Q-TIPS
Ready to go green with something small that will make a huge impact on the environment? Instead of stocking up on 12 boxes of Q-tips at a time from Costco, choose organic cotton Q-tips instead. Conventional cotton farming uses approximately 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticides. These chemicals persist through the manufacturing process and find their way into the final products as well. Cutting back on the demand for conventional cotton means a big reduction in the global carbon footprint.
MASCARA
Did you know that mascara can be harmful to your health? Mercury, among many other toxic ingredients, is added to mascara to act as a preservative and germ killer. Mercury is one of the most deadly toxins on the planet. Mercury, also known as thimerosal, has regularly been in the spotlight because of its association with various neurological disorders, including autism. Even though the FDA regulates products that they allow toxic ingredients in, they do not regulate cosmetic products.
The terms fragrance, other ingredients and flavoring are terms used when a company wants to hide harmful ingredients. This misuse of semantics is considered a loophole within the industry, and many companies take advantage of the loophole because they claim that the particular ingredient is proprietary information. Most companies will also tell you that any ingredient in their product that is a known carcinogen is in such small amounts that it can do no harm. Any amount of poison is poison. Try using a natural mascara instead. Dr. Hauschka’s line of cosmetics is wonderful and can be found at natural stores, such as Whole Foods.
MEAT and MILK
The Weston A. Price Foundation is an organization that fights for grass-fed free-range meats (not grain-fed), raw dairy and organic produce. We, as human beings, should not have to fight for animals that are raised for food to be treated humanely or to provide them their natural diets. Corn is not a natural food item for cows; they eat grass. They also shouldn’t be administered hormones and antibiotics, a common practice among conventional farming. We should never consume grain-fed cows or any other grain-fed animal, as this is what leads to ill health, from cancer to heart disease. In addition, according to the Weston A. Price Foundation, “pasteurization of milk destroys enzymes; diminishes vitamin content; denatures fragile milk proteins; destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6; makes calcium un-absorbable; kills beneficial bacteria; promotes pathogens; and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.†If you’re going to consume dairy, make sure you find a raw dairy source for dairy intake. Or try alternatives to dairy milk such as almond or hemp milk found at Trader Joes. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots nonprofit 501(c)(3) public interest organization campaigning for health, justice and sustainability. OCA has a strong commitment to the safety, well-being and health of our people and our planet. If you’re looking to make a donation for a globally worthy cause consider the OCA as your next organization to support.
ORGANIC MATTRESS
Along with the rest of the organic movement, interest in organic mattresses has grown exponentially in recent years. Organic mattresses are typically made of organic wool, organic cotton, and/or natural rubber and latex, and are defined as being free of synthetic materials, having not been treated with chemicals and complying with organic standards. If a mattress only meets some standards, they are often defined as “natural” organic. Many conventional mattresses are made of polyurethane foam, a petroleum-based material, which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, has been linked to respiratory problems and other health issues. Many synthetic beds also have plastic coverings made of polyvinyl chloride (PVCs), a known carcinogen. Per the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations for fire codes, all mattresses must have a open flame fire retardant component. While most traditional beds are treated with chemical retardants, the most toxic being PBDE (which is banned in Europe and has been shown to cause developmental defects in laboratory animals), many natural and organic mattresses claim to use less toxic or natural flame retardant options such as wool. Interest in organic mattresses is particularly high for infants and small children, who are more prone to respiratory problems. According to seven-year study of Australian infants published in the American Journal of Public Health (2005), children who slept in synthetic bedding as infants were more than twice as likely to develop wheezing compared with those who slept in natural bedding.
