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Does Talcum Powder Causes Cancer?

Just think, products we have used for years, even generations, may be dangerous. That’s what a California jury determined in a recent case against drug company Johnson & Johnson. The case was one of thousands of lawsuits brought nationwide alleging the company failed to warn consumers of the risk of cancer from talc in its products.

Eva Echeverria of East Los Angeles is one of thousands of women who have sued the consumer products giant claiming baby power caused her ovarian cancer. In fact, the jury awarded punitive damages of $417 million in this case. She had been using the product for decades.

Baby power is used not only for babies, but by women to prevent chafing and for its freshening effect. This is one of the most used and trusted products ever sold.

And this law suit is not the only one. Other legal claims have been made against Johnson & Johnson, such as those in Missouri and South Dakota. Most of the decisions have gone against the company, the Missouri one resulted in damages of $307 million. More than 1,000 other people have filed similar lawsuits. Some who won their lawsuits won much lower amounts, illustrating how juries have wide latitude in awarding monetary damages.

Of course, the company is appealing, but the number of lawsuits is piling up, with only some having gone to trail, so far. In fairness, several suits have been dismissed.

But the significant success of suits, to the tune of millions of dollars in damages, raises serious questions about the product.

Even more importantly, these cases undermine public confidence in well-known and popular consumer products. It begs the question, who is looking out for the safety of people who rely on honest companies and government oversight to put safe, reliable and healthy products on the shelves?

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Beware – Your Home May be Dangerous to Your Health

For years we have been buying the same household cleaners from the same big-name brands. They are literally a part of our lives.

But, did you know that these familiar names are not selling products with our best interests in mind? Yes, sadly, it’s true. Now this is not to disparage the effectiveness of these products in cleaning and producing results, but – and that’s a big BUT, these same effective cleaning products are not always safe for people. Some of them contain downright dangerous toxic chemicals to which no one, not even our pets, should be exposed.

According to Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., “Many common household chemicals are dangerous. They may be reasonably safe when used as directed, yet contain toxic chemicals or degrade over time into a more dangerous chemical.” It’s enough when we must confront known harmful chemicals, but to find that they can degrade into even more dangerous forms is downright scary.

 

Let’s look at some examples…

Ammonia – Ammonia is a common ingredient we have all used. It is especially common in glass cleaners and wipes. It is a volatile compound that can irritate the respiratory system and mucous membranes if inhaled and it can cause a chemical burn if it is spilled on skin. Ammonia will react with chlorinated products (e.g., bleach) to produce deadly chloramine gas. Yet, this has been a home standard for years.

Laundry Detergent – Laundry detergents contain a variety of chemicals, such as alcohol ethoxylate, alkyl ethoxy sulfate, amine oxide, ethanol and hydrogen peroxide. Few know what these are and what they mean to our health. Ingestion of cationic agents may cause nausea, vomiting, convulsion, and coma. Non-ionic detergents are irritants. Also, many people experience chemical sensitivity to dyes and perfumes present in some detergents.

These are just two of the many product types we use on a regular basis.

It’s time to read the fine-print – check all labels for ingredients and warnings. Better yet, select products that are known to be safe, i.e. non-toxic, green, bio-degradable. Your family will appreciate it and Mother Earth will too.

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How To Remove Migraine Triggers From Your Home

Determining how to remove migraine triggers can be a painful subject.

We wouldn’t wish them upon our worst enemy.

They’re that bad.

There’s different levels of migraines, some more severe than others. All of them, however, are just different levels of miserable. The pain associated with migraines is, in part, what keeps us from talking about them. The fear that merely mentioning migraines could trigger the onset of one has kept communication constrained. That’s a myth, but there are real migraine triggers.

What Can I Do About Migraine Triggers

Some common triggers include:

• alcohol

• caffeine

• smoking

• cleaning chemicals

• food allergies

• stress

Removing these real migraine triggers can be life-changing–in a good way. Only one of these triggers can be identified quickly, however, and it doesn’t require a lifestyle change to eliminate it. It’s time to shed some light on that subject. Not to mention that we’re in an era that’s learning how to responsibly communicate the increasing waves of information available. So which of the migraine triggers out there are actually quite simple to remove?

