Preservatives in Personal Care – Let’s Talk

First and foremost, it appears that unless one is prepared to make his or her own personal care products at home using all natural ingredients and use them within a short period of time, then we need a preservative.

Secondly, there seems to be countless opinions on the Internet about the safety of the preservatives used in our personal care products; some with little or no information to back up the claims, others so confusing that the average person is left with uncertainty, but no real increase in knowledge.

Through this blog post I will make an effort to present that which I have found from sources that seem to be credible. I encourage everyone who takes the time to read this blog to comment if they have any genuinely researched information that would be of use. I ask that opinion based on fear mongering not be submitted and opinion that has no valid back up (either for or against the use of preservatives) also be left out of our conversations. Please provide the source from which you have found your information in your comments so that we can all make our decisions about whether or not the source can be trusted.

Perhaps through this method we will finally get some closure on this continuously controversial topic; if only on an individual basis.

So which one is the lesser of the evils? And how do we know for sure?

I have not listed all of the preservatives or given information on all of them to start, In fact I’ve barley scraped the surface. However, I encourage everyone to feel free to provide information on ones that have not been discussed as well….the more information we share the better off we all will be!

We have heard a great deal of talk in the last few years about parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, etc). I would first like to submit information I found on the European Union’s site (which seems to be a credible resource according to many others who have referenced it). Within the pages, in my understanding, it appears as though the studies relating to this preservative family are rather inconclusive for a couple of the types of parabens while others were deemed relatively safe for use. Here’s the link so you can decide for yourself: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_138.pdf

Now, another trusted site, that of the David Suzuki Foundation, is obviously against their use in personal care and does even provide a link to the European Commission on Endoctrine Disruption. Take a look at the information provided there: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/chemicals-in-your-cosmetics—parabens/

Another preservative group that has been heavily investigated in the last while is referred to as formaldehyde releasing preservatives.

Again, I went to my 2 favorite sources for this one. The European Union has outlined their research on the four main preservatives that have been categorized in this manner: sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, benzylhemiformal, imidazolindinyl urea and diazolindinyl urea, along with less detailed information about the others in this category. They strongly conveyed that these preservatives should not be in products in concentrations exceeding .2% in the finished product. Feel free to do your own evaluation: http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/sccp/out187_en.pdf

The David Suzuki Foundation provided a little information (that I could find) regarding these preservatives. I didn’t find information on all of the preservatives in this category. However, thye did reiterate the .2% information that was provided by the European Union’s site. Please feel free to read the materials from that site: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/chemicals-in-your-cosmetics—formaldehyde-releasing-preservatives/

There is one other site that I visited that provided some reference to their resources. I cannot, however, say whether or not the site is entirely credible so I will leave that to you to decide for yourself. The link is provided here: http://personalcaretruth.com/2011/05/ask-the-experts-sodium-hydroxymethylglycinate/

When searching any preservative, or other ingredient for that matter, I would encourage the researcher to look diligently for opposing articles to whichever side you find most readily on the Internet. Let’s remember that the Internet is set up to respond to tags (keywords that make certain pages viewed more regularly). So if you want to really be an educated consumer then you really have to dig and determine what you think is the more valid argument out there. After all, you have to live with your decisions.

You will note that I have not directly provided my opinion on either of these because I don’t wish to try to influence the reader: I think that would be counter productive to my goals for writing this in the first place. As the conversation gets going I will simply attempt to provide opposing information to that which is presented here so that we can look carefully at both sides constructively.

Now, let’s get this conversation started!

Spring Has Sprung

Last weekend was a great weekend to do that yard work that gets us motivated to plant and groom our space.  With 10 foot hedges that outline two sides of our back yard, it’s not usually something we look forward to.  However, we took it on….and I will give my husband far more credit than myself in that area.

It really ends up being a learning experience as well.  Once my husband got everything all set up, I looked out and saw that the set up looked a little dangerous for him to be taking on.  Not really a landscaper by trade, this seemed to be a large venture!  So I called some local companies to get some feedback.  After making calls to landscapers, yard maintenance companies and nurseries, I learned that there are varied opinions about the time of year to actually take on this task.  Some said they did not start this for another month yet; it was too early in the season to cut – could risk frostbite, while another said if you wait another month you will cut off the new growth and have to live with rather unattractive cedars all summer…..we decided to trust the second one and “off with their heads!”

Now, as he was cutting away, I started to wonder if we were in essence harming the habitats of any little creatures who shared our back yard without us knowing.  Hope set in that no harm would come.  My hoping seemed to pay off.  While we sat at dinner this evening I watched out the window as birds of all different types came to take pieces of the cedar hedge that were resting, trimmed off the massive trees, and the birds carried them off (for nest building I presume), then I saw some lovely birds fussing about building their space in the freshly cut portion of the hedge.  Quite a nice feeling to see how sometimes when we do things out of care for the appearance and growth of the plants it ends up being beneficial for much more than just ourselves.

Are there any other stories of things you have done in preparation for the summer that you have seen the wonderful ways we interact with nature even by accident.

It’s Time We Got The Dirt on Dirt!

Recently, I stumbled upon a really amazing and inspirational film called Dirt!  The Movie.

