Choosing Products to Minimize Your Baby's Toxic Load

Having a baby can be one of the most joyous occasions in life. However, for the growing number of parents who are awakening to the many toxic dangers of our modern lifestyle, it can also be a time fraught with many nervewracking questions and decisions. The last thing you want to do is burden your new baby's body with potentially harmful chemicals - their bodies are already faced with enough adjustments as it is, and research has shown that many chemicals in the environment can contribute to a number of childhood diseases, including rashes, chronic skin conditions, asthma and other respiratory complications. This week we are going to share some tips for minimizing your baby's exposure to toxins in the environment, and helping make sure they grow into healthy, strong kids, who will become healthy, strong adults.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many body care products on the market under the heading of "baby" - baby lotion, baby bath, baby soap. But just because something has "baby" in the title does not mean it's the best for your little one. Babies' skin is five times thinner than adults' skin, so even a product that is "safe" for adults could be harmful for your baby. Here are some things to consider when choosing body care products for your little one.

1. Think outside the labels

Unlike food, the FDA does not require extensive labeling of personal care product ingredients, nor does it require companies to test the safety of the ingredients they use. On labels that do show some ingredients, you might see parabens, sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate, and pthalates - all implicated in skin irritation and hormone disruption.

What the labels don't show are by-products, such as 1,4-Dioxane, a potential carcinogen and component of sodium laureth sulfate. If the product you are considering contains sodium laureth sulfate, that means it contains 1,4 Dioxane. Don't automatically trust labels that claim the product is "natural" or "mild."  There may be many chemicals in mainstream baby body products that are not listed at all on the label. (This article has a helpful list of ingredients to watch out for as well: http://naturesbeautysecrets.me/2012/08/13/toxic-baby-care-ingredients/)

2. Don't perfume the baby
So many personal care products are infused with fragrance, which means they probably contain pthalates, a chemical that is often a component of scented items. Pthalates are linked to problems with reproduction. Fragrances have been known to cause allergic reactions as well. Be sure to choose fragrance-free products if these are concerns for you.

3. Research

There are excellent sites, some with databases, where you can research the safety and toxicity of specific personal care products for babies and children. Some sites even rate the products, giving them a toxicity "score."  One such helpful site is the EWG's cosmetic safety database, which is free to use and search.

Organic Baby Care by Butt Naked Baby

4. Go organic - or make your own
If the chemicals in baby body care products concern you - including the rather  significant "the consumer does not know" factor - consider getting organic products or making them yourself. Look for labels that say "certified organic" or have a list of what they don't contain, such as "paraben-free" or "NO sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate."

The simpler, the better - organic olive oil is a mild, natural moisturizer for baby's skin, as is organic almond oil. Oatmeal is soothing and inexpensive - powder organic oats in a blender and add to baby's bathwater. Or, mix the powdered oats with water to make a paste and use as a skin cleanser. That's all the cleanser baby's skin needs!

To find good baby care products, besides EWG's site, you may also wish to check out The Natural Product Directory - their "Skincare" category has a small but growing list of baby care products, which are helpfully rated by a number of safety factors, ingredients, and consumer reviews. http://www.thenaturalproductdirectory.com/ (Click on Product Categories, then Skin Care. There is a baby care section near the bottom.)

Want to Buy Healthy? Check Out These Healthy Shoppers Resources

Shopping in today's world can be a mind-boggling exercise, especially if you are concerned about buying the healthiest foods for you and your family - avoiding toxins, getting the best nutrition, and supporting your local community at the same time.

Here are some excellent resources you may find very helpful in guiding you through the food shopping jungle!  (And of course be sure to check back here, as we share helpful tips on these sorts of things on a regular basis. For ideas and recipes for preparing healthy meals, also see our Cooking From Scratch blog.)

EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
Image via WikipediaThis is a great one you will always want to check with when trying to decide which fruits and vegetables to buy organic and which are OK to buy conventional. And keep your eyes on this blog, as this is updated annually, and we always post the new results when they become available.

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This interactive map shows where to find USDA-supported projects in your area that support local food. Just click the link to learn more about markets near you.

The Meat Label Decoder, in EWG's Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health. This handy guide gives some helpful tips on how to read labels on meat and dairy products. From free-range to lean, it helps you know what you're buying.

Organic vs. Natural. What's the difference between natural and organic anyway? If you still find these terms a little confusing, our friends at The Organic Center have published this handy tip sheet to help you out.

EWG's Sugar in Children's Cereal Report. Did you know that many popular cereals have more sugar than
Twinkies or chocolate chip cookies?? This report may shock you. (Click the "Full List of Cereals" link to find out where your favorite ranks.) And if you're looking for a healthier alternative breakfast choice, try the yummy recipes in tip #4.

