Jan

3

Welcome 2012 & Resolutions For A Healthier Life

Filed Under Chemicals, Website News | 5 Comments

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    Happy 2012!  I had a little down time over the holidays to reflect on what I’ve done with SafeMama.com the past 4 years and I am always overwhelmed with lovely emails from readers thanking me for the content on this site.  I have a lot of ideas and subjects I want to research this year and I will also plan on re-releasing some of the usual cheat sheets to add new products as I go.  If there is a cheat sheet you think bears some fresh attention or one I haven’t tackled yet (or if you want to help with one) I am always open to your thoughts and ideas.  Without you, this site wouldn’t keep chugging along.  So new content is ahead.  I have some new things I want to review and introduce you to as well as some fun giveaways too – just to keep things light around here.

    I’m not one to make “New Years Resolutions” because they feel like false promises to myself that I create guilt when life doesn’t allow me to live up to them.  Instead I try to make small improvements in my living through the year and then celebrate the successes I had when  a new year starts.  But it’s always nice to have a positive outlook on the months to come and to plan to make small adjustments.

    For those of us trying to improve on a healthy lifestyle or a greener approach to living, this is the best time of year to make a list of things we’d like to do to take another step toward a less toxic world.  For me, those items look a lot like:

    • Plant a small garden, even if it’s just in pots on the deck.  I’ve slacked off on doing this and would really like to grow some of my own food.
    • Be less wasteful. Be more careful about recycling. I’ve gotten a bit careless about it and I lose sleep over it.  I want to have another garage sale, I want to give a new life to the toys and things my kids don’t use.
    • Make my kitchen safer.  I still have not completely “greened” up my cooking utensils and would like to gradually find better ways to cook food safely.  It will result in some cheat sheet updates I’m sure.

    I’m thankful and grateful for the progress we have made this year regarding issues like toxic chemicals and I love watching organizations and bloggers grow more interested in living a less toxic life.  We’ve made waves.  This year is time for a tsunami (not a real one) in changing the way the world views chemical safety and just protecting our planet in general.

    What are your goals for 2012?  What would you love to see covered here on SafeMama.com?  Thank you all for being continued readers and supporters of me and my sponsors – who without, I could not keep SafeMama.com going.

    Nov

    17

    American Moms Will Be Watching To See If Congress Will Make Products Safer

    Filed Under Chemicals, Take Action | 3 Comments

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      Today the U.S. Senate will be holding a hearing on The Safe Chemicals Act.  A bill that American moms have been waiting for, for years. The Safe Chemicals Act, sponsored by Senator Frank Lautenberg, is a bill that will finally address our severely outdated laws surrounding the issue of chemical safety and regulation in our every day household products.  The reform will address the antiquated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976.  It’s long overdue and the old laws are not working.

      Being a parent brings to the forefront the instinct to protect.  To protect our children and our families from harm, in any way possible. So when many of us became mothers or fathers, we took a close look at what was around us. Our mattresses soaked in flame retardants, our cleaning products that pollute the air in our homes and the earth, our skin care, our baby bottles, … everything.

      By updating TSCA, Congress can create the foundation for a sound and comprehensive chemicals policy that protects public health and the environment, while restoring the luster of safety to U.S. goods in the world market.

      Like our celebrity mom Jessica Alba (who has been our Mom Ambassador on supporting this reform) says, “It is still legal to use lead, mercury, asbestos and formaldehyde in many common household products. Even worse, there are thousands of other chemicals in use that have never been tested for safety at all!”

      We rely on the government to make sure that the products our families use are safe.  That needs to become a clearer truth rather than a false assumption.  Today at 10am EST, Moms and Dads across America will be interrupting their busy day to watch The U.S. Senate hold a hearing on “The Safe Chemicals Act“.   Follow the hearing, along with 30,000 other parents, on the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Facebook page today at 10am EST.

      I’ve been waiting for this since I learned about the risks my family suffers so that companies can make money. It’s time for that to change.  Today.

      Nov

      4

      Greenwashing 101: What Companies Will Do To Get Your Dollars

      Filed Under Chemicals, Green Mama | 30 Comments

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        I was lying in bed last night watching Vampire Diaries (don’t judge me…  I like angst ridden teen television.) when a commercial for Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo came on.  It was the typical Eva Mendez flipping her unnaturally shiny hair around and pouting her big lips at me trying to sell me shampoo to make my hair “stronger” and unbreakable like a super hero.  This is the kind of commerical I am used to. Basic marketing baloney to sell a product.

