Whats in our Cosmetics?

As a Mom, I always worry about what ingredients are in the products I use. I did my research on the cosmetic and bath products that my family uses. I was shocked to discover that manufacturers can put any ingredient in their product and without any government review or control. That means that some products may contain harmful ingredients. I learned that personal care products, including children's products, may contain a cancer-causing ingredient, 1,4-Dioxane, and 60 percent of sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a potential hormone disruptor. There are reports of hidden substances in fragrance and preservatives in personal care products.


Recently there was a report that the increase in learning disabilities may be linked to all the chemicals we are exposed to in uterus and out. So I was glad to hear that the Congress introduced a bill to help solve this problem. The bill is Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786). It is intended to expand the review and control of ingredients used in the cosmetic and bath products. It may allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit dangerous ingredients that have already been banned in Europe.

If you want to support this bill and I urge you to click on the link below. Thank you.




Click to support the Bill

Do Cleaning Products Cause Breast Cancer?

ScienceDaily (July 19, 2010) — Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer.

Julia Brody, from the Silent Spring Institute, USA, worked with a team of researchers to carry out telephone interviews with 787 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 721 comparison women. She said, "Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use. Use of air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control were associated with increased risk. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on cleaning product use and risk of breast cancer."

The researchers questioned women on product use, beliefs about breast cancer causes, and established and suspected risk factors. They found that cleaning products, air fresheners, and insect repellents were associated with breast cancer, but little association was observed with overall pesticide use. Women with breast cancer who believed that chemicals and pollutants contribute 'a lot' to the risk of developing the condition were more likely to report high product usage.

Speaking about this potential bias to the study, Brody said, "When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they often think about what happened in the past that might have contributed to the disease. As a result, it may be that women with breast cancer more accurately recall their past product use or even over-estimate it. Or, it could also be that experience with breast cancer influences beliefs about its causes. For example, women diagnosed with breast cancer are less likely to believe heredity contributes 'a lot', because most are the first in their family to get the disease."

In order to avoid possible recall bias, the researchers recommend further study of cleaning products and breast cancer using prospective self-reports and measurements in environmental and biological media.

See this link: More Info

Organic or Not

We always look for the best foods to buy for our family.  After much research I found that it pays to buy these foods from the organic section.  On my next post I will tell you which ones to buy from the regular section.  We have grown many of these in our gaden to make sure they are organic.

Celery
Peaches           The animals eat ours before we pick them
Strawberries   A few plants go a long way and are fun to grow.
Apples
Blueberries (Domestic)  In NJ we have organic farms and freeze the berries.
Nectarines
Sweet Bell Peppers  We grow our own.  Not hard and great to grow.
Spinach
Cherries
Potatoes  We tried growing them this year in planters.  Not hard and now we have some to store.
               Next year we will plant more.
Grapes they are growing on the side of our home.

Why should you care about pesticides? There is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can have adverse effects on health, especially during vulnerable periods such as fetal development and childhood. We know that chemicals are bad and now we learn that they can affect birth defects.

Of the 12 most contaminated foods, seven are fruits.

More than 96 percent of peaches tested positive for pesticides, followed by nectarines (95.1 percent) and apples (93.6 percent).

Nearly 86 percent of peaches contained 2 or more pesticide residues ‚ followed by apples (82.3 percent) and nectarines (80.6 percent).


Among the vegetables:
Some 95 percent all celery samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by imported cucumbers (84.5 percent) and potatoes (84.2 percent).

Nearly 85 percent of celery samples contained multiple pesticides, followed by sweet bell peppers (61.5 percent) and collard greens (53.2 percent).

Also keep in mind that maintaining your family's health is not the only reason to choose organic food. Pesticide and herbicide use contaminates groundwater, ruins soil structures and promotes erosion, and may be a contributor to "colony collapse disorder," the sudden and mysterious die-off of pollinating honeybees that threatens the American food supply. Buying or growing organic food is good for the health of the planet.

Heat Problems

It is 102 in NJ right now. I thought I'd post this relevant info on heat  on treating Heat Stress Disorders.
Please seek medical advice as soon as possible if you have any of these.  Check on the elderly and anyone living alone.

Heat Cramps
Failure to replace salt lost in sweating. Painful muscle cramps. Drink lightly salted water or lemonade; tomato juice, or "athletic" drinks; stretch cramped muscles.

Heat exhaustion
Failure to replace water and salt lost in sweating. Weakness, unstable gait, or extreme fatigue; wet, clammy skin; headache, nausea, collapse Rest in shade and drink lightly salted fluids.

Dehydration exhaustion
Failure to replace water losses over several days Weight loss and excessive fatigue. Drink fluids and rest body weight and water losses are restored.  See your doctor.

