Toxic Tuesday

Toxic Toothbrushes

Continuing with our oral health info-another one I was late to the party with: toothbrushes. The bonus is toothbrushes get replaced Toxic Toothbrushesoften and are fairly inexpensive so it’s an easy swap you can make in the future with a little info.

What may be in your toothbrush even fresh from the package? 

PVC plastics contain Phthalates. As we have learned phthalates are known to increase breast cancer cells, asthma, allergies, infertility and decreased sperm counts. It is difficult to avoid them entirely since they are in so many things, however cutting down every little bit helps.

Another toxin you will find is BPA. Unfortunately if you see BPA free please remember the BPA replacement has proven to be more toxic. This issue is seldom addressed since there isn’t an actual solution aside eliminating plastic). BPA has shown to have links to high blood pressure and have effects on the brain, prostate. One of the issues with BPA is that it breaks down when heated. If you are sterilizing your toothbrush in any form that may heat it up you are better off tossing it and getting a new toothbrush.

Solutions?

Personally I like the bamboo toothbrushes. The downfall to this is that if you have more than one person in your family you need a way to make them. Colored nail polish on the handle, or washi tape seem to work. My younger kids seem anti bamboo toothbrush so we have done well with the radius toothbrush. (I have found them at iherb  (https://www.iherb.com/pr/RADIUS-Totz-Plus-Toothbrush-3-Years-White-Blue-1-Toothbrush/63598) or Whole Foods.

The Soft Landing also put together a nice list of other options that are safer than what you may be getting free at your last dentist appointment. http://thesoftlanding.com/bpa-pvc-and-phthalate-free-toothbrush-guide/

Toxic Toothbrushes

 

Toxins in Toothpaste

Last week we focused on Triclosan and where it is hiding. One of the biggest places is your toothpaste. While it is true that the FDA Toxins in Toothpastehas stated triclosan has proven to fight gingivitis-is it worth the trade off? Triclosan has also shown to be an endocrine disruptor. This term gets mentioned a lot but isn’t always explained. Basically any endocrine disrupting chemicals can promote health issues such as breast cancer, testicular cancer, low term birth weight and the progression of cancers.  The animal studies that have included triclosan have shown it may interfere with cells that signal the brain and heart as well as having hormonal effects. Triclosan has also shown to cause resistance to antibiotics. One study showed that people who brushed their teeth with particular toothpaste high in triclosan had five times more triclosan in their urine.

Aside Triclosan, other toxins in toothpaste:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate – is what makes your toothpaste all foamy. I have to admit it took some getting used to when I switched to toothpaste that didn’t include that-however it is a psychological effect-the toothpaste still works without getting foamy J The problem with SLS? It is often contaminated with 1,4 dioxane which is a carcinogen. SLS is a registered insecticide and is toxic to the environments and marine life. SLS can also cause skin irritation and sores.

Fluoride –  is a touchy one. Fluoride is actually a neurotoxin and does accumulate in your tissues over time. Toothpaste that contains natural occurring cacao extract bromine has shown to be more beneficial in repairing and re-mineralizing teeth than fluoride according to more recent studies. Fluoride is imported from China (red flag? More on that next week!)

Propylene Glycol –  is as dangerous as it sounds. It is a mineral that is also used in paints, antifreeze and de-icers for airplanes. It has shown to cause organ toxicity, skin and eye irritations.

Diethanolamine (DEA) – Classified as a 10 (10 being the most toxic) with EWG’s ratings it is tied to stomach cancer as well as liver, bladder and esophagus cancers. California has declared it a possible human carcinogen. Seems like something we shouldn’t brush our teeth with?

Artificial Sweeteners and colors –  It gets complicated here. It’s easy to start with aspartame since we know it’s no good.  Saccharine is another one to avoid. Xylitol has mixed thoughts but so far is being considered more safe than not. Some artificial colors and sweeteners may be contaminated with heavy metals or made from petrochemicals. No thank you!

Carrageenan – This one annoys me beyond belief mostly because I find in many “natural” types of toothpaste that people think they have swapped safely for. It is a carcinogen and causes inflammation.

Glycerin –  While glycerin is not toxic by itself, but doesn’t rinse off the surface of your teeth and prevents the natural flow and protection of saliva.

