Question from Michele

I am looking for hair care products for me and my daughters and came across shampoo and conditioner from the Honest company. Looks like it is ok, but I remember reading somewhere about orange oil that can act as formaldehyde. Would you recommend this brand?

Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Some good things…it’s made in the USA, it’s free from SLS, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, fragrances, dyes, sodium chloride, formaldehyde, MEA, DEA, TEA, petrochemicals & most common allergens

So it’s better than some that contain those ingredients.

Here are the listed ingredients. I’ve rearranged them in groups.

Industrial natural (natural raw material, but industrially processed)

Decyl Glucoside
Lauryl Glucoside
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Coco-Glucoside
Glyceryl Oleate
Glycerin,

Natural

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Environmental Working Group just released a new report listing a dozen chemicals, how they affect your endocrine system, how you are exposed to them, and some simple suggestions on how to avoid them.

The twelve chemicals listed are:

1. BPA
2. Dioxin
3. Atrazine
4. Phthalates
5. Perchlorate
6. Fire Retardants
7. Lead
8. Arsenic
9. Mercury
10. Perfluorinated Chemiclas (PFCs)
11. Organophosphate Pesticides
12. Glycol Ethers

You can download a copy at Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors.

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The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a set of regulations that, if implemented as written, will negatively affect many small farmers and could put some of them out of business.

These proposed regulations fall under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the first overhaul to food safety rules in 75 years.

Read what Local Harvest has to say about how it could impact small local farmers, and what you can do.

Local Harvest newsletter October 2013

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Question from Toby Zallman

Some cabinet Manufacturers (over 100) are ESP certified, which means they adhere to the California standards for plywood emissions of formaldehyde. Does anyone know how good these standards are? We are finding that solid wood cabinets are super expensive and out of our price range. There are many good companies that are certified, but I was uncertain how good this standard is.

Debra’s Answer

The ESP certification on kitchen cabinets comes from the [Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA).

The simple way to answer this question is to say that all of the certified cabinets must meet the requirements of the California law for formaldehyde emissions from cabinets.

The standard is 0.05 – 0.13 ppm formaldehyde emissions. This is consistent with OSHA standards.

So many cabinet brands are listed because they can’t be sold in California unless they meet this standard. By law.

The question then becomes, is this a safe level? It depends on your body condition and how much time you are exposed, how much ventilation in your houe (will levels build up in the air or ventilate out?).

My personal rule of thumb is always get as close to zero as possible when it comes to toxic chemicals.

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Question from J in Va

Hi Debra, I am interested in learning more about disinfecting with sunshine. I have a few questions: Does sunshine just disinfect clothing/fabrics or is it useful on other objects as well (i.e. plastic, books, etc). How long does something need to be in the sun? Does it need to be outside or is through a window also effective? Does sun disinfect against cold/flu/stomach viruses? Thanks for everything. Your website provides very useful info.

Debra’s Answer

Well, here is a reference I found on the subject.

SF Gate: Natural Alternatives to Bleach for Disinfecting

Perhaps the most surprising natural disinfectant is sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation of the sun kills pathogens that cause diarrhea. In fact, scientists have found that exposing a bottle of water to sunlight for 6 hours is an economical way to provide developing countries with safe drinking water (see References 2). The disinfecting properties of sunlight can also be useful around the house. If you have an object that you can move outside, the sun’s rays can help disinfect it. A stained piece of white laundry can be effectively brightened and disinfected by spraying the stain with lemon juice or vinegar and then hanging it in the sun (see References 1).
1. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: Safe Alternatives to Hazardous Household Chemicals
2. “Environmental Science and Technology”; Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water in the Prevention of Dysentery in South African Children Aged Under 5 Years: The Role of Participant Motivation; Martella du Preez, et al.; October 2010

I think that answered all your questions.

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Nine months ago, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families asked the top ten retailers to remove one hundred hazardous chemicals from their store shelves. After months of communications from this organization as well as consumer pressure, last week Target announced their first step in the Mind the Store challenge.

Target now has a new “Sustainable Products Standard.”

I think it’s great that Target is starting to look at toxic chemicals in the products they sell. They have identified authoritative lists of chemicals of concern and will give a product ZERO points in their rating system “if they have one or more ingredients on one of the designated hazard lists…A product can receive a maximum of 50 points if they have no ingredients on the hazard lists.”

So can you now assume that all products sold by Target are or will be safe?

Not yet.

First, their rating system only covers a limited list of toxic chemicals. The worst ones, to be sure, but there are still others not addressed.

And I agree with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families that Target should make their ratings for each product known to consumers, so we can tell which products on their shelves are the safest.

Meanwhile, you can shop at Debra’s List, knowing I’ve listed only the safest products I can find.