Review from Michelle Lloyd-Mkokopelli

As I was working with Earth Mama, they fed me tons of useful eco-friendly information. They told me about Skin Deep and challenged me to search my products- even labeled organic. Skin Deep is pretty much the reason why my family switched to organic products. We had already made the food switch and I didn’t even think about other products until I came across their site. I looked up some ingredients and about lost it! But, since I’ve switched our products- I have blindly trusted the “organic” labels on our personal care items and haven’t done any searches lately.

After my findings, I’m appalled. Luckily, my daughter’s products have come back pretty safe. But mine, not so much. Just because a label says, “certified organic ingredients” doesn’t mean all of the ingredients are organic and safe. I found out a “organic” shampoo and “organic” facial cleanser I had been using both had moderate and high levels of hazards. So from now on I will be reading all labels and searching ingredients before making a purchase. Here are a few ingredients to avoid when looking at labels: anything that begins with methyl-, butyl-, ethyl- and proply-, parabens, methylisothiazolinone, triclosan, boric acid, sodium borate, phenoxyethanol, diazolidinyl urea, Quaternium 15, cocomidopropyl betaine, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamide DEA, TEA (Triethanolamine), 1,4 Dioxane, and ceteareth-12 alcohol. Do those all sound confusing and something you won’t remember? You can print a Child’s Safety Guide to Personal Products from the Cosmetic Database to take with you shopping.

Or better yet, you can buy Earth Mama Angel Baby and not worry at all because they have a safety rating of 0!!!

I tried the Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash for my daughter and I we are hooked for life.

What I love about the shampoo, besides the redolent aroma, is that is it a foam instead of liquid. This has allowed me to use the correct amount, instead of over pouring- which will make the product last longer. I also love how I can see the lather going on to my daughter’s hair, so I know which spots I’ve gotten. Did you know that most shampoo’s lather because they are made with detergents instead of soap? You will find synthetic surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate combined with other foaming agents like cocamide DEA, MEA or TEA. Once the synthetic surfactants and other agents are rubbed together, they form a lather. Usually detergents need a preservative to keep mold and bacteria growth, but pure soap has a high enough PH to deter the growth. Angel Baby Shampoo is a real gentle castile soap, so no harsh surfactants are added! Angel Baby Shampoo has left my daughter’s hair feeling silky smooth with no tangles. Did I mention how wonderful it smells?? It is made with Saponified oils of Cocos nucifera (organic coconut) oil, Olea europaea (organic olive) oil, Butyrospermun parkii (organic shea) butter, kosher vegetable glycerin, Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe) leaf juice, Vanilla planifolia (organic vanilla) bean extract, Citrus sinensis (orange) oil, and tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Talking about smells, Happy Mama Spray is aromatherapy bliss in a bottle.

It is made for pregnant women to help with nausea, but is great for anyone needing a lift. Since we are in terrible 3 territory, I was really anxious to try this product. Spending 24 hours a day, attached at the hip with my little one is stressful, and by 5 p.m. I’m ready to give her away. I wouldn’t… but it has crossed my mind. With 1 spritz, the aroma is intoxicating. I can’t explain how it soothes your spirits, but it does. I don’t know much about aromatherapy, but I do know that smells can affect your mood. Think about when you walk into a house where cookies have just been baked… makes you feel all warm inside. You will smell lime, ginger, tangerine, orange, ylang ylang and more when you spritz your Happy Mama Spray on your wrists, body or all over the room. It is a 4 oz. bottle and fits perfectly in your purse. So if you are out in public and your child decides to throw a tantrum, spray a little between you both and see the results!

Be sure to check out all of the new Earth Mama Angel Baby products now being carried at Franklin Goose!

To begin our discussion of products we will not carry in our shop I wanted to start with Phthalates.

There are a now more and more products being advertised as Phthalate free, but I wondered how many of us actually have a grasp of what it is and why it is bad for us. This is the definition of a phthalate: A class of organic compounds containing phthalic acid esters [C6H4(COOR)2] and derivatives. Used as plasticizers in plastics. Also used in many other products (such as detergents, cosmetics) and industrial processes (such as defoaming agents during paper and paperboard manufacture, and dielectrics in capacitors).  (This is from a US government website, USGS.) The word organic in this definition can be misleading.

This is the definition from the Environmental Defense Site: Phthalates are a group of man-made chemicals that are widely used as plasticizing additives in a broad range of consumer products, including cosmetic and personal care products, PVC consumer products and construction materials. These chemicals are also used in synthetic fragrances to extend the scents’ staying power. Phthalates are relatively persistent in the environment and have been found in drinking water, soil, household dust, wildlife, fatty foods (meat and dairy products) and in the blood and breast milk of people. Scientific research has shown that phthalates disrupt hormones, and can cause birth defects of male reproductive organs.

According to the Organic Consumers Association  research has shown that phthalates can “play havoc with the funtion of the human endocrine system and potentially cause a host of health problems, especially in children. In fact…studies found these toxins to be linked to childhood obesity &, because phthalates are hormone disrupters, they may also interfere with the normal development of baby boys’ genitalia.”

The Journal of Pediatrics sites a new study that suggests that phthalate exposure in the womb contributes ot low birthd weight in infants , is critical because low birth weight is the leading cause of death in children under five years of age, it increases the risk of cariovascular & metabolic disease as children grow up. To conduct this study scientists studied the first bowel movements of babies as well as the umbilllical cord blood, and found that the measurable levels of phthalates were found in more than 70% of the samples.

The problem is that phthalates are in so many of our products and are not marked clearly on labels, it is difficult to avoid them if you are not completely educated about them.

They are found in cosmetics, plastic products, shampoos & conditioners (even ones marked “natural”), they are found in deoderant hair gels, medical equipment, such as IV bags & tubing. They are in plastic dolls, inflatable toys, vinyl bibs, and baby care products among other things.

They can be listed on products as follows:

DEHP di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, DBP or DiBP di-n-butyl phthalate(found in nail polish products), DEP or diethyl phthalate, MEHP (monoethylhexyl phthalate),  PBT (polybutylene terephthalate),  and PET (polyethylene terephthalate)

If you decide that phthalates are something you would like to avoid then I suggest you become aware of the acronyms and definitely read labels. If we all purchase products that go out of their way to not include these then the manufacturers that do include them will be forced to change in order to be profitable.

We find phthalates an unnecessary ingredient which puts ourselves, our families and our environment at potential risk. Therefore, we choose only products that do not contain phthalates for Franklin Goose. Our philosophy is if it isn’t natural and it can be avoided then by all means avoid it.

How do you feel about phthalates? Are there other chemicals you avoid? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

-Sheri