Are chemicals like plastics, flame retardants, and pesticides safe? That all depends on who’s evaluating them.

France officials take a harder stance on chemical safety than we do here in the U.S. – the EU placed restrictions on neonicotinoids, the pesticides linked t declining bee populations, while U.S. regulators have been slow to limit its applications.

Now, France has released a list of more than one thousand pesticides and personal care products that it claims are all potentially dangerous human endocrine disruptors.

Compiled by the offices of France’s Ecology and Agriculture ministers, the release of the list comes just a few weeks after the European Commission’s vote on defining endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which will now allow France to pull offending products from the nation’s stores and force manufacturers to replace the chemicals.

Endocrine disruptors have been linked to metabolic disorders, reproductive and developmental issues, and even some forms of cancer.

This is the first page of the list. To see all the chemicals, go here and here.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

Related on EcoSalon

Is Chemical Sunscreen Killing Marine Life?
The New Dirty Dozen: Avoid These Dangerous Endocrine Disruptors
Global Plastic Pollution Revealed: 269,000 Tons Floating in the World’s Oceans

The post Here Are the 1,000+ Chemicals France Considers Endocrine Disruptors appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, mom’s not the only one who needs to watch what she’s eating. Male infertility contributes to 50 percent of all infertility cases, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Luckily, there are a few things you can do about it.

1. Eat Organic Produce

Studies have shown that men who eat conventional fruits and veggies not only have lower sperm counts, but they have lower-quality swimmers, too. One 2015 Harvard study of 155 men showed that those who ate foods that were likely to be contaminated with pesticides had “a lower total sperm count and a lower percentage of morphologically normal sperm.” Men exposed to the highest levels of residues had almost 50 percent fewer sperm and a 32 percent lower percentage of normal sperm than those who consumed the least amount of pesticides.

Jorge E. Chavarro, MD, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and coauthor of the study noted in his conclusion that choosing either organically grown fruits and vegetables or choosing “fruits and vegetables that are known to have low pesticides” – like those on EWG’s Clean Fifteen List – was the logical conclusion.

2. Avoid Endocrine Disruptors

But just eating organic isn’t enough to improve sperm health. In 2008, John Aiken, head of biological sciences at Australia’s University of Newcastle, presented evidence that up to 85 percent of sperm produced by healthy males today is DNA-damaged, something that he noted was “very unusual” as compared to other mammals.

While it might be unusual, it’s not surprising: we’re all exposed to far more endocrine disruptors than we have been in the past, and several studies, including one 2014 paper in Frontiers in Public Health, showed that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals can have devastating effects on the male reproductive system.

Common endocrine disruptors include phthalates, found in flexible plastics; BPA, found in food cans and plastic bottles; and poly-fluorinated chemicals, commonly used to make non-stick pans.

3. Choose the Right Nutrients

Choosing organic produce isn’t the only way that a dad-to-be can improve his diet and boost healthy sperm production, according to holistic healthcare practitioner Hethir Rodriguez.

“Nutrients such as zinc, selenium and vitamin C (plus many others) have been shown to help increase sperm health, motility and mobility,” she says.

To take full advantage of this, she recommends increasing consumption of grass-fed beef, lamb, venison, sesame seeds, green peas, beans, leafy greens, and colorful fruits and vegetables (organic, of course!).

Related on EcoSalon
Confronting Post-Pill Amenorrhea with a Natural, Whole Foods Diet
The New Dirty Dozen: Avoid These Dangerous Endocrine Disruptors
For Pregnant Women, Air Pollution Just as Bad as Cigarettes

The post The 3 Things Your Man Needs to Do If You’re Trying to Get Pregnant appeared first on EcoSalon.

What’s healthier and more vital to our existence than water? Definitely not bottled water. In fact, it’s loaded with so many chemicals it will make your head spin.

According to recent research that looked at 18 bottled water brands, there are an astonishing 24,520 chemicals in bottled water (which makes you wonder just how many chemicals there are in the world if water can contain more than 24,000).

We already know putting anything in plastic knocks its health value down a few notches, even if it’s just because of the indirect health risk from the environmental damage plastic causes, polluting our water and our food supply.

Heating plastic with food in it (like in the microwave) is an absolute no-no, as it makes the chemicals more active and capable of leaching into your food and of course, your bloodstream.

Plastics are hotbeds for endocrine disruptors, which can mimic the body’s natural metabolic functions, throwing off these delicate systems and causing health problems.

