Or maybe it is. From Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to our local Basic Foods shopper, being “green” and eco-friendly is THE thing to do these days. You might not be in a position to sell your vehicle and run out to get the latest hybrid, but there are a few things you can do at home to better the environment and have a safer home.

Question: If you knew that a product you use in your home was poison and harmful, would you continue to use it? Here is a list of known toxins in our everyday products:

Dove Beauty Bar : Quaternium 15 : (Formaldehyde)- Carcinogen. Causes cancer, dermatitis, neurotoxic, sensitizer-poisonious, irritant to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Butylated Hydroxytoluene , (BHT) Carcinogen.
Johnson's Baby Shampoo: Quaternium 15 : FD&C RED 40: Carcinogen, and causes dermatitis.
Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste: Saccharin: Carcinogen, contains Phenol Fluoride: Carcinogen If you accidentally swallow more than a pea-sized amount of this, you must contact the Poison Control Center immediately. This warning does not appear on the tube.
Tide & Cheer Detergent: Detergent : Can cause temporary respiratory tract irritation. Symptoms include stinging, swelling, or redness. Sodium Silicate : Can be corrosive. Can cause burns to the eyes and tissue damage to the skin, as well as cause burns to the mouth, throat, and stomach if swallowed. Sodium Sulfate : Corrosive, Severe eye, skin, and respiratory irritant. Can cause asthma attacks. Trisodium Nitrilotriacetate : Carcinogen
Clorox: Sodium Hypochlorite : Corrosive. Sensitizer: Can be fatal if swallowed. Eye, skin, and respiratory irritant. Especially hazardous to people with heart conditions or asthma.
Cascade: Sodium Hypochlorite: (see above) Sodium Silicate : Can be corrosive. Can cause burns to the eyes and tissue damage to the skin, as well as cause burns to the mouth, throat, and stomach if swallowed.
Fantastic, Formula 409: Butyl Cellosolve: Neurotoxic. Eye and skin irritant. Damages central nervous system, kidney, and liver. Readily absorbed through the skin. Damages blood and body's ability to make blood.Windex Aerosol Glass Cleaner: Butyl Cellosolve (see above) Isobutane: Neurotoxic
Lysol Disinfectant: Dioxin ; Carcinogen. 500,000 times more deadly than DDT Ethyl Alcohol : Eye, skin, respiratory tract irritant.

Those are a lot of big words. Trust us, any word, whether big or small, that contains the letters “t-o-x-i-c” in it, is bad news.

Details on the above data are available in "The Safe Shopper's Bible" by Dr. Samuel Epstein, MD. & David Steinman. Macmillian, 1995. Lysol data from "The Environmental Health Newsletter."

A word about laundry detergents… “Many areas of the country are requiring laundry detergents to be low-phosphate. Now manufactures replace phosphates with caustics. The misconception now is that low phosphates are safe.  They may be safer for the environment, but they are 100 times more caustic than phosphate detergents. Caustics such as Lye (sodium hydroxide or potassium hypochlorite) clean by a chemical reaction that burns or eats away other substances. Caustics also wear out your clothes faster and dull the fabric’s colors.” (Source: House Work May Be Hazardous to Your Health by David Kullberg).

We’re not trying to scare you, but rather make you think. Why does our government allow companies to put things in our products that are hazardous to our health? Imagine a world where you are able to use everyday products like toothpaste, glass cleaner, shampoo and cosmetics (just to name a few) that are safe (no hidden poisons) for you and your family AND where you can make money at the same time. Sounds good to us!

Amanda Carroll of Beaumont & Samantha Williams of Groves are doing their part to be good stewards of our environment. Not only that, but they on their way to making a living out of being green. Both women are mothers and searched for a way to earn money while working from home. They found Work At Home United, who has partnered with an International Health and Wellness company that manufactures eco-friendly products you already use everyday that are safer for you, the environment, cost less, and work better.

                 Amanda Carroll                        Samantha Williams

It would be great if you are now inspired to save a whale. You might not be thinking of that, but you probably are now wondering  what exactly is in your laundry detergent? Your bath soap? Your household cleaners?

To learn more about household safe products, contact Amanda or Samantha. Don’t forget to ask about how you can earn money being green!

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