Don't Let Bugs Bug YOU

Hate those pesky summer bugs? Don't let them bug YOU.  

I use a Natural Insect Repellent. I keep it with me almost all the time. 

But Essential Oils are also a great approach to keeping creepy crawlers off of us. And, they do smell so very nice! 

If you want to add essential oils to your anti-bug strategy, here's what to do!

Grab a lint roller and the essential oils listed below. 

The lint roller should be the kind with adhesive layers. Take it with you when you go outside.  Roll it on your clothing every once in a while. You will be surprised to see what you pick up in very short amounts of time. 

You can spray essential oils on your clothing and rub it into your skin to help to keep away the ticks, mosquitoes, and black flies while you are outside.  

Here are 5 essential oils that repel bugs.

1. Lavender – This smells sweet to us but bugs absolutely hate it. It works on mosquitoes, flies and other insects.  

2. Melaleuca Oil - A classic defense against bugs! 

3. Eucalyptus – According to the Journal of Medical Entomology, Eucalyptus extract can reduce tick bites and infections. 

4. Lemon – This essential oil can work against fleas and other bugs. Dilute it slightly and spray it on your clothing and skin.  

5.  Lemongrass – This essential oil comes from tropical lemongrass and has a citrusy sent. It is a natural flea and tick repellent and can be sprayed directly on the skin.  

Johnson & Johnson and Wal-Mart Sued for Selling Toxic Baby Shampoo

If you purchased Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo or Wal-Mart brand Equate Tearless Baby Wash, you may want to stop using it. A class action lawsuit has been approved this month that claims these products may contain a toxin linked to cancer.

The class action lawsuit, filed earlier this year, accuses Johnson & Johnson and Wal-Mart Stores of selling shampoo and baby wash that allegedly contains methylene chloride, an ingredient banned by the FDA in cosmetics because it’s linked to cancer. 
In addition to noting methylene chloride also identified are formaldehyde (*Q-15) and 1,4 dioxane.

The law firm that filed the lawsuit is also investigating Target’s Night-time Bath and Body Wash, which is not currently named in the suit.

A third Johnson & Johnson plant is now also under investigation for alleged quality concerns. The new Johnson & Johnson plant is one that manufactures Pepcid and Mylanta among other products. You can read the details on that investigation at Legafi.

*PLEASE NOTE!
Formaldehyde (produced by Q-15)  accumulates in the body. Even "safe trace levels" add up over time. The body cannot always get rid of formaldehyde on its own!  On the low end it causes skin irritations, headaches, migraines and immune system problems. On the high end -- cancer!
MANY personal care products contain this chemical - not just the ones mentioned in this article.
AND -- there are over 28 other names for this chemical making it hard to identify on labels.
Yet another reason I shop at a store that only manufactures products with no harmful chemicals.
I passionately believe that everyone has a right to a safer shopping decision!



SOURCES: 
 Top Class Actions  Sarah Pierce, reporter
HMHB article
NJ.com

RESOURCE: http://www.5678.fourpointwellness.com/contact.cpo

From One Concerned Mom to Another

We wouldn't dream of letting our children breath poisonous fumes intentionally, yet we do this every time we “protect” them by cleaning the house or using personal care products!

Important Things for All Moms to Know

•  Chlorine Bleach can burn, irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. It has been outlawed in much of Europe because it is HIGHLY suspected of also being a carcinogen. If used in a workplace OSHA regulates that it be treated as a "toxic chemical." ."

• Ammonia can be damaging to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract.

• Air fresheners contain toxins that include Formaldehyde and Phenol.

• Many personal care - bath and body products contain Q-15 (a formaldehyde releasing agent)

• Dish washing detergents contain dry chlorine, which is the #1 cause of poisoning in children according to poison control.

• Furniture polish contains Petroleum Distillates, which can cause skin and lung cancer.

You can do an easy test with your household cleaners. Quite simply -- the stronger the smell, the more toxins that are present.

"Most of the time we have no choice but to breathe polluted air, and eat chemical laden food, and drink water that is less than pure, but we DO have a choice of what we put on our skin and what products we have in our homes. Be sure the products you are using are free of cancer causing and toxic ingredients. "

Links About Toxins in the Home

1. “TRADE SECRETS: A MOYERS REPORT is an investigation of the history of the chemical revolution and the companies that drove it . . . ”
http://www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/program/program.html

2. “The Center for Children’s Health and the Environment (CCHE) is the nation’s first academic research and policy center to examine the links between exposure to toxic pollutants and childhood illness.”   http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/children/areas-of-care/childrens-environmental-health-center

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention A-Z Index of Health Topics: This website contains in-depth definitions and resources on risk factors and prevention for a vast array of today's health concerns.  http://www.cdc.gov/az/a.html

