Mercury-free cosmetics

I could not believe my eyes when I saw this headline today By Associated Press writer MARTIGA LOHN Mercury in mascara? Minn. law bans it. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071214/ap_on_he_me/mercury_in_mascara”.

I guess I should not be surprised given what is in “cleaners,” but how Pollyanna of me to think there was some kind of common sense regulation on products meant to be applied to the face and eyes. If you recall, in my “Because Clean Shouldn’t Hurt” article, absorption via the skin is the second fastest method to take in a substance, led only by inhalation. Good thing cosmetics don’t have a smell …

“Federal law allows eye products to contain up to 65 parts per million of mercury” and many other personal care and beauty products contain it as well as multiple other unhealthy chemicals and substances that are known to be a health hazard. Sixty-five parts per million is probably not a lethal dose, but add that to moisturizer, blush, shadow, lipstick, foundation, concealer and now you have a dose that would be six times over allowable by Federal law. Toss in the brew in your laundry soap, bath soap and cleaning products and you may as well go swimming in a waste dump.

I will not test your intelligence by listing all the negative health effects of mercury, but please do think a moment if this avoidable ingredient is really okay with you. A gentle reminder as well that in order to put mercury in your make up also requires a manufacturing process involving workers exposed to it as well as waste being added to the environment. There is no federal law about ingredient labels so do not bother going to look, trust me if it is there the last thing they want you to do is know about it. The good news is now we know where they put all that mercury from our thermometers that were too dangerous to have OUTSIDE our homes.

I became an
Independent Shaklee Dealer
because, as an herbalist, I was mad at what I found was legal to put in “cleaners” and “health products,” feeling there ought to be a law about selling toxins in pretty packages. For 50 years this company has not wavered on allowing profits over health, and has managed to keep the costs even with, and frequently less than the competition.

Give it some thought, and give me a call or drop me an e-mail if you decide that a little truth and safety are a good thing.

Because Clean should not hurt ...

Clean should not hurt, not you, your family, your world or your wallet. It really is that simple. The Sundance Life is a company that believes this simple fact in our hearts, and are here to help you make a difference.

In our rush-rush world the simple things like cleaning have become "improved" to the point of being hazardous. Modern chemistry has made life cheaper and faster but dubiously better, leaving behind highly toxic residues on every surface. Many cleaners in your household are not allowed in the workplace due to OSHA safety regulations. The more I found out, the more I wanted change, for me now. After researching price, history, and effectiveniess I became an
Independent Shaklee Dealer
to obtain some of the non-toxic cleaners I desired. I also make a few of my own when I find the recipes to be effective. Hopefully one should appeal based on your lifestyle. What matters is doing something. First, a small amount of information on why you may want to consider it, and I only used a small sample of the available information in order to avoid sounding like Chicken Little.

The Federal Environmental Protection Agency ( E.P.A. ) has found that airborne chemical levels were as much as 70 times higher inside our homes than outside, studies show this has a significant impact on our health, life expectancy and that of future generations. Here are two of the most common:

Phthalates are found in most leading cleaning, beauty care, personal care products, and most scented items. Phthalates are a large family of industrial chemicals linked to permanent birth defects in the male reproductive system, damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and a range of cancers. Phthalates make their way into our body by eating, breathing and skin contact, so why are they in our fabric softeners, soaps and cosmetics?

Ninety-Five percent (95%) of chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. They include benzene derivatives, aldehydes and many other known toxins and sensitizers - capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders * and allergic reactions. (Neurotoxins: At Home and the Workplace, Report by the Committee on Science & Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, Sept. 16, 1986. (Report 99-827) )
Popular air "fresheners," - we won’t even go there!

*Central nervous system disorders include SIDS to MS, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s ADD and more.

You get the point so I will stop here, there are hundreds of chemicals in this virtually unregulated industry, and most of them are not your friends. These chemicals are now showing up in our water supplies, marine life, and stored in the fats in human and animal bodies, both in the city and the country. The FDA does not regulate the contents of your baby shampoo or your all purpose cleaner as to do so would "violate secret recipes," and dollars speak volumes. Many of our most familiar household names are the most toxic.

As I get time, I will post the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) on some of the more common ingredients found under you sink, in your shower, in your "skin care" products and your laundry room right now. Check around the blog and soon my web site for information on the use of essential oils, home made cleaners, and other ways you can protect yourself and your world. If you don't want to wait to begin removing the toxins from your home, please visit the non-toxic cleaning products I carry now! The Sundance Life will have you well on your way for getting really clean the green way!