Reducing Harmful Chemicals in Our Everyday Products

Did you ever stop to think about what we put into out bodies when we put products ON our bodies?

More and more products are being discovered as having harmful chemicals in them which, over time, penetrates to the inside of our bodies. Studies now are finally being done to link many health conditions to these chemicals such as:

* Increase in Cancer

* Decrease in sexual re productivity

* Changes in hormonal activity

* Neurological Disorders

But "going natural" isn't that easy. First, you have to find some good and truthful information on exactly what chemicals are bad and what potential side effects they have.

Then you need to determine what chemicals can be substituted when making products.

Consider these chemicals, be familiar with these chemicals and try to avoid - these chemicals:

* PARABENS (Methyl-Propyl-Ethyl-Butyl)

Common preservative used in cosmetics to length shelf life - Possible endocrine disruptor - potentially causing birth defects and cancer

Alternative: preserved with phenoxyethanol - found in nature and derived from essential sage oil

* CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS (Oxybenzone/Avobenzone)

Synthetic Sunscreen made to absorb UV rays instead of block the rays - potentially disrupt hormone balance

Alternative: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide

* PETRO CHEMICALS (Petrolatum, mineral oil, parrafin)

Used as emollient to smooth skin but are non-renewable crude oil by-products and have potentially dangerous impurities

Alternative: Use oils found in nature: Beeswax, Apricot kernel oil and coconut oil

* PROPYLENE GLYCOL

Humectant, absorbing watker from the air, it is a petroleum derived synthetic chemical and can potentially draw chemicals into bloodstream. It is a known skin and eye irritant; causing allergic reactions and acne

Alternative: Use Glycerin, and Natural Humectant - keep moisture in and other chemicals out

* PHTALATES

Used to blend oils & liquids - very common in fragrances. Known irritants and more studies being done to link Phthalates to possible carcinogenic properties

Alternative: Look for "Phthalate Free" on products, especially those with fragrance added or perfum added.

* DEA/TEA

Adjusts PH levels, but reacts with other nitrates. Reactions can lead to nitrosamines which have been linked to potential carcinogens

Alternative: Use Sodium Hydroxide in small amounts to balance PH

* FORMALDEHYDE

Preservative- in many personal care products. Very strong skin irritant (eye, nose & throat) EPA has classified this as a "Probably Human Carcinogen"

Alternative: Use preservatives that do not release formaldehyde or irritants. Peppermint oil can be used for antibacterial

* 1, 4 DIOXANE

No purpose in products but is produced as a "by-product" of certain manufacturing procedures - it is a suspected carcinogen

Alternative: Find a company that vows to avoid any processing which may produce this by-product

* ACRYLATES

Thickening agent and reduces feeling of "greasiness". Known to be a strong irritant.

Alternative: Use Natural Gums "Guar Gum" or "Xanthan Gum"

* CARBOMER

Thickening agent and emulsion stabilizer - can contain hazardous "by-products"

Alternatives: Again, use Natural Gums "Guar Gum" or "Xanthan Gum"

* PVP

Cosmetic Industry uses these as thickners but again, they can contain hazardous by-products.

Alternatives: as noted before - use Natural Gums (Guar or Xanthan)

* CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES

Used to kill any imposing bacteria - can contain formaldehyde (see point 7) and some are known to be irritants

Alternatives: Use Natural preservatives such as Vitamin E and select essential oils

* SILICONES

Protects against water evaporation but hazardous by-products can result from the manufacturing process

Alternatives: Natural Oils - Apricot Kernel oil, avocado oil, coconut oil and jojoba oils are just some of the alternatives

*QUATS

Preservatives and adds a bond within conditioners. Can produce hazardous by-products in manufacturing process and known to be skin irritants.

Alternatives: Use specific quats not hard on the skin and monitor manufacturing process to ensure no hazardous by-products are contained within

* TALCS

Absorbent, used in many cosmetic products to add softness as well. Closely related to asbestos, talc posses health risk when exposed to lungs and genital areas. Has been linked to both lung and ovarian cancer.

