BlogHer - natural - Comments

Great Idea

Alli411 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:56:36 -0500

I like the idea of adding chocolate. I'll try that next time.

www.alli411.com

It's alive!

CanCan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:46:19 -0500

I have heard about this! The person who told me told tales of a hairy looking mass floating in liquid in a huge jar that lives in a closet. Sounds kind of spooky.

Yet, I'm intrigued...

CanCan

Mom Most Traveled

www.MomMostTraveled.com

Yuk

Denise — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:05:05 -0500

I don't like it, not even a little bit.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

re: toxic substances in building products and food

greentalk — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:37:54 -0500

I have to agree with everyone. I don't freak out but I am sure my body is full of them. I do feel bad for my kids who I breast feed all of them. Was the toxic substances in my body that caused their learning issues? Was the chemicals in the building materials (ie paints) and furniture we put in their rooms help push their tiny immune systems over the edge?

I think if more people realize what they were eatting or using, they would stop. This would force companies to stop taking our lives and the planet for granted.

Anna www.green-talk.com

I worry about the most vulnerable

Beth Terry — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:24:10 -0500

I don't freak out so much about toxic chemicals that I might come into contact with. I'm sure I've had my share. But I do worry about the most vulnerable and least able to protect themselves: children and other species of life on this planet. We humans created these toxic problems, and then we subject all the other creatures to them. That makes me both sad and angry, and that's why I try my hardest to reduce the amount of chemicals coming into my home and being released into the world through my purchases.

Beth Terry http://www.fakeplasticfish.com

I think knowledge is power...

Mama Bird — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:16:27 -0500

So I love to read articles like this giving me practical advice on how to avoid toxins. I am a huge label reader. But it's not all living in fear. I am pretty zen about the fact that I probably have an accumulation of chemicals in my body (like every other human on the planet). I just agree with Diane that, by buying safer products without hazardous chemicals, we can vote with our pocketbooks -- support more sustainable businesses, keep what little we can out of our bodies (but a tiny fraction -- we're still breathing air and showering in municipal water). I did not do the hair or breastmilk samples, altho I was mighty curious. I do think the US should be monitoring POPs in breastmilk, tho, just didn't want to know on a personal level. Great post! Resonates completely with my desire to live consciously, protect my kids from harm, and support safer products.

SurelyYouNest.com

Ask Umbra on those toxin removing foot pads

thesmartmama — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:47:06 -0500

Mary Clare - Ask Umbra did an evaluation of those toxin removing foot pads - the foot detox pads - although there wasn't really an answer. Check it out:

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2008/08/18/?source=most_popular

Very inspiring, I think I'll get my hair sampled

Mary Clare Hunt — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:42:42 -0500

I followed the link and found your additional information very compelling. Like most people, I do nothing unless it's in the OMG pile. I've seen the commercial for foot pads that take the toxins and metals out of your body - it had just enough science and weird to draw me in. (but no, haven't bought it yet)

Today, I'm sitting here waiting to hear on my husband's blood tests. Something is knocking out his liver. I'm wondering if all the weird metals and chemicals he lives around on his job has anything to do with it. A $25 hair test seems like an easy way to learn new info that could put me on the permanent organic path.

Knowledge is power if you use it before it becomes 20/20 hindsight.

Buying toxic-free products sends a clear message to companies.

Diane MacEachern — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:22:42 -0500

Diane MacEachern www.biggreenpurse.com Diane@biggreenpurse.com

Reading labels for dangerous ingredients is sometimes the only way consumers can protect themselves from chemicals they want to avoid. But just as importantly, that kind of green consumerism holds a big green carrot in front of manufacturers, sending a signal that if they want your business, they'll have to change the way they do business. Re the biomonitoring testing: I never tested my breast milk, or my hair strands. I just assumed my body contained certain chemicals. I think the human body is pretty resilient, so I'm not freaking out about my body burden overall. But I am doing what I can now to reduce chemical exposures. It seems like the best way to protect myself, while forcing companies to reduce the nasty ingredients they otherwise might use.

Thanks for an enlightening post on this!

I saw a commercial for this

metalia — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:10:42 -0500

I saw a commercial for this and was fascinated; definitely going to give it a shot now! :)

truth in labeling and preservative safety

hopealso — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:17:39 -0500

I think the real issue is one of labeling. I agree with the Organic Consumers Association that if a product is labeled "organic" that shouldn't simply mean that one or two of the ingredients are organic. At the moment, my understanding is that since the term is unregulated for skin care products, that using the word can really mean anything the company wants it to mean. Not so with food!

It does seem to make sense that skin care products labeled as "organic" should be required to meet the same standards as food -- the skin is not exactly an impermeable membrane. However, as you pointed out, just because a product's not organic doesn't mean it's bad for you! It just means that it's not organic! Consumers can make their own choices as long as labeling is accurate.

I recently discovered there are other issues to consider when using products off the shelf that are labeled organic or natural: the use of preservatives. As you mention, things like parabens can be dangerous, but so can the effects of letting natural products go too long when not preserved correctly -- wacky things like gangreen and blindness!

To help get down to the nitty gritty and keep my family safe, both from synthetic preservatives and with natural ones, as it were, I'm writing and researching A Guide to Natural Skin Care Preservatives. Part I on my blog includes an overview of “what you need to
know” about preservatives in personal care products, as well as methods for “do-it-yourselfers”.

Thanks for your post, and I'll be curious what you discover about the hair care products. 'Been looking for something better myself!

Mama Hope

a la hippie dippie bébé, A Natural Parenting Blog

Have you talked to your doctor?

Denise — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:37:51 -0600

While a cleanse might not be harmful to some people, it can be deadly to others. Before undergoing a drastic change in diet or anything labeled a "cleanse", you should always consult with your physician.

Good luck.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings