Cleaning Your House & Your Face Can Be Hazardous To Your Health!

150 Common Chemicals used in the home have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities…..

Just think about it…How many hidden chemicals are lingering in your household cupboard? Have you ever made a self conscious effort to read and familiarize yourself with these chemical names?

Little do we know, but most poisonings happen slowly, over a long period of time, by daily exposure to chemical toxins in the air, and toxic chemicals that come into contact with the skin. Household chemicals and Personal Care products are among the most hazardous substances that we come into contact with on a daily basis.

·       Shampoo and Conditioners (Contains ammonia, SLS Sodium Laurel Sulphate)

·       Toothpastes  (Contains Triclosan, a Herbicide and Pesticide)

·       Dishwashing Liquids (Contains Phosphates)

·       Washing Powders (Contains Phosphates)

All these substances can be easily absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, like Soaps, Cosmetics. Lotions and Potions, Deodorants etc.

In 1989 the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed 2,983 chemicals used in personal care products and the results were astounding with 884 chemicals being found to cause toxicity, tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutation, skin and eye irritations.

NOW, that was in 1989…that was a very long time ago! Just think of all the new chemicals that have been made every year since then…..SCARY STUFF!!!

One of the most important environmental health problems that we face is INDOOR AIR POLLUTION…

One of the reasons for this poisoning, is that chemical concentrations in some homes are too high from cleaning products and personal care products, that toxic chemical vapors are released into the air very easily.

Don’t let your family suffer!

There are safer alternatives available!

I

We here at Jah Naturals are always working on formulating safer alternatives to everyday Household Cleaning and Personal Care products. We are presently working on, a 3 in 1 Household cleaning product!

So keep your eyes out for the release of this Environmentally Safe cleaning product, for your family!

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous

PRE-POLLUTED BABIES............

Well! It’s been a while…since my last post folks! My apologies for those who’ve been waiting for an update…

A very interesting issue that I’ve been following for some years now is the pre-pollution of children’s health, before they even come out of their mother’s womb.

Just recently Ken Cook-President of the EWG (Environmental Working Group) testified in a U.S. Senate hearing. Ken Cook co-founded EWG in 1993. He is the author of dozens of articles, opinion pieces and reports on environmental, public health and agricultural topics.

This is what he told the Senators.

“Toxic industrial chemicals slip past the mother’s placenta just as they have slipped through the Toxic Substances Control Act, and until this law is reformed we’re all defenseless, starting with babies in the womb,” said EWG President Ken Cook.

“The late, great environmental attorney and champion Al Meyerhoff used to joke that ‘TSCA’ (Toxic Substances Control Act) should stand for “Toxic Substances Conversation Act” because about the only thing it has ever resulted in for thirty years is talk,” Cook added. “Now even the law’s longtime defenders in industry recognize that TSCA must be modernized if public confidence in the safety of chemicals and consumer products is to be restored.”

Babies are coming into this world pre-polluted with synthetic toxic chemicals.

Groundbreaking scientific studies have been documented, by EWG. Pollution begins in the womb. EWG laboratory tests have found an average of 300 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborns born in the U.S in August and September of 2004.

Just to name a few of these chemicals:

·       BPA (Bisphenol-A) - may disrupt the hormonal system, and it is found in common everyday products like many bottles and cans. Manufacturers use BPA-based lining on the metal portions of formula containers for babies. Tests of liquid formulas by FDA (Food Drug Administration) and EWG show that BPA leaches into the formula from all brands tested.

 

·       Perchlorate - is used as an ingredient in solid fuel for rockets and missiles, construction of highway safety flares, fireworks, pyrotechnics, explosives, common batteries, and automobile restraint systems. Perchlorate contamination has been reported in at least 20 states. Perchlorate greatly impacts human health by interfering with iodide uptake into the thyroid gland. In adults, the thyroid gland helps regulate the metabolism by releasing hormones, while in children, the thyroid helps in proper development. Perchlorate is becoming a serious threat to human health and water resources.