The Bad News & Good News About These Migraine Triggers

The bad news is that you may have been triggering migraines in yourself or a loved one without even knowing it. The good news is that there’s something you can do about it–today.

There’s a lot of people online that are reporting that certain household cleaners were found to be the culprits. The guilty products range from Windex, to 409 Cleaner, to CLR, and so on. The common thread among them is that they’re all chemical-based, synthetic household cleaners. Most of these big-business companies could care less about the potential side-effects of their products. That being said, why should we show them any loyalty by buying their products?

Remove & Replace Action Plan

You can remove every single chemical cleaner from your home, if you want. In fact, many people suggest that you do just that.

However, you’re still going to need to clean your home, right? You’ll want to come up with a “remove and replace” plan of action.

Just make sure that the new items you choose to replace the old migraine-triggering common household cleaners are healthy, safe, and chemical-free.

Moving Forward Against Migraine Triggers

If you or anyone in your home suffers from migraines, there’s a strong chance that they could be triggered by these common household cleaners. Now that you know that migraine headaches can be triggered by the chemicals floating in the air, as well as on the surfaces of your home, it’s up to you to decide what you want to do about it.

If you’re like many people that have already found this quick, and unexpected, relief–you’ll want to develop your own “remove and replace” action plan as soon as possible.

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The Top Nine Chemical Nightmares Lurking in Your Household Products

A lot of the focus on the FDA lately has been about what is going into our food, but people are failing to see just how bad things have really become. If the regulation of consumable products has been lackluster, then the attention given to shampoos and soaps is virtually non-existent. Thousands of chemicals fill products that we use and absorb into our bodies every time we shower or even wash our hands! With no pre-product approval, it is impossible to tell just what chemicals we are exposed to, but here are nine that you certainly need to avoid!

Parabens: This nasty concoction has been used for quite some time under the guise of a necessary ingredient due to its ability to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast. However, it also contains estrogen-like properties that have shown correlation to the increased risk of contracting breast cancer and are commonly found in shampoos, washes, deodorant, etc.

Synthetic Colors: Watch out for ingredients like D&C Red 27 and FD&C blue 1. After all they are derived from things like petroleum and coal tar. It isn’t very surprising that it is suspected to be a carcinogen and skin irritant, but it is shockingly linked to ADHD in children!

Fragrance: Here is where this tour starts to truly get scary. Fragrance was originally a term used to protect a company’s secret formula, but in this day and age, at least the FDA should know what is making your shampoo smell. We know the identities of many chemicals that create mood-calming/refreshing scents, but if they don’t even have to list their “secret blend” on the bottle, how can we even know it is dangerous or not!

Phthalates: We commonly see phthalates in the form of dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate and dimethyl phthalate in many hair care products, lotions, and perfumes. These compounds have a lot of evidence showing they increase the risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and even reproductive birth defects in men and women.

Triclosan: Get ready to visit yet another endocrine disruptor, except this one targets your thyroid as well as your reproductive hormones. Research is showing that excessive exposure leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What makes it worse? The fact that most research shows it kills no more bacteria than natural hand-soap.

Sodium lauryl sulfate/Sodium laureth sulfate: These nasty chemicals can be found in pretty much any that foams up. It is a known skin, lung, and eye irritant, but a far larger concern is that SLS creates nitrosamines when combined with the wrong chemicals. This leads to all sorts of issues, but the kidneys and respiratory system take the hardest hit. Watch out for this ingredient in shampoo, body wash, mascare and acne creams.

Formaldehyde: A liquid that immediately makes us think of CSI and dead corpses, this embalming fluid is often found in products as a preservative, but it isn’t meant for the living. It was already deemed a carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens and it can have a harsh impact on your immune system. Common products containing this ingredient are nail polish, conditioners, washes, cleansers, nail polish treatments, shampoos, eye shadows, and the list goes on.

Toluene: Another petrochemical that comes from petroleum or coal, you will often find it in phenylmethane, benzene, toluol, methylbenzene. Seeing as this chemical is normally used as a paint thinner, you can imagine what it does to your skin and lungs. While the fumes are harmful to people of all ages, expecting mothers should especially beward since toluene is directly related to developmental damage in the fetus. To add to the fire, it can harm your immune system as well. Be careful when selecting items like nail polish, hair bleaching products, and nail treatment.

