Little Mizz Know It All's Blog

Hello America!

I hope everyone is having a good week. Not really sure how to get all the links I posted on my last post working.I am working on it!!! There are still a few issues I need to iron out in this blog:)

So moving right along. I am wondering if anyone after reading this went and looked at any of their products to see if they contained any of these chemicals??? Let me know please!!

Today I stopped at a local farm stand. Two seventeen year old girls were working there.
Me: Hey can I ask you girls a question?

Girls: Blank stare

Me: Great thanks, so if there was a site that listed chemicals that are in your shampoos that could cause harm to you and your body, would you stop using that shampoo?

Girls: Blank stare

Me: What about body wash?

Girl 1: Like what can it do to us?

Me: Well after years of use it may lead to cancer, kidney failure (girls’ eyes get bigger) liver disease, damage to lungs…..

Girl 2: I wouldn’t stop using the products

Me: Blank Stare

Girl 1: Yes of course I would stop using them! But where can I get products that don’t do those things?

Me: Awesome you asked! If there was as site, that had all the bad chemicals and all the products that don’t contain them would you read it?

Girl 1&2: Both nod yes!!!!

Girl 2: Is it easy to get these products?

Me: You mean like CVS?

Girl 1 & 2: No like Walmart

Me: hmmmmm okay I see what you are saying I will have to work on that one! (brain storming now)!

Girl 1: Would these products be affordable?

Me: What is affordable to you?

Girl 1: I wouldn’t pay more than $3 more for something

Me: Now we are getting somewhere cool! Thanks for the info girls! And the help with my veggies!!!

Ok 8 more toxic chemicals to go! Hope you are ready!

FORMALDEHYDE: aka formalin, methanal, methylene oxide, oxymethylene, methylaldehyde, and oxomethane

This toxic preservative is found in cigarette smoke,  in some foods, such as some types of Italian cheeses, dried foods, and fish.  These products are found around your house; antiseptics, medicines, cosmetics, dish-washing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe-care agents, carpet cleaners, glues and adhesives, lacquers, paper, plastics, and some types of wood products.

Formaldehyde is found naturally in our bodies and we do have the ability to break it down. Tests on rats that were exposed proved to develop nose, and throat cancer. People with asthma are more sensitive to this chemical with symptoms including pain, vomiting, coma, and possible death can occur after drinking large amounts of formaldehyde. Skin can become irritated if it comes into contact with a strong solution of formaldehyde.

This has been labeled by many groups as a human carcinogen!!!!

DIETHANOLAMINE(DEA): aka part of the Alkanolamines family, lauryl diethanolamide, coco diethanolamide,

DEA is found in shampoos, conditioners, creams, cosmetics, hair dyes, bath products, and other personal care products may penetrate a child’s skin during normal use. Children may breathe in DEA when pesticides containing DEA are sprayed near them.
Diethanolamine solutions are used as solvents for numerous drugs that are administered intravenously.

This is known to cause cancer and harming brain development by blocking choline.

European Union restricts DEA use to 1% of any cosmetic ingredient. But in the U.S., there are no such regulations. Manufacturers are advised by the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association to limit DEA usage to five times what is accepted in Europe
http://www.healthy-communications.com/7-dea.htm

Toluene: aka Toluol

Used as a solvent and is found in gasoline, acrylic paints, varnishes, lacquers, paint thinners, adhesives, glues, rubber cement, airplane glue, and shoe polish. At room temperature, toluene is a colorless, sweet smelling, and volatile liquid.

Known carcinogen, can lead to birth defects.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/818939-overview

I would like to let anyone reading this know that there is an alarmingly overwhelming amount of information on the last couple of chemicals. I have been going through it for more then 2 days, hence the reason I missed a day to post.
Not sure how much info everyone is looking for but I figure known carcinogen is good enough. Anyone that does not know Carcinogen = cancer

I am not trying to skip anything or trying not to cover anything but since there are so many chemicals I only have so much time during the day. I am including next a list of sites that have more information that you will be able to click and it will take you there. Ok NEXT!
Petroleum Derivatives: All I have to say about this is it is literally in everything!!!!!! The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions. We have been brainwashed by the industry to feel we must cover up our natural scents with toxic chemicals. Many of the same chemicals in perfumes are the same chemicals that are in cigarette smoke.

I believe this is enough said.
http://allnaturalbeauty.us/chemicalsensitivities_jrussell.htm

Again I printed out three pages on petroleum based products!!! Maybe more if I search more. We as a country really need to be aware of what we buy. Please start asking yourself; Where it is coming from?  Do we really NEED it.
I am learning so much but I realize I can continue that later.
The point is to get familiar with the chemicals so you can make the transition to reducing! Hey it wont happen over night.
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT): aka: Methylisothiazolinine

This chemical is found in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, facial cleansers, hair colors, styling gels, moisturizers, fragrances, and BABY WIPES!!!!!!

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is becoming increasingly popular as a preservative to replace parabens. Even some products claiming to be certified organic use this preservative, as certain percentages of non-organic material is allowed by the USDA.
http://www.lavera.com/education/ingredient-watch/methylisothiazolinone-mit
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/06/health/webmd/main659309.shtml

Aluminum: aka Aluminum Zirconium Trichlorohydrex GLY, Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY, Aluminum Zirconium Pentachlorohydrex GLY and Aluminum Zirconium Octachlorohydrex GLY occur as a solids. These ingredients are complexes of Aluminum Zirconium Chlorohydrex (3, 4, 5 or 8 units) with glycine. These ingredients are used mainly in the formulation of personal cleanliness products.

With this chemical not only dose your deodorant contain it, but your choice of cookware is important. Glass and porcelain are relatively nonreactive with foods. Metal cookware does react with the acids in foods and the metal ions thereby released gain access to your body. In the case of copper, iron, and stainless steel cookware the metals are actually essential trace elements, and therefore make a valuable nutritional contribution if they are not absorbed in excess. Aluminum, on the other hand, not only has no recognized function in the body, but is toxic. http://www.rense.com/general37/alum.htm

People may also be exposed to high levels of aluminum from:

Dusty Living Environments
Workplace Contaminated Air
Living near Hazardous Waste Sites
Receive Vaccinations containing Aluminum in their Formula

Since aluminum is present in food and water supply, most people suffer from some degree of aluminum toxicity. Years of accumulated exposure and aluminum storage in the body, aluminum can become poisonous and have a range of health effects from skeletal deformities to brain degeneration. Some of the dangers are:

Muscle Aches
Weakness
Bone Pain
Speech Problems
Anemia
Premature Osteoporosis
Impaired Immune System
Impaired Kidney Function
Impaired Iron Absorption
Digestive Problems
Aluminum is particularly dangerous to the nervous system, with symptoms including:

Mental Confusion
Headaches
Memory Loss
Nervousness
Heartburn
Emotional Instability
Disturbed Sleep
Impaired Intellect
Loss of Coordination
Flatulence

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/aluminum-exposure.html

This site also gives you access to purchasing an aluminum test kit!!!!
Benzophenenone, Homosalate, Octyl-methoxycinnamate: aka octinoxate

These chemicals are estrogenic sunscreens. The same sunscreens we are told to use because if we don’t we will get cancer!! So we lather our bodies in this, some do it everyday before they leave their homes!
They are powerful free radical generators. (free radicals lead to cancerous cells)
Their free radical generation increases cellular damage and changes that lead to cancer.
Psoralen – such a compound that is used to treat psoriasis increases skin cancer rates 83-fold.
2
They often have strong estrogenic activity.
Estrogenic – “Gender Bending” – chemicals interfere with normal sexual development -
Engendering a host of secondary medical problems – see more below.
3
They are synthetic chemicals that are alien to the human body and accumulate in body fat stores.
The human body is well adapted to de-toxify biologicals that it has been exposed to over tens of millions of years. But it  often has difficulty removing new and non-biological compounds such DDT, Dioxin, PCBs, and chemical sunscreens.

http://www.skinbiology.com/toxicsunscreens.html

This was a very informative site I suggest anyone that wants to know more, please follow up by reading this one!!!!!! Remember to always keep an open mind with everything you read!!!! Including this blog!!!!

Here is a list of the following chemicals that I have found in almost every single brand of products that we all use and think we love:

PARABENS: aka methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben

This is a preservative used in baby products, skin care products, soaps, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, shaving gels, and toothpaste. I am sure I am leaving a few out here as it has been also found in some foods as well.

Parabens mimic estrogen and have been found in high concentrations in tumors removed from breast tissue. breastcancerfund.org Studies in newborn mammals it has shown in males to disrupt the reproductive organs. It is a known endocrine disruptor and is toxic in high amounts.

I could probably go on and on with this as well but you get the general idea. Now there are studies that have said that these parabens are safe in small amounts but why risk it and increase any toxic chemicals just because someone paid someone to do a study and come up with the desired info they needed to be able to sell there product?

Also keep in mind if parabens are present in everything than those small traces from each product we use add up in our bodies.

PHTHALATES: aka dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, cetyl triethylammonium dimethicone copolyol phthalate

This NOT SO lovely chemical is found not only in our products such as mattresses, baby mattress, toys, food packaging, but also is the cause of that “new car smell” that some of us think we love so much. They have even made air fresheners that mimic this smell. http://autos.aol.com/article/toxic-car-interiors/

This chemical claim to fame in studies in humans contributes to small penis size. (Raising Baby Green) I believe that should be enough. If you are still unconvinced causes hormonal activity, kidney and liver damage, it is a known endocrine disruptor and in male babies in utero it is known to lead to demasculinization. ourstolenfuture.org

Again there are arguments as to why this is good and why this is bad, my theory is why even risk it you only have one body and one life so why mess it up if you don’t have to. Also on a side of caution I had received an email from family telling me to let my windows down to air out the car first on hot days before turning the a/c on to allow the phthalates to be reduced. Otherwise you are just breathing it all in at the highest concentration possible.

COAL TAR: aka FD&C or D&C

These NOT SO beautiful additives are found in baby shampoos, baby soaps, baby bath products, dandruff or scalp treatment shampoos.

FD&C and D&C colors are synthetic pigments made from coal tar, containing heavy metal salts that can deposit toxins onto the skin (the largest organ of the body) and cause irritation. Studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic. experts123.com

PHENYLANEDIAMINES: aka P-phenylendiamine, PPD

Used mainly in hair color and bleaching.

These NOT SO lovely chemicals can cause throat irritation, bronchial asthma and sensitization dermatitis, (inflammation of the skin) eye irritation and tearing, asthma, gastritis, renal failure, vertigo, tremors, convulsions, and coma in humans this last sentence was taken right from the EPA website epa.gov

As well as most chemicals they say are harmless in small doses, what about us women that dye our hair every couple of months? hmmmmm may want to think that ladies… especially breastfeeding moms.

LEAD ACETATE: aka the sugar of lead due to it’s sweetish taste (do not ingest please)

This again is found in some hair color products and many facial cleansers (Raising Baby Green)
This is also used in paints, varnishes, and dying cotton.(which is why organic clothing especially for babies is so important) more on FIRE – RETARDANTS later.

Lead is an extremely toxic chemical and has no business being anywhere near our bodies!!!! answers.com This can cause complications in the nervous system and lead to renal failure.

MERCURY: aka Thermisol, ethyl mercury,Sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate
Mercurothiolate, merzonin, mertorgan, merfamin,Ethyl (2-mercaptobenzoato-S) mercury sodium salt,thiomersalate, thiomersal, thiomersalan,(o-carboxyphenyl)thio] Ethylmercury sodium salt

This appears in some mascaras,Antitoxins
Cosmetics, including makeup removers, mascara, and eye moisturizers
Desensitizing solutions,Soap-free cleaners
Some contact lens solutions
Topical medicated sprays
Topical medications
Tuberculin tests
Vaccines (including most influenza vaccines and Sanofi’s avian flu vaccines
Ear, eye, nose drops, auto exhaust
Eye ointments, adhesives, air conditioner filters, amalgams (silver fillings, talc (baby powder), bleached flour,drinking water (tap and well), fabric softeners, felt, cinnabar (used to make some jewelry), floor waxes and polishes, laxatives, pesticides, processed foods, vegetables and fruits exposed to pesticides, wood preservatives. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/mercury.html

