I’ve found 7 plastic-free organic hand soaps for you that contain no toxic chemicals and come in paper packaging you can easily recycle. Why hand soaps? Because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say washing our hands with soap and water works better than hand sanitizer for killing the germs that cause Coronavirus, the flu, and other illnesses, like diarrhea and the common cold.

Why plastic-free? Because plastic trash is out of control!

And why organic? Because as good as soap is for fighting germs, too many soaps contain harmful toxic chemicals or come packaged in throwaway plastic.  The soaps listed below contain healthy ingredients that work – and don’t come in plastic!

7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps

Dr. Bronner’s

Zum

Tom’s of Maine

O Naturals

Makes 3 Organics

Ma’na Organix

Patchouli Soap

Here Are 7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps That Fight Coronavirus and the Flu

Dr. Bronner’s – Made with vegan ingredients and castile soap, but no synthetic preservatives or foaming agents. Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Available unscented, or in peppermint, lavender, almond, eucalyptus, hemp rose, hemp tea tree, and hemp citrus. Fair Trade certified and Non GMO verified, too!

Zum – Made with goat’s milk, essential oils, and fresh citrus herbs. Minimal paper packaging that can be recycled. Available in variety sampler pack as well as individually. Look for it online but in Whole Foods, natural foods stores, and food co-ops, too.

Tom’s of Maine – 5 oz. bars, available in 6-packs; available in lavender, orange blossom, coconut oil, and other plant-based compounds (NOTE: May also be available in store in CVS, various supermarkets, Whole Foods, Target, etc.)

O Naturals – 100% natural organic ingredients, vegan, and infused with essential oils. Available in oatmeal & coffee, agave nectar & soy milk, coconut & shea butter, jojoba & tea tree, and rosemary & peppermint. PETA certified.

Makes 3 Organics – Made in Santa Barbara, CA with USDA certified organic ingredients, including coconut oil and shea butter. Packaged plastic-free in a recyclable paper box. Also available in orange blossom.

Ma’na Organix – This hemp oil based soap is infused with eucalyptus that both cleans and leaves your hands smelling fresh. Ma’na is also sulfate- and paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan. It’s packaged in a minimal recyclable cardboard wrap. Available in lavender, peppermint, spearmint, and cinnamon vanilla cappuccino.

Patchouli Soap – In case you’re wondering, patchouli is a fast-growing shrub related to mint and lavender with an “earthy, sensuous” scent. Additional ingredients in this soap include olive, coconut, avocado and castor oil, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, water, and sodium hydroxide.

When Should You Wash Your Hands During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

After you have been in a public place and touched an item or surface that may have been touched by other people, like door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping cars, or electronic cashier registers and screens

Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, because that’s how germs enter our bodies

Before, during and after preparing food, and before eating food

After going to the bathroom

After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

After shopping and packing and unpacking groceries

After opening mail

Remember to lather and scrub for 20 seconds. The CDC recommends people no longer shake hands with each other. If you somehow do shake hands with someone, wash your hands afterwards and before you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

NOTE: We may earn a small commission if you purchase a product through our link. It’s teeny tiny, so not enough to affect how we think, but helpful enough to keep us going. Thanks!

The post 7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps That Fight Coronavirus and the Flu appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Green consumers have scored a major victory! CVS Health, the store where you probably buy many cosmetics and personal care products, has promised to make those products safer by removing chemicals in their products that have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption.

Those chemicals include parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde.

Nearly 600 beauty and personal care products will become safer to use, including the CVS Health store brand, Beauty 360, Essence of Beauty, and Blade product lines. The Promise Organic line of store brand products already does not contain any of these toxic chemicals.

Why Did CVS Health Commit to Safer, Healthier Products?

The company wanted to “provide customers with the safe, efficacious products that they are looking for,” said Cia Tucci, Vice President of Store Brands and Quality Assurance at CVS Health.

