Spring Break
Common hygiene products may be harmful
Edward M. Eveld McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
Issue date: 10/8/09 Section: Lifestyles
Now we're really getting personal. We're focused on your private place-the bathroom.
That's generally where you use all that soap, body wash, shampoo and lotion.
And deodorant, perfume, shaving cream, lip balm, lipstick, mascara, eye shadow, hair gel, mousse, hairspray, anti-aging serum...
It all gets applied to your body, including all the chemicals within.
Diane MacEachern, author of "Big Green Purse," suggests a fun little exercise: Gather all those products in one place and take a count. You won't be alone if the number hits 12 or 15.
"People are amazed," she said. "Someone has convinced us we need to use all these products every day."
While many industry experts say the products are safe, some scientists and others outside the industry disagree.
The health questions boil down to two. What happens to the body after the skin absorbs certain compounds day after day, year after year?
What happens to the environment as chemicals from these products are washed down the drain?
Leslie Stullken of Fairway, Kan., had an "aha" moment about two years ago. As a food coach, she helps people prepare meals with local, seasonal and organic food.
She often tells them that "what you eat becomes a chemical message to your body." In other words, if it's not a nutrient, it might be a toxin.
"I realized, so what am I doing to my skin?" she said.
Stullken performed her own product count and quickly tallied a dozen items she uses every day. As her existing supplies were depleted, she began switching to products with natural ingredients. The Zum brand from Indigo Wild is among her favorites.
"I can pronounce the ingredients," Stullken said. "I feel safe and clean. And it's the sense that I don't have to worry about what's in this stuff."
For Laurie Hughes of Kansas City, Mo., a painful skin condition called "inverse psoriasis" prompted her to question the body products she used.
Hughes underwent a series of steroid treatments to control the psoriasis. Then she began researching manufacturers of natural products. She even attended National Psoriasis Fo
That's generally where you use all that soap, body wash, shampoo and lotion.
And deodorant, perfume, shaving cream, lip balm, lipstick, mascara, eye shadow, hair gel, mousse, hairspray, anti-aging serum...
It all gets applied to your body, including all the chemicals within.
Diane MacEachern, author of "Big Green Purse," suggests a fun little exercise: Gather all those products in one place and take a count. You won't be alone if the number hits 12 or 15.
"People are amazed," she said. "Someone has convinced us we need to use all these products every day."
While many industry experts say the products are safe, some scientists and others outside the industry disagree.
The health questions boil down to two. What happens to the body after the skin absorbs certain compounds day after day, year after year?
What happens to the environment as chemicals from these products are washed down the drain?
Leslie Stullken of Fairway, Kan., had an "aha" moment about two years ago. As a food coach, she helps people prepare meals with local, seasonal and organic food.
She often tells them that "what you eat becomes a chemical message to your body." In other words, if it's not a nutrient, it might be a toxin.
"I realized, so what am I doing to my skin?" she said.
Stullken performed her own product count and quickly tallied a dozen items she uses every day. As her existing supplies were depleted, she began switching to products with natural ingredients. The Zum brand from Indigo Wild is among her favorites.
"I can pronounce the ingredients," Stullken said. "I feel safe and clean. And it's the sense that I don't have to worry about what's in this stuff."
For Laurie Hughes of Kansas City, Mo., a painful skin condition called "inverse psoriasis" prompted her to question the body products she used.
Hughes underwent a series of steroid treatments to control the psoriasis. Then she began researching manufacturers of natural products. She even attended National Psoriasis Fo
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