Bad Phthalate!

What is Phthalate?

Phthalates (Pronounced "THAL-ates.") are commonly added to plastics as softeners and solvents. They're used in a wide variety of products including-

1. dyes
2. PVC vinyl tile
3. carpet tiles
4. artificial leather
5. seat coverings
6. raincoats
7. shower certains
8. garden hoses
9. many leading beauty care products (hair spray, deoderant,nail polish and perfume)

Here are some of the leading beauty manufactures using phthalates in their products -

1. Pantene Pro V "Healthy Hold" and Aqua Net hair sprays
2. Arrid and Degree deodorants
3. fragrances including Poison by Christian Dior and Coty's Healing Garden
4. Cover Girl
5. Sally Hansen
6. Maybelline
7. (L'Oreal) nail polish

They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes, ingested when they contaminate food or when children bite or suck on toys and are inadvertently but directly administered to patients from some PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl) medical devices.

Phthalates are now so widespread that they are hard to avoid.

Phthalates were associated with symptoms of asthma, hay fever, and eczema.

By leaching out of products, phthalates have become "global pollutants," say the researchers. More than 3.5 million metric tons of phthalates are produced annually.
Asthma and allergies have also increased in the developed world during the last 30 years, prompting some experts to wonder if environmental changes are responsible, since genetic shifts might not be seen as quickly।

Phthalates Facts:

Studies have shown that phthalates can damage the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive system, especially the developing testes.

The inspiration of this topic came to me because a friend asked "Does Melaleuca's plastic bottles have that thing that is bad?" I knew what they were referring too and yet I had a hard time remember what the name was. It was probably because I didn't know how to pronounce it or what about it was so bad. So the only way to get it to stick was to do research! BTW Mela's products do not have that "thing that is bad!"

How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies?

THE PROBLEMS

PERSONAL HEALTH

When consumers buy commercial cleaning products, we expect them to do one thing: clean! We use a wide array of scents, soaps, detergents, bleaching agents, softeners, scourers, polishes, and specialized cleaners for bathrooms, glass, drains, and ovens to keep our homes sparkling and sweet-smelling. But while the chemicals in cleaners foam, bleach, and disinfect to make our dishes, bathtubs and countertops gleaming and germ-free, many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched.

In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the home. In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer.

The most acutely dangerous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and acidic toilet bowl cleaners, according to Philip Dickey of the Washington Toxics Coalition. Corrosive chemicals can cause severe burns on eyes, skin and, if ingested, on the throat and esophagus. Ingredients with high acute toxicity include chlorine bleach and ammonia, which produce fumes that are highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems. These two chemicals pose an added threat in that they can react with each other or other chemicals to form lung-damaging gases. Combining products that contain chlorine and ammonia or ammonia and lye (in some oven cleaners) produces chloramine gases, while chlorine combined with acids (commonly used in toilet bowl cleaners) forms toxic chlorine gas. Other ingredients in cleaners may have low acute toxicity but contribute to long-term health effects, such as cancer or hormone disruption. Some all-purpose cleaners contain the sudsing agents diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA). When these substances come into contact with nitrites, often present as undisclosed preservatives or contaminants, they react to form nitrosamines - carcinogens that readily penetrate the skin. 1,4-dioxane, another suspected carcinogen, may be present in cleaners made with ethoxylated alcohols. Butyl cellosolve (also known as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether), which may be neurotoxic (or cause damage to the brain and nervous system), is also present in some cleaners. Chemicals that are so-called "hormone disruptors" can interfere with the body's natural chemical messages, either by blocking or mimicking the actions of hormones. Possible health effects include decreased sperm counts, increased rates of male birth defects such as cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias (where the urethra is on the underside of the penis), and increased rates of some kinds of cancers. The alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) used in some detergents and cleaners have been shown to mimic the hormone estrogen; one APE, p-nonylphenol, has caused estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells to multiply in a test tube study.

ENVIRONMENTAL

After bubbly cleaning liquids disappear down our drains, they are treated along with sewage and other waste water at municipal treatment plants, then discharged into nearby waterways. Most ingredients in chemical cleaners break down into harmless substances during treatment or soon afterward. Others, however, do not, threatening water quality or fish and other wildlife.
In a May 2002 study of contaminants in stream water samples across the country, the U.S. Geological Survey found persistent detergent metabolites in 69% of streams tested. Sixty-six percent contained disinfectants.The detergent metabolites the USGS detected were members of a class of chemicals called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs). APEs, which include nonylphenol ethoxylates and octylphenol ethoxylates, are surfactants, or "surface active agents" that are key to detergents' effectiveness. They are added to some laundry detergents, disinfectants, laundry stain removers, and citrus cleaner/degreasers. When discharged in municipal waste water, nonylphenol ethoxylates and octylphenol ethoxylates break down into nonylphenol and octylphenol, which are more toxic and do not readily biodegrade in soil and water. APEs have been shown to mimic the hormone estrogen, and their presence in water may be harming the reproduction and survival of salmon and other fish. For example, in Britain, researcher John Sumpter discovered that male fish exposed to APEs in rivers were producing female egg-yolk proteins. APE pollution may be threatening fish in the U.S. as well, for octylphenol and nonylphenol were the detergent metabolites that the USGS detected in 69% of streams tested here. Such ubiquity may not bode well for humans, either: the APE p-nonylphenol has also caused estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells to proliferate in test tubes. Another famous water pollutant is phosphates, water-softening mineral additives that were once widely used in laundry detergents and other cleaners. When phosphates enter waterways, they act as a fertilizer, spawning overgrowth of algae. This overabundance of aquatic plant life eventually depletes the water's oxygen supply, killing off fish and other organisms. Although many states have banned phosphates from laundry detergents and some other cleaners, they are still used in automatic dishwasher detergents. Another environmental concern with cleaning products is that many use chemicals that are petroleum-based, contributing to the depletion of this non-renewable resource and increasing our nation's dependence on imported oil. The plastic bottles used to package cleaning products pose another environmental problem by contributing to the mounds of solid waste that must be landfilled, incinerated or, in not enough cases, recycled. Most cleaners are bottled in high-density polyethylene (HDPE, denoted by the #2 inside the recycling triangle) or polyethylene terephthalate (PETE, #1) which are accepted for recycling in a growing number of communities. However, some are bottled in polyvinyl chloride (PVC, #3). PVC, otherwise known as vinyl, is made from cancer-causing chemicals such as vinyl chloride, and it forms as a byproduct a potent carcinogen, dioxin, during production and incineration. As a final insult, most sanitation departments do not accept PVC for recycling; less than 1% of all PVC is recycled each year.

A Look at The Products You Have Been Using

I am on a mission to replace all of the cleaning, hygiene and health products in my home with completely natural products that COST LESS. Being proactive when it comes to my family's safety and wellness has been weighing heavy on my heart.

Sharing this passion with others has fulfilled a void of purpose I had been feeling. I am strengthened by those around me as we walk hand in hand in such a fulfilling journey that has been awesomely rewarding. Please take a few moments and read some of the harmful ingredients we have been using… and if this scares you as it did I, please take a journey with us in seeking a brighter safer future.

Here are some everyday products and the toxins contained in them:

DOVE BEAUTY BAR = Quaternium 15; Formaldehyde-Carcinogen. Causes cancer, dermatitis, neurotoxin, and sensitizer - poisonous, irritant to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Butylated Hydroxytoluene, (BHT) Carcinogen.

JOHNSON'S BABY SHAMPOO = Quaternium 15; FD&C RED 40: Carcinogen and causes dermatitis.

CREST TARTAR CONTROL TOOTHPASTE = Saccharin: Carcinogen, contains Phenol. If you accidentally swallow more than a pea-sized amount of this, you must contact the Poison Control Center immediately. This warning does not appear on the tube.

TIDE AND CHEER DETERGENT = Detergent: Can cause temporary respiratory tract irritation. Symptoms include stinging, swelling or redness. Sodium silicate: Can be corrosive. Can cause burns to the eyes and tissue damage to the skin, as well as cause burns to the mouth, throat and stomach if swallowed. Sodium Sulfate: Corrosive: Severe eye, skin and respiratory irritant. Can cause asthma attacks. Thisodium Nitrilotriacetate: Carcinogen Note: Tide powder contains fiberglass. If you use this and your sweaty and itchy, it's the fiberglass in your clothing from the laundry detergent.

FANTASTIC = Formula 409:Butyl Cellosolve: Neurotoxin. Eye and skin irritant. Damages central nervous system, kidney and liver. Readily absorbed through the skin. Damages blood and body's ability to make blood - listed as a pesticide.

WINDEX AEROSOL GLASS CLEANER = Butyl Cellosolve (see above) Isobutene: Neurotoxin.

LYSOL DISINFECTANT = Dioxin; Carcinogen, 500,000 times more deadly than DDT. Ethyl Alcohol: Eye, Skin, and respiratory tract irritant.

I read that funeral directors are now saying “The levels of formaldehyde in our bodies have increased so much so that we now only use half the required amounts in preservation.”

What can you do to reduce your risks?
By eliminating or reducing the use of toxic chemicals in your home you can make a significant difference in your life and the life of your family.