Sep

12

Friday Link Roundup!

Filed Under Phthalates Info, Product Safety, Safe Mama Tips | Comments Off

I know we skipped Dear SafeMama this week but in the world of motherhood, it was a hellish week for all of us so we took a week off. We’ll be back with another edition next week as long as my potty training efforts don’t put me in the hospital twitching.  Anyway, I thought today I’d share a few newsworthy items from some of the really great blogs I frequent.

  • FDA Issues Health Advisory on Infant Formula I know this isnt a blog but I do peruse the feeds on the sidebar as much as I can and when I spotted that announcement I had to point it out.  The advisory is for any formula manufactured in China that is possibly contaminated with melamine.  Read all about it here.
  • $10 Off Seventh Generation Diapers on Drustore.com.  I love this site Ecobunga.com.  They have tons of great green deals and discount announcements.  Anyone trying to adopt a greener lifestyle will tell you it isn’t the cheapest at times so this site is a great find for anyone looking to save a few bucks or score a freebie.

I also wanted to quickly welcome SafeMama Dierdre to our team!  Dierdre is our newest addition and she has already jumped in with both feet so you’ll see some articles (and you probably already have!) from her as her time allows.  She has experience with food allergies in kids so I know she’ll be a valuable asset to our site.  Welcome Dierdre and thank you for contributing!

If you would like to join us and help keep kids safe, drop us a note through the contact page and let us know.  We’d love to have you!

Jul

30

Congrass Passes Ban on Phthalates!

Filed Under Phthalates Info, Product Safety | Comments Off

Yesterday, Congress voted on the Children’s Safe Products Act which approved a nationwide ban on phthalates in products intended for children under 12. We’ve been waiting for this so we’re happy to say goodbye to phthalates DEHP, DBP and BBP… three chemicals used to soften plastics in children’s toys like bath squirties, soft books and “rubber” ducks. The Act is part of a final Bill to reform and improve the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This is obviously good news and further confirmation that there is enough doubt in their safety as well as demand for strict regulations on children’s products. And don’t think you didn’t have anything to do with it. Members and supporters of MomsRising.org alone sent in over 100,000 letters to congressman urging them to support the Act.

However, this ban doesn’t take effect for 6 months. Big stores like WalMart and Target have already promised a ban of children’s products with phthalates from their stores, beginning in January 2009… but with this kind of timeframe, we’ll still see toys containing phthalates on store shelves through this year’s holiday season. That means, as SafeParents, we still need to keep a critical eye and shop carefully to avoid them. There will always be something to be wary of when toy shopping but this recent ban is a step in the right direction.

Related Article: ABC News Phthalates Banned from Child Toys
Related Blog Article: EWG Enviroblog

Jun

16

Shower Curtains Can Make You Sick.

Filed Under Articles, Phthalates Info | Comments Off

Ever open up the package of a shiny new plastic shower curtain, and nearly pass out from the fumes? Ever think to yourself, well, that can’t be good for you.

That’s because it isn’t.

We’ve discussed before, how the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in vinyl produces off-gassing. And that includes your shower curtain. It was no secret to us before, but now there’s a new study out from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice that proves what we’ve known all along:

The study found that PVC shower curtains contained high concentrations of phthalates, which have been linked to reproductive effects, and varying concentrations of organotins, which are compounds based on tin and hydrocarbons. One of the curtains tested released measurable quantities of as many as 108 volatile organic compounds into the air, some of which persisted for nearly a month.

Seven of these chemicals — toluene, ethylbenzene, phenol, methyl isobutyl ketone, xylene, acetophenone and cumene — have been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as hazardous air pollutants, said Stephen Lester, the center’s science director and a coauthor of the report.

The smell alone is enough to make you sick, but compound that with being in a bathroom, with the hot water running, and you’re doing yourself more harm, while trying to get yourself clean. Additionally, a similar study was done by the EPA six years ago, with similar findings, yet these chemicals still exist in day to day products, because the American Chemistry Council and the FDA maintain that phthalates are safe.

If you have a vinyl shower curtain, toss (or recycle) it and find one made of alternative materials. Shower curtains aren’t that expensive, and it’s not worth risking your (or your family’s) health.