“We listened when customers voiced their desire for products that provide the benefits they need with fewer ingredients of concern.”  

“Customer feedback has driven this move to eliminate parabens, phthalates and the most prevalent formaldehyde donors.”

Does It Matter? Yes!!

CVS Caremark Corporation is one of the largest drugstore chains in the U.S. It has over 7,300 stores and 2011 U.S. retail sales of almost $60 million, the 7th highest nationally.

The non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Health Families’ “Mind the Store” campaign, which Big Green Purse and many other consumer groups endorsed, put pressure on CVS Health to clean up its act.

Safer Chemicals has applauded CVS for its decision to clean up its products but says there is still more work to be done.

CVS Health can use its leverage to work with their suppliers to reduce, eliminate or safely substitute over a hundred questionable chemicals.

Consumers should also continue to carefully read labels and buy products that are free of chemicals that have been linked to health problems.

Get Help Here: The Best 11 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Healthy Skin

CVS Health won’t have its safer products fully available until the end of 2019. Until then, avoid products that contain the following:

√ Parabens

√ Phthalates

√ Formaldehyde

√ Triclosan

Parabens – Parabens are commonly found in cosmetics, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, hair styling gel and lotion and deodorant. Studies show parabens mimic estrogen and inhibit testosterone, potentially disrupting hormonal balance in both women and men.

Phthalates – These compounds are often found in fragrances and aerosols like air fresheners, as well as in plastics, solvents and even children’s toys. Of the variety of health impacts linked to exposure to phthalates, damage to male reproductive organs is among the gravest concerns.

Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde is a “volatile organic chemical,” which means that it will “off-gas” or emit its components into the air you breathe over time. It’s found in antiseptics, cosmetics, nail polish, dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe polish, carpet cleaners, glue, adhesive, paint, and more. It’s also used as a preservative in foods, like some cheeses, dried food, and fish.

Triclosan – Triclosan is actually a pesticide that may be included in toothpaste; it’s also the ingredient formulated into many antibacterial products, like hand wash, body wash and many cleaning compounds.

Increasing members of the medical community oppose using triclosan because they worry that it is actually encouraging the growth of drug-resistant bacteria.

By the way, washing your hands with hot soapy water seems to be just as effective as anti-bacterial soaps for getting rid of germs.

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It’s one thing to put toxic chemicals on your skin. But to put them right inside your body? Depending on their ingredients, you could be setting yourself up for a big chemical no-no . That’s why shifting to safe non-toxic lube should be just as important as buying non-toxic shampoo, soap, or skin lotion.

We’ve teamed up with Lubezilla, an online marketplace that sells water-based organic lubricants, to bring you the latest news on what’s in most lubes – and what shouldn’t be. Here’s the skinny.

What’s In Most Lubes – and Why Does It Matter?

Your vagina may be the most sensitive—and fragile—part of your body. Lubes can help reduce sensitivity by reducing vaginal dryness and friction, making it easier and healthier to enjoy sex. All good.

But vaginal skin is thin and highly absorbent. That means that chemicals in the lubricant can be absorbed by vaginal tissue. The pH, or acidity, of the lubricant affects the natural acidity of the vagina, too. It’s also possible that the vagina itself will react to the lubricant by releasing moisture out of the cells in the vaginal wall to compensate for the presence of the lube.

Women’s Voices for the Earth, which has issued a new report on safe, non-toxic lube, says that vaginal cells can “shrivel up in an attempt to dilute the foreign lubricant gel” when it is constituted so differently from normal vaginal secretions.

Using one kind of lube one time generally won’t create a problem. But as with other personal care products, its repeated use over months or years could dry out the vagina and add to the build-up of the lube’s chemicals in our bodies.

Women’s Voices looked at the research, including recommendations from The World Health Organization. They concluded that it’s best to choose lubricants that match the pH level of the vagina and that have low “osmolality” while avoiding lubes that contain 4 specific toxic chemicals.

Here’s what that means.

