Here we are at Wednesday, already half way through our week-long Earth Day celebration.  There’s still plenty of time to keep the dialogue going this week by sharing tips and talking about all things “green”.

Green Tip #3

When choosing to make green choices for your food and cleaning products, don’t overlook personal care products like hand soap, shampoo, and cosmetics!

“Our skin is highly permeable. Less than one-tenth of an inch thick, skin is a porous membrane that is highly sensitive to toxic chemicals. What we put on our skin affects our health just as much as, if not more than, what we put in our mouths.”  (Samuel S. Epstein, Cancer prevention expert, Prof. emeritus at U. of IL School of Public Health, Chicago)

Many personal care products contain ingredients that are designed to improve the feel of a product against your skin, or to extend its shelf-life.  Many of these ingredients – such as phthalates, parabens, and propylene glycol – have been shown to have harmful effects on our bodies.  Don’t be fooled by nice fragrances or packaging…read the labels!  You will be amazed at the number of products you use on a daily basis that contain these ingredients. Switching to natural products protects your body and the environment.

Excellent articles on this topic:

Risks From Toxic Ingredients In Cosmetics, And Personal Care Products (The Huffington Post, written by Samuel S. Epstein, Cancer prevention expert, Prof. emeritus at U. of IL School of Public Health, Chicago)
About Face – Toxic Cosmetics – Learn what ingredients used in makeup could be hazardous to your health (Time magazine, written by Bryan Walsh)

For more information on the steps we take to be green at Minuteman Press, visit our Earth Day 2012 page.