Question from Diane

Just purchased (on line) 3 tubes of Redmond Earth Paste Natural Toothpaste (peppermint, wintergreen and cinnamon flavors). Package states “no glycerin, no fluoride, from the Earth, no artificial coloring, no foaming agents”. Ingredients: purified water, food grade Redmond clay, xylitol, (peppermint essential oil/wintergreen essential oil, menthol/cinnamon essential oil – depending on the flavor), Redmond real salt, tea tree oil. In fine print it states “California residents proposition 65 – WARNING: this product contains trace amounts of lead, a substance known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. This product may not be appropriate for consumption by children or pregnant women.” As I understand this proposition 65 warning label appears on a lot of items. The fact that it contains lead even though it is trace amounts concerns me; would you consider this toothpaste to be safe for adults who are not pregnant and since I highly value your opinion, would you yourself use it?

Debra’s Answer

I myself do use this toothpaste. As a whole, it has the simplest, most natural ingredients.

Warning labels aren’t always accurate indicators of toxicity. There are some products that really don’t need a warning label and others that really should have a warning label and don’t. We really need to evaluate each product for ourselves.

Now first, there is no safe level for lead so we should do whatever we can to minimize exposure. But the reality is you probably eat more lead in organic food because it’s a natural element of the Earth’s crust. And humans have been living and thriving with that trace amount for millennia.

The problem isn’t trace amounts of lead in natural materials. The problem is industrialized lead in paint chips that kids put in their mouths, and lead in car exhaust, etc. These industrial uses of lead are more than our bodies are designed to be exposed to.

I sent your question to Darryl Bosshardt at Real Salt (who makes Earthpaste). And as I expected, he sent back a long and detailed response, full of good information.

The ingredient that contains the lead is bentonite clay. Here’s what he says about it…

Hi Debra

Bentonite Clay has been used by natural folks for 1,000s of years with great results, but recently clay has been under a bit of attack because there are some natural trace amounts of lead and other metals.

Most clay experts agree that the trace amounts of these metals are bound to the clay and cannot be absorb by the body, which is why healing clays are used both internally and externally for numerous things for 1,000’s of years, even though there are trace amounts of these metals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicinal_clay.

Below is a little longer explanation that you can also draw from if you are interested.

We realize that some will choose not to use clay or clay based products because of the natural state of clay and its trace amounts of metals, and we totally respect that, but after looking into clay the science and history of clay use many agree with the clay authors and naturopaths who say that these metals are not bioavailable.

Bentonite/Montmorillonite clay is the base product of Earthpaste and is about 25% of the formula. All natural Bentonite/Montmorillonite clays have natural trace amounts of many elements (http://www.earthpaste.com/elemental-analysis/ one of which is lead and other metals and minerals.

Any clay actually will have trace amounts of lead (as will collard greens, kale, mixed nuts and almost anything from the ground or grown in the ground) which is why we added the lead statement to our package. Other companies are doing the same thing and here are some examples. In the Garden of Life, Sunwarrior and Ridge Crest Herbals explanations they talk specifically about things like green beans and Echinacea which some find helpful.

• www.naturalgrocers.com/store-info/blog/garden-life-responds-bloggers-concerns-about-heavy-metals
• www.sunwarrior.com/notices/
• www.rcherbals.com/prop65/
• www.mountainroseherbs.com/prop65/

For those that don’t know, according the to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead occurs naturally in uncontaminated soils at a level of between 50 ppm and 400 ppm (www.epa.gov/superfund/lead/health.htm) because lead is one of the elements that the Earth is made of. As long as we live on Earth there will be trace amounts of lead that we are exposed to because it is one of the many elements that make up the Earth we live on. This doesn’t mean we should not try to limit our exposure to processed/refined lead and lead contaminated soils. Contaminated soils such as those around power plants, gas stations, or other industrial waste areas are much higher than those natural levels found everywhere on Earth at the 50-400 ppm level. For comparison, Redmond Clay naturally has around 12 ppm on the recent analysis which you can see is a fraction of the typical amount in “uncontaminated soils” and is just part of the natural earth the way it was created.