The study authors wrote: “We detected antiestrogens and antiandrogens in the majority of analyzed bottled water products. Moreover, the antagonist activity was very potent. An equivalent of 3.75 ml bottled water inhibited estrogen and androgen receptor by up to 60 and 90%, respectively… Bottled water from six different countries has been found to contain estrogenic, antiestrogenic, and antiandrogenic (this study), as well as androgenic, progestagenic, and glucocorticoid-like chemicals. This demonstrates that a popular beverage is contaminated with diverse-acting EDCs.”

And these endocrine disrupting chemicals can lead to cancer, birth defects, cardiovascular issues and developmental issues for children, reports Natural Society—all from something as important and should-be-harmless as water in a bottle.

Terrifying, yes, especially if bottled water is your only option, like if you’re traveling to another country. But there are workaround options like Life Straws and filters that can make conventional tap water a healthier option. There are also a few brands of bottled water that come in glass. Of course, if you’re in a situation where there literally is no other option, drink the water from the bottle. While there are health risks to contend with from plastic, there are far more immediate and potentially dangerous risks in not drinking any water at all.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

Related on EcoSalon

Plastic Hormones: Environmental Estrogen is Everywhere (Including Inside You)

4 Ways to Upcycle Plastic Bottles

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Nothing Short of a ‘Plastic Paradise’

Bottled water image via Shutterstock

The post More than 24,000 Chemicals Found in Bottled Water (But Surprisingly Not on the Ingredients List) appeared first on EcoSalon.

 You know that toxic-smelling, headache-inducing perfume cloud you sometimes unwittingly walk into? The one that leaves you momentarily (or longer) queasy and taken aback? That is synthetic fragrance and it is in everything from shampoos and skincare to baby care products. It is also, of course, the mainstay in conventional perfumes. Thankfully, natural perfumes that you’d actually want to wear are now an option.

Synthetic Fragrance 411

Let’s back up to that nausea-provoking synthetic fragrance for a moment. A mainstream perfume is concocted of  a combination of synthetic ingredients. A chemical recipe created, and protected, by individual manufacturers. No two recipes may be alike, but the ingredients used are very similar. And very toxic.

These chemical cocktails can do more than make you feel bad. Phthalates, some of the most toxic (and ubiquitous) ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products, are linked to hormonal disruptions, asthma, allergies, skin irritation, and the proliferation of cancerous tumors. While phthalates and other harmful chemical ingredients are still vastly under regulated here in the US, the European Union has banned their use in personal care products.

Diethyl phthalate (DEP)may be the toxic culprit’s name, but you will be hard pressed to find it on a perfume ingredient listing. Most perfume manufacturers slide their synthetic fragrance ingredients under the blanket term fragrance. And it’s perfectly legal. Terms like fragrance and parfum are permitted due to a FDA loophole which allows cosmetics manufacturers to guard their secret recipes. Yes, those celeb scents you see at your local drugstore are packing toxic ingredients under the guise of trade secret.

Obviously this ambiguous labelling practice makes identifying what’s really in your fragrance pretty tricky. Now here’s the real clincher. Many nontoxic perfume makers also utilize the trade secret loophole, using fragrance on their product labels. Their ingredients may be absolutely natural but you may still see this vague term on the listing. Brands committed to safety in cosmetics most often include a notation under the listing, connoting their use of natural fragrance ingredients. Something like: *from natural essential oils. If you are unsure whether a product contains chemical or natural fragrance ingredients, check the brand website for an ingredient commitment or ask me and I will find out for you. Remember, no full ingredient disclosure should raise concern about a brand’s ingredients.

A New Day for Natural Perfumes

Nontoxic perfumes are made with a combination of floral waters, floral and plant essences, and natural essential oils. If you are a scent wearer, natural perfume is the answer to this healthy lifestyle quandary. Skeptical? You’ve most likely sampled a natural fragrance and had an underwhelming experience. While organic skincare, makeup, body care, even hair care have come a million miles and perform as well as their toxin-laden counterparts, perfume hadn’t quite made the jump. I too have been repeatedly disappointed by the latest natural scent time and again. Until recently, that is.

Finally.

There are now natural perfumes that smell delicious and less like an old vial of neroli from the ’70s. (No offense if neroli is your gig.) The best part, you can enjoy these little beauties without absorbing the toxic nastiness of chemical fragrance.

5 Natural Perfumes That Smell Fantastic

Tata Harper Love Potion – The pinnacle of my newfound love for natural perfume. The perfect mixture of rose, citrus, and something earthy. I love myself more when I wear it.

Lotus Wei Infinite Love Perfume – So softly floral and fresh, yet really lasts. This one smells like you worked in a floral essence lab all day long. In only the very best way.

