By Lisa Jackson

Several years ago, I developed an allergy to several varieties of store-bought soap.  My symptoms were persistent rough, dry, itchy and irritated skin.  In an attempt to obtain relief, I decided to take a closer look at the ingredients in these soaps to see what might be causing the problem.  What a revelation that turned out to be!  What ensued was a time of reevaluation that led me to compare the difference between artificially created products versus more “natural” old-fashioned skin and hair care.

As it turns out, most, if not all, of the commercially available soap that we buy at the grocery store is a breathtaking brew of toxic chemicals.  In many cases, the so-called “soap” can’t really be described technically as soap, but instead is more of a synthetic chemical detergent with artificial fragrances and colors derived primarily from petroleum.  This revelation quickly caused me to question all of the products we had been traditionally using.  In the process of examining all of our personal care products, I discovered that, typically, store bought soaps, shampoos and cosmetics use the following chemicals: (1) Imidazolidinyl and Diazolidinyl Urea (Used as preservatives, which are a primary cause of contact dermatitis, it also releases formaldehyde, which is toxic and carcinogenic.), (2) Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethylparaben (Used as inhibitors of microbial growth and extends shelf life.  Causes many allergic reactions and skin rashes.  All four of these closely related chemicals are known to be toxic.), (3) Propylene Glycol (Usually a synthetic petrochemical mix used as a humectant, it has been known to cause allergic and toxic reactions.), (4) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (A synthetic substance used in many “natural” shampoos for its detergent and foaming properties.  Causes eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp conditions similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions.), (5) Stearalkonium Chloride (Originally developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, it is used in hair conditioners and creams.  Causes allergic reactions and is toxic), (6) Synthetic Colors (FD+C or D+C) followed by a color and number (These are all Cancer causing agents.), (7) Synthetic Fragrances (Contain over 200 chemical ingredients, which are labeled simply as “fragrance”.  These cause headaches, dizziness, rashes, hyper-pigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritations, and the list goes on…), (8) Triethanolamine (TEA) (Used to adjust pH and to make stearate, which is a base for cleansers.  Causes allergic reactions, including eye problems, dryness of the hair and skin, and becomes toxic if large amounts build up in the body over time.), (9) Triclosan (This is the active ingredient in many antibacterial soaps.  This chemical belongs to the chlorophenol class of chemicals, which are thought to cause cancer in humans.  According to the Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) triclosan is officially considered a pesticide and has been given high scores both as a human health risk and as an environmental risk.), (10) Phythalates (These industrial compounds are used in a wide variety of hairsprays, perfumes and cosmetics.  Animal studies on some phthalates have shown that the chemicals may cause a variety of health problems, including reproductive and developmental harm, organ damage, immune suppression, endocrine disruption and cancer.)  You should also be aware that the government does not actually regulate what the term “natural” means in your personal care products, so commercial soaps, shampoos, creams, etc. can claim to be “natural” while still being primarily synthetically derived.   I found this list rather sobering and worrisome.

Another surprising fact is that, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), 57 percent of baby soaps, which are considered to be the most pure and gentle of soaps, actually contain 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen, which readily penetrates your skin!  You may ask yourself, “How can this be?”  The answer is that, contrary to what you may have been led to believe, the U.S. government does not currently require safety testing on any of the ingredients in your, or your children’s, personal care products, so the companies that produce these widely available consumer products are not required to meet any safety standards what-so-ever. When you consider the fact that our skin absorbs up to 80% of what you put on it, toxic (and unnecessary) additives can be easily absorbed into the blood stream and bio-accumulate in the body where they influence your immune system and overall health.  This certainly wasn’t what I was expecting, and it gave me pause to consider that I had been bathing my family with these products for years.  Armed with this knowledge, it seemed important to search for better options to protect my family’s health. 

From what I have learned, the primary difference between store-bought commercial (synthetic chemical) soap and handmade soap lies in the specific nature of the ingredients that are used in their production.  Based on the toxicity of the ingredients listed above, it appears that the less synthetically derived ingredients there are in a personal care product, the better.  Products with simple, naturally occurring ingredients seem to be the best choice when searching for soaps, shampoos, lotions and creams to use on your family.

There are a variety of handmade personal care products available from Organic and family businesses that are made the old-fashioned way with simple, safe, non-chemical ingredients. The ingredients used are certified organic oils, herbs, spices, botanical concentrates and grains, and they rarely use any animal by-products except for honey and goat milk. These ingredients naturally moisturize and condition the skin because they have a high glycerin content and no free alkali present.  Generally speaking, handmade soaps should never contain artificial preservatives, artificial colors, detergents, alcohols, d-limonene, or artificial fragrances.  Using these much gentler products regularly should improve the condition and health of your skin and hair and lower the amount of toxic chemicals you absorb through your skin.