Alternative: Corn Starch - 100% Natural

It's not easy to find products which are Natural, and even if they say Natural - you have to be careful. Especially since not all ingredients will tell you if there are "Phthalates" or "Petro Chemicals".

Finding companies who are dedicated to production of "Natural" products is a good way to minimize your risk. Look for the NPA (Natural Products Association) Certification on products and do your research.

There are so many products out there full of chemicals we haven't even begun to realize how harmful they are on us and the environment. The standards are quite flexible and very few studies are done to protect us, our children and our environment.

It is up to us - to protect ourselves. It is up to us, to educate our children, family and friends, so that they too can educate others. We need to make healthier choices and those choices must be educated and well informed choices. It's not about why we should avoid these products - but HOW to avoid these products.

Consider these everyday items and try to find Natural Alternatives.

* Cosmetics

* Nail Polish

* Skin creams, lotions, bath products, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, scrubs

* Hairspray, perfume, candles, air freshners, deodorants

* Laundry detergents, fabric softners (which release a chemical compound that attaches itself to the fabric and will Never come off - suspected carcinogen)

Tamara Laschinsky is the owner of Expressions by Tamara and leader of TeamExpress - a Watkins Independent Consultant Group. Making the environment a better place to live in, Tamara promotes Watkins products as a "green" choice and promotes other local "green" companies in her monthly newsletter. Mother of two, Tamara uses her college degree to run her own business from home and to help others do the same. Active in her community, Tamara puts much emphasis on family time and community events. In her own words, " Work is only work when you don't enjoy it! Find something you love to do and find a way to get paid doing it! My choice to sell Watkins and grow my business team was easy - I already use the products everyday and they are the same price as store-bought brands. Joining Watkins made sense for me and has allowed me to use better products in my home which are safer for my family and the environment! I enjoy doing what I do and helping others do what they want to do. As an Indp. Watkins Manager I do what I can to help increase education in today's world of avoiding harmful chemicals for a healthier today and tomorrow.

Natural Products For a Healthier Home

Every effort we make as consumers to avoid buying and using toxic chemicals will help our family's and our environment. Please protect the health of your loved ones by limiting your exposure to toxic chemicals by using natural alternatives to commercial house hold & personal care products whenever possible.

You can have a fresh, clean and healthy home without all the chemicals. This article will share with you the safe alternative products that you can use to make your home fresh. They are safe & gentle but work well. See for yourself.

Discover the pleasure of using fragrant essential oils to create perfumes, bath salts and body lotions. Compare these natural ingredients found in some personal care and house cleaning products that you buy at the store.

Natural Alternatives

Air fresheners -Most air fresheners and deodorizers work by masking the unpleasant odor with synthetic fragrance. This coats your nasal passages with an oily film, or desensitizing your sense of smell. Use essential oils instead. Lemon oil helps to remove unwanted odors from the air. Use an Aromatherapy scent ball plug in diffuser.

Gentle Air Freshener

Drop 6 drops of lemon and 2 drops of clove essential oil onto the scent pad in the diffuser and plug it into the wall. This is a delicious combination to make your home feel both fresh and cozy.

Citrus Room Deodorizer

9 drops lemon

7 drops pink grapefruit

6 drops red mandarin

2 ounces of purified water

Combine oils and water in spray bottle. Shake well and spray to combat odors and infectious microbes.

Stress-Be-Gone Bath Salts

This combination is relaxing and rejuvenating. It's the perfect pick me up to use before a festive night out. Combine salts in a large glass bowl, add the essential oils and mix thoroughly. Spoon into glass jars. On your gift card add ¼ to ½ cups of salt per bath. Enjoy. Decorated the glass jars with holiday material & bows.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup sea or table salt

¾ cup of baking soda

10 drops of essential oil of lavender

8 drops of essential oil of ylang-ylang

12 drops of essential oil of bergamot

Natural Jasmine Perfume

1 drop of Jasmine essential oil

2 drops of clove essential oil

1 drop of Sandalwood essential oil

10 ml vegetable oil or grape seed oil

Surface Clean up

Use baking soda on a wet sponge to remove crayon stains from washable walls, It will take off most marks including grease, pencils and markers.

