subject: Five Filthy Fiends And How To Get Rid Of Them [print this page] Five Filthy Fiends And How To Get Rid Of Them
Oh, they're cunning, those fiends. On the surface, they look so innocent. They look clean and healthy that's how they present themselves. Some of them even smell nice. But no these fiends are out to get you. Once they get into your system usually through your skin or through your nose they can wreak all kinds of havoc.
These fiends are common ingredients in many domestic cleaners and cosmetics. In fact, it's hard or even impossible to avoid these rotters (OK, OK, they're designed to stop things rotting, in many cases, so maybe rotters isn't quite the right word). But if we can at the very least cut down on our exposure to these artificial fiends, we can minimise the damage they do.
Fiend 1: Artificial musk. Once hailed as a wonderful environmental saviour because people could enjoy the very sexy smell of musk without having any rare musk deer killed in the process. However, artificial musks are hormone disrupters and they can build up in the body. The best way to tame this fiend is to reduce the amount of artificially scented stuff in your home artificial musk often shows up in deodorants, baby wipes, soaps, detergents and fabric conditioner. And, of course, it shows up in musk-scented perfumes. Admittedly, high quality musky perfumes smell ravishing, and doing without them may seem a bit party-pooperish. Maybe limiting the amount of sexy musk perfume you use is the best compromise special occasions only. On the topic of musk, here's a point to ponder: is farming musk deer and musk oxen beyond the bounds of the impossible? Musk oxen, for example, could be bred for their wool and their meat as well as for their scent (which may not be as good as musk from the musk deer, but is still natural). Anyone want to give it a try?
Fiend 2: Parabens. Found in nearly cleaner, shampoo or cosmetic you can think of, parabens are designed to stop these products going mouldy. However, like artificial musks, they are also hormone disrupters that are possibly linked with an increased breast cancer risk. Hard to avoid completely, but if you can switch to natural cleaners and have a few no-makeup days a week, you can minimise your exposure to them.
Fiend 3: Parfum. Again, this is scented stuff added to nearly everything that isn't edible, usually because the base of the cleaner (or whatever) reeks so badly. They are often allergens. Use unscented products and natural cleaners as much as possible to avoid them.
Fiend 4: Phthalates (pause for a few seconds while you try to pronounce that). They're linked to fertility problems, foetal abnormalities and hormonal problems, but they are everywhere. Everywhere clothes, toys, flooring, wallpaper, plastics, cosmetics, fragrances, cleaners, etc. etc. Nearly impossible to avoid. Your best bet for taming this fiend is to get plenty of fresh air, use natural fabrics, and have a healthy diet and lifestyle that will offset the damage caused by these wretches.
Fiend 5: Solvents. The biggest offenders are nail polish and nail polish remover (the writer blushes guiltily and tries to hide her hands, feeling like a hypocrite), but of course they turn up in glue, paint and all those other things that unfortunate screwballs use to get high on the cheap and mess their minds up. Which shows you what it can do to you. Avoid by not using nail polish (much) and by making sure you have plenty of ventilation if you need to use glues and paints, just like the warning on the label says. Buffing one's nails works quite well for an everyday shine.
