*Unless they are fetuses. But once you're born, you're screwed!

This story I heard on NPR the other day is a MUST LISTEN. It is an interview with Mark Schapiro who wrote Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products. It will piss you off if you have kids. It will piss you off if you don’t have kids. This shit has been on my mind for many years particularly as of late. And it makes me beyond angry. I’m angry that Frankie used plastic teething rings. I’m angry that he had a toy that had been recalled (and yes, he chewed on it). I'm angry that no one is looking out for our safety. I’ve been hearing about pthalates more & more lately (the substance that makes plastics pliable). So, they are banned in Europe because they can cause damage to children’s endocrine system (particularly from ages one to three). The thing that gets me the most? Toys can be produced without this chemical! And it doesn’t affect the cost. The same toys – made in China -- are produced and sent to Europe without pthalates often in the same factories as those produced with pthalates. Schapiro talks about how the industries have been “bluffing” for years that increased regulations will cause their businesses to fail, but what’s happening in the EU has proven otherwise. Schapiro reasons that the EU’s different way of thinking has a lot to do with a universal healthcare policy. Countries who provide healthcare for its citizens are looking to the future – if these products cause cancer or other problems, they will be taking care of it twenty or thirty years from now. God, I am so ready to move, aren’t you?

*Oh, btw, no one regulates cosmetics in the US. You’ve all heard me on my soapbox about products. But there’s lead in a lot of lipsticks, ok? This website is great for product evaluations and I use it plenty: Environental Working Group's Skin Deep.

I’ve done a lot of looking around for non-awful products and have settled upon this paraben-free regimen. If anyone has any additional suggestions, let me know! The hardest product to find is base/concealer (if you're not into usingn the mineral base).

*Burt’s Bees Translucent Power
*Lavera Mascara
*Jason Esther C or Dessert Essences Face Wash
*Baking soda mixed with above for “scrub”
*MyShelle Sunscreen & Moisturizer (great stuff, but pricey)
*Kiss My Face Shaving Lotion
*Better Botanicals Dandelion Moisturizer
*Burt’s Bee’s Lip Sheers
*Burt’s Bees Chapstick
*Afterglow Cosmetics and Larenim Cosmetics Eyeshadows (mineral)
*Afterglow Cosmetics Winter Warmth (mineral)
*Kiss My Face Eye Repair Crème
*Jason Naturals Vitamin E Cream (night)
*Essential oils for fragrance
*Lotion-365 Body Lotion (Whole Foods)
*Soap-365 Soap (Whole Foods) or Method Bloq
*Tom’s toothpaste and mouthwash
*Burt’s Bee Baby Shampoo/Lotion for Frankie; Jason Vitamin E Cream
*7th Generation/Mrs. Meyers/WF and some Method cleaning products; Bon Ami; EO (made for WF) soap for floor