Wednesday, December 1, 2010

A Number Game

Using products that are safe for our bodies and the environment seems to becoming increasingly popular in our culture.  I have to admit that this makes my heart smile a little bit.  More and more natural parenting stores are popping up in Halifax, online deal sites are offering more natural alternatives (cloth diapers, organic fabrics, natural baby products, wooden toys), and cloth diapering and breast-feeding are becoming more of the norm than an alternative way of doing things.

Since being pregnant with Jacob I became increasingly aware as I was buying things or making lists for baby showers that I didn't want to be using products from companies who not only had  a bad reputation environmentally but also had a list of ingredients I couldn't pronounce much less be confident of what they were and how they would affect my baby.  So I stuck to the natural sections of grocery stores and bought things at natural baby stores.

This spring I was introduced to a site that brought much of my natural product idealism to a sudden halt.  Just because something says it's natural doesn't mean that there are no risks, or that it's even that good for you.  The cosmetic safety database rates products from a 0-10 with 10 being products which have the most ingredients for concern.  I was so sad to see that some of my favorite "natural" products I was using for J had ratings half way up the score chart.

The cosmetic safety database is a huge resource for people looking to check out the safety of the products you're using at home.  I know I feel much better knowing the products I'm using for J are rated a 0-1 instead of a 5 in the safety ratings!   So before you go out and buy things for yourself or your little one check it out on this site and see how well it ranks!

Oh and well you're at it looking at for more natural parenting resources, check out my friends new website Up, Down & Natural for reviews, tips and advice!

Suzanne

2 comments:

  1. Aww thanks for the mention Suzanne! Isn't the Database the best thing to happen to shopping!! I have to admit, even after knowing about the database I was in the "Organic" aisle at the SuperStore and picked up a shampoo and conditioner by Avalon Organics (silly me didn't bother checking the label since it had Organic in the name!) After washing my hair I happened to look at the bottle in the shower and noticed it was full of the same chemicals as my previous brand! And EWG had a brutal rating for it! Goes to show, doesn't matter where you're buying it - read labels!! (Or make the database a button on your iPhone!) ;)

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  2. Anytime:) Hope you're getting lot's of readers!!

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