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Air Fresheners linked to Breast Cancer

07/23/2010 in Health | No comments

Are you a neat freak? Always cleaning with windex, pledge, air fresheners and 409? The same chemicals that may be killing all those germs in your home may also be causing breast cancer in women. Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer. - ScienceDaily.com Continue reading... Because the FDA does not require cleaning products to list their toxic ingredients, our family decided to rid our home of all cleaners, soaps and personal products. We make our own soap and use a vinegar/water mix to clean surfaces. When we buy personal products, we research them and their ingredients and only buy products without human carcinogens or parabens.

Are you a neat freak? Always cleaning with windex, pledge, air fresheners and 409?  The same chemicals that may be killing all those germs in your home may also be causing breast cancer in women. 

“Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer.” - ScienceDaily.com Continue reading…

Because the FDA does not require cleaning products to list their toxic ingredients, our family decided years ago to rid our home of all cleaners, soaps and personal products.  We make our own soap and use a vinegar/water mix to clean surfaces.  When we buy personal products, we research them and their ingredients and only buy products without human carcinogens or parabens.

Parabens in Pap Smears May Cause Cell Mutation and Irritation

12/11/2009 in Health, Product Reviews | 1 comment

Having just visited the gynecologist for a yearly examination, I noticed an overwhelming ill feeling a few hours after leaving the doctor’s office.  For the rest of the day I had a mix of a headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, fatigue, and an upset stomach.  The symptoms would come and go without pattern.  I generally just fell unwell.  I have had this feeling after every doctor visit where lube is used vaginally to insert some instrument (or someone’s hand).  They squirt out that nasty lube and smear it all over their hand or tool before sliding it in.  I had to know what was in that stuff.

Methylparaben

The only active ingredient listed in the most common lube used in paps, Femglide, was Methylparaben. After switching cosmetics, cleaning supplies, soaps, etc  to non toxic, all natural products, the last thing I wanted was a paraben being generously applied to my vagina where it is quick to be absorbed into my bloodstream.  A little research lead me a long way:

Methylparaben, designated as food additive E218 in Europe, is a preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi in many products, but it is frequently used in cosmetics. 1

Femglide and SlipperyStuff is touted as “sperm friendly” and one of the least harmful personal lubricant available.  Methlyparaben in Femglide is a know mutagen, causing cells it contacts to mutate.  Why that is considered “sperm friendly” evades me.  Methylparaben, which is currently banned in the EU is also a skin irritant and is known to cause allergic reaction in humans.  That would explain why I felt like crap after the doctor used a half cup on her hand.

The EWG states that “one or more animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at moderate doses.”  Methylparaben is also known to cause cancer, endocrine disruption, and interference with gene expression. (I think the sperm are doomed at this point).  It is is considered by the EWG a high health hazard with the ability to cause cancer, toxicity of the stomach, digestive tract, respiratory tract and cardiovascular system.

Armed with this information, it would be safe to caution against using personal lubrication when trying to conceive if you want live, healthy sperm.  Also, if you have issues with yeast infections, using a personal lubrication with Methylparaben in it is not advisable because it may kill the healthy bacteria in the vagina.

Femglide and personal lubes are not the only products in the US containing the chemical Methylparaben.  Sun screens, lotions, conditioners, hemorrhoid creams and get this: spermicides are just a few product types that may include Methlyparabens.  See an entire list here.

Did I mention that Methlyparaben is not the only nasty ingredient in Femglide?  Yes, there is PEG-4.  I’ll let Treehugger.com explain why this chemical is so toxic:

“Polyethylene glycol, better known by its acronym, PEG, isn’t a single ingredient but a class of ethylene glycol polymers that moisturize, keep products stable, and enhance the penetration of other ingredients, both good and bad. PEGs are typically followed by a number correlating to how many units of ethylene glycol they comprise, in the form of say PEG-4 or PEG-100; the lower the number, the more easily the compound is absorbed into the skin.

While PEGs can be mild irritants, they’re less than desirable primarily because they help traffic funky chemicals across your epidermis, including a slug of impurities they’re often contaminated with. According to a report in the International Journal of Toxicology by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, pollutants found in various PEG compounds include ethylene oxide (used to manufacture mustard gas), 1,4-dioxane, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and heavy metals (lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, arsenic).” 3

The EWG says that PEG-4 is restricted in cosmetic use and is not safe for application on damaged or broken skin.  Have a slight tear downstairs during your papsmear ladies?  Well, why not smear PEG-4 all over it?  PEG-4 is a human carcinogen and has been banned in Canada, yet the FDA allows it’s use in food products.  You won’t see it listed as PEG-4 in your food, rather it is called POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL when placed on a food lable. 4

So for my next papsmear, I am officially allergic to Methylparaben.  “No thanks doc, I’ll pass on the paraben-chemical goop, but thanks for asking.”

