SafeMama's 2011 Sunscreen Cheat Sheet and Why You Need to Read It!

Hmmm...apparently Summer is on the way although you wouldn't know it in these parts with all the rain we've been getting! It's so dreary in Calgary it reminds me of those overcast drizzly winter days I grew up with on the West Coast. It's certainly not the kind of weather that reminds me I need to be getting prepared for summer once the clouds clear away, that's for sure!

If you are a parent you know that the one thing you need to have in your child's summertime tool box is sunscreen. If you are like me though, you are nit picky about sunscreen and would rather not slather your children in the toxic brews that tempt you from the store shelves and promise ultimate protection under the beguiling façade of safety. It seems the debate starts around the playgrounds and splash parks every year around this time on what brand of sunscreen is actually safe, followed by a few comments that they all must be safe or they wouldn't be sold (which is sadly not the case and even sadder is many people don't want to hear that fact) or that any sunscreen, no matter how toxic the ingredients, is better than nothing.

What's a parent to do? It is an incredibly confusing product to figure out sometimes and yet it's equally important that you do. Skin cancer is, of course, a clear risk from running around in the bright afternoon without sun protection and at the same time our bodies need the sun to help us synthesize Vitamin D. You can watch the clock when it comes to outdoor time and cover yourself in protective clothing, but that isn't always the most feasible option, so you end up turning to sunscreen.

Do your research simply because many companies are counting on you NOT to...

These are chemicals that are being put on your child's skin countless times over the next few months (and for many of you, possibly year round) and will be absorbed into their sensitive little bodies. Please, please stop being complacent and research your ingredients.  In this case you don't even need to search that hard because I am going to link you up some of the best resources I have found when it comes to the safety of your children. All you have to do is click and read. Easy peasy! ♥

Know that most sunscreens on the mainstream marketplace contain incredibly toxic ingredients like Oxybenzone, and retinyl palmitate (which has, ironically, been linked to skin tumors and if that wasn't bad enough, it's also believed to speed up the formation of cancerous cells. I'm serious folks, I couldn't make this up if I tried). Not only that, your SPF 50 that you put on your little bean this summer might only be SPF 10. You literally might end up paying more for an SPF 50+ that is full of carcinogenic, hormone disrupting ingredients and isn't even doing what you paid for. I don't know about you, but I would be royally ticked off if that was the case.

Do you have sunscreen in the house? Then click the bold green link to read the Environmental Working Group/Skin Deep's 2011 Sunscreen Hall of Shame to learn more about the ingredients listed. It will certainly be eye opening if nothing else!

Which sunscreen should you buy then, you ask?

I personally am partial to Badger and Green Beaver products. I love them and they work. Plus it just gives you that warm squishy feeling inside when you buy one of them and know you are getting an awesome product that is produced either 'locally' (as in here in Canada for you fellow Canucks) or by a family run business like the Badger products are in New Hampshire.

I realize though not all chemically safe sunscreens are available in all places, so I present to you 

drumroll please...... 

THE Queen Bee of the blog-o-sphere when it comes to product safety for children and families,

a fellow Mama Bear,

someone whom we would proudly place in our Eco Diva Hall of Fame (if we had one, which on second thought I'm going to make one, because us Eco Divas need to band together right?!?),

  

the one and only,

 SafeMama and her 2011 Sunscreen Cheat Sheet!  

I love SafeMama, and her dedication to child safety and non toxic products. She makes me feel less neurotic totally normal that I am concerned about this stuff and research all these topics. Plus, she sums everything up so beautifully in easy to understand language that doesn't require a chemistry degree to understand.

Needless to say I was thrilled to see my beloved Badger Sunscreen on her list! She has listed over 25 different sun protection products that are safe for you and your family - it is one of the best resources I have found when it comes to sun/skin care and it is most definitely a list worth looking at. 

Everything you need to know about sunscreen ingredients including the good, the bad and the ugly, can be found over at SafeMama. Do yourself and your family a favour and click on over and take a read through! ♥

I hope you are having a great week so far! 

Super Easy Homemade Honey Almond Facial Scrub!

I'm all about easy and natural these days and I've found one of the best places to start simplifying is with the products we buy, especially those for our skin and hair.

When it comes to skin care for myself and my family I'm a stickler for pure ingredients that aren't going to cause reproductive toxicity, among other things, with the pretty little bubbles they give the kids in the bath tub. I'm sure you've realized as well, products that have purer, safer ingredients aren't always the most budget friendly - especially when it comes to women's skin care lines.

If you haven't been to Skin Deep it's a fascinating place to hang out and learn more about everything you have in your bathroom and whether the listed ingredients are harmful or not to yourself and your kids. Some products surprised me in that they have improved over the years and others you realize, just don't care that they make, market and sell a product that is full of known carcinogenic substances and other toxic crap that just isn't good for you.

So what's a granola girl on a budget to do?

My Love Affair With Mason (Jars That Is!)...