Use these resources to shop healthier the next time you go grocery shopping!

Healthy Holiday Kitchen Tips from EWG

Here is a great and timely article from the Environmental Working Group for keeping your kitchen safe and your family healthy this holiday season. We often don't realize what harmful chemicals live in our kitchens - and how these can affect our health. Find out what you can do to minimize the impact of these chemicals on yourself and your family - and the environment at large. Follow the links below for some of EWG's great resources.

Jane's Holiday Kitchen
By Jane Houlihan
Senior Vice President for Research, EWG

One of my favorite things about the Holidays, especially Thanksgiving, is spending time with my family -- in the kitchen or around the table. If you're looking for great new recipes to enliven your cooking, or as a gift for your friends and family, check out EWG's 2011 Holiday Gift Bag. It includes Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic Cookbook, a To-Go Ware Snack Stack and other great items to green your holiday kitchen. Click here to order one today (supplies are limited).

As Senior Vice President for Research at EWG, I want to make it easy for you to prepare your holiday feasts with your family's environmental health in mind. Just follow these simple tips as you shop, cook and eat together:

• Choose food low in added chemicals and pollutants
• Use non-toxic cookware
• Store and reheat leftovers safely

Click here for full article...

Resource: Environmental Health News

Here is a great resource for you, brought to my attention by one of my other favorite health news sources - the EWG. This is one you might want to bookmark!

Image via WikipediaThe veteran journalists, scientists and experts at the non-profit Environmental Health News monitor daily news coverage and major scientific articles, and summarize for you the recent critical developments in science, health and the environment.

Best of all, it's FREE!

Every day you will receive a quick summary of a number of articles, including EHN's original reporting, on the issues you care about -- from toxic chemicals, to food safety, climate change and other environmental risks. You can just follow the links to whichever articles you would like more detail on.

And did I mention that it's free?

To get today's stories and to sign up to get daily headlines sent to your inbox, just visit http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/

You may also want to check out EHN's sister site. The Daily Climate (http://www.dailyclimate.org/) which features links to worldwide news on climate change -- its causes and consequences as well as the potential solutions to a global challenge.

Or, just keep checking our blog, as we do sometimes feature articles and topics inspired from these!

Support Your Right to Choose...Pesticide-Free Produce

We don't usually post fund-raising stuff here, but this is an important one. EWG's pesticide guide almost didn't get published this year - namely because "the powers that be" (a.k.a. our government) tried to squelch it. EWG put the pressure on, and got them to release the data, but as a non-profit, they are only able to bring such valuable information to us through our support. Please read the important letter below, and if you feel so moved, they would welcome your donations.  (I know it says by July 14, but they will still happily receive your donations after that date as well.)

(Published by the Environmental Working Group)

Dear Friend,

Did you know that our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce -- the resource that
helps you to shop smarter -- almost didn't happen this year? Industry lobbied the
government to stop releasing the data EWG uses in the Guide and to keep you from
finding out about pesticides in your food. 

EWG fought back and made sure the government released the data, because our top
priority is empowering you with the best possible information to help you make
healthy choices.

But, we can't keep doing our research without your support, and we need you now more
than ever. We need to raise $25,000 by midnight Thursday, July 14 to keep us on
track for our 2011 budget. I'm counting on you to help us get there.

Give $10 or more today, and we'll send you our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in
Produce bag tag. It clips onto your reusable shopping bag to help you make smart
choices about produce while you're shopping, http://tinyurl.com/5rusrza.

For EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, we compiled FDA and USDA data on
pesticides in food and simulated the eating habits of thousands of consumers. EWG
encourages everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables, period; but we've shown that
by eating the right kind of produce, you can reduce your family's exposure to
pesticides by up to 92 percent.

EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce tells you exactly which foods are
most important to buy organic to limit your exposure. 

This seventh edition of EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce almost didn't
happen, but because of the watchdogging work we do with your support, we got the
data you rely on. 

A donation before Thursday, July 14 will give us the ability to keep doing
everything we can to arm consumers like you with the latest information to help you
make sound decisions at the grocery store.  

Don't have your Guide yet? Click here to make an immediate, secure donation of $10
or more to EWG and we'll send you our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce bag
tag. We need your support to keep empowering consumers with the latest food safety
data, http://tinyurl.com/6c3lyeo.

We recommend buying organic if you can. It's the best way to keep your family safe
from pesticides in fruits and vegetables. But we know that's not always possible, so
we published the research you need to make smart choices. 