What’s pH? And that other thing…

The pH level generally refers to how acidic or alkaline a product is. The lower the number, the more acidic the products is. WHO says lubes should generally be in the range of 3.8-4.5.

Osmolality refers to a substance’s ability to draw moisture out of tissues and cells. If a lube has higher osmolality than normal, which is below 1200 mPsm/kg, the vagina can literally shrivel up because the moisture in vaginal cells is pulled out.

Bottom Line: Look for lubes with a pH in the range of 3.8 – 4.5, and osmolality levels below 1200.

4 Toxic Chemicals in Lube

“Harsh chemical ingredients found in lubricants can also be toxic to vaginal tissue” and the balance of microorganisms that naturally inhabit the vagina,” reports Women’s Voices.

The 4 chemicals to avoid in particular are:

Chlorhexidine gluconate – A disinfectant that can actually kill off lactobacillus bacteria, which keep the vagina healthy

Parabens, like methylparaben and propylparaben – You’ve seen – and avoided parabens before. In the vagina, they can irritate the mucous membranes and cause rashes. Ironically, though paraben-laden lubes are supposed to make sex easier, they could also lead to fertility problems and disrupt your endocrine system.

Cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane – These chemicals are found in silicone-based lubricants. They’ve also been linked to reproductive harm and uterine cancer in animal studies.

Undisclosed flavors or fragrances – Beware the generic term “flavor” or “fragrance” or “aroma” in your lube. The chemical cocktails used to concoct flavors and fragrances could include carcinogens, reproductive toxins and allergens.

Women’s Voices recommends against choosing lubes that offer “warming,” “tingling,” or colors, since those could also contain unnecessary and questionable chemicals.

What Safe Non-Toxic Lube Can You Buy?

Lubezilla offers a couple of brands of lubes on its site that can be found on the Women’s Voices  comparison chart. Those include:

Durex Play Soothing (slightly outside the osmolality bounds, but within the ph limits)

Lubezilla also sells a line of organic, plant- and water-based lubes that the manufacturers say are free of parabens, glycerin, and petrochemicals, as well as added alcohol, silicone, fragrances and dyes, plus “pH balanced just for women.” Some of these even use stevia extract, a sweetener derived from the stevia plant, in place of synthetic flavors.

By the way, you can find more tips for non-toxic safe sex from Women’s Voices here.

Note: Paid sponsors enable us to bring you the expert product reviews and green living information you want at no extra cost to you. We never recommend products, services or manufacturers that don’t meet our criteria for environmental responsibility. Thanks.

The post How to Choose a Safe Non-Toxic Lube appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But let’s back up a minute, to the original question. How much money do you waste buying plastic every year? I’ve written about why using less plastic matters here. In short, the stuff is made from oil and other toxic chemicals, can make us sick if we’re repeatedly exposed to those chemicals, and wreaks havoc on wildlife and the environment.

If you’ve given up buying bottled water, use your own reusable cloth shopping bag and maybe grow some (or most) of your own food, your automatic response might be: “Almost none. I don’t buy plastic.”

But chances are, you’re still subsidizing the use of a fair amount of plastic, since almost everything anyone buys these days comes either shrink-wrapped, padded in plastic balls or peanuts (yes, polystyrene is a form of plastic), encased in a plastic package of some sort, or wrapped in paper that’s been coated with a plastic film so thin you don’t even notice it.

One area where I’ve become particularly aware of how much plastic I consume is in the bathroom. Even though I don’t use a lot of cosmetics and follow a mostly “natural” hygiene regimen, now that I’m paying attention, I’m appalled at how many of my personal care products come packaged in plastic. I’ve switched to bar soap that’s sold either wrapper free or wrapped in paper, my face cream comes in glass jars, and my hand salve comes in metal tins. I use wash cloths instead of disposable wipes to remove dirt and make-up, and a crystal for deodorant. But my shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, toothpaste, sunscreen, and mouthwash? They’re all packaged in plastic. Ditto for the blush, mascara and lip gloss I apply.

