Feb

5

Cheat Sheet: BPA Free Baby Food, Baby Food Creation and Storage Tools

Filed Under: ** Cheat Sheets!, Food Safety • 6 Comments 

Having a 6 month old means I am in the midst of the baby food jungle.. starting to introduce cereals and purees, which he is really loving and doing so well on them. I’d love to say I carve time out of my day to make all my own baby food but realistically, we all don’t always have the time and need to rely on prepared baby foods.  I set out to find as many safely packaged baby food as I could and interestingly enough – most of the baby food packaged in BPA Free packaging was organic.  Yay! Many of these brands you can find at your local health food stores or Whole Foods.  Some you can find at the grocery store (Like Sprout Organics and Plum Organics). I’ve had some luck finding brands at Babies R Us as well. So here is a cheat sheet for those of you who need a little extra help finding something right for you.  I have not included baby food packaged in glass  jars due to the fact that jar lids have a BPA containing epoxy. To the makers of Earth’s Best – Get with it already!

Last Updated: February 5, 2010

Baby Food Packaged in BPA Free packaging

BPA Free Baby Food Preparation Tools

BPA Free Baby Food Storage Options & Ideas

Make Your Own Baby Food Resources

*Please note this is not a comprehensive list… if there is a brand or item you don’t see here please share it with us!

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Posted by: Kathy on February 5, 2010
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Feb

1

Scientists Link Flame Retardants to Reduced Fertility

Filed Under: Articles • Comment 

We’ve covered the basics of flame retardants in the past.  But new studies show that Flame Retardants may reduce Fertility.

Epidemiologists from the University of California at Berkeley studied 223 pregnant women in California’s Salinas Valley, an agricultural community with predominantly low-income, Mexican immigrants. More than 97 percent of the women had PBDEs in their blood, and those with high levels were half as likely to conceive in any given month as the women with low levels.

That’s not to say that this is a problem that is only relegated to low-income Mexican immigrants.  Having been through fertility treatments in order to conceive, I constantly question what was the cause of my fertility issues.   I’m sure it was a combination of things, but I will forever wonder if my journey towards a greener lifestyle is what helped me become pregnant a second time.  Of course, I’ll never know, but that’s what I like to believe.

We listed the ways to avoid PBDE’s in the prior post, and the Environmental Working Group, also has ways to lower exposure in your home.  One of the things that we didn’t list last time, that stands out now:

When purchasing new products look for these brands, which have publicly committed to phasing out all brominated fire retardants: Acer, Apple, Eizo Nanao, LG Electronics, Lenovo, Matsushita, Microsoft, Nokia, Phillips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony-Ericsson, and Toshiba.

We realize that taking all of these measures is expensive.  I wouldn’t suggest you rent a dumpster and pitch all of your old stuff, but as it starts to need replacing, look for companies that aren’t using flame retardants.  Do your research, and don’t be afraid to call a company and ask them.



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Posted by: Statia on February 1, 2010
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Jan

30

Safer Skin Care: How Far Do You Go?

Filed Under: Skin Care • 17 Comments 

When I have some extra cash (which is not often) I sometimes go through our list of Safer Skin Care and purchase a sampler set of something I haven’t tried yet. It gives me a chance to try something new first hand as well as keep up with any reformulations that might occur as time goes on.  Recently I decided to buy a sample gift set from Mama Rose’s Naturals.  Their brand has been on our cheat sheet for a while since their website touts natural and lists the ingredients for each item.  Their SPF 50 chemical free sunscreen remains on our Sunscreen Cheat Sheet.

I was dismayed to discover that a few of their basic baby skin care contains a little propylene glycol.  It has been a while since we’ve discussed ingredients on SafeMama so let me refresh our memory of why we try to avoid it.  Propylene Glycol is a penetration enhancer which is basically a vehicle to bring other materials into your skin. It’s also a suspected immune system toxin, neurotoxin, reproductive toxin, respiratory toxin, and skin toxin.  I should also mention its a chemical (classified as a hazardous material) they use to de-ice planes.  My go-to gal, Stephanie from Bubble & Bee, for ingredients has a better explanation of why it should be avoided on her Chemical of the Day blog.

