Non-Toxic Shampoos for the Hair

Toxin Free Body Care

Summary: The following Health and Body Care items have no petrochemicals or potentially toxic solvents, metals, or other ingredients listed on the label:

Most Aubrey Organics products(see Cosmetics and Hair Care section)

Real Purity products

Dr. Bronner's, Chica Bella, Granny's, AFM, and Burt's Bee soaps

Tom's products that do not include propylene glycol, polysorbates, or any other petrochemicals

Peelu, Oxyrich, Auromere, Ecodent (powder), most of Tom's of Maine toothpastes, and any others without petrochemicals.

Burt's Bee products without SD alcohol

Essential oils produced by distillation (not "absolutes" like rose or jasmine oils which are processed with benzene).

Dickinson's Witch Hazel

Palma Christi or Heritage Castor Oil

Weleda Diaper Creams and Ointments

Badger Sunblocks and Sunscreens, zinc oxide base (see Sunscreen section)

Products and recipes recommended by Hulda Clark

Plain emu oil

Just a few years ago, many allopaths believed that chemicals used on the skin were not absorbed into the body. I suppose they believed this right up to the point that transdermal patches came on the market. Even now, it is common to find doctors who believe that even beneficial (natural) agents cannot cross membranes or through the skin.

Clark gives recipes for health and body care products including cosmetics in her books. Some work well, some do not. They are all safe, though, so are the best to use if there is serious illness caused or contributed to by toxins. Many people will not go through the hassle of making the Clark recipes and using these commercially available recommended items should at least reduce petrochemical and other toxin exposure a great deal.

If it was desired or necessary to immediately stop using all health care items with petrochemicals or other toxins listed on the label yet not spend a lot of money, two things would suffice for me. Dr. Bronner's soap and Aubrey Organics Men's Deodorant. The Aubrey is one of the only effective toxin free commercially available deodorants I have found.

Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps are available in squeeze bottles and can be used for many things, not just as reading material for the wacky label. It comes in a few formulas - a favorite one is the Hemp and Almond Oil. They can be used as shampoo, body wash, shaving lotion (works better than any shaving cream), dishwashing soap, liquid handsoap, and wherever else foamy soap is needed.

Real Purity advertises solvent and toxin-free health care products including makeup, deodorant, shampoo, hairspray, etc. They even mention Hulda Clark in their ads, and her admonitions against isopropyl alcohol and other solvents used on the body. Their products are expensive, but are very good quality. They are available only online and not sold in health food stores.

Aubrey Organics products are widely available in health food stores and all of them are toxin-free as far as the listed ingredients are concerned. Most of them are excellent.

Some of Tom's products are petrochemical free such as the bar soaps, the vegetable glycerin liquid hand soap, most of the toothpastes, and the shampoos. The baby shampoo is very good, and most people prefer it to using Bronner's as a shampoo.

Be sure the toothpaste one uses does not contain any petroleum byproducts. The following health brands are reportedly completely solvent free: Peelu, Oxyrich, Auromere, and Ecodent powder. There are many more available which do not list petrochemicals on the label. Remarkably, all the infant toothpastes listed as "safe for consumption" that I have seen have petroleum derivatives. Baking soda works well as a toothpaste, too. It can be mixed with salt to make it more effective. Hydrogen peroxide is a good tooth cleaner but should not be used if there is metal in the mouth.

For babies, Unpetroleum Jelly can be used instead of petroleum jelly, and it includes some skin healing agents, like calendula and vitamin E. To make a good diaper rash cream, melt a little and stir in a bit of zinc oxide powder until perfectly smooth. Weleda also makes good baby diaper creams and ointments. Do not buy diaper wipes which contain petrochemicals like propylene glycol. There are some "natural care" types that do not contain it or see the Recipes and Formulas section for ideas how to make them oneself.

Links

From "How Safe is Your Deodorant / Toothpaste ?"

