| Greening Your Bathroom for Your Health and the Earth’s |
| Monday, 09 August 2010 | Willow Lune | Article |
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Personal Care Products Some ubiquitous yet harmful ingredients in personal care products include coal tar, DEA and even lead. Coal tar, a known human carcinogen, is often present in anti-itch creams and dandruff shampoos. Coal-tar dyes, like FD&C Green 3, are commonly found in mouthwash. Many shampoos and lotions contain diethanolamine (DEA), a potential carcinogen and hormone disruptor. Lead, a neurotoxin, is sometimes added to toothpaste in the form of hydrated silica. For a complete list of the “dirty dozen,” twelve chemicals to avoid bringing into your home, check out the Green Guide. To find out which products may be safe alternatives, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database. Shower Curtains Perhaps an even better option is a hemp shower curtain. Hemp grows easily without pesticides and herbicides, and the plant requires no irrigation. One added benefit of a hemp shower curtain is that it is naturally resistant to mildew, so you do not need a plastic liner. Air Fresheners Another type of air freshener is a candle. Conventional candles are made from paraffin, a petroleum product. Burning paraffin candles dirties your air and releases harmful chemicals such as alcohols, hydrocarbons and phthalates. Cleaner options are beeswax and soy candles. Both smoke very little, don’t drip and burn longer. However, only beeswax candles can actually clean the air by emitting negative ions, which remove airborne contaminates as well as increase the flow of oxygen to the brain. Washcloths and Tissues We couldn’t possibly talk about greening your bathroom without mentioning toilet paper. These days, it is easy to find recycled, non-chlorinated toilet paper (and other tissue). Search out the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled materials, like Green Forest toilet paper. Also look for PCF (Partially Chlorine Free) or TCF (Totally Chlorine Free). Who needs white-white toilet paper, anyhow? If you are looking to completely forego toilet paper, consider installing a bidet. Common in many areas around the world—and gaining popularity in the US—bidets are both hygienic and easy to use. Reading Labels It is important to remember that each of us holds a tremendous amount of power in creating a better world. Every single thing we do, or consume, has an impact on the planet and our health for better or worse. We can choose to lessen this impact by carefully choosing safe products to purchase, while foregoing unsafe ones. So why not start with the products used in one room—the bathroom—and then branch out from there? Additional resources:
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These days, it’s hard to go anywhere without hearing something about going green or becoming eco-friendly. With the world’s population and consumption both rising at an alarming rate while the world’s natural resources remain fixed, it may all seem quite daunting. So why not start with something simple? Perhaps you could green one room in your home. Here are some simple steps that you can take today to make your bathroom safer—not only for the environment, but also for your entire family. 
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