Double trouble.

I'm the kind of mom that doesn't really care if her kid drinks juice on the couch or runs around sans diaper and wees accidentally on the floor. I didn't always take this approach to parenting but once Liam became mobile I found it exhausting (not to mention annoying) to try and micro-mother him. When little accidents happen I just clean it up. The 15 minutes of peace I get from not chasing him around nagging is totally worth the 15 minutes it will take to clean the pee out of the rug.

Its All About Balance.

So naturally when I presented Liam with crayons and a coloring book at the kitchen table I didn't pay any mind when he climbed off the chair and toddled off crayons in tow.

On this particular day Chris was outside mowing the lawn. I was in the kitchen making a batch of mac & cheese cupcakes.

It should be noted that when I am cooking I spend a good amount of time shooing Liam out from under my feet so when he's quietly playing in the other room-well, I don't go looking for trouble.

The next thing I know Chris is standing at the fridge looking at me in disbelief as he asks: " Do you know what your son is doing?" Quickly noting that he is not at the table I reply "Judging from the look on your face I assume he is drawing on something you disapprove of."

I was not wrong.

I can say, for the record, that crayola washables are, indeed, washable.

Toxins among us...

Ok, I'll tell you right now, you're going to think I've gone off the deep end; that I'm paranoid because I lost one sister to cancer while the other continues to fight her own battle with it. And I wont disagree with you, maybe I am paranoid. But I'll tell you what, if that's the cost to keep my sister, myself and our families healthy, then let me reach for my wallet. I NEVER expected the implications to be so far reaching. It started out innocent enough, an overhaul of the kitchen to "clean" up what we are putting into our bodies. We joined a CSA to ensure our fruits and veggies would be organic and local-in season, gave up on factory farmed meats and tossed out* anything with High fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and loads of preservatives... and man, did we have a lot: ketchup, maple syrup, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, canned goods like Chef Boyardee and Campbell's tomato soup, the list went on and on! I had a grocery bag full of opened items and one half full of non perishables. And we've been feeling really great about the movement in our home. But then, oh but then I read an article about a small study in the UK that found parabens in breast cancer tissue in 18 out of 20 tumors. I thought what are parabens? so I look it up: Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. So of course I drop everything and dash to the bathroom, gather my lotions, line them up on the counter and quickly scan the list of ingredients. Methylparaben. Then I grab the sunscreen, toothpaste and diaper cream: ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isopropyl and isobutylparaben, parahydroxybenzoate. I noticed other ingredients showing up in many of our everyday products as well: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Propylene glycol. These two are popular in shampoos, shaving creams and toothpastes. It was precisely that moment that I decided to research the safety of the ingredients in the products we slather on our skin and let absorb into our bodies. This of course ends with me sitting on the bathroom floor with with piles of beauty products and a garbage bag.

What I have found so far is that companies use these chemicals in their products because they are an effective, cheap means to an end. The FDA claims they are safe (although, after working in a tox-path lab I've come to learn what a flawed and potentially corrupt system that is). And truth be told none of these chemicals on their own are considered carcinogens. But, BIG BUT here: what happens when they are combined with other chemicals? The average adult is exposed to 126 different chemicals daily, couple that with the widespread exposure through different personal care products and whats the risk now? Unfortunately the research hasn't been conducted to state conclusively that such combined, prolonged chemical use is safe.
So until there is, I'll err on the side of caution.

To minimize my risk, I'm pitching the products that are considered "leave on." Products that through their application give the chemicals ample time absorb into the bloodstream and replacing them with paraben, SLS and sulfate free organic products. Its a work in progress by priority because the good stuff isn't cheap.

What am I going to do with it all? I don't know yet. I can't, in good conscience, give it away or donate it. Although I'm sure most, those of you who think I'm being paranoid, would totally take a free bottle of of cucumber-melon lotion.

I suppose I will just end up dumping the product and recycling the bottle.

I'm open to better suggestions!

*I do plan to donate the non-perishables.

Resources:

Skin deep

SLS

Parabens