Green Hypnotist

Aren’t those warm and fuzzy marketing words? Doesn’t it sound like your special product is made with awesome ingredients?

I will not name the company that I had this issue with. They are not the only one guilty. This is not a rant on a company, but a lesson in being prudent with ingredient lists. I purely want others to understand terminology and to be as skeptical and informed as they can not taking for granted what is listed.

A neighbor had been occasionally asking me to try her ‘new, all natural incredible cleaning products’ for the past year or so. She had been calling me occasion to come see these products because she was so excited about their ‘green’ ability to clean. Because I am known locally as the green clean, chemical free nut, she so wanted to show me her new found products.

I am not neurotically green, but I do purchase about 90% of my food organically/locally grown and the products I do use in my house, are considered very safe. The few cleaning products I purchase, I research the ingredients very well. The remainder, and majority of my cleaning products, I make. This includes my household and personal soaps. As a soap maker for many years, I understand the science behind it which is how the uncovering of these sales tactics were unearthed.

After attending this gathering with a display of products, I was very hesitant as the questions I did have regarding ingredients, could not be answered by the representative of the company. I listened respectfully. Questioned why their amazing hand cream had the ‘paraben sisters’ in it!! When she started talking about their lye-free soap, it perked my ears. The only soap one can make without sodium hydroxide (lye) is glycerin melt and pour. I personally have never really looked into these soaps as they are more crafter oriented, I do know that what I was being shown was ‘not’ glycerin.

Now remember, I am not against a soap made with sodium hydroxide. The harshness of it, when used correctly, is totally gone and conformed into a moisturizing, mild bar of soap – when made correctly. What I am against is a company that won’t be up front with their ingredients.

After calling this company and inquiring about the ingredients I found that one of their ingredients were Propriety Blend. WHAT?? What is a proprietary blend? Can you find this on Isle 8 of your local hardware store?? Or with the milk in the grocery store??? I asked, and questioned, and asked, and questioned their customer service about what were the ingredients, not exact amounts, but the ingredients for my family’s sake. The nice lady on the other side of the phone said she didn’t know, nor did anyone else in customer service.
Now my rant goes on. It seems that companies can fluff ingredients legally. A proprietary blend is anything that they don’t want disclosed because they feel their recipe is secret. There you go… Hiding behind the word secret.

After trying out one their Tub and Tile cleaners, it gave me a respiratory reaction. None of which I even have with the harsh products on the market. So why was this product giving me such a bad case of it. Again, looking into the ingredients, “Surfactants and solvents” were listed as ingredients. What are surfactants and solvents? I feel that is a category, not an actual ingredient. Yes, after calling the company, once again, they told me that they do not disclose what exactly are used. And here’s the kicker: they told me that rest assured, their products were “natural” (a word not defined by the FDA) and that they don’t profess to be a green company, nor do they market it as a green company. HAHAHA… The reps that I have spoken to, all market it as such. Hiding behind and blaming their reps. Gotta love commercialism.

Live and learn… read labels, scrutinize. You may be paying more for green products, which in my opinion is fine, but when bad chemicals have a mask on and marketed as safe that is outright wrong.

Bisphenol A has been getting a lot of press lately. It has been widely known in holistic circles as being a nasty for some time. The hormone disruptor that can be found in almost everyone. Studies have linked it to breast and prostate cancer, and infertility.

Polycarbonates (type of plastic) are sometimes made with BPA. Looking at the recycling triangle, you’d see a #7. #7 is the recycling number that doesn’t fit into any other category. Therefore, it may or may not have BPA in. What does have BPA is products made with Lexan type plastic like those hard pretty colored water bottles, baby bottles, canned foods are lined with BPA, and some metal water bottles are lined with BPA (what is that about!!)

That being said, can bottled water be safe? What about the other numbers? Do we fill the landfills even further continuing to use bottled water?

Due to Canada banning BPA and a recent study, the BPA controversy has been all over the news and web. Earth day brought up some very valid points regarding plastics and the waste from not recycling plastic water bottles.

After reading many reports and much advice regarding water, I’d like to just organize thoughts and ask, “What is the priority of your water quality.”

I see it this way. There are three types of people. Two of which I’ll talk about. One is the person who doesn’t buy into any of the propaganda regarding the water not being safe. All I have to say is read and decide for your own.

Second type of person who chooses water for safety at the extreme and is the very chemical cautious. The “I don’t want to drink tap water at all because of all the miscellaneous chemicals, contaminants, chlorine and fluoride.” “If I do, it will be dead, distilled water.”

Thirdly, the person who just wants to get large portion of gunk out of their drinking water and doesn’t really understand what the gunk is, but is concerned.

I’m not writing this to persuade anyone. What I’m doing is organizing or bringing to light what and why you would choose a particular water treatment method. Maybe you haven’t thought of the entire fluoride problem in drinking water or what your actual reasons are for the method you choose.

I’ve read much on just filtering tap water. There are great filters out there, if you do your homework. The one thing they cannot filter is fluoride. The only way fluoride can be taken out of water is reverse osmosis. This creates a dead water, but very safe. The filter of my dreams, but expensive. Due to the economy, it isn’t happening at this house soon. Thanks shrub.

Yes. To reduce plastics, it would be best to filter tap water. But I am that kind of person that doesn’t want my daughter exposed more than she has to be (restaurant food, school, juices, etc.) with fluoride. I’ve done my homework. Fluoride is poison. That’s why your fluoride toothpaste tells you not to swallow it and who to call should your child ingest it.

I want the most chemicals out of my water, without fluoride, so for now I will buy bottled spring (not water from a ‘source’.) but genuine spring water knowing its source and testing. Yes, I am questioning whether I should filter it as I pour it into my glass (trying to get away from storing anything in plastic) bottle with spout. That may be coming. An inexpensive 29 contaminants filter costs about 30.00. Good investment I guess, until the reverse osmosis magically appears in my house.

I also highly recommend a chlorine filter for your shower. My daughter has very sensitive skin and without the chlorine, it has shown to be very good – not to mention what chlorine does to you. That’s an article for another time.