Category : Phthalate alternatives
My hair and I have a love/hate relationship. If I want to describe my hair, most days it looks like unruly, long, wavy, hippie hair. I’m okay with all that. It’s the color I struggle with. I get my hair streaked once a year and enjoy how my appearance seems brighter after I have some blond put in my hair. I truly don’t think there is a way to make your hair lighter without chemicals, so I haven’t researched the slightly less alternative options. I have also learned that damaging my hair to keep it lighter in color makes no poo methods of hair maintenance difficult. I enjoyed using baking soda and apple cider vinegar for 6 months before my hair started getting dry…brittle actually. So I got a good trim and started using Green Beaver shampoo & conditioner. This combination has been working well, but since it’s summer I’ve been looking for an all natural moisturizing treatment for a deep conditioning. I experimented with coconut oil and olive oil and have been using Tropical Traditional Virgin Coconut Oil in the ends of my hair every few weeks to give it some extra moisture & shine. The first time I made the mistake of applying a large amount of it to my entire wet head…I looked like I was caught in an oil slick. After receiving some tips from the greenies on the Mommy Footprint fan page, I really like how my hair reacts when I apply it to the ends of my hair when it starts drying out after regular trips to the pool.
Gillian Deacon, Author of There’s Lead In Your Lipstick: Toxins In Our Everyday Body Care and How To Avoid Them, has some great tips for DIY, all natural deep conditioning treatments. Check out:
Gillian’s tips:
Make your own conditioner: slather your hair in coconut oil, wrap your hair in a towel and leave it for a few hours. For a hot oil treatment, heat extra-virgin olive oil and massage through dry hair. Wash thoroughly after 20 minutes. For a revitalizer, mash an avocado and mix with two tablespoons of honey; massage into hair and wash out after 20 minutes.
Summer can be hard on hair – between trips to the pool and sun exposure. My jar of Virgin Coconut Oil for Hair Treatment is specially made for hair treatment because it contains a higher content of protein than the other oils Tropical Traditions sells. This is an unrefined coconut oil and is made from organic coconuts. I’ve mentioned Tropical Traditions before because I’m impressed with their packaging…my coconut oil arrived in a glass jar. So skip expensive, chemically laden conditioners and try an all natural approach with deep conditioner for your hair…it not only feels great but you won’t get a headache from the smell!
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This article has been tough to write because the crafting world is gigantic…it’s impossible to try and cover the thousands of products that crafty people have in their cupboard. I walk into a Michaels store and I’m overwhelmed by two things: the varied depth of their craft materials and how much of it is imported & very cheaply produced. So much of that stores reminds me of the dollar store and it makes me nervous. I’m an average person on the scale of crafty – my children have always loved painting and making little projects, but with the inevitable smell that comes from opening specific paints, glues, and inks, I’m admittedly a little skeptical of how healthy these supplies actually are.
The inspiration for this article comes from a woman in the US, named Julia Andrus, who created a line of crafting materials after surviving a self described ‘mean’ cancer. Julia realized her exposure to even low levels of toxic materials in craft supplies could have contributed to her chemical exposure. On a mission to change her lifestyle and environment, Julia created EcoGreen Crafts and I guess it’s because an avid crafter created this line of products, the quality is as effective and amazing as traditional supplies. I’ve found in the past that sometimes using plant-based crafting products you loose some of the texture in paint and glue. This isn’t the case with the acrylic paint and Green Glue and is the reason I’ve stocked Green Planet Parties with these products. Just like my claim with the O’Bon pencil crayons (best I’ve every used) I can say the same about the EcoGreen Crafts Acrylic Paint. They are amazing! I asked some seriously crafty people to test the acrylic paint and everyone reports back loving it! It’s creamy, comes in a great sized tube, and there is no scent because the non-metallic shades of these paints are no-VOC. The metallic paints in this line are anchored to a No-VOC base, but end up being low-VOC after the metal pigment has been added. The popular 6 colors I’ve chosen to carry are popular with children and contain no volatile organic compounds. These paints are not manufactured in North America and that is reflected in the price point. These non-toxic paints are priced equally to traditional acrylic paints which is wonderful…parents love switching to same priced greener products, but while the price would increase, I hope they are one day manufactured in the US. If you’ve been searching for plant based white glue? This all-purpose green glue is great for back-to-school shopping.