Glass and Plastic- Make crystal really sparkle by giving it a short soaking in baking soda and warm water. Make scratch marks in stoneware less visible by applying a thick paste of baking soda and water

Let sit for a few minutes before washing. Freshen your dishwasher by adding 1/2 box of baking soda. Just run the normal cycle. Use can also use baking soda to clean your coffee pot.

Hello,

My name is Jody Kelly. I live in the state of Illinois & have been a certified natural health professional since Dec. 2001. I have studied alternative health for 25+ years. I'm very interested in Nature & herbs. Through my herblogy classes, I have learned to formulate my own products such as herbal skin care for those stubborn rashes, natural body butters, bath salts, cough syrup, upper respitory oils, massage oils & many more helpful items for natural health.

Green Cleaning Products - Healthy and Low Cost Cleaning Solutions

Green cleaning products, with the benefits it can give, can be considered as the ultimate house cleaning weapon. It is like a gun to a law enforcer or a hose and water to a firefighter. Without them, specific cleaning functions are simply impossible to be carried out with ease and effectiveness.

Like any other cleaning solutions, organic cleaning products are made to purposely wipe out the dirt and grimes of everyday life. Stains, dust and molds are just few of these nuisances. Sometimes they stick to your clothing, equipments and other items without you even knowing how it happened.

If unnoticed or ignored, these things can encourage harmful bacterial growth which can lead to illnesses and diseases. It's at this time when cleaning products start to play a very important house role. However, not so fast in picking just any product as most of the conventional and claimed effective cleaning solutions are actually hazardous to humans and the envrionment.

Instead of making sure that your family and the planet are indeed safe, the use of un-verified cleaning solution can put them at a great health risk. With strong chemicals as active ingredients, these products can truly eliminate bacteria and germs. But then, their effects extend negatively way beyond this.

After the application or use, the chemicals within these solutions can still stay on items and surfaces as they cannot be easily dissolved. Even the disposal of them can lead to the release of added pollutants to the environment. The greater risk is that they can get inside your body by mixing with water and air which can result to serious medical conditions. Not to mention, these products cost some considerable amount of money.

All those things are giving you more than enough reasons to choose green cleaning products over other cleaning solutions. And though these eco-friendly alternatives are available for purchase, you can also personally produced them for a bigger savings. With that said, here are some tips that you can apply to your house cleaning with the aide of organic cleaning products mostly found in your kitchen.

- Air Freshner and Cleaner - Nothing can be more relaxing than to stay in a pleasant-smelling place. Aside from preventing allergies and irritations it also connotes cleanliness of the environment. The easiest way that you can try in cleaning indoor air is to put fresh flowers on a vase. The next easiest means is to make a mixture of essential oil and water and then simply spray it on your every house corner. Another clean-air quick step is to lay a box of baking soda to anywhere you want to be deodorized. It works even inside a refrigerator.

- Bathroom mold remover - A bathroom is one of the most frequently visited parts of the house. As an area where you do your personal cleaning, it must also be clean. This means that you must get rid of every bathroom's usual problem - molds. You can make use of vinegar as your organic cleaning product. Directly spray it on the mold then let it stay for 30 minutes to one hour. The acidity of the vinegar will kill the molds and will stop the growth of the new ones.

- Rust remover - Metal as the primary source of rust is present in almost every house part. This means that rust can develop almost anywhere. However, you can avoid further rust damage if you can immediately treat it. And what better and safer way to do it than to produce and use your own green cleaning product. All you have to do is to sprinkle salt on the rusted spot and add some lemon juice. Let the solution stay on the damaged area and then simply scrub it off after a few minutes.

With green cleaning products, house cleaning is done with true effectiveness. Aside from keeping items dirt and germ free, the use of them also protects your family's health and the envrionment. When it comes to money terms, organic cleaning products can also save you from too much expenses as can you produce them personally.

The use of organic cleaning products is far more rewarding than other cleaning alternatives. Experience multiple cleaning benefits without having to worry about health risks, by going for green cleaning products