I’m going to digress before I get started on the toxic chemicals in our cosmetics in order to introduce our new Get Clean Water.  This year at our annual convention (this time in Anaheim) Shaklee introduced their newest member to our Get Clean line of environmental household products, the Get Clean Pitcher.

There are several things that makes make this pitcher unique, but the one that stands out the most is that it removes over 50 toxins and chemicals from the water, including LEAD .   (click here) for a comparison chart between Get Clean, Brita and Pur.

The filter is unique also, because now you don’t have to throw away the whole housing, just the inner core filter (less in the landfill).  The filter is made out of a combination coconut and corn, and is environmentally sound.  It filters up to 80 gallons, and there is a neat little meter on top of the pitcher that tells you when to replace!

The other thing Shaklee did was make the whole housing compatible with Brita and Pur, so if you didn’t want to throw away your pitcher, you can still get rid of the lead and toxins!

To see the whole line of Get clean products, click here.  Shaklee has added some different options, like some mini kits to get you started.

In Good Green Health ~ Anne

We should all be aware today that what we put ON our skin goes IN our skin.  Unfortunately, what some companies put in their products is not only not regulated, but no way should we be absorbing them into our bodies.  If you want proof of that, watch this video and see what happens to a newborn before he/she ever enters this world.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the next few posts we’ll examine some of the more toxic substances we can find in our skin care and cosmetics, and how to avoid them.  If you want to know now, you can always go to Skin Deep where you can find the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s cosmetic database.

I’ve added a Plugin to shorten my links to make them “pretty” rather than use one of the more common link shorteners.    Click to add the plugin or to upgrade to the Pro version to get even more flexibility in shortening and tracking your links!

Ok, Day 5  we focus on SULFAMIC ACID .  There’s that scary (to me) acid word again!  The true winner in this category is Aquamix Sulfamic Acid Crystals.  This is used to clean grout and mortar, and as a haze remover (?) for grout and mortar.  Not sure this is all that common, but word of caution–you need a serious mask and gloves if you’re going to do this cause it’s 99.5%.

All that aside, there are many common household products using this ingredient.  First, here are the possible consequences:

• Toxic to lungs and mucous membranes
• Direct skin contact is corrosive
• Causes skin irritation
• Inhalation causes irritation to GastroItestinal Tract

Now, before you say you don’t worry about cleaning the grout or worry about how your grout or mortar is hazing, let’s look at where else you can find this chemical!

Jet Dry Rinse Agent for the Dishwasher

Cameo Copper Cleaner

Lime-Away Tub and Toilet Cleaner

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Tablets-Citrus scent

Dip-It Automatic Coffee Maker Cleaner

There are many more, but these are commonly used.  One point to remember, you may think you’re doing some good with those scrubbing bubbles, which are 30-60% Sulfamic Acid ( not exactly sure why they don’t know exactly!), but even at 30%, you are constantly putting that chemical into the air you breathe every time you go into the bathroom.  The same goes with any spray bottles you use.  You need to make sure you want to be breathing this stuff!

There is so much to be said today about gastrointestinal problems and skin problems, I need to ask you “Could this be one of the sources?”  Would love to know what you think, please leave me a comment, I promise I will  respond.

I can’t close this last session on this series without reminding you that you have a reference source to always be able to see the consequences of using certain products, just put in the name and it will tell you.  The watch dog is http:www.householdproducts.nlm,.nih.gov/ingredients.htm.  Also, if you’re looking for an alternative to these chemicals,  please check out the best I’ve found at Shaklee (over 50 years of keeping us safe!)

Our next series will be focusing on the chemicals particular to our skin care and cosmetic options.  Healthy Child Healthy World said recently that the average female wears 500 chemicals.  That needs to be  examined further.  Watch for that to begin!!

Good Health ~ Anne

Today we’re taking a look at POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, commonly known as LYE.  You would not believe where you can find this…household products, skin care products, pet products, and even some food sources.  My eyes crossed trying to read all the contraindications of being anywhere near this chemical.

Let me quote from HSDB (Hazardous Substances Data Base):

Human Toxicity Excerpts:
ACUTE POISONING: … INGESTION OF ALKALI IS FOLLOWED BY SEVERE PAIN, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, & COLLAPSE. THE VOMITUS CONTAINS BLOOD AND DESQUAMATED MUCOSAL LINING. IF DEATH DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS, THE PATIENT MAY IMPROVE FOR 2-4 DAYS AND THEN HAVE A SUDDEN ONSET OF SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN, BOARDLIKE ABDOMINAL RIGIDITY, AND RAPID FALL OF BLOOD PRESSURE INDICATING DELAYED GASTRIC OR ESOPHAGEAL PERFORATION. … ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURE CAN OCCUR WEEKS, MONTHS, OR EVEN YEARS LATER TO MAKE SWALLOWING DIFFICULT. CARCINOMA IS A RISK IN LATER LIFE. /ALKALIES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987., p. 211] **PEER REVIEWED**

There are more reviewed studies at that site.  Scary.

So to sum up the possible consequences:

• Harmful if swallowed or inhaled
• Can cause severe eye and skin burns
• Can cause severe respiratory $ digestive burns
• Repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis (Eczema)

Now, do you think if you’re using a hair spray with this chemical in it that it’s possible to get it in your eyes?  If you put it on your dishes, do you think it might be possible to ingest it?  If you spray your fruits and veggies with it, do you think you might possibly ingest it?  Let’s look at where you might commonly find this one!

• Cascade Liquid Dishwasher
• Olay Hydrating Skin Care
• Pantene Hair Spray and Hair Care
• Murphy’s Oil Soap
• Nitrile Latex Free Gloves
• Lysol Spray Cleaner
• Virboc Pet Shampoo
• Fit Fruit & Veggie Rinse

It’s a well-known fact that the dishwasher doesn’t totally remove all the residue from the dishes.  I have a great testimonial from a person who had severe eczema;  the only thing he did different was change his dishwasher powder to a phosphate free powder, eczema disappeared.

Particularly alarming is that products that spray a mist would have this chemical when it would be very easy to get a droplet in your eye.  Equally so to be spraying it on your veggies, putting it on your skin, and having it anywhere near your pets, particularly their water source.

Another alarming source is in duracell batteries (assorted sizes) and especially the little small round ones that could be easily swallowed by a young child.  These are things sometimes we don’t think about!

To learn more about this chemical and to check the products you may be using right now, go to the watch dog site .  Of the four I’ve done so far, I find this one the scariest by far, and the most alarming.  We don’t HAVE to use products that contain Potassium Hydroxide (aka/lye, Potassium hydrate, caustic potash,   Potassium hydroxide (K(OH)).

Good Health! ~ Anne

Today we’re going to look at Hydrochloric Acid .  I don’t know about you, but just seeing those words makes ME uneasy.   I know acid can be good in certain situations, but it’s probably not something I want to be wearing or inhaling, lol.

Synonyms for Hydrochloric Acid are muriatic acid, hydrogen chloride, and hydrochloric Acid [JAN].  You’ll see below, just about every toilet bowl cleaner has this chemical.

Here are some of the possible consequences of inhaling or absorbing this chemical:

• Severe damage to skin and eyes
• Throat irritation even when exposed briefly and at low levels, can be fatal if swallowed
• Linked to reactive airways dysfunction syndrome
• Do NOT inhale

Here are some examples:

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Lime-a-way Bowl Cleaner

Sparkle Emulsion Bowl Cleaner

Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator

So I would be highly suspect of just about all so-called toilet bowl cleaners.  Two that stood out for me were Lysol Brand Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner (30-35%) and Lysol Brand Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner Stain Fighter (40-45%).  Besides the high percentage of this chemical in these two products, and because I have an inquiring mind, is wondering  “Don’t they KNOW how much is in there, are they just guessing?)

But in my research I found two real winners.  The first is Ken-Tek ph Minus, Dry Acid (94.5%) sold for landscape purposes, hopefully not for gardens.  And the other one is Tetra Pond Fish Treatment.  Wait, didn’t I read…fatal if swallowed…do NOT inhale…severe damage to skin and eyes?  Granted on the fish, it’s a small amount, but really?  (Sometimes my fish is so sick it won’t swim to the center!)

Shaklee does have a good solution, called Basic G (G for germicide).  It comes in both concentrated form and in wipes.  Great in the toilet and anywhere you want to disinfect. (I keep a spray bottle of diluted solution available for when I’m cooking chicken, to spray the counters, etc.)

As I’ve said before, it’s always best to go to the site that’s tracking this stuff, and you can put your brand in and it will tell you all about it!  The watch dog site is http://www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm.

Tomorrow we will look at Potassium Hydroxide

Good Health! ~ Anne

As we explore these different toxic ingredients, it’s important to remember that what we put on the skin gets absorbed INTO the skin, thus into the blood stream!  If you don’t believe this, why did they come up with the “patch” to help us get off the cigarettes?  How do you think it gets the nicotine to us?  With most of these ingredients you should at least be wearing latex gloves and have a mask on.  Seems to me it would be easier to find a better solution!

