Enemies

I've found a new one!

Previously my list of "enemies" included....

Tree Nuts
Eggs - has redeemed itself
Anything outdoors with pollen between March-June
Some furry animals
Chemical-based/scented laundry detergent
Acrylic Paint

Most recently added to the list.....

Why?

Well, Erik hopped in the shower with Victor this morning and Victor lathered him up with his body wash.  Erik, who has never been exposed to anything but chemical-free body soap, did not respond well.

I have found it very difficult to photograph welts and allergic rashes but believe me when I tell you this poor boy is covered from forehead to ankles with hives and an allergic (very, very itchy) rash.  So the kid is drugged up on a dose of benadryl big enough to cause me to sleep for 8 hours (at 6:30 in the morning).  He is doing remarkably well at not scratching.  Poor thing.

Prior to this reaction I have already replaced lots of things in our house with chemical free, organic products including....


Dish soap
Hand soap
Food
Kids shampoo
Sun screen
Bug spray
Most household cleaners
Laundry detergent
Pots and Pans
Most plastics


All that is really left is....
Victor and my shampoo/soap
toothpaste
deodorant
shaving cream


And...

Diet Coke (I can't/won't cut my one can a day out yet) -- yes, I know I am pouring chemicals straight down the hatch


Anyway,  our old soap has now been tossed and replaced.  Not sure when I will switch the last things on the list.

Don't you just want to give my poor boy a hug?  My friend Laurie had a similar reaction to soap when we were in PA school.  Her rash didn't clear for weeks.  I think I will pull my hair out if my poor boy has a horrible, itchy rash for weeks.

I know many of you who read this blog have made similar switches in your households.  What are some of your favorite products??  


Final thought.....

Many scientists are concerned about the toxic chemicals in foaming bath products, such as dyes and detergents, being absorbed through the skin and scrambling hormone signals. The US EPA concluded in 1997 that hormone- disrupting chemicals like these can lead to disturbing health effects, including cancer, sterility and developmental problems. What can you do? Let us introduce you to a whole new concept in body cleansing - 100% natural and chemical- free. TERRESSENTIALS Body Washes are most definitely not detergents - many other body washes are made from the same detergents used for washing floors and dishes! According to the dictionary, natural means "existing in or formed by nature without human intervention." That means ingredients like naturally-occurring minerals and organic plant extracts - not ammonium laureth sulfate, decyl polyglucose and cyclopolymethicone. And yet, some companies will tell you that natural means anything that originated somewhere on earth - no matter what they did to it afterwards. A truly natural body cleanser does not contain potentially cancer-causing cocamide DEA, lauramide DEA, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, cocoamidopropyl betaine, olefin sulfonate, disodium cocoamphodi-acetate, EDTA, soy, wheat or oat (hydrolyzed) proteins, MSG, methyl, propyl or butyl parabens, diazolidinyl urea, triclosan, quaternarium 15, sodium benzoate, FD&C colors or synthetic fragrance. In 1997, The National Toxicology Board declared that DEA, MEA and TEA compounds are carcinogenic. Some of the other ingredients release or contain formaldehyde, another known carcinogen. Because 60% of any substance applied to your skin is absorbed into your body (which is how estrogen and nicotine patches work), we feel that body care products should be made only from the purest ingredients. This is why we don't use so-called cosmetic grade herbal extracts with hidden petrochemical preservatives (that aren't required to be listed on the product label) and, instead, use more expensive herbal extracts that were made for human consumption. We use ingredients with names you can pronounce and many that you have eaten. Perhaps this is why E - The Environmental Magazine - called our offerings "the purest of the pure."

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