WHAT’S IN YOUR PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS?
A HOW-TO GUIDE FROM THE CANADIAN EARTHCARE SOCIETY


All anti-perspirants and some deodorants contain aluminum. Aluminum clogs your pores and is the element that keeps you from sweating. Inhibiting a natural process by which you release toxins from your body is essentially unhealthy. A\s well, aluminum is absorbed and accumulated in the body, and has been linked to serious illnesses including osteoporosis, extreme nervousness, anemia, headache, decreased liver and kidney function, forgetfulness, speech disturbances and memory loss.
Aluminum has also been widely associated with alzheimer’s disease. People who have died from Alzheimer’s disease have been found to have up to four times the average amount of aluminum accumulated in the brain’s nerve cells.
Your deodorant or anti-perspirant may also contain ‘fragrances.’ ‘Fragrances mean the presence of one to four thousand different ingredients. Many of them are toxic or carcinogenic. Some symptoms are headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting and skin irritation. Some clinical observations show that fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity and irritability.
There are so many new chemical compounds that our government is not able to test them. Deodorants and anti-perspirants contain many untested chemicals. In our society these chemicals are treated as innocent until proven guilty. This is the wrong way to approach personal health and the health of one’s community.
How To Make Your Own:
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of beeswax with 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil, stirring until well blended
2. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoons each of thyme essential oil, lavender essential oil and rosemary essential oil.
3. Pour into a suitable mould (an empty deodorant stick container is ideal) and leave until set.

NOTE: Different essential oils do different things for your body as well as smell different. With a little research you might find a mix of essential oils that is pleasing specifically to your skin and your nose. Feel free to experiment.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR TOOTHPASTE?

Many cities and towns in North America have fluoridated water. Thanks to a successful campaign by the Canadian EarthCare Society Kelowna no longer does. Toothpaste, however, is an everyday point of exposure for fluoridization.
The decline in DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth ) of 12 year old children in the USA declined by 25% from 1974 - 1988. The USA is partially fluoridated. Unfluoridated countries: the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland had a decline of 36%, 40%, and 47% respectively in 12 year olds for the same period.

Negative health that results from fluoride exposure include but are not limited to:
Skeletal fluorosis : Early symptoms are back stiffness, pains in the bones and joints, sensations of burning, pricking, and tingling in the limbs, muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, and reduced appetite. X-rays show abnormal calcium deposits in bone and ligaments. Osteoporosis develops in long bones and bony outgrowths may occur. Eventually the victim may be crippled and the vertebrae fuse together.
Fractures : A study has shown that for people of 65 years or older risk of hip fracture was significantly higher when water fluoride was greater than 0.11 ppm.
Immune deficiency : Dr. Sheila Gibson from the University of Glasgow, showed that fluoride, at levels comparable to those found in the blood of people living in fluoridated areas, decreased the migration rate of human white blood cells (leukotaxis). [Also inhibits phagocytosis - another defence mechanism ] This adversely affects the immune system. Dr. Gibson found that only a six-hour exposure of white blood cells to as little as 0.1 parts per million fluoride inhibits the white blood cell migration rate by 21 percent. One part per million inhibits the white blood cell migration rate by 85 per cent and 2 ppm has a conclusive 0 percent relative migration rate. This indicates that a continued use of fluoride in the drinking water could result in the total destruction of the immune response.
Cancer : Cancer researchers have found a 17% rise in 16 yrs of cancers in towns in the USA which are fluoridated in comparison with those which are not. A rise in a rare bone cancer, osteosarcoma, was recorded in men under 20 in fluoridated areas. This was confirmed in studies on rats in 1989 by the US National Toxicology Program.

How To Make Your Own
1. Mix three parts baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with one part table salt (sodium chloride).
2. Add three teaspoons of glycerine (I use vegetable glycerin) for every 1/4 cup of dry mixture.
3. Add enough water to make a thick paste. If desired, a few drops of peppermint oil may be added to improve the taste.
4. Apply and use just as you would any other toothpaste. Store unused toothpaste at room temperature in a covered container.
The Canadian EarthCare Society hopes this is only the start for you. Making your own personal care products ensures that you’re in charge of what goes on and into your body. This means less toxins for you, less for the environment, less fossil fuels released due to transportation and a lot of energy saved from processing.