I suggest that you might want to take a careful look at the soap, shampoos, deodorants and cleansers that your family uses.  You can also try going to http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Ltoxiccosmetics.htm and http://make-up-cosmetics.com/cosmetics/toxic-chemicals-cosmetic-products.html and compare the chemicals in your personal care products to their lists.  If the products that you regularly use contain any of the posted ingredients, you might want to rethink whether or not you should be using them.

At Greenliness.com, we offer soaps that we believe meet our criteria of being truly natural and handmade. You can find them on our website.

By Lisa Jackson

When we were looking at quality t-shirts to carry on the Greenliness website, we knew that we wanted to invest in fabrics that were ecologically sound, would not harm the environment in any way or be a source of toxins in the wider ecosystem.  We looked at four types of fabric: cotton, organic cotton, bamboo and hemp.  After much research and discussion we concluded that standard cotton was not a good choice as, depending on which article you consult, 35 – 50% of the world’s pesticides are sprayed on the world cotton crop on a yearly basis.  In addition, the cotton bleaching process is very harmful to the environment.  And, while organic cotton was a great improvement and a very nice fabric, it was still lacking in some of the better qualities of bamboo and hemp.

Looking at Bamboo, we found that its positive qualities are that it grows quickly, is sustainable, is naturally pest resistant, can help rebuild eroded soil, and takes only 3-4 years to go from seed to harvest.  Bamboo can be grown without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides, however the process involved in making Bamboo fabric (viscose/rayon) is extremely chemical intensive and, as a result, it cannot really be considered a “green” material. 

There are additional downsides to Bamboo as well, due to some of the practices followed in China, which is the only country that grows Bamboo on a commercial scale.  As it becomes an increasingly lucrative cash crop, farmers are beginning to grow it as a mono-crop, which tends to reduce biodiversity and can lead to an increase in pests – which leads to pesticides becoming necessary in the long run.  There is also evidence that farmers are using chemical fertilizers to increase yields.  Currently, there is no reason why they shouldn't do this, as there are no current standards or environmental guidelines in place (in China) for growing bamboo.  Chinese farmers want to get as large a crop as possible for their money, but there is an environmental cost for this.  Farmers are now clearing natural forest land to grow more bamboo.  So, while much of the blame for endangering giant pandas can be traced to farmers and landowners clearing bamboo forest for farmland, now they're clearing it to grow back some bamboo.  Unfortunately, it is too late for many pandas.  There is no doubt that many companies are doing their very best to avoid the downsides of Bamboo production by seeking guarantees that the bamboo used is grown naturally, but the Chinese production system is not at all known for its transparency and it is extremely difficult to get any cast-iron guarantees for sustainable practices.

Which brings us to Hemp, our favorite fabric.  Hemp’s qualities are truly remarkable and a list of these great qualities follows.  Hemp is first and foremost a sustainable crop.  Pesticides are not needed in the farming of Hemp, and it does not deplete the soil like so many other crops, but, in fact, returns nitrogen to the soil and improves soil fertility.  As a result, the soil requires less fertilizer for subsequent rotated crops.  As a fabric, it is naturally anti-microbial, which makes it ideal in diapers and clothing where it protects you from bacteria, mold, mildew and fungus.  Due to Hemp’s porous nature, it is more absorbent than cotton and can breathe so that it is cool in summer and warm in winter.  In stress tests conducted by Patagonia, Inc. (clothing company), hemp had eight times the tensile strength and four times the durability of cotton.  Diapers made from hemp fabrics will last longer and stand up to rougher use than cotton.  Hemp material lasts. 

Some of the environmental benefits of growing hemp are (1) Fast and robust growth, (2) No herbicides/pesticides required, (3) Suppresses weeds, (4) Improves Soil Structure, (5) Produces lots of oxygen, and (6) Cleans up pollution.  Hemp is also 100% biodegradable, recyclable and reusable, and the speed at which hemp grows can provide benefits regarding the resource requirements of the end product.  Another important aspect of hemp is that clothing and textiles made from hemp have no residual chemicals that could affect our health (as many other fabrics do).  Hemp based fabrics block the sun's UV rays more effectively than other fabrics and they do it naturally.  This is true even if it’s only a 50% blend with another fabric.  (Hemp fabric resists UV and UVB 80% more than cotton.)  Last but not least, Hemp fabric is smooth, soft and durable and the most powerful humidity absorbing and ventilating natural fiber clothing one can wear, the puncture resistance of hemp fabric is 40% greater than that of cotton, and hemp fabric actually prevents static electricity buildup.  It is our studied opinion that Hemp is a great sustainable and green product that is superior in pretty much every way.  For this reason we are proud to carry Hemp fabric t-shirts for men and women on the Greenliness website.