Shaving Cream Chemical Shocker

Posted on 14/03/2013 by sbonham

Ever wonder what is in your shaving cream? Most people don’t think about shaving cream much and I don’t blame them. All that seems to matter is the smooth finish left behind after you shave, or that amazing clean smell. Well, you might be shocked to learn what is in these products.

There there are a whole slew of potentially harmful chemicals in AFTERSHAVE and SHAVING CREAM you should try to avoid.

The most common chemicals to look for in aftershave are:

–Benzyl acetate: linked to pancreatic cancer (may be absorbed through the skin). (2)

–Ethyle Acetate: May cause damage to the liver and kidneys, headaches and dehydration of the skin. (2)

–Terpineol: Linked to pneumonitis or even fatal edema if breathed into the lngs, central-nervous-system and respiratory damage, and headaches. (2)

If you are one of those guys that is obsessed with your “shaved-look” and want to learn a better/safer way to shave Eco-Savy highly recommends this great e-book called “Grooming Secrets For Men” (Click Here!). What we find so great about this book is that it addresses the following:

– Helps you determine what skin type you have

– Introduces you to the ONLY ALL NATURAL UNDER ARM DEODORANT THAT WILL KEEP YOU ODOR FREE for 7 days with just one application. (1)

– Teaches you proper anti-aging techniques to having amazing skin at any age. (1)

– Gives you great tips when buying skincare products. (1)

– Teaches you step-by-step how to still get that super close, smooth shave, with good products and little or no irritation. (1)

-Talks about the 7 most common grooming mistakes. (1)

Click Here!

References:

1. 2012 The Stylish Man. Available http://www.thestylishman.com/index.html?hop=ecosavy.. Online: April, 2013

2. Baillie-Hamilton, P. Toxic Overload. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. (2005)

Chemicals to Avoid in Men’s Personal Care Products

Posted on 10/03/2013 by sbonham

Did you know your L’Oreal preference Black hair dye contains 1,4-dioxane and p-phenylenediame? Or did you know that Gillette Foamy Shave Foam was found to contain artificial musk and sodium lauryl sulfate (1). Ever wonder what is in your man’s dreamy-smelling aftershave? It’s often pthlalates and artificial musks you are smelling. These chemicals were found in a recent investigation by Environmental Defense and are quite harmful to your health.

The personal care products industry is changing – industry is targeting skin and body products for men more and more! In Canada alone, the market is worth more than $690 million dollars, and is growing by 2% every year. It’s time we pay more attention to these products entering our marketplace!

There are a few toxic chemicals that do not appear on labels that you should be aware of. Often certain ingredients like “fragrance mixtures” which can contain up to 3000 ingredients are considered an industry trade secret and are listed on the product labels as just “fragrance”. Also, if a product makes a health claim, it is governed under the Food and Drugs Act, and is not subject of he same labelling laws as cosmetics. For exampe, Head and Shoulders shampoo because it claims to treat dandruff, does not have to list its ingredients like other shampoos.

Two of the chemicals that don’t appear on labels include 1,4 dioxane and pthalates.

1,4 dioxane is a synthetic solvent and often contaminates products. It is a known irritant and suspected carcinogen. Environmental Defence found this in: Pert Plus 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner, TRESemme Shampoo, Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo and L’Oreal Preference Hair Dye: Black.

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Best Toothpaste

Posted on 10/02/2013 by sbonham

Ever wonder what the best toothpaste is out there? Brand loyalty with toothpaste is pretty serious stuff these days. Most families have been using either Crest or Colgate since their kids were babies! Admit it you know which brand you like the most. However, do you really know why you like that “special brand” more than any other?

It is important to check that your toothpaste doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients. These can include, ammonia, benzyl alcohol/sodium benzoate, ethanol, fluoride, formaldehyde, mineral oil, plastic (PVC) and saccharin (sweetener).

Why not switch up your toothpaste now and again? Try limiting your fluoride usage. Eco-Savy strongly recommends trying “natural care Tom’s” brand. Tom’s of Maine has been around for over 40 years and run a responsible business that is both socially and environmentally conscious and all products are natural and involve absolutely no animal testing or fluoride! In fact, Tom’s of Maine have actually challenged the U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA) to accept a non-animal-testing alternative for fluoride toothpaste which “once-upon-a-time” was an immense initiative to accomplish! (Note: if you want to buy Tom’s toothpaste, go to the Eco-Store – it’s in the Home and Bathroom section).

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Controversial Additives in Organic Food

Posted on 28/01/2013 by sbonham

Additives in food have been around for thousands of years. The most widely used food additives in North America include sugar, salt and corn syrup. In total, nearly 3000 substances are used as food additives. Another 12,000 find their way into our food supply indirectly, including pesticides!

Many dairy products contain Carageenan. This food additive is now linked to colon cancer.

With thousands of additives, how do we know which ones are safe? Most of us don’t have hours on end to read all the labels on food products in the grocery store. All products surely contain some form of food additive…even food products known to be “organic”. After all, the organic food industry makes 30-billion-a-year, so tweaking the standards and rules is only fair game for most of the big players.

Recently, one of the largest Organic and Standards Programs in the United States was questioned.[i] As their board started to include more of corporate America’s fortune 500 companies, the ingredients that were becoming acceptable on the list of “certified organic” products became questionable.

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Chemical In Canned Food Lining Linked to Obesity

Posted on 24/01/2013 by sbonham

The last time you bought a can of organic tomatoes you probably were more focused on the “organic” ingredients, not the packaging itself. Yes, buying organic can help balance one’s modern regime of highly processed food, but have you ever thought about the chemicals present in the PACKAGING of the food you buy?

Unfortunately, in a lot of canned foods, a chemical called “Bisphenol A” is still being used as a preservative within the lining. This chemical has been in the spotlight a lot over the past few years for its use in plastic water-bottles, however it is also used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics, adhesives, and the lining of food containers.

New cutting-edge research is suggesting Bisphenol-A can actually attribute to adverse effects on long term human health (even your unborn fetus) in terms of exacerbating the development of OBESITY. It was first discovered accidentally by researchers who fed mice small amounts of these chemicals causing them to get fat. The phenomenon is so striking that the scientific community is assigning these chemicals a class of their own – OBESOGENS.

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