Can Household and Personal Care Products Really Affect Your Health?

Asthma, Digestive and Respiratory Issues, Eye and Skin Burns, Reproductive Issues, Headaches, Liver and Kidney Damage...
 

These are just a few harmful health effects that household and personal care products have on your health. Sorry, this is a long post, but so important. :) I was amazed and disgusted after seeing a list of the chemicals and health risks in products most people use everyday and sometimes several times a day. I was angry to see that some of these chemicals are even in baby detergent like Dreft, diaper rash cream, baby wash and lotion like Aveeno and Johnson's. I think it is sad that as mothers, we cannot trust the most popular brands or the "gentlest" of products or even "Pediatrician Recommended" brands. I am happy to see that parents are becoming more aware of the effects of these chemcials, especially on babies, and sharing with others. Please read product labels with caution. Make sure to read the ingredients and do your own research, companies can print words like these without strict regulations. These chemicals may have alternative names so I have listed the synonyms for the chemicals also. I'm not saying that if you use a product with these chemicals, it guaranteed that you will immediately have health problems, but why would you want to breathe or put these chemicals on your body at all?

MONOETHANOLAMINE (MEA)
Synonyms: 2-Aminoethanol, 2-Hydroxyethanamine, Ethanol, 2-amino-, Ethanolamine, MEA

Toxicity Information:

Inhalation has been reported to cause asthma, immediate allergic response, acute liver damage and chronic hepatitis, severe eye and skin burns. May be harmful if inhaled or absorbed through skin. Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory system. Large doses produce sedation, coma, and death following depression of blood pressure and cardiac collapse. 

Chemical found in:

• Tide Liquid Laundry and Tide Free Liquid Laundry
• Dreft Liquid Laundry
• Cheer Liquid Laundry
• Ivory Snow Liquid Laundry
• Gain Liquid Laundry
• Dawn Power Dissolve
• 409 Spray Degreaser
• Easy Off Oven Cleaner
• Damp Rid Mold & Mildew Control
• Windex
• Pledge
• Spray n' Wash Stain Remover

SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Synonyms: Ascarite, Caustic Soda, Soda Lye

Toxicity Information:

Causes 75% of all caustic injury to the esophagus of kids under 5 years old. Can cause burns in tissues, chronic skin irriation, irriation to the respiratory tract, can cause liver and kidney damage. Inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact with material may cause severe injury or death. Instructions for first aid if inhaled is to move the person to fresh air, if they are not breathing administer artificial respiration. 

Chemical Found in:

Household Products:

• Cascade Rinse Formula
• 409 Degreaser
• Clorox Clean Up Spray and some Cleaners
• Soft Scrub Liquid Gel
• Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner and some Cleaners
• Comet Cleanser with Bleach
• Soft Scrub
• Easy Off Oven Cleaner
• Palmolive Antibacterial Hand Soap
• Woolite Liquid Wash
• Tide Ultra Liquid
• Shout Laundry Stain Remover
• Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush
• Arm & Hammer Detergent
• Tilex

Personal Care Products:

• Johnson's Baby Wash
• Aveeno Naturals
• Aveeno Baby Cream and some bath products
• Old Spice Deodorant
• Some Olay Total Effects, Regenerist, and Pro-x creams
• Oil of Olay Body Washes
• Jergins Skin Firming Moisturizing
• Softsoap Hand Soap
• Neutrogena Moisture for Sensitive Skin
• Dove Ultra Moisturizing BodyWash
• Method Foaming Hand Wash
• Gilette Shave Gel
• Pantene Shampoo

Now think of how many times the toxic chemicals from the dishwasher or laundry detergent are lingering through your home every time you do a load of dishes or laundry. How about when you use your Oil of Olay body wash in the shower, then you use your anti-wrinkle face cream, brush your teeth with Crest and then throughout the day you are putting on your Aveeno moisturizer. Oh, and don't forget that i'm sure you will do a little wiping down of the counters and maybe wash your hands a few times with Softsoap or Method hand wash. This is a lot of exposure to one chemical that your body experiences in one day and all of the things you put on your body are absorbed directly into your bloodstream. Stay tuned, these are only a few chemicals but I will be posting more.

Please note: These are only some of the products that may contain these chemicals. For more information on the products and toxicity, please visit the Toxicology Data Network or the Hazardous Substance Database at http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/list?tbl=TblChemicals&alpha=A