For parents that enjoy painting with powdered paint, setup your environment with plant based so that powder cannot be inhaled that may contain lead. There are several paints on the market that use plant based pigments..the only brand I’ve tried is GLOB and these paints are manufactured in the US. As far as paint brushes go – I’m actively researching a ‘greener’ paintbrush. It’s actually a very difficult product because you are dealing with two issues: the handle and brush materials. If you go for a non-synthetic brush you might have anxiety about the methods used to obtain real animal hair for the brush…and these brushes are super expensive. ‘Greening’ up the handle of paint brushes is relatively easy because there are bamboo brushes on the market, but I’ve yet to find a brush I’m happy with at an affordable price.
Hands down – this point is the most important for providing healthier sculpture based craft material for your child! Don’t ever waste your money again on store bought play dough. From the amount of traffic and comments on this article “The Perfect Home Made Play Dough Recipe!” I know how many parents have discovered how easy, affordable and fun making your own play dough can be. Kids love to sculpt and it unleashes free-play at it’s best for young children and since you’ve made the dough yourself, you don’t need to worry if a small piece ends up in a child’s mouth. I’ve also experienced headaches from the synthetic scent from store bought play dough. Another sculpting product that shouldn’t be sold or wind up in your home is polymer clay that is used for sculpting small figurines…it’s made from PVC! Invest in clay that is packaged and marked ‘non-toxic’ and PVC-free. The dollar stores are not where you should be purchasing materials like this…there are no sort of guidelines it seems for this material. The amount of incorrect information on the internet about polymer clay is disturbing. Many crafting sites list polymer clay as a safe material even though it contains PVC and phthalates…it’s disturbing. I don’t have a source/brand for an alternative to PVC based polymer clay but I will post in the comments when I find one.
I was spoiled years ago when trying Clementine Art crayons – they were like applying butter to paper. I think all children would miss the variety of colors that you can achieve with a box of Crayola crayons, but traditional crayons are manufactured with paraffin wax which is petroleum. There are many brands of soy or beeswax based crayons if you are looking to ‘green’ your art supplies. I think the soy brands offer more color options, but I have only had the pleasure of using beeswax based.
Pencil crayons and pencils can easily be ‘greened’ with O’Bon. I’ve written about this brand before and love that these pencils are not produced by trees, but made from recycled newspapers. Not only is the story behind O’Bon cool, but I’ve never been happier with the pencil crayons. The quality is amazing and children love the fruit or wild-animal designs.
You can tell from the length of this article the crafting world is a vast area to try and write about in one article. For those searching for North American made craft sets which are convenient and make a great gift – check out the new brand Artterro I found at My Little Green Shop. Just one look at the packaging and you know this brand is different. I can’t wait to try these kits with my kids – not only are the supplies made of higher quality (glass beads vs. plastic, felt wool, handmade paper) but many of the components are made in the US. The craft world has seemed slow to manufacture locally – the concern of course that crafting will no longer be an affordable pass-time. It’s nice to see companies like Artterro putting an emphasis on this and side stepping the norm of producing craft kits that are filled with questionable ingredients – both for human health and the environment. Differences that impress me are the wool felt dresses in the Art Dolls Kit, copper wire & wooden handles (!!) in the amazing Bubble Wand Kits (eeep I love these!!), and for the older crowd the Paint with Wool Kits are very unique. Imagine encouraging a child to felt? It’s incredible that the boxes that Artterro supplies are packaged in can be transformed into frames to later showcase art work. Pictured below are the finished kits from Artterro with bubble wands and felt painting.
I hope this gives you a starting point to help green your craft supplies. It’s a huge undertaking, but like greening your bathroom or kitchen, I recommend starting with baby steps and incorporating these changes when you’re looking to replenish art supplies. Look for crafts with No-VOCs (Volatile Organic Compound) which are the chemicals that produce off-gassing vapors. Packaging is a great way to improve your craft supplies and look for supplies marked ‘non-toxic’, made with soy or beeswax, PVC-free and phthalate-free. I’ll have more recommendations coming in August because once again I’ll be putting together my own school supply boxes for my children with an effort to create kits that are more sustainable and chemical free. Stay tuned and please share your experiences with sourcing better quality craft supplies.
