not use chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects in their products and to implement substitution plans that replace hazardous materials with safer alternatives in every market they serve. Several major cosmetics companies, including OPI, Avon, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Revlon, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever have thus far refused to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics." (emphasis and color added) I suggest you take some time and look at that site. They have excellent information, good links, up-to-date news and, of course, the list of signers. It's an important site -- bookmark it. That's how a self-righteous asshole makes a suggestion.
Also, I've mentioned Guide to Less Toxic Products before, but it's pertinent here because in each section, i.e., personal care, household, etc., they list companies that are safer. It's another excellent site that is worth returning to again and again. It has some very useful links -- like to sites for making your own make-up. Hmmm.
None of these companies know that I made this list; they're not paying me.
I've bought products from FragranceFree Body Products and like them a lot. They weren't expensive, they have almost no odor to them at all and they feel great. I tried their face cleaner powder, skin lotion, skin balm and soap. Yummy. Otherwise, I have no recommendations. Please let us know your experiences with various companies. If you find products you like, let us know; if a company is lying, tell us!

SOME GIFT-GIVING OPTIONS

2007-12-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

I signed up to receive emails from Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Home Safe Home. Her site is full of information, and links, and a Green Living Q&A. I was reading the section about Burt's Bees Products today and was amazed at the number of people who have had a not-so-good reaction to Burt's products. I once used a "berry" scented shampoo and conditioner and was appalled at the horrible smell that stayed and stayed and stayed in my hair. It took multiple washings with a totally unscented product to get the smell out. So these readers had suggestions about other products they use. Here are two of them:

We offer a wonderful line of all-natural products scented with essential oils that promote relaxation and healing. Our scents include: LavenMint, Lavender and Chamomile/Lavender. For those that are interested in Bath & Body Care Products that are unscented, please ask for Moonbeam.

Hugo Natural Apothecary’s luxurious products are as easy on the earth as they are excellent for your body and hair. Loaded with nature’s finest ingredients – like jojoba ester, coconut oil, shea butter and nutrient-rich botanical extracts – our treatments restore your skin and hair to their most beautiful, healthiest state, without using harsh additives or fillers.

Enjoy!

A SALON WITHOUT SCENTS that makes all the sense in the world

2007-12-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Always on the lookout for something positive to balance the godawful negative, I found this wonderful article about the owner of a salon called dtox. Now, this is my kind of place! Thank you to Edwards Magazine for bringing me this story and thank you to Ashley for being brave and smart. And the really really really good news is: she's making more money than ever. Whooohooo.
Okay, so I won't be going there any time soon, but who knows? I might just take a trip to Alberta for the sheer pleasure of visiting such a place.

DON'T GIVE UP

2007-12-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

I admit I'm feeling discouraged. Ginormous multinational companies own the world. They seem impervious to any change us wee mortals might wish to make. They do what they want, they make lots of money and that's that. But what if we could do something to affect them? What if we had more power than we thought? Think about it: The tobacco companies went about their business making cigarettes and handing them out to unsuspecting men and women in the work force and in the military. Pretty soon the tobacco companies had an addicted consumer base. Cigarette smoking was normal, it was average, it was everywhere. I'm sure you've seen movies from the '50's and '60's in which everyone is smoking. It was no big deal. And those companies just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger and more powerful. They had (and still do have) very powerful lobbyists and congressmen. But they've taken hit after hit and they're shrinking. Maybe the day will come when they won't exist. But don't think for a minute that they're not still playing the game -- they want your money and they don't give a flying fuck about your health, no matter how much they want you to think otherwise. It's absolutely no different with a company like L'Oreal or SCJohnson. Do not think for one minute that they are not all about the bottom line. They only only ONLY care about money. They do NOT care about you, your family, your health. They do not. They will go to any lengths to protect their market share, to continue to sell products and to make the hugest possible profit.

Side note: Back in September, the Natural Resources Defense Council took it upon themselves to test 14 air fresheners for phthalates (pronounced thal-ates) -- hazardous chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. None of the 14 products listed phthalates as an ingredient but 86% (12 of 14) of the products tested, including those advertised as "all-natural" or "unscented," contained phthalates. You can read NRDC's complete report here. Well, 4 of the 12 that contained phthalates are products made by the SCJohnson Company. The day after the NRDC report was released SCJohnson peed their pants and started waving their arms about the inaccuracy of the study, the bias of NRDC and so on. Hmmmm. Methinks thou doth protest too much. If you want to read Johnson's denial of responsibility it's here. Why would they go off like that? Doesn't that tell you something? It says to me they're scared. It also says to me they will probably be looking for ways to get rid of phthalates (without admitting any wrongdoing) from their products. But they'll do it quietly and in a way that will allow them to later say "See, we really do care about you and your family." Such bullshit.

