I was just perusing through articles over at Ode Magazine, and I came across an article submitted by a reader that I thought was a very straightforward summary of the "scary" chemicals found everywhere in our environment. The author talks about wanting to protect his baby from these chemicals and the steps he and his family are taking to do so (avoiding products with sodium laureth and laurel sulfate, etc.) These chemicals are in the lotions and shampoos we put on our bodies, in our detergents, and in our food.
This summer I read Not Just A Pretty Face, an expose on the beauty industry by Stacy Malkan that I highly recommend. I was completely shocked to learn about the dangers and hazards found in most cosmetics, and the US government's lacking regulations. You can learn more at her site, and you can also go to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to look up the ingredients and health concerns of the products you use.
I believe that we can make a difference in our own lives and those of others with the choices we make everyday. I don't believe that buying things is the answer to many of our environmental concerns, but I will do my best to support those companies whose products I can trust are non-harmful to my body and who are working to create better, more sustainable business models.
(Edit: Mike, the author of the article at Ode Magazine, has also created a site for skin care information at www.myskinbetter.com and has his own line of non harmful products at Emily Skin Soothers.)
(Photo by Jeramy Lim, shared under a creative commons license.)