Lead –  Apparently Earthpaste has tested for lead. (Unfortunate, since they have a great EWG score ingredient wise.) http://leadsafeamerica.org/earthpaste/  They have stated that it is natural occurring. Natural or not we know there is NO safe level of lead for consumption so it is best not to include it in your toothpaste. This is a controversial issue for toothpastes with bentonite clay in them. I invite you to research and decide for yourself.

 

What are some better choices?

Personally I have come to like Ugly by Nature (https://uglybynature.com). I have tried a few flavors but I am partial to the mints since my brain has programmed to feel clean with a minty toothpaste.  I have used it for over a year and I have no complaints from my dentist or myself. (As I side note I also do regular oil pulling-to read more check out our previous blog post on mouthwash!)  Check your brand at EWG and find yourself a safer swap!

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/toothpaste/

 

 

Toxins in Toothpaste

 

 

Toxins in Tampons

This one blew my mind a little, mostly because I overlooked it for so long.  We know over 90% of our cotton is genetically modified so Toxins in Tampons  it can withstand being doused in glyphosate. (A known carcinogenic weed killer). We know everything you put on or in your body ends up in your bloodstream. So why do we not discuss tampons?

I am aware organic cotton has its benefits and my kids sleep on organic cotton sheets. They wear a lot of organic cotton clothing, partly due to my fond addiction to Hanna Anderson clothing. We own plenty that is not organic and I do not worry about it. Then again, clothing is not being inserted INTO your body. The vaginal membrane has shown to be more absorptive of medicine and other materials than any other part of the body. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15385078

Are all ingredients disclosed?

Tampons are considered a “medical device” which means all ingredients do not need to be entirely disclosed.  The word fragrance itself can contain any number of over 3,400 chemicals, many of which are toxic. Although the bleaching process has changed over the years and dioxin are said not to be a factor-in recent studies they have been found in more than half of the tampons/sanitary napkins tested. So why worry about Dioxin? It is a toxic chlorine compound linked to cancer.

Some studies conducted to decide if these ingredients are safe most are paid for by the companies themselves. Information to consider. In addition the consensus is that in small amounts these ingredients are deemed to pose no health risk. Unfortunately for woman, they tampons for several days a month for many years.

Toxins are cumulative in the body.  It is likely very true that using non organic tampons one month or year is not going to destroy your health. However the average woman menstruates for 30-40 years.   That is an estimated 12,000 tampons. Since we have not been using the same pesticides for 40 years we have no way of obtaining a study on the safety of non-organic tampons over a lifetime.  The FDA currently has no plans to fund any studies on the safety of tampons.

Solutions?

This is one item that has been swapped out for organic in my house.  This post has been written a few months waiting to be used. Recently I stumbled upon a new company called Lola. I watched their intro video and loved that they are a company started by two women looking to share a better product-much like The Chemical Free Me is. You can subscribe and even personalize what size tampons you want in your box each month. You can easily skip months or set it for every other month. You can add liners of the size you need as well.  All organic cotton-nothing else! Brilliant!

Read their about us below and visit their website and find yourself a safer set of feminine products –while supporting a small business.  https://www.mylola.com

We met in the summer 2014, introduced by friends who had a hunch we’d hit it off. They were right. Jordana was in grad school, working on the early concept that would become LOLA, while Alex was at a tech startup. After a drink or two, Jordana asked Alex, “Have you ever wondered what’s in a tampon?” Turns out, she hadn’t.

That small question sparked a big idea – could we create an organic tampon and a brand that was completely transparent with customers about the ingredients in its products? After all, if we care about the ingredients in everything from our food to our face cream, why should our feminine care be any different?

Toxins in Tampons

 

Avoid Toxic Ingredients when Coloring Your Eggs

Coloring Easter Eggs? What You Need to Know:

If you celebrate Easter and have young children you have probably grabbed a package of egg dye to color eggs with. toxic dyes

What’s really in that egg color aside vinegar?

According to packaging:

Yellow #5-while banned in Austria and Norway we still use it in the USA. In 2013 food was required to add a label suggesting it could cause allergic reactions and asthma. It has been linked to migraines, blurred vision, fatigue and anxiety.

Blue #1-has shown in studies to suggest kidney tumors in mice and may cause cancer.