————————————————————————————————————————

Sources:

1. ACS Chemistry

2.  EWG

3. Treehugger.com

4. EWG on PEG-4

BPA powder on your receipts?!

12/10/2009 in Environmental | 1 comment

You know that glossy, powdering feel of a receipt when the cashier hands you your “proof of purchase?”  Possibly worse than BPA in your plastic water bottle, BPA powder on that grocery receipt can easily get in your mouth and into your body.  Now you have two reasons to say “no thank you” to the receipt:  Saving paper and staying BPA free.

From Treehugger.com:

“Thermal imaging papers, the ones use in most cash registers, and carbonless copy papers (the ones used for most credit card receipts) both use BPA to provide the “magic” behind printing those receipts. According to Science News, when created, the papers are coated with a “powdery layer” of BPA and invisible ink. When pressure and/or heat are applied, the two materials merge together on the paper and you get color, aka your printed receipt.

BPA in water bottles, for example, is referred to as having nanograms of particles leaching out. BPA in cash registers receipts on the other hand typically has 60 to 100 milligrams of free BPA, much more than you would find in your water bottle. To make matters worse, the BPA in receipts is free, meaning that the individual molecules are “loose and ready for the uptake” unlike water bottles or food containers where the particles are bound and have to be heated in order for you to be exposed. Thus far, no specific studies have been done to quantify just how much BPA we may be exposed to or whether it can stay on our fingers long enough for us to touch food and ingest it, or even if it can just permeate our skin.”

Continue reading…

So I would say “no thanks” to the receipt.  If you think you need a receipt to return something, ask them to put it in the bag and wash your hands if you handle it.  Another way to avoid BPA would be to buy online where your receipts are all electronic, there is no store using space, lighting, etc and you don’t have to drive around town using gas.  Hmmmm…

Take the No-Impact Challenge this weekend!

11/09/2009 in Environmental, No-Impact Living, Self-Sufficiency & Farming, Sustainable Living | No comments

What are you doing this weekend?  Anything to improve your quality of living or reduce your impact on the earth?  Well, if those things appeal to you, sign up for a one week trial of guided No-Impact Living!  The challenge starts this weekend October 18.  There is no cost, just simply visit the website to sign up using an email account.  Each day you will be emailed a how-to for each step along a one week period for reducing your footprint on the environment.

No-Impact Global Experiment Video:

No-Impact: Revised Apartment Living

11/02/2009 in No-Impact Living, Sustainable Living | 1 comment

Many people live in apartments for various reasons.  Let’s face it, houses are expensive and if you buy anything for $100,000 or more and pay over 30 years, you actually end up paying three times the actual cost of the house.  So until we can put a sizable chuck down on a piece of land and build our own “off the grid” self sufficient home, we will begrudgingly rent.

I have rented apartments in Minnesota and Arizona.  My top complaints with these buildings are the lack of foresight into the energy efficiency of the buildings and the lack of recycling in the apartment community.  In Minnesota the insulation was terrible on most places resulting in monstrous heating bills.  In Arizona, so many buildings are colored to absorb rather than reflect the blaring sunlight and so few buildings capture sunlight on the roofs with solar panels.  Appliances are often not energy efficient, window glass is not insulated, carpeting is made from plastics, the list goes on and on.

However, there are some things a renter stuck in a situation where they are unable to control these factors can do to have a smaller eco footprint:

  1. Rent small. For most of us who work all day, home is a place for eating, relaxing and sleeping.  Assess your family’s space needs and rent the smallest apartment necessary. This will save you money each month on your rent, and in your
    Using the top of the cabinet as a bookshelf. A little herb garen below.

    Using the top of the cabinet as a bookshelf. A little herb garen below.

    heating or cooling bills.  For just the two of us, this meant sizing down to a 595 sq ft. Studio.  You may have to get creative in utilizing your space when downsizing.  If you approach it as a challenge and an opportunity to free yourself of unnecessary “stuff” you may have accumulated over the years, it can be a rewarding experience.  We solved our lack of storage predicament by buying a metal frame fold up bed that has 14″ clearance for under the bed storage.  Instead of buying a bookshelf, we used the top of our kitchen cabinet to keep books.  It looks chic, saves space and money!

