Did you ever wonder why the asthma rate is up 600% from 1980? Why cancer rates have almost doubled since 1960? (Cancer is #1 killer of kids) Why breast cancer rates have increased 26% since 1982? Why we never even heard of ADD or ADHD when we were growing up? It’s like an epidemic now. Why EVERYONE seems to have allergies of some kind or another? All of these have been linked back, at least somewhat, to exposure to toxic chemicals commonly found in household cleaners and cosmetics.
A little over two years ago I removed all the harmful chemicals from our home because as I educated myself about the hazards cleaning products and personal care products that we buy out of the grocery store I was SHOCKED at what I found. I think it's information that everyone should know.
I share this information not to scare you but to educate. There are just more and more disturbing facts about the simple everyday cleaning and personal care products that we ..the average American family have in our homes.
Did you know that there are more than 3 million poisonings…every year…and that household cleaners are the number one cause of poisonings of children?
Did you know we are exposed to 500 chemicals every day and Manufacturers aren't required to list the ingredients used in their cleaning products.?
According to the American cancer society 55% of all American women with cancer either work from home or stay home with their children and it’s being linked to daily exposure to the hazardous chemicals found in household products.
We are exposed to toxins through inhaling, absorption and ingestion.
The top three culprits of poison control are household cleaners, bleach and medications.
Many Laundry soaps that people buy contain a chemical called LYE and lye is caustic to the immune system also the number one pollutant to our environment.
Formaldehyde, phenol and benzene are all found in common household products and cosmetics. They are known to be cancer causing and toxic to the immune and nervous system. Formaldehyde is found in many products, but you won’t find the actual name formaldehyde you’ll find its trade name Quarternium 15. Formaldehyde is very toxic...it weakens the immune system making you more vulnerable to other toxic chemicals...but is also a reason why our children may have dry skin, eczema or psoriasis. You may not be aware that harmful things are in your everyday products. Among other things, formaldehyde is also classified as a carcinogen by the EPA and FDA.
Fabric softeners contain chemicals like camphor, chloroform, benzyl acetate, limonene and pentane and they are know to cause cancer and /or damage to lungs brain and nerves. These chemicals are even more dangerous when heated in clothes dryers. Steam from our dryer vents is extremely toxic, because of the chemicals from dryer sheets and residue from laundry soap and bleach and then the fumes go into our neighborhood air and everyone for blocks around is forced to breathe them in. The chemicals in fabric softener are made to stay in clothes fibers and slowly release for a very long time. That slow release of chemicals into the air affects the health of those wearing the clothes and of people around them. Some symptoms caused by fabric softener fumes are: tiredness that is not cured by resting, difficulty breathing, nervousness for no known reason, difficulty concentrating and remembering, dizziness, headaches, sick stomach, feeling faint, rashes and/or difficulty controlling body movements. Babies, children, older people, and people who are already sick are especially hurt by these chemicals. Damage can be permanent, causing lifelong illness. Babies often react with rashes, frequent crying and/or diarrhea. Most fabric softeners have fragrance added to them, which makes them even more toxic.
Almost all detergents contain fragrance - even many that are labeled “no perfume” or “unscented”! 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances are made from petroleum products. Many are known to cause cancer, birth defects, and damage to lungs, brain, and nerves. Some chemicals commonly used in fragrances, such as toluene, are listed as hazardous waste worldwide. Fragrances are not regulated by any government or health agency. There is no law that requires fragrance ingredients to be put on product labels.
For example, para-dichlorobenzene is a cancer-causing chemical used in many “air fresheners”, as well as in some pesticides. U.S. law requires that it be listed as an active ingredient in pesticides, but it does not have to be listed at all on “air freshener” labels. Speaking of air fresheners they desensitize the nerves in your nose so you cannot smell. The oils from the air wicks or plug ins coat your nose with a fine oil. The more often you breathe in these chemicals (24 hours a day if they are in clothes and bedding), the more likely you are to permanently damage your body. They also add to the damage done by chemicals present at work and in public places. You may feel tired, breathless or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or get a headache, and not realize these are early signs of chemical poisoning.
Bleach must be safe because people have been using it for years, right? WRONG! When using bleach, antiseptics or chlorine in industrial areas you are required by OSHA to wear impervious protective clothing, hard hats, boots, gloves, apron or coveralls, chemical goggles or full face shield and use only in well ventilated areas. And did you know that bleach is banned in Europe!! And they’re trying to have it banned in Canada and the United States now. You ever get bleach on your hands and they feel slimy?? The bleach is actually melting the skin cells on your hands and then they’re extremely dry…and remember the bleach and laundry detergents do not wash out…you are living in clothes, sleeping on sheets and blankets that all have these residues still in them.
Household chemicals cause all kinds of problems that you would never suspect could be related to cleaning your home and clothes such as: cardiovascular problems, panic and anxiety attacks, and bedwetting.
Folks, the products we are talking about here are used in a majority of North American homes but you will not find the chemicals listed on the label because they are considered trade secrets.
We have no choice but to breathe the air, eat the food, and drink the
water, but, we DO have a CHOICE of what we put on our skin and what products
we have in our homes.
Why are these chemicals in our homes at all? Probably because you didn’t realize how dangerous they can be. I know I didn’t! Probably because you thought, like I did, that if they’re in the stores there must be some kind of regulation right? But there isn’t!
Why are we taking unnecessary chances with health, possibly our very lives?
Most poisonings happen slowly, over a long period of time, by daily exposure to toxins in the air, and toxic chemicals that come into contact with the skin?
Consumer Product Safety Commission report identified 150 chemicals commonly found in homes that have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities. These toxic chemicals act as endocrine disrupters and can result in a variety of ways. . . fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lack of fertility, etc. But when children are exposed to these, day in and day out, their little immune systems can only take so much and their little bodies respond with learning difficulties or disabilities, allergies, lung problems, ADD, ADHD
OF COURSE household cleaning and personal care products are NOT the only source of chemicals in your home, although they ARE some of the most deadly. They are also the easiest to replace. Why not at least cut back on the constant bombardment of chemicals in our lives with something we can control?
So what do we DO? This is a call to action. Don’t wait! Make your home a healthier and safer place today. Switch to safer brands!
Now you have the information to make the best decision for you and your family.
These sites were helpful as I was researching what was best for our family.
http://www.concernedmoms.com
http://www.whyarewepoisoningourchildren.com
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