Source: L.A. Times

Jun

14

Natural Air Freshener: Citrus Magic

Filed Under Phthalates Info, product finds | Comments Off

I spoke about air fresheners before but in case you missed it, household air fresheners are a hot bed of phthalates in many cases. Not to mention a lot of other irritants and possibly unsafe toxins. We just don’t need to be breathing this stuff in. I am a big believer in embracing fresh air and house plants to combat odor in the home. Although all my houseplants die every time we travel back and forth to Florida so it’s not always an option. Another thing, diaper pails and garbage cans. We know how they can get. I keep them clean but sometimes they just stink no matter what you do.

Enter Citrus Magic. My mom gave me a can of this back in college when I smoked in my tiny dorm room and reeked up the place. Sorry about that dorm-mates. I now see the many errors of my ways. Age and wisdom. Anyway, I bumped into a display of Citrus Magic at Kroger recently and grabbed one up. I forgot just how effective it is. This non-aerosol 100% natural air freshener uses the oils from citrus fruit to deodorize and freshen a room. They are packed in non-aerosol, continuous spray containers and are available in Lemon, Orange, or Tropical Citrus Blend. No funky chemicals. No funky weird unsafe stuff in there.

When you need a little help in the odor department, this is a great alternative to the synthetic sprays. Citrus Magic carries a variety of other products as well. I’m not 100% sure about the “safe” level on everything they sell, but the citrus air fresheners pass my test.

Get it online: CitrusMagic.com or look for it in the natural foods section of your local grocery store. I found the smaller cans at Kroger in Georgia for under $6.

May

6

Enviroblog’s Brush Up on Phthalates

Filed Under Phthalates Info | Comments Off

rubber-duck-1One of my favorite bloggers, Amanda, who blogs on EWG’s Enviroblog posted a handy crash course on phthalates. In short, phthalates are endocrine disruptors which are linked to reproductive and genital abnormalities. Companies use them to soften plastics, and it’s also used to bind fragrance to a product. You can find them in many household products such as nail polish, skin care, toys, and air fresheners. Amanda has posted a quick list of what to avoid to limit your exposure to phthalates:

Avoid these, and you’ll also be avoiding phthalates:
1. Nail polish: Dibutyl phthalate is often used to make nail polish chip-resistant. Look for it on the ingredients list, where it may be shortened to DBP.
2. Plastics in the kitchen: Take a critical eye to your cupboards. Phthalates may be more likely to leach out of plastic when it’s heated, so avoid cooking or microwaving in plastic.
3. Vinyl toys: Phthalates are what make vinyl (PVC) toys soft, so don’t give them to children. Opt instead for wooden and other phthalate-free toys, especially during that age when they put everything in their mouths!
4. Paint: Paints and other hobby products may contain phthalates as solvents, so be sure to use them in a well-ventilated space.
5. Fragrance: Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is often used as part of the “fragrance” in some products. Since DEP won’t be listed separately, you’re better off choosing personal care products, detergents, and cleansers that don’t have the word “fragrance” on the ingredients list.
6. Vinyl: Vinyl shows up in a lot of different products; lawn furniture, garden hoses, building materials, and items of clothing (like some raincoats) are often sources. Aside from carefully choosing materials when you’re making purchases, there is one easy change you can make: switch to a non-vinyl shower curtain. That “new shower curtain” smell (you know the one) is a result of chemical off-gassing, and it means your shower curtain is a source of phthalates in your home.
7. Air Fresheners: Just like fragrances in personal care products, most air fresheners contain phthalates.

Sounds like a pain. But there are phthalate free alternatives to ALL of these items so it’s totally do-able. here are a few examples:

DBP Free Nail Polish: Nicole by OPI doesn’t contain DBP, Toluene or Formaldehyde. They have a large array of colors and they go on well. No need to go bare nailed anymore. They are available at Target and other beauty stores.

Vinyl Free Shower Curtains: Instead of a vinyl curtain liner, try a fabric one. They make some good mildew resistant ones which you can find at most super stores. Or you can buy them on Amazon… this one is 100% polyester. Not the most fabulous material on the planet but is Phthalate and Vinyl free.

Air Fresheners we covered once before but just as a refresher, ditch the Glade and opt for plants (lucky bamboo is a great indoor air cleaner) or try soy candles.

