EWG's Cleaning Product Hall of Shame - sneak peek!

I love Environmental Working Group. They are a fantastic resource for researching the harmful contents of what is in tons of products, skin care, shampoos, baby products and so much more.

I use their Skin Deep Cosmetics Database quite often.  If you haven't done so yet, I would do so immediately!

I received word last night that they are creating a new database of household cleaners this coming fall but are offering a sneak peek - I'm quite excited for this!  I've made a huge effort over the past five years to go very green in our home.  You can view my simple and easy tips here.  I use non-toxic cleaners and I've greened products that come in direct contact with our bodies - all the way to the sunscreen we use - click here for that post!

Okay - back to EWG.

According to their email:

"Environmental Working Group is giving you a tool to help you figure out which cleaning products don't belong in your house. The EWG Cleaners Hall of Shame provides you with the names of some of the worst offenders out there, so you can begin the process of purging your home of these harmful cleaners."

Not only is their goal to help educate about harmful chemicals found in everyday cleaners - but they are making it easy to help avoid them all together by naming names and brands.

For the sneak peek - please view it here.

For the complete current hall of shame PDF - please go here.

If you have any questions on how to go green in your home for your family, please contact me anytime.

Simple & easy ways to go green in your home

Hello!  I hope this post finds you well :)

It's a snowy morning here in Connecticut after topping the thermometer here at nearly 60 yesterday - crazy!

As it's been a fairly mild Winter here in the Northeast, we typically spend quite a lot of time indoors.  Like most people, you consider your home to be one of the safest places for you and your family, right?  You keep things tidy and as dust free as possible - but did you know that indoor air can be more "polluted" than outdoor air?

I came across a company's web site called GreenGuard with some information that was a bit shocking to me.  After reading it, it made sense, but like a lot of things in life - you really don't view things or realize things that seem like common sense until you read it!

For example (straight from GreenGuard's web site):

Facts You Should Know

Children breathe in a greater volume of air than adults relative to their body size.

Children's organs and respiratory, immune and neurological systems are still developing.

Children are much closer to the ground, and as a result, breathe in more of the heavier airborne chemicals than do adults.

Infants and young children breathe through their mouths, more so than do adults, which increases their risk of pulmonary exposure to particulates and fibers, that would otherwise be filtered out in the nose.

So of course, I wanted to share and write about this (in case you're just like me and have an A-Ha! moment or a OMG I should have known that!).

There are some incredibly simple and easy ways to keep your home as green as possible by doing just a few things differently in your home - which thankfully we already do, but it's never too late to start!

1. Take off your shoes - we have a no shoe policy in the house.  Think of ALL the places you walk during the day - public places, public bathrooms (blech), sidewalks, shopping centers, etc.  Do you really want those traces of these places tracked throughout your home?  Methinks not.  Not only does it keep toxins and grossness out of your home, it keeps your floors cleaner, also.
2. Get some green - Add some green houseplants to your home. Plants are amazing at removing toxins in the air and replacing it with cleaner air.  Here's a post from TreeHugger that I found on the best air filtering plants.  I personally love Gerber Daisy, Bamboo and the Peace Lily plants.
3. Don't be smelly - Steer clear of scented air fresheners, candles, harsh perfumes and other "smelly" products that you may use in your home.  They can inject harmful toxins into the air.  Try using things that are fragrance-free. 
4. Use non-toxic cleaning products - I am quite the clutter-bug, but I do love having a clean home.  Foreverrrrr, I thought clean meant brands like Clorox, Lysol, Windex, etc.  But harsher chemicals does not equal cleaner things.  I still use the "strong stuff" for certain places such as disinfecting the kitchen sink and the toilet where the germiest things may be - but everywhere else I use "green" products or natural products wherever possible.  A few products I love are Bona Floor Cleaners, ActiveIon, Shark Steam Mop and Seventh Generation.  You can also go to The Smart Mama for more information on making your own cleaners from Vinegar, Baking Soda, Lemon and more. 
5. Just be more aware - Read the ingredients and just increase your awareness.  Simply opt for bringing products into your home that are as natural as possible - use safe laundry detergents, soaps, shampoos and other products that you put on, in or near your body.  

One last resource I love is the Environmental Working Group and their Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  You can search thousands and thousands of products in tons of categories for harmful ingredients and they rate them on their safety scale.

Thanks for reading and stopping by and please feel free to share this with your friends and family!
~Carly

Product Review: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner - free & simple

First, so sorry it's been so long for a post - things have been crazy around here! 

Anywhooo - I had an amazing opportunity from  Healthy Child to use and review Bona's new free & simple product from their line of products. 

I was introduced to the Bona brand a few years back when I did some freelance work for a hardwood floor company.  The owner provided me with a sample and I was hooked.  At the time I had much less mess to clean.  :sigh:  

image courtesy of Bona web site



Fast forward to life now with a bigger home, more to clean, two kids and a dog - it goes without saying that our hardwood floors get messy fast. 

Fortunately, I have some wonderful products that make cleaning these messes easier - and that includes this new line from Bona. 

The free & simple cleaner is quite effective and powerful - despite the misconception that green cleaners are not as effective as those with harsh chemicals.  The free & clear product is just as it's name states: free of dyes and scents, hypoallergenic and is non-toxic and completely biodegradable. 

I can use this product and not have to wrangle my two toddlers to ensure they are at a safe distance from where I'm cleaning.  And, if the dog walks through a wet or freshly cleaned area (as she always does!) I do not have to worry about her tracking her chemical-laden paws through other areas of our home.  I don't have to worry about her paws being irritated by harsh cleansers, either!

