Ok, now let's chat a bit about what this all means!
Chemicals in Personal Care Products
Your personal care products, food and clothing, for the most part - contain toxic chemicals. (That is unless you are buying special products that use truly natural and non-toxic ingredients!) Regular products on store shelves contain a variety of toxic chemicals that are either put their purposely or are there as a result of being a by-product. Either way, you are exposed to these ingredients.
Not all these chemicals affect your body the same way. Some will barely penetrate your skin, whole others will easily absorb into your body. Some are purged from your body while others will accumulate over time. Chemicals like
propylene glycol on it's own is relatively ok BUT it helped other chemical ingredients absorb into the skin more easily.
Your personal care products are loaded with
preservatives, artificial fragrances, stabilizers, formaldehyde releasers and by-products. Think the government will protect you? Think again! The F.D.A does not monitor products as closely as you think and ultimately leave it up to the manufacturer to 'be honest' and do their own testing.
Chemicals in Clothing and Bedding
Cotton is one of the most widely used products world-wide. Used for clothing, bedding and bath, cotton crops are also treated with tonnes of chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers. To increase yield and keep bugs from destroying the crops, farmers will dump tonnes of toxic chemicals on to the crops. These chemicals do not wash off and your final product (t-shirt, bed sheets etc) will emit these fumes over time (off-gassing.) Want more? Many products are sprayed with fire-retardant chemicals that we also allow our skin to come into contact with. These chemicals also release formaldehyde over time.
Cotton crops are also very harmful to the environment. The chemicals used to grow these crops are spread into the air and allowed to seep into the ground, accumulating and contaminating the environment and killing the wildlife. Workers who work with these chemicals are also at increased health risks for lung disease, cancer and other illnesses.
Organic and Natural
So why Organic? Well, if you are talking about your clothing, your bed sheets and bath towels, it makes sense that the items in direct contact with your skin aren't loaded with toxic chemicals. Mattresses, especially for baby cribs and pillows should also be chemical-free since we breathe in any air around these items while we sleep!
Natural products - why the big deal? Many store brand products have ingredients that cause rashes and eczema at the very least. Parents are frustrated with trying to help their children and end up getting cortisteroids from doctors to control the eczema. But often, the shampoos and washes the parents are using are what's causing the ecezma in the first place! So - the solution is simple: Stop using chemical-laden products and stick with some basics!
Many chemicals cause other conditions such as migraines, rashes, problems with memory and allergies (to name a few).
What Does it All Mean?
Well, organic is great, meaning no chemicals came in contact with the final product. But organic can be more expensive sometimes so it's great to know when to go organic and when you can just go with natural!
Go Organic - when you are dealing with clothing and food items where you will be eating the skin of the fruit/vegetable. Go organic if you have super-sensitive skin or other health conditions, for your personal care products.
Natural - not everything that says 'natural' is necessarily safe for you! Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, SLS, is a naturally-derived ingredient and therefore, manufacturers who use this ingredient can call their product 'natural' and in truth, it is! But - SLS is very irritating and suspected of causing other health problems. So natural isn't always what it appears to be!
How to Shop Organic and Natural
Not as easy as 1-2-3. Many items on store shelves claim to be natural and even organic (then you see the fine print saying "organic oils" or "natural fragrances" etc.) Guidelines are sketchy on what a natural or organic product really is.
Finding things that are certified organic are likely to be safe, but read those labels and get familiar with the top chemicals to look for when shopping!
At
Natural e GREEN we could just say - shop only with us! But we are practical and know that sometimes you are out of something and need it right now - therefore you have to go to your local store. If you have a health store or specialty store, check them out. But keep in mind, even health stores carry products that don't fit the 100% non-toxic criteria. Tom's of Maine toothpaste, for example, is sold in many health stores but contains SLS.
Find the stores you trust and stick with them! Natural e GREEN is growing due to customer demand and we plan on eventually offering such a wide selection that you won't have to shop anywhere else! The beauty with out store is we've done the research and stick to our commitment to provide you non-toxic products at the best prices we can!
So keep checking us out to see what we are offering next! Right now we are working on adding more organic clothing, bedding and bath items as well as increasing our herbal supplements line - stay tuned!
www.shopNaturaleGreenOnline.ca
