Desitin – Safe or Toxic? November 25, 2008

Desitin diaper cream is a classic.  Your mom used it, you got it for your baby shower, and it works.  But, have you read the ingredient list?  The ingredients in Desitin are: Zinc oxide40%, BHA, Cod Liver Oil, Fragrance, Lanolin, Methylparaben, Petrolatum, Talc.  Safe or Toxic?

The Skin Deep cosmetic safety database gives Desitin – Original Formula a score of 5 out of 10.  Desitin Creamy, another popular version, also scores a 5.  That’s NOT GOOD.  Consider this: baby’s skin is thinner than yours, so chemicals can more easily penetrate.  Plus, a baby has a much greater ratio of skin surface area to internal body mass than an adult, which translates to more concentrated chemical exposure from skin care products than an adult.  A level 5 toxicity score is bad news for any product applied to a baby’s skin.

Here are the ingredients of concern in Desitin:

(1) BHA(level 10 toxicity). BHA is associated with cancer and hormone disruption in numerous studies. And since it carries Skin Deep’s very highest toxicity level, standing for “high hazard”, this answers the question “safe or toxic” outright.  It has been banned from cosmetics in the EU because of skin dipigmentation.

(2) Fragrance(level 8 toxicity). Fragrance is a term that designates an undisclosed combination of ingredients that purportedly give the product a smell.  As such, it can hide the existence of virtually any dangerous chemical.  We do know that synthetic fragrance contains phthalates, which are hormone disrupting chemicals that are making there way into the urine of 81% of the infants tested.

(3) Methylparaben(level 4 toxicity) . Methylparaben is one of the parabens, the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics. Parabens are hormone disruptors, also called “endocrine disruptors”.   Studies listed on Skin Deep show that methylparaben has been shown to interfere with gene expression, cause mutation in vitro, have brain and nervous system effects at moderate doses, and cause skin irritation at low doses.

(4) Sodium borate(4-6 toxicity level, based on product usage). This ingredient found only in Desitin Creamy is specifically designated as unsafe by the cosmetics industry’s own safety panel!  It states that sodium borate “should not be used on infant skin or injured skin.” (CIR, p. 228).  It has virtually all of the dangerous effects of the above ingredients combined!

What stands out to me is that these ingredients are ALL hormone disrupters.  Why would it be safe to apply hormone disrupting chemicals on a baby’s bottom parts day after day?  This is crazy!  And we wonder why infertility issues are a growing problem in our country!

I personally use Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Bottom Balm, which is available at our store at EuphoriaBaby.com.  You can do a quick search on the Skin Deep’s Cosmetic Database to see what is safe in the realm of diaper creams.  There are many options and they’re better for the earth too!  I find that Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Bottom Balm clears up issues fast.  Plus, I love the spicy, herb-infused natural scent!

Phthalates causing Birth Defects in Boys November 24, 2008

Phthalates are plasticizers (chemicals that make plastics soft) that are known to be dangerous hormone-disrupters for males and females of all ages, but especially in young children.  Recently, studies have documented that the risks are indeed serious for pregnant mothers.  Exposure to phthalates during pregnancy is likely behind the growing rates of birth defects in baby boy genitalia.

What birth defects?  Oh, you know, “the incorrect placement of the opening in the penis (hypospadias), undescended testes (cryportchidism) and defective sperm production” according to this study.  At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, doctors repair the genitalia of roughly 300 baby boys every year – about double what they did 30 years ago. Which sounds right since hypospadias, nearly doubled in the United States between the late 1960s and early 1990s, according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Hmm – that timing happens to coorelate with the plastic revolution…

Where are phthalates?  Sadly, they’re in the urine of just about every US citizen tested.  That’s because they’re added to countless everyday products that contain artificial fragrances (think dish soap, perfume, and candles) and are extremely common in nail polish, soft plastics (think vinyl shower curtains, vinyl purses and cling wrap), adhesives and finishes. 

You may have heard the good news that in 2009 phthalates are not permitted in toys and other products designed for children (UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Toy Safety Act was too poorly written, causing so much confusion that legislators decided to delay it’s implementation until 2010).  However, our little ones still get plenty of exposure in the womb or in daily life through products not designed for children (as in, your shower curtain).  The answer here lies in becoming a smart consumer, one who avoids plastic whenever possible.  

If you or someone you love had problems trying to conceive, phthalates and other hormone-disrupting plastics may well be the cause.   Let’s take steps in our own homes now to get the plastic out, so that the next generation is born and able to create new life again as nature intended. 