For a true comparison we also need to convert ppm or ppb to micrograms in the foods and water we are consuming. In reference to the naturally occurring in lead in foods grown in uncontaminated soils, according to the FDA 2007 study of lead in foods it found that an 8 oz serving of fresh collard greens has up to 30 micrograms of lead (50 times the prop 65 limit) – for comparison an average use of Earthpaste would have about 6 micrograms assuming you consumed the entire amount. An 8 oz serving of dry roasted mix nuts had up to 20 mcg and similar servings of brussel sprouts was 16 mcg, spinach and sweet potatoes were about 15 mcg for the same 8 oz servings size. www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminants
Adulteration/TotalDietStudy/UCM243059.pdf

It is also important to note that all elements are not bio-available in all forms and that the FDA’s statement of the GRAS status of clay says this, “Apparently, very little, if any, bentonite is absorbed after oral administration and as much as 3 percent in the diet has no observable adverse effects on experimental animals.” The statement also says, “No adverse effects have been observed at dietary levels as high as 12 percent in experimental animals.” And says, “The human therapeutic dose for diarrhea is about 250 to 1,000 mg per kg.”

www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogslisting
&id=35

That would mean that 3 – 12 pounds of clay could theoretically be consumed for every 100 lbs of food. That would be a serious amount of clay and an amount that no one would ever recommend, but it does show that the metals in clay are not absorbable. This is why the right type of clay has such a following, is used throughout the world, and has even been studied by NASA for astronaut use – although still not widely accepted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicinal_clay

Many of the books on clay and most naturopaths agree that these other minerals in clay are in a form that the body can’t absorb and are not bioavailable – this is what the FDA statement also says in the section I included above.

Another favorite quote on this topic comes from Dr. Richard Anderson who is (was) a naturopathic practitioner. Being a natural doctor he probably understands the medical/chemistry aspects of clay better than some. Here is a short section from his cleansing site.

“Today, Bentonite clay is increasingly used both internally and externally by those interested in natural remedies, and it is included on the FDA’s famous “GRAS” list, which stands for “Generally Recognized as Safe.” With increasing public knowledge about minerals, some have expressed concern over the presence of small amounts of aluminum in bentonite clay.

However, Rich Anderson himself, and numerous others who have used Bentonite clay extensively with his cleanse program, have had hair analyses done which indicated that the body does not absorb aluminum from Bentonite. [ . . . ] Some people are concerned about the aluminum in bentonite. Yes, it does have aluminum. For aluminum is one of the most abundant minerals on the earth. However, if you recall the above paragraph where it states that bentonite has a negative electrical charge, you will realize that bentonite cannot be absorbed by the body. The epithelium cells of the gut are also negatively charged. Like the polar opposites of two magnets repelling one another, the cells of our bowels absolutely repel the bentonite from entering the inner sanctum of our bodies. This means that you never need to be concerned about taking psyllium shakes. Rich Anderson has probably set the world’s record in the consuming of bentonite. Not only has he no signs of aluminum poisoning, but also hair analysis has never indicated any abnormal levels of aluminum in his body. And does he still use bentonite? Absolutely. [ . . . ] Why are the toxic metals in the minerals in bentonite not a problem (like chlorine, arsenic, aluminum, and lead.) A: These minerals are in small, trace amounts and organic in nature. They are not toxic in this medium. They are derived from ancient vegetation and are naturally chelated to plant proteins. Organic aluminum actually transmutes into silica and then into calcium according to Professor Louis Kervran. This is explained in his book “Biological Transmutations and Modern Physics” on page 157. (Magalia, California: Happiness Press, 1988.)” www.cleanse.net/hydratedbentoniteclay.html

An elemental compound that occurs naturally in nature is not necessarily the same thing as the highly processed, refined, purified element – and the body deals with these types or forms of elements differently. Pure metallic Sodium or pure Chlorine gas are good examples of this. The apparent difference in bioavailability is why most clay users agree with the clay authors, naturopaths and the FDA as mentioned above. Leaded gasoline and lead-based paint are very different than the naturally occurring trace amount of lead in organic kale, peach, pears or clay. That said, some decide not to use clay or clay based products because of its natural state and its natural levels of so many elements including metals – and we respect that as well.