What matters is that we do something. We can make a difference. We can change things that we don't like. I know it's hard. I know those companies are huge. But I also know it's possible to make them do the right thing. The NRDC's report did something. I know, I know-- you and I are not going to be conducting lab tests anytime soon. But we can boycott products that we know are going to hurt us and our loved ones. That's an excellent start. Use resources like SkinDeep and Guide to Less Toxic Products, be a smart consumer. Tell those big bullies you're mad as hell and you're not going to take it any more!

CHEMICAL WARFARE

2007-11-24T20:36:00.001-08:00

This cartoon by Mike Adams is from NewsTarget, another great source for information that will help you make decisions. Check it out. Learn something new today.

WHAT CAN I SAY?

2007-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

See these two figures? What would you say is going on? Doesn't it look like the one on the right is trying to tell the other one something? And don't you think the figure on the left is refusing to listen? Have you ever felt like either one of these guys? Ever try really hard to tell someone something they didn't want to hear? Ever been talked to and talked to and talked to and you just wanted to crawl in a hole? So, you understand what's going on here.

See, the thing is, I really feel like the one on the right. I'm waving my arms and shouting about how important this stuff is and how you should get busy and DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW TO FIX IT! I know. I'm a self-righteous know-it-all asshole. But there's another side to this story. I know what it feels like to believe something strongly and then have it crumble to pieces. I really do know. I've had some major bubbles burst in my life. And it's actually all been for the better. Really and truly. It's upsetting at first, but once you get over the initial shock, it's very freeing, incredibly liberating. It feels so good to not be a puppet. When I saw how thoroughly I'd been manipulated, I was outraged. I had bought into cigarettes, $cientology, make-up and beauty BS, drugs, alcohol, crappy food and I'm sure many more that are too buried. But you get it, right? Brainwashing is part of our culture. It has to be or you won't buy anything. And buying is what makes the wheels go round. So it's very very very important for corporations to convince you of the desirability of their merchandise or ideas. It's plain and simple brainwashing -- getting you to believe. And the tremendous, humongous, gigantic, outrageous wealth of these corporations says clearly that they're accomplishing their mission.

My mission, on the other hand, is to show you something different, to show you something maybe you don't want to see. I understand. We'll go more slowly, if that will help. Only look at one small piece at a time. Take one product from your medicine cabinet or make-up bag and look it up on SkinDeep. See what it says in the database. If the product you chose has a low warning number, pat yourself on the back for choosing something good. If it has a moderate to high warning number, look at the list of better products and see if one of those is something you could get your mind around using. That's all. Just one thing. You can do it.

READERS WRITE: WILL THIS EVER GO AWAY?

2007-11-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

When we bought our house, it came with a washing machine and dryer. The previous family had used liquid fabric softener for so long that the smell of it was in the washer. I cleaned the inside of that machine with hot water and bleach numerous times -- no help, the smell was always there. What is that? It's like the odor has become embedded in the plastic parts. The good news is that my clothes do not have that smell when they come out. Whew!

ANOTHER RESOURCE

2007-11-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

In my wanderings through sites about toxic ingredients I've found a couple more helpful places for you to find information and support. This one is from Novia Scotia -- don't let that throw you. Toxic chemicals are the same no matter where you live (and breathe). I like this site. It's clear, easy to use and has kick-ass information. Also, it aims to provide hope and help, two things we certainly can use.

Everyday, most North Americans use beauty and cleaning products which contain hazardous ingredients. How can you find the products which are least toxic, among the thousands of products on store shelves?

The objective of this site is to:

Provide information about potential health risks of commonly used products.
Help identify less toxic alternatives for personal care, household cleaning, baby care, and household pest control.
Provide information to help you evaluate products not in this Guide in order to choose the safest ones for your needs.

