Bambú Naturopathic Clinic in Portland, OR • July 2009 Newsletter

in this issue:

Happy summer!

I don’t know about you, but at Bambú Clinic we are very happy to have the sun peeking in through our window. This month Hannah Sandmeyer of Q19 Greening, a local and sustainably operated commercial cleaning service that respects our environment, offered to educate us about choosing cleaning products for our homes.

Thanks Hannah!

Current situation:

Protect your family
The Simple and Effective way to read product labels

A lot of noise has been generated lately about the safety behind common consumer products. Surely we have all heard about BPA, polluted plastics, and tainted baby bottles. Such publicity has created greater consumer awareness about the lack of provisions protecting consumers from exposure to dangerous substances.

The generation of such awareness has been the goal of groups such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Organic Consumers Association (OCA) for some time. Both groups are currently engaged in shining a light on the inadequacy of the current federal law governing synthetic chemicals, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which provides no provision for the testing of synthetics and has left us with an ‘innocent until proven guilty’ culture of synthetic innovation and diffusion. A culture that few doubt has left us with dirtier waters, ozone depletion, messy agriculture, and higher rates of cancer, neurological and respiratory disorders.

The time has certainly come for more oversight of the synthetic chemical industry and the EWG and OCA certainly urge the support and reintroduction of the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act which mandates that all chemicals on the market be tested and proven safe in addition to ensuring that all chemicals are safe for earth’s most vulnerable human population- children.

What you can do:

In the mean time, for those who do not have the time to become a toxicology expert, the EWG has developed simple techniques anyone can apply to readily differentiate between a safe product and one that should be avoided.

Start at the end where preservatives are listed. Try to avoid:
- Words ending in “paraben”
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidsazolidinyl urea
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Triclosan
- Triclocarban
- Triethanolamine (or “TEA”)
Next, check the beginning of the ingredients list. Here you’ll find the soap, surfactant, or lubricant that has been added to make the product work. Try to avoid ingredients that start with “PEG” or have an “-eth” in the middle (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate).
Finally, read the middle ingredients. Here you’ll look for some common – but not essential - additives that may bring excess hazard: fragrance and dyes. On the label look for “FRAGRANCE,” “FD&C,” or “D&C.”

It is also recommended that you try to find a product with as many recognizable and pronounceable ingredients as possible and certainly avoid products that do not offer any ingredients at all. Also opt for products that offer specific, qualified, statements. For instance, ‘90% biodegradable in 10 days’ is always preferable to a product simply labeled ‘biodegradable.’

Further information:

Both websites for the EWG and OCA offer loads of great consumer information if you have more questions or would like product recommendations. The EWG’s Skin Deep database is an invaluable resource that allows you to search the relative safety of products by name.

We hope you found this information helpful. We strive to help our patients find a healthy way in the world. If you have topics you'd like us to address in future issues please let us know. We are always available for questions and comments.

Warm Regards,

The Physicians of Bambú Clinic

P.S. Bambú Clinic’s new program, Women to Women, promotes the power of sisterhood through a casual dialogue about health and lifestyle.