Sorry for the long answer and hopefully this helps add to the discussion. We are working to improve our website to better explain clay and why some choose to incorporate clay into their lifestyle and others choose not to.

Listen to Darryl talk with me about Earthpaste at Amazingly Natural Toothpaste (It Really Is!)

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Question from Debra

Hi Debra: Long time follower. I use your website all the time to find things I need. Is there a waffle iron that you know of with a suitable non-toxic non-stick surface? My daughter is at college and she is asking for one so want to do my best to get her something healthy. Thanks so much.

Debra’s Answer

Some years ago we had this question and could find only one cast iron waffle maker that didn’t have a Teflon finish.

Now, there are a number of choices for wafflemakers.

I’ll list them here to make it easy for you to compare, because I know waffles are a favorite.

There are two types to choose from. If you want an electric waffle-maker, you can now buy them with a ceramic-based nonstick finish. Much less toxic than Telfon, but as I’ve noted elsewhere, these finishes tend to wear down and get more sticky with time.

There are also old-fashioned cast-iron waffle makers that you put on a stovetop gas burner. I bought one of these and it just arrived today.

The reason I bought a waffle iron is because there are now recipes for gluten-free waffles! Yay! I’ve been missing waffles!

I haven’t tried any of these yet, but here are some to experiment with:

• www.fitbodsoul.com/2013/04/11/miracle-waffles-the-fluffiest-tastiest-almond-maple-waffles-gluten-free-paleo-heart-healthy/
• www.paleomg.com/almond-flour-coconut-waffles/
• www.2cookinmamas.com/2013/07/30/go-paleo-with-almond-flour-waffles/
• www.comfybelly.com/2009/01/waffles/#.U1WkICjaPZc
• www.thedigin.com/2013/11/almond-flour-waffles-gluten-free/
• www.allrecipes.com/recipe/almond-flour-waffles/

There’s more online, but I think that’s enough for now. You can always search for “almond flour waffle.”

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Question from Mira

Hi Debra,

I’m considering asking my condo HOA Board for permission to install wood floors in my 2nd story unit. They would require acoustic insulation so the neighbor living below me doesn’t hear footsteps/noise. There are cork and polyurethane underlayment options, which can be used separately or in combination. Or, I could get wall-to-wall wool carpet with felt pad. (Neither option is ideal I know, but I want to do the best I can).

The wood floor would need one or both of these types of underlayment:

WE Cork Soundless and Soundless+ underlayment MSDS:
http://www.wecork.com/wp-content/forms/Soundless_Soundless+MSDS.pdf

Healthier Choice Sound Solution Acoustic Underlayment (contains antimicrobial) MSDS:
http://www.menards.com/msds/104543_001.pdf

(I wonder if the polyurethane underlayment would be safe with the wood flooring over it. It has a very slight odor).

VERSUS:

http://www.hiberniawoolcarpet.com/display-color.asp?s=Habitat&clr=Seashell

I’ve home tested dozens of natural, green, wool carpets samples and the only ones I didn’t react to were two styles made by Hibernia Woolen Mills: Elements and Habitat. These are triple washed and contain no dyes. I detect no smell from them. They are low pile berber carpets which collect dust less than pile carpet and are easier to vacuum and keep clean.

with

http://www.rugpadcorner.com/shop/superior/

I love this carpet pad — my friend has it under her area rug. It has no smell whatsoever and feels wonderful underfoot. It can be used for wall-to-wall also.

What do you think of each option and which would you choose?

Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

I looked at the MSDS sheets for the floor underlayment and they both were fine.

They both contain polyurethane, however, polyurethane itself is not toxic, it’s the chemicals they add to it to make polyurethane foam and polyurethane floor finish that make these products toxic.

The antimicrobial the Healthier Choice underlayment is Hydrated Alumina, which is well known for it’s antibacterial properties. This is a particle suspended in and surrounded by a polymer–like a seed in honey–so there is no exposure to it.

