Very disturbed...

I am coming to the conclusion lately that I'm very ignorant about a lot of things. The other night, Zach was saying that he had a dry scalp (sorry Zach, I don't mean to embarrass you!)... so I decided to research online and see if there was a natural way to get rid of it.... well come to find out that he could have gotten this dandruff from the shampoo we're using. Most shampoos have some really harsh chemicals in them... and not just shampoos, conditioners, soaps, bubble bath, lotions, and make up all have things in them that are really bad for you. Let's just say I was really upset and felt so ignorant and even angry that companies would put harsh chemicals that have been linked to things like cancer and reproductive problems in normal everyday things I use on my body and on my kids! I just have been going along, assuming that these companies have my best interest and my health in mind when creating products for me to consume- wrong!

So these last few days I've been resarching to try and find what I can be using on myself and my family that is not harmful to their bodies... I came up with a few things. There's a website that you can type in a product, and it will tell you all the chemicals they use in them, and the product is rated based on how harmful it is. It's called Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Data Base. It's a great site, I spent way too much time on there, but I got some great information. I feel a lot more informed, although I have a LONG way to go on this issue. You can type in the name of any product, and it will tell you what it's rated on a 0-10 scale of how safe it is- based on how many chemicals are in it. 0 is the safest, 10 the harshest. It will break it down and even tell you what the chemicals are and what effects they have.

After learning about this, Zach and I (being the extremists that we sometimes are- I know, not always a good thing) threw away almost all of our shampoos, conditioners, body washes, soaps, and bubble bath. And I got some replacements for us that are safe to use- and here's what I changed to:
1. Dr Bronner's Magic Soaps- for body wash, hand soap, dish soap, and even cleaner! (it says it has like 18 different uses, and it smells really good. We got the Almond flavor, and they have other flavors too). It's super safe, with all natural ingredients, and I actually felt more clean after using it than I had using my old body wash. Rating on the Skin Deep website: 2. (Anything from a 0-2 is considered safe... although when I'm done with this one, I think I'll find one that is rated a 0)
2. Burt's Bees Shampoo and Conditioners. They're also safe to use, and even smell good. I got the flavor grapefruit and sugar beet- it's yummy! It's different because it doesn't lather up like most shampoos, but it's still great. Rating on the Skin Deep Website: 1 for the shampoo and 2 for the conditioner (and again, when this is gone, I think I'll get one that is rated 0)
3. Tom's of Maine Natural Original Deoderant Stick- Zach likes it so far... Rating: 2
4. Crystal Body Deoderant Stick- I like this okay, but I think I'll have to get used to not having that good smelling secret deoderant- this doesn't have a smell, but if the smell is bad for me, then I'll get used to it for sure! Rating: 0 (my best one yet! I did my shopping before I found this website, that's why I got a few things not rated 0)
5. Spry toothpaste- I was shocked when I realized that even my toothpaste needed to be changed. This one is pretty good so far for us. Rating: 2
6. Coconut Oil- we use this as a moisturizer- and it works great
7. Mixture of Olive Oil and Castor Oil- we use this as a facial cleanser, works great too.

Also, I've changed my household cleaners to a brand called Shaklee. They have totally safe and clean cleaners that I now am using, and really like them! And, it's really not that expensive. Once you buy for the first time, the upkeep is comparable to what you would spend on regular cleaners because it's concentrated. My cousin Sharon got them for me for Christmas, and I am so thankful! :)

Anyways, if you want to read more about chemicals to look out for in your cosmetics, here's a site I found too. http://operationuglybeauty.com/toxins-to-look-for-in-your-make-up/. And here's another great article about these horrible chemicals sitting right in our homes: http://www.natural-salt-lamps.com/nontoxictoothpastealternative.html.

I'm really making a lot of changes in our home as far as the products we use. I'm very interested in being healthy and safe, and especially now that we have children that we're responsible for. I don't want to be part of the cause for concern when it comes to things like cancer- I want to know that I'm doing my best to keep us healthy and strong. But I also don't want this to overtake our lives, and get so focused on it that I can't even see straight (and I have a tendency to get that way...), so I really want to stay level headed about all this. This is definitely a process for me, I know I can't switch everything right away like I want to. But gradually, we're heading in a much healthier direction. I just can't believe that for so long, and with no idea, we'd been using such harsh things in our home. It's all good though, there's always room for change! :)

Now, on the flip side, I also realize that there are two sides to every story. And if I'm looking for why these chemicals are all bad, I'll find reasons. And also, it seems like you could find a link for most everything out here in this world that can cause cancer- so I don't think I can completely eliminate the use of all those things. I don't know, I just want to do my best.