Posted on March 7, 2016
The consumer-culture seems to be of the mindset that if a product is on a shelf to purchase, then it must be safe right? We like to imagine a government agency watching over us, testing every product, and protecting us from anything toxic or harmful. This notion carries over into all sorts of consumer products from toys to electronics, the food and medicine we put in our mouth, and home care, body items we spray or slather on our skin.
Many of these chemicals are linked to asthma, allergies, infertility, neurological disorders and even cancer. I don’t know about you, but when I go out walking around my neighborhood, every turn I take I am hit full on with the scent of Downey, or some other perfume scented dryer sheet. Most of the smell you like on your clothes, is going out the dryer vent and travels throughout the neighborhood. If you want your clothes to smell clean like fresh air, then simply get a little clothes line, hang em up, and you’ll get the real deal, and without hurting the environment, or innocent bystanders walking by.
There’s a lot of evidence of toxins in everyday products, but you really have to educate yourself and read labels, just like with your food. Even then, it’s a proverbial crapshoot, because of a loophole, many ingredients aren’t even on the label. Even though the word “fragrance” appears to be one ingredient, it allows manufacturers to hide as many as 100 different chemicals due to their proprietary formula.
Whether it’s derived from the gland from a beaver’s anus (artificial vanilla fragrance) or chemicals also used in fracking, or known hormone disruptors, don’t we have the right to choose whether or not we purchase products containing these compounds? I have experienced many times being exposed to a scent that either caused a sneezing fit, a slamming headache, or both. But on that same line, just because you’re not having those symptoms, doesn’t mean it must be ok to use.
If we can smell our fabric softener, or our shower gel, or even our deodorant a few hours after we used it, then we’re still being exposed, until our skin absorbs it right into our body, day, after day, after day.
You owe it to yourself, your family and our planet earth, to learn about all these smelly products we use everyday. Check out the link for a new documentary that discusses the issue of “scents” called STINK.