Book Review – Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby January 14, 2009

For much of my adult life, I considered myself a “green girl” but when I became pregnant in early 2007, I discovered a whole new area of health concerns that I didn’t know about – plastics, personal care products and more. I used the internet to help with many resourceful sites on what to be aware of and what I needed for the arrival and care of my new daughter. How I wished all of this information could have been in one concise resource.

Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby by Jennifer Lo Prete and Melissa Moog is just that. Melissa Moog is the founder of Itsa-belly, a great resource for all things baby. This all inclusive book lists safer, eco-choices from clothing, bedding, skin care and baby wearing, just to name a few. So many specifics are given, like safer baby wipes with homemade wipe solution and better choices for non-toxic cribs and mattresses.

Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby:

• shows you how “going green” and making “safer” choices doesn’t have to be more expensive.
• shows you how “greener” and “safer” options are more easily available than you may think.
• gives specific items to consider with company web sites.
• provides you with a very helpful glossary of important terms.
• gives you a “green” resource directory with web sites of associations and blogs.
• scatters eco-friendly tips throughout the book.

I myself wish I had something like this book before I was even pregnant to help me with understanding the importance of avoiding parabens, BPA, phthalates and other harmful components. This book is a must for anyone considering becoming pregnant, is pregnant or has a baby.

Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby can be purchased directly through Itsabelly, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

How safe is your moisturizer? October 21, 2008

For many of us, cold weather has arrived. Walking in the cold and wind really does a number on my skin. So, I felt it’s the perfect time to make sure we all have a safer moisturizer ready to go.

The Environmental Working Group has a website called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are.

“Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

At Skin Deep, you can find hundreds of specific items for hair, skin, eyes, nails, baby, oral care, fragrance, and makeup rated from 0-10, zero being the safest. Each item’s score is explained in detail and safer options are given.

In today’s post I’m listing safer moisturizer choices from Skin Deep’s site that can easily be found at your local drugstore. I’ve also listed some common items with higher (not safe) scores as comparisons. It should be noted that although Skin Deep gives products a “low hazard” score, some of them contain the chemicals below with cautions from testing results of these chemicals:

DMDM Hydantion – Formaldehyde

Triethanolamine – Cancer

Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone - Violations, restricitons & warnings, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Benzyl Alcohol – Neurotoxicity, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate – Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Neurotoxicity, Organ system       toxicity (non-reproductive), contamination concerns (arsenic, lead, heavy metals)

Fragrance - Neurotoxicity, Allergies/immunotoxicity

Oxybenzone - Developmental/reproductive toxicity, biochemical or cellular level changes

Salicylic Acid - Violations, restrictons & warnings, Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Parabens - shown to cause an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls

Moisturizer with a score of 2 having a “low hazard”:

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula 24 hour Moisturizer for Dry Sensitive Skin, Fragrance Free – Benzyl Alcohol

Jergens Ultra Healing Intense Moisture Therapy – Parabens

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, Fragrance Free - Benzyl Alcohol

Aveno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal - Benzyl Alcohol

Curel Therapeutic Moisturizing Lotion, Fragrance Free – Parabens

Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream – Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Moisturizer with a score of 8 having a “high hazard”:

Palmer’s Coco Butter Formula, Dry Skin, Ashy Skin - Fragrance, Salicylic Acid

Aveeno Positively Radiant Body Lotion and Moisturizing Lotion - DMDM Hydantion, Fragrance

Moisturizer with a score of 9 having a “high hazard”:

Rite Aid Skin Care Lotion, Dry skin Formula – DMDM Hydantion, Fragrance, Triethanolamine

Vaseline Intensive Care, Lotion, Moisturizer, Dry Skin - DMDM Hydantion, Fragrance, Triethanolamine

Moisturizer with a score of 10 having a “high hazard”:

Neutrogena Skin Smoothing Body Lotion – Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Fragrance, Oxybenzone, Salicylic Acid

Trust me, visit Skin Deep and check out how your own moisturizer rates if it’s not listed above. You’d be surprised how many, expensive ones included, rate so poorly. Then decide if you need to make some changes to one with a lower score. 