Heat stroke
Total collapse of temperature regulating mechanisms. Hot skin; high body temperature (106°F or higher); mental confusion, delirium, loss of consciousness, convulsions. Rapidly cool victim immediately, either by immersing in cold water or soaking clothes in cold water and fanning vigorously to promote evaporative cooling. Continue until temperature drops below 102°F. Treat for shock if necessary once temperature is lowered. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Send for medical help and begin treatment at once. Brain damage and death result if treatment is delayed.

The Funkey Smell

When I got up today and the kids went skating I noticed a strange smell from one of the room. Moms you know that smell of an upset tummy but no little one hiding in the room. I just got some Melanuca products and thought I would try them out as I searched for the smell. I tried the glass cleaner because I like immediate feedback and wow my windows were cleaner and no chemical smell. I then polished the furniture and while it cleaned and polished I could not get rid of the smell. There were spots on the walls from little fingers so I used the general cleaner and that worked but the smell was still in the room. I took out the disinfectant and sprayed the room and then vacuumed. Smell was less but still there. Short of cleaning the rug I could not find it. And yes, I did sniff on all fours. Room was clean but where was it from….


I decided to trim the dead leaves from my rubber plant. I needed to do that and just reshape it a little. Boy was that smell stronger. I checked around the pot and looked inside. It seemed my little ones had over watered the pot and by rubber plant had this RED algae growing in the excess water. Anyway, I sniffed and sure enough that was the source of the stink. Outside went the plant (we are warm enough now for it to stay near the house) and outside went all the water containers. I cleaned them with vinegar and doused them with my new disinfectant. Smell is now gone.

So my lesson is don’t blame the little ones even though all signs point to them. I was so sure one of mine had had an accident of some type and did not want to tell Mommy about the mess. But no it was a simple overwatering of a plant. I really think Dad did it but do not tell him I said that. Well my new products work like a charm. The front room is clean and now I am going to clean my whole house. The products don’t make my hands feel like they were in chemicals but do make the house look and feel cleaner. The jury is still out but so far I am happy with them. DM me for more info on them but check your plants for too much water.

Hmm I guess I should repot my rubber plant???

Clutter and More Clutter

I love to store things and since I have a green home, I do not like to use plastic.  I found these on-line and love them.  I took some old sheets and cut out some liners for them.  I like to attach them with this Velcro washable tape Velcro Brand Fabric Fusion Tape 3/4"X5' White 91029  That way, when the liner gets soiled, I can stick it in the washer.  I always liked the lined baskets but could never get the liner out and washed and then back in.  This velcro was the solution.

I store my sweaters in them with some cedar planks Kingsford KWP10 Cedar Planks.  That keeps the moths away and does not use harmful chemicals.  In the winter I switch and put my polo's in them. 

Clean winter boots go in the big one.  They are safe and out of mind.  Labels on the outside help keep me organized. I use some pretty ones made for the garden and I plant them down the front side.  I write in calligraphy and that makes even the most mundane item look nice.

I found a great tip for getting rid of old cloths.  I stick a clothespin on ever item.  Then I give it the season.  If I only gave it a month or two, I could talk my way into keeping the item.  When I wear an item, the pin comes off.  Anything that still has a pin at the end of the season gets put into a basket for donation or gets thrown in the rag box.

DONATION HINT.  Keep a writing tablet in the box with a pen or pencil attached by a cord in the basket.  When you put something in write it.  Check out the donation value at these sites Salvation Army  or Good Will and write down the value of each item.  With the proper receipt you can get a deduction.

Spring Cleaning 101

Its spring and its time for the yearly clean up and spruce up of the house. Get out the old jeans tea shirt and tie your hair back. Find a big basket to hold your tools and cloves. Tackle one room at a time top to bottom. That way if your like me doing this as awe watch the kids feed the dog etc we will have at least one room clean.


Kitchen

Into the basket goes, a botanical germ killer, cloth wipes, sponges, glass cleaner, duster, vacuum (little one), all purpose cleaner. I love the MelaMagic and Tough & Tender but there are many other great products out there.  See link for ideas.  Contact me if you want more info on what I use.

Climb on the couter top and with the little vacuum, vacuum all the tops of the cabinets. I line the tops of my cabinets with newspaper. I change it every year and use the old one to stop weeds in the garden. Put fresh paper. Take down the décor and wash it . Wash down the cabinets. Look inside the cabinets and take out all the stuff you never use. Do you need to save it ? Yes wash and put back. No, then pack for a donation or to sell.

While up there clean the windows and the exhaust fan and hood.

Take a break and have a cup of tea as you look out your clean windows.

Check the cupboard for expired packages of dried food. What you can compost do. All else throw out. When in doubt throw it out. Organize your cupboard. What treasures have you found? While you are doing this spritze the inside of the stove with water and backing soda. This natural cleaner will clean without the smell.

Clean the counters and all the storage areas. Clean the fridge inside and out. Clean the coils and underside as best you can.

Now finish up by chasing all the little ones and pets out and cleaning the floor.

Now how many rooms do you have???