Encounters Of The Paraben Kind

Relearning Life Lesson #217: Even if you shop at a natural/organic food store, you still have to read the ingredients on everything you buy.  

In need of a new face wash in a hurry, I picked up some that was cheaper than usual, but looked good on the front.  It touted main components of oatmeal and honey.  In fact, it was Queen Helene Oatmeal 'n Honey Natural Facial Scrub.  I didn't have any experience with Queen Helene products before, but it was at the organic food store, so I didn't think twice.  I didn't have time to pour over ingredients, so I just tossed it in my basket.  The $4.50 price tag sure seemed like a deal.  This over the $8.00 to $12.00 one could normally spend on a actual natural face wash.  Note to self: I was not at Trader Joe's, so there are few deals to be had!

Based on the name and where I purchased it, I would expect this product to only contain walnut, oats, honey, and a couple more ingredients, all of which would be food substances or found in nature. I washed my face with it the first night, happy with the smell and texture.  Before washing my face the second night, I double checked the ingredients.  When buying new products, I read and reread the ingredients several times even after buying them.  I often miss things in the store.  Ingredients lists are so sneaky!

But, this hit me SMACK in the face:

Water (Aqua), Juglans Regia (Walnut) Shell Powder, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearic Acid, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal, Honey, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Kaolin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Isopropyl Myristate, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Fragrance, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Phenoxyethanol

I should have NEVER come across this product in the organic food store!  NEVER!  This is the equivalent to finding something with high fructose corn syrup in it.  A travesty!  Not only does this product contain parabens, other preservatives, and more chemicals, but some of them act as formaldehyde releasers, such as Diazolidinyl Urea.  What the BLEEP!

The store manager was nice enough to field my feedback that I did not think this product was appropriate in the kind of store they are supposed to be.  I do know that some of the organic food stores personally vet every single product to see if it meets their standards.  Over time, I realize that some products are better than others healthwise and I switch over.  When I'm in a hurry, I don't know what to buy, or there aren't any straight up organic options, I depend on the organic food store to have vetted products for me.  But, that is not the case. You have to be careful what you pick up everywhere!

Bug Spray

As the same with everything else, we can't just run out to any old store and by OFF! or whatever conventional bug spray they have sitting on the shelf.  I thought I read that Julia recommended the Badger Anti-Bug Shake and Spray, but mommy brain makes reading and UNDERSTANDING words a 12 day process.  Translate: I can't read.  Well, we had put this $11:99 beauty in the Whole Foods cart. 

INGREDIENTS (all organic) soybean oil, castor oil, citronella, cedar, lemongrass, rosemary, geranium, peppermint, water, and wintergreen.

It's actually pretty good.  The baby was getting eaten up after our morning walks, but they stopped eating her.  Parent win.  Unfortunately, because the mosquitoes keep getting in the house, Sean has to wear bug spray in our office.  He has a major reaction to the bits, and he gets ping pong ball-sized welts on his body.

Choose Your Sunscreen Wisely

I would rather sit in the sun than put on sunscreen.  In most sunscreens, the chemicals that block UVA and UVB rays actually cause cancer themselves!  Prevent skin cancer with this crap that causes skin cancer.  Why companies are allowed to sell us this stuff is beyond me.  But, that's another rant for another time.  And, we shouldn't wear sunscreen every time we're outdoors.  Vitamin D is very important, and the best way we absorb it into our body is through some exposure to sunlight.

Lily's new sunhat

We keep Lily pretty covered.  Bought a new sunhat.  Usually have some light pants on her.  Sit in the shade.  Got some baby sunglasses (which she hates wearing, but loves to try to eat).  But, she still gets some exposure to sunlight.  We're going to go swimming this weekend, so it's time we bit the bullet and bought sunscreen.  We've been meaning to buy the Mercola sunscreen online, but we just hadn't gotten around to it.  When I said I was going to buy a sunscreen, it was really nice that Sean made that face that I make.  You know, the "OMG, you cannot just buy suncreen!  It causes cancer!!!!" face.  Actually, he didn't just make the face, he said his concerns out loud.  It's okay, honey.  Your crazy hippie wife already knows what to look for.

