Dirty Dozen

In my National Geographic Green Guide magazine, there was a handy little pull-out section with this title that I thought would be beneficial to share. It's a list of 12 ingredients to avoid when selecting any personal care products. If you read through the list a few times, the words should get stuck in your head and hopefully you'll remember them when you're choosing your new shampoo or body lotion.

1. Antibacterials
2. Coal tar colors: FD&C Blue 1, Green 3
3. Diethanolamine (DEA)
4. 1,4-Dioxane
5. Fragrance (containing phthalates)
6. Formaldehyde (diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium compounds)
7. Lead and mercury
8. Nanoparticles
9. Parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, isobutyl-)
10. Petroleum distillates
11. p-Phenylenediamine (PPD)
12. Hydroquinone

some of the ingredients on this list are pretty self explanitory, or just plain sound horrible. Um, petroleum distillates? Does that even SOUND good for you??? Lead, mercury? Common sense. But, some of these ingredients are not even pronouncable so I looked a few of them up to get an overview of why we should avoid them.

*Blue Dye #1, Coal tar colors, and PPD All synthesized from petroleum...Just like crude oil. Yum. Used in rubber chemicals, photo developer, oil, gasoline, dark cosmetics and hair dye. Blue Dye has also been shown to cause behavioral and learning problems in small people.

*DEA A foaming/wettening agent used in things like shampoos and lotions. Considered an "unclassifiable carcinogen" by the WHO and EPA. 'Nuff said.

*Nanoparticles I TRIED to read some journals on this one and they went WHOOSH, over my head. I am NOT a scientist. What I did get from it was that they are really freaking small and get inside of you. Hmmmm. The scientists kept using the word "unpredictable." I like to predict what my conditioner is going to do.

*Parabens/Phthalates They mimic estrogen in the body. Dudes, they will seriously lower your sperm count and make your swimmers weak. Not cool. Chicks, parabens were actually FOUND INSIDE BREAST TUMORS in studies. Just livin' in there.

*Hydroquinone This is found in skin lightening agents, just ask Michael Jackson. It contains mercury and leads to liver/kidney damage.

Now that I've got you all bummed out, here are a few brands of personal care products you could check out. They do pretty well @ avoiding the above ingredients and are pretty easy to find:

Burt's Bees, Kiss My Face, Jason, Aveda, Arbonne, Method, Tom's. Any other suggestions?