Phthalates, as you know, have been ordered removed from children’s goods, which includes food contact materials. But they’re still found in common items, such as shower curtains, personal body care products, and various medical products, among many other things. Phthalates soften plastic and bind “fragrance” to the products that contain it. [Hint: look for PVC and fragrance, and you'll find phthalates.]
So what’s the big deal? They’re endocrine disruptors, which means they interfere with the normal functions of hormones. Phthalates have been linked to early onset of puberty in girls, obesity, lower sperm count and testosterone level, under-virilized boys, and male genital deformities such as hypospadias (in which the urinary opening is located somewhere besides the head of the penis, like the underside). Whee!
And now they’ve been linked to preterm birth. Makes you wonder if we should kick the chemical out of all products, doesn’t it?
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My daughter just turned nine. I’ve been arming myself for when the day arrives that I really have to tackle growing up. *Sigh* Why can’t they stay little forever?
Recently, I noticed that her skin was getting a bit oily (probably not entirely from budding hormones, we’ve been applying sunscreen liberally). I went on a search for a safe, natural, easy to use face wash for her. She is only nine after all and I can’t expect her to remember face washing if its time consuming, messy or gets anything into her eyes.
I had a hard time finding anything I would want to put on her precious skin. I found several face wash recipes online, but most had to be mixed up prior to each use and were messy.
So, I ventured to our local natural health store and browsed their selections, which we also limited. I did find one container with 50 wipes in it for everyday face cleansing. It was similar to those nasty, acne pads without all the nasty. The container was expensive so we moved on. [read the full article...]
by Derek Markham on July 24, 2009 · 1 comment
I had my first child in August of 2003. Although that was a mere 6 years ago, no one was talking about the safety of baby products, synthetic fragrances, petroleum-based oils or parabens. How fortunate for new mothers and moms-to-be that so much has changed in just a few years! I can now say I’ve tried almost a dozen natural and organic baby products, and many of them are simply amazing. My current favorite in the pack is Erbaorganics, a 100% natural, nearly 100% organic affordable line of skin care for mother and baby. [read the full article...]
It never fails that when you are out with your kids that something messy happens. It can be a spilled drink, a food mishap, or even stepping in something not so pleasant at the park but what do you clean up with if there’s not a bathroom in sight? Many conventional wipes are made with polyester, wood pulp, binders, fillers and all kinds of chemicals but Jamar Labs offer a variety of eco-friendly wipes. [read the full article...]
I’ve had the chance to try out several eco-friendly insect repellents over the past month or so and I am rather impressed. Almost all of them seem to work pretty good under normal conditions. Some smell better than others, some seem to work longer and harder than others, and some are more convenient to use but they all do the job of keeping the bugs away.
Keep reading for a breakdown of which eco-bugsprays work the best. [read the full article...]
My daughter is blessed with very thick hair. She used to wear her locks very long, but now it is shoulder length. Even with shorter hair, it likes to tangle, and we often use a detangler. We’ve tried California Baby’s hair detangler, which we love, and Kiss My Face’s detangler, which doesn’t work so well. Now, we can add a new line of natural beauty care designed just for girls to our repertoire of hair detanglers: Sparklehearts!
One thing I love about Sparklehearts is they give full disclosure of their ingredients (they have not been evaluated by the Environmental Working Group yet), as well as actual percentages of organic and natural ingredients. The hair detangler, which really works by the way, is 99.6% organic and is paraben, phthalate, and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate free!
Like many of the companies we feature on Eco Child’s Play, Sparklehearts was started by moms searching for safer products for their children:
Most girls would wince in disgust if you told them their favorite body wash contained a chemical that is produced by boiling bugs (called carmine.) And, most parents would wince in disgust if you told them their daughter’s body lotion contained sulfates, phthalates and dozens of toxins and chemicals. Enter Sparklehearts, a line of natural, safe and fun beauty products that are girl- and parent-approved.
[read the full article...]
We have been educating concerned parents about the effects of Phthalates here at Eco Child’s Play. Well studies now show that it is more harmful than what scientists have originally thought. According to Environmental Health News, Phthalates may soften and even weaken bones. “Phthalates used in plastics and beauty products can trigger bone cell death, finds this animal study. Phthalates provoke DNA damage that can lead to bone cell death”, researchers said in a study published by Journal of Cellular Biochemistry.
This study shows how a low-dose exposure to two types of commonly found phthalates has a profound effect on bone cells. Based on the results, long-term exposure to phthalates could have devastating effects on developing bones in young bodies and accelerate deterioration in aging bones. Estrogen deficiency is responsible for a number of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. For this reason, many are concerned about the effects of phthalate exposure on bone health.
Phthalates are plasticizers which are used to add flexibility to plastics. It has been the common ingredient in everyday items like food containers, baby bottles, and packaging for beauty products. Known as as a reproductive or endocrine disruptor; it is slowly being phased out by United States and European nations, but unfortunately, not quickly enough. Even more dangerous is the fact that Phthalates are used in a large variety of products including children’s toys. “Phthalate use is widespread. Phthalates are commonly found in household items made of plastics and in health and beauty products. Some products with phthalates include toys, vinyl flooring, plastic medical tubing, shower curtains and personal care products such as shampoo, hair sprays and detergents.”
[read the full article...]
Phthalates, as you know, have been ordered removed from children’s goods, which includes food contact materials. But they’re still found in common items, such as shower curtains, personal body care products, and various medical products, among many other things. Phthalates soften plastic and bind “fragrance” to the products that contain it. [Hint: look for PVC and fragrance, and you'll find phthalates.]