Blue #2-has shown an incidence of tumors in and brain gliomas in rats. It is not recommended to be used in food

Red #3-has shown to cause DNA damage in human liver cells. It has been found to interfere with thyroid function and cause hyperactivity.  Red number 3 has also shown to induce cancer. It was almost banned by the FDA in 1985 but lost out to industry pressure. In 1990 it was banned in skin care products but is still allowed in food (Logical?)

Yellow #6-has caused adrenal tumors in animals.

Red #40-has shown to be damaging to the DNA in mice, may contain contaminants that contribute to cancer in humans and has been linked to hyperactivity.

Since anything absorbed onto your skin goes into your blood stream that means you are putting these ingredients into your body. If you are actually eating the eggs after coloring them with these kits…I wouldn’t!

Is there a solution?

Of course! It will take a few more minutes than dumping vinegar in a cup with a tablet but reading the risks-I will take the few extra minutes! http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-vibrant-naturally-dyed-easter-eggs-holiday-projects-from-the-kitchn-112957

Toxic Dyes

 

Poison Prevention Week

This week is National Poison Prevention week and we are excited to help promote awareness.  If you haven’t downloaded our free toxin checklist (link: /wp-content/uploads/2016/07/toxin_list-1.pdf)  grab yours today and start checking the labels to the products you are putting on your Poison Prevention Weekskin.

 

Today I turn our Toxic Tuesday over to the Mesothelioma Cancer Allience and thank them for spreading the word about toxins…

The United States Congress passed a joint resolution on September 26, 1961, requesting that the U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, proclaim the third week of March National Poison Prevention Week. He granted the resolution and made March 1962 the first official observance of Poison Prevention Week.

Poisoning is a leading cause of accidental injury in the U.S. and harms people of all ages,

genders, and races. While most poisonings can be treated or prevented, they still hold the risk of being extremely dangerous and potentially deadly.

 

2017 Poison Prevention Week:

Each year there are daily themes to go along with Poison Prevention Week. This year’s themes

are:

  • Monday, March 20 – Children Act Fast … So Do Poisons
  • Tuesday, March 21 – Poison Centers: Saving You Time and Money
  • Wednesday, March 22 – Poisonings Span a Lifetime
  • Thursday, March 23 – Home Safe Home
  • Friday, March 24 – Medicine Safety

 

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance at Mesothelioma.com (MCA) is participating in Poison Prevention Week by spreading awareness about the dangers of poisons, both in the home and workplace. MCA is an organization working to spread awareness for the disease, and fights to have asbestos banned in the United States. The disease is rare and aggressive, affecting approximately 2,000-3,000 new patients each year, and offers a very poor 12-21 month life expectancy.

 

This year the MCA will be focusing on the Wednesday and Thursday themes: Poisonings Span a Lifetime and Home Safe Home. Asbestos fibers, which are commonly found in construction materials used in homes, schools and other buildings, are extremely toxic when those materials are disturbed and the dust is inhaled. Particles stick to the mesothelium tissue found in the lungs, abdomen and heart, and can stay there for 10-50 years before symptoms of mesothelioma occur. To learn more about the dangers of asbestos exposure you can visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance at Mesothelioma.com.

Poison Prevention Week

 

Wrinkle Free Fabric Toxins

Are you saving time or adding to your toxic load?

Last week we covered wrinkle remover. In case you have solved your wrinkle problems with wrinkle free clothing there are a few things to be aware of.

I have to be honest when I first heard about wrinkle free shirts it seemed brilliant! Why aren’t they all wrinkle free? Sometimes if it’s Wrinkle Free Fabric Toxinstoo good to be true it usually is.

What actually makes fabric wrinkle free when it’s still made out of the same cotton? The fabric is treated with PFC’s (including Teflon), sulphuric acid and a resin that releases formaldehyde.

According to the National Cancer Institute Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. (Link: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet)

According to clothing companies the levels are considered safe (although I am not sure I would call any level of these safe nor do we have long term studies to back that up). However, when tested levels exceeded what is considered to be “safe” for skin contact. (link: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10875.pdf)

Sometimes in a world of “convenience” we forget what’s safe. We also assume that if a product is sold to us that it must be safe. One could also argue these toxins are everywhere. Unfortunately this is true. They build up in your body and accumulate over time. Each toxin that you can eliminate exposure to is valuable to your long-term health.

My opinion? Skip the wrinkle free shirts, sheets etc. Pretend they never existed and grab your iron if needed.

