This post is not for our toddlers because I’m assuming we all still either use soap or body wash on their hair. No, this is for us. And, I guess, for anyone with older children. But it’s something to think about for when that day comes when we do need to start purchasing hair care products for our kids.
Unfortunately, our shampoos and conditioners are not exempt from the chemical laden messes we are seeing everywhere else and dissecting. The main problem is the sulfate class of ingredients – which are known skin irritants, possible carcinogens, and may actually contribute to hair loss and thinning – including Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lareth Sulfate and Myreth Sulfate. To break it down, sulfates are surfactants, chemicals created to interact with “surfaces” and to trap oil and whisk it away, and at the same time to make alot of foamy lather. Let’s face it, part of the trouble natural products have is that they don’t foam the way the products we’re used to do, and we have all been taught to associate lather with effectiveness, even though that is not the case. Apparently the foaming actually arises because the surfactants are trapping around air instead of oil, so in a way it’s a sign that the product is not working full force.
So why do the manufacturers use it? Apparently because it’s super cheap. It’s the same ingredient used in car washes and household products to get rid of grease. It’s everywhere. But now that people are starting to read what’s in the products they use it was only a matter of time before the big companies began turning out sulfate-free shampoos because they realize the huge market for it (i.e. Loreal’s new EverPure). That’s great and I applaud the effort, but count me as skeptical that the other 25 ingredients in the products they sell are any healthier for me. And my concern seems valid when you read this from TruthInAging.com:
At first glance, I was feeling pretty warm and fuzzy about my new EverPure Smooth Shampoo…but then things begin to go downhill. Additional primary cleansers and foaming agents include sodium lauryl sulfoacetate, which can be an irritant and isn’t considered very mild nor natural, and disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, which the Cosmetics Database actually rates as a moderate hazard ingredient because of its potential to carry ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane, known toxins and carcinogens. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is even worse, since it actually increases absorption levels, and can be contaminated with nitrosamines. There are also a number of PEGs, preservatives (like methylisothiazolinone, a human skin toxicant according to the CIR), and some irritating fragrance ingredients, although natural juniperus communis fruit oil and rosemary oil do provide the pleasant juniper and rosemary scent. L’Oreal may have gotten rid of the harsh sulfates, but it seems to have replaced them with unsavory substitutes. Perhaps it is 100% vegan, but after close examination of the ingredients list, that seems to be a nice marketing attempt to jump on the organic bandwagon without doing any of the work to create a natural product.
And on the flip side of that coin, I’ve tried alot of the “natural” shampoos at Whole Foods and the truth is that they just weren’t good. This is always a big problem when trying to go natural: either their claim to being natural is not entirely truthful or they are truthful and just not effective.
I came across this great website about a year ago, Killer Strands, which sells only sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, in addition to having professional quality hair coloring that you can do at home. I’m only in it for the shampoos and conditioners though, and the first time I visited the site I remember reading something that struck me as so true: if your shampoo is really good for you, unless you have super kinky hair or extenuating circumstances, you should not need a conditioner. That basically conditioners were developed as another product to sell you, and mainly because the shampoos don’t do their job. That all you should really need is maybe a leave-in conditioner spray. And since I started using their products all that has turned out to be true. Fortunately though, the shampoos and conditioners that she’s selling on Killer Strands are both harsh chemical free and effective. I’d never heard of some of these brands but apparently the Sudzz above is a cult favorite of Jennifer Aniston who’s made a good amount of her fame through association with some pretty great hair.
Tags: Sudzz, sulfate-free hair care
by:LC
It’s that time of year: Miss P was in the hospital last week after three days with a fever, although thankfully it was nothing serious – a viral infection that was not influenza and just needed to run its course, but after not eating for the larger part of 72 hours, we were worried. Truthfully, there’s not much you can do but treat symptoms. And to that end we’re big fans of the motley crew of products we’ve assembled to get us through any cold. But one thing has been nagging at me – about both her and I, actually – and that’s nasal spray.
I use nasal spray quite a bit. I use it when I travel on airplanes, for the different places that I travel which are dry climates, and for moisturizing in the winter when the heater has been on for Lord knows how many months and the house is just as stuffy as I am. Of course when a child is sick and we need to get all that guck out, well, there’s nasal spray to help. I never gave it any thought because I just kind of assumed that it was only water and salt. In retrospect that’s a pretty dumb assumption because of course these products that sit on shelves for years need preservatives in them. I looked up my preferred brand (Walgreens) as well as Miss P’s (Little Noses), and found the same thing: some harmless ingredients, but two that stood out as concerns: Phenylcarbinol (AKA benzyl alcohol or disodium edetate), and Benzalkonium Chloride. Both ingredients are listed as a “6-7″ on the hazard scale over at Skindeep.com. The former is a preservative, the latter an antimicrobial. I understand why these two ingredients need to be in there, but it doesn’t make me wonder any less. If we’re worried about other preservatives such as the parabens, why not this class of preservatives? And as far as antimicrobials go, I’d prefer not to have the same one that goes into household cleaning products (which Benzalkonium Chloride does) going directly into my head.
I had seen ads for Xlear (pronounced Clear), a nasal spray with Xylitol, and was curious: why Xylitol? I’ve seen it in gum, but…nasal spray? Come to find out it’s a naturally occurring five carbon sugar which was identified decades ago by the Finnish as contributing to good dental hygiene, hence the application in gum, but again…nasal spray? Apparently the type of streptococcus that causes cavities is very similar to the one that causes ear and nose problems, so therein lies the connection between oral health and nasal health. According to this study, xylitol performed better as an antimicrobial than the regular saline spray ingredients because the bacteria could not properly metabolize the xylitol, seems that while most sugars promote bacteria growth, xylitol inhibits it. And according to Dr. Alan Greene, the well-known pediatrician and author of Feeding Baby Green, it has also proven effective at reducing ear infections in children prone to getting them. I for one never would have thought of bacteria as having an appetite, but at least now I know what to feed them.
Tags: non-toxic nasal spray, Xlear Sinus Nasal Spray, Xylitol
by:LC
I was driving in the car this morning, listening to NPR and the Diane Rehm show. The upcoming segment was going to be about habitable planets beyond our own, yadda yadda, and I turned the channel pretty quickly. Thankfully the Stones’ “Beast of Burden” was on which always puts me in a good mood. I changed it because I just don’t have the bandwidth for astronomy, especially the ones where they’re talking about finding habitable planets in other solar systems. And just as I was changing the channel – honestly, it was kind of a corny moment – a flock of birds was coming down into a tree in front of me. It just occurred to me that while I 100% support and admire the research people do to understand our universe, it baffles me how relatively few people look at this planet and consider it beautiful enough to be worth making conscious decisions in order to save.
Point in case, trees. There were those birds. They need trees. So do lots of animals. So do we. And it’s holiday season, and typically I run up to Tuesday Morning and buy the best looking cheap wrapping paper I can find. Because, why not, right? It’s just going to be torn open and forgotten in about 2.1 seconds on Dec. 25. Except that I just recently read that most commercial wrapping paper cannot be recycled. Turns out that the heavy inks used on them, foil and glitter render it unusable again. And they actually recommend you just trash it if you aren’t sure because otherwise it could contaminate recyclable materials. Are you kidding me? What an utter waste of tree pulp. Forget that it isn’t appreciated for very long, that’s just the nature of the thing. But it can’t even be repurposed into something else? That kind of makes me sad…
So I started researching for wrapping paper that is made from 100% (or heck, even just a large amount) of recycled content. Not as easy to find as you might think in this day and age. And then add one with good design to boot. Harder. But I did find a few. They cost a bit more, but it’s not crazy. I just ordered mine from Ecosaurus, who happens to be having a special right now where most all their papers are 50% off. I chose the one in the bottom left of the above photo, and imagine it with gold and white ribbon and some dangly, gold or green bells. Other companies making paper from 100% recycled content include Smock, which has some great upscale designs, and Fish Lips. In addition to being conservationist, the papers are in turn recyclable because they are printed with non-toxic inks. Check it out.
Tags: 100% recycled wrapping paper
by:LC
There are times when you need a wipe, but not a wipey, if you know what I mean. I’m on the run and need to clean Miss P’s hands, her face, a minor spill, and don’t want to use the wipes we use on her bum. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but I don’t need whatever’s in them on her face or her hands all the time either; they do leave a film behind. These WysiWipes are the bomb. When she was first born we would sometimes use them to clean her body in place of a washcloth, and as she got older I’ve used them in various other situations including with white vinegar and water when she had a yeast infection (that’s what they say works best, people), and out at dinner to clean her hands instead of using paper napkins that fall apart with just the tiniest bit of water and friction. They’re completely biodegradable, made of cellulose, and have no alcohol or scents, so they’re basically just a blank tableau on which to add whatever you need for whenever you need it. You run them under water (or dip them in a glass of water at the table, or water bottle in the car) and instantly have a wet rag. And since they come formed into little pellets, they store super easily anywhere you need them. I thought they were virtually unknown but it turns out that Martha – who knows, better than most, a good thing when she sees it -recommended them in her magazine. Hey, the woman knows a good thing when she sees it…
Tags: WysiWipe
by:LC
After I posted about the “Story of Cosmetics” and the amount of the at best unnecessary and at worst harmful products in some of the washes for kids, someone asked me to recommend specifically some soaps that we had used with Miss P. In this household we are big fans of good, old-fashioned bars of soap. They work, the process to make them is less complicated and, most importantly, they are easier to handle when washing down a child. Grabbing a jar or pump is fine, it’s not like it puts me out, but sometimes it can become tedious to have to keep going back to it again and again to squeeze out more. Overall the bars are cheaper, easier and last longer. They just don’t usually make the cut because everyone wants their cute packaging instead of a bar.of.soap. Not exciting people, just useful. Of course not all soaps are made the same, but here are some that we’ve used with Miss P that were truly all-natural, long-lasting and hard workers: the Avocado Soap from Dimpleskins, Saipua Soap (which is a bit more artisanal), and the Erbaviva baby soap which is about double the price of the others but I’m thinking that’s just because they’re so big that they a)have to cover their costs, and b)well, they can. But again, you’ll spend close to the same on a bottle of wash. We just think of bars of soap as going faster but the truth is that with such little kids they really do last a l-o-n-g time. Itty bitties.
Of course you can just go to your local health food store and buy something off the shelf if you don’t want to wait. We’re fans of the Kirk’s Naturals brand they sell at Whole Foods which is made from pure coconut oil, the most hydrating thing there is. The company does say that their products are only 99% natural as there is a small amount of synthetic fragrance, though. Not sure how I feel about that. Mainly I think to myself, if Kirk’s has that small amount of fragrance I can only imagine what the other products have, so they win by default. But that’s also why the Internet is such a great place – you can search for producers creating small batch, hand-crafted products. My next try is going to be this pure goat milk soap from Beekman 1802, the specialty merchandiser. Their ingredients come from goats that graze on their land and the manufacturing process is all done by hand. It would seem that alot of things done in that manner can still be pretty useful.
Tags: Beekman 1802, Dimpleskins, Kirk's, Saipua soap
by:LC
This post is not for our toddlers because I’m assuming we all still either use soap or body wash on their hair. No, this is for us. And, I guess, for anyone with older children. But it’s something to think about for when that day comes when we do need to start purchasing hair care products for our kids.