·       PCB’S (Polychlorinated biphenyls)- The most commonly observed health effects in people exposed to extremely high levels of PCBs are skin conditions. Studies in workers exposed to PCBs have shown changes in blood and urine that may indicate liver damage. Common symptoms include dermal and ocular lesions, irregular menstrual cycles and a lowered immune response. Other symptoms included fatigue, headache, cough, and unusual skin sores.

Additionally, in children, there were reports of poor cognitive development.

There have also been studies of the health effects of PCBs in the general population and in children of mothers who were exposed to PCBs.

The best way to stop this pre-pollution is to enact the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, which would require that chemicals be proven safe for children before they can be sold.

But lawmakers in Washington need to know that you want them to reform their broken toxics laws, with the hope that other countries follow suit.

 Now is the time for Congress to introduce the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act!

The chemicals found in Commercial Skin & Body Care products are increasingly linked to serious long-term health effects, from childhood autism and cancer to ADHD, learning deficits, infertility, and heart disease.

These chemicals are already in us. The risk of disease and illness is very serious.

We need a system for assessing chemicals so our children get the healthy start they deserve.

The longer Congress waits, the more babies are exposed.

If you are concerned about this problem, please sign EWG’s Action Fund's petition to Congress!
Join the 1000's of other Americans and International individuals who are telling Congress it's time for a real federal toxics law that will make chemicals in consumer products safe for kids.

Click here to add your name to the Action Fund’s petition.

Governments need to hear from you right now! 

Don’t you think it’s time we try to change these irresponsible laws.

We need to speak up for a new national chemical policy that places human health front and center - right where it should be!

Thanks for reading!

Venice Harmsen

Jah Naturals (Non-Toxic Body Care Australia)

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous

Chemical Hygiene

Well, it’s that time of the year rolling around again and I’ve been so busy putting together some lovely natural body care gift packs since my last post, so I should be ready for the holiday rush.

I mentioned in my last post, that I would show you an interview with a Developmental toxicologist on the chemical industry and the health effect we are exposed to.

40,000 - 60,000 Synthetic Chemicals are used in General Skincare EVERYDAY!

1000 new chemicals are added each year!

This is not good!

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous

1,4 Dioxane Found in Leading Natural Brands

Finally! I have had some time to sit down and write. Since my last post, I've been pretty busy with putting some gift packs together for the Holidays and  topping up my stock so I don't run out which is always the case! I have a little shipment of Shea Butter coming in from Togo, Africa in the next few days....I'm always excited when I know its coming in....this stuff is just the best! I pretty much use it in every product I make....in my opinion, its the best Natural anti-wrinkle ingredient ever! Its as natural as you can get!

Speaking of 'natural' I have come across this great video that I thought I really have to share with you......In my last post I mentioned a little about pesticides used in our skin care products like the nasty TRICLOSAN ( sometimes listed as Phenoxyl Phenol) which is widely used as a preservative in products like deodorants, toothpastes, shaving creams, mouthwashes, cleaning supplies and the list goes on...........BUT when I went on to have a closer look at TRICLOSAN, this is what I learned......and I tell you "I learn every day"!

During waste water treatments, a portion of TRICLOSAN is degraded, while the remaining adsorbs to sewage sludge and exits the waste plant through the wastewater effluent.....but when TRICLOSAN is degraded in the environment, it's microorganisms react with the sunlight forming other chemical compounds which may include CHLOROPHENOLS and DIOXIN. Now this is where it gets messy! These chemical compounds such as DIOXIN is what I want to cover in todays post....1,4 DIOXIN is all around us....and chemicals like this one is what drives my passion for making only the best in Natural and Organic Body Care.....

The first speaker in the video is one of my hero's. His name is David Steinman and is an acclaimed environmentalist, health consumer advocate and author who founded the Green Patriotism movement. His major books include Diet for a Poisoned Planet (1990), The Safe Shopper's Bible (1995), Living Healthy in a Toxic World (1996), and Safe Trip to Eden: Ten Steps to Save the Planet Earth from the Global Warming Meltdown (2007), the book that introduces the concept of Green Patriotism.

