Thanks for posting the link to the list of companies that don't use phthalates.  It would seem to me, in general, that most people don't even think about all the products they use on their body day in and day out.  It wasn't anything I thought about before bc.  I've done my best to replace products to paraben free ones and happily, I have found many economical ones including liquid soap, shampoo/conditioner/hair styling products, antiperspirant, facial moisturizer, and cosmetics like powder, foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil and lip gloss. I haven't found a hand cream yet that I like that is fragrance free and inexpensive.  But you can see that's a lot of stuff we use on our bodies every day.  Who really thinks about that stuff?

who thinks about it?  I certainly do.  & what I've thought about for many many years is the ubiquitous poison we put on our faces & wear like skin on our bodies:  ie analin dyes aka coal tar dyes, to say nothing of what we ingest as "food coloring".  & colored sheets, none are dyed with onion or blueberries.  etc etc

I have mentioned this site previously on other threads, but I find it to be a wealth of info:

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

You can search by specific product, or if you are looking for an alternative to something you are already using, you can look by category or item type for suggestions.

divine - Hi!!!  I love that site!  It actually went down a number of months ago for revamping and I was so disappointed, so glad it is back.  I love that it is so broad - you can pretty much find the 411 out on so many different things.  Happy New Year to you too!

I think about the toxic load in my home a lot these days.  I focused on my diet first.  It will always have room for improvement, but I used canned goods so seldom nowadays.  I didn't even know how to use the electric canopener at my mom's house recently when I decided to use canned corn one night for dinner. 

Every time I see a label that says 'BPA free', I just can't help but think about Saddam Hussein's two sons who were purportedly way more evil than Saddam himself.  So what if it's BPA-free.  What are they using in its place and is it truly an improvement?  Even the receipts from the grocery store have BPA in them. 

Since I started targeting cleaning products in my home, I've been very pleased with results I get using essential oils.  I love having something non toxic for cleaning my hands and kitchen counters that will kill germs effectively.  Adding plain ol white vinegar in the washing machine gets my laundry way cleaner than just detergent alone.  For the dryer, there's a vendor at my farmer's market with an alpaca farm, and he makes fuzzy balls from the wool.  I put essential oils on the ball for a fragrance I like best, and many oils also kill germs that might be lurking in the laundry.  Can't say it completely eliminates static though.  ...and the same balls make great cat toys too.  I've looked in the pet stores for toys without synthetic materials and can't find any. 

As some of you may be aware, I actually created a website a few months ago to share the wonderful, 100% natural skin care products I've found in my quest  over the past few years to eliminate chemicals from my own and my family's personal care products. Like you, I rely on the EWG's Cosmetics Datebase for info' on brand name make up.  But the skin care products on my website are from very small manufacturers -- too small for EWG to care about testing or listing, which is often the case with some great, natural products.  If anyone's interested, there's a link on my bio page.  I also have a FB page (Healing Finds) with lots links to pertinent articles on this topic.     Deanna 

Hi,

I actually started the process of removing as many chemicals as possible from my home a couple of years prior to my bc dx.  Most things can be made at home from simple products.  I wash my hair with bi-carb disolved in warm water and rinse with cider vinegar (no smell after it dries).  My hair has never been healthier, shinier or softer.  This wont work if you dye your hair, it will take the colour out very quickly.

I make our soap with of olive oil and coconut oil, DH now cant use any other soap as they make him itch.  Its a little more effort to make your own cleaners ect, but much cheaper, and you know exactly what is in them.  I have lots of recipes if anyone is interested.

Tanya

Can someone tell me things to avoid in order to prevent reoccurrence of breast cancer? Also I have 3 daughters that I would like to protect as much as possible! What things should we avoid? Specific food, chemicals etc. also what things help to prevent cancer? Thanks for any information offered!!!!!

Thanks the divine mrs m! I'll have to look for that!!!

Please tell me what recipes you would like, I make soap, household cleaners, lip balms, hand scrubbers ect  The only cleaning product I dont make is dishwashing detergent.  I'm still working on finding a solution to that.  I will start with a few general cleaners.

Laundry Powder

4 cups grated pure soap or soap flakes (lux) if you dont want to grate soap

2 cups borax

2 cups washing soda

Mix together and use 2 tablespoons for a small load and 3 tablespoons for a large or dirty load of washing.  I have used this in top loader, front loader and HE machines.  I dont use fabric softeners, instead I use 1/2 cup of white vinegar.

Creamy Cleaner - gumption/ajax type of thing

1/2 cup bi-carb (baking soda) mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of dishwashing (not dishwasher) detergent and water if needed to make a paste.  Use immediately.  If you want to make it in bulk and store it, then add 1 teaspoon of glycerine per cup of baking soda to keep it from going rock hard. 

Citrus Cleaner

Large glass jar, half fill with white vinegar.  Throw in any citrus peel (removing as much pith as possible).  When full leave for a couple of weeks and strain.  I put it into a spray bottle and dilute with water about 50:50 for wiping down kitchen benches, tables ect.  Straight is good for cutting through greasy marks.  Smells great.

Wood Furniture Polish

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup white vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Place in a glass jar and shake.  Use soft cloth to wipe onto furniture and polish with another soft cloth.

Tanya

I just got a boatload of grapefruit from a neighbor's tree last week.  So glad to have that citrus cleaner recipe!  Thanks.

This is a great thread! Im another one who thinks about this a lot.

Rakovina thanks for your recipes. I too would like to see your recipe for soap. 

Over the years I have ditched many things. Guess what? Correspondingly your grocery bill goes waaay down. There is just so much I don't need to buy. 

Just off the top of my head, heres some of the changes Ive made. 

- use rocksalt for deodorant

- use organic dishwashing liquid and rinse dishes before drying

- No mod con Air fresheners, cleaners and the like

- hope to get wash nuts (cant remember the name) as soon as laundry powder runs out and I had a big bag so thats why its taken ages.

- ditched toothpaste and use baking soda

- only use extra sens dove (only 1 paraben i think) for any soap I need including washing my long hair.

- not one for too much makeup but use a better option for what I do use (no scented stuff)

- Organic coconut oil

- Unscented loo paper

- Organic weed spray - Caveat, Roundup is evil evil evil. Monsanto has a lot to answer for.

- Non sprayed veges except I did use copper on tomatoes this year or I wouldve lost them - The alternative DOESNT bear thinking about

- Buy local product where possible

- NO aspartame, GMOs MSG where possible. (they sneak this stuff in under spineless legislation)

- I am gingerly trying the only tinned fruit I can find that doesnt appear to have that Bisphenol A stuff in the lining of the can.

Quote:

"They point out that lifelong exposure to food contact materials or FCMs -- substances used in packaging, storage, processing, or preparation equipment -- "is a cause for concern for several reasons."

These include the fact that known toxicants, such as formaldehyde, a cancer causing substance, are legally used in these materials."

Unquote

Absolutely agree we need to look at this. I think so-called progress
is not so wonderful afterall. Plastics are extremely hard to completely
get out of our lives. They have so many chemicals in them, it should
raise a red flag just with some basic thought and common sense. eg, I
bought some meat a couple a months ago in that cling wrap stuff and I
questioned the chemical smell emanating from it.  The supermarket
said they'd look into it. The
answer was unsurprisingly "theres nothing any different to how its
always been" ... yeah right. Call me cynical but you can't believe what they say.

If it's solid proof of what
constitutes safety then I wouldn't hold my breath govt bodies have got
it right or that they won't lie. Indeed quite the opposite. Too many believe what the so-called
official standing is as if the authorities cant possibly be corrupt.