Last week, I promised to share some of the products Sugar and I have grown to love in our journey to reduce our chemical exposure. I do want to assure many of you that while it royally annoys me that our children are growing up in a chemically toxic environment, I in no way spend all my time worrying about it, and spreading my anxiety to Sugar Bear. Instead, I educate myself, and make the changes I can, and let go of the rest. In actuality, reducing her exposure is how I ensure that I won't be worried sick over it.
I was asked, in particular, about the Fire Retardants. While it is true that the biggest culprits are furniture and car seats, I simply can not eliminate those items from our everyday life. Instead, I do my best to limit Sugar's expose to fire retardants, by changing the things I do have easy control over. While she is in her car seat about 40-60 minutes a day, she is in her bed for 11-12 hours each and every night. It has been a simple fix to purchase a chemical free mattress cover, organic sheets and pillows, and chemical free fabric to make a duvet cover for her organic feather comforter. Combined with organic pajamas, I feel better knowing that she isn't absorbing all those carcinogens all night long.
Over the last few years, I have discovered that there aren't a lot of resources in my community, but I have found a few products I find acceptable in cost and availability in my area. While many of them aren't the BEST natural choice, they are a whole lot better than the regular products most of us have used for our entire life.
-The lip gloss I use: Burt's Bees Lip shimmers. I have like 6 of these on me at all times. Wonderful product.
-Sugar Bear's lip balm: Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm. She loves the smell, and it keeps her lips from getting chapped when we remember to use it. I'm looking at getting her some Badger cocoa butter lip balm.
-Sugar Bear's body butter: Burt's Bees Rich and Repairing Cocoa Butter & Macadamia Nut Body Butter. I am still working on the perfect natural solution to her dry skin. This works, but isn't as entirely natural as I'd like. I have been wanting to try Bach's Rescue Creme.
-Our insect Repellent: Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellent. We don't have to use a lot of insect repellent in our life, but when we were camping, this worked nicely.
-Our hand sanitizer: Burt's Bees Aloe & Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer. This is new to us, but I really want to try the Clean Well hand sanitizer next.
-Our toothpaste: Spry Fluoride-free Toothpaste. Sugar Bear gets fluoridated water at daycare, and fluoride varnish every 6 months at the dentist. Oh and I love Xylitol for killing bacteria in the mouth. I used to call Sugar Bear, "my little Xylitol" instead of "Sugar" sometimes. tee hee...
-Our Sunscreen: KINeSYS Sunscreen. EXPENSIVE, but so worth it. You have never felt such luxury. Seriously....feels like liquid gold on your skin. sigh.....love this product so very much.
-Sugar's Nail Polish and Remover: Piggy Paint and Remover. This is plain fabulous. NO stinky smell.....cute colors. Perfect for little girls. I don't ever paint my nails. It is a long boring story so I'll save you the torture, but please DO try out this product for your little ones. You won't regret it.
-Our all purpose body wash, hand soap, and shampoo: Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Classic Soaps. Seriously...great product. I use it in a foaming hand soap pump for our hands in the bathroom. Straight out of the bottle for bathing, and straight out of the bottle to shampoo our hair. A little bit goes a LONG way.
-Our hair conditioner: (open for suggestions) I have used Jason brand, but didn't hate it...didn't love it....it just was. I'm thinking of trying some Nurture my Body conditioner.
Well, that's about it for now. Like I said before, it is all baby steps, and I am always working on finding better products. A great resource is Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database. Just because a product says it is "natural" it doesn't mean that is is "safe". Natural things can be toxic as well. I learn something new all the time, and am working towards the best products for me and MINE. Many of these products aren't the "safest" in the database, but they are easily available and affordable. I'd love to hear any and all recommendations for me to look into.
5 Live It or Love It:
I have a similar thought process too...do what I can and don't sweat the rest of it.
So far I use Mrs. Meyers for all my cleaning products. I try to use natural shampoo and body washes. Same goes for tooth paste. I do my best, but some things get a little pricey, so I just do what I can when I can.
Trader Joes has some great products that have made it easier too. I use their laundry soap and dish detergent.
I also love essential oils and use them literally all the time. It is great! I never, ever use Lysol. Using essential oils cleanses the air just fine!!!!
I have enjoyed your posts in regards to the care and feeding of your little Sugar Bear.
Oh, one last thing, I loved your comment on your Texture post for IHF's regarding that you like to leave your pictures as they are and don't over edit them...I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated that. I do some editing to my pictures depending on my mood, but over all I still like my pictures to be natural!
You have a wonderful gift and I have so enjoyed following you!
Interesting. I think I should do some research on this to find similar products here. I have developed an allergy to soap / body wash with perfume in it and am struggling to find something that works, with no additives / perfumes. I have changed to a no fragrance aqueous cream for my body, but someone told me that aqueous cream is not good! :( You certainly have made me think!
I am still curious about the fire retardant sleepwear. If it is so dangerous how can it continue to be made? It just doesn't make sense. BTW I don't buy "flame retardant sleepwear". The boys sleep in their underwear and the girls in oversized t-shirts, sometimes their clothes if that's what they fall asleep in or pajama I have sewn with "flannel not recommended as sleepwear". It makes me wonder how many other zillions of things we are told to use, but they are bad for us? I know I could do research, but I honestly don't believe all the reports I read. I'm still not sold on organic being the best way. I wouldn't be surprised to find many "organic" items aren't any better, just more expensive.
I think it is great that you are so conscious of all this. Makes me feel like a bad mom for never giving any of it a thought.
I sell organic baby clothes and there's absolutely no fire retardents in the baby clothing, that's for sure. It is more expensive though, that's for sure, but it is worth it. Babies are so little and their skin so delicate. I'd rather have fewer items that are pure.
I got into this for the same reasons, i didnt want to expose my children and family to all the chemicals. I've learnt so much along the way. It's just about questioning what we buy, and are mostly subjected to without choice
Thanks for the list Corey. We've made similar changes at our house but started with food (we're now eating more local, organic/organically-grown). I'm now moving into cleaners and body care items.
Mary Ellen
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