What about?

I said in my last post that this post would be about parabens; however, I wanted to post some thoughts and observations quickly tonight. A paraben post is coming soon, I promise. Okay,so my observations:

• Have you noticed in the malls any of those nail salons?  Have you noticed that the employees wear face masks?!  If the fumes are bad, why don't they hand the masks out to the customers, too?  Do they offer them? I wonder... 
• I know of a person that has a child with a peanut allergy.  He even reacted one time because he was riding in the shopping cart and holding onto the  handle.  A previous cart user had touched peanuts and then the handle.  Now that's another reason to wipe off your cart handle!
• If people are allergic to latex, I wonder how many businesses hand out or use latex-free pens on their counters?  I've seen some packaged and sold at the local office supply store, so that got me to thinking.  Think about the banks and restaurants where you may be likely to use the business' pen.  That would be an easy and considerate change we could all do.  And think about all the free pens we give away for marketing purposes!
• How many people have small first-aid kits in their offices - you know the small ones with a few adhesive bandages and wipes?  How many people have latex-free kits?  Now, presumable a person with such an allergy would know not to accept a bandage, but what do they do it they really need one?  Where is one to be found? 
• What kind of cleaners do you use in your office?  Are they strong industrial cleaners?  Are they really needed?  How many people off the street come into your business each day?  Could they be having a reaction and you not know it?  Are the employees having to endure toxic chemicals for over 40 hours a week? Can a few of those cleaners be changed to healthier cleaners?  Are we creating sick building syndrome by trying to kills germs to stay healthy?  Makes me appreciate my office window!
• I know a person that will have an asthma attack after a mechanic has driven his car.  You know that smell when you get back into your car after a mechanic has been in it?  Not so good for some people.  I haven't figured out an alternative for that one.  

Just some thoughts.  What have you noticed?

Your Skin

Your skin is your largest organ, and sixty percent of what is put on your skin is absorbed into your body. All those lotions and potions on your bathroom counter? Look at the ingredients. Your body is absorbing sixty percent - that means your other organs, like your liver, are having to detox your body from those items. Do you need all those chemicals in your lotions? No.

I now use 100% olive oil soap. Kiss My Face makes it.

I put a filter on my shower to reduce the amount of chlorine. You can find these at your local home improvement store, and they are incredibly easy to install. Even I had it done in less than two minutes.

I will not use shampoos or conditioners with sulfates or parabens. These are known skin irritants as well as possible carcinogens. At first I really missed the softness that the old shampoos provided, but a week with the filter on the shower head changed all that. I couldn't believe the difference in softness because of decreasing the chlorine with the filter. Parabens deserve their own post one of these days, because there are countries that have banned them from cosmetics and toiletries completely.

Natracare feminine products are great for women with skin sensitivities. No plastics! No chlorine used in the manufacturing process! (If you have endometriosis, limiting your exposure to chlorine products might be something to consider. Doesn't hurt to try! There is research that shows it can affect endo. Of course, there are those who argue with the research.) According to the ALAA, these are latex-free.

My mom now uses Vanicream's products. The lotion is free of formaldehyde, lanolin, dyes, fragrances, and parabens. She likes the cream and the soap. When she starts really itching, Grandma's Lye Soap helps her. She got the Vanicream sunscreen in her stocking at Christmas, but hasn't quite had the chance to use that considering it's been snowing for days. You can buy Vanicream online (drugstore.com or amazon.com). We haven't found it in our local stores yet, but pharmacists have offered to order it for her.