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous

Stay tuned for my next post. I have another video for you, which is just CHEMICALLY CHILLING!!!! Until then....'UNIVERSAL BLESSINGS'!

Would you eat your facial skin care products?

*Would you eat your facial skin care products?*

That’s the question I ask myself when ever choosing to a use *skin* *care* product *of* ANY KIND! It’s a highly relevant question which we ALL should be asking ourselves every time we cover our skin with creams, lotions, body butters, shampoos, conditioners of any sort, and the LIST goes on.

As far as I’m concerned that should be the benchmark for *skin* *care* product formulators and manufacturers and one *of* YOUR main criteria when choosing any *skin* *care* product. Always keep this in mind!

As you read through this article, I hope you’ll come to realize that we are actually doing more harm than good to ourselves, unknowingly…

I’d like to think that you’re probably already aware that you should not and cannot trust the majority of ‘COMMERCIAL BRAND’ *skin* *care* manufacturers. The claims made in their misleading marketing presentations are dangerous techniques used to get you to flirt with their potentially harmful ingredients, and not to mention side effects these products cause.

*This absolutely includes the elite, big name brands.***

The greatest majority *of* industrial *Skin* *Care* manufacturers share the same trade secrets which they absolutely don’t want YOU and I to know about.

If their manufacturing shortcuts and secrets became widely known, their profits would take a dive. So, read on…… Once you know the facts about the harmful ingredients they use, you will see exactly what health dangers and risks you’re up against. Not only your *skin* but also for your overall health and well being.

*The truth is not pretty. In fact it’s downright frightening in some cases!*

*TOXIC CHEMICALS AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS* 

*Question:* *Why on earth would they use such **dangerous/harmful** ingredients?*

*Answer:** PROFITS!! Bottom line….. Nice fat profits! The mighty dollar will always be their chase! **Our health and safety comes in a distant second to their multi- million dollar enterprising profits.***

The sad thing is, is that these well known companies are completely capable of producing highly effective *skin* *care* products which are totally safe, totally pure, and produce substantial effective results, but they choose not to do so. This is primarily because of pressures from shareholders i.e. (*/GREED!/*)

*THE PROBLEM IS** - Skin care companies make their products to a price!*

The chemists and bio-scientists who formulate these products do not have the freedom in selecting ALL NATURAL and most effective ingredients. They are given a budget to work within and must formulate to this cost! *Completely natural options are simply not allowed as shareholder pressures in the large multi nationals *are purely focused on maintaining and increasing their *amazingly excessive profit margins.$/ /$

 

Here’s an example of what formulating skincare products to a budget can result in. Many *of* the *skin* *care *industry’s most well known, ‘BIG’ brands – use this nasty *chemical* in their *skin* *care* formulas which is *officially classified as a PESTICIDE!*

*It’s called TRICLOSAN – an anti-bacterial chemical which kills harmful organisms ON the skin BUT also destroys beneficial bacteria INSIDE our bodies!*

*There is clinical evidence to suggest **TRICLOSAN** may contribute to creating strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics because it is so widely used in skin care products.*

*No matter how small the dose may be! Why would anyone in their right mind allow a chemical used in weed killers to be absorbed into their bodies! Not me! That’s for sure!*

*LONG TERM EFFECTS………………*

There’s no research on the long term effects *of* the many chemicals used in *skin* *care* preparations today. Sure, for most people there will be no apparent immediate symptoms…but */_think_/*/ LONG TERM EFFECTS! What’s that going to do to our health some years down the track?

Our *skin* is the largest organ and one *of* our first-line defenses against disease. *Active ingredients are absorbed into our bloodstream so it’s the same as eating them! *So naturally we should be thorough and safety-minded when choosing body care and take more caution when it comes to our skin!

Keep this in mind: it’s completely possible to formulate highly effective *skin* *care* products from all natural ingredients with no chemicals whatsoever. It’s only a question *of* cost and desire! It is up to *_us_* the consumer to boycott these products…Make these BIG BOYS think! Think about natural alternatives! It’s up to us! You and I! THE CONSUMER!

