Most alcohols that you find on the ingredients list of your lotion, shampoo, mouth wash or facial cleanser are similar to pure alcohol, except they have been “denatured” so that they cannot be safely consumed. These “denaturing” additives are often liquid man-made petroleum derivatives. Isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, is one of these denatured alcohols. Other types include ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol and SD alcohol.
Read MoreEveryone who has kids probably has a plate or two made of melamine. Melamine is an organic, flame retardant industrial compound created by combining melamine resin with strengthening materials. It is virtually unbreakable, inexpensive, lightweight and comes in many different colors and designs. But it is not recyclable.
Read MoreSodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is an emulsifier and foaming agent used in many cosmetic products and industrial cleaners. It can be found in soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, body washes and laundry detergent. SLS, or sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt, sodium salt sulfuric acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, aquarex me or aquarex methyl (to keep things easy!), is produced a fatty acid called lauric acid, that usually comes from petroleum oil.
Read MoreOf all the plastic waste that is floating around in the oceans, plastic bags are one of the most widespread. Every year the staggering amount of one trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide. That is almost 2 million bags per minute. Policymakers at city, state and national levels are trying to limit plastic bag usage with bans and fees. For example, plastic bags are banned in France and Uruguay will tax single-use plastic bags in 2017.
Read MoreWhen we busy moms find the time to wash our hair, we want to use a product that is safe, effective and not too expensive. Many shampoos however contain a series of chemicals that are not so good for us and the environment. Even in shampoos specifically targeted at babies and children you can sometimes find these ingredients.
Read MorePhthalates are a group of chemicals (including DEHP, DINP, DBP, DEP) used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and PVC (vinyl). They can be found in hundreds of consumer products, from toys to electronics, from flooring to shower curtains and from lotions to body wash. Since phthalates do not chemically bound to the plastics they´re added to, they continue to be released long after you´ve bought them. Children are especially vulnerable to exposure to phthalates because they put so much in their mouths and because they have developing nervous and reproductive systems.
Read MoreWhen I was a baby, my mother used reusable, washable cotton diapers. What a difference with today, when most of us mommies use disposable diapers. Such a convenience and time saving invention! But do we ever think about what diapers are actually made of? Since they touch our babies´ skin all the time during their first few years it is not a bad thing to knowl!
Read MoreSince we now know all things bad that are associated with single- use plastics, we don´t want to pack our kids´ lunches in plastic bags and other disposable packaging. Very often our kids´ lunches are now packed in reusable plastic food containers. But how safe are they? Even if they are BPA-free, there are still a ton of other chemicals that could be hidden in them and leaching into the food. Like with reusable bottles, there are so many safer, beautiful and, very importantly, practical alternatives.
Read MoreIt is strange that so many toys that end up in our babies´ and toddlers´ mouths contain dangerous ingredients. Like PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) that can be found in many bath toys. Toxic substances that are added to soften plastic do not bind with the product, causing them to leach these chemicals. So when your kid is chewing on that adorable bath ducky, he is ingesting harmful chemicals.
Read MoreIn the US alone over 500 million straws are used every day. Every single day. Although plastic straws are not the biggest polluters when it comes to plastic trash, they are surely unnecessary for most beverage consumption. Because of their small size and light weight, they often don´t make it into recycling bins. Their size also makes them one of the most dangerous pieces of trash because they entangle marine animals and are consumed by fish. Like we could see in a video that went viral in 2015 shows in which a straw got stuck in a turtle´s nose.
Read MoreNot only are plastics an issue for our health, they also pose problems when they´re disposed of. In Europe almost 30 % of plastics are recycled and almost 40% are used in energy recovery processes, leaving more than 30% to go to landfills. In the US these numbers are almost 10% for recycling, 15% for energy recovery and 75% for landfills. According to the United Nations Environmental Program, between 22 percent and 43 percent of the plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills.
Read MoreNot only do plastic bottles have a negative impact on our environment, they also contain several chemicals that may leach into your drink. For example, plastic bottles with code “7” contain Bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical that is linked to a number of potential complications for pregnant women and the fetus.
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