Strange Invisible Perfumes Eau de Parfum Prima Ballerina – A cross between Love Potion and something a bit spicier. This one is perfect for evening because it offers just a hint of duskiness.

Honoré Des Prés Love Coconut – Who isn’t a sucker for coconut? It induces that warm summertime feel and this perfume smells almost drinkable. Use year ‘round to boost mood.

Abel Organics Vintage ‘13 – This unique fragrance works on either guys or gals, bestowing a woody spiciness. Like a walk through a forest on a late summer evening. That was kinda cheesy, but once you experience it you’ll totally understand.

Safe, beautifully scented, sans the toxic chemical cloud. You may just find that new (healthy) signature scent after all.

Related on EcoSalon

5 Celebrity Favorite Natural Beauty Products

5 Unexpected Beauty Tips:  New Ideas for Your Skin Care Routine

9 Hottest All-Natural Female Celebrities

Image via Alexander Shustov at Unsplash, cc

The post 5 Natural Perfumes That Actually Smell Great appeared first on EcoSalon.

SC Johnson’s “secret” corporate fragrances are about to be let out of the bottle.

From perfumes to dishwashing and laundry detergents to candles, chemical fragrances are in practically everything.

But manufacturers do not have to disclose which chemicals are used in their proprietary fragrances, protected by the U.S. Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. And some of these products can contain dozens of chemicals in just one fragrance.

Now, major personal care brand SC Johnson (Glade, Pledge, Shout, Windex) has announced it’s going to disclose all of its fragrance ingredients used in its products. Similarly, Clorox recently announced it would reveal “fragrance allergens” in its products, reports the Guardian. “It’s a big deal, not just because consumers want to know what chemicals they’re putting in and around their bodies, but also because many of the chemicals that make up fragrances happen to be allergens.”

Some credit can go to the group Women’s Voices for the Earth, which has been pressuring brands including SC Johnson to disclose its fragrance ingredients because of the health risks, particularly to children. Studies have connected fragrance exposure to a variety of health problems from headaches and skin irritation to difficulty breathing. But chemical fragrances have also been linked to hormonal and behavioral issues as a result of endocrine disrupting effects connected with some of the ingredients.

SC Johnson says it will start disclosing information next spring, with details on its air-fresheners, sprays, candles, oils and gels, reports the Guardian.

If you’re wondering why the company isn’t disclosing these ingredients immediately, here’s why: SC Johnson doesn’t manufacture them. Chemical fragrances are formulated and sold to manufacturers already blended. So in order for the brands to disclose what is in a fragrance, it has to work with the supplier to decode its list of ingredients.

“The fragrance industry is keenly aware of the principle of the consumers’ right to know,” said Stephen Weller, director of communications for the International Fragrance Association. “Within this context different companies, and indeed countries or regions, have different approaches to providing both meaningful consumer information and the protection of intellectual property.”

And revealing fragrance ingredients could lead manufacturers to start creating cleaner products with fewer harsh ingredients, as transparency will give consumers yet another reason to opt for cleaner products – or better yet, make their own.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

4 Deliciously Natural Soap Fragrances for a Neutral and Clean Kitchen Aroma

A Fragrance without the Fragrance: Organic Perfume Review

The Hidden Dangers of ‘Fragrance’

Image: JeepersMedia

The post SC Johnson to Disclose All Proprietary Fragrance Ingredients appeared first on EcoSalon.

Avon is the latest company to announce plans to remove triclosan from its beauty and personal care products.

In 2010, the FDA acknowledged that triclosan was no more effective than simple hand washing with soap and water at preventing the spread of bacteria and fungi. But unlike soap and water, triclosan comes with some undesirable side effects, mainly the ability for bacteria to become resistant to it and other antibacterial products.

Triclosan is considered to have health risks for its potential to cause an increased risk of allergies. It is also implicated in negatively impacting hormones, slowing cognitive function an causing reproductive harm. The ingredient is found in color cosmetics, lotions and creams, shaving products, hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps, detergents and toothpastes. It has also been identified as causing damage to marine ecosystems.

Avon responded to its shareholders and customers who wanted the chemical removed after  competing brands including Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble announced they would eliminate triclosan from their products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics congratulated Avon on the move, while also pushing the company to take further actions to improve the safety of its cosmetics.

“The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics congratulates Avon for finally giving triclosan the boot,” Janet Nudelman, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and director of program and policy at the Breast Cancer Fund said in a statement. “It’s a hormonally active chemical that has no business being in cosmetics and personal care products.  But triclosan is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unsafe chemicals in cosmetics.  We want Avon to adopt a comprehensive policy that declares chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other adverse health effects to be off limits in cosmetics and to support stricter regulation of the $71 billion cosmetics industry so that everyone is protected.”

Avon hasn’t said officially yet what will replace triclosan, but many companies have replaced it with quaternary ammonia compounds (or quats), the most common being used is benzalkonium chloride.

“Unlike triclosan, quats can hide in plain sight on labels, where they go by many different names,” reports the Guardian. “The health data on quats is also more conclusive than the evidence on triclosan: In studies of the health effects of professional cleaning products, researchers have found that exposure to quats contributes to respiratory distress and irritation, exacerbating asthma in those who are already asthmatic and prompting asthma in those who are not.”

Avon cosmetics are sold throughout the U.S. and in more than 140 countries. The company’s sales in 2012 were $10.7 billion, making it the fifth largest cosmetic company in the world and the second largest direct selling operation. Avon employs more than 6.4 million representatives who still go door-to-door selling the products. But now, health-minded consumers may actually want to let them in.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

Taking Toxic Triclosan Out of Your Soap (By Making Your Own)

Walmart Bans Toxic Chemicals From Cosmetics, Cleaning Products

DIY: Go Eco (and Healthy) with Your Deodorant

Image: the bees knees daily

The post Now You Can Answer the Door: Avon to Phase Out Triclosan, the Useless Chemical Nobody Wants appeared first on EcoSalon.

With concerns over the negative health effects of BPA (bisphenol-A) on the rise, news that exposure may lead to breast cancer doesn’t bode well for the plastic industry.

According to the research from the University of Texas at Arlington and published in a recent issue of the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, when breast cancer and mammary gland cells were exposed to BPA, the chemical worked with naturally occurring molecules, including estrogen, to create a more hospitable environment for breast cancer growth.

The researchers looked at a molecule known as RNA HOTAIR (HOX antisense intergenic RNA), which is a long, non-coding RNA found in human and some animal DNA. It has some ability through expression to suppress the genes that would slow tumor growth or kill cancer cells. “High levels of HOTAIR expression have been linked to breast tumors, pancreatic and colorectal cancers, sarcoma and others,” reports ScienceDaily.

BPA seemed to assist in the production of “abnormal amounts” of HOTAIR expression. “We can’t immediately say BPA causes cancer growth, but it could well contribute because it is disrupting the genes that defend against that growth,” said researcher Subhrangsu Mandal, associate professor of chemistry/biochemistry. “We were surprised to find that BPA not only increased HOTAIR in tumor cells but also in normal breast tissue,” added Arunoday Bhan, a PhD student in Mandal’s lab.

Used in a number of food containers, thermal register receipts and household products, BPA was recently banned from some baby products sold in the U.S. including sippy cups and bottles. The chemical has been banned or tightly restricted in countries including France, Canada and China.

BPA is known as an endocrine disruptor, which mimics human hormones thus interfering with hormone regulation and function. It has been linked to reproductive issues, including early puberty, obesity and cancers.

“Understanding the developmental impact of these synthetic hormones is an important way to protect ourselves and could be important for treatment,” said Mandal.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

BPA and Infertility: What’s Really Going On?

4 BPA, Melamine, PVC, and Phthalate-Free Feeding Gear Options for Kids

17 Surprising Sources of BPA and How to Avoid Them

Image: Anastasia CW

The post BPA Creates Environment that Promotes Breast Cancer Growth, Study Finds appeared first on EcoSalon.

Common endocrine disruptors are the focus of a new dirty dozen list of toxins to avoid.

You’re likely familiar the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen–a list of the most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables in the store. Recently, EWG partnered with the Keep a Breast Foundation to develop a report on endocrine disruptors for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“There is no end to the tricks that endocrine disruptors can play on our bodies: increasing production of certain hormones; decreasing production of others; imitating hormones; turning one hormone into another; interfering with hormone signaling; telling cells to die prematurely; competing with essential nutrients; binding to essential hormones; accumulating in organs that produce hormones,” states the Dirty Dozen report.

Here are 5 of the worst poisons on the new Dirty Dozen list (and how to keep them out of your home).

1. BPA

BPA, commonly found in plastics and food packaging, has been linked to breast cancer as well as other types of cancers. Other potential side effects of exposure to BPA include reproductive problems, obesity, early puberty, and heart disease. What’s worse, 93 percent of Americans have BPA in their bodies, including most children.

How to Avoid BPA

• Eat fresh instead of canned foods.
• Say no to receipts because thermal paper is often coated with BPA.
• Avoid using #7 plastics.