Today we’re going to look at BUTYL CELLOSOLVE

Possible consequences:

• Linked to reproductive harm
• Can cause irritation and tissue damage from inhalation
• Exposure for 15 min. while cleaning shower, could inhale 3x the acute exposure limit
• Exposure thru the skin

This is why with this chemical you should be wearing gloves and a mask! And of course, these are products you wouldn’t normally do that with.  Butyl Cellosolve has been linked to reproductive issues.  How many people 50 years ago had trouble having children?  Only a few, but most of us today knows at least one person who has had trouble getting pregnant.

How many of these products do you have hanging around?

• Windex original
• Spot Shot Carpet Cleaner
• Simple Green cleaner/degreaser
• Fantastik lemon scent cleaner
• 409 wipes
• 409 All purpose cleaner
• Fantastik Oven Cleaner
• Orange Glo Spot Remover
• Pledge Electronics

And once again, these are just some of them.  You should go to the watch dog site at http://www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm to see what other products do, or to check to see if one of yours is on the list.

What is also important to point out here is that just because a product SAYS it’s “green” “organic” or “natural” doesn’t mean it really is.  We need to educate ourselves more than ever today!

Tomorrow we will look at HYDROCHLORIC ACID

To your good health! ~ Anne

For the next five  days we are going to examine the 5 most common toxic chemicals found in most homes today.  We’ll look at the possible consequences of absorbing these chemicals either through our skin or inhaling them.  And we’ll look at some of the common everyday products that contain these ingredients.  All of this info is available to you at http://www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm.  I’ll try to boil it down for you.  You should check out this site, though, you’ll be surprised at what you find there!

Let me ask you this: What do we do when we bring a new baby home from the hospital?  Think about all of the different things we do to keep babies safe…car seats,safety belts, baby gates, plug covers, etc.  And why do we put locks on our cabinets?  To keep them safe from hazardous household chemicals.  But then, when the baby goes to sleep, we get those same chemicals out and spray them all over the baby’s environment…the high chair tray they eat off of, the floor they crawl on, the very air they breathe–it doesn’t make any sense!  Let’s take a look at the first one.

SODIUM HYDROXIDE

Here are the possible side effects of this chemical:

• Causes 75% of all caustic injury to the esophagus of kids under 5 years old
• Can cause burns in tissues–eyes, skin, mouth and throat
• Can cause chronic skin irritation
• Can cause irritation to the respiratory tract
  
• Can cause liver and kidney damage

Now let’s take a look at some of the products that contain this chemical.  Do you have any of them under your sink or in the bathroom?

Clorox Bleach, Clorox Clean Up Spray, Tilex, Electrosol Gel Auto Dishwasher, Spray & Wash Stain Stick, Shout, Bug B Gon Insect Killer, Tide Ultra Liquid, Chlorox Bleach Pen, Woolite Dark Fabric Wash, Palmolive Gel-Lemon Scent, Easy Off Oven Cleaner, Drano Max clog Remover, Comet Cleanser with Bleach, Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Scrub Liquid Gel, Chlorox Clean Up Spray with Bleach, 409 Degreaser, and Cascade Rinse Formula.

These are examples of the most common, there are many more.  If you go to the  watch dog site above, you can put in your product and they will tell you what’s in it.

Tomorrow we will look at Butyl Cellosolve.

Good Health!  ~ Anne

After many challenges of the mechanics of setting this up, I’m now ready to get going with some pertinent information.

First, you’ll notice a tree at the bottom of the right hand column.  If you click there it will take you to my site where you can register for a monthly drawing for a chance to win @$200 worth of environmentally friendly cleaning products.  Once you’ve signed up for the drawing, you stay in the running for a chance each month until you win!

The first of these products was born over 40 years ago and was one of the original “Earth Day” products.  Since then, continuing in the spirit of “In Harmony With Nature”, more have been added until there is a complete line of non-toxic solutions for every corner of your home.  Click here for more explanations of each product.

To get us started off on the right foot, watch this video. It’s important we understand that there are over 80,000 toxic chemicals out there, and that fewer than 1,000 of them have been tested.  We all know not to put clorox together with ammonia, because the toxic fumes could kill us.  But who is paying attention to these other 79,998 as to what should not be used with what?

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s important to our family’s health to educate ourselves and to find safer replacement products that can work just as well without harming our family!