We can't keep doing this kind of work without your continued support, so please make
a donation right away.

Sincerely, 

Ken Cook 
President, Environmental Working Group

Are You Unwittingly Devouring Dangerous Toxins?

Well, I know I just published a post on this earlier this month, but it's time for the new and updated Dirty Dozen!  Just released this week is EWG's 2011 list of most contaminated fruits & veggies. There have been some noteworthy changes, so be sure to check out the updated lists.  Here is a helpful article on this, as well as links to the lists on the EWG site.


The Dirty Dozen - 2011 (Originally Published by Healthier Talk.com)

Fourteen.

Image via WikipediaThat, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), is the average number of pesticides you are likely to be unknowingly gulping down in an attempt to be healthy by eating your five fruits and vegetables per day.

Of course, that’s if the produce you’re choosing happens to be on the EWG’s "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables with the worst overall pesticide scores.

Last week, the EWG released the seventh edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. And, as always, they’ve included handy "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists based on the total pesticide loads for 53 conventional fruits and vegetables.

The pesticide data, gleaned from figures collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, revealed some changes to last year’s lists, the ones that I wrote about in June of last year.

The bad news? The fruit I spoke so highly of just last week for its ability to help ward off cancer and diabetes...apples...has risen up the ranks three spots on the list to take over first place as the most-contaminated produce. And cilantro made its debut on the dirty list...just shy of the dozen at number 13...with 33 unapproved pesticides on 44% of the samples tested. (You can see the full list here.)

The good news? Delicious cancer-fighting cherries dropped off the dirty list. (Yay!)

The BEST news? According to the EWG’s careful calculations, we can slash our exposure to toxic pesticides by a staggering 92% simply by choosing fruits and vegetables from the clean list!

Image via WikipediaBut keep in mind that the EWG is not encouraging us to shun the fruits and veggies on the "Dirty Dozen" list. There are way too many delicious and good-for-you items on it. Instead, they remind us to just be sure to choose organic produce whenever possible. While you will not be bringing your pesticide exposure down to zero, you’ll certainly be making a big dent in it.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering if washing your produce will remove the pesticides, the answer is "maybe a little." But the fact is the fruits and vegetables used in the testing were already peeled (when appropriate) and carefully washed.

The fruits and vegetables that made the EWG’s "Dirty Dozen" this year are the following:

1. apples, 2. celery, 3. strawberries, 4. peaches, 5. spinach, 6. nectarines (imported), 7. grapes (imported), 8. sweet bell peppers, 9. potatoes, 10. blueberries (domestic), 11. lettuce, and 12. kale/collard greens.

And its "Clean 15" are the following:

1. onions, 2. sweet corn, 3. pineapples, 4. avocado, 5. asparagus, 6. sweet peas, 7. mangos, 8. eggplant, 9. cantaloupe (domestic), 10. kiwi, 11. cabbage, 12. watermelon, 13. sweet potatoes, 14. grapefruit, and 15. mushrooms.

And remember that to easily spot organic produce—in North America at least—you need to check the sticker on the fruit or vegetable.

Generally, if the five-digit number starts with a 9 it’s organic and if it starts with a 3 or 4 it’s conventional. (Although 8 was reserved for genetically modified foods, it’s rare to see it used since that unholy union of Big Agriculture and the biotech industry has fought labeling of any kind on GM foods.)

When to Buy Organic

Here is another great guide from the EWG (those guys are fabulous! If you haven't checked out their website, you can do so at www.ewg.org - they have tons of really cool resources on reducing your toxic load, among other things.)

Image via WikipediaThis one is a handy-dandy list that I now carry in my wallet, which lists which are the most toxicly loaded vegetables, and which ones are okay to buy conventionally grown.

Here is more about this nifty guide:

When Should You Buy Organic?(Originally published by the Environmental Working Group)
Free Guide Ranks Pesticide Contamination of Fruits and Vegetables

If you're concerned about food safety, you probably already look for organic produce at the supermarket. But if you can't always buy organic, you can still dramatically lower your family's exposure to chemical pesticides by choosing the least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables with the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The Shopper's Guide is a handy, wallet-size card that lists the "Dirty Dozen" most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as the 12 most "Consistently Clean" items. It's available for free download at www.foodnews.org, in both English and Spanish versions.

The Shopper's Guide was developed by Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. EWG's computer analysis found that consumers could cut their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead.

Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 15 pesticides a day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to fewer than two pesticides a day.

Click here for rest of article....

Or, go straight to http://www.foodnews.org for your own free copy of the guide, and be sure to print it and carry it with you whenever you shop!

