Top 10 things to “go organic” with

Wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything for this blog, so there’s no better time than now to turn over a new leaf and get those creative juices flowing again!

Over the last few years, I’ve had the distinct impression that a lot of people would like to switch their purchasing habits to more organic or natural items, but are overwhelmed by the multitude of choices out there. And not only do they need to choose from huge numbers of legitimate products, but they also have to distinguish these from “greenwashed” items that are marketed as natural, but in reality are anything but. It’s enough to make a person just give up!

Well, I’m going to try to help with this post. This is the Top 10 items to “go organic” with.

10. lotions and creams: Conventional skincare products from brands that you know and maybe love are full of nasty industrial chemicals (as I’ve written in a previous post). If you’re able to only change a few of these to their organic or natural versions, change your lotions and creams. Why? Because these are “leave-on” products. You apply them, and they remain on your skin until you wash them off. The longer they’re on, the more their ingredients are absorbed into your body. For more info, see my previous post: http://greenscientist.ca/?p=23

9. the Dirty Dozen: Every year, the non-profit, science-based Environmental Working Group ranks the typical pesticide content of common non-organic fruits and vegetables, as measured in the U.S. by the F.D.A. and the U.S.D.A. They use this to put out lists of the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen”. Eating organic versions of the Dirty Dozen will immediately dramatically lower the amount of pesticide going into your body. This is just one study showing exactly that in children:

http://whsc.emory.edu/press_releases2.cfm?announcement_id_seq=4740.

This is an important one, and I urge you to choose organic whenever possible. Here’s the 2013 list from the Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

8. cotton balls and swabs: Did you know that cotton farming uses more pesticide than any other crop in the world? 25% of the world’s total insecticide use is for cotton — and because it’s not a food crop the pesticides used are some of the most toxic ones out there. This takes a huge toll on farm workers in developing countries, and even in developed countries like the U.S. When this cotton is used for clothing, it’s heavily processed, destroying most, or maybe even all residual pesticides. On the other hand, cotton used for swabs, balls, batting, is minimally processed and very likely does retain pesticides and bleaching chemicals it’s been treated with. When you then apply alcohol, water, or whatever to your cotton ball and wipe your face with it, there’s a good chance you’re transferring something you’d rather not onto your body. Switch to organic cotton and help farmers as well as yourself – and it’s cheap too!

7. anti-perspirant: This is another item that makes the list because it stays on your skin for a very long time. Conventional anti-perspirants and deodorants contain things like triclosan, phthalates, aluminum, and parabens – all ingredients linked to serious diseases (again, see here: http://greenscientist.ca/?p=23), and worth not putting into your body.
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6. tea and coffee: Most of us drink either tea, coffee, or both (like me) every single day. Plants are grown in developing countries, and are sprayed with pesticides. Many developing countries do not have strong pesticide regulations, and unethical chemical corporations sell stuff that’s banned here to poor farmers over there. Government tests in Canada and elsewhere have shown detectable pesticide residues in both tea and coffee (more in tea). Eliminate this daily pesticide dose and support organic farming and fair-trade purchasing by making the switch today!

5. weed control: North Americans love a lush, blemish-free lawn. Unfortunately, this usually involves spraying dandelions and other weeds with the pesticides 2,4-D, mecoprop, and dicamba. Never heard of ‘em? Neither have most people – we’re used to using their trade names: Killex, WipeOut, Weed-B-Gon Max, and others. The health risks of these herbicides have been repeatedly proven in academic studies, and while some provinces and municipalities have banned their non-essential use, many others have not. Lawn pesticides run-off onto sidewalks and into storm drains and waterways, and get tracked into your home. Do your family a favour and stop using conventional weed killers. Try one of the many tools available for pulling weeds, or one of the new non-toxic weed killers (eg. Scott’s Eco-Sense Weed-B-Gon). And F.Y.I., the same 2,4-D that’s in your dandelion killer is one of the 2 main ingredients of Agent Orange, the herbicide responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and countless birth defects after the U.S. used it in the Vietnam War.

4. insect control: Insecticides pose many of the same problems as herbicides. They’re designed to kill living organisms – we know they’re toxic, but for some reason continue to put our families at risk by spraying bugs with things like Raid, OneShot, and others. Don’t use pesticides on household bugs – use your shoe.  Or if that’s still getting too close for comfort, there are numerous “eco” options available in the same aisle as the nasty ones, or even better, at your local eco-friendly small business.

3. laundry detergent: I think that regular supermarket laundry detergents are absolutely awful. To me, the worst parts are the fragrances. Horrible, synthetic smells that are concocted to stay on your clothes for weeks. Don’t be fooled by the greenwash classics “scents inspired by nature,” and “contains essential oils”. Chances are the actual scent you smell is from a complex synthetic fragrance – even if they’re “inspired by” or contain a miniscule amount of essential oil. Poor indoor air quality is one contributor to asthma, allergies, and other health problems, so when you surround yourself with a cloud of synthetic chemicals all day, then sleep in an even bigger cloud of them, you’re not doing yourself or your kids any favours. Buying unscented in a good first step – switching to a natural brand like Nature Clean, Seventh Generation, Ecos, or something handcrafted from your local farmer’s market is an even better one. And some of these even smell great, because they’re scented with ONLY essential plant oils.

2. dish soap: Conventional dish soaps really aren’t the worst things out there. Despite using synthetic detergents, fragrances, preservatives, and other chemicals, they’re “rinse-off” products, so in theory, it shouldn’t matter as much what’s in them, right? Well, kind-of. The problem is that you put food on your dishes. And when hand-washing them, most people don’t get every bit of detergent off; you then eat off these dishes, and any residual detergent chemicals get directly into your body. Many big-brand detergents have been found to contain the potent carcinogen 1,4-dioxane. It’s not supposed to be there – it’s a byproduct of the manufacture of certain synthetic chemicals. Even some “natural” dishwashing liquids have been found to have trace amounts of it, but in general, products from the eco-, natural, and organic companies have far less 1,4-dioxane than the big brands (http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/1,4-dioxane_Results_March2010.pdf). So go natural on this one.

1. sunscreen: Big-brand sunscreens are in my opinion among the most toxic skin care products you can buy. In addition to the regular slew of nasty chemicals in lotion-type items, they have the actual active ingredients. Oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate are the most common sun-filtering compounds in conventional sunscreens, and scientists have linked health problems like hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, cancer, skin reactions, and neurological disorders to them. Ironically, some of these sunscreen chemicals are not effective at blocking both UVA and UVB radiation, and actually break down in the sun (seem ridiculous to you too?), making them even worse. And they smell terrible! When shopping for sunscreens, stick to organic and natural companies, and choose ones with ONLY the physical sunscreens zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as the active ingredients (edit 7/22/13: see Deborah’s comment below regarding nanoparticles in sunscreen and hair salons).

I would love to add another (hair dye — see here: http://greenscientist.ca/?p=35) to the list, but I think this would be too difficult for a lot of people. However, maybe try to find an eco-conscious stylist who at least makes an effort to keep dyes off your skin.

If you’re wondering where to find natural and non-greenwashed products, check out www.funkybugnaturals.com. It’s a side project started by my wife and I as an online store where you can trust absolutely every product there. But no matter where you shop, good luck, and thank yourself for making a huge positive change in your life! And please feel free to comment if you have any questions!