Chemicals I Avoid/Public Service Announcement

At the request of a friend, I am finally posting about chemicals I actively try to avoid in my lifestyle.

The first is bisphenol-A, or BPA. This is the chemical our lab researches. This chemical makes up polycarbonate plastic, which used to be typical baby bottle plastic. Because of so much pressure from legislators, researchers, and parents, the major baby bottle companies are phasing out BPA-containing plastic for their products. This chemical is also found in the linings of aluminum cans (beer, soda, soups, vegetables, fruits, infant formula), recycled paper, carbonless paper receipts, windshields, eyeglasses, CDs, and dental sealants. This is not an exhaustive list. This chemical is a health concern because it behaves like estrogen. Hormones have very powerful effects, especially in small doses. BPA has been shown to have harmful health effects in animals that were exposed while still in the womb (obesity, neurological problems, reproductive problems, and many others).

This is where my obsession with avoiding chemicals started. I had no idea what I was putting on and in my body until I became a graduate student. Now it has snowballed and I check labels on EVERYTHING. To make matters worse, a new study came out showing that some food additives can be estrogenic. Awesome.

Here are some others:

Parabens
Linked to cancer, skin irritation, immune system toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption; found in essentially every type of personal care product

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate
Skin irritant, 1,4-dioxane is a contaminant; this is what makes your shampoo and toothpaste foamy

Antibacterials
I actually have never used antibacterial ANYTHING unless there wasn’t an alternative available (like if I needed to wash my hands at someone’s house and all they have is antibacterial soap). Use of antibacterials leads to superbugs.

Pesticides
Pesticides, along with lots of other types of chemicals, bioaccumulate, which means they get stored in fat, so they stick around for a long time in your body. They have harmful effects in the nervous system, immune system, reproductive system, and endocrine system.

Phthalates
Commonly called “fragrance” or “parfum”; in virtually every type of personal care product. Linked to immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity. There are lots of other phthalates, like dibutyl phthalate, that are linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and other organ system toxicity.

Flame Retardants
Children’s pajamas are treated with flame retardants. They cause neurological damage.

Commercially available cleaning products
Yes, there’s nasty stuff in them.

Environmental Working Group has a website dedicated to showing people what is in their personal care products: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php.

“Why should I care? I only use a little bit everyday” I can hear people asking. This is why you should care:

1. There are no regulations as to what chemicals the cosmetics industry can use.
2. There are no regulations that say those chemicals have to be tested for safety before they are released onto the market.
3. Study after study has shown that long-term, low dose exposures to many individual chemicals leads to chronic disease (cancer!). And on top of that, we are exposed to numerous chemicals on a daily basis.

Go to the site. You can look up personal care products you use or individual ingredients in your personal care products.

So these are things I do/plan to do to avoid these chemicals:
1. Buy organic produce.

2. Avoid canned goods if possible.

3. I use organic personal care products, like JR Watkins lotion, Yes To Tomatoes conditioner, Burt’s Bees lip balm, Burt’s Bees facial cleanser, Burt’s Bees soap. I no longer use shampoo. I use baking soda, and it works just fine. My hair looks great, and it is cheap.

4. I use olive oil on the kids’ skin. No more toxic baby lotions.

5. I check the labels on my kids’ pajamas to make sure they say they are not flame-resistant, or I buy snugly fitting pajamas because the snug pajamas aren't usually treated with flame retardants.

6. I plan on using baking soda to clean my children’s hair, and Burt’s Bees soap (or other organic soap) on their bodies.

7. I plan to make my own laundry detergent after the current bucket runs out.

8. I plan to make my own dishwasher detergent.

9. I plan on no longer using commercially available cleaning products. Vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda work just fine.

10. I plan on using apple cider vinegar for conditioner after my Yes To Tomatoes bottle runs out.

So yeah, there’s a lot here to think about. There’s a lot of chemicals out there. And we are only beginning to find out the harmful effects of a fraction of them.