I did it. I finally took the plunge.
My Yes To Tomatoes conditioner finally ran out over the weekend. I went to the kitchen to get the apple cider vinegar, which has been patiently awaiting its chance to show its stuff.
I mixed the vinegar with water in a 1:4 solution (read: 1 part vinegar, 4 parts water, total 500 ml using 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup) and put it in the empty conditioner bottle.
I have two criteria for the apple cider vinegar conditioner:
1. It cannot leave my hair smelling like vinegar. Period.
2. It has to actually work…I need to be able to comb my wet hair without serious knotting, and it has to leave my hair soft.
So I was ready.
After my baking soda shampoo was rinsed, I grabbed the conditioner bottle. Now, the instructions for apple cider vinegar conditioner say to only use it on the ends of your hair, not on your scalp. Ok, whatever. If you have short hair, this isn’t really practical. So I just poured some all over my head, and rinsed.
I towel dried my hair and was ready for the first test: can I comb it easily? I found that yes, I could comb it easily. The conditioner did part of its job. The next test was to blow dry it to see if my hair was soft after using it. During the blow drying part, I could smell, ever-so-faintly, apple cider vinegar. I thought it was going to be a short-lived relationship. However, once my hair was completely dry, I couldn’t smell any vinegar at all. And my hair was soft. SUCCESS! I think next time I will just rinse a lot more to make sure it is all out of my hair so I don’t smell any vinegar when blow drying, I was kind of in a hurry yesterday when I did this because Wayne was taking me shopping for a summer dress.
This is one of the most economical changes I think I have made, and NO chemicals to deal with! The bottle of apple cider vinegar was $1.18 at Wal-mart, and that was the 16 oz bottle. I got the small one just in case it didn’t work, then I wouldn’t have a bunch of vinegar around that would be barely used. And since I am diluting it, it should last awhile. The REAL test will have to be in the winter, though, when I need conditioner to keep my hair from getting all static-y.
Showing posts with label chemicals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemicals. Show all posts
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Organic shampoo Review
So I have recently switched to using baking soda instead of using shampoo, but I thought I would review two organic shampoos that I tried before making the switch.
I have a horribly dry, flaky scalp. As in if I let it go without some kind of dry scalp shampoo, it looks like a blizzard hit my head when I brush my hair. So in the past I used Head and Shoulders Dry Scalp Shampoo Plus Conditioner. It worked ok, but I always had a low level of flakiness, probably due to the hard water we have. But then I started being more conscious of the chemicals I put on my body and decided to switch to an organic shampoo.
I went to Walgreens to find a replacement shampoo and conditioner. They have a good selection of products that are more natural than regular shampoos. After looking for awhile, I decided to try the Jason Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing shampoo and Yes To Tomatoes conditioner. I chose these products because it says on the shampoo bottle, “Say goodbye to dry, flaky, itchy scalp”, they have less nasty chemicals in them, and they were on sale. Plus the shampoo has a cute koala on the bottle. The first couple times I used the shampoo, it worked fine, but after a week I noticed it made my scalp more flaky and itchy than when I used the Head and Shoulders, even with the conditioner. Next.
I decided I would try to find something at Clover’s Natural Market instead. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Clover’s has a huge selection of products. Which means a lot of ingredient reading. Remember, just because something has “organic” or “natural” on the label, that doesn’t mean it is free of harmful chemicals, and Clover’s has plenty of examples.
I looked at probably 15 different shampoos. For me, it isn’t just a matter of being chemical-free, but it also has to be a price I am willing to pay. I found the perfect combination: Organix South Thera Neem Shampoo. It claims to be “perfect for those with sensitive scalps…” I decided to try it out.
This shampoo is thinner than most, and you are supposed to massage it into the scalp, then leave it for 3-5 minutes. It smells ok, and it does keep the flakiness of my scalp to a minimum, but there is still flakiness when I use this shampoo.
Most recently I have been using baking soda to clean my hair. I just make up a paste with water, massage some into my scalp, and rinse. Right now I am following with Yes To Tomatoes conditioner, and the plan is to switch to apple cider vinegar when the conditioner runs out. This works just fine for cleaning my hair, but the flakiness persists. It is less flaky than ever before, but I think I am just destined to have a dry scalp forever. But I tried, and now people who read this blog have a handy review of a couple “organic” shampoos.