Simple Habits to Keep the Toxins out of your Food November 20, 2008

Choose organic, eat whole foods, avoid bad ingredients… but there’s more to the story.  What you do with your groceries in the kitchen can also contaminate your food.  And, I’m not talking about bacteria contamination.  We’re all pretty savvy about using different cutting boards for meat vs. vegetables.  Let’s talk about chemicals.

Get plastics out of the kitchen as much as possible.  Store food in glass.  Mix food in glass or stainless steel.  Don’t use cling wrap, which is made with PVC (type 3 BAD plastic).  When it’s not made with PVC, it’s not very clingy.  We’ll have to try to learn how to use wax paper and butcher paper again!

And, don’t cook in Teflon or non-stick coated cookware!  The verdict is in that PFOA (a chemical used to make Teflon and other non-stick surfaces) is a likely human carcinogen per the EPA.  When heated, particles are emitted and can cause eye and respiratory inflammation (not to mention kill your pet bird – I’m serious).  Safe cookware options include stainless steel, anodized aluminum, copper-coated, cast iron and enamel-coated iron, according to “Healthy Child, Healthy World.”  My in-laws recently purchased Green Pan non-stick cookware to replace their Teflon pans.  The non-stick inside of the pan is ceramic, and they seem to work very well. 

If you can’t change everything at once, just take small steps.  Next time you need some cling wrap, buy up some butcher paper.  Next time you throw out some nasty, stained Tupperware, buy some Pyrex glass storage containers!

Does it Matter?

People tend to wonder how much little changes like these really will make to their health.  The reality is we don’t know.  There is precious little research available about the cumulative effect of the countless chemical toxins (known to be carcinogenic and/or hormone-disrupting) in the modern American lifestyle.  But the lack of research isn’t very comforting, is it? And with the state of health in our country and the fact that our children face a statistical likelihood of living shorter lives than our own, it’s high time we take things seriously.   Even one carcinogen is too much in my opinion, even more so if you’re pregnant or feeding a little one!

Ginger: it Really Works for Nausea November 18, 2008

I confess, morning sickness was not one of my pregnancy challenges.  But, I have watched as dear friends and family have suffered from persistant nausea or “all-day sickness” due to pregnancy.  If this happens to you, you’ll want to try everything to relieve it.  Be sure to try ginger first! 

Ginger has been used for centuries to aid digestion and relieve nausea.  According to Karin Parramore, a Certified Herbalist who informs the work of Earth Mama Angel Baby products, ginger is excellent at combating nausea of all types. Her article states: “In a study that measured it effectiveness as an anti-emetic (to stop vomiting) Ginger was put up against Dramamine, the most commonly used over the counter medication for motion-induced nausea. Ginger came out the obvious winner, proving to be more effective than the drug at allaying nausea with none of the drowsiness typically seen with Dramamine. Ginger has also shown to be very effective at reducing nausea following surgery.”

And here’s the really good part – ginger has been shown to work for morning sickness too.  “In 2001 the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Chiang Mai University performed a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial (the benchmark type of study for the scientific community) on Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. The study concluded that nausea was significantly decreased in the group taking Ginger. Even more significantly, no adverse effects of Ginger on pregnancy were detected. Unlike many prescription drugs, which may have devastating effects on the developing fetus, Ginger proved to be both effective and safe. Another study conducted in 2002 found Ginger syrup to be an effective, safe treatment for nausea in early pregnancy.”

Ginger has a solid reputation for being safe for pregnancy, both in the US and abroad.  Try it painlessly in Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Morning Wellness Tea (the first ingredient is organic ginger) or find a supplement at your health food store.  You can even take ginger in candy form, but I’m betting the tea is your healthiest bet .

Healthy Food Choices: Ingredients to Avoid November 17, 2008

Have you seen those commercials about high-fructose corn syrup?  The ones that actually imply that high-fructose corn syrup is just fine since it originates as corn!?!  The commercials would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that Americans are so confused about making healthy food choices that some may be won-over by the commercials. 

With all of the healthy eating diets and theories out there, it’s not hard to understand why we’re confused.  But, if you step back and look at the big picture, there is one over-riding principle when it comes to separating the junk from the nutrition: eat food that’s as close to it’s original form as possible. That is, eat corn, not high-fructose corn syrup. Nina Planck’s book Real Food: What to Eat and Why is my favorite food wisdom resource. Here’s a quick bit of advice for evaluating food options at the grocery store.