After using the product on my floors, the wood felt so fresh and comfortable to walk on - you know that feeling of freshly cleaned floors.  Even though I couldn't "smell" the clean as it is unscented, I surely could feel it underfoot.  I'm truly trying to dis-associate that smell association with cleaning products! 

As I type this review, I am thinking of my list of to-do's for the week and beyond and cleaning our hardwoods is on that list.

So if you're in the market for a new cleaner or know someone who may benefit from this product, please share and let them know about it!  

And, if you have questions about any easy and simple steps to greening your home, visit Healthy Child for some excellent information! 

NOTE: I was given the Bona free & simple product for free.  However, I was not paid to write a positive review.  This review is of my own experience and honest opinion.  

What are you really putting on your babies this summer?

Now that the temperatures are skyrocketing and we're getting into summer-mode, I'm sure trips to the beach and hitting up a local pool is on the to-do list.

However, as you're packing up the swim diapers, towels, bathing suits and of course - sun block - can you be truly sure that you're slathering on the best sun protection? 

Chances are, your sunblock of choice may be doing more harm than good. 

To get the real deal on the contents and safety of sunscreen (among thousands of other health and beauty products) the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled this information for us. 

EWG's mission is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.  If you visit their web site, you'll fall in love with them and refer to them frequently - mostly because of this:

At EWG, our team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.

I love this statement and could not agree more.  So back to the point of this post: sun block.

First, if you own any of the following items - get rid of them immediately:
(Note: Below is taken directly from EGW's site)

Hawaiian Tropic Baby Stick Sunscreen SPF 50

Hawaiian Tropic’s website claims “Less Chemical Sunscreens” for this baby sunscreen stick. Truth is, it contains two chemicals to that don’t belong on a baby’s skin – the hormone disruptor oxybenzone and a form vitamin A called retinyl palmitate. A recent federal government study shows retinyl palmitate may speed up the growth of skin tumors.
The final straw? The UVA protection factor for this sunscreen is less than 10 – a far cry from the 50 SPF plastered on the package. It’s not good enough to be sold in Europe.

 

 

Baby Blanket SunBlankie Towelette SPF 45+

This baby sunscreen advertises “maximum allowable protection for babies” but doesn’t deliver.  If the FDA’s proposed rating system were in force today, it would earn only one of four stars for UVA protection, according to EWG’s analysis. It doesn’t have enough UVA protection to meet European standards.  Your baby’s skin may not get burned, but UVA rays could penetrate it and cause skin damage that would accumulate, possibly triggering cancer later in life.

 

Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection SPF 55

The label of this product says “mild as water.” We don’t think so.  The label also warns, “Stop use and ask a doctor if rash or irritation develops and lasts.” And you wouldn’t want a child to swallow it like water. The label adds, “keep out of reach of children” and “get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.”  Sunscreen makers can make exaggerated claims because the industry is unregulated. FDA officials have been promising they may wind up their deliberations later this year – and then give the industry a year to adjust. If that’s the case, the rules may be ready for beach season – in 2013. In the meantime, EWG has created this guide to give consumers information they need to make the right decisions for themselves and their families.

 

Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70+

Coppertone advises users of this baby product to apply “liberally.”  But scientists who have researched its key sunscreen chemical, oxybenzone, warn against using it over large surfaces of skin and over many hours. These warnings are particularly strong for young children who don’t eliminate toxic chemicals from their bodies as readily as adults and who have more skin relative to their body weight than adults.  Oxybenzone readily seeps through the skin and into the bloodstream and acts like estrogen in the body.  This Coppertone sunscreen is one of more than 20 sunscreens with the word “baby” in their name and the chemical oxybenzone on their ingredient lists. Don’t buy them.

Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45

On the front of the bottle, this products claims to be “NON-IRRITATING.” Check the reverse panel, though and you’ll see a different message: “Stop use and ask a doctor if rash or irritation develops and lasts.”  The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends this spray as “an effective UV sunscreen.” But it’s not good enough to be sold in Europe, according to a standard industry sunscreen model. Its UVA protection is too weak to earn a spot on store shelves in the European Union. If the FDA’s proposed UVA rating system takes effect as it is now written, Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45 would earn only one of four stars. Your children deserve better.



So, what would a better option be?  Again, according to EWG, you want to look for the following in a sunscreen:

• Mineral sunscreens with ingredients like zinc and titanium
• NO oxybenzone (this is linked to hormone disruption)
• NO Vitamin A
• NO spray sunscreens or powders

Or, you could just buy any of these that are safe and effective to use on your kids:

Loving Naturals
California Baby
Badger
Aveeno
BabyGanics 

Remember, babies under 6 months of age are not to be exposed to the sun for any length of time and should not have sunblock applied to them. 

Thanks for reading!

Also, here's a shortcut to find more information on sunscreen brands:

A healthy baby starts with a web site?

What?  Yes, you read that right.  Well, technically, a healthy baby starts with educated parents and caregivers...and also a web site. 

Healthy Child is a wonderful resource overflowing with helpful information on how to protect our children and keep their environment as non-toxic and healthy as possible. 

Unless you live under a rock, "going green" is the thing of the moment.   And yes, while some take going green to the extreme, Healthy Child on the other hand, makes it realistic to make easy changes. 

Easy?  That's right.  Coming from a mother of two (currently under two) if I say it's easy...it is E.A.S.Y. 

So take a quick break in between nursing sessions or during your lunch break to head over there. 

Wait, I know how busy you are - here, I'll save you the effort.  Just start with this link with their 5 Easy Steps program.