It's been awhile since I posted. Partly because I am busy being a working mama and partly because even with 915 page views, I feel as if no one is reading. Having said that, a lot of things have been going on lately that have prompted me to get back to it.
1. The people at work think I'm crazy
I cannot stand the smell of industrial strength windex every time I walk into my place of work, nor the flowery Febreze in the bathroom and certainly not lemony clorox they want to wipe my desk down with. My boss says "don't listen to Pam, she's crazy, everything according to her gives you cancer." Well yes, I did change out my "green" lightbulb for a normal one - those other ones give you skin cancer. And yes, what is wrong with cleaning your house with baking soda and vinegar and other natural cleaners (my wood polish smells of cinnamon and lavender.)? I stand by my decisions and bring my own travel sized Dr. Bronner's to wash my hands with.
2. The title of my post (also work related)
The other day at work, we got a great big holiday gift basket, loaded with fruit, jams, cookies, brownies, coffee, etc. The first thing to go, of course, the cookies. My co-worker came into my office and showed me a little packaged snowman cookie covered in icing and said "It's all-natural." Well sure, that is what it said on the package... on the FRONT. The back was a convoluted mess of both "natural" and highly "unnatural" ingredients... carageenan, "natural" and artificial flavorings, coloring and my personal favorite, the most shocking of all... PROPYLENE GLYCOL. Yes the same stuff I avoid in shampoo. Here is what wikipedia says about it...
"45 % of propylene glycol produced is used as chemical feedstock for
the production of unsaturated polyester resins. In this regard,
propylene glycol reacts with a mixture of unsaturated maleic anhydride and isophthalic acid
to give a copolymer. This partially unsaturated polymer undergoes
further crosslinking to yield thermoset plastics. Related to this
application, propylene glycol reacts with propylene oxide to give
oligomers and polymers that are used to produce polyurethanes.[4]
Propylene glycol is considered Generally Recognized As Safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is used as an humectant
(E1520), solvent, and preservative in food and for tobacco products. It
is also used in pharmaceutical and personal care products. Propylene glycol is a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable and topical formulations, such as for diazepam and lorazepam that are insoluble in water, use propylene glycol as a solvent in their clinical, injectable forms"
Umm, thanks but no thanks. I'd rather not eat it. I worry about what medications I've ingested that have it (please don't get me onto the vaccination conversation). And it might have been a placebo effect, but about 20 mins after said co-worker finished the cookie, he came back in and said he wasn't feeling so well. Or it could have been, it was really just a crappy cookie!
3. My latest greatest obsession in continuation with the above, FOOD!
A lot of my facebook post these days have to do with the big companies donating tons of money to defeat Prop 37. I won't get into it now but if you are interested, check it out here http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_26620.cfm
Having said THAT, food is the one thing I generally don't like to discuss. There is nothing more I hate than when other people butt into my food eating business. So I promise you I won't tell you what to eat (unless truly asked). Maybe I'll let you in on those nasty chemicals that can often be found in food products, but that's the extent to which I will go.
Till next time... P
Showing posts with label shampoo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shampoo. Show all posts
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Going SLS Free... Bring on the Suds!
One of my BIG detox missions right now is removing all sulfates, and not just the ones in my shampoo! It seems that the shampoo companies are jumping on the natural bandwagaon these days by touting that they are sulfate (and sometimes even paraben) free. I won't even get into the other harmful chemicals that a lot of these products contain and instead I'll keep my focus on the other products that contain sulfates - toothpaste, laundry soap (see my first ever post), hand soap, dish soap, etc.
So what are sulfates and why are they used? And most importantly, are they harmful?
What? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are the chemicals used to make your soap, shampoo, toothpaste foam up. It's how you get the uber sudsy effect. Something my husband pointed out in the laundromat one day when it seemed that are fellow laundromat patron used way too much detergent. It wasn't too much, it was just the foaming factor was a lot heavier than ours was.
Why? They are cheap and effective.
Harmful? Although they are considered "safe" in many products, they are known irritants. Some products with these chemicals have also been contaminated with low levels of 1, 4 Dioxane, which has been classified as a carcinogen. Shampoos have been removing it due to irritation on the scalp.
If you've been following my story here then you know that 1-I don't want to take any chances with the health of my family and 2-I am very much sensitive to the effects of SLS. Much to my dismay, a lot of natural products use SLS stating that it is deemed safe and that it is natural because it is derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. Also noting that it can be irritating if left on the skin - hence the shampoo again.
So here we are with the decision again - go with it or get rid of it? I recently switched my toothpaste from Tom's Whole Care to the new SLS-free Clean and Gentle. I know a lot of people are down on Tom's because they are corporate and use fluoride, etc. But I have to say that I do like them. It was the ONLY toothpaste I could tolerate through morning sickness and they have really stepped up creating both SLS and fluoride free toothpastes based on customer demand.