DIRT! The Movie is directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow.  This movie introduces the wonders of the soil and tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility–from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.

The film begins by diving into the wonderment of the soil.   We see that soil comes from the same elements as the stars, plants and animals, and us.  The journey then takes us to the reality that modern industrial pursuits for profit and natural resources has damaged our human connection to and respect for soil.

“Drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt.”

Narrated by Jaime Lee Curtis, this movie brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that the soil has. We get to hear the stories of experts from all over the world who study and open our eyes to the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil.

What’s In Store will be Hosting a Screening of Dirt! The Movie on June 17, 2011 in Cobourg, Ontario.  There is no admission fee to see the film, but seating is limited.  So, if you would like to attend please contact us at 905-373-4459 or e-mail reseller@whatsinstore.ca.  For those who live within the Northumberland County, Ontario area, you will have the added benefit of the opportunity to have some fantastic local resources e-mailed to you at the end of the presentation.

We look forward to presenting this inspiring film.

Here Comes 2011

I think it is quite common to look back upon the year we have finished and recall the big events that impacted our lives.  The usual ones include the passing of famous people, tragedies that shocked the world, illnesses that made their mark and the economy and how it impacted our own lives or the world as a whole.  We hopefully spend an equal portion of our time recalling the wonderful events that the previous year held.  We have seen changes both locally and around the world that show our commitment to care for our planet, the charitable efforts that have marked our calendar in response to the tragedies, the generosity of people despite our own economic woes, and an increase in those taking a stand for the planet, the people and a general sense of coming together for a common cause.

We are about to embark on another remarkable gift of the year 2011.  What do you believe we will see in this great year ahead?   What do you hope to do that will make a lasting impact on those around you or in your community or in the greater community:  the world?  I’m not asking about New Years Resolutions….I would love to have ideas shared about where you think the current trends will lead us.  Have you heard of anything specific to different areas of the world that will have an impact for 2011?  I believe the Nissan Leaf – a fully electric car – is scheduled to be available in 2011 – I have also heard about a company overseas that is working to have solar panelled highways to supply electricity sustainably.   Share your news, share your knowledge, share your ideas….our great big world is so much smaller than it used to be thanks to this wonderful venue!  Let’s use it to encourage creative thinking that will inspire and encourage better things for all of us!

Happy New Year!

In Unusual Places

I have searched, stumbled upon and been referred to many sites that expose green washing and provide the pros and cons of individual products that have green claims.  The most unusual spot recently; in which I have seen a really valuable article is in the Union Gas publication “enersmart”.  The article is entitled “Coming Clean, How to Choose Ec0-Friendly Cleaning Products” by Diane Tierney.  The part that caught my eye was the sideline summary statement that read:  ”Choosing household cleaning products that are truly environmentally friendly takes careful attention.  A report last year done by TerraChoice Environmental Services revealed that about 98 per cent of all products surveyed were found to have “greenwashing”.  In other words they did not live up to the claims being made.”

Admittedly, I don’t necessarily believe that just because a company gets recognized by a certifying body that they are indeed a completely natural choice.  My understanding is that there are levels of green even within the certifying standards of those organizations and the consumer is still responsible for doing the final research and making decisions for themselves.  Please feel free to correct me if you have any information to the contrary.

I would love to hear from others about unusual places you have learned important green tips and warnings.  Let’s get the conversation started and learn from each other!  We all have something to contribute and all have something to learn.

Stainless Steel

Recently, I have been researching the stainless steel water bottle.  Let me tell you, it is amazing how many choices there are out there….and none seem to be actually made here in Canada.

Obviously, they are a good choice for reducing waste; especially when compared to their competition:  the plastic throw away bottle.  However, in my business, I make it a mission to make sure that I find the best that there is for the planet and those of us who happen to want to keep living on it….and prefer to do so in a healthy fashion.

So, I started to ask questions.  I started out with the simple ones that most of them could answer yes to; like are they BPA and lead free?  Or is the plastic lid and spout made from a food-grade plastic?  However, once I got to the tough questions like; have they been third-party tested?  Political answers became the flavour of the day; such as “We couldn’t say they were BPA free if they weren’t BPA free”.  But the ultimate question; which fetched me one highly disturbing answer from a company that will remain unnamed, was “Do you have a third party audit on the manufacturer to ensure the people there are paid a fair wage and not treated poorly?”  The majority sheepishly said they did not, but one actually responded with “I would not even ask the manufacturer that, no one over there is paid fairly!”  Wow….that stopped me in my tracks.  I thanked her for her time, but told her that I would be purchasing elsewhere for my store, because it did matter to me.

Often we don’t think of people so far away or the price that they pay for the us to get our stuff so cheap….I recommend highly watching the Story of Stuff ( www.storyofstuff.com ) It was an eye opener and persuaded me to look deeper even than I had.

I am so thankful for the Internet.  The learning we are able to do by sharing what we have discovered will likely be the reason we make changes that positively affect the planet and the generations to follow.

Thanks for stopping by to read.  I hope I have shared something that you feel has enriched your life; even a little.  Feel free to comment and return the favour.

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