So either choice would be fine with me.

I think you’d have less problem with the HOA if you chose the carpet. [And that’s what she did.]

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Question from Leslie

Hi Debra – am loving your new site! We are having a small crack in our fiberglass shower module repaired. The tech said they do not use acid etching but rather, their own method (miraclemethod.com). He said the only ‘danger’ is when they use a very small hand-held fan to spray the small crack; an isotope is released into the room but dissipates in 15 min. and is only harmful to people with severe respiratory problems. My question is: we do have an exhaust fan (but wonder if that’ll spread the toxins into the rest of the house) and a window we’ll leave open. But we have a clothes closet in the bathroom, next to the shower (closet has own door). Do you think a piece of plastic taped over the closet door will prevent the fumes from getting into my clothes? Or do I need to empty out the entire closet? Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Tape doesn’t always block fumes.

Think of a material as a space with a lot of molecules in it. Depending on the material, the molecules are different sizes and there are different amount of spaces between them. Then you have a chemical molecule that comes along and it’s a size. If there is enough space between the molecules it can get through. If there’s not enough space, it won’t.

The only barrier I know of that blocks EVERYTHING is foil. So the best advice I can give is to put foil over the space around the closet door. Now you’ll need to use a tape that is easily removable, like blue painter’s tape. I would normally recommend using foil tape, but you can’t remove it.

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Question from Dani

I’m looking for a safe mattress. Where I live, it’s difficult to get to a showroom where I can test organic mattresses. The one store I found carries a line of mattresses made by Berkeley Ergonomics. Is anyone familiar with this brand and is it non-toxic? I’ve heard that there is some synthetic latex out there. I’ve also heard that all latex in the U.S. is made in a facility in Connecticut, where they make both synthetic and all-natural latex. This is all very confusing!!

Debra’s Answer

I looked at their Berkeley Ergonomics website and it looks pretty good to me.

They use

• prewashed organic cotton
• organic wool
• 100% natural filler-free latex (not organic, but Oeko-Tex certified)

They list a lot of certifications but don’t show them on their website (“certificates are available”) so I can’t verify without asking them for certificates (my opinion is if someone says it’s certified, the certificate should be on the website.

All of their materials are from Europe, even though, being in California they could get Pure Wool from California.

On paper, it looks good, but I haven’t see their certifications. It would be better if they used organic latex, which is available.

Understand their Oeko-Tex 100 certifications doesn’t mean a material is organic. It means it doesn’t contain a list of 100 priority chemicals.

And no, all latex in the US is NOT made in one facility in Connecticut.

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Question from Leslie

Hi Debra

I was looking for something to clean our jetted bathtub. I am concerned about using the tub, because when we bought the house, it was unoccupied for a while before we got here, and I have no idea how (or if) the inner parts had been cleaned prior to that. So meanwhile I’m not using the tub while I try to find a suitable way to clean it. I’ve seen many recommendations online for using Cascade dishwasher detergent and bleach, and I’d prefer not to use those. I thought about trying vinegar, baking soda, or some other natural cleaner. But my concern is that those will probably not remove what is lurking in the plumbing. Then I saw the “Oh Yuk” biofilm remover, and it claims to remove the harmful bacteria, molds, etc, that grow in the unseen plumbing.

www.scientificbiofilmsolutions.com/oh-yuk-cleaner/

The company indicates that other options don’t actually remove the biofilm. Because we can’t actually see the plumbing lines, it’s a bit difficult to know if the nasty stuff inside has actually been removed. But people who use the Cascade/bleach method, or the Oh Yuk product, say that they see black/brown/green film, flakes, etc, come out into the water while doing the cleaning. So there does seem to be some evidence it is working.

I suppose it comes down to trusting the company that they have done testing and examined the tubing to make sure it is, in fact, free of harmful bacteria after using the product, since we can’t actually see the tubing or test it ourselves. So it appears to be effective.