  2. Solar may still be in the cards. Most apartment complexes do not allow you to install solar panels outside your apartment, but there are still some ways to get around this.  If you have a porch that gets full sun, you can rig a mobile solar unit and run the power into your home for day use things like computers.  There are also solar bedside lamps or desk lamps that you can set outside to charge during the day and use at night.  Or if you are a DIY type person, you can rig up a small solar panel light yourself. You can even hang a solar panel in your window that will charge your iphone when you get home from work.
  3. Freeing yourself of THINGS. I have a rule about my clothing.  If I have not worn it in a year or I didn’t know I had it, it is time to get rid of it.  This motto bleeds into
    The studio laundry/utility room had only one shelf, so we installed two more metal shelves for towels and cleaning supplies.

    The studio laundry/utility room had only one shelf, so we installed two more metal shelves for towels and cleaning supplies.

    other areas of my possessions, making me prone to throw things on craigslist.com or donate to Goodwill.  Keeping my life clutter-free allows me to need less space to live and to store.  In our family, everything we own that is not “in use” a majority of  the time is stored under our queen bed.  This mainly consists of camping gear and out-of-season clothing.

  4. Quality over quantity. In our house, we have a very low tolerance for plastic and disposable things.  When we do buy items for our home, we insist that they be made of quality materials, even if it means paying more.  Buying a glass food storage set may cost four times as much as buying a Gladware pack, but the glass will last forever, will not have BPA leaching, and has a better resale value if we decide to pass them along.  Glass and metals are also easier to recycle than plastics.
  5. Buy reclaimed. Furniture and antiques are a great way to recycle furnishings from the past.  Make a family project out of finding interesting garage sale pieces and fixing them up to fit your home.  Or if you have a little more to spend, stop by a quality antique shop.  These places carry beautiful reclaimed pieces that come from Europe, Asia and date back often to the 1700′s.  You’ll find dining tables with thick cuts of wood that you would never be able to buy brand new.  These pieces often are comparibly priced with high end Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel funishings, but with antiques you get the benifit of adding some history to your home and recycling all at once.  The quality of the antique wood is often far better than any modern furnishing.
  6. Grow your own herbs. Get creative and make a little ledge or indoor garden.  If light is what you lack, use a flourecent or led lamp (powered by solar?) and cut your own fresh herbs, tomatoes, whatever you have space and time for.
  7. Recycle! At our current apartment, they do not advertise where the recycling recepticle is located.  I had to call the front desk to figure out where it was.  Because I had a difficult time finding it, I assumed that other residents might not know either.  So I sent a letter to the management of the complex asking if there was a way to make residents more aware of where to recycle and requesting that they put a permanent sign on the recycle bin so that non-recyclables would not be thrown in by accident.  Be proactive in your apartment community.  Most people will not recycle unless it is easy, so you may have to insist that your management be more helpful in letting residents know where and how to recycle.

Learn more: Glass in the Bath, Growing an Herb Garden

Sexy Solar Charger for the iPhone

10/27/2009 in Product Reviews, Sustainable Living | 1 comment

Regen’s new solar charger for the iphone is set to hit the market in February 2010.  This sexy, stylish charging unit is designed to blend into a chic room.  The back panel hangs in a window to capture sunlight and then can be placed in the iphone charging stand to rejuice your phone.  As an added bonus it also will plug into the power grid and tells you when it needs to be charged.  You can also order additional bases for playing music that utilize the solar charger panel or even a desk lamp that also draws power from the flat panel solar array.

No-Impact: Baby Food Jars vs Ziplocks

10/16/2009 in No-Impact Living | No comments

Ok, for some things the handy ziplock bag is nice, but have you ever considered using a small glass jar or even a baby food jar instead?  They work great for carrying nuts in (and you can portion your food out knowing how many ounces each jar holds).

Ziplocks cost money.  Every bag you use and throw away is about 7 cents/bag.  That bag goes to the landfill and is never used again.  When I was growing up my mother used to wash ziplock bags by hand and reuse each one about 10 times before throwing it away.  I’ll give her brownie points for effort, but there is a simpler and healthier way to say goodbuy to needless plastic baggies.  Baby food jars!

Ok, so if you make your baby her own food or you don’t have a baby, you can do a few things.  Find a friend with a baby who is willing to save their jars for you.  Or, if you buy spices in glass jars, save the glass containers. When shopping at the grocer, buy products in glass containers instead of plastic (like salsa, sauces, oils, canned fruit).