Propylene glycol: We see this in most things we rub into our skin or spray onto ourselves, but there is only so much we can take. When making your purchase, make sure the propylene glycol levels are below 2%. Anything higher is already at risk for causing dermatitis and hives, so it is best to avoid it altogether.

While we use most of the products mentioned in this blog on a daily basis, we aren’t as doomed as it may seem. It is true that most of the well-known brands are chalked-full of nasty chemical combos that will demolish your system, but keep in mind there is a natural alternative to every one of these items listed. Whether you learn from us our take your own path, just know that when it comes to household products and personal care items, it is better to be able to read the ingredient list without a PHD in chemistry!

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Ammonia-D Danger & Damage: 7 Side-Effects You Should Know

With our current ability to communicate quickly and openly online, there’s no longer any excuses to remain ignorant on all of these Ammonia-D side-effects.

“Ammonia-D” is actually Proctor & Gamble’s version of this public poison, which they put in Windex. What’s the “D” in “Ammonia-D” stand for?

Danger? Death? Dishonesty? Who knows? One thing is certain: the general public is still largely in the dark about Ammonia-D.

Imagine you’re an uncaring, greedy, big chemical company and one of your best-sellers suddenly stopped being ordered by all your big commercial buyers because of OSHA & EPA regulations. You would try to downplay the danger, maybe rename the poison, and recoup some of those losses by selling to an already-busy, over-worked, unsuspecting public.

Long-term exposure tests are still being conducted, but there’s a lot of studies on ammonia already published. I’ve gone ahead and sifted through pages and pages of reports for you.

In no particular order, here’s a quick rundown of 7 major side-effects of Ammonia-D.

  1. Contact can cause skin irritation (like dermatitis), and, with repeated exposure, possibly lead to severe skin damage
  2. Contact can severely burn your eyes, including potential eye damage.
  3. Inhaling Ammonia-D can irritate the nose and throat.
  4. Inhaling Ammonia-D can irritate the lungs.
  5. Higher exposures can severely damage the lungs, causing a build-up of fluid (also known as a pulmonary edema), a medical emergency
  6. Repeated exposure can also cause an asthma-like allergy and permanent airway damage.
  7. Contact with liquid ammonia can cause frostbite(!)

Does this sound like a substance you would want near your pets, friends and family?  Of course not! We wouldn’t wish these Ammonia-D side-effects onto our worst enemies.  And we’re bringing this poison into our homes, spraying it and allowing it to work its way through our air vents, while our children are sleeping.

There’s no longer any reason to keep our head in the sand. Take a stand with me, please, and avoid using these horrible products—at all costs.  Myrna, Green Clean Life Champion!

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What Does Green Really Mean?

The Environmental Working Group, or EWG, has come out with a “Hall of Shame” list and what it contains will shock and educate you. Many of the products you use in your home contain carcinogens, asthma inhibitors, and toxins. Are you paying more for that name brand cleaner for unregulated product? According to research shown, a staggering 93% of cleaning products in this independent study did not accurately state the contents nor the quantity of contents properly! The EWG research also showed that 53% of the solutions contained chemicals that are hazardous to the lungs and can cause serious damage. To add insult to injury, many of these cleaners also contained common carcinogens like formaldehyde and chlorine, but something even worse lurks around the corner

Being green is one way to combat these pesky, poisonous materials, but that “green” label you see on most products in the store also doesn’t has hidden meanings! Companies have made mild changes to their formula to qualify for these new “green” labels, but it is an attempt to take advantage of a rising market. These cleaning products might as well be toxic moltov-cocktail filled with phthalates, benzene, and phenols. This is why the movement is making so much cash though, because the manufacturer and middle-man are taking advantage of your trust.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t trust a label jus because it says green. If you really want a green product that won’t be filled with chemicals, look to natural anti-bacterial replacements like tea tree oil and baking soda. Real Simple Magazine suggests. Lemon juice, cooking oil, and vinegar are some that you can find around the house and start using right away, so what are you waiting for? Time to join the Green Clean Life Movement.