You’re Going To Put That WHERE?!

Ladies, let’s have a heart to heart. Gentlemen, stick around, because this applies to the women in your life.

It comes once a month. No, I’m not talking about the power bill I’m talking about that joyous occasion when you’re bloated, achy, cramping, and on edge. I doubt that any woman looks forward to it. The products we use today though, compared to the past, are much more inconspicuous and allow us to procede with life without tipping anyone off. However, those products are also harmful, not just to the environment because they pile up in landfills, but to the one using them as well.

While old-school pads (I’m talking about the cloth ones that were visible under clothing) are definitely a greener alternative to use-and-toss pads and tampons that women use today, being green in the feminine product department doesn’t mean you have to share your period with the world (thank GOODNESS).

The main concern with modern femine products is cotton and synthetic rayon. First of all, non-organic cotton is grown with the use of synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. In fact out of all crops grown in the U.S., cotton is the one that receives the largest amount of synthetic chemicals (Loux). All of those chemicals are still lurking in our textiles, to include the cotton we use to wipe our face and the feminine products we use each month. According to Loux, tampons and pads are made from the leftover cotton scraps that are found at the base of the cotton bud. This part of the cotton contains the highest level of synthetic chemicals. In fact, it is so concentrated in chemicals, that it is illegal to feed it to cattle in certain states. To further complicate things, once that cotton is purchased, it is bleached with chlorine to make it white. Bleaching with chlorine leaves behind dioxins. Because your skin comes in contact with that cotton, you are exposed to all of those chemicals at once.

Dioxins are questionable in feminine care products because they are believed to be a cause of endometriosis. Endometriosis occurs when uteran tissue develops outside of the uterus, usually near the pelvis or abdomen. It can be extremely painful and in some cases can cause infertility. Monkeys who were tested (I know, ridiculous) with dioxin developed endometriosis. The study showed that the severity of the endometriosis was directly related to the amount of dioxin given to the monkeys, but monkeys who were exposed to as little as 5 parts per trillion of dioxin developed this medical condition (Loux). That’s a really small amount.

Using synthetic rayon in tampons is highly questionable too. The synthetic materials in tampons can leave behind deposits inside women. In her book, Loux suggests taking a box of conventional tampons and dipping one into a glass of water, allowing the cotton and rayon to expand and absorb the water. Upon removal, one will see these deposits left behind in the water. Gross. Another interesting point that Loux makes is the issue with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) which arose back in the 1970’s around the same time companies began incorporating rayon into their tampons. Loux suggests that there may be a link between synthetic rayon and TSS. From what I’ve read, there is no evidence to support this, but it’s sort of a strange coincidence.

Aside from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, dioxins, and synthetic rayon, conventional tampons also contain undisclosed chemical fragrances. My guess, based on what I’ve read before, is that those fragrances are also synthetic, which means they more than likely contain phthalates.

The solution to avoiding all of this is to buy chlorine-free feminine products which are produced using organic cotton and contain no synthetic materials such as rayon. Chlorine free products will be labeled as “T.C.F.” which stands for “Totally Chlorine Free”. Natural feminine products may also be produced with other natural materials, but these products are biodegradable, which means they will break down in landfills rather quickly without leaving behind any nasty chemicals. Keep in mind, too, that cardboard applicators are greener than plastic ones. Just think about what happens once it finds its way into a landfill.

Also, if you’re looking for eco-friendly and human-friendly feminine wipes and powders, Loux suggests checking the ingredient label to look for natural ingredients. She also suggests avoiding products that contain talc. I have yet to shop for any of the aforementioned products. I am still using up what I already have, but I’ll probably write another entry about what I’ve found once I do.

I Am Still Here

Hey everyone I just wanted to make a quick post to let you know I am still around. I plan to continue posting here, I have not abandoned the site, I have just been busy with school starting again. I still have several posts sitting in my drafts folder, including one with deodorant recommendations, so I will post those soon. Have a great weekend!

The Dirt On Deodorant (and Anti-Perspirant)

Do me a favor. Before you read this post, go grab your current stick/bottle of deodorant or anti-perspirant, and bring it back to the computer. I’ll wait here..

..Okay. Keep it handy for now.

The majority of the population uses some type of deodorant or anti-perspirant. I personally refuse to use anti-perspirant because I don’t believe in preventing my body from sweating. To me, it’s comparable to not allowing myself to sleep. It’s something the body needs to do and in a way, sweating is a survival mechanism. It keeps you from overheating and it’s natural – everyone does it – so don’t feel bad about it. A common misconception is that sweat makes you stink. Sweat is actually odorless, what causes you to smell after some time is the bacteria on your skin that mingles with the sweat. It is because of this that I prefer to use deodorant so that I can help eliminate any body odor, but still allow my body to sweat as it needs to.