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Any West Coaster can tell you this summer has taken a while to get going with the weather. I think today counts as officially the 6th sunny day so my testing of sunscreens was put on hold in June. I won’t be talking about sunscreen for much longer, having happily found my favorite brands for my kids & me. But a product was presented for me to test a few months ago and I must be growing up, because I found the Marie Veronique combination of SPF30 with their moisturizing face screen intriguing. I’ve used organic moisturizers before (and loved them) but made the mistake of walking out into the sun and literally could feel my face sizzling, then burnt. The Marie Veronique Moisturizing Face Screen is all us grown up ladies need before leaving the house for daily activities during the summer months. After I wash my face, I put on the moisturizer (you can purchase tinted or plain) apply to my face and neck and I’m out the door. No need to worry about breaking out from pimples from using sunscreen on my face, or the whitening effect you get from most organic sunscreens, and you are very well protected from the sun. Rated with a safety hazard score of 1 from EWG, the Marie Veronique Moisturizing Face Screen and Kid Safe Sunscreen line can become trusted brands this summer.
Most Mommy Footprint reviews come with a story and Marie Veronique is no exception. Marie Veronique is a former chemistry teacher, along with her daughter (a Professor of Physics) and a partner in Marketing & melanoma survivor – the goal is creating products that are safe. The combination of biodegradable contents in these bottles, packaged in recyclable materials, and made in the US, this company knows that creating cosmetics without toxins, nano-particles, petroleum and instead using intelligent ingredients is the key to quality skin care. As I sit here reading the ingredient lists for both the moisturizer and kid’s sunscreen, I realize that not only can I easily pronounce each of the ingredients, but I can easily identify most of them to be natural. Without needing a degree in environmental engineering or chemistry..very refreshing. Marie Veronique also simplifies their packaging to include some big clues that their products are safe – here is the important branding to watch for when shopping for sunscreens: item contents are biodegradable, packaging is fully recyclable, paraben free, no nanoparticles, broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, and the active ingredient is zinc oxide.
With a few ladies in my life announcing pregnancies – I’ve started thinking of products I can recommend for them to be using. Marie Veronique is definitely a brand that an expecting mama can use without worrying about chemicals. Research shows that nanoparticles can cross a mom’s body and enter a baby’s developing system. With little to no accurate research out there on nanoparticles – it’s just best to stay away when possible. Cosmetics, sunscreens, lotions are absorbed into our bodies through very porous skin – we need to be vigilant in reducing and eliminating toxins and chemicals with these products.
I’m a busy mom with lots of sweet children to protect once we hit the hot sunny days. I’m enjoying the moisturizing face screen and appreciate the fact it adds very little time to my already rushed routine of getting ready in the morning. After I wash my face, I apply the face screen then I’m out the door and don’t worry about the sun’s rays while I’m out running errands. With so many more organic sunscreen options this summer to protect my children, it’s wonderful that a company is worried about protecting and nourishing my face and skin.
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I normally suffer from consumer paralysis – a term you’ll hear more often with parents feeling like they can’t purchase everyday items without researching them first. I definitely suffer from this and whenever I make an ‘on the fly’ type purchase without researching first, I’m never usually satisfied with my decision. Just coming off a very busy week with the kids last crazy week of school activities before they are done for the summer, I decided to purchase life jackets for my twin girls while I was in Canadian Tire. What do I know about life jackets? Yesterday I didn’t know much…today I do. At the time I made my decision not based on price – there were cheaper life jackets there, but most of them had Microban advertised on the tag. What is Microban and why don’t I want it on a vest my kids will wear? It’s a chemical that coats the outside of a product and is marketed as a ‘bonus’ to the life jacket because of it’s antimicrobial solution that will help combat mold, etc. I don’t want this added chemical near my kids and their skin, so I decided to pick the brand that didn’t have Microban on the label. At the time this was my only marker for making a better decision. When I got to the till and asked the person helping me, I also asked if the life jackets had PVC and flame retardants. They did not know. Why was I asking about flame retardants? Life jackets have foam inserts to make the jackets float…this is a question all parents should ask when purchasing anything for their children that has foam inside. More info here.
