What are your cosmetics made from ?

The saying we are what we eat takes on a whole new meaning when we consider our skin absorbs the cosmetics that we place on our skin.


Human skin is highly absorbent and a doorway to our internal system, the engine room of our health and well being. This presentation is a reminder that when we seek out the latest in anti wrinkle cream, the latest brand of exclusive perfume and lipstick that will add volume and retain longer lasting colour that we consider what these products are made from.......

Are your cosmetics made from ingredients that are individually considered unsafe and not healthy ? We can not assume that because a product exists that it is safe and made from safe ingredients.......sadly the push for profits is the reason for a product being developed in many cases, not improvement to human health.

Toxic substances cartoon lobby

A sense of humor with a serious message



A toxic chemical lobby launched in the USA is approaching the issue of chemicals in our homes and in our products with a sense of serious humor.  It has been refreshing to see visual campaigns circulating about these issues, although frustrating that these issues still remain largely unseen and unspoken about within the Australian consumer marketplace. 

 

Enviro blog has collated a list of furniture considerations as inspired by the new Q Collection from New York that considers the health of your home and the planet.
Avoid :

• No formaldehyde
  Formaldehyde is used in most furniture adhesives, but the Q Collection uses only water-based adhesives.
• No polyurethane, no dacron
  Polyurethane, a known carcinogen, is used as a topcoat and in the manufacturing of foam and dacron (part of foam padding) contains toluene. This company uses only water-based stains, topcoats and natural latex foam rubber.
• No brominated flame retardants
  Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are banned in Europe but are still being used extensively in US upholstery manufacturing.
• No heavy metals
  Leather tanning is the most harmful of all fabric production processes because it relies on harmful heavy metals like chromium 6.
• No toxic stain resistant chemicals
  Fabrics often contain dioxin (typically as a byproduct of the dyeing and finishing processes), a powerful carcinogen that is also known to damage the human immune system. Dioxins are also on the "dirty dozen" list of persistent environmental pollutants (POPs).
• Sustainably harvested wood, 100% certified
  The source of most wood used to make furniture today is unknown. Unfortunately, it can come from some of the world's most threatened ecosystems, such as old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest or the Amazon rain forest. The U.S. is by far the largest importer of virgin timber from the Amazon.
• Organic or European ecological cotton
  Cotton is the world's most polluting crop because of enormous levels of pesticides and herbicides used in growing it.
• Non-toxic, low-impact fabric dyes
  Fabric dyes often contain toxic chemicals that are suspected to cause cancer, reproductive or developmental damage.

WHY I am passionate about your healthy home !

This presentation sums up why I am so passionate to help educate people about "healthy homes". Our precious children are being born into a world that bombards them with chemicals in the very space that parents feel they are safe in - the home. We can make our homes safe only when we know what to look out for. When we are aware of the hidden chemicals disguised in consumer product.

Our babies and children are vulnerable to chemicals in our environment more so than adults due to their size and metabolism. However as adults we too are still subject to the health risks from chemicals and particularly  accumulative chemicals that our bodies have stored over time.

For those who are already ill and trying to recover -  my concern is that people retreat to their homes, they focus on good food, rest and positive thoughts to lift them from illness, yet their home environment may not be supportive.

The world in which we live in has changed and changes ever day with the approval of new chemicals that reach our shelves in the form of products we consume - cleaning products, personal care products, utensils, furniture, building materials & finishes, fragrances, repellents, gardening products, bedding, clothing and the list goes on.

You can make a difference - one step at a time - one purchase at a time  - when you understand what to look for. Which is why I will continue to advocate for healthy homes, decorate for healthy homes and educate for healthy homes !





                     

Do you know your plastics ?

  

I read labels and now I turn it upside down before I make a decision as to the products I place in my trolley !

You will have noticed a number stamped into the bottom of products that you have purchased off the supermarket shelf and accompanying consumable packaging. These numbers represent a plastics identification code. A healthy home helper …

“The Plastics Identification Code continues to be one of the most successful and enduring Product Stewardship programs run by industry. The simple, effective "1 to 7" numbering system identifies the resin composition of plastic containers (and other items intended for recycling). This voluntary coding system has been a key element in the successful collection, recovery and management of used plastics in Australia.” (PACIA)

The plastics coding scheme used and administered by PACIA is a voluntary initiative and although it assists consumers to effectively recycle plastic consumables it also allows us to identify the type of plastic materials that our products are made from or packaged in. These identification codes can assist us to avoid plastics that may contain ingredients that have been linked with health concerns.

AVOID :

Code 3 – PPVC or UPVC (polyvinyl chloride – plasticised and un-plasticised)

Commonly used for food storage bottles such as cooking oil, cordials, shampoo and detergents, including some food wrappings.

TIP : Considered the most damaging to the environment of all plastics and can leach phthalate chemicals that have been linked to many health concerns. Avoid PVC items.

Code 6 – PS or UPS (polystyrene and expanded polystyrene)

Commonly a ridged plastic used for take away containers, white ridged coffee cups, meat trays, plastic utensils.

TIP : Polystyrene can leach styrene a possible human carcinogen

Code 7 – PLA or polylactic acid -  Used for “Other” incorporating new plastics. Items may include baby bottles..

TIP :  Code 7 represents items that are not recyclable and given the unknown better to avoid.

ALTERNATIVE:

Code 1 – PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

Commonly used for soft drink & fruit juice bottles & medicine containers.

TIP : repeated use of the same plastic could cause leaching of DEHP a chemical that has been linked to endocrine (hormonal) disruption.

Code 2 – HDPE (high density polyethylene)

Commonly used for detergent bottles, juice, milk , sports bottles.

TIP : This plastic is a better alternative to number 7 that may also be used for the same products.

Code 4 – LDPE (low density polypropylene)

Commonly soft flexible plastic such as used for garbage bags, wrapping films, thin plastic carry bags.

TIP : Considered reasonably safe but avoid heating

Code 5 – PP (polypropylene)

Commonly a hard but flexible plastic that is used for food packaging such as ice cream and dairy/dessert containers, drinking straws.

TIP : Considered reasonable safe but avoid heating

Plastics contain phthalate chemicals (softeners) and other ingredients that have been linked to health concerns. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one ingredient that has been linked to disruptive hormonal concerns, early puberty in girls, developmental toxicity for fetuses and children. There are many reports that raise concerns over the cumulative effects of chemicals that can leach or off gass from plastic products.

Many argue that our lives have been enhanced and made much easier with the use of plastics. There is much to be said for the lack of testing on chemical migration from plastic to humans and the perpetual impact these products have on our environment and human health.

BEST OPTION :

Opt for natural products and fibres where possible, choose glass, ceramic and stainless steel as alternatives for food storage. Support manufacturers and suppliers who consciously support plastic alternatives as they are looking after you and the planet for your children. Your purchasing decisions, daily practices and habits in the home with plastics may be impacting on your health. Creating a healthy home supports good health and the health of the environment.

BAGS ! Not so fab plastics ....

Plastic, plastic everywhere, but if you look and stare, it stays the same.....look and stare.....

Ok, I admit I have seen a little too much playschool, the above an adapted tune from music time.
Major stores in Australia have introduced a fee for shoppers to take home a plastic bag, but is this really making a big difference ?  Perhaps it would make people feel more encouraged to know that using alternatives to plastic bags is great for human health as well as the health of the environment and in some cases aids the financial health of small underprivileged international communities where bag products are made in countries such as India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
 
Alternatives to plastic bags use more material and energy to make than plastic bags. Research at RMIT University found that a reusable (green shopper bag) is only more environmentally friendly than a plastic bag when it is used more than 100 times. I recently read in an inflight magazine that Philip R Rozenski, a director at US based Hilex Poly Co (largest plastic bag recycling plant), claims that reusable bags are used on average less than eight times before being thrown out.

So it is not very helpful for us to get a momentary urge to buy reusable bags and then leave them in the cupboard or the car. We need to buy quality reusable bags,  use them often, look after them and get longevity from the products we buy. Owning reusable bags and not using them equates to excessive energy consumptions and contribution to waste.

The Good news is that reusable natural fiber bags made from Jute are not toxic to the environment, not toxic to food, do not emit toxic VOCs and can be put into the compost bin when you are finished with them.

There is a shift happening ...

The way people think about health & the home environment is shifting in a positive way ......

Over the past few weeks I have concentrated on speaking with people from a variety of industries about the concept of healthy homes. People from manufacturing, trades, retail and medicine are starting to give greater thought to environmental health issues within the home . As a designer I am slowly finding fantastic home wares and personal products emerging that focus on being non toxic as well as beautiful.

It is an exciting time to be alive and making a difference, there is change evolving !  I am a big fan of natural fibers in the home as they reduce the chemical emissions (often odorless) into the indoor air. I am also a fan of natural body care and cleaning products as these also protect indoor air from contamination but also protect the skin from absorbing unwanted chemicals. A win / win for health and the environment.

I am loving the new television advert here in Australia where people are shown cleaning their homes with live marine animals...although disturbing it joins the dots between the act of cleaning and where the chemicals end up.  I will try and list a product each month that I have found that is worthy of being called a healthy homes option. Its been an exciting month, I have found two products that I love and are healthy too Mi Essence tahitian breeze deodorant  and  Eli Wilson skin care  !  Small steps is all it takes ...Enjoy