Most SLS-free products are not fan favorites due to their low foaming action. So in their defense, here are a couple of pics of SLS-free soap products. They are looking pretty sudsy to me!
So what are sulfates and why are they used? And most importantly, are they harmful?
What? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are the chemicals used to make your soap, shampoo, toothpaste foam up. It's how you get the uber sudsy effect. Something my husband pointed out in the laundromat one day when it seemed that are fellow laundromat patron used way too much detergent. It wasn't too much, it was just the foaming factor was a lot heavier than ours was.
Why? They are cheap and effective.
Harmful? Although they are considered "safe" in many products, they are known irritants. Some products with these chemicals have also been contaminated with low levels of 1, 4 Dioxane, which has been classified as a carcinogen. Shampoos have been removing it due to irritation on the scalp.
If you've been following my story here then you know that 1-I don't want to take any chances with the health of my family and 2-I am very much sensitive to the effects of SLS. Much to my dismay, a lot of natural products use SLS stating that it is deemed safe and that it is natural because it is derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. Also noting that it can be irritating if left on the skin - hence the shampoo again.
So here we are with the decision again - go with it or get rid of it? I recently switched my toothpaste from Tom's Whole Care to the new SLS-free Clean and Gentle. I know a lot of people are down on Tom's because they are corporate and use fluoride, etc. But I have to say that I do like them. It was the ONLY toothpaste I could tolerate through morning sickness and they have really stepped up creating both SLS and fluoride free toothpastes based on customer demand.
Most SLS-free products are not fan favorites due to their low foaming action. So in their defense, here are a couple of pics of SLS-free soap products. They are looking pretty sudsy to me!
.JPG) | ||||
| Dolphin Organics Baby Shampoo & Body Wash | (Not even the bubble bath)! |
.JPG) |
| Dapple Dish Soap |
Friday, June 1, 2012
Going Product Free? Fun stuff to do with baking soda and vinegar
I have been on a mission to detoxify the products in my home and although I do love my products (stay tuned for more makeup and fun gift box posts), I thought I'd pay homage to my grandmother and post some things you can do with ordinary household items - baking soda and vinegar.
1. You can wash your hair. I haven't done this but this article has been floating around facebook. Check it out. At one time, I did use apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair and my husband couldn't stand to be within two feet of me due to the sour smell. Comments here suggest no lingering smell, so it might be worth a try.
2. The one my grandmother taught me... unclog a drain. Dump some baking soda in the drain and follow it up with white vinegar. It will clear your drain and make for a fun science experiment.
3. Clean your floors (straight vinegar in a spray bottle and wipe it clean); clean your tub (boil vinegar in the microwave and use a scrubby sponge); clean glass and also soap scum off of shower doors; clean the inside of your fridge.
I also found this recipe online to fight soap scum and mildew:
1 2/3 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid soap
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 clean 16-ounce squirt bottle with closing cap
Squirt on solution, scrub clean, then save the leftovers by closing the cap!
4. Clean your oven without harsh chemicals. Pour baking soda in your oven about 1/4 inch thick. Spray it with a water bottle to get it damp. Let it sit over night and wipe it clean the next morning.
5. My new favorite - use baking soda to make your own mouthwash.
1 cup filtered or distilled water
2 Tbl baking soda
2-3 drops tea tree oil
4-5 drops peppermint oil
6. Use vinegar to get stains out of carpeting. Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 1/2 cup white vinegar, rub into stain, let dry, then vacuum.
I'm sure there are many more. If anyone is reading this and know of any, please feel free to comment!
1. You can wash your hair. I haven't done this but this article has been floating around facebook. Check it out. At one time, I did use apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair and my husband couldn't stand to be within two feet of me due to the sour smell. Comments here suggest no lingering smell, so it might be worth a try.
2. The one my grandmother taught me... unclog a drain. Dump some baking soda in the drain and follow it up with white vinegar. It will clear your drain and make for a fun science experiment.
3. Clean your floors (straight vinegar in a spray bottle and wipe it clean); clean your tub (boil vinegar in the microwave and use a scrubby sponge); clean glass and also soap scum off of shower doors; clean the inside of your fridge.
I also found this recipe online to fight soap scum and mildew:
1 2/3 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid soap
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 clean 16-ounce squirt bottle with closing cap
Squirt on solution, scrub clean, then save the leftovers by closing the cap!
4. Clean your oven without harsh chemicals. Pour baking soda in your oven about 1/4 inch thick. Spray it with a water bottle to get it damp. Let it sit over night and wipe it clean the next morning.
5. My new favorite - use baking soda to make your own mouthwash.
1 cup filtered or distilled water
2 Tbl baking soda
2-3 drops tea tree oil
4-5 drops peppermint oil
6. Use vinegar to get stains out of carpeting. Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 1/2 cup white vinegar, rub into stain, let dry, then vacuum.
I'm sure there are many more. If anyone is reading this and know of any, please feel free to comment!
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