The kicker is, I’m not buying a lot of conventional products. What I buy is always free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and triclosan, as well as many other questionnable chemicals I’d rather not put on my body or wash down the drain. Because most of these items come in jars and tubes made from recycled plastic, I used to think that was good enough, since I can easily recycle them in my city’s curbside recycling program.

Beth, whose expertise I admire enormously, has done the research, and she says that, in most cases, the best plastic is no plastic at all, recycled or not. I recommend you read her book yourself to understand why. Let me just say that I’ve been so persuaded by her reporting that I’ve decided to embark on an effort to try many of the plastic-free alternatives she suggests, including several of her make-it-yourself recipes.  (Come back soon to see how her home-made shampoo and conditioner recipes did on my hair.)

At Big Green Purse, we recommend shifting your spending to the safest, greenest products available as the fastest, easiest way to protect yourself and your family while giving manufacturers real marketplace incentives to do better, too. (Read this post about how Beth shifted more than $1,000 to all kinds of great green goods as part of our One in a Million campaign!).

How big an impact can you have, if you just focused on beauty products? According to the YWCA report “Beauty at Any Cost,” five years’ worth of beauty products costs about $6,423 on average. One full year of college tuition and fees at a public in-state college is $6,185! Neither I nor Beth are recommending you stop using any of these products at all. But if you spend over $1,000 a year on personal care products, think of the impact you can have by shifting your spending to products packaged in glass or paper, or by making your own rather than buying so much. Whether you shift a dime or a dollar, you can make a difference.

I hope you’ll read this book, and not just because of what you do in your bathroom. Beth examined her entire lifestyle to figure out where she was using plastic and how she could cut back. The results are incredibly inspiring. “In the years since my plastic awakening,” she writes, “ I’ve gone from personally generating almost four pounds of plastic waste per month to a little over two pounds per year (the average American generates between 88 and 120 pounds per year), and I am continuing the downward trend. While I’ve learned many facts about plastic—how it’s made, which types leach toxic chemicals into our food, why plastic recycling is actually “down- cycling,” and the many ways in which it’s both helpful and harmful—the biggest lessons have been personal rather than factual.”

She acknowledges that “It’s nearly impossible to eliminate plastic from our lives entirely. And, unlike me, you may not even want to try. That’s OK. This isn’t a competition, and I don’t hold myself up as an ideal.”

Here’s what I especially like about Beth’s philosophy:  “The goal is to be aware and responsible,” she says without the least bit of preachiness. “You might find yourself saying, “I know this is plastic and bad for the environment (and for my health), but I really need it or want it right now.” You think about the consequences, weigh your options, and make a decision. Other times, you may say to yourself, “It might be nice to have this, but it just isn’t worth the pollution and health risks. I can do without it.” Perhaps you will set a goal—to reduce your plastic consumption by a certain percentage or keep it under a certain amount per month. Or you might define what constitutes an emergency situation for you, and save plastic for those times. Whatever you do, it will be your choice.” What a great attitude!

JUST FOR FUN!

In addition to all the great background information and straightforward action checklists, Beth provides some surprising insights into the ways she’s had fun going plastic-free. I love her suggestion for a “make your own” iPod cover:

“What do you do when your iPod cover cracks and you need a new one and all you can find to buy are covers made out of plastic or handmade covers from Etsy that just don’t fit your lifestyle and the way you want to use your device? This might seem like a silly concern when the mp3 player itself is made from plastic, but my plastic-free life is not about deprivation but finding creative ways to enjoy the possessions I already have without buying new plastic.