Naturally, it’s more expensive to use naturally sourced options for certain ingredients. Healthy options always cost more. Sourcing high-quality, 100% natural moisturizing oils, natural butters, vegetable-based waxes, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and plant extracts are significantly more expensive.

Yes, it's more expensive because it's grown differently, much more care is taken when growing and processing the produce, along with higher costs for alternative pesticides and chemicals used by the farmers. Most natural and all organic foods are produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers and genetically altered seeds. It takes a few years to prepare soil to produce quality natural and organic crops. This is where most of the extra cost is incurred, plus natural composting, natural pesticides and applying them is more expensive than chemical fertilizers.

***Is it worth it?*

I would say “that depends on you”… I really don’t think it’s an issue of Natural Products vs. Non Natural Products, I think it’s an issue of High Quality vs. Low Quality. The majority of us will remain choosing the lower quality products as it is made readily available for us to purchase at very reasonable prices. The cheaper the better! Right!

But………. when a lot of us go natural, we find we need quality ingredients to maintain our overall health and we are more discerning in what is actually good for us… and that tends to cost more.

*SKIN CARE – BOTTOM LINE!*

The type *of* *skin* *care* companies we should be buying from, are the types who only use Vegetable Plant derived products and who only use Natural Preservatives and Anti-oxidants.

‘The very best formulas that actually work AND are SAFE TO USE ARE, the ones with ingredients safe enough to eat’.

Yes! There are *skin* *care* companies like that out there but nowhere near as many as we would expect or would like! Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have already come across one. (Maybe it’s Jah Naturals)! :0)

*KEEP THIS IN MIND: For the sake of **YOUR** **HEALTH** and **YOUR ENVIRONMENT!** It’s essential that we consider both purity AND efficacy when shopping for skin care products (in fact any product that will have contact on our bodies).

*Until then folks! Thanks for reading my post! :0) Venice from JAH NATURALS.COM.AU x*

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous

Would you eat your facial skin care products?

*Would you eat your facial skin care products?*

That’s the question I ask myself when ever choosing to a use *skin* *care* product *of* ANY KIND! It’s a highly relevant question which we ALL should be asking ourselves every time we cover our skin with creams, lotions, body butters, shampoos, conditioners of any sort, and the LIST goes on.

As far as I’m concerned that should be the benchmark for *skin* *care* product formulators and manufacturers and one *of* YOUR main criteria when choosing any *skin* *care* product. Always keep this in mind!

As you read through this article, I hope you’ll come to realize that we are actually doing more harm than good to ourselves, unknowingly…

I’d like to think that you’re probably already aware that you should not and cannot trust the majority of ‘COMMERCIAL BRAND’ *skin* *care* manufacturers. The claims made in their misleading marketing presentations are dangerous techniques used to get you to flirt with their potentially harmful ingredients, and not to mention side effects these products cause.

*This absolutely includes the elite, big name brands.***

The greatest majority *of* industrial *Skin* *Care* manufacturers share the same trade secrets which they absolutely don’t want YOU & I to know about.

If their manufacturing shortcuts and secrets became widely known, their profits would take a dive. So, read on…… Once you know the facts about the harmful ingredients they use, you will see exactly what health dangers and risks you’re up against. Not only your *skin* but also for your overall health and wellbeing.

*The truth is not pretty. In fact it’s downright frightening in some cases!*

*TOXIC CHEMICALS AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS*

*Question:* *Why on earth would they use such **dangerous/harmful** ingredients?*

*Answer:** PROFITS!! Bottom line….. Nice fat profits! The mighty dollar will always be their chase! **Our health and safety comes in a distant second to their multi- million dollar enterprising profits.***

The sad thing is, is that these well known companies are completely capable of producing highly effective *skin* *care* products which are totally safe, totally pure, and produce substantial effective results, but they choose not to do so. This is primarily because of pressures from shareholders i.e. (*/GREED!/*)