Before putting anything on your skin, you have to do your research.  Look for sunscreens that ONLY contain the UV-blocking minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as active ingredients.  Apparently, these sunscreens don't disappear in the skin, but I'll take that over harmful chemicals.  Mercola has a list of ingredients to avoid:

I was at the organic market today and bought Alba's Natural Very Emollient Mineral Protection Fragrance Free Sunscreen.  Alba has a lot of different sun screens, but most of them contain the junk that we are trying to avoid.  It only has two active ingredients: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. It still has a few more ingredients than the Mercola brand, but no parabens or cancer-causing UV blockers.

Mercola sunscreen ingredients: 

And, the FDA set new standards for testing and labeling of sunscreens for this year:

Products that pass the broad spectrum test will provide protection against both ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) and ultraviolet A radiation (UVA).  Sunburn is primarily caused by UVB.  Both UVB and UVA can cause sunburn, skin cancer, and premature skin aging.  A certain percentage of a broad spectrum product’s total protection is against UVA.

and

Water resistance claims on the product's front label must tell how much time a user can expect to get the declared SPF level of protection while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Two times will be permitted on labels: 40 minutes or 80 minutes.

Manufacturers cannot make claims that sunscreens are “waterproof” or “sweatproof” or identify their products as “sunblocks.”   Also, sunscreens cannot claim protection immediately on application (for example, “instant protection”) or protection for more than two hours without reapplication, unless they submit data and get approval from FDA.

That is great news.  Let's just stick with the minerals and cut the crappy chemicals.

Watch Out for Chemicals!

As the pregnancy hormones ramp up, one of the special tools working to keep baby safe in the womb is mama's grossly exaggerated sense of smell.  Mom-to-be's nose will help her determine when there is danger nearby for baby.  This sense is so hyper-sensitive during pregnancy, it can make a woman nauseous and feel the immediate need to escape the smell.  These smells are a warning that mom is exposing both of them to a substance that is potentially dangers to baby.

Since I have been pregnant, here are some of my most egregious nasal offenders:

• The fumes when pumping gas into my car.
• The exhaust of walking near a busy street.
• The exhaust when driving with the windows down in a lot of traffic.
• The horrid smell of walking into a well-soiled restroom.
• The fumes of lit charcoal.
• The strong chemical-based perfume of a woman standing in line four people up at Starbucks.
• Walking near people who are smoking or who have just smoked.
• Milk that was just about to expire, but the nose said that it was already starting to turn.

This on top of the food smells that told me to stay away during this pregnancy, including onions, garlic, and most spices.  While that's related, because the body is still telling mom to stay away from things not good for the baby (for whatever reason), that food smell isn't exactly what I'm talking about today.

Yet, there are lots of chemicals that we come into contact on a daily basis that our nose doesn't tell us to avoid.  In my organic household, we try to limit our contact with chemicals.  When I got pregnant, I stepped this up immensely, finding natural alternatives for toothpaste, deodorant, makeup, and more.  If I don't need it, I don't even bother with finding an alternative.  For example, I stopped wearing nail polish, and I don't use fabric refreshers, wrinkle releasers, air fresheners, or insecticide.

I know that I'm only 30, but I've been regularly using wrinkle cream since I was 18.  At the time, a coworker maintained that her grandmother looked so young, because she used wrinkle creams since she was 18 years old.  I found that they were super moisturizing without being really greasy and that they helped heal my acne.  The moment I found out that I was pregnant, I threw away what was left in my last container.  When I couldn't control the hormonal acne, I opted for raw honey instead, and my skin has been softer, even less greasy, and just as healthy (if not healthier) as a result.  And even though raw honey is expensive, a $6, eight ounce bottle of raw honey is way cheaper than a $20, two-ounce container of wrinkle cream.