Depending on the size of your baby food jar or alternative jar, you can use it for things like nuts, peanut butter on the go, dressing or oil for a salad on the go, the list is endless…

From right: 8oz baby jar with nuts, 4oz jar with walnut oil for salad, 4oz jar for all natural peanutbutter

From right: 8oz baby jar with nuts, 4oz jar with walnut oil for salad, 4oz jar for all natural peanutbutter

If your jars get too dirty to clean by hand, just boil some water and sterilize the jars and their caps for a fresh start!  (and remember to let your boiling water cool so you can give your garden or house plants a drink)

Organic Toothpaste that actually works: PerioBrite

09/25/2009 in Environmental, Health, Product Reviews, Sustainable Living | 3 comments

When our household switched from toxic products to non-toxic, all natural alternatives we enjoyed every part of it… except the toothpaste.  We went through so many toothpaste brands like Jason, Toms of Maine and many others.  All of them left our teeth feeling fuzzy.  Some of them even still contained Fluoride, one ingredient we get too much of in our drinking water and a chemical that disrupts the natural hormone production in the thyroid.

Feeling dismayed and out of options, we found ourselves at the Wholefoods store, staring at a wide array of natural toothpastes.  We were going to trial and error again, just pick some and return them if they didn’t work when we bumped into a gentleman buying toothpaste as well.  He reached for a brand familiar to him.  I quickly piped up and asked him if he liked that stuff.  He looked at me funny.  I explained that we were having a hard time finding a paste that worked and wondered if he would recommend the PerioBrite he held in hand.  He told us it is the only thing that works and turned to leave.  Dylan and I looked at each other.  I grabbed a tube of PerioBrite and since then we have been hooked.

PerioBrite is clay-colored and does not contain “sudsing” ingredients that make conventional toothpastes suds in your mouth.  It does contain natural peppermint flavors that really cool and refresh the mouth.  And they graciously leave out the Flouride.  It is clay based and does not leave your teeth feeling fuzzy.  We use it three times a day and our teeth are healthier and cleaner than with chemically loaded conventional toothpastes.

Learn more: Organic, non-Alcohol Mouthwash

Excuse me, there is Mercury in your Corn Syrup

09/10/2009 in Environmental, Health | 1 comment

So corn syrup, otherwise known as HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) has gotten a lot of bad rap lately.  Corn syrup is in loads of processed foods and drinks contributing to obesity,diabetes, DNA damage, and unhealthy eating habits in the majority of Americans.  HFCS is made from the same type of corn crop that is used to make Ethanol used to fuel E-85 vehicles.  But recently, we may have yet another reason (like there aren’t enough) to avoid Corn Syrup.  In a recent TreeHugger piece, David Friedlander unveils the ugly truth about mercury in corn syrup:

According to a recent Mother Jones article, in 2004 when FDA researcher Renee Dufault found mercury in HFCS samples from leading manufacturers, they did what any agency looking to protect public health would do: they asked her to stop her inquiry.

The source of the mercury is thought to be lye, which is used to separate the cornstarch from the kernel. Many chemical companies make lye by pumping salt through large vats of mercury. That mercury-laced lye is most likely the same lye used in processing corn to make HFCS.

After the FDA tried to stymie Dufault’s inquiry, she decided pursue the matter further, sending the original 20 samples to be retested; nearly half of the samples contained mercury. This past January, Dufault published her findings in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health.

Read more…

Nothing works! The Do-Nothing method to natural, healthy skin

08/31/2009 in Environmental, Health, Product Reviews, Sustainable Living | 1 comment

Are you at the point with your skin blemishes that you just feel like giving up and saying “Nothing works”?  Take a step back and consider that your skin did not evolve to deal with harsh soaps, twice daily washes, makeup clogging up pores.  These things strip away the skin’s natural defenses.  If you are at the point where you have no idea if you have dry or oily skin, you have tried so many acne treatments you want to cry or you are just feeling like giving your skin a break, the “Do-Nothing” method may work for you.  10 easy changes.  Try it for 3-4 weeks.  “Natural”, “Nothing” and “Free” don’t make anyone money, that’s why you’ll hardly hear of someone advocating this method.

1. Nothing works!

For your daily face regimen, simply do nothing. No makeup, no scrubs, no washes, nothing. Let your skin regulate itself by producing natural oils that protect the skin and keep it moisturized. Washing your face strips your skin of it’s natural defenses, leaving it dry and vulnerable, often leading to an overproduction of oil that causes acne breakouts. It is a vicious cycle. Go cold turkey and see what “nothing” can do for you! The day you start this method, use a mild scrub (see below) and steam the follow day to start the cleansing process.

2. Cold showers, short showers

Hot water strips away the natural oils in your skin, leaving it dry. If you can’t stand a cold shower, take a warm shower (not hot) and turn the shower handle to cold at the very end when you rinse your face. If there are very oily spots on your face, go ahead and gently rub them with your fingertips, but on most days just a cold rinse should be enough.

