Triclosan: Where is it Hiding?

I wanted to address triclosan by itself before I spend some time addressing other oral health care toxins. Triclosan finally made some headlines last year when the FDA decided antibacterial soap was not helping anyone. More about that in a previous blog post. Please keep in mind that it is not phased out of soaps yet! Unfortunately, antibacterial soap is not the only place this ingredient is Triclosan: Where is it Foundhiding.

What is tricolsan?

Triclosan is an ingredient intended to reduce bacteria. It can be found in many detergents, soaps, color cosmetics, antiperspirants and toothpastes. In addition, it has been proven to disrupt hormones in animals. It has shown to contribute to the rising problem of antibiotic resistance and is harmful to the immune system.

According to a study in 2008 75% of people tested had triclosan in their urine. Unfortunately, we increased antibacterial products even more in the last 9 years so it is likely that number has only risen.

If you have already tossed your antibacterial soaps (if not please do!), it is time to see where else triclosan is hiding in your products.

Toothpaste is a big one. The last thing you want to do is add a toxic ingredient to your mouth twice a day. Triclosan is not a needed ingredient in toothpaste but unfortunately has found a way into many of the more natural ones.

 

Places you can find it:

  • Color Cosmetics
  • Teeth Whiteners
  • Shaving Products
  • Detergents
  • Antibacterial Soaps
  • Antiperspirants

 

Triclosan


 

The Difference Between Fragrance Free and Unscented

Toxins in fragrance can still be found in products labeled unscented!

We have come to love scents. Scented candles, a new car smell, perfumes, body washes, dryer sheets…almost any item you find in your house likely contains the simple word “fragrance” on the end of the Fragrance and Unscented Toxinsingredients.  About 95% of the chemicals in commercial fragrances contain petrochemicals.

What is in Fragrance?

Fragrance is one word, however it is not “one” ingredient. The word fragrance is trade protected (due to a loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging Act of 1973: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/27/toxic-perfume-chemicals.aspx) and can contain any number of over 3,100 chemicals. Many of these have never been tested for safety.

Is Fragrance Toxic?

Some are known to be toxic to the immune system, respiratory system, reproductive system and organ toxicity.  They can cause asthma, eczema, migraines, and other sensitivities. Many of the fragrance ingredients are phthalates (a known carcinogen). Phthalates can result in kidney and liver damage, early breast development, and birth defects. Parabens is another common possibility. Parabens are known to Does your products smell amazinginterfere with hormone production.

Knowing your body absorbs everything put on your skin within seconds you want to be careful about what you are applying. Toxins accumulate in our bodies over time so the key is to cut out and eliminate those we can control. Go through your daily routine in your head and consider how many items you have applied with toxic ingredients (shampoo, soap, hand soap, perfume, body lotion, detergent residue on clothing, cleaning products…the list is endless.

What can you do?

Read your labels. Next time you think about buying that can of air freshener, perfume, scented body lotion or wash-check the label.  If the bottle is scented by using essential oils that is what will appear on the label. If the bottle is scented with a combination (see previous blog post about lavender essential oil) you will find it written on the label.

What if your bottle says it’s Unscented?

This is tricky. Unscented means that fragrances have been added to cover up other scents. If you are looking for no toxic fragrances added you want your label to say “Fragrance Free”

There are simple solutions.

I make my own perfume with an essential oil combination I like. No toxins and I get the benefits of the aromatherapy my choice of oils brings. While some people still want a scent to their items some are safer than others.  Natural Fragrance Oils are produced using only pure essential oils and aromatic isolates derived solely from natural, raw botanical sources. They are free of phthalates, parabens, sulfates, glycols, petrochemicals and/or other solvents.  They can be plant based so they are vegan friendly as well.

It can be overwhelming to try and change too much at once.  Instead, think about the next time you need to purchase new soap, etc and replace it with a safer brand.

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