“So one night, when I was supposed to be working on a million other things, I entertained myself by devising my perfect knitted iPod cover, complete with holes for the power cord and headphone jack and openings for viewing the screen and accessing the click wheel. I felt pretty tickled with myself, and even more so a year later when the foam pads on a couple pairs of headphones wore out and I taught myself to crochet in order to make some plastic-free replacements out of wool. I feel a real connection to and appreciation for items I’ve spent hours making myself. I also feel much more motivated to take care of them properly. Whenever I need something new, I check Google first to see if someone has come up with a handmade version or instructions for doing it myself. I’m not always willing to take the time, but when I do, it’s always worth it.”

BUY NOW!

Beth is selling signed copies of her book through her blog to benefit the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Plus, any copies Beth sends out or that are purchased via BuyGreen.com are guaranteed to ship without plastic packaging. Get a copy for yourself, for your friends, and for community leaders who think there’s no way to live without plastic. Beth’s book proves them wrong from the very first page to the last.

The post Want a Plastic-Free Life? Buy This Book ASAP! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Deanna Duke, author of the new must-buy book, The Non-Toxic Avenger: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You, believes there is. And with good reason: In 2007, Deanna’s husband Hank, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable, extremely life-shortening form of leukemia. That news on its own would have been devastating enough; but it came in the same week that her son Henry was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism.

Though both cancer and autism have genetic links, Deanna, who also blogs at The Crunchy Chicken, couldn’t help but wonder whether toxic chemicals she and her family encountered every day could also have contributed to the illnesses. In addition to helping her husband and son come up with treatment plans, Deanna decided to do two things: track down the sources of dangerous chemicals she and they were exposed to, and figure out how to avoid them in the future. This illuminating and inspiring book charts Deanna’s quest.

Here is just a short summary of the extent of her research:

* She had her body tested for a wide array of toxins, both those under her control based on products she willingly chose, like cosmetics or food, and those that exist in the environment but that she has little control over, like air and water pollution.

* She tested common houshold projects, like rubber toys and her computer equipment, to see if they contained nasty PVCs (they did).

* She started making her own safe personal care products, like deodorant and hair dye, to avoid parabens, phthalates, and other cancer-causing chemicals.

* She changed her shopping habits to buy more organic food.

* And of course, she wrote this book: part heart-wrenching story about trying to deal with the illnesses of her husband and son, part manifesto on what we all can do to protect ourselves from environmental hazards, especially those we think won’t do us any harm.

I hope you’ll pick up this book as soon as you can and read it cover to cover. You’ll cry. You might laugh at all of Deanna’s exploits. And then, hopefully, you’ll get busy — clearing out your cupboards, writing to your elected officials, and telling everyone you know that they MUST read this incredible, courageous, inspiring book, too.

The post What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You, Warns “The Non-Toxic Avenger” appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Let’s start with shampoo. Conventional shampoo contains ingredients that may cause asthma or other human health problems and wreak havoc on water systems when they wash down the drain. Plus, they usually come packaged in plastic bottles that many communities can’t recycle.

SHAMPOO BARS

Shampoo that comes as a bar rather than in a bottle treads more lightly on the planet – and reduces the amount of trash you throw away. Why?

* It uses less packaging.

* The packaging is probably paper or cardboard, thus easier to recycle than plastic.(If you do buy shampoo in a plastic bottle, rinse it out and recycle it.)

* Since it’s not liquid, it’s lighter than bottled shampoos and therefore uses less energy to be shipped from the manufacturing plant to the store where you buy it.

Most shampoos contain various chemicals to ensure they suds up a lot. In fact, you might not feel like your hair is getting clean unless it’s had a good lather. These shampoo bars don’t lather like liquid shampoo, but they do a great job cleaning your hair. None of them contain parabens, phthalates, or the antibacterial triclosan; they haven’t been tested on animals, either.

Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar

Seed Grape seed enriched conditioning hair shampoo bar – unscented

Chagrin Valley All Natural Solid Shampoo Bars

Herbaria Herbal Soaps

For more online options, check the Skin Deep Cosmetic Data base. Aim for products that have a hazard rating of between zero and three, which means they contain the fewest questionnable ingredients.

Do you have a favorite shampoo bar? Please share!

Related Posts

Antibacterial Soap…Could Harm Fetus and Infants

Green Shampoos and Lotions for Guys

Should Soap Bubbles Make Your Baby Sick? Tell J&J No! 

Beauty or the Beast? The Safe Chemicals Act

The post Earth Day Health & Beauty Countdown: Switch Your Liquid Shampoo to a Bar appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Considering how many times you lick them each day, maybe you should. Many conventional lip products are made from ingredients you’d never DREAM of wiping your tongue on, like pesticides, dyes, and parabens. Lipstick may even contain lead. Ewww!

Good news: Conventional cosmetic companies like Softlips are extending their product lines to include pure organic lip conditioners in a variety of flavors.

About the Product: Pure Softlips is USDA Organic Certified. It’s made of 100% natural ingredients, 95% of which are organic. You can get it in five different flavors, including Acai Berry, Honeydew, Papaya, Pomegranate, and Peppermint.

What We Like: In addition to the fact that Softlips uses certified ingredients, its price is comparable to conventional products (see below) and it’s easy to buy in many retail outlets. Pure Softlips is cruelty free (animal testing is not conducted). In addition, the balm is sold in recyclable materials that include a minimum of plastic and are printed with vegetable-based ink. It’s not too greasy but still leaves lips feeling soothed. The flavors are pleasant, and the fragrance is not overwhelming.

There are no dyes or tints in Softlips, so don’t expect it to impart anything more than a subtle shine – which is just fine if you’re planning to pucker up and don’t want to leave any evidence behind.

Are you are allergic to gluten? Softlips pure organic lip conditioner is gluten-free (other lip glosses may list wheat as an ingredient).

What We Don’t Like: Softlips’ entire product line needs the same make-over it’s given to its “Pure” brand. The company’s standard products contain nasty compounds like petroleum, toluene and parabens. That’s a no-no for Big Green Purse fans. We hope the company will raise its entire product line to “Pure” standards.

Plus, five of us in the office tried different Pure Softlips flavors. We all liked the tastes – but we found the applicator tube itself way too small…and not because we have big lips! Softlips could double the size of the applicator, make the product last twice as long, and reduce packaging that comes from having to buy two applicators rather than one.

Product Comparison:

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm:
“Earth Friendly Natural Personal Care for The Greater Good”
The ingredients are 95.29% natural, and include ultra-emollient lanolin, coconut and sunflower oil, and beeswax. TThe tube is made of recycled plastic.

Herbal Choice  Herbal Choice uses natural herbs and oils to moisturize lips; the color from the tinted lip balms derives from natural fruit powders to provide sheer color.
• Paraben Free, Preservative Free, Mineral Oil Free.
• No Synthetic Additives, Fragrance Free.
• Pure & Natural Formula.
• Organic Ingredients.
• Allergen Free, Non Sticky.
• No Animal Testing, Vegan.
• Earth & Skin Friendly.

Eco Lips – Uses high concentrations of certified organic ingredients like green tea and kiwi.

Dr. Bronner’s All-One Organic Lip Balm: Dr. Bronner’s lip balms are USDA Certified Organic, and are made of natural oils and beeswax. The product is not animal tested; ingredients include natural organic hemp, pure organic oils and beeswax free of petrochemically modified ingredients. Organic essential oils infuse the balms with fragrance.

Price Comparison:
Pure Softlips – Lip Conditioners priced at $3.69

Burt’s Bees: Beeswax Lip Balm $3.00

Herbal Choice: Vitamin E lip balm $3.95

Eco Lips: Free shipping with orders over $15
Eco Lips Organic Lip Balm- $1.99
Eco Tint Line $3.99
Eco Energy lip balm3.49

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm
Lip Balms priced at $ 2.99

How Many Purses for Softlips? Two. We love the ingredients in Pure Softlips. But the applicator is too small, forcing us to buy two when one larger one would last longer. We also want to see Softlips raise the bar for its entire product line. Softlips should be “pure,” through and through.

by Sophia Bambalis

The post Environmental In-Box: Softlips Pure Organic Lip Conditioner appeared first on Big Green Purse.