I have a horribly dry, flaky scalp. As in if I let it go without some kind of dry scalp shampoo, it looks like a blizzard hit my head when I brush my hair. So in the past I used Head and Shoulders Dry Scalp Shampoo Plus Conditioner. It worked ok, but I always had a low level of flakiness, probably due to the hard water we have. But then I started being more conscious of the chemicals I put on my body and decided to switch to an organic shampoo.
I went to Walgreens to find a replacement shampoo and conditioner. They have a good selection of products that are more natural than regular shampoos. After looking for awhile, I decided to try the Jason Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing shampoo and Yes To Tomatoes conditioner. I chose these products because it says on the shampoo bottle, “Say goodbye to dry, flaky, itchy scalp”, they have less nasty chemicals in them, and they were on sale. Plus the shampoo has a cute koala on the bottle. The first couple times I used the shampoo, it worked fine, but after a week I noticed it made my scalp more flaky and itchy than when I used the Head and Shoulders, even with the conditioner. Next.
I decided I would try to find something at Clover’s Natural Market instead. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Clover’s has a huge selection of products. Which means a lot of ingredient reading. Remember, just because something has “organic” or “natural” on the label, that doesn’t mean it is free of harmful chemicals, and Clover’s has plenty of examples.
I looked at probably 15 different shampoos. For me, it isn’t just a matter of being chemical-free, but it also has to be a price I am willing to pay. I found the perfect combination: Organix South Thera Neem Shampoo. It claims to be “perfect for those with sensitive scalps…” I decided to try it out.
This shampoo is thinner than most, and you are supposed to massage it into the scalp, then leave it for 3-5 minutes. It smells ok, and it does keep the flakiness of my scalp to a minimum, but there is still flakiness when I use this shampoo.
Most recently I have been using baking soda to clean my hair. I just make up a paste with water, massage some into my scalp, and rinse. Right now I am following with Yes To Tomatoes conditioner, and the plan is to switch to apple cider vinegar when the conditioner runs out. This works just fine for cleaning my hair, but the flakiness persists. It is less flaky than ever before, but I think I am just destined to have a dry scalp forever. But I tried, and now people who read this blog have a handy review of a couple “organic” shampoos.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Treehugger
I have been called a treehugger twice in the last week. By my husband. I told him I wanted to make my own butter so we wouldn’t have to buy margarine in plastic tubs (reducing plastic use) or butter (with PFOA lining the paper—read about PFOA here), and he called me a treehugger. And not in a good way, in the usual derogatory tone that accompanies the word. This really hurt my feelings, and he later apologized, saying that he is just overwhelmed with the amount of information I have about chemicals.
In addition to trying to use products without harmful chemicals, I have been inspired to reduce our plastic use recently, so I have been trying to find ways to eliminate using things with plastic packaging, make my own stuff that normally comes in plastic, or try to find items packaged in glass. The reason I don’t want to use plastic is because it doesn’t biodegrade. Ever. And I think about the amount of plastic used in this country (it’s everywhere) and how much we consume and throw things away, and it makes me sad. Hundreds of millions of tons of plastic are in the landfills and ocean (see here). And it doesn’t biodegrade. It will break into smaller and smaller pieces over a long, LONG period of time, and did I mention it doesn’t biodegrade?
I never really thought that trying to reduce consumption, protect my and my family’s health, and protecting wildlife were bad things. Apparently, though, this makes me a treehugger. If this is the case, then so be it. I would rather be a treehugger than be an ignorant, narrow-minded, not-interested-in-protecting-the planet-that-supports-our-life {insert catchy term for anti-treehugger}. Not saying that my husband is one, because he is trying to be more conscious, but he doesn’t need to insult me about it.
Incidentally, the second time he called me a treehugger, he was being more sarcastic and joking, and it didn’t hurt my feelings.
In addition to trying to use products without harmful chemicals, I have been inspired to reduce our plastic use recently, so I have been trying to find ways to eliminate using things with plastic packaging, make my own stuff that normally comes in plastic, or try to find items packaged in glass. The reason I don’t want to use plastic is because it doesn’t biodegrade. Ever. And I think about the amount of plastic used in this country (it’s everywhere) and how much we consume and throw things away, and it makes me sad. Hundreds of millions of tons of plastic are in the landfills and ocean (see here). And it doesn’t biodegrade. It will break into smaller and smaller pieces over a long, LONG period of time, and did I mention it doesn’t biodegrade?
