I’m writing this article because there are things that every consumer should know in order to make good shopping decisions.  This isn’t always so easy to do.  Manufactures’ hide ingredients they don’t want you to know are included, by using technical names that are unfamiliar to the general public.

I have done some research and have learned that the majority of products we use have one common ingredient that is very alarming – formaldehyde!  That’s right.  It is also called, Quaternine 15.  Formaldehyde is a cheap preservative and can be found in shampoo (even baby shampoo), soap, makeup, toothpaste, mouthwash, hair dye, hair spray, household cleaning products, deodorant, bubble bath, perfume, cologne, and many other personal care products.

Why is this so alarming?  Formaldehyde is known to cause Cancer.  The MSDS warns that it may be fatal if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin.  It causes burns; inhalation can cause spasms, fluid buildup of the larynx, and bronchi and chemical inflammation of the lungs and it’s extremely destructive to tissue of the mucous membrane.  Think of symptoms you may have had after using one or several of the products mentioned!

You may have realized how the media grabs at “straws” when it comes to exactly what causes Cancer.  Normally, the media will tell you it’s some kind of food or drink we’re consuming – like Coffee.  Only to turn around a week or month later and tell you it’s found to be quite beneficial.  You will never hear about cleaning products being related to Cancer because, the FDA doesn’t have the power to make manufactures test or prove their products to be safe.  The only thing that manufactures aren’t allowed to do is advertise their product as being able to “cure” something, if they can’t prove it.  Manufactures don’t have to list exact ingredients and can tell you a product is natural or safe, even if it’s not. The shocking truth is that only 10% of the products we buy are ever tested.  The FDA can’t make companies test their products before they are released to the public.

Every year since the Second World War, there has been an increase in the number of chemicals. There are now over sixty-three hazardous products found in the home.  The use of natural products was the norm, before the war. A resource says people who work from home have a 54% more chance of developing Cancer than those working outside the home (this is because OSHA regulates the types of chemicals that come into the work place). There is nothing to protect what comes into the home.  What about other diseases on the rise?  Alzheimer, ADD/ ADHD, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Autism, Asthma and other birth defects.  How many people do you know, suffering from one or more of these diseases?

I have stopped using local grocery store personal care products and household cleaners.  I’d like to tell you about my own experience.  I used to wake up every morning with a sinus headache.  I couldn’t figure out why.  My son, who is now five years old, has had mild case of Asthma.  He would need a nebulizer (a device used to administer medicine by inhalation) every time he got a cold and would wheeze if he ran too much or was exposed to cold weather.

I threw out all of the household cleaners and other personal care products that were in my home.  I switched my laundry care products to all natural and noticed within a week that I no longer had sinus headaches or infections.  My son no longer needed the nebulizer when he got a cold and had fewer colds.  The wheezing stopped too.  I began to have more energy.

Another topic that is frequently in the media is the effect on our environment.  How many times have you seen and heard about large numbers of dead fish, diseased chickens and cows?  We no longer know what to eat anymore! 

Did you know that dishwashing detergents contain phosphates and chlorine bleach (another source of Cancer) to get your dishes clean?  The use of phosphates causes a build up of Algae in the ocean, reducing the water oxygen level and therefore killing fish.  What happens when we drink the water? Let me ask you one more thing?  How can you contribute to solving this problem – would you be willing to try something new to help your health and the environment?  If there were no risk involved – would you still say no?

I hope I’ve opened your eyes a little more to an ongoing serious problem we are facing that is only going to get worse (think of all the new products being advertised in the media).  Please, do your own research.  Here are some places to start: http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/quaternium-allergy.html, and http://www.consumer.gov/productsafety.htm.