Almost all conventional deodorant and anti-perspirant products contain several harmful ingredients which I’ve chosen to avoid. I’ve never known about these until I read about them in Loux’s book Easy Green Living. Some of them are alarming, but one ingredient in particular is just downright frightening. While I go over these ingredients, check the ingredient list on the back of your deodorant or anti-perspirant bottle to see if your product contains any of them.

Aluminum Salts are commonly used to prevent sweating by plugging up your sweat glands. As an ingredient they are questionable because they have been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Ingredients which contain aluminum can mimic estrogen hormones, cause genetic mutations, and even cause tumors. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin which can cross the blood-brain barrier. Further research must be done to establish a definite, strong connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease. It is suspected though because Alzheimer’s patients tend to have higher amounts of aluminum in their brains, and it is believed that they obtained this larger amount through their anti-perspirants.

Triclosan is a biocide that is used in deodorants and anti-perspirants because it kills the bacteria that is responsible for causing body odor. The EPA has categorized it as a pesticide, and it can be found in a wide range of other products including soaps, kleenex, socks, and hand wipes. Triclosan is a phenol, and phenols are harmful to humans and acutely toxic to aquatic life. Once in the environment, phenols are classified as P.O.P.’s, which stands for persistent organic pollutants, because they are extremely hard to break down and usually never go away. Triclosan, when mixed with chlorine that can be found in tap water and waste water, forms a wide range of carcinogenic compounds, including chlorinated dioxins and chloroform. Also, when triclosan is exposed to sunlight (yes, your armpits usually don’t see much sunlight, but keep reading, this is pretty freaky), it can also create dioxins (if you’re forgetting what dioxins are, click here and scroll down to “Paper Products”). It doesn’t end there though, because it is suspected that triclosan, while being manufactured as a chlorinated substance, also contains dioxins which travel along with the triclosan into the products you use every day.

Ethanol (SD Alcohol 40), also known as Ethyl Alcohol, is actually a type of fuel that your car can run off of. It’s also considered the biofuel of the future, and it’s also used in a wide range of deodorants. While it burns cleaner than petroleum, it’s not considered skin-friendly. In fact, Material Safety Data Sheets recommend that while handling ethanol people should wear gloves to protect their skin. It’s also recommend to thoroughly wash your hands after handling ethanol. Yet.. it’s used in dedorants and anti-perspirants because it helps carry other ingredients to your armpits. Ethanol is a skin irritant which can cause dry skin and reduction of the skin’s elasticity, resulting in saggy armpits. Ethanol is also a mutagen, which means that it messes with your genetic structure, and this can lead to cancer. It biodegrades rather quickly but releases toxic gases (such as carbon monoxide) while doing so. I don’t know about you, but I think ethanol is best kept in vehicles.

Talc is an extremely fine powder (fellow geologists, do you remember playing with it during mineralogy lab? I certainly do!) that is used in deodorants and anti-perspirants because of its absorbent properties. It is suspected of being a carcinogen though because it is sometimes contaminated with asbestos. It is also a lung irritant, so deodorant sprays which contain talc are worse than solid deodorants because it is easier to inhale the talc when it is sprayed. Talc is also a skin irritant and it is suspected that women who use feminine sprays that contain talc may increase their chances of getting ovarian cancer.

Propylene Glycol is common in deodorants and anti-perspirants. This is the ingredient that really scares me. It’s used in deodorants and anti-perspirants because it helps to mix other ingredients and deliver them to your armpits. First of all, before I get into what it can do to you, I have to tell you what other products it’s used in. Propylene Glycol is the main ingredient in products such as antifreeze, deicers, and embalming solutions. Yes, I know. When I read that I had to put my book down and take a deep breath. My first thought was, “wtf is it doing in deodorant?”. So I kept reading, and I discovered that it’s also found in a lot of cosmetics, such as lotions, cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products. Not believing what I had read, I put my book down again, walked over to my bathroom, and began turning bottles around to read ingredient labels. I’ve found it in the two bottles of hair gel I own, two bottles of Biore face wash, my Victoria’s Secret body sprays, my Dove deodorant, even my mascara. So not only has it made contact with my skin, but at times I’ve also breathed it in. Lovely. Propylene Glycol is very irritating to the skin, toxic, and can cause damage to cells. It may also cause allergies and contact dermatitis. So I’ve chosen to avoid it. Besides, there are other natural alternatives, such as glycerin.

My oh my, what a cocktail. All of that crap floating around in our conventional deodorants and anti-perspirants. Well, once again, I’ll tell you that I’ve chosen to use alternate greener products, but the choice is up to you. Just be a smart shopper and always check ingredients before purchasing. I will post a follow-up to this entry with suggestions on better deodorants you can use, so keep an eye out for that

Preserve Gimme 5

One thing I was disappointed to discover is that depending on where you live, only certain types of plastics can be recycled (tip: you can visit this site to find out what can and cannot be recycled in your area. The website allows you to search for all types of products, not just plastic). Polypropylene (PP), the #5 plastic, is not widely recyclable, which means these types of plastics tend to occupy landfills for no good reason. Items like food containers and squeeze bottles are made from PP. Apparently many other items are too, such as Brita water filters, Brita pitchers, and Preserve plastic products, such as their toothbrushes, razors, and tongue cleaners.

