by Abby Vizelka

I am a mother of 3, two boys and one girl. My oldest son is 11 years and I took an 8 year break before having my daughter and then my second son was born 2 ½ years after her. I have always been environmentally conscious and wanted to cloth diaper my first born. I chickened out with him when I looked at doing a diaper service, thinking that was my only option, when I discovered it would cost me as much to do it and I’d have dirty diapers with pins and plastic pants hanging out for a whole week. With my daughter I thought about it again and again chickened out. With my last son, I decided I was going to go for it and bought a stash of cloth diapers. If I was going to do it, I was all in. Between my first two children I went to college studying environmental policy and planning, environmental science, and biology. While doing that, I learned so much about endocrine disruptors and the chemicals that we find in everything from the products we purchase to the water that we drink. It’s amazing to think about how many things we are exposed to and we don’t even think about it. I also did lab studies on the effects of estrogen on cancer cells, in which showed the rate of which they divide increased with the amount of estrogen present. Also we looked at reports from other studies in regards to behaviors of male rodents that were born surrounded by females compared to other males born by males. That was interesting to see the more feminine traits associated with those by the females, like being less aggressive. This makes me think about how that affects our males and the fertility issues that seem to be becoming more prevalent because of the estrogen and its mimics that we are all exposed to even through our drinking supply. Anyways, the more I’ve learned, the more I’ve become interested in changing the levels of exposure of many chemicals for my children. It has progressively gotten worse, or better depending on whom you ask, since I’ve started cloth diapering. I really want my kids to be the best they can be which includes putting as little into/onto their bodies as possible. My younger kids both have eczema so we try to look for as few ingredients in products as possible. I make my own toothpaste and cook lots of things from scratch. I have recently purchased my first half cow and half pig to know where our meat comes from and ensure no added hormones. I hope that my children grow up with an appreciation for everything around them and that they won’t have to look so hard for “clean” products to purchase from stores. There is lots our government can do to make that possible but they need to make companies prove the safety of their products rather than just prove their products aren’t toxic on a large scale.

Baby’s come with a small foot but they make a large impact on our earth.  As parents, it is our job to choose the safest products for our children and for Mother Earth.  We need to choose our products and food wisely.  This is why my family chooses eco- friendly products, cloth diapers and organic foods.

Natural products are a good idea for anyone big or small.    I used to use the strongest chemical cleaner in my home.  I always thought that the stronger the smell, the cleaner it got.  I recall so many times cleaning the bathroom and coughing from the inhalation of the chemicals.  Having asthma, I thought, this cannot be good.  Something has to change.  We then started buying natural products.  At first, it seemed like it took a little more elbow work to really clean, but it was very worth it.  The air was safe to breath and there was no fear of accidentally poising ourselves, pets or children.   Our home is naturally clean and fresh and our lungs are healthy enough to talk about it.

We didn’t stop with household cleaners.  Natural products extended to our laundry, our shampoo, soap, toothpaste, sunscreen, etc.  If there is a natural product that works, why use the chemicals?  They are not necessary and they are unsafe.  When our baby came along, our home was safe.  Our baby uses cloth diapers washed in chemical free laundry soap and she bathes in natural shampoo.  Best of all, most natural companies do not test on animals.  The products do not hurt you, the environment or helpless animals!  That’s a win-win!

Natural living includes what you put in your body as well.  Organic foods are raised without chemical pesticides.  I believe the body does not need those extra chemicals neither does the Earth.  Seeing our baby’s precious brand new body, I especially did not want to put any unwanted chemicals in her.  She eats homemade organic baby food.  Eating homemade allows her to try any and all vegetables, they are pesticide free and nutrient rich.  Shopping at the Farmer’s Market allows us to purchase fresh, organic, in season vegetables and fruits!  Yum!

Remember…The children we raise TODAY will be running this planet TOMORROW!

How do you lower your children’s footprint on the Earth?

Author Mary Holland practices Jivamukti Yoga and is a joyful vegan! She says “It is a liberating way to live! I am married to an incredibly awesome man, have an amazing baby girl and live at the beach! Life is great!  My blog, A Yogi with a Cause can be found at http://maryshealthyblog.blogspot.com ”

Though these chemicals are not regulated in the United States, they have been banned in other countries. 1,4-dioxane is banned in Europe and formaldehyde is banned in Japan and Sweden.

Two Big Nastys

1,4-dioxane is used as a foaming agent and found in many popular baby products, such as shampoos. 1,4-dioxane is readily absorbed into the bloodstream potentially causing damage to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and may even result in death. 1,4-dioxane is not a product added intentionally, but instead is considered a contaminant and therefore not required to be listed on product labels in the USA. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so.  There is certainly a push for removal.

Formaldehyde is found in lotion, shampoo, bath wash, baby wipes, liquid shower soap, bubble bath and hand soap. Considering the widespread use of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, it is certain that formaldehyde is in other product types. Formaldehyde is a gas which can cause throat, nose, skin, and eye irritation. Exposure can cause coughing, wheezing, watery eyes, itching, and skin irritations. Formaldehyde exposure has been linked to allergies and asthma in children. The EPA classifies formaldehyde as a carcinogen and high levels of this chemical have been linked to the development of nose, lung and brain cancer as well as leukemia. Like 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde is not an ingredient in the products, but is a toxic byproduct of chemical manufacturing and product formulation.

Only a Little?

Some baby product manufacturers continue to argue that their products only contain a small amount of these chemicals and are below acceptable levels.  To be fair, Johnson & Johnson, the leading manufacturer that caused all of the uproar in the news now states:

“…we know that some consumers are concerned about formaldehyde, which is why we offer many products without formaldehyde releasing preservatives, and are phasing out these types of preservatives in our baby products worldwide.  We are no longer introducing new baby products that contain these types of preservatives. Over the past few years or so, we already have reduced the number of formulations globally with formaldehyde releaser preservatives by 33% and in the U.S. by over 60%.”

They also now state:

“We have reformulated approximately 70% of our baby products with new cleansing formulations that keep trace levels of 1,4 dioxane at below reliably detectable levels.”

Is it enough? We really think not … and wonder why it has taken so long to find a healthier option.  ecoSTORE USA do not contain either of these chemicals … never have and never will … and we provide full ingredient disclosure on all of our products so you’ll always know exactly what is in there.