I am spending a lot of time on Mercury mainly b/c it is in so many things as you can see from what is listed. It is important for you to know that this is a neurotoxin and disrupts brain function,reproductive function, immune and nervous system. It can enter the blood stream through the lungs, skin . and stomach. Mercury levels can be measured by the blood, hair or urine of a person. This toxin is cumulative in our bodies starting at the time of conception and continues building up in our bodies throughout our lives. mercout.com, greenfacts.org, mercurysafety.co.uk, nrdc.org

This is a Mercury fact sheet I suggest you read signs and symptoms
of mercury poisoning:

http://www.elcosh.org/en/document/559/d000541/mercury-fact-sheet.html?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=adwords&utm_campaign=adwords&gclid=COuo8_iCiqMCFVt95QodS0Itew

So these are just a few I have many more and will continue posting as the time allows me to……stay tuned for more chemicals what and where they are and what they do to us. I will be posting a whole list of companies that use minimal pure ingredients as well.

Hello America,

I would like to start this section off by saying even though I do have strong opinions and have a lot of information I am in no way 100% right all the time! There I said it I hope my husband never reads this.

I encourage anyone reading this blog to read up where I make suggestions for your own personal benefit. I strongly advise everyone I ever pass information on to that it is up to each person to gather the relevant info they are looking for from a wide variety of sources and then and only then make an EDUCATED and INFORMED decision based on that.

I am only one person and I do read a ton, but I am sure I will miss things. I will be adding to each segment as more info becomes available and as studies continue I will continue to update this site as well.

This segment is going to be broken up into several parts, for several reasons. First I have a 3 and half month old and I only have so much time to do things. Second I don’t want people getting bored with a forever long note. Thirdly I would like people to be able to use this site as a quick reference and I am sure it will be so much easier if it is labeled for people to just click and find the info instead of scrolling through a long winded note.

The first thing we need to start off with is the laws, yes the laws. The many laws that this country has in place to “protect” us from ourselves and others. Many people don’t realize that these very laws that are set up to “protect” us also work against us in many ways.

It is important that you know the there are no laws that are upholding a standard for any personal hygiene products. This is crazy to me mainly because your skin is THE largest organ in your body. So you would think this organ would be the most important to protect right?

Ok so lets start with the FDA. You would think they would be the ones that oversee products such as shampoo, conditioner. deodorants, body wash, lotions etc.
You would think there are laws set up to protect our bodies and our skin right? WRONG

If you have ever taken a look at the FDA website http://www.fda.gov/default.htm

This is taken right from the FDA website:

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) does not authorize FDA to approve cosmetic ingredients, with the exception of color additives that are not coal-tar hair dyes. In general, cosmetic manufacturers may use any ingredient they choose, except for a few ingredients that are prohibited by regulation. However, it is against the law to market a cosmetic in interstate commerce if it is adulterated. Under the FD&C Act, a cosmetic is adulterated if, among other reasons, it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious under the labeled conditions of use, or under customary or usual conditions of use.

You will find that not only are these products not tested for safety there are also major loop holes as to what a company needs to disclose about these products. Now FDA strongly urges these companies to test their products. Do you really think if there are no consequences that these companies are testing products at their own expense? Come on now I promised I was speaking the truth here.

So what does this mean? This means that manufacturers can use ANY raw material as an ingredient and market it without any approval (Raising Baby Green, FDA website)

Ok so moving right along into “Trade Secrets”! This means ANY ingredients used are allowed to be lumped into a category that does not have to be shared with the public hence the name trade secrets. They are secret from us!!!!!

I can go on and on forever about the legalities of it all, the fact still remains that our products are not safe, have not been safe, and will never be safe until we as consumers demand a change by not buying these products in the 1st place!!!!

Also as a side note as much as I would like to inform you of every single brand and product that I have found to be unsafe it will be up to you, the consumer to teach yourself a few key words and when you know them you will be able to scan a product in seconds and be able to identify and walk away from these toxic chemicals.

We all have the same goal, to make sure our families are safe, that we can afford to do this and that we are able to maintain a sustainable earth for our childrens’ future.

Stay tuned……