Monthly Archives: June 2020

24
Jun

What scary ingredients are hiding in your favorite products?

Hey everyone! Welcome back for Part 2 of the blog series where we get to discover, or rather uncover, what scary ingredients are hiding in some of our go-to products. We’re looking into ingredients that are widely used in everything from shampoos, to creams, facemasks, nail polishes, perfumes, laundry detergents… you get the idea.

Last week, we went over the term “fragrance” – what it means and what types of products it can be found in (spoiler alert, it’s in everything!) and what health and environmental impacts it can have. This week, we will be taking a closer look at one of those long scientific-type words that lives on ingredient labels. This ingredient is widely used in shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, liquid soap, hair dye, body wash, lotion, mascara, as well as baby shampoo and lotion to name a few. We’ll take a look at what this ingredient is (and how to properly pronounce it!), the health impacts, as well as the associated environmental impacts. So, without further ado, onto the good stuff!

Methylisothiazolinone – say that ten times fast!

Methylisothiazolinone, also known as MI or MIT, is used as a preservative in personal care products and cosmetics to prevent the growth of different fungi and bacteria. MIT is a potent biocide, which is a broad-spectrum term used to describe various chemical substances with the ability to kill living organisms in a selective way. The term biocide also covers antibiotics, antifungals, antimicrobials, and germicides.

This preservative is commonly found in various moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, and other personal care products and household cleaners. MIT is also used in industrial settings to slow the formation of mildew, mold, and sap stain in wood products, as well as to control the population of slime-forming organisms in fuel storage containers, water systems in pulp and paper mills, and oil extraction systems. But yes, let’s lather it onto our scalp? I think not.

Methylisothiazolinone falls under a family of isothiazolinone preservatives, which can appear on a product label under many different names. The two most common names that will appear on personal care products are methylisothiazolinone (MI/MIT) and methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI/MCIT). Other common names, more so  found in household cleaners are benzisothiazolinone (BIT), chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), and octylisothiazolinone (OIT). 

It can be a challenge when attempting to avoid MI in the products we choose to purchase.  Although normally listed on its own, MI is one of the many chemicals that can be disguised on a label when in a blend with other permitted chemicals and hidden under the term “fragrance” or “parfum”.  

Health Impacts

The health impacts of methylisothiazolinone are quite serious; so much so that it was found unsafe for use in cosmetics and therefore banned in Europe. It is a known human immune toxicant, a skin toxicant, and a human sensitizer toxicant. A study was also done on the brain cells of mammals which indicated that MI may be a neurotoxin. 

In 2015, a study was done to determine whether or not the current allowed levels of MI in rinse-off cosmetic products were causing allergic contact dermatitis. The study was carried out on thirty-eight individuals, with equal parts of MI-allergic subjects and a control group of non-allergic subjects. 

Each subject applied two liquid hand soaps five times per day to an area on each forearm. Ten allergic individuals and the entire control group used one soap containing the allowed concentration of MI in cosmetics, which is 100 ppm (parts per million). Another soap containing 50 ppm MI was used by the other nine allergic subjects. The last soap, used by all subjects as a negative control, was a soap containing 0 ppm MI. The study ran the duration of 21 days, or until a positive reaction occurred. 

The study showed that no reaction occurred to the soap without any MI, while all ten allergic individuals had reactions to the 100 ppm MI hand soap. Seven out of the nine subjects also reacted to the 50 ppm MI hand soap, and no reaction was seen among those without allergies. The study concluded with a statement saying, “Rinse-off products preserved with 50 ppm MI or more are not safe for consumers. A “safe level” has yet be identified.

In Australia, MI was reported as an important cause of facial and hand dermatitis in caregivers and children due to the presence in baby wipes and facial wipes. Various patch test studies conducted between 2011 and 2013 showed a significant rise in contact dermatitis from MI; jumping from 3.5% in 2011 to 11.3% in 2013. It was concluded that the continued use of the chemical in baby wipes and facial wipes will lead to increased rates of allergy to these preservatives in adults.

Environmental Impacts

Methylisothiazolinone has many environmental impacts on aquatic life. The chemical is moderately to highly toxic to freshwater, estuarine, and marine organisms. Although these risks are known, it is hard to know exactly how harmful they are to aquatic life forms as no formal assessment has not yet been performed. However, not being able to prove the extent of the damage we know MI is causing does not mean we should continue to use it.

So, will you be paying more attention to product labels?

These chemicals can be easy to avoid in products once you know what to look for! There are plenty of resources available for the consumer that can make shopping for new, safe products a breeze and not a daunting task! Stay tuned next week as we look into resources that you can use to help avoid these ingredients, as well as many more!