        But what got my attention was the marketing language for this new “Nature Fusion”  shampoo. “Want to make a healthy choice for your hair, and a healthy choice for the environment?”.  Hold on.  Back up a second.

        Pantene saw an opportunity, like every other large company, to take advantage of consumers wanting safer and more environmentally safe products.  So instead of cleaning up the products they already sell (like J&J did with their new “Natural” line of baby shampoo) they add a “natural” product line to their arsenal to draw you in.  To make it seem like they are really trying, Pantene claims their Nature Fusion shampoo is packaged in a 59%  plant based plastic bottle – but not the cap. Wow! All 59% of it? You really must love the planet, Pantene.

        This is an ingredients list for their new Nature Fusion shampoo:

        Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Xylene Sulfonate, Cocamide MEA, Cassia Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract (Ginger), Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Citric Acid, Dimethiconol, Fragrance, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Citrate, Yellow 5, Orange 4

        • So we’ve got SLS : classified as a skin irritant and has 1,4-dioxane contamination concerns – which is a carcinogen
        • Cocamidopropyl Betaine: known human immunity system toxicant and Suspected to be an environmental toxin.  I’m not sure why they bothered with this ingredient when they have SLS in here.  Just wanted to be able to say there is coconuts in the shampoo perhaps.
        • Cassia Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride: I don’t even know what this is but it sure does sound like it was harvested from a tree in Brazil! It’s natural, can’t you tell?
        • Fragrance: PHTHALATES – hormone disruption, need I say more?
        • Methylchloroisothiazolinone AND Methylisothiazolinone:  You can never have too much preservatives classified as a “Human immune system toxicant” now can we?
        • There’s other chemicals in here but do I really need to go on?

        My point here is that if they really cared about the environment and saving the planet, they wouldn’t be selling products that contain harmful chemicals, which get washed down the drain and into our water systems, polluting our environment.  They toss in a minute amount of aloe and flower extracts and they can call it natural.  But it’s far from it.  Providing it in a partially plant based bottle? That’s just their way of pretending to be environmentally conscious so that your money goes into their wallets.

        Top it off with a gorgeous high paid actress and you’ve got yourself some classic Greenwashing.

        Jun

        16

        I’m a Mom For Cooties

        Filed Under Chemicals, cleaning products, Healthy Schools | 6 Comments

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          I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning Phd in Parenting and she posted about a campaign floating around called Moms Against Cooties.  It’s a campaign launched by the Water Quality and Health Council (which they don’t make very obvious).  According to their website  they are a group sponsored by the “Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association“. Which means to me that it’s funded by groups with a monetary interest in the success of people’s fears turning to chlorine products like Clorox to obsessively bleach the heck out of everything we come in contact with.

          I am a Mom FOR Cooties. “You like your kids to get sick? What kind of a twisted woman are you?” No.  I hate when they get sick.  But it’s a part of life and a part of growing up. Kids and people will ALWAYS get sick.  If we didn’t we would have no immune resistance to anything.  I come from the era where your parents sent you to the kid with Chicken Pox’s house to play so you’d get it and be done with it.  I don’t recommend that course of action but let’s be real.  Kids get sick regardless of whether we scour our schools with a “mild chlorine bleach solution” or not.  Oh my! Germs! Run!

          Cleaning is important, of course. I am not advocating the idea of not cleaning schools and day cares.  But I don’t think that rubbing down every surface of our homes and schools with chlorine bleach is the key to a healthy life illness free life. It may “kill germs” but it is also contributing to the polluted air in schools and could be aggravating asthma conditions.  I think teaching good hand washing while using simple less toxic (please let’s ditch the heavy scented stuff! Ugh!) cleaning products is more effective in preventing the spread of germs.

          So is the Moms Against Cooties campaign really out to “protect” your kids from germs and bacteria? Or are they just looking for another way to brainwash people into thinking chlorine bleach  = clean and safe so they can sell more product? What say you?

          Interesting that the “about us” page is broken right now… hmm.

          What Can I Do?

          I am often asked what to do about preschools and public schools usage of toxic cleaning products.  So far I have come up against two barriers.  One is that many times, schools are bound by the state Health Department and must follow certain rules in regard to cleaning.  Second is budget.  Our own preschool uses some cleaning products I wish the didn’t. I have lobbied to have them investigate safer options without success.  But I think if I had more back up it could be encouraged since most people I speak to about it are open to learning more about it.