I’m not sure what bothered me more… that it was in the products (even in a tiny amount) or that they don’t list it on their website in the ingredients.  I purchased a few items based on the ingredients they list on their website only to find out that its more of a “generalization” of the ingredients rather than an exact list.

So how safe is safe enough? Maybe there is trace amounts of it in a few products.  Is that ok?  Here at SafeMama I try to find the safest of the safest but I am also realistic.  Not everyone wants to drop a wad of cash on organic skin care.  Or do they?

When it comes to my kids I try to find the safest stuff I can (that works) but I want to also consider skin care that may be free of the biggest threats (parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, etc) and not 100%  chemical free… because I am not everyone and I recognize that.  Some of you want something cheaper and “safer” and some of you want the “safest”.   My personal conflict lies in where to draw the line here on SafeMama.com.  The more I learn about ingredients, the more natural and organic I demand for safety.  Unfortunately that leaves less to select from as my list of requirements grows.

Is there such thing as too safe? Some kids have allergies to natural ingredients or terrible eczema that can only be controlled with mainstream synthetic creams or prescriptions.  What then? Are we all taking it too far?

What do you think? Readers… how safe is safe in your eyes? Would you rather see SafeMama put on the full throttle of safety in our skin care recommendations or do you want more options? Would you prefer a rating system? I’ll be releasing a new cheat sheet for baby skin care this year and would love some input from our loyal readers.  How far is far enough? I give the floor to you… I’ll be interested to hear everyone’s perspective.

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Posted by: Kathy on January 30, 2010
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Jan

28

SafeMama Cheat Sheet: Dishwashing Detergents

Filed Under: ** Cheat Sheets!, Suggestion Box, cleaning products • 16 Comments 

Well hello there!  I know I’ve kind of slacked off on writing anything.   And like Kathy so kindly pointed out, we’ve been kind of going through a learning curve being new moms of two.  I’ll tell you, I don’t know how people have more than two children.  You all are saints! That said, I’m really trying to be like Stella and get my groove back.  I think I’m getting there.  I am passionate about helping people achieve a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.  And now that it’s the new year, I feel ready to tackle on the world (or maybe just a cupcake and a much needed nap).

With that said.  One of the things someone had requested, was a dish-washing detergent cheat sheet.   We get a lot of questions on dish-washing detergents, so I figured I’d put together a quick list of some of the green(er) detergents out there. Now, I have a confession.  I have not tried a single detergent out there that has worked on my dishes the way I’d like (ok, no, there is ONE, read on below).  Having kids means having food that is the equivalent of cement when it dries and even if I rinse, I still end up with dirty dishes.  So, shamefully, I keep going back to conventional, which I HATE.  Not only from the chemical aspect, but because it leaves a detergent taste on my dishes, especially silicone, which I can’t stand.   But I’m kind of at a loss.

Ingredients to avoid:

Phosphates: Phosphates are all sorts of bad and are completely unnecessary in your detergents.  Phosphates act as a water softener, in order to make your detergent “work better.”  They leak into the ground and water system, and wreak havoc on our eco-system.  Once in the water system, it causes algae blooms, which rob water of oxygen.  This is just a smidge important for our aquatic life.  (fish need oxygen too!)

Chlorine: Chlorine is one of those cleaners that people swear by.  Your house is just not “clean” unless you douse it with a healthy dose of bleach.  Need your baby’s toys or bottles sanitized?  Just add a little bleach to the water.   Again, entirely unnecessary.  Bleach is caustic.  The fumes alone are enough to make you sick.