4. Children's Health Environmental Coalition: “CHEC's mission is to inform parents . . . . about preventable health & development problems caused by exposures to toxic substances in homes . . . . ”  http://healthychild.org/

5. “Environmental Defense is fighting to protect human health, restore our oceans and ecosystems, and curb global warming."  http://www.edf.org/home.cfm

6. Purdue Glossary of Household Products with Hazards from A to Z
http://www.purdue.edu/dp/envirosoft/housewaste/house/products.htm

7. National Institutes of Health & National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database: “What's under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Learn more about what's in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling.”  http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/

8. Natural Resources Defense Council: “Every day we are exposed to thousands of chemicals, including hundreds known to cause serious harm to people and the environment. NRDC educates the public about the health threats posed by toxic chemicals.”   http://www.nrdc.org/health

My home is a cleaner, safer place for my family since I began using products with no harmful chemicals.  I feel good knowing that I am making every effort to make my home a safe haven for my family. I encourage you to consider making a difference in your family's health. Making a simple decision to switch stores has made our home healthier, safer and more frugal.

Lawsuit Proceeds on Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo

A lawsuit filed by a group of consumers alleging Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo includes potentially cancer-causing chemicals will be allowed to go forward, according to a federal court judge In Newark.

U.S. District Court Judge Dennis Cavanaugh based his decision to let the lawsuit proceed on the presence of a single chemical ingredient found in the shampoo: methylene chloride, which is banned by the Food and Drug Administration for use in cosmetics.

The lawsuit also alleges WalMart’s Equate Tearless Baby Wash includes the same cancer-causing chemicals.

Lawyers for WalMart and Johnson & Johnson, which is based in New Brunswick, had sought to dismiss the suit, arguing the consumers lacked standing to sue because the product failed to cause an injury or that the shampoo failed to clean hair.

Bonnie Jacobs, a spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson’s consumer products business, refused to comment yesterday on the litigation.

In a letter last May to Johnson & Johnson’s Chief Executive Officer William Weldon, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of consumer, health and environmental groups, asked the company to reformulate the baby shampoo as well as some of its other personal care products.
In addition to noting methylene chloride, the letter — and the ensuing lawsuit — also identified formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane as being in the baby shampoo.

At the time the coalition sent its letter to Weldon, the company said the chemical compounds existed in "trace levels’’ that could result from processes that make the baby shampoo gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth. "Many regulatory agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe,’’ Johnson & Johnson spokesman Bill Price told the Associated Press at the time.

PLEASE NOTE!
Formaldehyde accumulates in the body. Even "safe trace levels" add up over time. The body cannot get rid of formaldehyde on its own!

Ira Loss, an analyst who follows the pharmaceutical industry, said it is not unusual for companies to reformulate their products and then to market them as new and improved.

SOURCE: NJ.com

Cancer Causing Ingredients in Children's Products

This is exactly what we have been teaching for 6 years now.
Do not trust manufacturers to be looking out for your best interest -- they DO NOT.
This is exactly why I shop with a company that has a Mission Statement laser focused on making lives better, healthier and safer and a 25 year record of putting wellness first.

Maybe more people will take notice since this is increasingly hitting the mainstream.

But, be assured and forewarned that unscrupulous manufacturers will "jump on the bandwagon" and try to peddle their goods as safer.  In fact, it is already being done. Case in point - Clorox.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to know what I have learned and where I shop!

85,000 chemicals

There are more than 85,000 chemicals that are currently licensed for use in North America. Less than half have ever been tested for human health risk and even fewer for potential environmental impacts. Remember that babies (born and unborn), children and pregnant moms are at the greatest risk.
Just one more reason to buy from a company with health as its first priority - get out of the habit of trusting products on those store shelves! Need more information on how to make simple changes to take better care of yourself, your family and our environment?

Just ask! Peggy 832 766 2172
OR Visit: How Safe is Your Home?

source: TorontoStar June13th, 2005

SOURCE ARTICLE: What's causing cancer? by Mitchell Anderson

If You Have a Toddler, Please Read This

More toddlers under age four are admitted to hospital emergency rooms as a result of household cleaner-related injuries than for any other reason. ALSO, household cleaners and personal care products can exacerbate breathing problems and asthma. Due to out gassing this can happen even when packaging is sealed.

sources:
~~> Cancer Prevention Coalition c/o School of Public Health University of Illinois Medical Center 2121 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612,Tel: (312) 996-2297, Fax: (312) 996-1374 http://www.healthy-communications.com/factsoncarcinogensathome.html
~~> From the Cancer Prevention Coalition and the "Safe Shoppers Bible" by Dr. Samuel S. Epstein and Dr. David Steinman, 1995