Take a look at earlier posts of mine on how safe is your deodorant, bar soap, baby shampoo and soap,mascara, toothpaste, and shampoo and conditioner.

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Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Product Review – Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash October 9, 2008

Two months ago, I wrote about the importance of making safer choices when choosing your baby’s shampoo and soap products. I tried to suggest an inexpensive item that you could easily find in your local drug store but was unable to do so due to the fact that they all contain toxic ingredients such as parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, dioxane or artificial fragrance – all of which have been shown to be very hazardous over time. I used The Environmental Working Group’s site Skin Deep to show you how many specific products found in drug stores rate using their scale of 0 – 10 for safety, “0″ being the safest.

My suggestion at the end of the post was instead to go to a local health food store and purchase a soap that rates lower on the safety scale. California Baby Shampoo & Bodywash Tea Tree & Lavender soap with a “low hazard” score of “1″ was something I recommended and used for my daughter from birth through about 9 months. One bottle lasted that long due to the fact that it’s really concentrated. I continue to be very pleased with the product.

When it was time to buy her something new, though, I decided to try another “low hazard” rated item. This time I chose Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash by Earth Mama Angel Baby with a score of “0″. All of the ingredients in this product have a very low score of “1″ or “0″. The soap comes out in a foam from a pump bottle which makes it very easy to use when one of your hands is spotting a squirmy baby! It has a pleasant citrus, orange scent and creates a sudsy texture on a washcloth. Unlike the California Baby soap, Angel Baby is not tear free. They both cost about the same and although I can’t say that it will last as long as the California Baby soap but I’m still pleased with product and would highly recommend it.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

EWG’s Report on Chemicals From Cosmetics Found In Teens September 26, 2008

Eco Child’s Play has written a great summary on the Environmental Working Group’s report of toxic chemicals from cosmetics found in teens. These chemicals include triclosan, phthalates, parabens, and musk, which have been linked to cancer and hormone disruption. Take a look at their site for the full report and suggestions on how to avoid these chemicals.

Hooray for Target! September 26, 2008

Have you heard the news? Some Target locations are now carrying Green By Nature products. What’s the big deal, you ask? Green By Nature products are “over 95% natural, and free of parabens, sulfates, DEA, petroleum, propylene glycol, sacchrine, dioxin, and phthalate.” That’s a whole lot of toxic stuff you don’t have to worry about! Their products also contain 6 bio-renewable ingredients consisting of beeswax, aloe leaf extract, shea butter, rosehip oil, pistachio oil, and grapefurit seed extract.

Green By Nature makes products for lips, body, hands and feet. I’d love to get my hands on some but I’m not near a Target that carries them, unfortunately. Maybe you’ll have better luck. Go to their site to see if they’re carried new you. If you’ve tried these products, let us know what you think of them.

How Safe Is Your Toothpaste? September 23, 2008

The Environmental Working Group has a website called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are.

“Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

At Skin Deep, you can find hundreds of specific items for hair, skin, eyes, nails, baby, oral care, fragrance, and makeup rated from 0-10, zero being the safest. Each item’s score is explained in detail and safer options are given.

In today’s post I’m listing safer toothpaste choices from Skin Deep’s site that can easily be found at your local drugstore. I’ve also listed some common items with higher (not safe) scores as comparisons. It should be noted that although Skin Deep gives products a “low hazard” or “moderate hazard” score, some of them contain the chemicals below with cautions from testing results of these chemicals:

PEG – 12 (Dioxane)- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Contamination concerns
Propylene Glycol – FDA says is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction
Proplyparaben, Methylparaben  (parabens) – hormone mimicking properties; may cause breast cancer
PEG/PPG 38/8 Copolymer, PEG/PPG 116/66 Copolymer (Dioxane)- Organ system toxicity
Flavor - Ingredient not fully labeled – identity unknown
Sodium Fluoride - Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Endocrine disruption,
Sodium Hydroxide – Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Hydrogen Peroxide – Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Triclosan (Dioxane) – Endocrine disruption
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Hydrated Silica – Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint Oil) - Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns
Polyethyene (Dioxane) – Cancer, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Sodium Monofluorophosphate – Developmental/reproductive toxicity