Artifical perfumes (phthalates): By now, it’s known that phthalates are just plain bad for you.   Those fresh morning daisies you’re smelling in your dishwashing detergent, most likely contain phthalates.   And are most likely leaving that residue on your glasses.  Ew.

Good Alternatives:

Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list. This is just what I could find, or what I know of offhand.

Without further adieu:

EcoStore Auto Dish Powder: I’ve heard of this around the Internet and our buddy Sommer from Green and Clean Mom raves about EcoStore’s products.  Lo and behold, they carry a powder dish detergent for a relatively affordable price considering how much you get (Huge container for $12).

Seventh Generation: This is probably one of the more popular eco-friendly dishwashing detergents on the market.  It’s available at most grocery stores, as well as Target.   Truthfully, I was not a fan of it, BUT, I only used the powder, so the gel may be a different story entirely. Kathy has used the gel version with much success – she’s a fan!

Biokleen Automatic Dish Powder: I haven’t tried biokleen’s dishwashing detergent, but I have used some of their other stuff and am a big fan.  Their bac-out works wonders. So this might be worth checking out.  I’ve always found their stuff to be affordable too.

Citradish: I have to admit, I’ve been curious about Citradish for awhile now.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I love the smell and the cleaning power of orange.   This one is next to try on my list, as I feel better about it being a gel, versus a powder.

Dapple: We’ve actually done a review of the Dapple dish soap, and it worked pretty well.   This detergent was made specifically for baby bottles and dishes.  I haven’t had a chance to try the detergent, but given that my daughter gets bottles, and given how much I hate washing them by hand (which I still do, anyway, because they just don’t seem as clean otherwise, see above re: caked on food), it makes me feel better that there are moms out there who get the same icky thoughts about putting their baby’s bottles in the dishwasher with a harsh chemical detergent.

Ecover: I have to say, out of all of the eco-friendly dishwashing detergents out there, this one worked the best.  Especially being a powder.   If you couldn’t tell, I tend to not be a powder fan.  I hate the powder residue.  But these handy little tablets actually worked rather well, and didn’t leave much in the way of residue.  The downside?  Is the cost.   I also had a hard time finding them, and that whole new baby thing has left me a tad bit forgetful in remembering to order some.   Given the amount of dishes we go through on a regular basis, running out of detergent is just not an option.   But this has no bearing on the performance.  I love Ecover products!

Mrs. Meyers:  Mrs. Meyers is another popular “eco-friendly” brand out there.   I’ve always loved their products, and the majority of them have worked well.  I have not tried this, however, so I make no claims.  I will say that if you’re familiar with the brand, you know their a bit on the pungent side.  So if you’re olfactory can’t handle strong smells, you’re probably best to steer clear of Mrs. Meyers.

Method Smarty Dish: If there’s one thing that Method has down, it’s a knack for packaging.  They try to make their packaging appealing and cute.  And I’ll admit that it gets me.   Those sleek curved edges.   But I have not tried their smarty dish.  I’ve heard good things, but I just have a hard time justifying the cost of only 20 tablets.  That’s like a week in my house.  Also the fact that it’s a powder makes me leery.   I’d like to say you can teach an old dog new tricks, but not for a mere 20 tablets.

Nellie’s Dishwasher Nuggets: Again.  I haven’t tried these, but they popped up in my quest for a safer detergent.  I passed on them, because of the powder/ small amount they give you combo.   If you only do a few loads a week, maybe this is the detergent for you.

Allen’s Naturally: Allen’s has a pretty popular following of their laundry detergent in the cloth diaper world.   I know it works rather well.  I would be surprised if the dishwasher detergent did not do the same.  I have not tried this…  In fact, I didn’t even know they made dishwasher detergent.  I may have to check this out.

SafeMama Reader Mention: Someone had made mention of Trader Joe’s making a dishwasher detergent, however, I went searching for this at my local store and all I saw was dish soap.  So I’m not sure if I maybe misunderstood, or maybe my local TJ’s didn’t carry it?   If it’s out there, I’d love to try it out.