But I’m wondering about the safety of the product. Their site says: “Oh Yuk is safe to work with. Unlike many jetted tub cleaners, Oh Yuk’s fumes will not harm you, your employees, or your guest when the jets are turned on. Some other brands jetted tub cleaners contain carcinogens, mutagens, and harmful VOC’s.”

Their MSDS is provided via the link above, but here is the direct link as well: www.static.squarespace.com/static/52b1d489e4b01342092c760d/t/52b31a47e4b0ddced6131744/1387469383535/MSDS_Oh%20Yuk.pdf

I don’t have enough experience reading MSDS to feel confident in my interpretation of the info they give. The health rating is 1, but I’m wondering why it says “Not Available” for things like toxicological info, carcinogenic effects, etc. Is that common on MSDS? The “personal protection in case of a large spill” section makes me think the product is pretty potent. But again, I don’t have enough familiarity with interpreting MSDS info to know for sure. I googled “quaternary ammonium cation” – one of the ingredients on the MSDS – and the info on Wikipedia wasn’t reassuring. But I’ll admit that the chemistry lesson goes a bit over my head, and it’s possible that the product is fine.

I definitely want to use the safest product possible. On the other hand, is it possible that a less-than-perfect cleaner is a better option than bathing in water that contains harmful bacteria and molds? Meanwhile, I have a tub I’m not using but would like to be able to use for aching muscles, for detox baths, etc.

If you know of another option for addressing these issues in a jetted tub, I’d be glad to know. I suggested replacing the plumbing, but my husband said that would probably be very difficult because of the design of these tubs. Any suggestions?

There is a similar product, called Ahh-Some, but I have the same confused feeling about their MSDS. They claim it is a natural and eco-friendly product, yet the ingredients are irritants. Does that make the product toxic? They also have a “1” rating for health.
ahhsomecleaner.com/wp-content/themes/rgbstore/msds.pdf

Debra’s Answer

OK, just off the top of my head, both of these MSDS’s are incomplete as far as I am concerned.

A health hazard rating of “1” is pretty nontoxic. I think either of these are better than the standard toxic cleaner, but I can’t evaluate them really because there is no information. It may say “not available” because there is none because it’s not needed.

If I had to choose one, I think either would be fine. There’s nothing here that indicates a big toxic exposure to me.

Good you found these safer products!

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Question from TA

We are planning to replace 3 toilets in our home, and this is our first experience with installing toilets. I know that a wax ring, or some alternative, is necessary. I saw some non-wax alternatives online, but upon closer reading, it appears that they are made of PVC or polyurethane foam (also antimicrobial). So even though they are supposed to be far easier to install and other such benefits, I’d rather not purchase those kinds of products.

Is the basic wax ring a good option, or do you have another recommendation for what to use? I know my husband would prefer whichever is easier to install, and those alternative ones are claimed to be easier. Perhaps there’s a wax alternative that is non-toxic but I just haven’t seen it yet.

After looking a bit more, I saw this option for a wax-free gasket. I checked the company’s website, and it specifies that they use a special type of rubber. I suppose this could have a strong rubber smell. But perhaps it’s better than buying PVC or PU foam? I guess I’m looking for the less-toxic option, whatever that may be!
http://www.amazon.com/Fluidmaster-7500P8-Wax-Free-Bowl-Gasket/dp/B000BQUG7U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1397501239&sr=8-7&keywords=wax+ring+for+toilet

Then regarding the toilet seat selection, I know I read long ago that you use wood seats. Would you mind sharing a link to the type of seat you have found? When I find “wood” seats, they seem to be either 1) molded wood (is that okay?) or 2) finished with a glossy finish, and I don’t know if the finish is toxic or not. Have you found ones that are only wood? I have to wonder if a polypropylene seat is better than a glossy finished wood or molded wood (which has been made white somehow – so again, is the finish non-toxic?).

I was looking at our existing toilet and noticed the caulking around the base. I realized I hadn’t considered whether that type of product is usually toxic. My husband will know what to get at the hardware store to get the job done, but won’t necessarily know if it’s non-toxic. Can you point me in the direction of a safe product to use there, where the toilet connects to the floor?

