Triclosan, a dirty little secret...

Triclosan is now labeled on all products in the US

You are done doing your "business" so you go to the sink to wash your hands... if you are like me you have a foamy, sweet smelling pump soap to wash those germs away... but what if the soap contained something that was actually making you sick?!?! 

The chemical I'm talking about is triclosan.  This antibacterial chemical used to be confined to the medical field, where it was used to kill germs and dangerous bacteria.  In the hospital setting it is a great tool. I want the tools used to perform my surgery to be beyond sterile! 

The problem with triclosan comes when it is used multiple times daily, in multiple products, in our homes. When you wash your hands with soap that contains triclosan, it is absorbed through your skin and enters your blood stream; there it can cause skin irritation and endocrine disruption. It has been shown to lower thyroid hormone & testosterone; it mimics estrogen in your body & encourages the growth of tumors. It affects your immune system, and has been linked to increased allergies in children.  

Have you heard of "superbugs?" Drug resistant germs & bacteria? Antibacterial soaps are making these germs WORSE!! The germs are actually mutating to be resistant to triclosan and antibiotics... YIKES!  

If that wasn't enough, it is really bad for the environment! It gets washed down the drain, and "cleaned up" at the water treatment plants. Some of it still gets into our water, about 2-3%, and that is enough to disrupt the fragile ecosystems in our oceans & rivers! It is killing a very important algae. 

The last thing, and the most aggravating thing to me, is that even the FDA says that antimicrobial soaps are NO MORE EFFECTIVE at cleaning your hands than PLAIN soap and water!!!!! We are told by manufacturers that we NEED to KILL those germs, we NEED there antibacterial soaps and products... but you don't! Washing your hands for 30 seconds with soap and water rids your hands of 99% of germs and bacteria. Soap and water can even kill mold! 

So, check your soap... ditch the triclosan and just wash your hands! 
(Save those pump bottles!! Kristen is going to be telling you how to make your own SAFE and frugal pump soap very soon...)

Love and bubbles, 
Robin 



Further reading on Triclosan
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2007/January/The_handiwork_of_good_health

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117985

http://environmentaldefence.ca/time-ban-triclosan-household-use


http://www.beyondpesticides.org/antibacterial/triclosan.php

My #1 tip for a healthier you...

One thing I am super careful about lately is marketing. I am convinced that people want to be healthy! No one wants to be sick, overweight, or get a disease... That is why companies market their products as sugar free, fat free, heart healthy, gluten free, or my absolute favorite "ALL NATURAL!" 

Take a look at this hilarious video to see what I mean... 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AftZshnP8fs&feature=kp 

I'm going to repeat myself and tell you the number one thing you can do for your health... Turn over that package, bottle, product, or container and READ all the ingredients!! Find out what you are putting in and on your body! 

Your skin is the largest organ you have and many people don't even give a second thought to what goes on it. Everything you lather on is absorbed into your body. Good or bad. If you rub essential oils on your feet (like I do) they are absorbed through your skin and enter your blood stream. There they can boost your immune system, calm your nerves, or even improve your breathing. On the other hand if you wash your hands with a toxic chemical, because you have been marketed to and told it will make you "healthier"- those chemicals enter your blood stream and affect your body chemistry! Next week I'm going to tell you what chemical I avoid in hand soap! 😁 oh the anticipation... 

So there you have it... My #1 tip for a healthier you: READ!! Don't believe anything that is written on the front of a package, that is marketing!! They know you want to be healthy so they are using marketing buzz words to make you believe that there product is good for you. Instead of telling you the truth that it is packed with chemicals, preservatives, artificial colors, fillers, and other things that are iffy at best. You are the only one who can safe guard your health... 

Lots of love, 

Robin 

Better late than never: Teaching Tuesday

As you can see, thanks to the wonderful workings of one Kristen Gandy... We have a BLOG!! It has finally happened.  This way you can look back at our posts, and / or share them with friends easier. (at least I think you can... I'm new to this!)

Life happens, so this week you get Teaching Wednesday!

Today's topic: PARABENS

Parabens are used in cosmetics to preserve the product.  Especially things that contain water, so that they wont grow mold.  It sounds like a good idea, I don't really want moldy shampoo... but the problem is that parabens are absorbed through your skin and reek havoc on your body!

- Parabens have been found in some 98% of breast cancer tumors
- They mimic estrogen in your body, disrupting the natural production of hormones and estrogen regulation. Your body knows what to make and how to regulate it - it doesn't need any help or anything to confuse it!
- Parabens can activate the genes that cause breast cancer cells to grow!

Parabens are normally found in: make up, shampoo, lotion, shaving cream, toothpaste, mouthwash, some processed foods and in many over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceutical drugs. 

The "official" jury is still out on wether or not parabens are dangerous to our heath, but I for one choose NOT to be part of the experiment!  They are "approved for safe use" by the FDA in all types of products and are still being tested to see if they have long term damaging effects... No thank you! I am not your science experiment! Something is very wrong with our food and heath system when young people, babies even, are getting cancer... dying... suffering... It's just not right! 

SO what can you do? Turn over your shampoo (and EVERY product you put in or on your body) and read that long list of ingredients! Look at what is in it. If you don't recognize an ingredient, google it! Check it out! Don't trust that the FDA is looking out for you or your health! I'm sorry to say that, but these days everything is about money. Do your own research and be your own health advocate!

When you are looking on the back of your products look for (and I avoid) any of these listings:

Methyl paraben	Propyl paraben	Isobutyl paraben
Ethyl paraben	Butyl paraben	E216

-Robin Thigpen

Wife, Mother, Soap Maker, Health Advocate... and now BLOGGER :)

Some links for further reading...

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/radiation-chemicals-and-breast-cancer/parabens.html

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/parabens1.htm 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/02/toxic-parabens-on-breast-cancer-patients.aspx 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nalini-chilkov/parabens-breast-cancer_b_1230018.html

P.S. I'm no doctor! I don't have a degree... I'm just giving you my honest opinion and trying to help you get a little bit healthier!