Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Something else to worry about...

This is going to be a little crunchy-granola-tree-hugging for some of you, but here goes...I read in my Natural Health magazine about a little substance called 1,4 Dioxane. (No, the comma's not a misprint, just some wacky scientific notation.) According to the article, it is a "carcinogen and groundwater contaminant" and also a "suspected kidney, brain, and respiratory toxicant." Wait for the best part: it's in ALMOST EVERY shampoo, body wash and lotion, as well as many cosmetics, under various sneaky chemical names. Seriously, I went around the house and checked, and 99% of the "beauty care" products I found have this nasty thing. Here's the first big question: while they're creating poisons in their bubbling beakers, (all the while protected from harsh ingredients and noxious fumes by safety gear), do the staff chemists for the beauty industry even think about the actual people who will be slathering these potions onto their hair and skin? Second big question: what can we do to guard ourselves, and even more importantly, our children, from this stuff? Of course I immediately collected offensive products and replaced them with organic, natural ones. But believe me, this was costly in both time (a special trip to an organic market) and money. I don't have the answer, by the way, but I think we should all be as informed as possible. Save the Earth, and save the humans, too!

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