*  Breast cancer strikes more women in the world than any other type of cancer except skin cancer.

* In the U.S., a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer increased steadily and dramatically during the 20th century.

* Today, a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is one in eight.

* The increasing incidence of breast cancer over the decades following World War II paralleled the proliferation of synthetic chemicals.

* An estimated 80,000 synthetic chemicals are used today in the U.S.; another 1,000 or more are added each year. Complete toxicological screening data are available for just 7 percent of these chemicals.

* Many of these chemicals persist in the environment, accumulate in body fat, and may remain in breast tissue for decades. Many have never been tested for their effects on human health.

Thanks to reduced use of hormone therapy, breast cancer rates for women over 50 may be declining.  Nevertheless, 216 chemicals and radiation sources have been linked to breast cancer and all women remain susceptible. Of particular concern are the agents known as endocrine disruptors. These are chemicals that mimic our natural endocrine system and ultimately disrupt the work it does to regulate growth, reproduction and other human health conditions.

Protect Yourself from Breast Cancer

Dr. Gray says that one important way consumers can protect themselves is to avoid products that contain endocrine disruptors like phthalates, parabens, growth hormones in meat and dairy products, and bisphenol A.

* Choose phthalate-free perfumes, soaps, shampoos, lotions and even nail polish.

* Avoid parabens. Parabens, a preservative, are being replaced by ascorbic acid.

* Eat organic food and dairy products. Cows that graze on organic feed and in free-range conditions will be free of artificial hormones.

* Skip plastic water bottles. Consumers can avoid bisphenol A by choosing stainless steel water bottles rather than hard plastic, and glass over plastic or metal cans for the food they buy.

These “big green purse” options will not only protect women individually. The way women spend their money sends a direct message to manufacturers. Saying “no” to breast cancer by choosing the safest products and services will pressure companies to say “no” to these same chemicals before they’re even added to the product.

Download a complete copy of the report here.

RELATED POSTS

The post Put Breast Cancer on Your Big Green Purse Agenda appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Those chemicals include diesel exhaust, chemicals that are put into personal care products, and plastic softeners. Of the 216 specific chemicals that cause mammary gland tumors either in animals or humans:

— 73 have been present in consumer products or as contaminants in food
— 35 are air pollutants
— 25 have been associated with occupational exposures affecting more than 5,000 women a year
— 29 are produced in the United States in amounts often exceeding 1 million pounds per year.

Fortunately, to some degree, being forewarned is forearmed. According to the study’s scientists, who included researchers at the Silent Spring Institute in Massachusetts, and the Texas-based Susan G. Komen organization, limiting routine exposures — our so-called “body burden” — can  “significantly reduce the risk of cancer for many thousands of women.”

How can we protect ourselves from many of these chemicals and prevent breast cancer?

We can start by shifting our spending to products that contain less harmful ingredients, including:

• Personal care products that are free of parabens (often found in preservatives) and phthalates (often found in fragrances).
• Organic consumer products – not just fruits and vegetables, but cosmetics and body lotions and cleansers as well.
• Fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-efficient appliances to reduce the combustion of fossil fuels.

We can also minimize the number of products we use over all.

Individually and collectively, we can make a difference, and we must. Breast cancer is the largest cause of death in U.S. women in mid-life. While other risk factors — family history, age at menarche and menopause, age of first full-term pregnancy — cannot be easily avoided, chemical exposures can.

A searchable database of all 216 chemicals, including detailed information on 97 of the most widespread, is available at http://www.komen.org/environment and http://www.silentspring.org/sciencereview. The database also summarizes significant research linking breast cancer and diet, physical activity, body size, environmental pollutants and genetics.

The post Shift your Spending to Prevent Breast Cancer appeared first on Big Green Purse.