Non-Toxic Personal Care

If You Can’t Say It, Don’t Buy It.

• As a general rule, if you cannot pronounce the ingredients in a product, then they are probably toxic. Try to find items that are 100% natural. It will mean having to search harder for these products, but they will be better for you and your family.
• Claims that state “natural”, “dermatologist recommended are usually marketing hype. Some natural ones to consider are:  Lush, California Baby, Alba Botanica.

Avoid “Fragrance”

• If the word fragrance is listed in the ingredients you should be weary. The word fragrance is often used in place of toxins that are included in the product to create a faux scent. These toxins may cause allergies and other problems for your family. Instead, look for real ingredients. If it says it’s peppermint scented, then peppermint should be an ingredient. For safe laundry, try: Vaska Home

Say No To Fluoride and Triclosan

• Fluoride, present in most toothpastes and mouthwash, can actually cause discoloration of the teeth over time. Use products with lower amounts of it. For children under 6, it is recommended that you use toothpaste with .08% fluoride. A safe toothpaste for the entire family is: Toms of Main

Buyer Beware

• When buying products like diaper cream, be especially careful and do not buy products containing BHA. BHA is a highly toxic chemical that can cause skin discoloration or depigmentation. It is banned in all countries in the EU, but continues to be used in products here in the U.S.
• Avoid SPF above 50 and sun screens containing Oxybenzone. Some alternatives include: sage sunscreen, Jason Natural, and Episencial
• Avoid aerosol sprays, and insect repellents.  Safe insect repellant, Badgerbalm

For a complete list of what to beware of click here .

Navigating store aisles can be difficult. Environmental Working Group researchers have evaluated hundreds of safety studies and thousands of ingredient labels to bring you our top recommendations for what not to buy. Visit: ewg.org 

 Something additional for you and your family to be aware of, public health laws allow:

• Almost any chemical as an ingredient in personal care products
• Misleading and incomplete labeling of ingredients
• Unsubstantiated claims about product benefits
• No required safety testing of products or ingredients

Angela’s Teachable Moment: When you go shopping with your children, teach them the importance of looking at the ingredients in personal care products. When they become conscious of it, they will care about what they are using on their bodies and continue to practice healthy buying habits.  

Clean-Up Indoor Air

According to studies conducted by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) the air inside your home may be up to 100 times more polluted than the air outside.

Be Consistent

• Dusting and cleaning your entire house regularly will help you stay ahead of dust mites and other household pollutants that are bad for you and your children to be inhaling. Use a microfiber cloth and skip the dusting sprays.
• Use a bag-less vacuum to avoid dispersing dust in to the air when changing the bags. Also, be sure to use a HEPA filter which is designed to keep even the smallest pollutant particles out of the air.
• Use natural non-toxic products.  Label claims aren't always true. Cleaning supplies certified by Green Seal or EcoLogo meet green standards.  Non-toxic options, like baking soda and vinegar, clean just as well without releasing toxins into the air. For more tips on Safe Cleaning Supplies for your home click here. 

Maintain Your Ducts

• People often wonder whether it is important to regularly clean their air ducts. The answer is yes! A new process called Aero-Seal, developed at Berkeley University, seals off your air ducts, reduces energy bills and keeps harsh chemicals out of the air in your house.

Keep Pollutants Out

• Keep out cigarette smoke, chemicals and excess moisture.
• According to the American Lung Association, the “Deadly Three” or the three most toxic chemicals are carbon monoxide, second hand smoke and radon gas. You can keep your family safe from these chemicals by not allowing smoking in your house, installing a carbon monoxide detector and avoid keeping the car running inside the garage.
• Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints inside your home. Regular paint has traces of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which are highly toxic.
• Avoid “air fresheners”  they only add toxic chemicals into the air and cover up smells.

Ventilate

• Open windows for a few minutes every day to let in fresh outdoor air.
• Turn on fans in your bathroom and kitchen while bathing and cooking.

Angela’s Teachable Moment: Have your children vacuum and then change the filter so they can see just how much stuff there is in the air. This will get them helping out at home and will teach them about indoor air pollution. 

Organic Options

Why Organic?

• Pesticides found on produce and other products contain harsh chemicals that are toxic for you and your children. Some fruits and vegetables are worse than others and should be bought organically (for instance, strawberries).  For a full list of the fruits and vegetables to avoid visit http://www.foodnews.org/executive.php
• Organic animal food products reduce exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics consumed by the animals in their feed. Since organic does not allow feeding of animal parts, it also reduces the potential threat of diseases like mad cow.
• Babies are especially vulnerable to toxins and may be at risk of higher exposure. Baby food is often made up of condensed fruits or vegetables, potentially concentrating pesticide residues.  Organic Baby Food:  http://www.seedlings.com/, http://www.milesoutsideorganic.com/, http://www.plumorganics.com/, http://www.happybabyfood.com/
• Breads, oils, potato chips, pasta, cereals, and other packaged foods, such as canned or dried fruit and vegetables are highly processed foods. Read the labels carefully and if you can’t pronounce it, then skip it.  For more information visit http://www.ewg.org/ourfood

Tips on saving $$

• Organic produce is normally less expensive in season.  If it is not in season then it is shipped from somewhere else where they are in season.
• Buy from a local farm or a store that purchases from local farms. One study in the U.S. found that 40% of organic growers at farmers' markets don't charge a premium on their products. Buying directly from an organic grower may also be less expensive.
• Grow your own. There is nothing like fresh, home-grown produce for taste, cost and low environmental impact.
• Make your own baby food.  http://www.babybullet.com/

Angela’s Teachable Moment: Grow your own organic garden with your children.  Discovering ways to eat more healthy, organic foods will be a learning experience for the entire family.  Plan meals around what’s in the garden and allow the kids to choose the vegetables to eat.  When they know where it comes from and why eating organic is important, they will enjoy them much more.

For more information on shopping Organic in your area, please click here