I will confess, that I have developed a teensy weensy addiction to hoarding collecting Mason jars (this is in addition to my subconscious fear of running out of clothes hangers, as Heather found out when she helped me move last fall. I hold on to weird things I know, but I digress... :Þ).

It started off a few weeks ago when I came out of my winter fog, looked at my kitchen cupboards and pantry and was completely horrified at the amount of plastic I had accumulated without even realizing it. Little things like all my dry goods stored in zip lock bags, plastic containers piled up  from the dollar store for the kids snacks and what not. Everywhere I looked in my kitchen there was plastic, plastic, PLASTIC. Not only that, to add insult to my injured eco-ego, it was all a complete cluttered disorganized mess. I realized something needed to be done!
The beauty of mason jars is you don't need to save them just for canning. Oh no my friends, they can be used for soooooooooooo much more!

The little tiny ones that are about 125ml (or 1/2 cup) are fantastic for snacks, even for the kids. Not only are they sturdy but you don't need to worry about crappy chemicals leaching into your food. Yes, they are glass but it really does take a lot for them to break. They've been dropped on our hardwood floor and are still intact with nary a scratch or crack to be found. I am all for stainless steel food storage containers and other adorable eco friendly options that are out there, but we are on a very strict budget and I needed something more inexpensive to hold the kids snacks that was chemical free and also leak proof. I was able to find 12 half cup (125 ml) little jars at Safeway a few weeks back for $12.99! That works out to $1.13 per container tax included. Not bad for an eco friendly, plastic free option if I do say so myself!

The bigger ones of course are even better for storing dry goods (in addition to being used for canning) and not only that, everything looks so much prettier stored in Mason jars then in say, ugly plastic containers. Again, 12 one litre jars for 15 bucks is a very inexpensive plastic free storage option. Just thinking about it makes me giddy!! :D

I spent part of my afternoon today taking pictures of my messy, disheveled cupboards and pantry and then studiously switching all my dry goods to my fabulous Mason jars with the whole intent of course, of sharing my before and after pics with you. Of course Murphy's law would say, that if you have great pictures to share on your blog about your transformation to organized, domestic, eco friendly bliss, chances are your computer won't download them off your camera. ARGH. So you will have to wait, but I promise it will be worth it! Eco Diva I may be, Domestic Diva not so much, but I'm working on getting the two inner "divas" to meet somewhere in the middle...eventually. ;o)

Unfortunately, people often assume that being eco friendly and/or environmentally conscious requires the ability to spend a lot of money. That really couldn't be further from the truth! So that being said, what are your favourite ways to be environmentally friendly/aware while not breaking the bank to do it?

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! If you haven't had a chance to donate to the earthquake relief efforts in Japan and South Asia, please click over to our post from last week to read more about ways to help out and give back. ♥

With love and light,

 

Product Review: Crocodile Creek Backpacks, Lunchboxes, Water Bottles

Last year I bought our daughter a character backpack from a big box store, and by Halloween it was falling apart. The zipper broke, a strap was coming unstitched, and the bottom had holes in it.

This time around I splurged a bit and bought beautiful matching backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles from Crocodile Creek.

Our daughter is obsessed with horses, and I found this great matching set:

Our son loves dinosaurs, so he has this set:

One of the great things about Crocodile Creek is that their products meet both US and European standards. The quality of these backpacks is shining through - the zippers are heavy duty and the stitching isn't showing the slightest bit of weakness. The lining in the lunchboxes is free of PVCs, phthalates, vinyl, and BPA, not to mention how strong it is. I've put the lunch boxes through the dishwasher a number of times, and the lining is still as strong and sturdy as it was when we got it. I love that the water bottles are made of eco-friendly stainless steel that handwash beautifully. The only thing I wish for, would be larger water bottles.

I would definately recommend these products, as I give them two thumbs up!

The Despicable Dirty Dozen!

Holy hug a tree Batman! We need to talk!

Just in time for Tree Huggin' Tuesday today, the David Suzuki Foundation has released its findings from a survey/study it started earlier this year that took an in-depth look at the multitude of toxic chemicals that are found in what are seemingly harmless everyday personal care products. From toothpaste to shampoo, to make up to deodorant, no stone, er, I mean product, it seems was left uncovered. Over 12,550 products were investigated through 6,243 participants. To say this was a fairly in-depth study would be an understatement.

It is so easy to become complacent. To assume that just because a product is on a store shelf, or because there isn't an immediate reaction to something, that it must be safe. That is not the case my friends, not at all...

Take a look at this list as noted on the David Suzuki Foundation website. At least 80% of the 12,550 products investigated contained at least ONE of these ingredients, also known as the Dirty Dozen:

1. BHA and BHT: Used mainly in moisturizers and makeup as preservatives. Suspected endocrine disruptors and may cause cancer (BHA). Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

2. Coal tar dyes: p-phenylenediamine and colours listed as "CI" followed by five digits. P-phenylenediamine is used in some hair dyes; other colours are used in a variety of cosmetics. Potential to cause cancer and may be contaminated with heavy metals toxic to the brain

3. DEA-related ingredients: Used in some creamy and foaming products, such as moisturizers and shampoos. Can react to form nitrosamines, which may cause cancer. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

4. Dibutyl phthalate: Used as a plasticizer in some nail care products. Suspected endocrine disrupter and reproductive toxicant. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives: Used in a variety of cosmetics. Slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde, which causes cancer.

