No Poo – is it for you?

Apr 25, 2012 by joyofmotherhood

I began this journey in February, after the very informative blog series on chemicals in our hygiene products by fellow blogger Dena,  I began reading different articles on the internet and I some how came across the No Poo method for your hair…. your probably saying “the What” right about now, as I did also.  No Poo basically means no shampoo – you would use Baking Soda to wash your hair. No shampoo for your hair – how does that work?

Will it really work?  Will my hair smell?

and a lot more questions entered my head.

Shampoo is a detergent – yes it cleans your hair, yet it also strips away essential natural oils your head produces for your hair to remain healthy. Seems the use of shampoos keeps your hair in a perpetual state of over producing oils to keep up with the stripping the shampooing process does to your hair. So a proverbial never ending circle takes place with your hair and oil.  There are many chemicals as we have found out in these shampoos and not all are good for you and your hair and really do we need bubbly suds a mile high when we wash our hair?    So, after reading a few other articles and finding one brave momma who has been doing the No Poo method for two years now, I decided why not, I can give it a try to see how it works.   Off to the store I went at lunchtime and I bought two squeeze bottles for my new hair care products $3.00 total.   Now the process seems easy enough and I have the other ingredients at home already.  There seems to be many different recipes for the no poo method measurement wise, for different hair types and some sites say to use it in paste form and some say the watery form.  I choose to go with the watered down form since I have fine / thin hair.

No Poo Recipe:

1 Table spoon Baking Soda mixed with 8oz Water- place in squeeze bottle, shake well to dissolve baking soda and then work into your wet hair. Work it from your scalp first and then to your ends of hair. Rinse Well.  *Note add water first then Baking soda it mixes easier*

* Those with Thick or Oily hair may need a bit more baking soda – again it isn’t set in stone try the recipe and tweak it for your own hair needs.  But if your hair is really brittle like straw from it after- you may be using to much baking soda.

Conditioner Recipe:

2 Table spoons Apple cider vinegar and 8 oz water mixed in squeeze bottle.

My take on this process so far:

• Day One Thursday Feb 9th – I have no idea why I chose to try this on a work day but while I was standing in the shower I said oh well hope this works out okay.
• I will admit is was a little weird with no bubbles – we are so used to those little bubbles saying our hair is getting clean.
• I used about half the bottle of solution to wash my medium length hair.
• I also went for the home-made conditioner (apple cider vinegar / water) I did find the smell sorta gross in the shower I will admit it was like a sub sandwich or salad dressing smelling the vinegar, I have a sensitive nose also, BUT I rinsed well and after my hair was dry, there was no smell what so ever! – that was pretty cool.
• My hair was SOFT, SHINY and felt oh so good and it felt Bouncy all day.  I found myself running my fingers through my hair throughout the day at work. I also kept sneaking peeks at my hair in the mirror when I would pass to see if anyone could tell I didn’t use shampoo – how funny.

I am going to try this and see how it works for me – no guarantees that I will totally be off shampoo – I may use this as a weekly clean or I may use it all the time but as of now it is pretty cool to know this works and works well.

  * Okay so Its now April and I must say – I didnt stick to a “fully poo free head”… (Shampoo free) I guess I fell back on convience but I have at least twice a month done this as a cleanser to get all the product build up off my hair.  I did also use this while we were away on vacation in Florida – easy enough to mix up and helped keep the chlorine from the pool from messing with my hair.  I have to make a bigger batch to keep in the shower the smaller one goes after 2 uses and well a busy momma knows we forget to take care of our selves sometimes.

What do you think?  Want to go “Poo Free” or at least try?  Ever have any experiences with this, I would love to hear your thoughts on it !

 

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Cleaner Living: Cancer in the Sandbox

Apr 25, 2012 by Dena

So we bloggers have our own little community where we ask questions of one another and bounce ideas around:

“When did your little one start sleeping through the night?”

“Is such and such normal for this developmental milestone?”

“Any suggestions for play sand that doesn’t cause cancer?”

Wait, what?!?!

This was a question put out to us by our blogger Stephanie.   For the last 2 weeks, her daughters have been happily playing in their sandbox, when she noticed this warning on the bag:

This was concerning to a lot of us.  My kids love the beach and the sand, and I know at least Ava’s daycare has a sandbox and indoor sand tables, so this was of great concern to me.  I asked Steph if I could write a Cleaner Living post about this and she graciously agreed.