Alternatively, I did find a recipe for making your own, online, and the recipe is as follows:

1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup citric acid (found in bulk at nutrition store)

Mix and then grind to fine powder.  Use vinegar as a rinse agent. This will get the dishes clean and leave no film.

Found here.

I’m ALL about the vinegar and baking soda.  We use TONS of it in our house, and I did try my hand at a couple of methods (not this one) in my dishwasher, and was unsuccessful.  I would love to hear if anyone has used this recipe or something similar with success, because I would switch in a heartbeat if I knew it would work.

Now it’s your turn SafeMama readers.   Is there anything here that we haven’t mentioned that has worked for you?

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Posted by: Statia on January 28, 2010
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Jan

23

Whole Foods 365 Brand Body Care Reviewed on LovelySafeMama.com

Filed Under: Skin Care • Comment 

As requested in our recent “Help Us Help You” Suggestion Box I went ahead and weighed in on what we think of the Whole Foods brand of body care 365 Everyday Value over on LovelyMama!  If you aren’t familiar with LovelyMama.com, we opened it up to talk about and review safer skin care for the rest of us.  Moms kept writing in to say “Ok we got safer skin care for the kids, now what about us?” so we started investigating everything from make up to bath products.  Head over to see what we thought about 365 Body Care and feel free to poke around the rest of the site. The Suggestion Box is still open…

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Posted by: Kathy on January 23, 2010
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Jan

22

Study Links Non-stick Chemicals to Thyroid Illnesses

Filed Under: Articles, Chemicals, Food Safety • 1 Comment 

This is not shocking news to me.  We wrote about safer cookware last year and the EWG has been hemming and hawing over PFOA’s for years.  A new study, done by British researchers found that people with high levels of the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in their blood have higher rates of thyroid diseases — conditions which affect the body’s metabolism.

What are PFOA’s?

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (referred to as PFOA) is a chemical that is impervious to heat and acid, which is the main compound used in non-stick surfaces.  It is commonly known as Teflon which is the brand name.  This chemical can also be found in coated papers and fabrics.

The British researchers looked at 3966 American adults aged 20 and above whose blood serum was sampled between 1999 and 2006 for PFOA. They found that those with the highest PFOA concentrations (above 5.7 nanograms per milliliter) were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease than individuals with the lowest levels (below 4.0ng/ml).

How Can I Avoid PFOA?

Choose safer cookware. There are quite a few “green” cookware lines available on the market.  I’ve used GreenPan myself but a friend of mine is really happy with the CuisineArt GreenGourmet line of cookware.  Cast iron and plain ol’ stainless cookware are safer bets too.

Avoid certain brand names. Teflon, Zonyl, Stainmaster, Staindefender, Silverstone and Scotchgard are a few of the brands that contain or produce the chemicals in question.

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Posted by: Kathy on January 22, 2010
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Jan

19

FDA Anounces Warning About BPA

Filed Under: Bisphenol-A • 1 Comment 

The FDA is finally catching up with the rest of us.  The FDA issued a warning to parents to limit the exposure of BPA in infants and children citing “some concern” about BPA’s effects.  I see a lot of mixed signals with the FDA’s recent statement and it’s mostly due to the fact that BPA is found in so many products aside from baby products (canned food, soda, foil seals, jar lids) that they don’t want to make grand statements.  They’re back-pedaling (2 years ago they announced BPA was perfectly safe)  and planting a seed of doubt in parents minds while they conduct further investigations. (Can you tell I’m annoyed?)

This CNN article says it in a nutshell better than I can:

The new position is a partial reversal of the FDA’s declaration in 2008 that BPA has no adverse effects. That announcement came under fire from environmental groups that said it relied too heavily on industry-funded research.

Since then, the agency says on its Web site, “recent studies have reported subtle effects of low doses of BPA in laboratory animals. While BPA is not proven to harm children or adults, these newer studies have led federal health officials to express some concern about the safety of BPA.”