6. Paraben, methylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben: Used in a variety of cosmetics as preservatives. Suspected endocrine disrupters and may interfere with male reproductive functions.

7. Parfum: Any mixture of fragrance ingredients used in a variety of cosmetics. Some fragrance ingredients can trigger allergies and asthma. Some linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. Some harmful to fish and other wildlife.

8. PEGs (e.g., PEG -60): Used in some cosmetic cream bases. Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer.

9. Petrolatum: Used in some hair products for shine and as a moisture barrier in some lip balms, lip sticks and moisturizers. Can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may cause cancer.

10. Siloxanes: Used in a variety of cosmetics to soften, smooth and moisten. Suspected endocrine disrupter and reproductive toxicant (cyclotetrasiloxane). Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

11. Sodium laureth sulfate: Used in some foaming cosmetics, such as shampoos, cleansers and bubble bath. Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer.

12. Triclosan: Used in some antibacterial cosmetics, such as toothpastes, cleansers and deodorants. Suspected endocrine disrupter and may contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.


So what is an "endocrine disruptor" you ask?

Well in laymen terms, it is a synthetic chemical that interferes with every cell, organ and function of our bodies. From intelligence, to fetal development, to our moods, metabolism and reproduction. We don't want our endocrine systems disrupted folks, it's just not a good thing no matter how pretty you smell.

Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives are not listed as such on the bottle. Manufacturers know better than that! They are often under the guise of names such as "Quaternium 15" (which is often found in baby shampoos of all things). What happens with a chemical like Q15 is that when it mixes with water (i.e. in the bath, shower or when it is absorbed into your skin and mixes with the water in your body) it turns into formaldehyde. Your skin is an amazing sponge that absorbs everything, good and bad (think of all the medications that are delivered via a patch or cream).

Do you really want your baby sitting in a tub full of formaldehyde? I didn't think so.

So what did the David Suzuki Foundation find that was safer to use and reported to be free of the Dirty Dozen? Quite a few and I realize there is more out there that isn't listed, so if you are aware of a product that isn't on this list, please comment and let us know. Ideally we would like to create a go to list for people regarding safe products.

The "Safer" List
(as per the David Suzuki Foundation Study)

Products sold under the following brand names (among others) were frequently reported to be free of the Dirty Dozen ingredients:

• Prairie Naturals
• Jason
• Tom's of Maine
• Green Beaver
• Aubrey's Organics
• Nature's Gate

Most Loaded Products
(as per the David Suzuki Foundation Study)

The following products reportedly contained at least six of the Dirty Dozen:

• Bath & Body Works: Bubble Baths, Antibacterial Moisturizing Hand Lotions, Sweet Pea Body Lotion, Warm Vanilla Sugar Hand Cream

• Canus (Caprina) Li'l Goat's Milk Shampoo and Body Wash

• Caprina Fresh Goat's Milk Body Wash

• Clarins Lift Anti-Rides Jour (Extra-Firming Day Cream)

• Compliments Herbal Bath Foam

• Crabtree & Evelyn Nomad Invigorating Hair & Body Wash

• Delon Grapeseed Body Butter

• Dial Clean and Refresh Antibacterial Bodywash

• Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body and Face Wash

• Être Dead Sea Hand and Body Lotion

• Exact Apricot Scrub

• Joico Daily Care Conditioning Shampoo

• L'Oreal Kids Smoothie Shampoo

• L'Oreal Paris Vive Pro Smooth Intense Shampoo

• Lancôme Photogenic Foundation

• Life Extra Strength Skin Lotion

• Lubriderm Advanced Moisture Therapy

• Marc Anthony Curl Defining Shampoo and Instantly Thick Hair Thickening Shampoo

• NeoStrata Intense Daytime Wrinkle Repair

• Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Ultra Foam Cleanser

• Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation

• The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel

• The Healing Garden Sensual Plum Body Spray

• The Healing Garden Uplifting Jasmine Cleansing Body Wash

• TiGi Bed Head Manipulator (hair styling product)

• Vaseline Healthy Hand & Nail Conditioning Hand Lotion

I have to say The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel surprised me, mainly because well, The Body Shop seems to present itself as so wholesome and eco friendly.

I think that as a generation we are fairly informed. The problem (I believe anyway), is we don't seem to make enough noise. We need to stand up and start being vocal. Every time you shop you vote with your dollars. If you keep buying products that have these toxic ingredients, then where is the incentive for these manufacturers to change? We need to start writing letters and making noise and letting these companies know that we are NOT going to put up with this anymore.

And with that, I am off to raid my house and make sure that what I am using and what my family is using respects our body and our earth. And then, once I have finished moving next week, I am going to start writing letters and stop being quiet.

What are YOU going to do with this information? Feel free to post in the comments and share!

With love and light,