Common “play sand” that can be found in Home Depot and Lowes is not really sand.  It is made of crystalline silica which is basically crushed quartz, and a known carcinogen and can cause a lung disease known as silicosis.  Some brands, such as Quickrete, have also been known to contain tremolite asbestos which when inhaled can lead to increased lung cancer risks.  While there are regulations in place by OSHA and the EPA for use of crystalline silica in industrial situations, there are hardly any regulations for its use in consumer products like children’s “play sand.”

The warnings on the bag are thanks to Proposition 65 in California that “regulates substances officially listed by California as causing cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.”  It prohibits businesses from “knowingly discharging listed substances into drinking water sources, or onto land where the substances can pass into drinking water sources…and prohibits businesses from knowingly exposing individuals to listed substances without providing a clear and reasonable warning.”

Hence the warning on the bag that Stephanie bought.  But the label does not accompany every bag of “play sand” as it is really only a requirement in the state of CA.  If you go to Quickrete’s Play Sand website it only describes its sand as, “ a specially graded washed sand that has been dried and screened, for children’s sand boxes.”  You have to click on a PDF labeled “MSDS Document” to find any information about its ingredients and warnings, “Crystalline silica (quartz) is not known to be an environmental hazard. Crystalline silica (quartz) is incompatible with hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, chlorine trifluoride or oxygen difluoride. Note: Keeping Play Sand damp eliminates the hazards associated with its dust.”

Keeping play sand damp?!?!  I’m not sure about your kids, but mine are digging in, dumping out, and generally getting covered in sand when they play with it (not to mention the occasional handful that makes its way into their mouths).  There have been many times I have picked up Ava from daycare to find her head covered in sand.  I’m pretty sure she is inhaling this stuff and it scares the CRAP out of me!

So other than filling up baggies at the beach what can you do?

-  First, stop using any play sand that does not label its ingredients clearly.  If you don’t know what’s in it, don’t use it.

-   Ask your daycare provider to do the same.  I talked to the teachers and director today and they were equally concerned and wanted to use alternatives.  I was quite alarmed by the story of when they put the sand in the sand table and the “big white dust cloud” appears.

- Purchase your sand from your local landscaping  companies that sell river sand and/or beach sand.  These are usually sterilized and to not contain silica or tremolite.

- You can find silica and tremolite free brands here at SafeSand and Sandtasik.  They are a bit pricier than the brands found in Home Depot and Lowes, but maybe you can get a cheaper price by buying in bulk and sharing the cost with other families or your daycare provider.

-  A recipe for homemade sand can be found here.  I will be trying this out and will let you know how it works!

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Spring is Here, Time to Clean

Mar 22, 2012 by mommiesq

Have you had a chance to spend some time outside this past week?  I hope so since Spring is definitely in the air.  If the grass was green and the trees weren’t still bare, I would swear it were Summer!  Spring means warm sunshine, pleasant breezes through open windows and waking to the chatter of singing birds.  It also means spring cleaning (if you can find the time).

I recently came across this green cleaning recipe for an easy homeade explosive showerhead cleaner on Pinterest and decided to give it a try since my showerhead is looking pretty cruddy these days and I haven’t had much luck with my usual bathroom cleaners.  The results were not perfect but they were markedly better than anything else that I’ve tried.

Here’s what my showerhead looked like before:

You can see lots of white marks and if you look closely, there was also buildup around around the holes.

Here’s what it looked like during the explosive cleaning (love that term):

And here is the end result, not bad!

If your showerhead could use a good cleaning, here’s what you will need to do this yourself:

• 1 large ziploc bag
• 1 large zip tie or twist tie
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 1/3 cup of baking soda

Pour the baking soda into the ziploc bag and carefully add the vinegar to create an “explosion.”  Place the bag over your showerhead and secure with the tie.  Keep the bag on for at least 2-3 hours or ideally overnight to let the showerhead soak.  Remove the bag and rinse or wipe down your showerhead before using.

Here’s a tip: I left the bag on overnight and next time, I will try using a scrub brush for the difficult spots before rinsing the showerhead since I did have a few trouble areas that may have come clean with a little extra effort.

By the way, if you haven’t found your way to Pinterest yet, you should check it out when you have a few minutes.  It’s easily accessible from your smart phone and there is an endless supply of cleaning tips, craft ideas and recipes.  I am definitely hooked.

Happy Spring!

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Cleaner Living: The Magic of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

Feb 27, 2012 by Dena

I promised I would do a review of one of my favorite products, Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps.  Honestly, this is my go to for nearly everything in my house!

Dr. Bronner’s soaps are Castile Soaps, which mean they are completely vegetable-oil based, meaning no animal products.  The ingredients listed on the bottle are:

 Water, Saponified Organic Coconut*, Organic Palm* and Organic Olive* Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils**, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

*FAIR TRADE Ingredients
** Available in Peppermint, Lavender, Almond, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Rose and Citrus Orange

The soaps are completely biodegradable, certified USDA Organic, and many of the ingredients are certified Fair Trade.  This means that the workers who produce their ingredients benefit from fair prices, living wages and funding for local development projects in the regions they are produced.  Dr. Bronner’s proudly provides their employees with generous salaries and benefits, cap executive pay at five times the lowest-paid position, and give all profits not needed for business development to support progressive charities and causes.

Oh, and the product is amazing and works to clean almost anything!

The sayings on the bottle are a bit crazy and it’s hard to find instructions on it, so here is a list of the things you can use it for:

Body Wash:

I use the Peppermint kind for myself and hubby.  The Peppermint leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth without feeling greasy or dry.  The Peppermint leaves you feeling a bit tingly and refreshed, though it can burn your eyes, so be careful.  Hubby is pretty particular about his soaps, as he hates moisturizing soap that makes you feel slippery, but gets dry skin from some bar soaps.  This does neither!  The bottle instructions say to wet your body and put a couple of drops in your hands and lather up.  I use an old body wash bottle and mix 70% soap to 30% water and hat seems to do the trick for us.  You can find the 32oz bottle of peppermint kind at Trader Joes for $9.99.

Kids Hair and Body Wash:

I use the Baby Mild version on the kids (and on our, ahem, delicate parts) because of that Peppermint tingle.  It may just be too much for sensitive skin, and like I said it can burn your eyes.  So we have and old baby soap bottle filled with the same concentration 70/30 of Baby Mild.  It lathers up nicely for shampoo, and clears out fast with minimal bowls of water dumped over the head (Great for those kids who can’t stand to have water dumped on their head too many times!). It leaves the kid’s hair shiny and silky, and I usually can wash their hair every other bath (unless there is yogurt, glue, dirt that needs to be washed out)!  I found my 32oz  Baby Mild at Target for $11, but you can also buy it online.

Shaving Cream:

Use the body wash solution to lather faces and legs and shave without incident!  The oils in the soap make for smooth shaving without creating red bumps and cuts.

Shampoo:

You can use this as a shampoo, however it may not work for everyone.  I tried it and it left my hair somewhat tangled and greasy feeling.  I’m told you can use an acid (vinegar) rinse, and I tried their Shikakai Rinse, but got mixed results.  Hubby has used it as a shampoo and likes it just fine, so I guess it is up to your hair type and length.  I do recommend that you rinse thoroughly and use a diluted concentration, much like the body wash.

Pet Soap:

I have not used this on the dog yet, but I am told it works wonders and can even be used as a de-skunk solution!  Use the same solution for pets as humans though keep it out of their eyes and water out of their ears!

Hand Soap:

I bought an old Dial foaming pump for $.99 and dumped the soap and rinsed it thoroughly with hot water.  I filled it with 50/50 concentration of Peppermint soap to water and keep it in the bathroom for hand washing.  It has such a pleasant smell and foams nicely.  Sometimes the spout gets clogged, but I just clean it out with a toothpick and it’s fine.

Toothpaste:

I’ve tried this twice and don’t recommend it for daily tooth brushing.  the experience is what you would think brushing your teeth with soap would be like: really foamy and filmy.  But, in a pinch (like camping) it would suffice to leave your breath fresh, just rinse with water REALLY well!

Shower Cleaner:

In a squeeze bottle mix 1 Cup Baking Soda, 1/2 Cup Peppermint soap, 2 Tbsp Distilled Vinegar, and 1 Cup Warm Water.  Shake well and squirt on your tile or glass shower surfaces.  Scrub with a sponge and rinse thoroughly.  Really does the trick to get rid of soap scum and hard water stains!

Surface Cleaner:

Mix 50/50 concentration of Peppermint soap to water in an old rinsed spray bottle.  Spray on surfaces and scrub with a damp sponge.  Wipe clean with a paper towel.  i use this spray for my kitchen and bathroom counters, as well as my toilets seats and surfaces.

Toilet Cleaner:

I filled an old toilet cleaner bottle with 50/50 concentration of Peppermint soap to water.  I squirt this around the inside rim like you would store-bought cleaner.  Sprinkle 1/2 Cup baking soda in the bowl and then 1/2 Cup vinegar.  It will start to foam.  Let sit for 5 minutes and then scrub with toilet brush and flush.

Floor Cleaner:

Squirt 1-2 Tbsp Peppermint Soap in large basin.  Fill with warm water and clean with mop.  I use this solution on hard wood also (though i squeeze the mop more to get rid of excess water).

Laundry Soap:

I have not used it for this since we have some natural soap already, but I have read numerous reports of it great results on your clothes.  Looking around the interwebs, 1/3 Cup in a regular load should suffice (though be forewarned that this makes suds, so you may want to try a bit less at first!).  Also, from Lisa Bronner’s Blog, if you are washing cloth diapers you should use their Sal Suds instead of the castile soaps, as the latter will affect the cloth diaper’s absorption.

Dish Soap:

I have not used it yet for dishes, but heck it works for everything else!  However, it is not recommended for automatic dishwashers as the suds can be too much for the machine and create a mess!

So, there you have it… MAGIC SOAP!

I love that this product is so safe and natural and it actually does the job as well, if not better, than the toxic stuff on the shelves.

Also, I am saving money.  I bought both 32oz bottles I have for about $21 about 6 months ago, and still have a little over a quarter of the  Peppermint and over half of the Baby Mild left.  We will probably save more than most since we were spending lots of money on store-bought “green” cleaners, but based on average household cleaners that most people would get off the store shelf you could save $60- $100 per year by just switching to this one product!

 And you are one step closer to Cleaner Living!

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Cleaner living: Toxin a Day Wrap Up

Jan 31, 2012 by Dena

Whew… that was exhausting!  I’m sure you are thinking right about now that this is completely overwhelming, so many things to remember, look for, learn about.

I felt, and still feel the same way.

It is sad, scary, and a tad mind-boggling that we have to spend so much time, energy, and brain power trying to make informed decisions about the simplest of things… like soap.  There are so many questions that come up?

Why are companies putting these chemicals in our products?

Why are they so reluctant to take them out?

Why can I not just trust that the product on the shelf is safe and doesn’t have the potential to harm me or those I love?

Simple answer… because they can.

The regulating agencies can say that certain ingredients can or cannot be in certain products, but there is absolutely no oversight to make sure that these regulations are followed through on.

It’s like handing your kids a pint of ice cream and an apple to choose from, walking away and hoping they make a healthy decision.

They have highly paid, powerful lobbyists who make sure that legislation continues to go their way.  But we have power too, the kind that also comes also with money. It’s called purchasing power.  We can say we are not going to buy their products unless they clean up their act.

In the end…

What I want readers to come away with from this series is a bit more knowledge and the spark to make some changes in the way we look at the things we use.  You don’t have to completely overhaul your life and have a panic attack every time you walk in the store to buy shampoo.  Small changes can do a wonder in the long-term.

Believe me, I am the first to tell you that I am not perfect when it comes to Cleaner Living everywhere possible.  I do not compost, I eat junk food more than my waistline would like, I REALLY like red lipstick, I use disposable diapers, I get manis and pedis, and my kids have had McDonald’s enough times for them to recognize the golden arches from afar.

But I am trying to make small changes in our lives that we can stick to and feel better about.  I can take some of the worst offenders and eliminate them or dramatically decrease them from our every day use.  I can send a message to manufacturers that i want safe products for my family.

And you can too.

I said I would compile a list of all of the ingredients we talked about to look out for so here it is in alphabetical order.  The toxin is in parentheses next to it:

• _eth_ such as sodium laureth sulfate (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• 1,4 Dioxane (carcinogen)
• 2 Bromo-2 nitropane- 1,3 Diol (formaldehyde releasing preservative- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• 5-Bromo-5-Nitro-1,3 Dioxane (formaldehyde releasing preservative- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• Anti-bacterial products (can promote antibiotic-resistant bacteria)
• BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole- carcinogen)
• Butylated hydroxyanisole (carcinogen)
• butylparaben (Parabens- carcinogen)
• ceteareth (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• Coal Tar (carcinogen)
• DEP (Phthalates- hormone disruptor)
• diethyl phthalate (Phthalates- hormone disruptor)
• DMDM Hydantoin (formaldehyde releasing preservative- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• ethylparaben (Parabens- carcinogen)
• formaldehyde (carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• Fragrance (Phthalates- hormone disruptor)
• Hydroquinone (carcinogen, skin irritant)
• Methenamine (formaldehyde releasing preservative- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• methylene glycol (formaldehyde+water- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• methylparaben (Parabens- carcinogen)
• oleth (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• Oxybenzone (carcinogen)
• oxynol (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• PEG’s (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• Phthalate derivatives (Phthalates- hormone disruptor)
• polyethylene (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• polyethylene glycol (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• polyoxyethylene (possible contamination of 1,4 dioxane- carcinogen)
• polyurethane foam with a label reading TB117 (Tris fire retardant- cancer, hormone disruptor, neurotoxin)
• propylparaben (Parabens- carcinogen)
• quaternium-15 (formaldehyde releasing preservative- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• Retinol (Retinyl palmitate- carcinogen)
• Retinyl palmitate (Retinyl palmitate- carcinogen)
• Sodium Nitrite (nitrosamines in foods- carcinogen)
• Toco- roots (may contain hydroquinone impurity- carcinogen, skin irritant)
• Triclocarban (hormone disruptor, can promote antibiotic-resistant bacteria)
• Triclosan (hormone disruptor, can promote antibiotic-resistant bacteria)
• Urea (formaldehyde releasing preservative- carcinogen, skin irritant and asthmagen)
• Vitamin A (carcinogen)

I hope that this has been helpful to some of you, and that you can take at least one thing from this series and make a few changes for a healthier tomorrow.

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Cleaner Living: Toxin #12- Nitrosamines

Jan 30, 2012 by Dena

Well, we have made it to the 12th day… But no Partridge in a Pear Tree here, we are learning about Nitrosamines today!

Nitrosamines are not actually an ingredient.  They are a compound created when nitrites and amino acids (which often occur from proteins) are combined.  This combination can occur in very acidic settings, such as the human stomach, or in high temperature settings found in manufacturing and cooking processes.  It can also be found as in impurity in 54 ingredients listed on the Skin Deep database.

Nitrosamines are considered a possible carcinogen by the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).  They are banned from being used in cosmetics in Canada and the EU.

Nitrosamines are not just an impurity found in cosmetic ingredients, they can be found in the foods we eat, especially ones very popular with finicky eaters, aka, our kids.

Sodium Nitrite is added to many foods as a preservative and to correct color (to make products more visually appealing).  They are found as additives in virtually all cured meats (hot dogs, processed meats, bacon), cured fishes, and even some canned soups.

I should mention that nitrItes are related to naturally occurring nitrAtes that are found in green leafy and root vegetables.  However related, they are not necessarily the same.  When we eat nitrates a small amount gets converted to nitrites in our bodies which have the potential to react with proteins to create nitrosamines.  However, vegetables are also very high in anti-oxidants (particularly vitamins C, D, and E) which reduce the risk of nitrosamine formation.  (Note: a higher pH level in stomach acids results in more conversion of nitrates to nitrites.  To that end, infants generally have a higher pH level in their stomachs, and precautions should be taken more seriously)

What can you do?

In our personal care products:

Because Nitrosamines are considered an impurity and not an ingredient, they are not required to be listed on labels.  The list of ingredients with the possible impurity is long and exhausting and the components of creating nitrosamines are not always clearly labeled.  You can try to avoid products that contain them, but the best thing we can do is to demand that companies use safe ingredients in their products.

Right now the FDA cannot require safety testing of products before they are sold, and does not assess the safety of ingredients. Instead, the cosmetic industry polices itself and the safety of its own products through a safety panel that is run and funded by the industry’s trade association.

Encourage your legislator to sign on and pass the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011.  Right now it has been ‘referred to committee.”  However, the majority of bills and resolution never make it out of committee, so contact these members of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.  Tell them you want to see this legislation become a reality!

In our food:

It is easier to avoid nitrosamines in food, by looking for sodium nitrite on the label.

• Look for products that are labeled ‘no added nitrites or nitrates,” as they are usually cured with vegetable nitrates (Boar’s Head All- Natural meats, Hormel Natural Choice, and Applegate Farms are a few commonly found in the grocery stores)
• Eat more vegetables and fresh produce.  You can offset the formation of nitrosamines in foods by eating a diet that contains anti-oxidant rich nutrients such as Vitamin C, D, and E.
• Take special precautions with the consumption of sodium nitrite by infants and children.  If they only eat hot dogs, make sure they are as free of sodium nitrite as possible!

That concludes our 12 Days of Toxins!  Tomorrow I will be compiling a list of all of the ingredients we have talked about so you can take it with you to the store or just as a guide for the products you already own.

Also, look for some product reviews and recipes for home/personal care items that I have personally tested in the next coming weeks!

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