from the 1999 volume of HEALTH MATTERS© . . .

Home Toxic Home

Toxic lipstick?  Eye shadow, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, and all the other day to day products you might be using are full of toxins. 

Your laundry, dish, and household cleaners are another part of more than a $10 billion dollar industry, and what they do not tell you in the ads, is just how toxic these products are. 

One current hot selling item is antibacterial soap.  Using soap and detergent with antibacterial agents, especially triclosan, cause rashes and skin irritation, but are more harmful to the normal protective bacteria and what is called an acid skin mantle.  

Another new product, highly advertised to eliminate odors on furniture, draperies, and in laundry has been found responsible for an increase in pet deaths. 

Other ingredients in these products that are known to be harmful to health are: chlorinated phenols, diethyline glycol, nonyl phenol ethoxylate (banned in Europe), formaldehyde, petroleum solvents, propylene glycol, DEA, TEA, methyl and propyl paraben, and sodium lauryl /laureth sulfate (SLS).  There are so many that the list would take up more room than my column is allowed, each 

The EPA founds that not only are these single ingredients toxic, but when they accidentally combine, suspended in vapor for days after use and as residue, they are deadly.  A 54% higher rate of cancer has been found in women who stay at home.  This is directly related to absorption of these chemicals by the skin and lungs.  Today, as a result of inside air pollution, 25% of the breast milk supply from women in the U.S. is too contaminated to be sold as food.  

These products poison the air at home, making our at home air 5 to 10 times more toxic than outdoors.  The National Research Council finds that less than 30% of these products have been tested for their effect on human and environmental health. 

Recent research had found that the FDA fails to test for harmful effects resulting from the combination of ingredients in make-up.  Ever wonder why the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease is reported at higher rates in women than in men?  Judi Vance, author of Beauty to Die For, has found that there is a correlation to the use of makeup.  This is because the ingredients are absorbed into the skin, and the blood supply that feeds the brain.                                  

What can you do? 

First, think about reading the label, before you buy a product.  Buy paper products that use only non-chlorine bleached products, which increases dioxin in the environment.  Avoid ammonia and chlorine products, and bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, and furniture polish, which have the highest toxicity.  These cause severe damage to eyes, lungs, and skin.                                                                                     

For many years people have been using inexpensive, safe items for household cleaning, and getting great results. You need only a few items to have a complete cleaning program.

Vinegar and cornstarch are both good for window cleaning.  Clean your drain with baking soda and vinegar, rinsed with boiling water.  Add lemon essential oil in a small amount of cold pressed vegetable oil for furniture polish.  Borax powder cleans your toilet, your tub, and your laundry.  It is great too for a flea treatment in carpet, and for wiping away the pesky mildew we have around here.  I even found a resource that recommends borax for the dishwasher.  Liquid peppermint castile soap works well for hand washing, and it is antibacterial.  This soap is good for floors, walls, and outside windows, too.  As an herb, the peppermint plant keeps ants and rodents away from your door. 

I make a counter spray that will ward off salmonella and e.coli from the essential oils of eucalyptus and sweet orange.  Keeps the kitchen smelling quite good too. 

I have never used makeup, but for those who do,  you might want to consider non-toxic lipsticks from Burt’s Bees or Aubrey Organics.  Both these brands are free from colors and dyes that are known to be cancer causing, such as BHA and artificial coloring like D & C Orange 5 and 17, D & C Red 9 and 19, Blues and Yellows.  More information about safe cosmetics is found in The Safe Shopper’s Bible. 

I make my own shampoo quite easily.  Most commercial shampoos contain SLS which causes hair loss, scalp irritation, and is known to cause blindness and is carcinogenic.   

SLS is a foaming agent also found in toothpaste.  Toothpaste also contains fluoride, known to be a poison, deadly for small children, and a causative factor in the development of brittle teeth and bones. 

My word to the wise: read the labels and buy with caution. 

If you would like more information on non-toxic resources, please call, write, or email me.     

Your suggestions and questions for this column are invited. 

HEALTH MATTERS is written by Gayle Eversole, MH, PhD, RN, AHG.  Gayle has been studying and using herbs and natural healing since age 12.  She is a (past)professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, and has been a nursing practitioner for thirty+ years.