A few hours later I noticed a 1-888 number on the life jackets I purchased so I called it with my questions. The customer service representative put me on hold to ask their production department if they add flame retardants to the product. He got back on the line with me and said he wasn’t allowed to tell me the answer. (!!) Apparently it depends on which country you live in and the government decides if flame retardants are added to products…not the manufacturers themselves. I spent hours this morning looking through Canadian gov. websites looking for a list of products they mandate include flame retardants in order to be sold in Canada…I only came up with the obvious products we already know about: mattresses, PJs, car seats, etc. I will assume that yes, my Government would mandate flame retardants within the foam of a life jacket. Why? Because both North American governments are very behind the times and overuse flame retardants in so many products….especially the US. Also, once I got the life jackets home, the smell of PVC was evident, so I no longer needed to ask the question if they contained PVC. Also I’ve learned that all cheaply made items usually contain PVC as a material because it’s the cheapest and when it’s not used, a company will advertise this fact on the label. So long story short, the life jackets were returned today. I actually felt bad for the Canadian Tire customer service rep when she asked me “why are they being returned?’.
So this morning I took to the internet and tried to research greener life jackets. I didn’t find much on-line which is surprising. The only types I could find that looked like a greener option contained a foam called Gaia foam. This apparent eco-friendlier foam ensures that the foam in life jackets doesn’t contain PVC, halogen, and phthalate plasticizers. Looks like this foam is replacing mats made from EVA or PVC (petroleum products) in yoga mats because it’s chemical resistant, naturally resist fungus (making this material ideal for water products like pfds and workout mats that might absorb sweat), is fire resistant and self extinguishing. Hmmmm looks like car seat makers could be using Gaia foam to make booster seats and car seats for children, but I’ll save that for another article. Back to life jackets…
I called two camping equipment type stores in my area and one of the sales people at Atmostphere was amazing with product knowledge. He recommended the Stohlquist WaterWare line for PFD (personal floatation devices) and they are made without flame retardants, PVC, or Microban. After visiting the Stohlquist website, the product description confirms that these life jackets are produced PVC-free, there’s no listing for Microban, and they use Gaia foam. The people at Atmostphere told me that they don’t sell anything with Microban and the only reason they could think of needing flame retardants in a floatation device is if it was specially sold for fire evacuation. Good to know that a store focused on selling gear to get you into nature is actually selling products to protect nature. I can’t thank them enough for helping me out today…it’s rare when a store and their employees can produce more knowledge than the internet and today that was the case.
I’m very interested in the Gaia foam. If this material is eco-friendly and doesn’t need chemicals added to make it flame resistant, this would be an ideal solution for infant or children items that are currently doused in flame retardant chemicals in order to make them ‘safe’ to be sold in Canada and the US. Out of curiosity, I tweeted the following 9 twitter handles from the top infant car seat manufacturers to see if they’ve thought of alternatives with the foam used in their car seats – I can’t wait to hear their thoughts on this: @Britax, @eddiebauer, @EvenfloBaby, @babytrendonline, @MaxiCosiCarSeat, @ChiccoBaby, @Safety_1st, @GracoBaby, and @Peg_Perego. And now that I have my zinc sunscreen and eco-friendlier life jackets in hand, just need to find water proof shoes for one of my boys and this summer can officially begin!
I had a great question arrive from Dan who wrote: “I am having a harder and harder time finding foods in glass jars (mayo, vinegar, ketchup, etc.). Can you help with a source?” Thanks for the awesome topic to write about Dan! It instantly reminded me of ‘The Ketchup Riddle’ Rick Smith, co-author of Slow Death By Rubber Duck, writes about. Here is the quote from Slow Death by Rubber Duck that is promoted by a late-night run to the supermarket by Rick:
I stood blinking – staring – at the ketchup selection, honestly perplexed.
~ The organic ketchup came in a plastic bottle.
~ Alymer ketchup, an old Canadian brand made from locally grown tomatoes, also came in plastic.
~ The only option in a glass bottle was the non-organic, non-local Heinz ketchup.
