An example of some common ingredients in your everyday shampoos would be the chemical Dimethicone (which makes hair easy to comb and lustrous).  It is in a lot of shampoos but it’s classified by the Canadian government as a possible toxin that warrants further study. Have you heard of SLS (sodium laurel sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate)? These are harsh detergents that are responsible for making your shampoo foam up. It strips your hair of essential oils and the proteins it needs to grow healthy and strong. PEG’s or (Polyethylene Glycols) act as a hair thickening agent, but strips your hair of it’s natural moisture. Parabens prolong the shelf life of your shampoo and hair products but are chemicals known for their toxic nature. They irritate the skin and can affect your hormonal balance, which can result in hair loss.  Almost all hair products contain Alcohol, which can dry out your hair. Andour personal favorite, Synthetic Fragrance or Parfum. Many fragrances are a mix of thousands of chemicals. Many of them are irritants and cause aggregate the scalp.

The point of all of this is, is just to raise awareness of all of the chemicals that are in our beauty products. Look at the label of a bottle of your favorite hair care product. Notice all of the chemicals and fragrances in there.

Look for these when you go to buy your next hair care product:

• Shampoos that do not contain ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium laurel sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (instead opt for those with a milder cleaner such as sodium lauryl sulfoaccetate and sodium lauryl sulfosuccinate. They won’t foam as much but will efficiently clean your hair.
•  Choose a Conditioner that does not contain dimethicone
• Choose a Shampoo or Conditioner with a natural fragrance such as essential oils or plant based products

Our Shampoo and Conditioner of choice is from the Ava Hair line by Ava Anderson Non Toxic. It has no harsh or toxic ingredients in it that would dry out, damage or strip our hair. It is great for everyday use and for the whole family.

DID YOU KNOW?

Annually in the U.S. we pour 350 millions of gallons of shampoo down the drain. Our wastewater treatment plants are designed to remove bacteria, not toxic chemicals. So every day, contaminated water goes back into the water supply (Mt. Sinai Hospital, Children and the Environment)

We hope you learned something new from this! Let’s all help cut down on the amount of chemicals going down the drain!

-Kim and Jamie

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I hadn’t the slightest idea what any of these ingredients were or what they (could) do to the body. It’s scary once you know what you’re looking for. The key 6 ingredients below are found in so many products that you use daily. Go ahead….I challenge you to go grab a lotion, or shampoo, or household cleaner right now. These ingredients are “endocrine disruptors”. This is important to know because your endocrine system regulates ALL biological processes in the body: development of the brain and nervous system, growth and function of the reproductive system, metabolism and blood sugar levels, ovaries, testes, pituitary, thyroid and the adrenal glands (Natural News)

Here are 6 key ingredients to look for and avoid:

FRAGRANCE:  can be legally hidden in hundreds of ingredients in “fragrance” or “parfum”. More than 75% of the time if you have fragrance, you have legally hidden phthalates (THAL ates), known endocrine disruptors, that are linked with birth defects, breast cancer, infertility, liver, cancer, diabetes and now with autism and ADHD in pregnancy. (Dr. Philip Landrigan, Mt Sinai, Children’s Environmental Health Center)

PARABENS: Preservatives linked to breast cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity and developmental defects. California Study (10/11) of BPA and methylparaben combination turned healthy cells into cancer cells, and rendered tamoxifinn ineffective

TRICLOSAN: is the active ingredient in “anti-bacterial” products, is registered with the government as a pesticide and is a known endocrine disruptor. Triclosan is believed to disrupt thyroid function and contribute to liver and inhalation toxicity.

OXYBENZONE and OCTINOXATE: (and other chemical sunscreen “active ingredients”) are UV ray filters are also known endocrine disruptors.

PETROLATUM & PETROLEUM INGREDIENTS: endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.
Here’s an example of a conventional lip balm vs. an Ava Anderson Non Toxic lip balm:

You can see that the conventional brand has many ingredients to avoid: Petrolatum, Fragrance, Mineral Oil, Polyparaben… just to name a few (although anything with a * next to it is an ingredient to avoid).  Ava Anderson’s lip balm has only 8 ingredients, including Shea Butter which has a natural SPF of 6 (if you want an SPF in your lip balm) or you can make your own like I did in my last post!

I will admit that it has taken time to slowly go through my stash of household items and TRY alternatives. I am still learning what these ingredients are in search for non-toxic products to replace them.

So far, we have changed our soap, lotions, face products, hair products, dish soaps, and air fresheners to include products from Ava Anderson Non Toxic and Young Living Essential Oils.

This weekend, I make a DIY safe alternative detergent and liquid hand soaps! Must head out to Whole Foods and Michaels to get supplies! Post to follow!  

Well…….what did you find from your household item? Did it contain any of these?  If so, does it mean anything to you? Are you going to throw it out today and look for a safer alternative?  Or better yet, go back to the place you bought your toxic products and return them. Tell them you do not want these toxic chemicals in your house and that you are not willing to be a guinea pig.

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