Find Safer Sunscreens

'Tis the season...for sunburns! Lately you may have heard some of the controversy surrounding sunscreens. Apparently in our rush to avoid the sun, we have been using chemicals on our skin that actually can CAUSE cancer! So what is a sun-lover to do this summer?

Image via WikipediaHere is a great article from the Environmental Working Group, which has compiled an extensive database of sunscreens, and rated them based on both safety and effectiveness. (We've also listed a few of the top ranked sunscreens below.)

Check out the article, and then check out your sunscreen - and maybe find a better one.

EWG's 2011 Sunscreen Guide (originally published by the Environmental Working Group):

Is your sunscreen actually protecting your family as advertised? Or are some of the claims just marketing hype?

Of the more than 600 beach and sports sunscreens analyzed by Environmental Working Group for our 2011 Sunscreen Guide, we can only recommend one in five. The sunscreen industry continues to load store shelves with bottles listing misleading, sky-high SPF ratings that may protect against UVB rays that cause sunburn but leave skin at risk for UVA damage. And nearly one in three products in the guide are still laced with vitamin A ingredients that accelerate the growth of skin tumors and lesions according to recent government studies.

Sort through the sunscreen noise -- click here for EWG's 2011 Sunscreen Guide

You'll find:
:: Our top rated sunscreens
:: EWG's Sun Safety Tips
:: Our updated "Hall of Shame," which highlights what's wrong with the sunscreen industry
:: How your sunscreen ranks when you search our database (Hint: Leading brands like Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat didn't make the cut.)

EWG's researchers rated more than 1,700 sunscreens, lip balms, and SPF moisturizers and makeup for the 2011 Sunscreen Guide because we want you to have the information you need to make smart choices. But work like this is costly and we need your help to keep it up. Donate just $5 -- less than a bottle of sunscreen -- to EWG today and we'll send you a free Quick Tips for Safer Cosmetics shopping guide to say thank you. Click here to donate

We hope our research helps your family enjoy the sun safely this summer.

Sincerely,
The Environmental Working Group


Just to make it easy, here are a few examples of sunscreens that rated well:
         

EWG Skin Deep Safe Cosmetics Database

Skin Deep has become an invaluable resource for me over the past few years, in finding great, non-toxic skincare products and cosmetics. Theirs is the most comprehensive and user-friendly product database I know of for finding, ranking, and choosing safe and effective all-natural skincare products (they also rank the non-natural stuff, just so you can compare and see what you've been putting on your skin all these years!)  On our website, we always try to suggest products that are ranked no higher than 4.

If you've never visited, check it out, and you will want to bookmark this one! They've recently redesigned their site, to make it even more user-friendly.

EWG Gives Skin Deep a Makeover | Environmental Working Group
Subtitle:&nbspPopular Cosmetics Database Offers New Format and Expanded Resources
EWG Public Affairs: 202.667.6982. alex@ewg.org Washington, D.C. Dateline: April 21, 2011.
Publish Date: 04/21/2011 5:00
http://www.ewg.org/release/ewg-gives-skin-deep-makeover

Do You Know What's In Your Bottled Water?

I wanted to share this eye-opening article from the Environmental Working Group from a couple of months ago. I try to keep up with their news, as they always post things you don't ever find in the main-stream media, and they are a great third-party source for healthy news and studies about greener living and reducing our toxic load.

The part I found the most interesting was that filtered tap water received a MUCH higher grade than any of the listed bottle water brands! Getting a good water filter can literally save you thousands of dollars over the years, not to mention, you will get as good (or better!) quality water, plus help save the environment from all those plastic bottles. (See below for a few suggestions for water filters.)

Image via Wikipedia01/07/2011 - Published by the Environmental Working Group; www.ewg.org

Labels on expensive bottled water may lead us to think the water inside comes from pristine springs or has amazing healing powers. But bottled water companies don't have to tell us what is in those bottles.

EWG decided to look at what they do tell us. And the story can be summed up in a few words: not much.

EWG's just-released 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard, http://tinyurl.com/3xv2dmo, grades more than 170 bottled waters on the information they do or do not disclose on their labels and websites.

When we looked for answers to obvious questions -- Where does the water come from? Is it purified? How? Have tests found any contaminants? -- nine out of the ten best-selling brands didn't answer at least one of those questions.

Yahoo! published this investigation on their home page and Green section and it made a huge splash (no pun intended).

Because we know you care about what you drink, and feed your family -- we wanted to make sure you saw this important right-to-know report.

Click here to see Yahoo!'s take on the best and worst of the brands they looked at, http://tinyurl.com/2doq3ha.

A Few Water Filters Suggested by the EWG: