Questionable chemicals we put on our bodies, via cleaning products, cosmetics, and personal care products

You may find this of interest

https://migrainetalk.forumotion.co.uk/t433-think-only-germs-cause-illness-think-again#1922

Tee, you mentioned the breathing and swelling issues and wondered if you have tried nasal rinses at all? They sound nasty but it really is great for nasal problems, has cut my sinus problems out completely. i was having sinus infections several times a year before. It is a saline rinse and the product I use is very natural sea salt with iodine in it. Another way to get a little Iodine boost. When i started rinsing, suddenly I could smell and taste again. Once I did it and saw the results it was something I wanted to add to my daily routine. The ones we have here are called a Netti Pot but there are currently many different brands on the market. It has helped a great deal with my allergies as my nasal passages were able to heal and I think actually the rinses helped to eliminate some of the allergens and bacterial. Jerri

That's very interesting, I have not heard about these. To be fair my sinus is pretty clear - its the throat and lungs that cause the breathing problem - it has now been confirmed as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MSC) so I stay well away from chemicals - grout and paint being the worse. I have Antihistamines in the house and if things get worse then an epi pen will be provided. But I am in control as long as I stay away from stuff The problem is a true allergy so I swell, I get whole body swelling or lips, tongue, throat and lungs

Would be nice to have these here in the UK - but its a start:)

Relle (an organic hair salon)

Recycling, conserving energy, and buying eco-friendly products will all make you feel better about doing your part to save the environment, but thanks to hair stylist Brandon Kline, Buffalo now offers a way to feel instant gratification!

Kline is the founder of Relle, the first organic salon to open its doors in Buffalo. The salon, located at 798 Elmwood Avenue at the corner of Auburn, uses Organic Color Systems, a luxury line of color and hair care products that are USDA-certified organic, paraben-free, ammonia-free, and formaldehyde-free, making it better not just for you but also for Mother Nature! Consumers are often unaware of the harmful substances found in products they apply to their hair and skin, just as Kline admits he was for years.


http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/10/relle-an-organic-salon.html

My husband uses a neti pot now - he gets horrible sinus headaches.

That hair salon sounds great!

Just to update on all this, I am absolutely amazed at how light my periods are since I cut out as many dodgy chemicals as possible. Sadly my head is no different, but a bit less period pain is obviously a good thing. Also, I'm wondering if my fibroids (diagnosed last year) might have shrunk a bit as my periods have become so much lighter.

OH sounds interesting......... small steps

I am thinking about trying Butterbur or Feverfew once this trail is over

I just come across this article.

5 Reasons Why We Are Getting Sicker & How To Reverse It
ELINA APRIL 10, 2012 2

“By 2020, about 157 million Americans will be afflicted by chronic illnesses, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That number is projected to increase by more than one percent per year by 2030, resulting in an estimated chronically ill population of 171 million.” – Chronic Care in America

In its natural state, the body is perfectly capable of maintaining itself. When healthy and unaltered by any detrimental chemicals, foreign hormones, heavy metals and poisons, our immune system is designed to provide us sufficient protection and healing power to prevent and overcome any diseases.

But how come are we getting sicker? Why do nearly half of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease? Why are illnesess such as cancer, bone diseases, heart diseases, neurological damage, asthma and diabetes affecting us more than ever before? These are good questions! But an even better question will lead you to the simplest, most obvious answer: What are our bodies mostly exposed to in our everyday lives?



Bingo!

Food
Water/Liquids
Air
Personal care products
Pharmaceutical drugs

It only makes sense that what we allow into our bodies will define whether or not it will operate at its peak capacity. So what is it about what we eat, drink, breathe, apply on our skin and take as medicine that has damaged our health?

The most commonly known forms of pollution are the air we breathe, water and soil pollution, all of which greatly affect human health and the eco-system. Pollution could be eliminated and the destruction of our planet could be reversed by committing to changing our ways and implementing free/clean energy technologies that are already available but have been suppressed for the threat they represent to the 200 trillion dollar oil industry.

Environmental pollution, however, is only a small part of the toxicity story. Did you know that harmful chemicals are deliberately added to water supplies, popular foods, personal care products, pharmaceutical drugs and even vaccines?

More than 77,000 chemicals are in active production in North America.
More than 3,000 chemicals are added to our food supply.
More than 10,000 chemicals in the form of solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives are used in food processing, packaging, wrapping, and storage.
315 chemical contaminants were found in U.S. tap water.
One in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals.
Neurotoxins and other chemicals are added to vaccines, and a german study shows that vaccinated children have at least 2 to 5 times more diseases and disorders than unvaccinated children.
More than 1000 new chemicals are developed each year.
Most of us have between 400 and 800 chemical residues stored in the fat cells of our bodies.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2012/04/10/5-reasons-why-we-are-getting-sicker-how-to-reverse-it/

A step in the right direction would at least be to have to declare everything on the labels. Hard to believe it wasn't so long ago that cosmetics didn't have ingredients on. I just wish cleaning products did, so we could at least attempt to educate ourselves on what they contain.

I'm struggling a bit at the moment with my alternatives. I find that most of the stuff I use is fine for cleaning and washing, but there are some things that just won't get clean without the 'hard stuff'. I guess you can only compromise where you can! I always wash new clothes before wearing them now too, which I never used to do.

I always use a veggie wash to get rid of pesticides on veg now too, and eat organic where I can. It took me a while to find a decent organic tea - I bet they use all sorts of dodgy pesticides in places where tea is grown (Clipper organic breakfast tea is lovely, and what I have settled on).

Annoyingly, it has definitely not helped my head one bit with all these changes! The benefit has been with my periods being lighter, so hopefully related to my fibroids and endometriosis.

Interesting - what is the wash your using? Never heard of that?

I a doing ok - loving Method and Green People - the only thing I cannot find is a good toilet cleaner - we live in a hard water area and chalk builds up and the only thing to shift it is the strong stuff...

I'm the same with the toilet cleaner. I still have to use the Harpic every once in a while. Also, I can't find a decent dishwasher tablet.

This is the veggie wash I use, which I can get from a local-ish health food shop.

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/969076_Veggi_Wash_Fruit_Too_Fruit___Vegetable_Wash_Concentrate_500ml.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shop&utm_campaign=feed

Thanks for that - will have a look when next in town

Hmm yes forgot those - I have tried most of the eco ones and they do not work - but have found that the really cheap Tesco own brand which does not have a lot of smell are working fine

Fab article in the Dail Mail on this subject yesterday

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2204745/Is-scent-making-ill-Todays-obsession-perfuming-candles-bin-liners-blame.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

I saw that. I'm glad that the issue is starting to be more out in the open. But I did think that they focused a lot more on the allergies, whereas phtalate-containing artificial fragrances do more than that, eg. the hormone disrupting. They only briefly seemed to touch on that in the article.