Everyday products can jeopordize our health
By estherlou
@estherlou (5015)
United States
October 14, 2007 8:46pm CST
Did you know that the FDA doesn't regulate personal care products? Only about 11% of the over 10,500 ingredients used in our personal products have been tested for safety! Here are two examples:
*Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is in engine degreasers. It can be stored in the eyes, brain, heart and liver and can even change genetic information in cells! It can react with other ingredients in shampoos and body cleansers to form carcinogenic nitrates and dioxins. In one shampooing...large numbers of nitrates can be absorbed by the skin and enter the blood supply.
*Propylene glycol--a major ingredient in brake and hydraulic fluid. It is also used in toothpastes, deodorants, lotions, and shampoos. It can cause kidney and liver damage.
How to avoid harmful products...
*don't buy products with long ingredient names. They're probably synthetic and haven't been tested.
*avoid highly scented products. They contain volatile organic compounds which enter the bloodstream killing brain cells and causing cancer.
*avoid products that list "perfume", "fragrance", or "scent" as ingredients.
* use organic products.
Is this scary to anyone else? Good grief! Is anything safe?
(October 2007 Newsmax magazine)
5 people like this
10 responses
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Oct 07
You are going to have me running in to read all of my labels. I have a friend on the Lot who is promoting a healthy, green, line of cleaners and personal care. I amy have to look into it. She would agree 100% with what you just posted. Since changing to this particular company she has regained much of her damaged health. I do know substitutes for lots of the things I clean with. Most of them are either vinegar, soda, or salt. I have never liked highly fragranced products, and find that they give me headaches, although essential oils (natural fragrances) do not. Great post.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
15 Oct 07
If she's promoting the same line I am (and it sounds like it) you need to talk to her quickly. We have had tremendous success with getting all that crap out of our house and it has helped us out a lot also.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
15 Oct 07
I cannot use anything with perfume as I am allergic to chemical perfumes, but the shampoo. Is Head and Shoulders on that list? About the toothpaste, is Sensodyne on that list? I had better check my deodorant. I am doomed. All this sounds dangerous. I hope they get a list out.
I wonder if there is a method to their madness, make us die sooner or get sick sooner to make the doctors more money?
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
15 Oct 07
suspenseful, if you'd like to hear about a line of products that does NOT have any of these things in it and works better than some that do, PM me and I'll give you some info. I am a firm believer of getting the toxins out of my house and have really noticed a difference in the last year.
Take care!
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
19 Oct 07
I think we are adding so many chemicals to things that even if it is not really dangerous by itself, that we are mixing so many of them that is making them lethal.
@revdauphinee (5703)
• United States
15 Oct 07
after spending most of my life working in a chemical envirenment i hardly wory about household products the damage has aLREADY BEEN DONE!
@michecu (637)
• Philippines
16 Oct 07
Thanks for this piece of information. :) I think that we really have to be careful in the things we use. It's because many manufacturers are greedy enough to sacrifice the health of their consumers for profit. We must check on the labels for the ingredients used in the products we use. It's better safe than sorry.
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
15 Oct 07
I worry over the various chemicals I come in contact with on a daily basis. My clients choose the products they use to have me clean their homes. One client is using products from Target and they are good products. She tells me that I don't even have to use my gloves, but I still do.
@luzamper (1357)
• Philippines
15 Oct 07
Yes, is there anything safe in our time? What do we use which are not mixtures of such and such ingredients? Even products which they say to be organic are not reliable as there are contaminations or indirect use of inorganic materials which are dangerous to health. Well, anyway we should take care of our health very well and avoid such things that may cause illness.
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
15 Oct 07
If we knew what was in our everyday products we would probably be scared. And another problem is that we tend to try to find the cheapest price for what we buy. Many people buy personal care and other products from the 99cent type stores whose products say they are the name brand but frequently aren't. It is a case of buyer beware.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
15 Oct 07
Hi estherlou! In my country we also have what we call the BFAD which tests products and check the quality. Our government advise us, consumers, that we should only buy products that have a seal of BFAD to ensure our safety. However, I know many products are being purchased by my countrymen without the seal because all products were not tested yet. I think that what you have just posted will really help me to be more choosy on my purchases. Thanks and have a nice day. Take care.
