We have been cloth diapering for almost 6 months now :) but not have also decided to try and be as green as possible. I do own a gas guzzling truck, but we also have a little Hyundai that we actually drive. and there is someone always home, so really we only need one car. and its nice to have a larger vehicle just have when we need it. We have now switched to all natural chemicals to clean our house with. its not that hard. they smell good...or are sent free and really just require alittle extra elbow grease. We have ditched paper towels and are using rags that ive been washing. We still need to pick up some cloth napkins. We have a refillable mop now thats pretty cool. its similar to a swifter but you wash the pads and refill the tank with water or cleaner. Jims ordering me some mama pads from fuzzibunz, so i will see how i like them. my periods pretty light because im on the pill right now. women said they were great for postpartum but im not sure if i will. my bleeding was pretty heavy and for a long time. (but then again i was neurotic that people were coming over to see us and kept cleaning the house when i should have been letting people come over to clean for me...which will happen next time...lol) we went to trader joes to go shopping this time but didnt really like it. it was wayyyy to aldis like to me...here they are owned by the same family. but im not really sold on it. the produce section lacked. and we dont eat frozen food so that took out 3 our of the 6 aisles to shop in for us. so i dont know. the food seemed to be ok we did open and try. we still spent a lot. but i still dont understand how or want to feed my family on $40 a week. i would much rather do without nice items, and feed them the best we can. i think it is so much wiser to invest in your body then a new tv, vacation or tshirt. i guess we will still search for a farmers market for sundays, we havent found one yet besides the berlin one but its so far away. and try trader joes one more time. then i think we are off to whole foods.
im still looking for a cosmetics line that isnt expensive and chemical free. my skin is still a wreck. i am tanning again which seems to help, but i just long for clear skin. being on the pill didnt help. i told the dr i dont care if i get pregnant again, i just wanted one to clear my skin...lol..but maybe the chemical free will help a little bit. i have been using some natural products for years, but now have fully changed over. they seem to be fine and not much of a difference. makes me wonder why we even went the chemical way to begin with. i guess wives just wanted to have an easier way of life and dinners full of garbage and toxic chemicals made it easier. but was it worth it?!
but the rules for chemicals and personal items are they cant have...sulfates parabens or phthalates.
this is from http://dermamedsolutions.com check it out :)
Parabens
Parabens are preservatives found in many skincare products. You can spot them easily on the product label because they end with the word paraben. Examples include: methylparaben, proplyparaben, isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben, and sodium butylparaben.
Although the FDA has determined that parabens are safe for inclusion in skincare products, many scientist and layperson alike agree that they are not a wise choice. One reason has to do with the chemical structure of a paraben, which is close to that of estrogen and can fit into estrogen receptors at the cellular level. This is not good because research suggests that when this happens, the delicate endocrine (hormone) system is disturbed and may eventually lead to breast and other forms of cancer.
In 2004, a study by the University of Reading in the United Kingdom found concentrations of parabens, particularly methylparaben, in human breast tumors. The study examined only the presence of parabens in the tumors but did not determine that they were the cause of the tumors.(5) A follow up study released in 2012 confirmed the presence of parabens in 99% of tested cancerous breast tissue, but did not make a direction connection to the cancer and the parabens. (6) There are numerous research studies like this which are mostly suggestive. The suggestion is strong enough for me to avoid parabens until further research is done to tell me they are safe.
A 2006 study published in Toxicity showed an increase in skin cancer when, in vitro, methylparaben were exposed to UV radiation. (7) This study was never validated with a peer review clinical study, but again, I’d rather be safe than sorry and keep parabens out of our products until further studies convince me they are not going to do harm.
Phthalates
Phthalates are chemical compounds that are used as plasticizers – ingredients that give plastics their elasticity and change the texture and quality of skincare products. The most widely used phthalates are di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP). There are many other forms too. Just check the ingredient label for words ending in phthalate. Butyl ester and plasticizer are other words to watch for.
As with parabens, phthalates are considered estrogen disruptors and the cause of reproductive problems, especially in males. They also have been indicated as causing fat-related health risks.
A University of Rochester Medical Center study connected common chemicals to rising obesity rates. The analysis found that several phthalate metabolites showed a positive correlation with abdominal obesity. Men with the highest levels of phthalates in their urine had more belly fat and insulin resistance. Researchers adjusted for other factors that could influence the results, such as the men’s age, race, food intake, physical activity levels and smoking. (8) Who wants their skincare products adding to the already difficult task of battling the bulge?
Sulfates
Ingredients to look for include: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Myreth Sulfate. These ingredients generally act as detergents or foaming agents and are found in cleansers and shampoos.
Tests show that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate can penetrate into the eyes as well as systemic tissues (brain, heart, liver, etc.) and show long-term retention in those tissues, especially when used in soaps and shampoos. This is especially important in infants, where considerable growth is occurring and because a much greater uptake occurs in the tissue of younger eyes. SLS also changes the amounts of some proteins in cells in eye tissue of all ages. (2)
SLS forms nitrates. When SLS is used in shampoos and cleansers containing nitrogen-based ingredients, it can form carcinogenic nitrates that can enter the blood stream in large numbers. They can cause eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions. [3]
SLS produces nitrosamines, potent carcinogens that cause the body to absorb nitrates at higher levels than eating nitrate-contaminated food like hot dogs or lunch meat. Dr. David H. Fine, the chemist who uncovered NDELA contamination in cosmetics, estimates that a person would be applying 50 to 100 micrograms of nitrosamine to the skin each time he or she used a nitrosamine-contaminated cosmetic. By comparison, a person consuming sodium nitrate-preserved bacon is exposed to less than one microgram of nitrosamine. (4)
SLS and all its varieties are very harsh detergents that strip the skin’s moisture barrier, which is linked to immunity and disruption of skin health, in addition to associated dry, itchy skin. In animal testing, it causes serious health problems. One rule of thumb to remember — if it foams, it may not be your friend.
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