3. Never pop a zit!

That white puss that forms on a zit is your skin’s way of cleansing out the inflamed area. The puss is actually filled with white blood cells, and repairing components that clean and heal the infected pore. By “popping” it, you are stripping that natural healing method away and opening up a wound that will take longer to heal and may leave behind a pock mark. Once you get a pussy zit, leave it alone, let it works its magic and it will “pop” and go away on its own. The key is to avoid getting zits in the first place, but once you have a puss filled zit, best to leave it to repair the damage already done rather than causing more damage by popping it.

4. Wash your makeup brushes

If you do need to use makeup to occasionally cover embarrassing blemishes or just to add some color to your eyes, be sure to wash your makeup brushes once a week with warm water and an all natural paraben-free shampoo (the one you use for your own hair of course). Dirty makeup brushes harbor bacteria. Don’t let that build up or you will just be rubbing that grime all over your face! If you must use makeup, use a mineral makeup like Bare Minerals and apply as little as possible. For eyeliner and mascara use a natural, organic product like HoneybeeGardens.

5. Exfoliate Once a week

Sluffing off those dead skin cells is necessary at least once a week. You can buy a natural product with no parabens and a very fine granule like Hugo’s Sea Fennel Scrub. A cheaper and more natural alternative is to use organic coffee grounds from your morning brew.  Coffee grounds not only exfoliate, but the caffeine helps tighten your pores giving you smooth skin. If you have dry skin, you can add a tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil to a handful of coffee grounds and use to exfoliate.

6. Massage the lift into your face

When you scrub your face once a week, give yourself a mini facial massage to increase circulation to your skin. Facial massages help reduce wrinkles by loosening the muscles of laugh lines and tension areas in your face.

7. Steaming for acne

A weekly steaming can help open your pore to flush out toxins.

Use a small pot of water (add lavender, thyme or chamomile if desired). Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Form a tent over your head by draping a towel over your head and lean your face over the steaming pot. Let the steam hit your face without getting too close (to avoid scalding yourself). Steam for 5 minutes, then immediately rinse your face with cool water to close your pores.

8.  The Hair on Your Head

Since we spend about 8 hours a day with our faces on a pillow, it is important to consider what sleep situations may do to our skin.  If you have long hair, put your hair up in a binder before hitting the sack to keep the oils and product in your hair off your pillow and off your face.  Using a hairnet also works for those who have shorter hair or don’t like their hair tied up all night.  It is also important to evaluate what is in your hair products, as these are the closest in proximity to your face and scalp.  Check your shampoos, conditioners and hair products for parabens such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and known human carcinogens, such as triclosan.  If you find any of these things in your product, throw them away and start fresh.  A big factor in your skin’s health can be the laundry detergent you use.  Bed linens and clothing rub on us all day.  Buying a natural detergent and staying away from dryer sheets can help clear up acne, yeast infections and skin irritations as well as keep harmful carcinogens out of your system.

Health food stores sell all natural cosmetic and beauty products that will be gentler on your hair and better for your overall health.  Look for ingredient lists that are short and do not contain words you cannot pronounce or chemical names you have never heard of.  Less is more in this case.  Keep this healthy practice with all your cosmetics, cleaners, and soaps and you will have less chance of coming in contact with harmful chemicals and carcinogens throughout your day.  Our favorites are Hugo shampoos and conditioners and Dr. Bronner’s liquid hand and body soaps.

9. Exercise

Healthy skin is tied in with healthy living. Eating fresh produce, meats and avoiding processed sugars, corn syrup and parabens goes hand in hand with regular exercise. Exercise aids in carrying nutrients to all cells in the body and carrying out toxins that build up in our cells. Our bodies are not built for sitting on the couch or at the computer all day.

10. Avoid sweets

Avoiding sweets and refined sugars is the best way to avoid zits and aging. Glycation is a process by which sugar bonds to a protein or lipid molecule without the controlling action of an enzyme contributing to the deterioration of collagen in your skin. Collagen is responsible for that young, tight skin look we all strive for. Not to mention, avoided sweets and eating healthy will make you feel better and look better!

Human powered taxis in Arizona

07/06/2009 in Sustainable Living | No comments

EcoCab is a new company that is leading the way in human powered taxis through Scottsdale, AZ.  The “cab” is shaped like open air horse drawn buggy.  Except the horse isn’t a horse, it is a human on wheels.

If you catch them around town for a short ride, they only charge for a tip and lunchtime rides are only $2.  Their “tours” that take you around Scottsdale to all the major venues over 75 mins cost just $75.

What a great idea!  There should be more of these, especially in warm, busy cities.