Are there any other components I should be aware of, that will take special effort to locate in a non-toxic version?

Debra’s Answer

I’ve installed a number of toilets and we’ve always used the wax ring. I never had a problem with them. Once installed it is covered completely by the toilet.

For toilet seats, I bought mine years ago and they are getting more difficult to find. Here are a number of solid wood toilet seats, but as you said, the finish may be problematic and we don’t know what the finish is on any of them.

They don’t sell unfinished wood toilet seats, but you could buy the toilet seat you like and sand the finish off if necessary and apply the finish you like. See, here’s an opportunity for some industrious person. Go to a wood toilet seat manufacturer, buy some wholesale unfinished, apply a nontoxic finish, and sell them. A niche waiting to be served. A wood toilet seat needs a finish to protect it from water. But it doesn’t need to be toxic.

For caulk you can get EcoBond at Home Depot.

No other components I can think of.

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Question from TA

Are you familiar with the Natural Sense brand of latex mattress? When looking for mattresses, there is so much to be aware of — whether or not fire retardants are used, whether the wool was processed organically, whether it’s truly natural latex or a blend with synthetic latex, and so forth. These mattresses appear to be the real deal, but I want to make sure I’m not overlooking something that would indicate that they aren’t actually non-toxic.

They are sold on the Foam Order website, as well as their own site.
http://www.foamorder.com/organic-mattress.html

http://www.organicmattressshop.com/

I find their website a bit confusing. And there is alot of info on the sites. It’s alot to take in. But from what I can tell, it seems like a decent product. Your thoughts?

Debra’s Answer

Evaluating latex is a major subject to write about. I’ve been researching it for over a year and some major changes have taken place. I’ll write about it soon, but for now I’ll just comment on Natural Sense.

Well, first of all there is a mistake on their site. It says the natural latex foam is “FCS certified” but it isn’t. When you click on the link it takes you to a certification for Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, which means it does not contain a long list of chemicals.

There’s another mistake, “nontoxic organic rubber.” It’s certified nontoxic by Oeko-Tex but I don’t see any organic certification for the latex at all. They have a certificate for organic cotton and organic wool, but not organic latex.

And, they refer to their mattresses as “organic mattresses.” They actually can’t do that. An “organic mattress” means the entire process of materials and manufacture is organic and certified by GOTS. I don’t see any GOTS certification.

Their product may be just fine. But they don’t seem to be aware of what’s going on in the field of mattresses to know how to properly describe them.

When I see this, it makes me wonder if they really know how to make a natural mattress. I’ve never seen their mattress, I don’t know them at all, but this is what it looks like to me. When I see a site like this, I just pass. I could correct them, but what I’m really looking for are people who really know their stuff. People I can learn from because they are on the inside and can see and experience what is going on. That’s not the impression I get here.

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Question from di

I have severe MCS. I’m looking for a way to repair wallpaper seams.

I love the old wallpaper and would just like to re-stick some of the edges and seams without it showing or aging on the paper.

What would you suggest?

I have two types of old paper…….the paper variety and old vinyl of some sort.

Thanks.

di

Debra’s Answer

I’ve never repaired wallpaper. Haven’t a clue.

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from Kim

I recently purchased Mikasa’s Antique White Dinnerware set, but a friend of mine told me that I should not because it contains lead. I cannot find anything definitive on the web that confirms or contradicts this. Can you help direct me to an authoritative source that addresses this concern? Thank you advance for your assistance.

Debra’s Answer

This is a thorny question. I did quite a lot of research on this some years back and the gist of it was:

* all the companies now say their products meet state and federal guidelines (I just called Mikasa and that’s what they said
* there’s no such thing as 100% lead free because there is lead in the clay naturally and lead in the atmosphere.

The only way to know is to test. The least expensive way to test for lead is with LeadCheck swabs, which you can get for about $25 in the paint department at Home Depot.

Read more:

Is Cermic Dishware Safe?
Safe Dinnerware
Dishware Labeled “Prop 65 Compliant for Lead & Cadmium”