          • Educate yourself so you can educate others.  I once told our class teacher that the cleaning products they used each day could contribute to asthma and other long term health problems for developing kids.  She “had no idea” that was the case.  They were open to learning more.
          • Tap into resources like Cleaning For Healthy Schools Tool Kit which provide printable PDF’s to share with your schools administrators, nurses and teachers.
          • Check out Healthy Child Healthy World‘s tips on getting your school to Clean Green.
          • The Healthy Schools Campaign is loaded with information and resources to help you too.

          Have you approached your school about changing their cleaning policies?

          Jan

          18

          Help the EPA Ban Triclosan

          Filed Under Chemicals, Take Action | 6 Comments

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            I’ve written about Triclosan before (and please forgive the long silence here on SafeMama, I’ve been working on some new material for you and haven’t had a chance to post anything worthy).. Anyway, it’s no secret that Triclosan is a chemical worth avoiding and for various reasons.  In the same way we all fought for a change to BPA Free, and are still fighting for, I personally feel that we should be eyeing Triclosan in the same light.

            Triclosan is linked to endocrine disruption, bacterial and antibiotic resistance, dioxin contamination, contaminated marine life (source Healthy Child Healthy World), liver and inhalation toxicity, and may disrupt thyroid function. Triclosan is turning up in breast milk and could potentially present toxicity to fetal development and childhood development.

            BeyondPesticides.org has some great information on the progress with regard to the EPA petitioning a ban on Triclosan for non-medical use.

            EPA announced a 60-day public comment period for the petition filed by Beyond Pesticides and Food and Water Watch to ban the controversial antimicrobial pesticide triclosan for non-medical use. The petition, filed on January 14, 2010, identifies pervasive and widespread use of triclosan and the agency’s failure to address triclosan’s impacts on human and environmental health, conduct assessments for residues in drinking water and food and concerns related to antibacterial resistance and endocrine disruption. The petition cites various violations of numerous environmental statues including the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

            What can you do? You can contribute your voice in the matter.

            We have until February 7, 2011 to submit our comments or write to Lisa Jackson to show support in EPA’s proposed ban on Triclosan.  Thank you HealthyChild.org for bringing this to attention!

            Dec

            8

            New Report Surfaces: BPA On Money

            Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Chemicals | 4 Comments

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              A while back we all found out just how much BPA is present in a simple store receipt and several people blogged about it, bringing it to the forefront. It’s become more apparent that BPA lurks in places we don’t realize.  So is the case with paper money too.  My friends at SaferChemicals.org published an article today about a new report that illustrates how much BPA is in paper money.

              The Washington Toxics Coalition along with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, who authored the report, said that 95% of bills tested came up positive for amounts of BPA.  It’s more disheartening evidence that avoiding BPA is virtually impossible… no matter how hard we try.

              Researchers found that half of the thermal paper receipts tested had large quantities of unbound BPA; 95% of the dollar bills tested positive for lower amounts.  Unlike BPA in baby bottles and other products, BPA on thermal paper isn’t chemically bound in any way: it’s a powdery film on the surface of receipts.  Data from this report indicate that this highly toxic chemical does rather easily transfer to our skin and likely to other items that it rubs against.  In tests mimicking typical handling of receipts, BPA transferred from receipts to fingers.  Just ten seconds of holding a receipt transferred up to 2.5 micrograms. Researchers transferred much higher amounts, about 15 times as much, by rubbing receipts.

              You can read/download the full report on the Washington Toxics Coalitions website. (PDF)

              WA Toxics has great tips for avoiding BPA but in a nutshell regarding paper money and recipts:

              • Keep receipts/bills seperate in your purse or wallet.  Its been shown that the BPA on receipts is not embedded into the materials like in plastic so, it’s in a powdery film form that can get onto hands and into mouths easier.
              • WASH YOUR HANDS after handling money or receipts.
              • Don’t allow children to handle money or hold receipts, or at the very least wash their hands afterwards.
              • WA Toxics suggests refusing a receipt when you can.  BPA Free receipts are starting to pop up but it’s not all that common yet.

              Now my question is, what about paper checks? Mail? Magazines? Where else can it be lurking?

              Aug

              27

              Hopscotch Kids Safe Non-Toxic Nail Polish for Kids (Giveaway!)