“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.”
Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University

READERS WRITE: THIS TIME I WAS LUCKY

2007-11-20T08:18:00.001-08:00

When I was a pre-teen, I was left alone one afternoon after school and I decided to surprise my Mom and clean the house. I remember cleaning the kitchen sink and kitchen floor. I pulled some chemicals out from under the sink to clean the bathroom, and the mix of them was so powerful that I started coughing and gagging. The next thing I knew I saw stars and ended up passed out on the bathroom floor with no ventilation and I almost died. It's a good thing my older sister came home when she did, and pulled me outside and called 911. I had vomited and stopped breathing and was revived by our neighbor's son before the ambulance arrived. Chemicals are very, very dangerous.

DANGEROUS COMBINATIONS

2007-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Most of us use cleaning products fairly frequently, at work and at home. But how many of us actually bother reading the directions or product contents? How many of us use rubber gloves or splash goggles?

Many cleaning products are classified as "corrosive". Corrosives are defined as those chemicals that cause damage to organic material, especially human flesh. Acids and bases are all corrosive, and most cleaners are composed of acids and bases. Think about it: when cleaning, you're trying to "eat" away the dirt and grime. Most likely, the more effective a product is at eating away the dirt, the more effective it will be at eating away the skin on your hands. It will also do more damage if accidentally splashed in your eyes.

Cleaning products can also be extremely reactive when mixed. Bleach, when mixed with any product containing ammonia (or visa versa), will react to produce deadly chlorine gas. NEVER MIX CHEMICALS, ESPECIALLY CLEANING PRODUCTS. Some people think that if something works well by itself, it might work even better if combined with something else. Wrong!!! Even emptying a mop bucket with an ammonia-containing product into the sink, followed by a sponge full of bleach, can produce enough chlorine gas to be dangerous.

Take whatever steps are necessary to avoid mixing cleaning products. Always run clean water through a drain after dumping any sort of cleaning product down it. Wear rubber gloves, especially when using industrial strength cleaners. If there's any chance of getting a splash in the eye, wear protective goggles. If you do get a chemical splashed in your eye, flush it with clean water for at least 15 minutes.

Always use common sense and protect yourself, and treat all chemicals with the respect they deserve.

Chlorine Gas Exposure
The health danger of a chlorine gas exposure depends on the quantity of gas inhaled and the length of time of the exposure. Low concentrations of chlorine may cause burning of the eyes, sore throat, and cough. Higher concentrations can lead to severe coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and pulmonary edema. Chlorine vapors trapped in clothes can cause skin injury.

Anyone exposed to chlorine gas should be moved quickly to fresh air. Rescuers must be careful to avoid exposure to the fumes. Individuals with significant skin exposure should have their clothes removed and their skin washed thoroughly. In most instances, symptoms will lessen and disappear once exposure to the gas ends. Persistent symptoms need to be further evaluated.

SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT!

2007-11-19T14:34:00.000-08:00

In case you were worrying that it's just you and me trying to make all those big companies stop their nonsense, I thought I'd jump in here to show you we've got some big guns on our side. And they deserve your support, in whatever form you see fit.

The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles.

In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies.

EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of women’s, public health, labor, environmental health and consumer-rights groups. Our goal is to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems, and replace them with safer alternatives.

Personal care products like shampoo, conditioner, after shave, lotion and makeup are not regulated by the FDA or any other government agency. It is perfectly legal and very common for companies to use ingredients that are known or suspected to be carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins in the their products. Consumers buy these products at drug stores, grocery stores, online or in salons, usually without questioning the product’s safety.

We are asking cosmetics and personal care products companies to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics (also known as the Compact for the Global Production of Safer Health and Beauty Products), a pledge to remove toxic chemicals and replace them with safer alternatives in every market they serve. As of August 2007, 600 companies have signed the Compact -- and that number increases every day!

I'll post more sites as I find them. You have resources here. Use them!! Find out how to protect yourself and those you love. It's easy. You can do it.

2007-11-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

I just saw this article and knew it had to be part of this blog. Imagine, staying away from your chosen religion because you can't breathe when you attend services. I support and applaud this ministry for their decision to care for ALL their congregation.

BUT WHAT CAN I DO?

