Which paraben free products do you use?

:O)

Thank you for the suggestion Hopeful. I checked it out first thing. Unfortunately, they don't carry Shea butter. They sure have a lot of nice product, though. I can't begin to stress how lucky you guys are in the US that you have so many options at reasonable prices. I'm jealous. I recently ordered a deodorant from a Canadian site. With "free shipping" it was still 17 bucks! Same with our organic meat and produce choices.....outrageously expensive. Worst of all, really good product isn't available at all. It's usually a matter of picking the best of the worst. It gets very frustrating to have to go outside where I live to get stuff. I live in a rather large city and choices are soooo limited. You'd think I live in some backwater berg or something. We really need a Whole Foods in my neck of the woods. Sigh. Probably one day after I'm long gone.

On a lighter note, it'll be interesting to see what kind of product I get from the "street dude in a trenchcoat". I think it's kinda hilarious......"hey lady, wanna buy a watch?"

I use ECOS laundry soap, available at Walmart and Kroger and Nature's Gate shampoos and conditioners, available at Amazon.com and at my local health food store. Aubrey brand cosmetics are nice and Physician's Formula (organics only versions).

One more tip for anyone using castille soap. I love the soap but I hate the oily film left behind in the sinks from using it. Once a month I wax the sinks, showers and tubs, just like the car, except I use beeswax. Keeps that oily film away and cleaning is soooo much easier.

Again, EVERY breast oncologist--surgical, medical, radiological--and bc nurse I’ve talked to says wearing underwire bras DOES NOT cause breast cancer!!! Both Dr. Elisa Port and Dr. Susan Love confirm that. (The contention that they do so by interfering with “lymphatic drainage” is bullshit--by that logic, all compression garments, even prescription ones do that). The only reason to avoid them is if they feel uncomfortable or too soon post-surgery-or-rads (if you’re getting skin irritation or have an incision or seroma where the wire hits). Ditto with aluminum-containing antiperspirants. (We are advised to avoid them during radiation treatment because the metal can react with or inhibit the action of the radiation--but again, they DON’T cause breast cancer. Neither do “blocked pores” or inhibition of sweat). The Internet is full of insane and unfounded pseudo-scientific theories. Dr. Google has no common-sense filter whatsoever.

As to parabens, they are used in certain cosmetics that, once opened, are vulnerable to bacterial contamination and can therefore cause infections. (They have been removed from most deodorants, antiperspirants and soaps because the stuff they were in gets washed or sweated away before it can accumulate to the extent of causing infection. Not so with stuff that stays on your face--or in your skin after being rubbed in--for hours). The GRAS-level of them, according to the FDA, is 25%. Currently, they appear in commercial products in a concentration level of .01% to .3%. Some more from the FDA:

"A study published in 2004 (Darbre, in the Journal of Applied Toxicology) detected parabens in breast tumors. The study also discussed this information in the context of the weak estrogen-like properties of parabens and the influence of estrogen on breast cancer. However, the study left several questions unanswered. For example, the study did not show that parabens cause cancer, or that they are harmful in any way, and the study did not look at possible paraben levels in normal tissue.

FDA is aware that estrogenic activity in the body is associated with certain forms of breast cancer. Although parabens can act similarly to estrogen, they have been shown to have much less estrogenic activity than the body's naturally occurring estrogen. For example, a 1998 study (Routledge et al., in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology) found that the most potent paraben tested in the study, butylparaben, showed from 10,000- to 100,000-fold less activity than naturally occurring estradiol (a form of estrogen). Further, parabens are used at very low levels in cosmetics. In a review of the estrogenic activity of parabens, (Golden et al., in Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2005) the author concluded that based on maximum daily exposure estimates, it was implausible that parabens could increase the risk associated with exposure to estrogenic chemicals.”

"Parabens in breast tumors?" There is nothing to suggest that the parabens got there from products absorbed through the skin. And just because they’re “present” doesn’t mean they caused the tumors. There are also fats, proteins and minerals such as calcium present in breast tumors. Did they cause the tumors?

Personally, I’d rather not risk eye, lip or skin infections from bacterially-contaminated products that spoiled because they lacked preservatives. Not all “fragrance” is harmful either, except to those with chemical sensitivities, or allergies to the natural botanical oils. (Yes, even “natural” essential oils can be allergens). Remember that “natural” is not synonymous with “wholesome” or even “harmless.” Deadly nightshade, hemlock, castor beans, urushiol (the poisonous oil in poison ivy/oak/sumac) and curare are all “natural."

Hi, Just want to spread the word about using Soap Berries or Soap Nuts...they are a natural alternative to laundry soap. Soap Berries are a berry that grow on a tree. They are de-seeded and dried. That's it. You put about 5 in a drawstring bag (I use a long sock tied at the open end) throw it in with your laundry and it cleans them - with NO fragrance or any unhealthiness!!! I have been using them for just about 2 years and LOVE them. They are hard to find - so I imported 1100 pounds from Nepal - but they are easier to find at online stores. Please do not buy from China, I have had heard not so good things about them. Another good thing about them is that they are naturally insect free so there are no pesticides used when they grow. I always turn to mother nature to find the most basic ingredients!!!

I use tons of coconut oil-both for cooking and as a hand and body moisturizer. Love the stuff! I cook with olive oil but don't use it in body care products. I do use almond oil however in bath/beauty products.

As for chemicals, I do avoid anything with parabens in it and also avoid as many other manmade chemicals as I can, both because I'm not convinced they are perfectly safe (they once said tobacco and DDT were safe products) and because the production of so many chemicals is not good for our environment-I'm pretty green these days and the use of unnecessary chemicals (and face it, cosmetics are not strictly necessary for survival) is not in line with the green movement.

As for underwire bras, I'm not sure if they are safe or not. I used to wear them all the time, but after my lumpectomy that left me a bit asymmetrical and with quite a bit of painful scar tissue, I find bras w/o underwires or (sized cups) to be much more comfortable-as in I'll never go back to underwires! Actually, I don't wear a bra at all most of the time. Before BC, if I was awake, I had a bra on. Lesson learned from BC: life might be too short to spend time wearing uncomfortable clothing!

I use Juice Beauty products. JuiceBeauty.com. 100% organic

I would recommend checking out Ava Anderson Non-Toxic.