              Filed Under Chemicals, Giveaways Coupons, Green Mama, Product Reviews | 145 Comments

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                I had a chance to learn about the Hopscotch Kids brand at the Green Soiree earlier this month.  As a girlie girl, I was so impressed with their story and their products that I was excited to share them with you.  I had but one problem.  I have two boys.  Neither of them were willing to sit for me to test the product out so I brought the cute little kit over to my friend April‘s house where she has not one, but two cute adorable girly girls who I had a feeling would be more than willing to sport green nail polish for a few days.  They were happy to oblige and she provided me with great feedback.  After testing the Eenie Meenie Miney Moe out on her sweet 2 year old daughter Tess, here is what she had to say:

                Packaging: Adorable!  The polish, remover, and buffer came in a darling little box, stuffed with pink paper shreds and cotton.  The items were all the perfect size for little hands.

                Eenie Meenie Miney Moe (Photos courtesy of April of CoConut CirCle Photography)

                Nail Polish: We tried “Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe” a rich Kelly Green color.  The consistency of the polish was nice and smooth.  The color was consistent with the bottle after only one coat and the polish dried very quickly… a real plus for childrens’ nail polish.  It’s important to note that this isn’t a long wearing nail polish and meant more for the fun of doing it than for formal polishing.  April said it flaked off in big sheets with the first tub.  Hopscotch Kids suggests painting nails before going to bed so that Hopscotch Kids Water Colors has time to truly bind to the nail.

                Noel from Hopscotch Kids says “Thanks for such a great review! We’re so glad April and her girls enjoyed it.  You can get the same lasting results as traditional polish, you just have to prep a little differently. Be sure hands are totally clean and moms should do the buffing and painting. Buff each nail with the rough side of the buffer and rinse and dry well to remove buffing dust. Then apply 2 thin coats of polish and you’re done! Polish will be dry enough to play within 3 minutes. As with any nail enamel, keep those little hands out of water until the polish has cured.”

                Adorable Tess in Eenie Meenie Miney Moe (Photos courtesy of April of CoConut CirCle Photography)

                Polish Remover: This was my favorite item.  It smells nice, and it does the job!  I even removed residual traditional nail polish with it, but it was very gentle.  It did not sting in paper cuts or hangnails like regular remover either… also a plus for a childrens’ product.
                Buffer/File: This was more of a buffer than a file.  It was very fine and gentle… no complaints.

                Hopscotch Kids Non-Toxic Polishes (Photos courtesy of April of CoConut CirCle Photography)

                Overall: I would rate this product a 4 out of 5, with my only negative comment being the way the polish wears.  My test subject was 2 yr old Tess, and she LOVED the whole thing!  She used the file herself and even painted a fingernail (and finger!) herself!  If your purpose is the journey and a fun experience with your little one, then this product is a great choice.  If you are looking for long wearing nail polish that stays nice for at least a few days or for an event or party, better go with the old fashioned, foul smelling, full of chemicals old stuff!

                Traditional nail polish can contain formaldehyde, phthalates, toluene or other petrochemical solvents which are not what we want our little ones exposed to.  Especially considering that more times than not we find our kids with their hands/nails in their mouths. Another plus, Hopscotch Kids Nail Polishes rated a 1 in the EWG Skin Deep Database! Hopscotch Kids is a great alternative to mainstream polishes and would be a great gift for that special little girl in your life.  Only the best for our babes, right?

                Win It!

                I have a package (pictured above) with one bottle of Eenie Meenie Miney Moe, a Water Colors Polish Remover and a Nail Buffer that is begging to go home with someone else with a cute little girl.  Here is how:

                To Enter to Win a Hopscotch Kids Nail Polish Gift Set: (REQUIRED to be elligible)

                Visit Hopscotch Kids and tell me in the comments what color you’d love to have for your little princess!

                For Extra Entries (Leave a comment for EACH ONE you do or they will not count)

                • Fan/Like Hopscotch Kids on Facebook (first initial, last name on Facebook)
                • Follow @HopscotchKids on Twitter (Leave Twitter name in the comment)
                • Fan/Like  SafeMama on Facebook
                • Follow @SafeMama on Twitter
                • Subscribe to SafeMama.com via FeedBurner email (you’ll get notifications via email when we update the site)
                • Tweet this giveaway (CAN BE RETWEETED ONCE A DAY – Just leave the link to the tweet itself each day in the comments):  I want to #win a Non-Toxic Nail Polish by @HopscotchKids from @SafeMama! #Giveaway ends 9/6 http://tinyurl.com/252seg3

                Congratulations commenter #37 Melissa! Thank you to everyone who entered!

