say no to froth

(SLS) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and (SLES) Sodium Laureth Sulfate are used to make shampoos, toothpastes and body washes 'sudd up' but they also irritate and dry out our hair and skin, and once in the blood stream they mimic our hormones. Look for 'SLS and SLES free' labels. Baby moisturisers and shampoos are full of this stuff, Gaia is an Australian company that makes chemical free baby products available in chemists and supermarkets.

skin deep

Skin Deep is a brilliant database website, where you can check out the toxic levels in different brands of cosmetics, shampoos, deodorants, etc. Just type in your product and they will give it a score. If they don't have your product, you can type in the ingredients to find out how toxic they are. I was recently devastated because Dr Hauschka, which has been a brand devoted to the ideals of biodynamic natural ingredients didn't score well. Nooo, I love Dr H! It appears some natural plant products can also be carcinogenic...not all essential oils are healthy.

invisable phthalates

Phthalates are found in plastic containers, personal care products, car interiors and synthetic mattresses. Women with high, or even low levels of phthalates during pregnancy risk giving birth to boys with hypospadias, a malformation of the penis, one of the most common birth defects and one which is occurring more often.

It's hard to avoid phthalates as they are not listed in ingredients, the best way to lessen your intake of them is to avoid PVC plastic (shower curtains, raincoats, kids toys, backpacks), don't wear nail polish, buy personal care products such as shampoos and cosmetics that list Fragrance as an ingredient and don't sit on a brand new couch!

the plastic school bag

Kid's raincoats, gum boots, pencil cases and backpacks are usually made out of PVC (Vinyl) which is one of the very worst kinds of plastic for their health. I found these backpacks and lunch boxes from Crocodile Creek, they are made specially from non-toxic plastic. They are the only brand I could find that are making their brand PVC, BPA and Phthalate free and that are easy to get in Australia. A good website to find more really nice environmentally friendly kids products is Growing Up Green.

go lego

Lego, Playmobil and are free from PVC, BPAs and Phthalates. Lego in particular pledged early on in the piece not to add this stuff to their products designed for kids. Toys from the brand ELC (Early Learning Centre) also use non toxic plastic, paint without lead and wood without formaldehyde.

sweaty vinyl

More hormone changing plastic for the growing kids - PVC (Vinyl) plastic is recognisable by it's flexibleness - be sure to get rid of any soft pliable, blow up style toys or toys from $2 shops that smell strongly. Vinyl is also recognised by the number 3 recycling code.

plastic water

Plastic water bottles are a silly idea for the environment and for your health. Stop using them people! And stop re-using them - BPAs (the carcinogenic hormone disruptors) leach from the plastic into the water, then into you! PET plastic sounds friendly, but no, it is designed for one use only, the more you use it the more the plastic leaches. Get yourself a non-leaching, reusable bottle like one from kleen Kanteen or Sigg.