*THE PROBLEM IS** - Skin care companies make their products to a price!*

The chemists and bio-scientists who formulate these products do not have the freedom in selecting ALL NATURAL and most effective ingredients. They are given a budget to work within and must formulate to this cost! *Completely natural options are simply not allowed as shareholder pressures in the large multi nationals *are purely focused on maintaining and increasing their *amazingly excessive profit margins./ /*

Here’s an example of what formulating skincare products to a budget can result in. Many *of* the *skin* *care *industry’s most well known, ‘BIG’ brands – use this nasty *chemical* in their *skin* *care* formulas which is *officially classified as a PESTICIDE!*

pesticide

* *

*It’s called TRICLOSAN – an anti-bacterial chemical which kills harmful organisms ON the skin BUT also destroys beneficial bacteria INSIDE our bodies!*

*There is clinical evidence to suggest **TRICLOSAN** may contribute to creating strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics because it is so widely used in skin care products.*

*No matter how small the dose may be! Why would anyone in their right mind allow a chemical used in weed killers to be absorbed into their bodies! Not me! That’s for sure!*

*LONG TERM EFFECTS………………*

There’s no research on the long term effects *of* the many chemicals used in *skin* *care* preparations today. Sure, for most people there will be no apparent immediate symptoms…but */_think_/*/ LONG TERM EFFECTS! What’s that going to do to our health some years down the/ track?

Our *skin* is the largest organ and one *of* our first-line defenses against disease. *Active ingredients are absorbed into our bloodstream so it’s the same as eating them! *So naturally we should be thorough and safety-minded when choosing body care and take more caution when it comes to our skin!

Keep this in mind: it’s completely possible to formulate highly effective *skin* *care* products from all natural ingredients with no chemicals whatsoever. It’s only a question *of* cost and desire! It is up to *_us_* the consumer to boycott these products…Make these BIG BOYS think! Think about natural alternatives! It’s up to us! You & I! THE CONSUMER!

Naturally, it’s more expensive to use naturally sourced options for certain ingredients. Healthy options always cost more. Sourcing high-quality, 100% natural moisturizing oils, natural butters, vegetable-based waxes, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and plant extracts are significantly more expensive.

Yes, it's more expensive because it's grown differently, much more care is taken when growing and processing the produce, along with higher costs for alternative pesticides and chemicals used by the farmers. Most natural and all organic foods are produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers and genetically altered seeds. It takes a few years to prepare soil to produce quality natural and organic crops. This is where most of the extra cost is incurred, plus natural composting, natural pesticides and applying them is more expensive than chemical fertilizers.

***Is it worth it?*

I would say “that depends on you”… I really don’t think it’s an issue of Natural Products vs. Non Natural Products, I think it’s an issue of High Quality vs. Low Quality. The majority of us will remain choosing the lower quality products as it is made readily available for us to purchase at very reasonable prices. The cheaper the better! Right!

But………. when a lot of us go natural, we find we need quality ingredients to maintain our overall health and we are more discerning in what is actually good for us… and that tends to cost more.

*SKIN CARE – BOTTOM LINE!*

The type *of* *skin* *care* companies we should be buying from, are the types who only use Vegetable Plant derived products and who only use Natural Preservatives and Anti-oxidants.

‘The very best formulas that actually work AND are SAFE TO USE ARE, the ones with ingredients safe enough to eat’.

Yes! There are *skin* *care* companies like that out there but nowhere near as many as we would expect or would like! Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have already come across one. (Maybe it’s Jah Naturals)! :0)

*KEEP THIS IN MIND: For the sake of **OUR** **HEALTH** and **OUR ENVIRONMENT!** It’s essential that we consider both purity AND efficacy when shopping for skin care products (in fact any product that will have contact on our bodies). *

* *

*Until then folks! Thanks for reading my post! :0) Venice from JAH NATURALS.COM.AU x*

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous

What Is Going On!

CHEMICAL
AFFAIR

Well, its been a few days since my last post as I've been quite a
busy bee....but let's face it folks!.. its not about
quantity...its about quality, and I don't like to post for the
sake of posting...I really don't want to bore myself nor my
readers and I ONLY want to share good reading material with you.
So with that said! Lets get onto to the more serious stuff at hand....

I'm really alarmed at some sites I've been looking at and I can't
help but get worked up over the misleading information they try to
sell me..'ALL NATURAL' yeah right! 'ORGANIC' yeah right! To tell
you my little story... I was surfing on this 'so called' Handmade
Natural Body Care site...(name I will not mention :0)

I really liked the look of this beautifully so called "natural
wrinkle cream" that stated it did not contain SLS (Sodium Laurel
Sulphate)..The product was also described as containing
"*natural*" herbal extracts, so I did a little exercise to see how
many toxic chemicals I could find in the product ingredients that
were listed in the cream.

Remember this is just a partial list of the tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals in common everyday commercial skin care!

*NOT SO NATURAL INGREDIENTS LIST:*

* *Benzophenone* *-* Associated with photo allergic reactions. This
chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It
contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to Centers
for Disease Control research.

* *Caprylic/Capric Glyceride* *- *Linked to toxicity of wildlife
that may include fish, wildlife, plant, or other wild organisms.

* *Ceteareth 20 -* Penetration enhancer - alters skin structure,
allows other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin. *The
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
advises that consumers stay away from ingredients that contain the
clause “ceteareth,” claiming that it can contaminate a product
with carcinogens.*

* *Dimethicone -* A silicone derived emollient. Silicone emollients
are occlusive - that means, the skin is coated, trapping anything
beneath it, and does not allow the skin to breathe (much like
plastic wrap would do.) Recent studies have indicated that
prolonged exposure of the skin to sweat, by occlusion, causes skin
irritation. Some synthetic emollients are known to be tumor
promoters and accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are
also non-biodegradable, causing a negative environmental impact.
Silicone was and still is used as breast implants. Tens of
thousands of women with breast implants have complained of
debilitating symptoms. Anecdotal evidence indicates silicone to be
toxic to the human body. Names used are:

· Dimethicone

· Dimethicone Copolyol

· Cyclomethicone

* *DMDM Hydantoin - *A known human immune system toxin.

* *Fragrance (Perfume) -* Tests have been conducted using
computerized evaluation on mice after they were exposed to five
commercial colognes and air fresheners for 1 hour. The emissions
of these fragrance products caused various combinations of sensory
irritation, pulmonary irritation, decreases in expiratory airflow
velocity, as well as signs of neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity was
more severe after mice were repeatedly exposed to the fragrance
products.

* *Glyceryl Stearate - *Glyceryl Stearate is a very mild irritant
and can cause allergic reactions.

* *Isopropyl Myristate -* Isopropyl myristate is a known irritant of
skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract.

* *Methylparaben -* Interferes with gene expression, One or more
animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at moderate
doses, making it a concern for Neurotoxicity

* *Phenoxyethanol - *Linked to toxicity of one or more biological
systems in the body (cardiovascular, stomach and digestive tract,
respiratory system etc. through laboratory studies of studies of
people.

* *Propylparabaen -* Strong evidence shows that Human skin toxicants
are present.

* * **Stearyl Alcohol –* Linked to irritation of the skin, eyes and
lungs according to government assessments, industry reviews, and
peer-reviewed studies.

* *Triethanolamine Disodium EDTA -* which is nearly in everything,
is a pesticide. In contact with the skin, it may cause
nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.

AND ALL THIS... IN A JAR OF CREAM!! Not very Natural after all! :0(

_*NOTE:*_ Many commercial body care companies will try to hide these
ingredients by using their less common names, so it is important to
make sure you know each ingredient or at least be aware of what you
are using. For more detailed information on the dangers of any
ingredients list, simply key "ingredient toxicity" into the Google
search engine. Make a Tea or Coffee and read what your searches unravel.

Well, I must get back to the drawing board now.....I'm making a
Seaweed Honey & Herbal Facial Scrub today and I think I've gone a
little overboard this time and will be using 13 nourishing
'natural' and 'organic' ingredients.... I can't wait to smell and
feel the finished product..........

Until then folks!! Thanks for reading...... :0)

Posted via email from Jah Naturals posterous