                One winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US residents only. Entries will be accepted until September 6, 2010 at midnight EST.  Good Luck! :)

                Thank you to my good friend April of CoConut CirCle Photography for testing these out on her cutie pie Tess and for providing such great photos!

                Jul

                14

                Parents New Challenge: Banning Microban?

                Filed Under Chemicals, Product Safety | 20 Comments

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                  I’ve been aware of Microban for a while and I have discussed it somewhat briefly with Jennifer McNichols from ZRecommends last month.  With the “back-to-school” posts surely being worked on right now (we are too) I wanted to look into the use of Microban and perhaps raise some awareness about it before school shopping begins.  I noticed that school supplies have shown up in Target here in the south since school starts back on August 9th.  I cruised through there and noticed alarmingly just how many school supplies boast MICROBAN on the labels.  Jennifer and I were commenting on how hard it had been for her to find a pair of kid scissors without Microban recently and while I was not surprised, it really didn’t sink in how big of an issue this might become until I went looking or a simple set of protractors for my son.  All but one set of them had a Microban label on the package.

                  What Does Microban Do?

                  I think there is some confusion about what Microban is and isn’t.  If you asked someone randomly what they thought it was they’d probably say something like “It makes things germ resistant”.  (I asked 3 random people the question “What do you think Microban does?” and all three people told me the same thing: That it helps protect us from germs.) Considering it’s used in a lot of kitchen and childrens products you might even assume it helps stop the spread of germs therefore protecting you from getting sick.  Here is the description of what it really does right from the Microban website:

                  *Microban® antimicrobial product protection is engineered to protect products from bacteria, mold and in some cases algae that can cause stains, odors and product deterioration. Microban protection is not designed to protect users from disease causing microorganisms. … Microban product protection inhibits the growth of microorganisms that can cause stains, odors and product degradation.

                  Hmm.  So adding Microan to my child’s pencil will keep the pencil from getting bacteria, mold or algae on it.  Because pencils and kid scissors are so prone to getting stained and deteriorating.  The horror.  So its not protecting your child or the product user from spreading or contracting germs, it’s protecting the product from getting discolored or moldy. It protects products from bacteria, yes but the bacteria that causes mold  – not diseases. This is according to Microban.  I’ve read in other articles that Microban does create a resistance to some bacteria that could cause infections but that Microban is very clear not to make that claim.  Microban may be successful in harming good microbes (the ones we need) as well.

                  What Is Microban?

                  Microban is a proprietary mix of chemicals (they call it “technologies”) possibly containing Triclosan.  It is added to a product during manufacturing and becomes part of its molecular structure.  The problem is that we don’t know what is in Microban.  It’s all very secretive and proprietary.  According to the Environmental Working Group:

                  “Contrary to popular belief, triclosan is not the same as Microban. Triclosan is officially registered under the EPA as “Microban additive B” – that is to say, any given product sold under the Microban trade name does not necessarily contain triclosan. Which antimicrobial agent is being used for those products, however, the company will not disclose: it could quite literally be anything!”

                  Considering the things we know about Triclosan (Lab studies link triclosan to cancer, developmental defects, and liver and inhalation toxicity), there may be cause for concern.  Triclosan is a  possible hormone disruptor and is basically a pesticide which should be avoided when possible as well.

                  Should I Avoid Microban?

                  I’m sure I’ll get some hate mail/comments for posting this and perhaps the Microban knee breakers might get their knickers in a twist but in my opinion (which I can’t stress enough is just my opinion…no I am not a scientist or a doctor or a chemist, so before you crawl up my tucus calling me an alarmist just chill out)… in my opinion, Microban is something to be avoided when possible.  Here are my reasons:

                  1. We don’t even know what Microban actually is or whether our kids could ingest it by chewing on items containing it (pencils, pens, rulers – not to mention all of this stuff could possibly contain it).  Does it contain Triclosan?  We don’t know.  Maybe.
                  2. Microban is most likely unnecessary.  It is an antimicrobial agent and as stated by the company who creates it say it “ protect products from bacteria, mold and in some cases algae that can cause stains, odors and product deterioration”. I think it just feeds into people’s paranoia about germs and nothing else.  I don’t think we’re all going to die if everything we own isn’t protected by Microban.

