World Wisdom: Toxin-Free Home

Here are four important (and easy) ways to keep your family's products toxin-free.

Life is busy, and most of us know that we should be more aware of what we put on our kids’ skin, but it can be hard to know the best way to manage all the different products we use every day. Reading ingredient lists before you buy can be confusing and downright annoying, especially with a couple kids in tow. And organic or otherwise non-toxic products can sometimes be hard to find and expensive. However, what we put on our kids’ bodies is just as important as what they eat and drink. The skin is the body’s biggest organ, and it absorbs all the ingredients in products that we use, such as lotion, sunscreen, shampoo and even toothpaste and mouthwash. Try these four easy tips provided by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to protect the health of your family.

1. Use Fewer Products
When it comes to beauty and health products, many of us grew up with a “the more the merrier” attitude. It’s easy to assume that, if a product is sold over the counter, it is generally safe. Unfortunately, most products contain many ingredients that are not regulated by the FDA, and there are several loopholes that companies use to put harmful ingredients into products under different names. So, the best way to minimize risk overall is to simply use as few products as possible. And, when you do use products, try to use the ones with the least amounts of ingredients.

2. Check the Ingredients
Before you buy any product, check out the ingredient list. Even if a product claims to be natural or organic, that may mean that it contains only a few organic ingredients combined with the same toxic ingredients that you are trying to avoid. The EWG says you should ALWAYS avoid the following ingredients, which are some of the worst carcinogens, allergens, and hormone disruptors:
2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL (or Bronopol)
BHA
DMDM HYDANTOIN
OXYBENZONE
TRICLOSAN
BORIC ACID and SODIUM BORATE
DIBUTYL PHTHALATE, TOLUENE

3. Buy Fragrance-Free
Fragrance in products seems harmless, but the truth is that tons of products can be added to an ingredient list under the name “fragrance” without being regulated by the FDA. These chemicals are typically allergens, neurotoxins and hormone disruptors.

4. See How Your Products Rank
If you are unsure about a particular product, or would just like to see how much of a risk the ingredients may pose to your family’s health, look it up at the EWG’s Skin Deep database where they have collected a comprehensive list of products sold in the U.S., listed the ingredients, and ranked them from one to ten based on their level of toxicity.

This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes on the topics of online courses. She welcomes your comments at her email: angelita.williams7 @gmail.com.