What Types of Women's Personal Care Products are Safe for You and the Planet?

Author: Anne Harvester

We pay attention to the safety of our cars. You strive to ensure your family eats healthy foods. Many of these facets of concern have been pounded into our heads since we were little girls. Unfortunately, this same scrutiny is not applied to items with which we come into the closest contact. Are you sure your women's personal care products are safe?

Safe personal care products are a necessity for both your family and yourself. This ranges from your child's soap to your collection of cosmetic products. Many women wrongly assume that cosmetics are just for fashion. This is not the case. A mineral cosmetic provides for both flawless appearing skin as well as UV ray protection. Safe cosmetics are both natural and often possess additional protective qualities.

Many undesirable ingredients work their way into commonly found women's personal care products. Many cosmetic products are derived from petroleum products. These best remain in the tank of your car as opposed to residing on your skin. Mineral makeup, however, is fully natural and excludes micronized titanium dioxide which is another wonder of science best left in the lab as opposed to on your face. Safe cosmetics facilitate both healthy skin as well as beauty.

Safe cosmetics are characterized by organic ingredients. This differentiates them from many popular products which contain a litany of potential irritants and allergy triggers. Shampoos and conditioners often contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) which is best avoided. Similarly, deodorants with aluminum chlorhydrate are best left on the shelf as opposed to on the most sensitive of skin under your arms.

Women's personal care products do not have to be manufactured with such ingredients. Many providers go the extra step to thoroughly scrutinize everything that goes into their products. They'll produce a mineral cosmetic using kaolin clay instead of employing harsh artificial chemicals. As indicated, mineral makeup provides for a shield from the sun granting you additional years of wrinkle free skin.

It is not only women's personal care products that require careful selection. Your entire family deserves the same benefits yielded to you from your organic cosmetic line. It is important to know what goes in everything from your kid's toothpaste to your husband's hair conditioner. Unfortunately, you know it is difficult enough to get them to pick up their clothes let alone be conscious of the compositions of the many products they reflexively use on a daily basis.

The chemicals used in many women's personal care products don't remain forever on your body. Upon bathing they end up swirling down the drain and right out into your local ecosystem. Many today are assuming personal responsibility for the substances they emit into the environment, and natural products allow for a feeling of satisfaction in this arena. Quality organic personal care products improve both your health as well as that of the wildlife around you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cosmetics-articles/what-types-of-womens-personal-care-products-are-safe-for-you-and-the-planet-434809.html

About the Author:
A new eBook by Flora Stay, D.D.S. offers invaluable insight into the hidden information on the labels of all the Personal Care Products in your house. Get your FREE copy today »

SuperFoods RX--Green Your Life with These 14 Nutritious Powerhouse SuperFoods!

If there is one book everyone should read today, it's this one!

According to the book: SuperFoods RX by Steven Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews, the fourteen nutritious powerhouse SuperFoods that will change your life are:

• Beans (peas, green beans, lima beans, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, dried bean family)
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats (super sidekicks-wheat germ & ground flaxseed)
  
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Wild Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea
• Tomatoes
• Turkey (skinless breast)
• Walnuts (sidekicks-peanuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, almonds,pumpkin seeds)
  
• Yogurt
  

Antibacterial Soaps: Why You Should Avoid Them Like the Plague

Author: Christine Farlow

Antibacterial soaps DO NOT help your family stay healthy. They may even be making you sick!

Antibacterial soaps have been widely embraced as a way to "kill germs" and prevent illness. But not all bacteria are harmful. And not all "germs" are bacteria.

Some bacteria are beneficial and your body needs them. Antibacterial soap cannot distinguish between harmful and helpful bacteria. It kills all bacteria. When the healthy bacteria that your body needs have been "washed away," it weakens your body's defense system and makes it easier for you to get sick when you're exposed to harmful bacteria.

The most common antibacterial agent used in these soaps is triclosan, which is classified as a drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a pesticide by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA considers triclosan to be a high risk to human health and to the environment.

Recent studies show that triclosan acts like an antibiotic in the way it kills bacteria and may contribute to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Chemically, triclosan is almost the same as some of the most toxic chemicals on earth: dioxins, PCB's, and Agent Orange. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects in the parts per trillion (one drop in 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools!).

Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Externally, it can cause skin irritation, but since "...phenols can temporarily deactivate the sensory nerve endings…contact with [triclosan] often causes little or no pain. Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma, and even death."

Triclosan is stored in body fat. "It can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and can cause paralysis, sterility, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhage, decreased fertility and sexual function, heart problems, and coma." It has not been completely tested and analyzed for all health and environmental risks.

Triclocarban is another antibacterial agent similar to triclosan. Like triclosan, it is also a pesticide. It is widely used in antibacterial soaps and other personal care products. Not much research has been done on the toxicity of triclocarban. However, it has been found to adversely affect lab animals' ability to reproduce and some of its breakdown products cause cancer.

Triclocarban does not completely break down in wastewater treatment, after you wash it down the drain. It has been found in groundwater, streams and drinking water. There are many unanswered questions about whether its presence in fertilizer and the soil cause it to get into the food supply and whether it will cause harm.

