As I sit here researching my next post on kids and chemical exposure I just can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.  The shear wealth of information out there on the damage so many chemicals do to us, and our children is mind-boggling.  But what’s even worse is the extent to which we, as Americans, and parents, are willing to live in denial for the sake of comfort and convenience.   Now, I’ve never been to Egypt and I hear it’s a really pretty place but that’s just not a good enough reason to move there.

I am not ready for the next big post but I’m gonna start with this.  Who cares about you?  Say it’s too late for you.  (although it’s not) But say it is, say you are already toxicly overexposed, you’re body load is bursting over the limits.  You’re a goner no matter what you do.  Your risk for cancer has increased, your risk of infertility, hormone disorders, premature menopause, prostate issues, hypothyroidism, small genital size in boys, allergy, asthma, contact dermatitis, hyperactivity…..the list goes on folks.  see ewg’s statement to the national research panel.  And all this from one specific chemical group called phthalates.  Some of you may be familiar with this chemical and know it was the subject of much controversy because it was found in many children’s toy’s as PVC, vinyl, etc.  Phthalates are basically what makes plastic soft enough to make into squishy bendable toys.  But you see that’s not all they use phthalates for, they also use them in almost all of your personal care products AND your children’s!  You see for some reason phthalates are widely used in our personal care products and they are not required to be labeled.  Basically any product that you use that contains fragrance, or perfume and DOES NOT say phthalate free, has phthalates in them.  Here’s the thing, fragrances are considered “trade secrets” and do not have to disclose ingredients.  But when tested, phthalates that are actually banned in Europe our found in the products we put on our bodies and even worse, our children’s bodies!

And yes folks!  The worst offender is Johnson & Johnson!  Yup, those people who love our babies so much.  They would never do anything to hurt us, no…..  Not only that, they refused to sign “The Compact for Safe Cosmetics Pledge” to help create safer products and disclose all ingredients.  By signing this pledge they would even be given assistance in helping to create a healthier product and finding better alternatives.

After Johnson & Johnson, we have some Burt’s Bees products, Baby Magic, Mustela, Huggies, some Aveeno products.  And the list goes on.  Click here to see the full list.

The website Skin Deep is an invaluable resource.  PLEASE use it!  Please do not be in denial for long.  We all know people who are too young to have cancer, but have it.  We all know too many people with fertility problems, and we all know too many kids with ADD, Asthma and so many other issues.  There are a lot of things you can’t help.  No matter what there will always be detectable levels of phthalates in our systems, because it’s in so many things.  Air fresheners, hand soap, packaging….  But a body burden test done on an extensive amount of volunteers showed that just by “detoxing” from phthalates in body care products for 4 days, lowered the level of dangerous phthalates in urine and blood from 1400 (ng/ml) to 75 (ng/ml) I know that’s scientific mumbo jumbo, but it’s a lot!!!