Apr

11

Baby Skin Care Products: A Quick Users Guide

Filed Under Phthalates Info, Product Safety, Skin Care, paraben free | 7 Comments

One of the things that we’ve been frustrated with, here at Safe Mama, was what seemed like a lack of safe baby skin care products. Hence, the first version of the Paraben and Phthalate Free Bath Care Cheat Sheet. As we were searching we realized that there actually are a lot of really great products out there, and so we compiled as many of them as we could find, and put them all in one central location for our readers to peruse. A few things to note:

1. Not every single product that’s out there, is going to be on this list. We’ve found tons of stuff, and have turned over many stones, but I’m sure there are some out there that we’ve missed. That said, if you’re using a product that’s safe, and it isn’t on here, please email us or comment and we’ll research the product add it to the list.

2. If your product isn’t on here, it may be because it didn’t meet the requirements for this spreadsheet. All of the products listed on here are free of parabens, sodium laureth sulfates (SLS), phthalates, 1,4 dioxanes, propylene glycol, and PEG’s. The who? The what? We’ve outlined briefly what these are and why you might not want them in your child’s skin care in the glossary.

3. Safety Rating: In addition to that, we crossed refrenced these products with EWG’s Cosmetic Safety Database and added the score to each product on the sheet. Not every product, unfortunately, is in the CSD, however, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product, but you’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not you feel comfortable using it.

4. Not all products that are manufactured by these companies have been listed. We kept this simply listed to baby skin care, and products that a person might use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and we noted each product as such. Again, it’s not that the other products are bad, it’s just that, well, this is list already very long, and the website is called Safe Mama after all.

5. At the time of this publication, we hadn’t heard back from a couple of the companies. We’re pretty sure that California Baby is free of dioxanes, but because we hadn’t heard back from them after a few attempts at contact, we decided to put “unknown.” We’d rather be safe than sorry.

We hope you’ll find this spreadsheet useful. We wanted to make sure that the Mamas (and the Daddys) know that there are lots of options out there for your little ones skin care needs. The link to this sheet will also be added to the sidebar. If you have any questions regarding these ingredients, please refer to our glossary.

You can download the SafeMama Safe Baby Skin Care Cheat Sheet (pdf) here.

Once you’ve chosen safe bath products, make sure your bath toys are safe too. Check out Z Recommends for their Guide to Safer Bath Toys. *squeak*

Mar

26

Phthalates Ban in Washington on the Horizon

Filed Under Articles, Phthalates Info, Toy Safety | Comments Off

Even though a lot of parents are taking measure’s into their own hands by not buying toys containing PVC and phthalates, this is a time of change and I see it boiling in the wings. Already, California is instituting a ban on phthalates due to take effect next year. Next state in the spotlight is Washington. On March 7th the Children’s Safe Products Act passed the state Senate on a vote of 40-9.

The bill will eliminate three toxic chemicals, lead, cadmium, and phthalates, from toys and other children’s products. It will also require manufacturers to report whether their products contain other chemicals found to be of a concern for children’s health. Washington Toxics Coalition

Toy companies, as you can imagine, are not happy about this new move since Washington makes up about 2% of total U.S. toy sales, which last equaled $23.5 billion in annual revenues last year. It’s no wonder toy companies are scrambling. Representatives from Mattel and Hasbro sat down with the Gov. Chris Gregoire:

In a last-ditch effort to stop the measure, representatives of Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., the country’s two biggest toy makers, met with Gov. Gregoire March 17, according to people familiar with the matter. At that meeting, and elsewhere, these people say, Mattel has told Washington officials that half of the products made by its Fisher-Price unit, which specializes in products for preschoolers, would be barred from the state if the law is adopted.

Boo Hoo. Way to throw your sucker in the dirt there Mattel. How about making your toys safer instead? There’s a novel idea. Ban on chemicals in toys and kids products is a fight worth fighting and more states are getting on the ban wagon.

