Avoiding Toxic Nail Polish

If you have a teenager chances are she is really into wearing nail polish, especially the wild hues that are so fashionable nowadays. This is okay except I get very concerned about the inhalation of fumes from the nail polish and also from the nail polish remover, nail polish wipes or anything else she might be using to make her hands more artistic looking. I am also concerned about what happens if she decides to chew on her nails. Everyone knows that nail polish is highly carcinogenic and that the fumes from it can make disease symptoms worse.
You most certainly should not be wearing nail polish if you have any allergies or environmental sensitivities at all. Just a whiff of nail polish or acetone can make some people very ill.
For years the Environmental Protection Agency has been warning us about the toxic dangers of using nail polish as they are essentially nothing more than vials of poison. Nail salons are hotbeds of toxic fumes and some cities, like San Francisco, are doing entire overhauls of their salon industries in an attempt to keep the pollution from running these businesses under control,
As an individual you can help the environment by not wearing nail polish at all or by wearing water based nail polishes. There are all kinds of companies that make water based nail polishes now including a good one called Aquarelle.
A quality non toxic nail polish does not smell and actually helps hydrate your nails. As it is not really a varnish this type of polish does not yellow or peel. It is more like a coating for your nails.
Organic nail polishes are more chalky in consistency. They are more like paint. A quality organic nail polish is also non flammable and does not contain formaldehyde, phthalates or petrochemical solvents of any kind. In fact some of these nail polishes are considered to be so wholesome and pure that they actually qualify as being vegan. This means that if your teenager gets the idea that she is going to start chewing her painted nails she is not going to be poisoned by them.
Just because an ecologically correct nail product is non toxic it does not mean that it has to be stuffy. Water based nail polish is available in all kinds of colors from lime green to scarlet to outrageous pinks. The dyes that are used are usually a little more organic.
Water based nail polish brands also come with their own types of nail polish removers that are not full of acetone and other toxic paint thinners. Although they are sometimes not as glossy in appearance as regular nail polishes they do have a nice matte effect that is very sophisticated once it is on the nails. Organic nail polish also is often quite thick so that you get the best coverage possible of the entire nail.

Parenting Tips
, , ,

Beware of Toxic T Shirts

I have been reading all about how your T-Shirt could be toxic! We are talking about those inexpensive T-Shirts that are made out of a polyester blend. I buy these types of T-shirts for my kids to wear all of the time but apparently I might as well hand them a dose of Cancer on a platter. Some of these cheaper polyester t-shirts and polyester blends are so toxic they actually give off fumes.
I now feel like a villain for making my kids wear polyester t-shirts. First of all the manufacturing of this fabiric is really bad for the environment. The material is made from refined petroleum that is instantaneously super heated at 800 degrees Celsius. The fabric is created when a heavy metal such as antimony is added to the mix so that the resulting ethylene turns into goo. The goo that is left over is cooled and becomes fabric. This is what we are wearing against our skin when we wear polyester. It is a creation of heavy metals and petroleum. Do you really want your child's sensitive skin in contact with these types of toxins. They are horribly carcinogenic.
The scary thing about this is that if you sweat you might be leaching out these chemicals into your skin. You might want to think twice before you consider working out in a T-shirt because a Danish study found that as much as ten percent of the chemicals found in a polyester t-shirt might possibly end up on your skin. Just think of how hard yo8ur kids play sometimes. They break into sweats just like we do. They also get caught in the rain. If you wear polyester t-shirts while they are wet you are more likely to leech toxins out toxins onto the skin.
Printed T-shirts are equally toxic. Discharged print ink can also degrade and be absorbed by the skin over time. That is why it is not a good idea to sleep in a polyester or printed ink T-shirt if you can help it.
Natural organic cotton T-shirts are much better choices both for day and night wear. These do not necessarily have to be more expensive. The key is to shop carefully online and look for items that are made out of 100% cotton.
If you want your children to wear the absolutely healthiest clothes possible then you should have them wear unbleached cotton. Stay away from clothes that are dyed.
Another tip is to launder every single item of clothing that you buy for a kid before you have them wear it the first time. This is because you do not know what kind of preservatives, fire guards or other chemicals that have been put on the T-Shirt to protect it.
Some studies have found that chemical bug sprays have been added to shipments of T-shirts from Asia to keep insects like weevils or mothballs off oaf the merchandise.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , , , , ,