The Ingredient Geek

Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options

Ingredient Education

Ingredients to Avoid & Safe Sunscreen Tips

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Ingredients to Avoid & Safe Sunscreen TipsAs the weather warms up, more of us remember about putting on sun protection. Of course living in San Diego, we are out in the sun a lot! In the back of my mind I realize that the sun’s rays actually get to me while I’m driving my car every day, but I don’t think about sun protection until I’m going to an event and I know I’ll be outside.  I was running out, so I put my *Ingredient Geek* glasses on!  I started looking at what ingredients to avoid and what is the safest sunscreen.

WHAT TO AVOID

When I first became an Ingredient Geek I was surprised that one of the most popular ingredients in many sunscreens and moisturizers is Retinyl Palmitate. I was SHOCKED to learn that it can act like a sun magnet to draw the sun’s rays to you, and has been linked to skin cancer, accelerating the process (WHAT?!)

Some of the other common ingredients to avoid are:

  • Oxybenzone

Oxybenzone is a sunscreen ingredient associated with photo-allergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s know for endocrine disruption and persistence and bio-accumulation. It is one of two chemical ingredients banned in Hawaii due to the damage to coral reefs.

  • Octinoxate

Octinoxate is shown to have hormone-mimicking effects on laboratory animals. Endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, organ system toxicity.  It is the other chemical ingredient that is banned in Hawaii due to the damage to coral reefs.

  • Octisalate

Octisalate is suspected to be an environmental toxin. May cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

  • Octocrylene

Octocrylene has high concerns. Biochemical or cellular level changes. Also, this ingredient is suspected or measured to accumulate in people. Suspected to be an environmental toxin. It may cause allergic skin reactions in sensitive individuals.

  • Avobenzone

Sunlight can cause avobenzone to break down and lose its effectiveness for skin protection. A recent study found when this chemical comes into contact with sun and chlorine, it can become toxic. (WHAT?!)

I’m also not crazy about nano-particles because I don’t want unknown ingredients & chemicals going all the way into my cells ~ who knows what that will do to me years down the road? The nano-particles are also ending up in our oceans and waterways wreaking havoc on our coral and marine life.

Ingredients to Avoid & Safe Sunscreen Tips

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The top ingredient I look for is NON-Nano Zinc Oxide. I suggest looking for a Physical Sunscreen rather than a Chemical Sunscreen. Chemical based sunscreens must be absorbed into the skin to be effective via a chemical reaction with the UV rays. Since most have crazy ingredients (as noted above) that often degrade in sunlight and can have lasting ill effects, I don’t recommend them.

Physical sunscreens work by sitting on top of the skin to deflect damaging UV rays. They are kind of like wearing hats and long sleeves to physically block the sun. Zinc Oxide seems to be the safest sun protection available since it protects from the full spectrum of UVA and UVB rays and doesn’t degrade in the sun. If you remember lifeguards with white noses, that’s zinc oxide.  The challenge has been that it is difficult to rub in, and no one wants to run around looking like you have white paint all over you.

I posted this on Instagram to show how excited I was that this sunscreen had great ingredients, and did not leave my arm ghostly white!

Non Nano Mineral Safest Sunscreen

I’m really enjoying this sunscreen!! It even helps control shine and acts as a make up primer! Save money and benefit your skin and minimize beauty routine! Luv it! So happy! Thx sister! ~ Bryna B.

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My passion is to help families with Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options. I can send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid. Let’s start the conversation about ingredients in products with others ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or a few friends gathered together online or in person. Making small steps CAN make a big impact.

Great articles to learn more:

✔ Kitchen Stewardship

✔ EWG’s Guide to Sunscreens

✔ Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

✔ News about the published study of Avobenzone in the Chemosphere Journal

✔ Sunscreens and the Ocean

✔ General Sunscreen Information

Are You Avoiding These Top Toxins?

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Are you focusing on healthy living? Are you careful about what you eat and exercising? Have you thought about the everyday products you are using or exposed to? Everything from shampoo, hand soap, lotion, makeup, baby wash, toothpaste, and household cleaning supplies. Our health is impacted in so many ways. Do you know the top ingredients to avoid in personal care products? Are you avoiding these top toxins?

DID YOU KNOW…

  • Europe has banned more than 1,300 harmful chemicals from personal care products? The U.S. has banned just 11?
  • “Safe”, “Organic” and “Natural does not mean your products do not contain any toxic chemicals?
  • Personal and home care products could contain ingredients hazardous to your health?
  • According to the previous President’s cancer panel only 10% of cancer is genetic and 90% is environmental?  That means you have the ability to control what is going into, and onto your body.

TOP INGREDIENTS TO AVOID…

There is a saying “It’s all about the ingredients, the rest is just marketing”. Because this is an unregulated industry, marketing slogans can say just about anything. I like to read the first 5 ingredients as they are the most active ones, then read from the bottom up as that’s usually where the preservatives are. Check out these videos for quick overviews. Below are some top ingredients the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics suggests avoiding.  If you want to skip ahead, here are some safe and easy product swap ideas.

Fragrance / Phthalates

The word fragrance (parfum/perfume) legally hides an unknown number of chemicals under the umbrella of “trade secret.” I like to say that fragrance is like the “high fructose corn syrup in food” (it seems to be everywhere). Phthalates are a large family of hormone disrupting chemicals and are hidden in the word “fragrance.” They are linked to birth defects, breast cancer, asthma, early puberty, decreased sperm counts, diabetes, obesity, autism and ADHD. (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – 2002 “Not Too Pretty” Report, and 2008 “A Little Prettier” Follow-up Report)  Also see my other blog post  What’s Hiding Behind The Fragrance Ingredient?

Parabens

These endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be absorbed through skin, blood and the digestive system.  Parabens are not water soluble and can penetrate the skin. Repeated application of a product or multiple products containing parabens could mean almost continuous exposure. Common parabens are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben.  Studies have linked these endocrine disruptors which mimic estrogen with breast cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity. (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics)

Petrochemicals

Look on the label for PPG, PEG, and polysorbate. Also look for ingredients that end in –eth such as laureth, steareth, ceteareth.  The manufacturing process results in two toxic contaminants linked to breast cancer and other cancers: ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane which the FDA does not require to be listed on the ingredient labels. The European Union has prohibited use of ethylene oxide, and Canada prohibits the use of both 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide in cosmetics products. (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics)

Formaldehyde / Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives

Baby shampoo, body soap, body wash, and color cosmetics often include these preservatives. Formaldehyde and it’s releasers are linked to cancer and allergic skin reactions.  Banned from use in cosmetics and toiletries in Japan and Sweden; in the EU, restricted in personal care products. (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics)

Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start?

My passion is to help families with Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options. Check out these EASY PRODUCT SWAPS. Making small steps CAN make a big impact.

I can also send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid. Let’s start the conversation about ingredients in products with others ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or a few friends gathered together online or in person.

Are You Avoiding These Top Toxins?

Avoid Synthetic Fragrances and Make Your Own Scent

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Avoid Synthetic Fragrances and Make Your Own ScentIf you’re like me with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (thank you menopause!) with a chance of a migraine, you’ll need to avoid synthetic fragrances and make your own scent (or go without).

Fragrance is everywhere and it’s not just in your perfume, it’s also in your personal care products. Because it’s classified as a “trade secret” companies DO NOT have to disclose what’s included and usually it’s hiding toxic chemicals.

Why use synthetic fragrances that can contain hundreds of toxic chemicals, when you can create your own? I like to put the scent blends that I create in a rollerball for ease of use.

