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

Cleaning Your Carpet Naturally with Amazing Results

Let's talk about clean carpet. If you're a parent like me, clean carpet is far and in between. Between the milk or juice that finds it's way out of the "spill-proof" sippy cup, food being thrown by my toddler, cheerios and cheddar bunnies scattered throughout the floor, and occassionally dragging the wagon or strolling the stroller onto the carpet, my carpet is dirty!! It gets dirty easily because it is old carpet, so see, it's not all my fault lol! :)

I am always hesitant to have a professional carpet clean because most of the cleaners are extremely toxic. My mother-in-law was so kind and gave us a Bissell carpet cleaner and I was super excited because now I can clean the carpet with my Shaklee products and know that it is completely safe and non-toxic!

Carpet cleaners can be extremely toxic to children, who tend to play and crawl around on carpets. The fumes given off by carpet cleaners can cause cancer and liver damage. Carpet and upholstery cleaners accounted for 5,397 poison exposures in 2005. The majority of these exposures, over 3,500, involved children under 6.

Source: Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' Nat'l Poisioning and Exposure Database


                              

I'm sure you are thinking, "How clean can natural products really clean carpet, right?" Not to mention very old and very dirty carpet! Here's how I did it:

I used my Basic H2 all-purpose super cleaner, Basic G Disinfectant (this gets rid of bacteria, mold, odors, etc.) and Nature Bright brightener. I know that water is disgusting and that wasn't even my entire carpet but I to show you so you can see how well the products work! :) There are still a few areas that I should have pre-treated, especially the entry, but I just wanted to do a quick clean and disinfectant of the carpet.

Cleaning Your Carpet Naturally:

1 Tablespoon of Basic H2 per gallon of water

1 Tablespoon of Basic G Germicide per gallon of water

1-2 scoops of Nature Bright depending on how dirty your carpet is

Any time you use the Nature Bright on carpet, make sure you go back over it with water and don't let it sit on carpet without every wiping it up after the stain has lifted. It will continue to lighten and brighten so it's best to make sure you wipe/soak it up and blot with water after it has removed the stain/pre-treated. Of course if you are going over it while cleaning the carpets, that is not necessary.

Pre-treating: About a week before I cleaned the carpet there were two horrible stains caused by my adorable, innocent toddler! :) She got into my loose powder blush and then threw a blackberry onto the carpet which completely smooshed into the carpet. I used the Nature Bright dissolved in hot water and kept applying every couple hours as needed. The stains were so bad, I had to repeat the next day. I knew the stains would come out because Nature Bright is a miracle worker, I just had to apply it a few times.

Here is the stain from my make-up. That's my daughter's hand to show you how big the stain was. The left picture was before using Nature Bright. The right picture is after I applied Nature Bright one time so you can see that the stain started to fade quite a bit. 

This was after two applications of the Nature Bright. The carpet was so clean that it was lighter than the rest of the carpet which was another reason why I needed to shampoo the entire carpet.

This was the blackberry stain. The right picture is after one application of Nature Bright. This stain took three applications of Nature Bright. I really didn't think it would come out but it finally did!

 

Now onto the carpet clean before and after photos:

Before  and  After



                                                                          Before:

After:

Before pictures of the entry - This was sooooo dirty and stained I didn't think anything would come out!

                                                         After pictures of the entry:

                                      

Vunerability of Children Related to Typical Household Cleaners

If you haven't decided to make the change to non-toxic cleaners and remove all chemical cleaners from your home, I hope these statistics will help you make the change to a healthier home!

Why are children so vulnerable?


Children exposed in the womb are at greatest risk of all. Because cellular structures change so rapidly during embryonic and fetal growth, a toxic exposure at the wrong moment can permanently alter further development... Government and university scientists are currently investigating the possibility of a connection between fetal exposures to toxins and developmental disabilities such as ADHD.

Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food, or air.

Asthma is the most common serious chronic disease of childhood.

Children's metabolic pathways, especially in the first months after birth, are immature. Their ability to metabolize, detoxify and excrete many chemicals differs from adults.

Carcinorgenic and toxic exposures sustained early in life, including prenatal exposures, appear more likely to lead to disease than similar exposure encountered later.

There are over 80,000 chemicals registered with the EPA and fewer than 20% of them have been tested for toxicity.

Organic pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside. According to the EPA, sources of organic pollutants from household cleaners include: solvents, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleansers and disinfectants, and air freshners. Health effects from organic pollutants include: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; and damage to liver, kidney, and cental nervous system. Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.
Source: U.S. EPA

Source of data: Data Related to Typical Household Cleaners. Compiled by Shaklee Corporation. For all sources, see Shaklee Article.
Sources: U.S. EPA, New Chemicals Program, Landrigan, P.J. & Weiss; Natuional Research Council

Toxic Chemical Regulation in 30 States

Information on toxic chemicals seems to be the talk of 2011 and that makes me so happy! :) With the harmful effects of so many chemicals and scientific evidence growing, it is good to see that some states are starting to take action. Unfortunately, California is not at the forefront of this battle, but let's hope that changes soon!