Ingredients to Avoid

• Pesticides: Yup, if you buy conventional produce, you’ve got to realize the insect poison is on your menu.  These poisons are linked to asthma, luekemia and cancer.  Is it surprising that poisons wreak havac on little children’s bodies?
• Preservatives:  If you buy more fresh, whole foods you’ll avoid preservatives naturally.  But, when buying prepared foods like breads avoid BHA and BHT.  Both have been linked to cancer.
• Artificial Sweetners & Flavors: Artificial is not good.  Ever.  Big-business likes to come up with “new” sweetners such as Aspartame, Nutrasweet/Equal,  Saccharine/Sweet n’low, and Sucralose/Splenda.  Don’t be fooled.  Artificial sweetners usually turn out to be worse than normal sugar, once the lab studies catch up with production.
• Corn Syrup/High-fructose Corn Syrup:  Yes, it comes from corn, but by the time they’ve processed it to this point, your body can’t digest it like a normal food.  Both have been linked to obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.
• Trans Fats/Partially Hydrogenated Oils:  Recently our society has officially ”condemned” these ingredients, but they’re still in many processed foods in the grocery store.  They contribute to heart disease and high cholesterol.
• Sodium Nitrates:  These are found in deli meats, hot dogs, sausage and bacon.  Sodium nitrates cause cancer.  Many nitrate-free products are available, when you’ve just got to have that deli sandwich.
• MSG/Hydrolized Protein:  This is a cheap flavoring that’s been shown to directly attack neurons.   MSG can cause a range of responses from headaches to shortness of breath to a racing heart.
•  Caffeine:  With a high/low rollercoaster effect much like sugar, it’s wise to avoid caffeine in chocolate and tea as possible.  Make sweets a “special treat”, not an everyday occurance.

France Bans TV for Children! November 8, 2008

I just read in Mothering Magazine that the country of France has recently banned television programs designed for children under three years old.  The country states, “Television viewing hurts the development of children under three years old and poses a certain number of risks, encouraging passivity, slow language acquisition, over-excitedness, troubles with sleep and concentration as well as dependence on screens.”  Wow, how’s that for making a statement!

I don’t necessarily want to see TV for children banned in the states, if only because it seems like something the government should not mandate.  Still, it is nice to hear of France’s tough stand since we do not allow our children to watch TV or videos.  My husband and I found it difficult to sustain the “ocassional video” stance, as the children always craved more, more, more!  Now that we’ve cut the screen out entirely, it’s not a big deal to anyone and it certainly frees up more time for real play and real living.

Creative Play for Your Baby November 6, 2008

One of my favorite discoveries this fall was a set of books by Christopher Clouder and Janni Nicol. Creative Play for Your Baby and it’s companion, Creative Play for Your Toddler, are thin little volumes packed with gorgeous photographs of toys you can make for your children!

If that sounds like a stretch for you, trust me – it isn’t. Party because the books are Waldorf-inspired, they utilize a limited amount of natural materials such as found wood, felt, cloth, string, etc. and are fairly simplistic. The directions are good enough for this crafting newbie. But, it’s really the photographs that make it a fabulous book. They are very clear and so inspiring!

Added to the toy-making instructions are concise explanations of the why’s and how’s behind creative play, from a Waldorf perspective. It’s a great way to introduce yourself or a friend to the richness and beauty of the Waldorf traditions.

In fact, it’s a great way to introduce your child as well! Aria and Liam have LOVED making toys together. After emptying their room of many plastic and battery-operated toys, it’s refreshing and beautiful to set some homemade, natural toys on our shelves.

After requesting both books from my library, only to have to return them soon because my dear friend Bethany requested them as well… I am ordering the toddler one for myself and the baby one as a Christmas gift for a sweet new mommy I love.

DIY Cleaning with Vinegar November 4, 2008

Tonight is my local Holistic Moms Network’s monthly meeting.  It’s about making your own cleaning products with cheap, non-toxic ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda and essential oils.  I’m looking forward to it!  I’ve experimented with mixing my own a bit and had great results.  Now, I’m ready to learn more.

It’s really quite easy to make cleaning products at home.  And, nothing beats the savings.  A big 32 oz bottle of white distilled vinegar costs little more than a dollar at the supermarket (all-purpose cleaners are about 4 times as much), plus you’ll dilute the vinegar for most cleaning purposes!  Stock up on a few spray bottles… mix, label and go.

All-purpose/Countertop/Mildew Cleaner:  Mix vinegar and water 1:1 in a spray bottle.

Window/Glass Cleaner:  Mix vinegar and water 1:4 in a spray bottle.

Toilet Bowl/Shower Door Cleaner: Use straight vinegar to banish rings and scum.

Fabric Softener: Use 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle.

Don’t use apple cider vinegar, which can stain.  White distilled vinegar is the way to go.  Now, yes, vinegar does have a strong aroma during use.  But, unlike conventional cleaners, it is NOT a toxic aroma and it dissipates quickly and completely after cleaning.  In fact, vinegar is a mild deodorizer, so it’ll remove many unpleasant smells while you clean!

For more uses for vinegar in the home, see VinegarTips.com.