Toothpaste with a score of 1 having a “low hazard”:

Tom’s of Maine Anti-Plaque Plus Whitening Clear Gel Peppermint- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydrated Silica

Tom’s of Maine Natural Toothpaste with Propolis & Myrrh, Fennel- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Tom’s of Maine Natural Liquid Toothpaste for Children, Goofy Grape – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydrated Silica

Toothpaste with a score of 3 having a “moderate hazard”:

Crest Sensitivity Protection Toothpaste – Sodium Fluoride, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydrated Silica

Sensodyne Maximum Strength Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth and Cavity Protection – Propylene Glycol, Sodium Monofluorophosphate, Flavor, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Colgate Toothpaste, Regular- Sodium Monofluorophosphate, Flavor, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydrated Silica

Toothpaste with a score of 4 having a “moderate hazard”:

Crest Tartar Protection Tartar Control Gel Toothpaste- Sodium Fluoride, Flavor, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Arm and Hammer Peroxicare Toothpaste Baking Soda and Peroxide Freshmint – Sodium Fluoride, PEG/PPG 38/8 Copolymer, PEG/PPG 116/66 Copolymer (Dioxane), Flavor, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Crest Kids Spider-Man Super Action Liquid Gel- Sodium Fluoride, Flavor, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydrated Silica

Orajel Toddler Training Toothpaste, Fruit Splash – Flavor, Proplyparaben, Methylparaben  (parabens, Propylene Glycol

Toothpaste with a score of 5 having a “moderate hazard”:

Colgate Kids 2 in 1 Toothpaste & Mouthwash Strawberry – Sodium Fluoride, PEG – 12 (Dioxane)

Toothpaste with a score of 6 having a “moderate hazard”:

Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste – Sodium Fluoride, Triclosan (Dioxane), Propylene Glycol

Mentadent Toothpaste, Advanced Clean – Sodium Fluoride, Sodium Hydroxide, Flavor, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Crest Sensitivity Toothpaste Whitening Plus Scope – Polyethyene (Dioxane), Sodium Fluoride, Flavor

Visit Skin Deep and check out how your own toothpaste rates if it’s not listed above. Then decide if you need to make some changes to one with a lower score.

Take a look at earlier posts of mine on how safe is your deodorant, bar soap, baby shampoo and soap, mascara, and shampoo and conditioner.

Don’t be fooled August 15, 2008

I was walking through the personal care aisle of Trader Joe’s today when I noticed their own brand of deodorant (with cotton in it) that said on the front, “Paraben Free” and “Aluminum Free”. My heard started to race – had I found a “safer” new deodorant to try? So, I turned it over and that’s when I saw the first item listed in the ingredients - propylene glycol. The FDA says propylene glycol is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction. Trader Joe’s should be commended for recognizing that parabens and aluminum are not safe ingredients. I was disappointed to see, however, to see the propylene glycol.

The point of this post is this – Do not be fooled by proclamations of safety on the front of products! Always turn things around to read the ingredients and know what to look for. The Green Guide has a downloadable card with 12 chemicals often found in cosmetics that you should avoid. I keep one in my wallet and have hand written other things on it to avoid as well.

To see other things to avoid, see my earlier posts on how safe is your bar soap, baby shampoo and soap, and shampoo and conditioner.

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How safe is your baby’s shampoo and soap? August 8, 2008

The Environmental Working Group has a website called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are.

“Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

At Skin Deep, you can find hundreds of specific items for hair, skin, eyes, nails, baby, oral care, fragrance, and makeup rated from 0-10, zero being the safest. Each item’s score is explained in detail and safer options are given.

My goal in this post was to give you some safe, inexpensive choices for baby shampoo and soap. Unfortunately, I am unable to do this. I will list common items with their score and hazardous ingredients only to bring it to your attention, especially if you use these items. However, please bear with me and continue through this post to the end for my recommendation.