Congress is considering new federal lead limits and other toy-safety standards but isn’t moving fast enough for sponsors of bills in 29 state legislatures. Illinois and Michigan have already enacted new lead laws, which aren’t as tough as the Washington bill. A ban on phthalates is due to take effect in California next year. The TIA says it has hired lobbyists to battle legislative proposals in 10 states, including Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Read it all here, great article: The Wall Street Journal: States Alter Rules of Game On Safety for Toy Makers

Mar

12

Camelbak Offers BPA Free Alternative

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Phthalates Info, Product Safety | 1 Comment

camelbakSince I’ve made the switch to a reusable sports bottle rather than using bottled, I have become obsessed with them. I am pretty happy with my ThinkSport, and the Sigg and Kleen Kanteen’s are old favorties of many readers. However I stumbed on the CamelBak website recently and was pleasantly surprised to see their “new” BPA Free sports bottle The CamelBak Better Bottle with Classic Cap which they say is made with Tritan™, a BPA Free material and is an alternative to traditional sports container plastic, polycarbonate. The cap is made with polypropylene. According to their website FAQ, they are transitioning their other CamelBak Better Bottles to BPA free materials (in May 2008) as well as eliminating phthalates from any of the other products by April of 2008.

These come with a classic sports cap with a handle. and are available in their .75 mL sizes in lime green, grey, blue, tangerine, and my personal favorite, pink. They are more affordable than the stainless bottles I’ve come across, retailing at about $8.00. ($6.95 on Amazon) Hooray for yet another alternative!

Find it here: Dick’s Sporting Goods 

Mar

4

Smells Like Phthalates

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Phthalates Info | 5 Comments

candleI feel like a broken record with this phthalates business and on top of it, running a site like this I hit moments of panic where I feel as though everything around me is potentially harmful. I have to reel myself in once in a while or I start to give myself anxiety and need to drink red wine until it passes.

But then I get a grip and see that there are small changes I can make that are easy and make sense for my family. I ran across an article somewhere ( I forget where) and decided to look into it further. The premise of it was over phthalates in scented candles. I’ve been meaning to post something about phthalates and chemicals in household air fresheners and I’ve long sworn off the use of spray air fresheners for a long time. But phthalates, which helps synthetic fragrances bond to the product, are found in candles, incense and potpourri. Healthy Child Healthy World (one of my favorite websites) sums this up nicely:

Candles are also a source of indoor air pollution, according to the EPA, leaving black soot deposit (BSD) on floors and surfaces. Scented candles create the most soot.

BSD is primarily made up of elemental carbon, but may also contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, which can cause cancer and neurological damage. BSD can be inhaled while airborne, but may also settle on surfaces like floors. BSD is especially attracted to electrically charged surfaces such as freezers, plastic blinds, TVs and computers.

Children may ingest BSD, after touching the floor or other surfaces and then putting their hands in their mouths. BSD, when inhaled, can lodge deep in the lungs, the lower respiratory tract or alveoli (very tiny tissue inside the lungs).

I know what you’re thinking. “GREAT… one more thing…” But there are easy solutions to this without selling your home and moving into a mud hut and sewing your clothes out of hemp.

  • Clean the air in your home with plants. Bamboo (I’ve read that Lucky Bamboo has great air cleaning qualities), Weeping Figs and Spider plants are some that clean the most pollutants (like formaldehyde and benzene) out of the air.
  • Baking Soda! That stuff does wonders for odor. Use it on carpets, or place a small dish of it near offensive areas.
  • Embrace the soy candle.  If you need candle burning (I love candles), opt for soy based candles or beeswax candles which burn cleaner (and last longer). I found these
  • More tips: Here are a few other great tips from Healthy Child Healthy World: Freshen Indoor Air Checklist

Mar

1

Product Review Series: California Baby

Filed Under Phthalates Info, Product Reviews, Skin Care, paraben free | 4 Comments

cababyI’ve long wanted to sing the praises of California Baby® products. I’ve tested a number of other lines and I keep going back to my “old faithful”, California Baby. I wanted to start my series of reviews of phthalate-free and paraben-free products with this line since I’ve used a number of their products extensively, and when I saw another article about phthalates in baby shampoo in the Palm Beach Post last weekend, I felt I should get the ball rolling. What better place to start then with the line I’ve used since the day my son was born.

California Baby provides baby/kid bath products as well as sun protection, diaper care, bug protection…. all eco-friendly, cruelty-free, paraben-free and phthalate free. And they work. They have expanded their line to include freshening spritzers, essential oils and mother care too.

Read more

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