Many of us tend to think that anything sold in a supermarket must be safe, but we are learning labels do not contain complete and accurate information. The New York Poison Control Center reports that 85% of product warning labels were either inadequate or incorrect for identifying a poison as well as for first aid instructions. Unfortunately, labeling Laws do not protect the consumer they protect big businesses.

What do you think of when you hear Formaldehyde? 
 

Have you ever used Crest toothpaste?

You will find it listed as Quaternium 15, but its still Formaldehyde.  That is only one of 30+ different names that many big companies call Formaldehyde in their products.  It is one of the largest indoor pollutants in our homes.   It can also be found in hair care products, and shockingly in the #1 selling brand of baby shampoo, Johnson and Johnsons.  Besides being cancer causing, Formaldehyde is toxic to your immune system, which breaks down your ability to fight colds and disease.  It has been linked to things like chronic ear infections and even SIDS. 

A few more products that contain Formaldehyde in many disguises are antiperspirants, mouthwash, Tupperware, baggies, permanent press clothing, floor waxes and furniture polishes, coffee, wax, paper and even money.

So why do companies use it?  Well, it is a cheap preservative, used to keep the shelf life longer - that's it.  I think that's pretty scary.

Have you ever heard of the Dirty Dozen? Not the movie!  :)  These are the Top 12 cancer causing products found in the home according to the National Cancer Prevention Commission.  Some of those include:  Crest Toothpaste, Listerine Mouthwash, Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo, VO5 Hair Care, Clairol Nice and Easy Hair Coloring, Cover Girl Make-Up, Lysol Disinfectant and Ajax Cleanser.

We need to start using safer cleaning products because the National Safety Council has stated that more children under four die of accidental poisonings at home than are accidentally killed with guns at home.  Now I know we wouldn't keep a loaded gun under the kitchen sink, but think about what is under there. And its not just the children, because most poisonings happen slowly, over a long period of time, by that daily exposure to toxins in the air, and their contact with our skin.

One ingredient found in many brands of dishwasher detergents is Phosphates.  Phosphates are one of the strongest fertilizers known for farming, and when used in dishwashers they ultimately wash into our oceans.  The fertilizer then acts to promote algae growth, which grows out of control and robs the water of oxygen. There has been more damage done to the oceans from detergents than all the oil spills in history combined.

Today there are laundry detergents, whiteners, softeners, pre-spot treatments and wrinkle releaser, that do not contain harmful bleach or chemicals.

Bleach is one of the #1 misunderstood chemicals.  In a work environment you are required to wear protective clothing, hard hats, boots, gloves, apron or coveralls, chemical goggles or full-face shield and use only in well ventilated areas.  How many people do YOU know that takes these precautions when cleaning or doing laundry? 

What about Phenols?

Phenols are a major indoor pollutant.  Phenols are absorbed into your lungs and skin. Symptoms include caustic burns, kidney and liver damage as well as hyperactivity. 

Some products that contain Phenols include: disinfectants, air fresheners, lip balms, feminine hygiene products, acne medications, mouthwash, sugar substitutes, and more.

Air fresheners, and these include candles, continually re-infect rooms with toxins.  Studies using mice resulted in the mice dying from severe neurotoxin reactions to air fresheners.  What they actually do is interfere with our ability to smell offensive odors by releasing nerve deadening agents or coat our nasal passages with an oily film.

In the USA the #1 cause of accidental poisoning is Dawn Dishwashing detergent. WHY? Because it is the #1 seller.

Tide contains lye and is the #1 polluter. It is also the #1 seller.  Did you know the little shiny things in Tide Powder are fiberglass?

Did you know that chlorine bleach, Formula 409 and Fantastic are considered legal pesticides?  Lysol is even more dangerous than we thought. Would you spray Raid in your bathroom and then stay in the mist to fix your hair?  That is pretty much what you are doing when you spray Lysol, which is also a registered pesticide and one of the most dangerous household chemicals on the market.  Lysol contains phenols and dioxin (Agent Orange).  Do some research and find safer ways!

What about NTAs?  First, what the heck are NTAs?

The Merck Index refers to NTA as a substance we may reasonably anticipate to be a carcinogen (cancer causing substance).

NTAs were banned in 1970.  Then ten years later Proctor & Gamble was allowed to put them back into home products although they are extremely hazardous.  What are they for? They make more suds in detergents to make you think your clothes are getting cleaner.

Its just upsetting to me that these are still allowed in laundry soap. When we consider the residue of caustic detergents, oily-film fabric softeners, and chemical perfumes and dyes, we need to ask ourselves if our clothes are really clean.

These are just a few of the harmful ingredients that can be found in so many store bought products. 

The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals- more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century.  More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WW II.  Less than 25 % of these chemicals have been tested for toxicity, carcinogenic effects, or birth defects and the majority of modern chemicals have NEVER been tested for long term effects.

Why would you have things in your home that can kill you when you know now there are safer alternatives?

Think back for just a moment to your personal youth. How many children do you remember who carried an inhaler, had cancer or ADHD?  Today it is very prevalent because of the increased use of chemicals. In fact, the number of chemicals used inside the home has more than doubled since 1950, and this is one of the contributing factors to why more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma today. Consumers are becoming aware and want healthier alternatives.

What is an alternative to treatment? Prevention.