Create Your Own Signature Fragrance

My current favorite personal scent recipe:

Base Note ~ 10 drops Organic Cedarwood (Rich, woody aroma… calming, soothing, grounding for mind & body)

Middle Note ~ 6 drops (USDA certified) Organic Peppermint (Cooling sensation … calming effect on the body, boosts energy, improves mental focus)

Top Note ~ 4 drops (USDA certified) Organic Sweet Orange (Citrusy yet sweet smell … helps uplift and energize the mind and body)

Fill rollerball with Organic Jojoba Oil (Jojoba is the perfect “carrier” to mix with any essential oil or oil recipe that comes into contact with the skin. The properties of Jojoba closely resemble the body’s own natural skin)

Here’s a great chart about Top, Middle and Base “fragrance notes” in the classification of essential oils. Let me know if you’d like get together to experiment making your own fragrance.

Be an “Ingredient Geek” and check the labels on all your home and personal care products ~ even so-called “green” companies often hide behind the word “fragrance”! My previous blog post What’s Hiding Behind the Fragrance Ingredient? gives you more information about this.

I recommend & use Pure Haven products because they disclose all their ingredients.  You will not see the word “fragrance” used in any of their products. They use unadulterated essential oils, tested for purity, at recommended safe levels in combination with time-tested, beneficial botanical butters, powders, extracts, oils, and waxes, to create a well-loved line of safe products. (More about why I chose Pure Haven here).

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My passion is to help families with Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options. I can send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid. Let’s start the conversation about ingredients in products with others ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or a few friends gathered together online or in person. Making small steps CAN make a big impact.  Let’s continue the conversation in our Natural Non Toxic Living Group.

My Journey to Becoming an Ingredient Geek and Why I Chose Pure Haven

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Curious about my journey to becoming an Ingredient Geek and why I chose Pure Haven?

I like to read. When I say I like to read, I mean I REALLY like to read. A true Bibliophile with LackaNewBookaPhobia (fear of being without a new book). As a kid, I read the cereal box during breakfast, the shampoo bottle while washing my hair, and the toothpaste tube while brushing my teeth… you get the idea. I read long into the night with a flashlight under the covers. In fact, I still read under the covers so the light on my Kindle doesn’t disturb my hubby. My love of reading turned into researching healthy options.

I’ve battled various skin issues & allergies including acne, eczema, psoriasis, & contact dermatitis my whole life.

One summer, my eczema got so bad my mom put the prescribed hydrocortisone steroid cream on the inside of my arms and wrapped them with plastic wrap. I slept with gloves on so I wouldn’t scratch! The doctors also tried an elimination diet where I remember ONLY eating green beans and drinking apple juice. I’m sure I probably ate more than that, but that’s all I remember from that time.  Side note, in addition to the red, itchy patches all over, I also wore glasses, had braces with full headgear, and had acne. Let’s just say, I was a vision to behold and my self-confidence was not at an all-time high… and yes, I was smart, so truly a geek too.

The day we adopted Gracie @GracieGirlJourney on Instagram

My long journey of holistic & healthy learning

Since I enjoy learning about various healthy options, I’ve taken many courses for people and pets. Everything from aromatherapy / essential oils, herbal remedies, and currently homeopathic medicines. Thanks to menopause (aka mental-pause), everything got a bit crazy.  My hormones, thyroid, and adrenals got all out of whack. I began having a variety of extra health issues that I’m still managing, including Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Environmental Sensitivities (ES). Many fragrances often gave me a 3-day migraine. I started making my own products, which was rewarding, but time-consuming.

I wanted to find one place to shop for a full line of personal care products

Roy (my hubby) & I got tired standing over a hot stove melting beeswax for my eczema lotion. I saw a post about products made with great organic ingredients and essential oils. Praying that none of the products would irritate my skin or give me a migraine, I signed up as a consultant to get the best price. Thankfully, I loved all the products right out of my kit. It wasn’t until I started the training that I learned about “greenwashing.” I THOUGHT I was reading labels carefully & buying products that were safe, natural, and organic.

Taken in by clever marketing, I realized I was not only wasting my money but also exposing myself to harmful toxins.  That made me angry!

That’s when everything changed for me. I REALLY started reading the labels of EVERY product we used. Roy says I’m now a “crusader” empowering families to choose the healthiest products possible. Unfortunately, many are unknowingly harming themselves with their everyday products! Take a look to see if you are Avoiding These Top Toxins. Unsure of the ingredients on the products you’re using? I’m happy to help you decipher them. I’ll honestly let you know if they look good, or if there are ingredients of concern.

Products that are guaranteed 100% free of toxins.

That’s just one of the reasons why I chose to become an Independent Consultant for Pure Haven.  They create fresh products, made in small batches, free of toxins, environmentally sustainable, gluten-free, and cruelty-free. They adhere to a strict, six-step ingredient sourcing procedure and manufacture the products in their USDA Certified Organic facility.

Ready to start Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options?

Now that you know why I chose Pure Haven, are you ready to start Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options? Here are some First Steps to Living Toxic Free. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Let’s chat, and let me help you on your own natural non-toxic journey. I can also send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid.

Monique, the Ingredient Geek has an uncanny sense of ingredients and what is reasonable for our best health.  She is able to make sense of some complicated products that would baffle any normal person. Being an Ingredient Geek is her superpower! ~ Milea S.

When you’re ready, come join our Natural NonToxic Living Community on Facebook. We can also start the conversation about ingredients in products with your friends ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or gather a few friends together online or in person.

What’s Hiding Behind the Fragrance Ingredient?

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What’s Hiding Behind the Fragrance Ingredient?Did you know that the word “fragrance” when used on personal care and home products is not just one ingredient?

So what’s hiding behind the fragrance ingredient?  Good question, especially since it seems to be everywhere. I don’t know about you, but since I am an Ingredient Geek, I’m always checking the backs of the labels ~ even (especially) the so-called “green” companies! Thanks to “mental-pause” I now have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) in addition to my eczema (and various other issues).  I REALLY need to know what chemicals might be in the products I’m using. Read my post Are You Avoiding These Top Toxins? to learn more about other top ingredients are best to avoid.

Phthalates are a large family of hormone disrupting chemicals and are hidden in the word “fragrance.”

@healthy_child says, “And it’s not only where you think it is, like perfume, body cream, and candles. It’s in diapers, toothpaste, even baby dolls and orange juice!”

@womensvoices says, “The term “fragrance” can be a mixture of up to 100 different chemicals, out of more than 3,000 commonly-used fragrance chemicals! Chemicals of concern in fragrance are linked to allergies, cancer, birth defects, and infertility.”

Even if a product says “unscented” on the front, please always read the actual ingredients on the label.

If I see the word fragrance, or perfume, or parfum, I don’t use it, simple as that. Because it’s classified as a “trade secret” companies DO NOT have to disclose what’s included ~ even if there’s a child going into anaphylactic shock triggered by a popular body spray (as seen in the move “Stink”)!! You can also read the story here (Thankfully due to the strong outcry, as of 02/13/17 the ingredients are started to be disclosed to the public).

Oh, and guess what?

That room spray you THINK is cleaning the air and smelling so fresh?

It’s just masking the odor and filling your lungs with unknown chemicals!

What’s hiding behind the fragrance ingredient? EWG’s Greener School Cleaning Supplies Report found that in the most popular air freshener, only 3 ingredients were disclosed on the label, yet the lab found 87 chemicals!!  (WAIT, WHAT?!) That’s crazy to have that many undisclosed ingredients, in fact it could be quite are dangerous to many.

If you want to wear some type of scent, check out this post Avoid Synthetic Fragrances and Make Your Own Scent

Overwhelmed? Want some help?

My passion is to help families with Swapping Toxins for Healthy Options. I can send you a list of the top ingredients to avoid. Let’s start the conversation about ingredients in products with others ~ Contact me to speak to groups, companies, or a few friends gathered together online or in person. Making small steps CAN make a big impact.  Let’s continue the conversation in our Natural Non Toxic Living Group.

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Here are some great articles if you want to learn more:

✔  Healthy Child

✔  Womens Voices