Toxic Tuesday Facts

Toxins from Shower Curtain

I learned this a number of years ago but was recently reminded when it was time to replace my shower liner again. You likely have at Shower Curtain Toxinsleast one (possibly two if your outer curtain is also plastic and not fabric) toxic shower curtain.

What is making your shower curtain toxic? 

The most common culprit is Vinyl Chloride. (PVC) which is a carcinogen. The chemicals involved are released further with a warm, moist environment. (Note: your shower?)

PVC in your shower curtain can produce phthalates, which are linked to ADHD, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and lower IQ, asthma and reproductive issues. Phthalates evaporate into the air as well and then cling to the dust in your home.

Ethylene Dichloride vapor can affect your nervous system, respiratory system, liver and kidneys.

Lead: This is usually familiar to people since we have banned it in many things (pencils, paint etc) Unfortunately it is still out there and according to the Department of Environmental Safety it has also been linked to kidney damage, learning disabilities, damage of the nervous system and anemia.

Petroleum: we have covered the dangers of petroleum in the past few weeks. It has also found its way into EVA and PEVA liners. In exchange for being chloride free they have subbed in petroleum to obtain pliability.

Solutions?

Yes! This one is an easy fix! There are safer and sustainable shower curtain materials. I went with organic cotton. Nylon is another quick drying choice.  Water resistant Polyester can be found as another solution to this problem. Slightly more expensive you can also find Hemp Shower curtains. Making a habit of closing the curtain after you shower allows it to dry out helping prevent mildew on any curtain.

Shower Curtain Toxins

 

DIY Non-Toxic Eye Serum

 

Looking for a Non-Toxic Eye Serum?

Eye Serums. They come in the tiniest tubes and are generally full of a host of ingredients, many toxic. They are marketed to “erase” the lines under your eyes making you look younger.  What is the cost?  For the most part, eye serums are full of synthetic chemicals. If yours is lotion based, it likely contains parabens.  A majority seemed to contain 6-8 different parabens. Several I found contained retinyl Acetate (also labeled as Vitamin A acetate or palmitate). This ingredient scores a NINE on the EWG database for concerns including cancer. It is not worth the damage it does to your health. Non-toxic eye serum

So what’s the real solution to helping those fine lines under your eyes without compromising your health? There are lots of ideas and suggestions out there, but we put Plant Therapy’s recipe, from their blog, to the test. We like it for it’s simplicity and safe ingredients. (Note: we opted to use our own face serum as the included oil, since we are very happy with it’s effectiveness!) Caffeine has been shown to work wonders with dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.

What to do:

  • Place 2TBSP of unused caffeinated coffee in a glass jar (a recycled baby food or any small jar will do).
  • Pour in ¼ Cup of your oil of choice (we opted to use our Face Moisturizer, Meadowfoam, Jojoba and Rosehip are also great oils for your face).
  • Allow to sit for one week.
  • Strain through cheesecloth. (We got ours from Amazon).
    Put in an essential oil roller bottle or small pump bottle for easy application.
  • Enjoy!

Check it out here at:  www.planttherapy.com/blog/2015/08/22/diy-eye–serum/

Download a free checklist Eye Serum Toxins OR Shop Face Moisturizer

Face Moisturizer Ingredients

Our Face Moisturizer ingredients: Camellia oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil*, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba)*, Virgin Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Seed Oil*, Virgin Argania spinose (Argan) Nut Oil*, Vitamin E.

*Organic Ingredient