It needs to be noted that although Skin Deep gives products a “moderate hazard” score, some of them contain parabens, which one study suggested may cause breast cancer due to hormone mimicking properties, fragrance, which can often mean Diethyl Phthalate or DEP, which is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to reproductive and genital abnormalities, propylene glycol (Disodium PEG-12 Dimethicone sulfosuccinate), which the FDA says is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction, and sodium laureth sulfate, which can cause skin and eye damage. PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, and PEG-150 Distearate unless vacuum stripped, are contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which has been identified as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). PEG-150 Distearate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine can also cause allergic reactions. Quaternium-15 may release formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen and can cause contact dermatitis from preservatives. Citric Acid can cause burning in the eyes. Items containing any of these are noted.

Shampoo with a score of 3 having a “moderate hazard”:

Huggies Baby Wash, Extra Sensitive, Fragrance Free – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium PEG-12 dimethicone sulfosuccinate, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Shampoo with a score of 4 having a “moderate hazard”:

Johnson & Johnson Johnson’s Baby Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, Original – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Citric Acid

Johnson & Johnson Johnson’s Buddies Instant-Foam Easy Rinse Shampoo – Fragrance, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Huggies Natural Care Wash – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Johnson & Johnson Johnson’s Original Baby Shampoo – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo, Tear Free – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Shampoo with a score of 5 having a “moderate hazard”:

Huggies Baby Wash Extra Gentle – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Citric Acid

Gerber Grins and Giggles Baby Wash for hair & Body, (Lavender and Oatmeal) – PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Shampoo with a score of 6 having a “moderate hazard”:

Mustela Bebe Foam Shampoo for Newborns – Fragrance, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Ethyparaben

Mustela Bebe Baby Shampoo – Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Laureth Sulfate, Ethyparaben

If the item you use for your child is not listed here, take a look at the ingredients and see if any of the ones listed above are in it. Or, go to Skin Deep and see how it is rated.

As I stated, the goal of this post was to give you inexpensive baby shampoo and soap choices. I just feel that the above items are no bargain when you see what’s in them and who they’re for. Therefore, I recommend that you go to your local health food store and purchase something with a lower score from Skin Deep. In some cases, you will be getting a safer item that’s not as expensive as you may think. For example, I’ve been using California Baby Shampoo & Bodywash Tea Tree & Lavender (with a safer score of “1″) since my daughter was born almost 8 months ago. I still have about a month’s worth left after giving her a bath just about everyday because it’s concentrated. It cost me about $10.00 which means I’ll have paid a little more than $1.00 per month to use it. Safer and inexpensive – priceless.

See earlier posts of mine on safer bar soap and shampoo and conditioner.

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How safe is your soap? July 31, 2008

The Environmental Working Group has a website called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are.

“Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

At Skin Deep, you can find hundreds of specific items for hair, skin, eyes, nails, baby, oral care, fragrance, and makeup rated from 0-10, zero being the safest. Each item’s score is explained in detail and safer options are given.

I occasionally purchase an item or two at a department store but most of my everyday care products come from my local drugstore. In today’s post I’m listing safer, inexpensive bar soap choices from Skin Deep’s site that can easily be found at your local drugstore. I’ve also listed a common item with high (not safe) score as comparison.

It should be noted that although Skin Deep gives products a “moderate hazard” score, some of them contain parabens, which one study suggested may cause breast cancer due to hormone mimicking properties, fragrance, which can often mean Diethyl Phthalate or DEP, which is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to reproductive and genital abnormalities, propylene glycol, which the FDA says is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction, sodium laureth sulfate, which can cause skin and eye damage and even liver toxicity and finally, BHT, which has been linked to neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. Items containing any of these are noted.

Bar soap with a score of 1 having a “low hazard”:

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar Soap

Bar soap with a score of 3 having a “moderate hazard”:

Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive Skin – BHT

Dial Original Bar Soap White – fragrance

Irish Spring Deodorant Soap Original 8 bar pack – fragrance

Ivory Classic Ivory Bar Soap – fragrance

Zest Bar Soap Bar, Linen Fresh – fragrance

Bar Soap with a score of 4 having a “moderate hazard”:

Zest Bath Bar Soap, Spring Burst – fragrance, sodium laureth sulfate

Bar soap with a score of 7 having a “high hazard”:

Lever 2000 Bar Soap, Energize – fragrance, propylene glycol

Visit Skin Deep and check out some of your favorite products to see how they rate. Then decide if you need to make some changes. If you do, don’t feel you need to do it all at once. Just make changes as you run out of things.