Check out this article posted by Safer States!

To see the full article, CLICK HERE.

"In response to continued public concern over the presence of dangerous chemicals in common household products, coupled with Congressional inaction on the matter, on Wednesday, January 19, legislators and advocates in thirty states across the country and the District of Columbia will announce legislation aimed at protecting children and families from harmful chemicals.

"With over half of state legislatures introducing policies that protect kids and families from toxic chemicals, Congress and chemical industry lobbyists should take notice. As long as toxic chemicals such as cadmium and BPA remain in consumer products, states will continue to pass commonsense policies to address this serious public health threat.”
- Laurie Valeriano, Policy Director at the Washington Toxics Coalition in Seattle, Washington.

Bills to be considered in the 30 states include: bans on BPA and hazardous flame retardants in consumer products; requirements that children’s product manufacturers use only the safest chemicals; and resolutions urging Congress to overhaul the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – the federal law that allows dangerous and untested chemicals to be used in everyday products and materials.

"A substantial body of scientific research shows that the public is exposed to chemicals that increase the risk of serious health threats, including cancer, asthma, infertility, and learning and developmental disabilities," said Dr. Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Science Director of the Science and Environmental Health Network. "For most chemicals, no Government agency has the authority to require safety testing before they are put into widespread use. It's an uncontrolled experiment, and individuals and families across the country are paying the price."


Policies to be considered in 2011 state legislatures include:

Comprehensive State Laws: Nine states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Washington and Vermont, will be introducing or have introduced policies to change the way we regulate chemicals at the state level.

BPA Phase Outs: At least seventeen states will be introducing or have introduced policies to restrict the use of BPA in infant formula cans, receipt paper, baby bottles and/or sippy cups including: Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and the District of Columbia.

State TSCA Resolutions: At least eleven states will be calling on the 112th U.S. Congress to bring our federal chemicals policy into the 21st century: Alaska, California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

Banning Cadmium in Children’s Products: At least eight states will be introducing or have introduced policies to ban the use of cadmium in children’s products, including: Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey and New York.

Deca BDE (toxic flame retardant) Phase Outs: At least three states will be introducing or have introduced policies to reduce exposure to deca BDE, including: Alaska, Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia. "


Information provided by Saferstates.com. This is only an excerpt from the entire article.

Infants and Children are at Greater Risk for Chemical Exposures

Environmental Health Hazards

Children are particularly susceptible to environmental hazards that are surfacing in everyday environments. Potentially toxic chemicals show up in our food, as contaminants in air and water, in common household and personal care products, in packaging, and in furniture. It has been estimatedthat the average home may contain 1,500 compounds that may be eroding our vitality and increasing our health costs. Although children should be the first to be protected from environmental hazards, the truth is they are at the greatest risk for chemical exposures. As parents and caregivers, we need to do a better job of screening and choosing household and personal care products to reduce our children’s exposures.

Infants and Children are at Greater Risk for Chemical Exposures

It’s no secret that infants and children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxins. Infants and young children spend a lot of time putting things in their mouths, raising their risk of ingesting chemical residues. Pound for pound, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults.

So children are likely to have substantially greater exposures than adults to potential toxins in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe.

And yet, so many of the popular and most trusted brands of household cleaners, personal care products, and even baby care products continue to include harsh chemicals.

 

An immature immune system and metabolic pathways affect a baby’s ability to metabolize, detoxify, and excrete chemicals and counteract toxic challenges. In an adult, a blood-brain barrier insulates the brain from many of the potentially harmful chemicals circulating through the body. But in an infant, that barrier isn’t fully developed, so early exposures may be especially risky. Children also have more time to develop chronic diseases triggered by early chemical exposures. Some diseases related to environmental toxins may require decades to develop, so exposure during childhood may increase health risks later in life. Some scientists also believe that a mother’s exposure

to toxic chemicals during pregnancy can have developmental consequences on the fetus. Because growth is so rapid at this time, early toxic exposures may have a significant impact on development.

Information taken from Shaklee Corporation, "Superwellness For Super Kids"

Photo taken from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=151

Some of the Most Dangerous and Hazardous Cleaners in Your Home

1. Toilet Bowl Cleaners - These are harmful to health by simply breathing them during use.
2. Oven Cleaners - This can cause severe damage to the eyes, skin, mouth, and throat
3. Drain Cleaners - One of the most hazardous products in the home. Can cause severe corrosive damage to eyes, skin, mouth and stomach and can be fatal if swallowed.
4. Chlorine - The most common chemical involved in household poisonings in the U.S. It may cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders.
5. Carpet Cleaners - Extremely toxic to children and can cause cancer and liver damage.
6. Degreasers - May contain petroleum distillates and butyl cellosolve, which can damage lung tissues.

It is important to remember that you are not only exposed to these chemicals when using them, but they emit gasses and fumes into the air even when they are not in use. When I was pregnant, my doctor advised me to not only discontinue use of all cleaners while I was pregnant, but to remove them from my home completely!