 

Written by: Quinn Ponton, Holistic Nutritionist CNP

Questions for Quinn?

Reach her via email at quinn.ponton@gmail.com

17
Jun

The Principles of Practice with Amanda Tripp: ‘Ahimsa’

The aim of yoga is to still the busy-ness of our minds – but if your life and relationships are a mess, it’s hard to have a quiet mind. So, yoga starts, not with poses, but by cleaning up your relationship with yourself, with others and with the world around you. Moral and ethical practices are the foundation of Raja yoga (The Royal yoga).

Ahimsa

The first principle of practice is ‘Ahimsa’, or non-harming. Beyond just refraining from harming people, you might think of it as a practice of nurturing.

Here are some ways you might explore that:

Intention: ‘I nurture myself and others’

Supportive Breath: Dhirga (see video for instruction)

Pose: Try a supported restorative pose, like legs up the wall or savasana. Any practice that you find nurturing is perfect.

Activity: Recognize social distancing as an act of ‘ahimsa’. If you’re working on the frontlines to keep people healthy and fed, that’s ‘ahimsa’. If you’re working from home to keep your family nourished and housed, that’s ahimsa.

Let’s keep taking good care of each other.

Written by: Amanda Tripp

10
Jun

What scary ingredients are hiding in your favorite products?

Personal care products: they are everywhere are are used by everyone. These products are in our homes, our yoga totes, and our places of work. With so many products to choose from (especially for the ladies, am I right?) it is very important to know what to look for, or what not to look for, in the products we choose to buy; because what is left out of the product is just as important as what’s in it.

Most personal care products on the market today are made with outdated chemicals that date back generations. Several of these chemicals have been linked to everything from cancer, to fertility problems, asthma, skin conditions and even birth defects but are still being used in products that we use everyday! Scary, right? And these chemicals aren’t always easy to find on the ingredient list. Among that ingredients list are umbrella terms like “fragrances”, and long scientific words that are near impossible to pronounce never mind identify; things like carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and synthetic colours and fragrances are often hiding in plain sight.

The eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing labels on these products do not always tell the whole truth either – something can be beautifully packaged and read phrases like “All Natural”, “Vegan”, “Plant-derived” leading you to believe that the product itself would be entirely safe, and even good for you to use on yourself or your family. But, the catch is that those phrases are not synonymous with safe.

Over the next few weeks, I will be releasing a blog series on a few ingredients that you might find in your own products. This will cover a breakdown of what the ingredient is, as well as the health and environmental impacts it has. My hope is that in doing this, I can educate those who wish to read on what exactly those long scientific words on the labels are, why they should be avoided; enabling everyone to make more informed choices!

If there is an ingredient that you are curious about or would like information on, please email myself at quinn.ponton@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer any questions you might have.

Fragrance – what does that term actually mean?

When the term “fragrance” appears on the label of personal care products, it can be hiding a long list of other chemicals that companies are not legally required to disclose. This umbrella term “fragrance” is legally used by companies as a way of “protecting” their unique scent compositions. Although this is indeed hiding specific fragrance formulations, it is causing a serious lack of transparency to consumers by hiding several harmful chemicals in plain sight! In fact, the International Fragrance Association has a list of exactly 3,059 different ingredients that have been listed as part of a fragrance formulation – that’s a long list, right? Of these, many have been reported to contribute to serious health effects ranging from sensitivities, to reproductive toxicity, to cancer. 

The term fragrance can be found on the label of many different products. It’s commonly found in everything from shampoos to creams, to makeup, and even feminine hygiene products. This term can also be found on the labels of other products such as home fragrance items like room sprays or oil blends, home cleaning products, laundry and dish washing detergents, air fresheners, deodorizers and many more. Fragrance can also be listed on an ingredient label as one of many guises; perfume, parfum, aroma, and “essential oil blend” (please note, specific essential oils listed as individual ingredients are very different!).

Health Impacts

The list of health concerns related to fragrance in products is extensive. Many ingredients that fall under the guise “fragrance” have links to allergies and sensitivities, while others have evidence linking them to effects as serious as cancer. A few ingredients that are able to hide under the term “fragrance” are benzophenone, acetaldehyde, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), chloromethane, and synthetic musks. But, what exactly are those ingredients?

Benzophenone

Benzophenone and Butylated hydroxyanisole, which are listed under California’s Proposition 65 as potential human carcinogens, are endocrine disruptors that are also linked to organ system toxicity. Endocrine disruptors are defined as, “chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormone) systems at certain doses. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders! 