                  What Can I Do Instead?

                  Look for products without Triclosan or Microban.  This can get tough, especially with the number of items coming on the market containing them.  Stainless steel, bamboo, glass, ceramic are all materials that are usually safe from meddling by Microban.

                  Instead of focusing on the items in question, focus on practicing good hygiene and hand washing.  Teach kids to wash  their hands and to not put things in their mouth.  They still will but a little dirt and germs aren’t going to kill anyone.  Just do the best you can.  You’ll be fine.  Common sense is all we need… not more chemicals.

                  If Microban wants me as a consumer to trust their product, they’re going to have to tell me what it’s made of first.

                  Apr

                  16

                  FAQ: Why Is TruKid Sunny Days Sunscreen Missing From This Years Cheat Sheet?

                  Filed Under Chemicals, FAQ, Product Safety, Skin Care | 5 Comments

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                    We’ve been getting this question a lot since I released this years Safer Sunscreen Cheat Sheet so I wanted to clarify my decision to exclude it in this years list.  I want to preface this by saying one statement.  I do not know everything.  See? I’m just like you. But I spend a lot of time trying to learn more and more about the topics I cover here at SafeMama. I care deeply about the safety of products and food.  But this is also a learning process for me too.  Since I published the first cheat sheet I learned a lot about ingredients, chemical processing, possible contamination from that processing, and about green washing. So when I decided to redo all our cheat sheets for 2010 I wanted to carry this new knowledge through.

                    One of those ingredients is phenoxyethanol.  Phenoxyethanol is a preservative used by many “natural” brands as an alternative to parabens.  So to the novice ingredients reader, they glance at the back and they don’t see the telltale parabens and think they have something much safer.  In some ways they probably do.

                    In comparison to parabens, trace amounts of phenoxyethanol in a product isn’t too much of a concern.  MY concern however, is that say you use anywhere from 10 – 20 products a day and they all contain phenoxyethanol.  It starts to add up.  All skin care items with the ingredient “water” in them require some kind of preservation method to prevent the growth of bacteria. Phenoxyethanol is one of the preservatives that gets used in lieu of parabens.  Phenoxyethanol is also used as a stabilizer in perfumes.  The ingredient is processed with chemicals that are known carcinogens so there is some concern with contamination.  It is also an irritant to the skin, eyes and lungs as well as restricted from use in cosmetics in Japan and the European Union.

                    Much to my dismay, TruKid’s Sunny Days Sunscreen contains phenoxyethanol.  Does that mean I hate TruKid? No, of course not.  I’ve raved about them in the past and still think this and all their products are much better alternatives to most mainstream kids products.  TruKids brand is free of parabens, phthalates, dioxanes, SLS and is rated well in Skin Deep.  But I’ve come to learn that just because Skin Deep rates it well, doesn’t mean I do.  I can’t help but want the best for all of us.  Perhaps TruKid will reformulate some day and they’ll be back in my good graces. But until then, I’ll stick with their Sunny Days Sun Stick which has a better ingredients list.

                    Apr

                    12

                    FDA Re-evaluating Triclosan

                    Filed Under Chemicals, Healthy Home, Product Safety | 1 Comment

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                      Last Thursday the FDA updated their website regarding Triclosan and whether it should be a safety concern.  Since Triclosan was last evaluated by the FDA it had “no harmful effects” on humans and they deemed it safe.  However, new research has popped up that suggests that Triclosan can alter hormone regulation as well as make bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

                      Tricosan is found in a lot of household products like toothpaste, soaps, cutting boards, shower curtains, clothing as an additive to make an item or product bacteria resistant.  The FDA isn’t suggesting anyone stop using products containing Triclosan but in a very non-alarmist way they are trying to educate people on how to look for it and avoid it.  Read the FDA try to cover their butt right on FDA.gov:

                      Triclosan is not currently known to be hazardous to humans. But several scientific studies have come out since the last time FDA reviewed this ingredient that merit further review.

                      Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation. However, data showing effects in animals don’t always predict effects in humans. Other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

                      In light of these studies, FDA is engaged in an ongoing scientific and regulatory review of this ingredient. FDA does not have sufficient safety evidence to recommend changing consumer use of products that contain triclosan at this time.

                      Of course, they wont publish their findings until Spring of 2011 so you can either avoid it or wait until the FDA releases another wishy washy statement about a chemical that is not really beneficial to humans or the environment.

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