Wrinkle Free Fabric Toxins

 

Wrinkle Remover Toxins

The last month has been a focus on laundry detergents and stain removers. It seemed like a good time to add in wrinkle remover. My Wrinkle Remover Toxinshusband used to keep several bottles around. My guess is before I came along folding wasn’t a priority so even t-shirts needed some love before wearing.  Several years ago when we eliminated toxin by toxin in our home this one had to go.

As you know from a previous blog post fabric softeners are very toxic.

Alpha Terpineol: Known to cause damage to the central nervous system as well as respiratory problems

Camphor:  Can cause disorders in the central nervous system.

Chloroform: A neurotoxic carcinogen

Benzyl Acetate: linked to pancreatic cancer

Benyl Alcohol:  Can irritate the respiratory tract

Ethanol:  Known to cause central nervous system disorders

Ethyl Acetate: Listed on the EPA’s “hazardous waste” list

Fragrance: A combination of any number of over 3,000 ingredients, many never tested for safety. Many include Plthalates.

Limonene: An eye irritant and known carcinogen

Linalool: Also known to cause central nervous system disorders

After researching I couldn’t find a safe store bought option. I also found the majority of the DIY options contained a store bought (unsafe)fabric softener. While that is great if you are looking to save money, it is not helpful at all if you are looking to eliminate toxins.

I have found several variations of a non-toxic DIY wrinkle remover. I have put them to the test.  It’s not perfect.  I would say it’s 30-40% effective. It is helpful in a pinch so we have a bottle mixed up. The easiest solution? Fold your clothing neatly after the dryer or pull out your iron for a few.

Recipe:

1 Cup of distilled water

1 Cup of white vinegar

10 drops of essential oil (Peppermint recommended /product/peppermint-organic-essential-oil/)

Store in spray bottle. Spray in a sweeping motion and hang to dry.

Wrinkle Remover Toxins

 

DIY Non-Toxic Stain Remover

Over the past few weeks I replayed my journey in research in finding a laundry detergent that actually worked and wasn’t bringing non-toxic stain removertoxins into my home. It was by far one of the hardest products to find a worthy replacement for so hopefully I helped you skip some of the legwork.

Finding a good stain remover was slightly easier. I did try out several “natural” ones but they didn’t seem to actually work.

What’s in your average stain remover?

Many contain a petroleum base. We covered petroleum a few weeks back so you know that it is not biodegradable and non-sustainable.

Benzene, Toluene, Xylene: They are all neurotoxins that can do damage to the central nervous system.

Monoethanolamine: It can damage the liver, kidney, reproductive and central nervous systems.

Methylene chloride is a carcinogen and a neurotoxin that can also cause skin irritations, liver and brain damage as well reproductive issues.

Parabens are included in different versions which are known hormone disrupters. Some are carcinogenic.

Sodium Hypochlorite is a neurotoxin, liver damage and respiratory irritant.

My youngest gets dirty. He drinks a smoothie several times a day to get his special vitamins and supplements into him. Blueberries hide the taste of everything-but they also stain. We needed something that worked. I did not create this recipe. I have seen countless variations online so I am not sure where this one originated but it has been my go to:

Recipe:

1.5c water

¼ c Liquid castile soap

¼c vegetable glycerin

2TBSP baking soda

15 drops of lemon essential oil /product/lemon-essential-oil/

Note: You MUST use a stainless steel or glass spray bottle when adding a citrus essential oil. Plastic will not hold up.

non-toxic stain remover

 

Non-Toxic Laundry Solutions

 Getting Your Clothes Clean without the Toxins

Since we know Facebook and Google stalk our moves it was not surprising “Crystal Wash” and other laundry balls started showing up Getting Your Clothes Clean without Toxinsas adds in my Facebook feed. The claim to these was that they can deep clean and disinfect by increasing the pH of your water. Still in my laundry struggle, I bought an Amazon version to try them out. Zero cleaning production. Four kids, one who recently potty trained. Our clothes get dirty. These did not get them clean at all.

 

Some things just seem to good to be true and they usually are.  According to tests they did (on the “real” non bargain brand balls), stain removal was better than hot water alone but washed clothing far worse than any detergent. The entire review may be read here:

http://laundry.reviewed.com/features/crystal-wash-tested-does-this-detergent-alternative-actually-work

 

What’s next?

