In Search of a Safe"er" Sunscreen

Well the great weather has hit and I was confronted with the dilemma of what sunscreen to use on the kids. I knew I wanted it to be phthalate and paraben free but other than that I didn'tknow what else I needed to be looking for, well lets just say that I have had a crash course education in sunscreens this last week!

The first place that I went was the Environmental Working Group Cosmetic Database, I have to admit this was helpful but also somewhat overwhelming. I narrowed my choices down to California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance and Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen. Then I started my search for these products locally. Well this was easier said then done; I finally found California Baby at several local health food stores, but wasn't able to find Badger anywhere locally. In my search for these two sunscreens I realized how few sunscreen options are available on the local level.

I have finally decided on California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance. The biggest reason for this decision is that it has no scent. The Badger doesn't have fragrance in it either, it's just that after smelling the Badger (a girl friend of mine bought some) I just don't think that I would like it all over my kiddos. It's not that it smells bad, it's just a strong essential oil type scent that doesn't really work for me.

The California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen is thicker than mainstream sunscreens; this is because it is a physical barrier sunscreen and not a chemical barrier. When applied it leaves a slight ghostly white film. We have been using the California Baby Sunscreen now for almost two weeks and other than getting used to the slight white film on the skin, which does disipate after it soaks in and dries, I really like it. I like the fact that it is a safe sunscreen and that it has no fragrance.

Good luck to you all in your search for safe sunscreen. Be sure to check out the EWG Report on Sunscreen.

BPA Updates

In the last several weeks there have been many things happening with bisphenol-A. Last week Canada declared BPA a toxic chemical; many retailers took action and removed products from their shelves and now Canada is proposing a ban on BPA. Babies R Us has announced that they will be BPA and Phthalate free by the end of 2008. Even Nalgene has recently announced that they are going to discountinue the use of Polycarbonate in their water bottles and according to a USA Today article, the FDA is reconsidering the safety of BPA.

• "The FDA isn't recommending people stop using BPA, says Laura Tarantino, director of the FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety. But the agency will take another look at the safety of baby bottles, formula cans and other products made with BPA, which has been shown to leach into food. Depending on their findings, she says, the agency could require changes in the way these products are made or the amount of BPA that's allowed to be used."

Rep. John Dingell and Rep. Bart Stupak both democrats of Michigan and leaders of the energy and commerce committee are investigating the FDA's handling of BPA and are calling for a safety check as a result of recent reports expressing "some concern" about the effects of BPA .

• "Scientists don't have much evidence about how BPA affects people. But environmental organizations such as the Environmental Working Group note that 100 studies have found harmful effects in animals at very low levels. Many researchers are concerned that BPA, which acts like the female hormone estrogen, causes profound effects on animals in low doses, especially during pregnancy and infancy. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found BPA in 95% of Americans tested."

Dingell and Stupak expressed concern that the FDA is basing the alleged safety of BPA on two industry funded studies. Both reports were done by the American Plastics Council and one of the reports has not even been released to the public.

• "This raises serious concerns about whether the science FDA relied on to approve the use of bisphenol A was bought and paid for by industry." Dingell.

Further more, according to the USA Today article, the American Chemistry Council, which is also an industry group states that, the FDA should clear up the fear and confusion about BPA, which it says has been safely used for decades. A new FDA statement, the council says, will "help explain the extensive scientific review that has already been conducted." Seems like the American Chemistry Council thinks that they have this one in "the bag" or should be say in the bottle.

Senators Charles Schumer and Diane Feinstein introduced a bill yesterday that would ban bisphenol-A in all children's products. Seems like our government is finally catching up with our neighbors to the north.

Celebrate Earth Day!

Celebrate Earth Day

April 22, 2008

5 Ways to "Be Green"

1. Recycle, everything from aluminium cans, plastic bottles to your clothing.

2. Switch to compact florescent bulbs. CFL's use up to 66% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last ten times longer. If every household changed just one bulb, it would be about the same as, Removing 85,000 cars from California's roads for one year. That's AMAZING!

3. Use a reusable water bottle instead of a single use bottle; preferably one that is either stainless steel or BPA-free and Phthalate free plastic bottle.

4. Do full loads of laundry and use the cold cycle as much as possible.

5. Use a reusable bag, instead of plastic or paper bags.

Find a way to share the day with your child.

I am so excited about my newest review, Earth Mama Angel Baby. With all the recent news about phthalates in baby care products and their possible links to various health problems, I decided that I wanted to do some research and find a product line that was both phthalate free and organic (since I am already using organic care baby care products for the kids). In doing my research, I found a great website Hud Pages: How to avoid Phthalates in Baby Care Products. This site was great; it gave a list of companies that are phthalate free. In the end, I decided to go with Earth Mama Angel Baby (EMAB). I decided on this company for many reasons, first of all because their products are phthalate free and organic and I also really like their commitment to mothers and babies. EMAB offers many resources for breastfeeding moms both in their extensive breastfeeding product line and through out the site with the Mama Says quotes.

Well, here it is my review of the Angel Baby Bottom Balm and the Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash.

First of all, I have to warn you not to be shocked when you get your Bottom Balm, mine came in the mail (I hadn't seen it in person, I ordered it online) and I was shocked at how small it was (2oz jar). But, remember good things come in small packages. This balm is very concentrated and you truly only need a tiny bit, unlike many of the other products on the market. This EMAB Bottom Balm smells great and so far I am very happy with it; I have used it as intended, on Jack's bottom and I have been using it on his winter eczema. I have already seen an improvement in the eczema, I had been using Aquaphor Baby and I hadn't had any luck getting it to clear. I also started to use it on Allie's super dry winter skin. She has been constantly itching this winter, and I have noticed that her skin is less dry feeling after just the first several initial uses.

I also bought the Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, this too has a wonderful botanical scent. This is a gentle and real castile soap, which has no foaming agents added, so they have packaged it in a great self foaming bottle. This is NOT a no tear formula, so be sure to extra care near your babies eyes. I really like this baby wash, the scent is much more pleasing than the wash I was using previously. The self foaming bottle is much easier to use than most bottles that you have to squeeze to get the wash from. I was able to use this one handed while giving Jack a bath in the kitchen sink. I noticed that my hands felt less dry at the end of the bath, so I can only imagine how it will help his skin over time.

What Are Pthalates?

Pthalates...Have you heard of them? Up until recently I had never heard of them either, but now they are just one of the many things that as parents we need to be aware of. Phthalates are a class of chemicals that are added to children's plastic toys to make them more flexible. They are also found in many household, personal care products, and medical supplies.

To find out more about Pthalates and how you can avoid them, check out this link. http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Avoid-Phthalates-in-Baby-Products