2007-11-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Inform yourself.
Visit SkinDeep and research the products you use.
Sign SkinDeep's petition to Congress to force the testing and labeling issues.
Refuse to purchase personal care products or household products that have toxic ingredients.
Write to the manufacturer of your favorite personal care products -- maybe they'll listen if they get enough letters.
Tell others.
If you're in a position of authority, designate "Scent-free zones" at work or school.
Support companies that are not using toxic petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances in their products. Some possibilities (I did a quick check on a few products in the SkinDeep database before listing these companies): Fragrance Free Body Products, Aubrey Organics, Terressentials

AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

2007-11-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

There seems to be some confusion about the problem here. There are definitely people who have negative physical reactions to perfume and other perfumed products, reactions that range from mild breathing discomfort to migraine headaches and severe difficulty with breathing. There's a danger in believing that because a person does NOT exhibit a negative, noticeable, physical reaction, they are not being harmed by these perfumes. A person could have a reaction to some perfumed product and attribute that reaction to something else in their environment. A person may not exhibit any negative physical reaction and believe that therefore perfumes are not hurting them.

The ingredients in fragrances are not listed on packages for a good reason: they're toxic. They are harmful to everyone who inhales them or rubs them on their skin. Just because a person doesn't get a headache or break out in a rash, does NOT mean they are not being negatively affected by these toxins.

A NOTE ABOUT COAL TAR

2007-11-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

SYNTHETIC COLORS ~ These and all dyes should be avoided. They are labeled FD&C and a number after it. These are believed to be carcinogenic. Blue 1 and Green 3 are carcinogenic, Yellow 5,6 and Red 33 have caused cancer when ingested and applied to the skin. These contain coal tar and may contain arsenic and lead, which are also carcinogenic. Lipsticks are full of these! Note: lipsticks can also contain LEAD!

IT IS OVERWHELMING

2007-11-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

I suppose it's like any issue you start looking into: there's an unbelievable amount of information and most of it points to greed and brainwashing and a complete lack of concern for the well-being of others. No kidding, every time I do just a tiny bit of research, I'm overcome with a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. But getting discouraged is not going to help and I really want to try to wake people up. These are huge companies with lots to lose if people stop buying and using perfumes and personal/household products with fragrances in them. Can you imagine shopping for scent-free or fragrance-free products for everything you use? Actually, as I've sifted through loads of data, I've come across many companies that have responded to the growing concern about toxic ingredients in scented personal products. This is good. There are others out there who care and there's data on the web you can use to make informed decisions.

My idea is to supply you with data and with links to data. You can learn about what is harmful in these products. Don't take my word for it. And don't assume that just because you can purchase it, it's safe. That's definitely not true.

A SMELLY SITUATION IN CALGARY

2007-11-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting post about the consequences of too much perfume worn on public transportation. As you can see from the comments, people are divided. That's not surprising, but it IS surprising how many people agree that something must be done to protect those of us who can't tolerate it. An upset Canadian had this to say: "I don't blame the bus driver in Calgary for not allowing Natalie Kuhn on his bus. I applaud him. If cigarette smoke can be banned because of second hand smoke related disease, even in our own homes and cars and outside, why can't perfume also be banned? Seems only right to me. Fair is fair. I am sure that the bus driver in Calgary and I are not the only 2 people in Canada that perfume affects and upsets." The story and debate continued in the Gauntlet, The University of Calgary Undergraduate Students' Newsletter.
It took a long time for laws to come about that banned smoking in public places and there certainly were plenty of outraged smokers. Now we need to address the issue of perfume and other fragrance-loaded products. The bottom line was and is: Do not inflict your ignorance on others. Period.

THE LINE IS DRAWN

2007-11-12T05:41:00.000-08:00

That's it. I've completely and totally had it. Last night was the tipping point. We went to a movie theatre and COULD NOT BREATHE for all the perfume in the air. I even told the woman sitting next to me that she would have to find another place to sit because she had on too much perfume and I couldn't tolerate it. She informed me it was not her, she didn't wear perfume, and she wasn't moving. The point is, I've never spoken to anyone like that before. I was simply over the edge -- I was ready to stand up and yell into the darkened theatre "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF US CANNOT BREATHE BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPIDITY!? STOP DOUSING YOURSELF WITH PERFUME, AFTERSHAVE, COLOGNE, BODY SPRAY. JUST STOP IT!" But I didn't. I wish I had. I wish I had yelled at all those people, then stomped out and demanded my money back. Maybe if enough people did that, the theatre would start a no-perfume policy. It could happen. Not likely, I know. People are simply too frightened or too apathetic or too brainwashed. The bottom line is they believe they have no choice, they must endure the things they do not like. Well I'm here to tell you, NO WE DON'T!