Soap nuts. Soap nuts have been around forever. They seemed almost too simple. Being determined and having failed at every other avenue I decided to give them a try. I bought a bag off amazon and reluctantly tossed them into the wash waiting for another failure. This time I was pleasantly surprised.

 

What is a soap nut?

Soap nuts are actually berries (therefore they are nut allergy safe.) that contain a natural soap called saponin. Saponin can penetrate the fabric to clean unlike your average “soap” They do not “foam” like most commercial soaps. You can buy organic ones which means they were collected in the wild and do not contain any pesticides (generally a non issue since apparently insects do not enjoy their taste.)

 

You toss a handful in a bag and put them in the washer. They last about 5 loads (you can take a peek in the bag to see if they are done if you can’t keep track. I have also heard of people using a dry erase marker right on their machine to keep tally. Chances are with two teenagers also doing laundry that will never be accurate here.

The Results:

So far I am a fan. They are not going to brighten your clothes so you need to toss something in with your whites periodically-then again I always ran into that with any detergent. They are getting our clothes clean-and did get put to the test towards the end of our potty training. If you are still searching for a natural way to clean your clothes without the toxins this is the closest I have come and will stick with it for as long as I see them working.

Dryer Balls in Laundry

Toxins in Laundry Detergent

Laundry Detergents: Cleaning your clothes or adding toxic chemicals? (Part 1 of 3)

I have had a lot of requests, messages and questions about laundry detergent over the past year and I have been holding off because I Toxins in Laundry Detergenthadn’t found the perfect solution myself despite years of trying. Since I have tried so many things I want to break this down over the next few weeks so information doesn’t get lost. This week’s focus: toxins likely in your store bought detergent.

What to avoid:

Diethanolamine: This can be linked to tumors in kidneys and the liver. It has links to developmental toxicity and is considered an eye and skin irritant. EWG scores it as a 10 (the most toxic ranking) http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=Diethanolamine&h=Search

Quaternium-15: Added to help a product clean better. Another known carcinogen that releases formaldehyde. (Scores an 8 out of 10 according to EWG)

Nonylphenol ethoxylate: Also labeled as: AMMONIUM NONOXYNOL-4 SULFATE, AMMONIUM SALT PEG-4 NONYL PHENYL ETHER SULFATE; AMMONIUM SALT POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 200 NONYL PHENYL ETHER SULFATE; AMMONIUM SALT POLYOXYETHYLENE (4) NONYL PHENYL ETHER SULFATE; P-NONYLPHENOL, ETHOXYLATE, SULFATE, AMMONIUM SALT; PEG-4 NONYL PHENYL ETHER SULFATE, AMMONIUM SALT; POLY (OXY-1,2-ETHANEDIYL) , .ALPHA.-SULFO-.OMEGA.- (4-NONYLPHENOXY) -, AMMONIUM SALT; POLY (OXY1,2ETHANEDIYL) , αSULFOω (4NONYLPHENOXY) , AMMONIUM SALT; POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 200 NONYL PHENYL ETHER SULFATE, AMMONIUM SALT; POLYOXYETHYLENE (4) NONYL PHENYL ETHER SULFATE, AMMONIUM SALT; ALIPAL CO 436; ALIPAL CO-436

Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS): Toxic to aquatic life and may be a skin and eye irritant.

Petroleum distillates(also called naphthas): This ingredient can be linked to cancer and lung damage.

Fragrances: We have covered this a lot in the past. A “Fragrance” covered by trade secret may include any number of over a thousand different chemicals. Some have never been tested for safety and others are known carcinogens.

Polyalkylene oxide or ethylene oxide: One or both may be added to help “stabilize” the product. Both are linked to respiratory issues, kidney and liver damage.

Laundry “Brighteners”:

naphthotriazolystilbenes benzoxazolyl, diaminostilbene disulfonate. These may be linked to reproductive issues and do not necessarily “wash off” your clothing.

I once used the “Think Dirty” app to scan almost an entire isle at Target. Some that I assumed were going to come out on the better end-did NOT. It was actually shocking and I left without detergent. I was determined to find a safer detergent. Next week we will explore some other options I tried and what the downfalls were.

*Please note: This list does NOT include toxins in dryer sheets since that was covered in a previous post)

Toxins in Laundry Detergent