2. Dioxin

Dioxins disrupt female and male sex hormones, and research has shown that exposure to low levels of dioxins in the womb can permanently reduce sperm counts. It’s also a powerful carcinogen that impacts reproductive and immune health.

How to Avoid Dioxins

• Unfortunately, the ongoing industrial release of dioxins means that they’re hard to avoid in our food system.
• Animal products are most likely contaminated so reduce or eliminate meat, eggs, fish, and butter.

3. Atrazine

Low levels of the herbicide atrazine has been shown to feminize male frogs. Atrazine is commonly used on corn crops and often contaminates drinking water. It has been linked to breast tumors, delayed puberty, and prostate inflammation.

How to Avoid Atrazine

• Buy organic food whenever possible.
• Filter your water using reverse osmosis filtration.

4. Phthalates

Phthalates, like BPA, are becoming recognized as an endocrine disruptor to avoid. They trigger cell death in testicular cells as well as causing hormone changes and reducing mobile sperm. Phthalates have also been linked to obesity, diabetes, birth defects in the male reproductive system, and thyroid problems.

How to Avoid Phthalates

• Avoid plastic containers.
• Avoid plastic wrap made with PVC.
• Avoid using #3 plastics.
• Choose personal care products that are free of phthalates.

5. Perchlorate

Perchlorate is a potent environmental toxin. When it gets into your system it alters the thyroid, which regulates metabolism in adults as well as proper brain and organ development in infants and young children.

How to Avoid Perchlorate

• Filter drinking water through reverse osmosis.
• Get enough iodine to reverse the impact that perchlorate can have on your thyroid system.

Check out the rest of Dirty Dozen list of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Related on EcoSalon:
BPA and Infertility: What’s Really Going On?
Plastic Hormones: Enviromental Estrogen is Everywhere
14 Fashion Brands Test Positive for Hormone Disrupting Chemicals

Image: EWG

The post The New Dirty Dozen: Avoid These Dangerous Endocrine Disruptors appeared first on EcoSalon.

Humans have created enough plastic to make land mass equal to what’s already on the planet. Much of it is floating in the oceans, possibly forming into new continents as you read this. But the effects, including notably high levels of estrogen in the environment, are challenging the survival of all life forms. 

The human body is little more than a vessel operated by a number of hormones. Chemicals including estrogen send signals through the body helping organs function properly, encouraging development, sexual maturity and even influencing our moods and personality. We are little more than fleshy, uninteresting blobs without these chemicals.

“Foreign” estrogens, also called xenoestrogens, come by way of environmental chemicals, including those found in many types of plastics, detergents, heavy metals and pesticides. When the body is exposed to estrogen in the environment, it can interfere with its ability to produce and regulate its own hormone levels. Our body treats this chemical exposure kind of like how most people treat staying at a hotel. Most people don’t clean up after themselves because they know someone else is going to do it anyway. When the body is exposed to foreign estrogen, it stops producing and regulating its own hormones.

Estrogen dominance, a condition where women who have been exposed to endocrine disruptors can produce too much estrogen and not enough progesterone, can wreak havoc on reproductive systems. Symptoms can include early onset of the menstrual cycle in girls age ten and younger. It can also create issues with the female reproductive system including infertility and certain types of cancer.

Men are also at risk from the effects of environmental estrogens including an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, penis deformities (when exposed in utero), and infertility. “Man boobs” can often be a result of this exposure, too, as can breast cancer in men.

In the environment we see the effects of copious amounts of plastic in our oceans sterilizing fish populations, turning frogs from one gender to another, killing birds and marine mammals. Many are born with deformities and health complications that have scientists suggesting the risks to humans may be even greater than previously believed.

Limiting exposure to known contaminants can decrease the risks. Cutting out plastic water bottles, baby toys and pesticide-treated foods can have a significant impact on the body’s ability to handle environmental estrogen. But the risks don’t disappear completely, particularly if you live in an urban environment where the air and water are more likely to include traces of endocrine disruptors.

Recent research noted increased health risks from low-dose exposure versus high levels of chemicals, confounding the situation even further. Around the world, countries are enacting tighter regulations on chemicals like BPA and industrial pollutions that leach hormone disruptors into the environment. But just like the amount of plastic in our oceans may be forming new continents, the chemicals may be also forming new life–creatures as dependent on environmental hormones for developmental cues as they were once dependent on their own bodies to make them–people with plastic hormones.

Related stories

Ocean Plastic Pollution Meets its Match: A 19-Year-Old

3 Ways China is Working to Clean Up Its Air Pollution

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Il Giglio Bianco

The post Plastic Hormones: Environmental Estrogen is Everywhere (Including Inside You) appeared first on EcoSalon.