In an effort to clean up landfills and reduce the consumption of energy by recycling #5 plastics into new products (it takes less energy to recycle than it does to create from scratch), Preserve has developed a new program called Preserve Gimme 5.

To identify whether or not your plastic is a #5 plastic, look for a triangle stamp (similar to the ones you see here on the right) on the product and find the number inside of it. This stamp may be small depending on the product. For my Brita water filter I actually had to use my hand lens to read the number.

There are two ways you can recycle your #5 plastics through this program. The first, and easiest way, is to drop your plastics off at a select location. To find if there is a location in your neck of the woods, go here. If there isn’t, you can mail your plastics to:

Preserve Gimme 5
823 NYS Rte 13
Cortland, NY 13045

Unfortunately, for my area, there is currently no drop-off location. I still plan to participate but I have decided to wait until I have a large amount of plastic to send. It’s a waste of fuel and money to send only one or two items at a time.

Yes, it is unfortunate that some may have to pay postage to mail in their plastics, but it’s for a good cause! Besides, if you buy Preserve products, you can mail them in for free by going here to print the shipping label. This may seem like an incentive to get you to buy Preserve products (and maybe it is), but what you may not realize is by doing that you’re also purchasing from the same pool of plastic, not from a company that has created new plastic products to add to the amount that already exists.

The Frightening Truth About Plastics

Plastics make it possible, right? To be honest, when I first learned about what’s in plastic, and what plastic can do to our food, I was frightened. I remember standing in my kitchen looking at my mixing bowls, spatulas, and tupperware containers. I looked at our plastic coffee mugs, the plastics our condiments came in, even the yogurt, milk, and juice. They were everywhere, and I couldn’t help but wonder how safe I was after having consumed food that was stored in them.

The thing is, not all plastics are as bad as others. It depends on the type of plastic. There really is no “safe” plastic though, so I am beginning to consider switching all of my containers out (once they are no longer useable) for glass and stainless steel instead.

The most important thing in making that decision, though, is knowing about your plastics. Each type of plastic is assigned a number and a name (which is just an abbreviation for the full title). Here is a list of plastics that exist (taken from Loux):

1. PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene. It is used for water, soda, juice, shampoo, detergent bottles and peanut butter containers. It’s considered a “safer” plastic because although it contains stabilizers and flame retardants it has fewer chemicals that can leach into food, drinks, and soil.

2. HDPE: High-density polyethylene. This is an opaque plastic used for milk jugs, plastic bags, bleach bottles, and cleaning bottles. It too is considered “safer” because it doesn’t leach as much.

3. PVC: Polyvinyl chloride, or just vinyl chloride. This is used for plastic cling wrap, cooking oil, water pipes, some toys, and plastic spray bottles. This plastic is a known carcinogen, and can leach compounds such as plasticizers, phthalates, and di-(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA).

4. LDPE: Low-density polyethylene. This is used for plastic grocery bags, plastic wrap, and some baby bottles. It is “safer” because it doesn’t leach as much.

5. PP: Polypropylene. This is used for plastic containers and tubs and some plastic squeeze bottles. This is considered a “safer” plastic because, again, it doesn’t leach as much, and it can withstand high temperatures.

6. PS: Polystyrene. This plastic is used for styrofoam containers and plastic cultery. It is considered dangerous because styrene, which is used to make polystyrene, is extremely toxic to the brain and nervous system, and this compound can leach from the container. Styrene is also a suspected carcinogen, and may have adverse effects on red blood cells, the liver, kidney, and stomach.

7. Other: usually polycarbonate. This is used for hard plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, sport water bottles, metal food can liners, and 5-gallon water bottles. This is a dangerous plastic because it can leach Bisphenol-A (BPA). Loux explains that “Almost all government funded studies clearly link BPA with adverse effects, including changes in hormone levels, early puberty, changes in gender-specific behavior, prostate enlargement, decreased sperm production, altered immune functon, and behavioral effects to include hyperactivity, increased aggression, and impaired learning”.

7*. PLA: Polylactic acid and other bio-based plastics. These are used for deli containers and take-out food containers, cold cups, straws, food wraps, cultery, even toothbrushes. These plastics are the safest of all, because they are nontoxic, biodegradable, and they are made with renewable resources. It also takes less energy to manufacture them, and the manufacturing process releases less greenhouse gases.

Well, there you have it. Pretty scary, isn’t it? I still store my food in plastic containers since they are still good and I consider it a waste (of money too) to replace all of them right now. I no longer heat anything in plastic though, as this can cause a greater amount of compounds to be leached into food.