These two chemicals alone are enough reason to avoid antibacterial soaps. However, products containing antibacterial agents generally also contain other harmful ingredients. Some of the other ingredients found in these products that you should avoid include:

-DMDM hydantoin

-BHT

-Potassium Lauryl sulfate

-Lauramide diethanolamine (DEA)

-Ammonium lauryl sulfate

-Sodium laureth sulfate

-Tetrasodium EDTA

-Fragrance

-D&C Colors

-FD&C Colors

Antibacterial agents are not only in liquid soaps. It's more common for liquid soap to contain the antibacterial chemicals, about 75% of them do. However, about 30% of the bar soaps also contain chemicals like tricolsan or triclocarban. In addition, these chemicals can also be found in other products, like deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, toothpastes, mouthwashes, detergents, dish soaps and laundry soaps.

It is especially important to avoid using antibacterial soaps on children. These soaps do not protect them and help them to stay healthy. In fact, children need to come in contact with "germs" to help them to develop their immune system. Overuse of antibacterial agents has been linked to allergies and asthma.

It's also important to remember that antibacterial agents do not kill viruses, the microorganisms responsible for colds and flu.

The best soap to use for hand washing and general body care is a pure and natural soap, liquid or bar, without the harsh and harmful chemicals.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/antibacterial-soaps-why-you-should-avoid-them-like-the-plague-64226.html

About the Author:

© 2006 Christine H. Farlow, D.C., "The Ingredients Investigator" and author of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. Learn more about ingredient safety in skin care products and find healthy products at DyingToLookGood.com.

Davos Question: Jeffrey Hollender from Seventh Generation. You Tube Video.

Jeffrey is the the President and Chief Inspired Protagonist at Seventh Generation and has some thoughts for the Davos community. Seventh Generation is the nation's leading brand of non-toxic and environmentally safe household products.

The Davos Question is: What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?

Visit Seventh Generation now!

Are You A Locavore?

From Dictionary.com we bring you the word locavore!

Definition:	a person who attempts to eat only foods grown locally
Example:	Locavores grow their own food or buy foodstuffs grown within their region.

Which one are YOU?
Post your answer in the comment section!

• I am a locavore
• I want to be a locavore
• I don't want to be a locavore
  

WRAP-N-MAT® , Re-Usable Sandwich and Placemat in One. Eco Print

Re-usable Sandwich Wraps

With the holidays coming up, here is a great gift!

This eco-friendly WRAP-N-MAT® , is a re-usable sandwich and placemat in one.

From the Healthy Kichenware website-"The eco print wrap 'n mat is the eco friendly way to wrap your sandwich and carry it in your lunch box. Plus once you unwrap your sandwich you will have a nice place mat to set up your picnic or lunch on. The inside is made out of PEVA which keeps your food fresh and dry. Unlike PVC, PEVA is not processed with chlorine. This wrap'n mat comes in an eco cotton/polyester blend with sayings such as "reuse, recycle, zero waste..." printed on a cream colored background."

Order your WRAP-N-MAT® here!

Natural Skin Care for Your Baby

Author: Christine Harrell

A surprising number of mothers will buy expensive lotions and soaps for their sensitive skins, and yet bathe and shampoo their baby in cheaper, chemical-ridden products.

Even those moms who believe they are being very careful about the products they use on their baby are likely not being careful enough.

An article in Clinical Pediatrics reports that over three out of four infants suffer rashes within the first few months of births. Sadly, the reason for such frequent breakouts appears to be the skin care products parents use to keep their babies' skin moisturized. A baby's skin, like all organs, is not fully developed and isn't as effective a barrier against toxic substances. Natural skin care products are much, much safer than the chemical-heavy conventional ones.

The Danger of Over-The-Counter Products
Many products supposedly designed for infants' sensitive skin are the same harsh cleansers for adults, just put in a cute package with a higher price. Reading labels to see what is really in the bottle is even more critical for your baby than for yourself.

Many bubble baths destroy beneficial bacteria on the baby's skin. In fact the problem is so bad that infant bubble bath carries an FDA warning against excessive bathing. These products often contain known carcinogens and irritants such as formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.

Shampoos are no better. Ingredients to avoid include quaternium 15, imidazolidinyl urea, and parabens. Of course you should also stay away from artificial colors and fragrances.

Baby powders are one of the most common treatments for diaper rash. Many moms use cornstarch, and treat rash with whipped-up egg white that's allowed to dry and form a protective barrier.

Lotions and oils that contain petrochemicals, artificial colors, or artificial fragrances should never be used on a baby.

Natural Skin Care Products
Although most of the skin problems that babies face are due to dangerous ingredients in mass-produced skin care products, this is not the only concern. Even organic skin care products can cause problems if used excessively.

During the first year, babies do not need to be bathed frequently or even at all. An occasional wipe of the genitals and buttocks with a damp cloth is usually all that is needed. If a bath is needed, a small amount of warm water should suffice. Babies don't sweat like children and adults so don't need soap most of the time. If necessary, use a mild soap containing palm, coconut, or olive oil and use as little as possible. Never use antibacterial soap.

Shampoo is also seldom, if ever, needed during the first year. If needed, use a very mild organic shampoo.

Lotions that contain soothing or healing natural skin care ingredients such as chamomile or aloe can be beneficial. They moisturize well and a gentle massage can help a fussy baby sleep.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/natural-skin-care-for-your-baby-342187.html

About the Author:The author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on natural skin care products and organic kin care, visit http://www.Lavera.com/.