And, these choices roll over from my organic pregnancy into my organic lifestyle.  The non-pregnant nose doesn't tell us as much information about the environment to which we're exposing ourselves.  Even if you can't smell it, and even if you're not growing a baby, I believe that there is cause for a lot of concern.  Granted, something like pumping gas on a regular basis isn't going to do someone much harm.  But, I believe that combined with all of the other chemicals that we expose ourselves to everyday, even just in passing, we tend to bombard our systems with toxins.  And, mixed with genetics and environmental factors, I believe that constant exposure can make it easier for cancer and other diseases to develop.  It is all I think about when I see the recent reporting of the 9/11 story about toxic dust and cancer, that no matter how fast or slow we expose ourselves to toxins, that they have the potential to cause cancer.

Here are many places in my life where I have made recent choices to remove as many chemicals as possible, as sparked by my pregnancy:

• Gasoline: I found that it's least offensive to fill up on a rainy day, though this is just a bonus and not always possible.  Filling up a tank also makes for less trips to the gas station.
• Cleaning products: I use green alternatives that don't have harsh chemicals.  Bleach is out of the question.  Whole Foods has many store brand cleaners, such as the citrus all-purpose cleaner.  There are many natural alternatives, such as Seventh Generation.  My mom, who has magnificently moved to help me raise Lily would appreciate something that resembles a cleaner with which she is familiar.  However, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda are all good cleansers for various jobs.  Though it smells, vinegar is really a great all-purpose cleaner.
• Shampoo/conditioner: I use Giovanni Eco Chic shampoos and conditioners.  There are many natural options.
• Hair gel and gloss: I use more Giovanni Eco Chic products.
• Laundry detergent: I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear detergent.  Baking soda by itself can act as a laundry detergent.  Lemon juice can be used instead of bleach. There are many recipes online and in books for making your own natural detergent at home.
• Fabric softener: I use Sun & Earth dryer sheets, which are biodegradable.
• Perfumes: I don't wear much perfume anymore, but when I do, it's Pacifica's Tuscon Blood Orange.  At the beginning of pregnancy, I would splash on some lavender essential oil.  Look for something plant-based, as a lot of perfumes on the market are just a mix of chemicals.
• Lotions: I don't really use lotion anymore.  There are lots of natural alternatives.  I use a homemade almond butter spa treatment on my hands and feet from time to time.
• Face wash: I use Burt's Bees Peach & Willow Bark cleanser.  There are many natural alternatives.  Some folks use raw, local honey as a face wash, but I use it as a face mask.
• Face mask: I use raw, local honey to keep away acne.   There are also many natural face mask alternatives.
• Face Toner: I use hydrogen peroxide as needed.  Before that, I was using Burt's Bees Rosewater Toner.
• Hand soap: I use Dr. Bronner's liquid castle soap in dispensers.  I have a travel size that I sometimes remember to grab to use when I am at work.
• Toothpaste: I use baking soda, but there are many natural alternatives.  I stay away from fluoride, because it's really just chemical waste sold to us, and it's only effective for teeth when teeth are encased for several minutes.
• Mouthwash: I use hydrogen peroxide, but there are several natural alternatives. 
• Deodorant: I use a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda.  There are some natural alternatives, but stay away from aluminum.
• Nail polish: I do not wear nail polish anymore.  There are some less-toxic versions available.  Well, I did get a manicure at an organic spa that had a non-toxic line of polishes.  But, the lotion they put on my hands made my skin peel.
• Makeup: I use the Zuzu Luze brand.  The word on the street is that Dr. Hauschka is one of the best, but it's way too expensive for my pocket.  Zuzu Luxe is still more expensive than whatever I was buying at the drug store, and that cost was hard to eat, but easy to justify.  Some of my hippie friends don't wear makeup.
• Lipstick: I use Burt's Bees lip shimmer when I do wear it.

I spoke a lot about exposing ourselves to chemicals, but when we make eco-friendly choices, we also take steps to expose Mother Earth to less chemicals.  When we expel these chemicals down the drain as we use them,  we're sending them out to the Earth.  Many earth-friendly alternatives break down more easily and cause less harm to the Earth. Regardless of whether or not we personally hold the Earth as sacred, that also causes less harm to us.