I never really thought that trying to reduce consumption, protect my and my family’s health, and protecting wildlife were bad things. Apparently, though, this makes me a treehugger. If this is the case, then so be it. I would rather be a treehugger than be an ignorant, narrow-minded, not-interested-in-protecting-the planet-that-supports-our-life {insert catchy term for anti-treehugger}. Not saying that my husband is one, because he is trying to be more conscious, but he doesn’t need to insult me about it.
Incidentally, the second time he called me a treehugger, he was being more sarcastic and joking, and it didn’t hurt my feelings.
Friday, March 27, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The journalist and Clover's Natural Market
So my advisor was interviewed by a senior journalism major a short while ago about bisphenol-A (BPA) and the work he does/we do in the lab. I guess he suggested she contact me to find out what we do as a family to avoid BPA in our lives. So she did. Last week she was over to photograph me and Wayne making dinner and to record our conversation/me talking about BPA and other harmful chemicals I try to avoid (parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, phthalates, this list really could go on). Sunday she came with us grocery shopping. Yesterday I took a trip to Clover's. The reason I originally wanted to go to Clover's was to find a baby/toddler lotion without parabens and phthalates in it. I mentioned this to Wayne a few weeks ago, but my experience yesterday solidified the fact that I really needed to go.
Riddick has horribly dry skin. As in it cracks if left unattended. He also gets eczema on ocassion. I have been trying to make a habit of slathering lotion on him every morning, but with two kids and everything that needs done in the morning, this doesn't always happen, and when we get home, we make dinner, do some chores, and crash on the bed, asleep before we get there. When I do remember, I have been using a Huggies brand baby lotion on him. Yesterday, I put the lotion all over him and put his clothes on. Five minutes later he had HIVES. I had never actually seen hives on a person until yesterday. Red blotchy spots with raised bumps in the middle. I threw him in the tub and rinsed him off, and they mostly went away. The lotion went in the trash.
After I dropped off the kids at the sitter's I met the journalist at Clover's. I have never stepped foot in Clover's. Until yesterday. I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they have. You could really do all your grocery shopping there if you wanted to get all-natural products. Also if you wanted to go broke you should shop there, because there are some pretty pricey items. But you get what you pay for. Anyway, the journalist started recording and taking pictures of me trying to sort through the selection of skin care products for kids. Really this takes a lot of time, because some products still have ingredients that I know are harmful even though they are in an all-natural store. It just so happened that a friend of mine who also has a baby and a thesis was there, so I asked her what she uses on her baby's skin. She uses sesame oil. What?!?! Sesame oil? How simple! Basically she told me anything you can put in your body can go on your body. Soon after that a saleswoman noticed me and helped me find the section of the store that had oils to use on skin. They have a lot. And they are expensive. Like, $1 an ounce or more, depending on the oil.
I decided to go ahead and put a small bottle of sesame oil in my cart and look around the store just to see what they had. They really have a lot of neat stuff. And you can get organic produce there for about the same price as the pesticide-and-herbicide laden produce at a regular grocery store. (Why does the organic stuff cost more at the regular grocery store?) Milk from hormone-free cows that have eaten pesticide and herbicide free grass bottled in half gallon glass containers: $2.99. Ouch. I think I'll have to stick with plastic gallon jugs for now (I'll probably post at some other time about my plastic-induced depression). Cereal, pasta, coffee, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes, granola, vegan stuff, potato chips, bread, jelly, salsa, diapers, wipes, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent...they really do have pretty much everything you could want. For a lot more. So as I was looking around and examining ingredients on various products, I ended up talking myself out of buying the small bottle of sesame oil. I did, however, purchase a bottle of shampoo that is supposed to take care of dry, itchy, flaky scalp which I now have thanks to postpartum hormones and hard water (I will post a review of the shampoo in about a week).
After I finished at Clover's, I decided to swing by Schnucks to get some sesame oil. I really don't want to pay more than $1 an ounce for oil. Sesame oil at Schnucks was less expensive than Clover's, but apparently sesame oil is fairly expensive compared to olive oil, which, incidentally, is the base for many all-natural baby lotions. I bought olive oil. If it didn't work, I could at least cook with it and I wasn't out a whole lot of money.
So I put olive oil on Riddick this morning. It was a little messy, but with practice I shouldn't get it all over the place. It seemed to work right away, it soaked into his skin well, it didn't stink, and I didn't have to use a lot of it. He didn't have an allergic reaction to it, it doesn't have any harmful chemicals in it, and it is less expensive than baby lotions. I think we'll try this for a week and then I will post again on how well (or not well) it works.
The journalist is coming back this week to formally interview us. More on that later.
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