Check back with me as I’ll continue with safer choices for oral and baby care.

See an earlier post of mine called, “How Safe Is Your Shampoo & Conditioner?“

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How Safe Is Your Shampoo & Conditioner? July 18, 2008

The Environmental Working Group has a website called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are.

“Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

At Skin Deep, you can find hundreds of specific items for hair, skin, eyes, nails, baby, oral care, fragrance, and makeup rated from 0-10, zero being the safest. Each item’s score is explained in detail and safer options are given.

I occasionally purchase an item or two at a department store but most of my everyday care products come from my local drugstore. In today’s post I’m listing safer, inexpensive shampoo and conditioner choices from Skin Deep’s site that can easily be found at your local drugstore. I’ve also listed some common items with high (not safe) scores as comparisons.

It should be noted that although Skin Deep gives products a “moderate hazard” score, some of them contain parabens, which one study suggested may cause breast cancer due to hormone mimicking properties, fragrance, which can often mean Diethyl Phthalate or DEP, which is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to reproductive and genital abnormalities, propylene glycol, which the FDA says is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction, and sodium laureth sulfate, which can cause skin and eye damage and even liver toxicity. Items containing any of these are noted.

Burt’s Bees products are available at two of my local drug stores. They would not be what I consider “inexpensive” but the items listed do appear to have the safest ingredients when it comes to drugstore options:

Shampoo with a score of 1 having a “low hazard”:

• Burt’s Bees Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Shampoo
• Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar with Oat Protein and Pro Vitamin B5

Shampoo with a score of 2 having a “low hazard”:

• Neutrogena T-Sal Max Strength Therapeutic Shampoo
• Psoriasin Therapeutic Shampoo having a “moderate hazard”:

Shampoo with a score of 4 having a “moderate hazard”:

• L’Oreal Vive Shampoo Volume Infusing – fragrance and paraben
• L’Oreal Vive Smooth Intense Shampoo – fragrance and paraben
• White Rain Classic Care Shampoo Daily Clarifying – fragrance
• Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo for Normal to Oily Hair – fragrance
• Suave Performance Benefits Shampoo Smoothing 2 in 1 Plus Conditioner With Pro-Vit – fragrance and propylene glycol
• Suave For Kids 2 in 1 Shampoo – Cherry Blast – fragrance and propylene glycol
• Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo Natural Volume Texturizing for All Hair Types – sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance, propylene glycol
• Clairol Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions Shampoo, Hydrating for Dry Damaged Hair - sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance

Shampoo with a score of 7 having a “high hazard”:

• ThermaSilk Moisturizing Shampoo for Dry or Damaged Hair – fragrance, formaldehyde

Shampoo with a score of 9 having a “high hazard”:

• L’Oreal Kids 2 in 1 Shampoo, Extra Gentle, Burst of Fruity Apricot – sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance, paraben, propylene glycol, formaldehyde

Conditioner with a score of 2 having a “low hazard”:

• Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Conditioner

Conditioner with a score of 3 having a “moderate hazard”:

• Burt’s Bees Avocado Butter and Hair Conditioner – fragrance

Conditioner with a score of 4 having a “moderate hazard”:

• White Rain Conditioner Extra Body – fragrance
• White Rain Classic Conditioner Regular – fragrance

Conditioner with a score of 7 having a “high hazard”:

• Clairol Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions Purifying Conditioner – fragrance, propylene glycol

Visit Skin Deep and check out some of your favorite products to see how they rate. Then decide if you need to make some changes. If you do, don’t feel you need to do it all at once. Just make changes as you run out of things.

Check back with me as I’ll continue with safer choices for skin care, oral care, and baby care.

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