The new position brings the FDA into line with guidance from the National Toxicology Program, which in its own 2008 report said there is “some concern” for BPA’s effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland, in developing fetuses, infants and children. Other studies have found a possible link to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but the authors of those studies say it’s not clear the problems were actually caused by BPA.

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Posted by: Kathy on January 19, 2010
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Jan

12

Cadmium in Children’s Jewelry

Filed Under: Articles, Toy Safety • Comment 

A few friends have mentioned this recent news to me and I’ve been meaning to talk about it here for a while. Children’s jewelry tends to pop up often in CPSC’s recall notices quite a bit due to lead. But now in the news is cadmium in childrens jewelry. Let’s talk about cadmium. Cadmium is a soft blueish-white metal that occurs naturally in certain soil and is used many times in rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, but also is used in pigments, electroplating to prevent corrosion on metal and as a stabilizer in plastic. Why is it a concern? Cadmium is highly toxic and carcinogenic (causes cancer).

So why is it in childrens jewelry? Good question. A while back the CPSC came down on jewelry manufacturers for using lead in children’s jewelry so those manufacturers looked for an alternative. That alternative was cadmium.  Its cheap and easy to work with, but is just as if not more toxic and dangerous to kids than lead.

Children can be exposed by sucking or biting such jewelry. But without direct exposure, most people do not experience its worst effects: cancer, kidneys that leak vital protein and bones that spontaneously snap.

The worrisome results came in tests of bracelet charms sold at Walmart, at the jewelry chain Claire’s and at a Dollar N More store. High amounts of cadmium also were detected in “The Princess and The Frog” movie-themed pendants.

Eighty-nine items were free of cadmium.

I hate to say it but I would avoid metal kids jewelry if at all possible (costume jewelry, charms, pendants, etc) – especially if your child tends to put stuff in their mouths.  They pop up in the recall notices constantly, are cheaply made in usually China, and yes the little girls love it but surely there are safer choices out there until regulators can get a grip on this market of items.

Read about the whole ordeal here.  Also, Walmart has pulled some of the offending jewelry off their shelves but who knows how much of it was already sold to unknowing customers.

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Posted by: Kathy on January 12, 2010
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Jan

7

CitizenPip Charity Donation Winners: Help Us Choose

Filed Under: Green Mama • Comments Off 

I have some great news! You may recall we did a review and giveaway of a CitizenPip Waste Free Lunch Kit a while back.  We loved it (and still do). Part of the deal was that CitizenPip offered our readers a discount code and promised to donate $300 on behalf of the blog/site with the most coupon codes redeemed between 11/1/09 and 12/31/09.  And that’s us!  Thanks to our readers making their discounted purchases, we get to choose one of three charities that will receive $300.  Thank you to those who helped make that happen!  Since you were the ones responsible I’ll let you decide.

What charity should receive our donation?

  • Healthy Child Healthy World (58%, 69 Votes)
  • Environmental Working Group (36%, 43 Votes)
  • Trees for the Future (6%, 7 Votes)

Total Voters: 119

Loading ... Loading …

Poll is open until Friday!

Looks like the people’s choice is Healthy Child Healthy World!

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Posted by: Kathy on January 7, 2010
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Jan

5

Suggestion Box: Help SafeMama Help You

Filed Under: Website News • 26 Comments 

As I am gearing up for several product reviews, I am starting to think about what else our readers want to know about.  I’ll continue to post any relevant information about toxics, product safety and news worthy items, and I have a few ideas for the coming months.  However I want to hear from you.  I’ll leave the comments open on this entry and I would love for our SafeMama readers to suggest anything you think would be a great help to new parents.  I’ll take any suggestions you have for me and I’ll consider them all!  I’ll do my best to take your ideas and publish what will benefit our readers.  Thank you all!

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Posted by: Kathy on January 5, 2010
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