The Dark Truth About Fluoride. Go into your bathroom and grab any tube of toothpaste within reach.
If it is a tube of fluoride toothpaste (as the vast majority are) it will, by law, have this warning printed somewhere on the tube: “If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.” In this case, “professional help” likely means a physician or a local ER, and “poison control center” essentially means start praying because you (or your child) just swallowed a bunch of poison. Wait a minute? If fluoride were poison why would it remain a key ingredient in toothpaste, a dental hygiene product we put in our mouth every day? And isn’t our municipal water supply teeming with fluoride? Yes, fluoride remains in our water supply and despite the risk of fluoride poisoning; it remains a key ingredient in toothpaste, as well as an inert ingredient in soda, tea, diet pills and bottled water (basically, anything with water in it likely has fluoride).
6 Alternatives to Toxic Deodorants (Page 4) By Natural Solutions Why most deodorants stink—and six alternatives that work. Of all our daily grooming habits, swiping a deodorant stick or squirting antiperspirant under our arms may be the one we dare not neglect. Hot yoga classes and subway etiquette practically demand it. But when it comes to choosing a BO buster, we should care just as much about how it affects us as it does others—and that means avoiding the harmful ingredients many deodorants contain.
Why? The sensitive skin in these areas eventually absorbs this chemical overload—some of which is toxic—into the underlying tissue, where it can wreak havoc in the body. Beware of these primary offenders: Aluminum compounds Found only in antiperspirants, aluminum zirconium and aluminum chlorohydrate work by blocking pores that release sweat. Propylene glycol Because this ingredient functions as a penetration enhancer, it can be more harmful when paired with other chemical additives.
Next: Safer Alternatives. Non-Toxic Toothpaste. While I have used and loved Tom’s of Maine for years now, it was recently pointed out to me that Tom’s uses sodium lauryl sulfate in their toothpaste.
It was also recently pointed out that sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are either palm oil or coconut derivatives. If you missed my article on palm oil and the truly awful ramifications of this industry – on the shrinking rain forests and on the helpless orangutans and other animals that call those forests home (orangutans are actually killed by hand if they don’t die in the clear cutting and burning of rainforest to plant palm trees) – check it out. All this pointing got me thinking I should find out which toothpastes I can feel good about buying. “A report published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology in 1983 showed that concentrations as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. 1. 2.
Top 12 Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products (Page 3)