Are there Chemicals in your Children's Bath Products?

I have an earlier post about the shocking number of chemicals in our hair products. I am OUTRAGED to read that dozens of children's bath and body products to contain a chemical cancer-causing petrochemical called 1,4 Dioxane at higher than acceptable levels. This is unacceptable.

The hospital where I delivered my children, sent me home with a goody bag containing lots of baby products. Come to find one of the products in that hospital bag that we ended up buying again was Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash. This popular baby wash was tested to contain 1,4 Dioxane (I guess I didn't specify the non-toxic bag...).

What about 1,4-Dioxane?

-It's is a petroleum-derived contaminant.
-It's considered a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
-It's considered a clear-cut animal carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program.
-It's on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known or suspected by the state to cause cancer or birth defects.
- YOU WONT FIND IT ON ANY INGREDIENT LIST because it's used in manufacturing and companies are not required to list it. That's the misleading part.

The FDA has been testing for it since 1979 but have little authority over "cosmetic" products and companies.

So it's up to me and you to stay informed for our family's health. There is a great online database called Skin Deep to look up ingredients and get a toxicity report.

I checked the rating for the California Baby Overtired & Cranky bath product we use. It has a 0-2 risk factor and I did a cross reference search for products containing 1,4 Dioxane and didn't find any Calfornia Baby products with it - but I did find 1000's of products with it.

According to the Skin Deep database, all of the California Baby products show up in the (0-2) lowest risk factor group - RELIEF! California Baby products can be found at Whole Foods and now your local Target stores.

So before you pour those "natural and gentle" bath products on and around your child, read the label!

Go Organic - Be Pesticide Free in less than a Week!

Do you need another reason to go organic? Organic food is better tasting, it's grown without pesticides and hormones, and organic farmers contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment. Well, what if you could eliminate pesticides from your body or better yet, your kids' bodies in less than a week, just by switching to organic foods???! Yes, you can, it's that easy (a bit more expensive but easy).

Organic is becoming more accessible these days. Even questionable healthy convenience foods like box macaroni & cheese are now available in organic versions (Annie's and Kraft). Does the fact that it's organic make them better for you? I would say yes - if you are going to eat boxed macaroni & cheese, then eating an organic version IS better for you.

Recent research with children who switched their diets to organic foods, within 3-5 days the pesticides in their body plummeted to undetectable levels.

The research was done with kids aged 3 to 11, had metabolites or evidence of pesticides in their urine at the study's start. But as soon as they began eating organic foods, the concentration of metabolites dropped to essentially zero. Once they returned to their conventional diet, the pesticides levels bounced back up.

Do pesticides affect our health? Researchers are studying whether conditions like attention deficit disorder, lowered IQs, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease can be linked to early exposure to pesticides. Children are most vulnerable to pesticides from formation of the fetus up to 2 years of age.

It doesn't mean you have to buy everything organic - take a look at this excellent guide you can cut out and put in your wallet.

The worst foods starting with the highest concentration of pesticides: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes. If you are data hungry for organic, check out the full test report.

It's funny what knowledge does. It makes it easy to pass up the fresh peaches or apples knowing they are not organic. I may have to look harder to find organic grapes and strawberries, but it's worth it. Knowledge is power. If I can keep my kids free of pesticides and lower/eliminate the risks of ADD and other illnesses - it's worth it! They are worth it.

Cloth, Flushable or Plastic Disposables? The Diaper Dilemma

The flu kept our family busy over the past few weeks. I am happy to report we are back to normal and I am back to writing in the wee hours of my morning again! :)

Luckily, I am past the diaper stage with my children. My boys proudly wear organic cotton briefs from Hanna Andersson. I am not kidding, they won't wear anything else (not even undies with fun characters like Cars or Thomas trains...). And I feel good that they are wearing 100% organic cotton against their private parts and not cotton treated with 100 different chemicals!

Anyways, with my brother's child on the way, I started to think about diapers again and the options available these days. If you go cloth, you might be considered a real hero for the environment and your child. If you are not ready to go cloth, there are two other good options 1) chlorine-free, latex-free disposables (Seventh Generation or Whole Foods 360 brand), and 2) flushable diapers (Gdiapers). Yes, I said flushable diapers. They are actually pretty cool (and Julia Roberts loves them! Need I say more?!!!).

I would like to say that we used cloth diapers, but we didn't. We were blessed with twins and the thought of washing diapers for two babies didn't appeal to me during my state of perpetual stress. We used Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers until I learned about the non-chlorine disposable options and ended up trying and loving Seventh Generation's non-chlorine diapers and training pants. They are great non-toxic diapers! They fit great, they don't leak AND they are chlorine-free, hypo-allergenic, fragrance and latex-free. I don't like the idea of chlorine next to my child's privates. Dioxin the by-product of chlorine is considered a serious health risk including impairment of immune system and is a known human carcinogen. Also, chlorine can cause rash or skin irritations. So why risk it with your little one's skin and health? I have found the chlorine-free diaper price to be very competitive with the commercial brands.

If you choose a disposable version like Whole Food's 360 brand or Seventh Generation, then you are choosing a more environmentally friendly product. If you choose the flushable like Gdiapers or cloth options, you are close to heroism.

The problem with modern plastic disposable diapers aside from the risk of dioxin contamination and skin irritations, modern disposables (like Huggies or Pampers) generally consist of a waterproof exterior made from non-woven polypropylene or similar plastic. It takes approximately 500 years for a disposable diaper to break down. That means every one of the 18-23 billion diapers sold annually goes directly into a landfill somewhere in America. The diaper will sit there over for 500 years trying to break down AND contaminating earth, drinking water supply, wetlands, and streams with its toxic output.

Flushable diapers (Gdiapers) are a good alternative to cloth because the diapers (or pads) break down whether you flush them or not. Flushable diapers. Wow, I can't believe these diapers exist! And I have to say after hearing about them and seeing them in person at Whole Foods - I would definitely try them! They are sooooo cute - little bloomers that come in different colors. Your child will be the talk of the mothers group when everyone sees your child's "green" diapers! But seriously, this is a pretty neat idea - think diaper covers with disposable inserts (like menstrual pads) that you can flush! If you are interested, check out Gdiapers. So if you don't think you are up to washing cloth diapers or using a cloth diaper service, why not try the flushables?

Chlorine-free disposables are a good alternative to modern disposables - better for your child. Because they are chlorine free - they have a wonderful brown color vs bleached white. The interesting thing I learned from reading a package of Seventh Generation dispoable diapers is that you shouldn't throw away the diaper with fecal matter in it, instead you should scrape it into toilet before throwing into your garbage. What? Why? If you leave solid waste in that disposable diaper it adds significantly to the toxic soup in our environment, it is a health and environmental danger, carrying human pathogens and increasing the risk of the spread of disease. So a bit of work and ick factor, but it's worth it. I have to say after using chlorine-free diapers and training pants, my boys NEVER EVER had redness, diaper rash, or any irritations - just beautiful baby soft skin!

So if think you don't have options when it comes to diaper duty - think again! If you haven't tried the non-chlorine diapers, try those first and if you dare to go further maybe the flushable or cloth diapers are on next for you. If you try these alternatives to modern disposables, you will earn your crown of diaper do-good ness! And your kids will be healthier for it too! And isn't that worth it!?