Rick summarized his ketchup paralysis and although I found it entertaining to read, imagine putting this much thought into every product we purchase at the grocery store or mall. It does create a type of paralysis for consumers…even eco-savvy ones. I completely agree with Rick in his summary of this situation that only government action can solve the problem of having to choose between limiting packaging containing plasticizing chemicals or pesticide use, or production of local food. Decisions like this creates huge challenges for consumers that want to make better choices, but run up against all of these questions when purchasing something supposedly easy like ketchup.
Some of you might be wondering why Dan is trying to find food that is packaged in glass. The plastic packaging that surrounds our food can contain plasticizers and other chemicals. Food packaging and chemicals like BPA and Phthalates have been very newsworthy lately. This article isn’t aimed to scare you, but we need to be aware that although chemicals like phthalates are starting to be regulated in toys, there isn’t regulation for food packaging because government and large companies don’t think the trace amounts found in packaging is enough to warrant concern. But savvy green consumers are looking for better options. We know that those squeezable plastic bottles that we purchase our condiments contain plasticizers. We know that you cannot find a tin can in your traditional grocery store that doesn’t contains an epoxy liner – containing BPA – that separates the food or liquid from the aluminum can. Lead in juice boxes, produce and meat counters that place our food on styrofoam and wrap in PVC wrap to ensure ‘freshness’ …the list goes on and on. It seems that plastic is most often the material that touches our food and for numerous reasons regularity discussed at Mommy Footprint, we are trying to avoid this – for human health improvement and for the environment. So after saying all this, the easiest way to avoid food that is packaged in plastic is to avoid heavily packaged foods. Don’t worry, this isn’t my only suggestion for Dan, but when you start shopping with a heightened awareness of packaging, little lightbulbs start going off in your heads and even better if you drop a few hints at your local grocer. They have the power to order our favorite condiments in glass jars – it might be the first time they are asked. Take a closer look at what you purchase. I love the example of cheese strings and yogurt tubes. They are a favorite snack item brought out at preschools and lunches in schools all across America. Cheese strings are sold in completely plasticized packaging…right up against the cheese! Once it’s pulled away, you can tell the outside of the cheese string has been effected…it’s rubbery. You are telling me that packaging hasn’t effected the quality of this product? Another is yogurt tubes that are again packaged in plasticized plastic, but then as a treat, many parents pop them in the freezer to serve the yogurt frozen! So we are taking another product containing plasticizers and then weakening the packaging by placing them in the freezer before given them to children to eat. Gross. And yes, I did used to buy and love the convenience of yogurt tubes, but haven’t purchased them in years because of the issue of packaging. I would hope the power of my consumerism helps to drive change even with a basic item such as yogurt.
On to better choices with food and packaging. It does seem to be hit and miss in large grocers with items like ketchup, mayo, etc. and glass containers. I’ve purchased them before but it’s not a guaranteed offering. Visiting a store like Whole Foods will open up many options to you, but here are two that I’ve found online that offer not only better options with the packaging of products they sell, but improving the quality of the food.
Tropical Traditions
Leading the way with their vast line of coconut oil (my new favorite product) this company has a big commitment to understanding how the products they carry are produced and manufactured. I found many organic vinegars, oils, etc. on this site and many are packaged in glass. I thought the products listed under Organic Food category might be helpful for the everyday consumer. This site’s knowledge of coconut oil benefits is amazing and I recently started following their Fan page on Facebook. Lots of great information there!
Eden Organic
We’ve talked about Eden Organic before, we love their commitment to packaging their beans in tin cans, without using BPA in the can lining. The food, not surprising, is sourced with supporting organic farmers and providing consumers options that are wheat-free, gluten-free, low in sodium, etc. Funny the parallel in healthy food and better packaging options?! Going through the Eden site, I found juices, sauces, butter, oils, vinegars, tomato products that are packaged in amber glass rather than plastic.
We do seem to have options. They are not endless like the contemporary brands found at traditional grocery stores. Voice your concerns regarding packaging and your food. We are continually talking about making better choices with the food we buy: local, organic, GMO-free, etc. Let’s think about how those products are stored and packaged because trace amounts of chemicals leaching into my food is something I’m concerned about. Stop purchasing food that is packaged in soft plastic and cans and tell your grocery manager why you’ve made this decision. You’ve left the decision in their hands where you’ve decided to spend your money – hopefully these decisions will help inspire change.
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