Acetaldehyde

Acetaldehyde is known to affect the kidneys as well as the nervous, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Due to these affects, it is listed as a possible carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer and is also listed under California’s Proposition 65 as a known carcinogen. 

Chloromethane

Chloromethane, also called methyl chloride, is also listed under California’s Proposition 65 as a developmental toxicant as well as a male reproductive toxicant. Chloromethane can impact the liver, skin, and kidneys, as well as affect the nervous system. This substance has also been formerly used as a refrigerant, a pesticide, and a fumigant, but use was discontinued due to toxic effects! But yes, let’s keep putting it in our care products… that just doesn’t make sense!

Synthetic Musks

Synthetic Musks (aka tonalide, musk ketone, galaxolide, or musk xylene) are more ingredients that can hide under the term “fragrance”. Synthetic Musks are of great concern, as they are highly bioaccumulative, meaning they absorb into your body at a rate faster than they are being detoxed or excreted, causing them to remain in your body for an extended period of time. Their bioaccumulative nature has led to these substances being detected in human breast milk, body fat, and even the blood in an umbilical cord! Synthetic musks are also known to be endocrine disruptors, as well as potential developmental, reproductive, and organ system toxicants.

Phthalates

Research has shown that fragrances also contain harmful phthalates – a term that is a little more known to consumers now that classifies a group of chemicals with their own health concerns. Phthalates are another endocrine disruptor that have been connected to thyroid abnormalities, hormonal changes, and reproductive system problems in newborn boys. 

Phthalates are used to hold consistent scents in personal care products such as scented hair products, perfumes and colognes, deodorants, body washes, and creams among other products.  Phthalates are also being used as a plasticizer in food containers, plastic wrap, children’s toys, and various other products.

Environmental Concerns

Since some components of fragrances have the ability to bioaccumulate in humans, such as synthetic musks, they also have the ability to bioaccumulate in the environment. When these chemicals are released into the environment, they do not breakdown. Instead, they make their way into the water system where they attach to the fatty tissues of aquatic lifeforms. Once accumulated in the fatty tissues of aquatic organisms, it does not take these chemicals long to make their way up the rest of the food chain. 

Unfortunately, it is not only the aquatic life that is impacted by fragrance, but the water itself is affected. A study was done in 2015 in Venice, Italy, to determine the levels of 17 different fragrance chemicals in the water. Samples were taken from 22 different locations ranging from the center of the canals, to the rural, less populated areas. Traces of all 17 different fragrance chemicals were present in all samples, with samples from the city being 500 times more concentrated than those taken from the less populated areas.

VOCs

Fragrances are also impacting the air we breathe on a daily basis, both indoor and outdoor. Most fragrances fall under the classification of volatile compounds, called VOCs. VOCs are substances that when released into the air, break down into a new composition, which are often more toxic than the original compound. VOCs are known to cause nose, throat and eye irritation, as well as dizziness and headaches. In higher concentrations, VOCs can also impair vision and memory, and are a potential carcinogen! 

Written by: Quinn Ponton, Holistic Nutritionist CNP

Questions for Quinn?

Reach her via email at quinn.ponton@gmail.com

Next week:

Next week, I’ll be covering an ingredient called methylisothiazolinone: what is it, and why is it banned from products in other countries? Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

03
Jun

MY RESPONSE TO RACIAL INJUSTICE by April Janzen

I’ve been feeling the need to write something all week about the current racial tensions in the U.S amidst the murder of George Floyd. 

Why? 

Because “Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.” -Helen Keller

” The Only thing necessary for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke 

Racism flourishes when we say nothing. 

Racism is about human dignity. 

It’s about life. 

It’s about death.

It’s about my faith as a Christ follower. 

And it’s absolutely about yoga. 

Ahimsa.

Let me begin with transparency by saying that I come from a long line of staunchly proud southern Americans. I am half American. I am white. I am well educated and come from a European worldview. I occupy a place of privilege. 

Please don’t throw stones at me….

I’m going to be naked here for a moment in the hopes to break myself free from my own prejudices and hopefully to give many of you the same opportunity. Only things hidden in darkness have power. Once they come out into the light their power is gone. 

So please don’t throw stones.

When I first heard about the murder of George Floyd, my initial reaction was to think “it’s being overblown because he was black, the cops were probably acting in self defense even if that’s not what the video looks like etc.” 

Please be gracious with me. I’m sharing this because darkness needs to be shown light so that the darkness no longer has power. I have this darkness in the corners of my being….and I suspect a lot folks out there do. 

I knew this thinking was not a reflection of Jesus or of truth but my culture has been deeply ingrained in me. I had to stop and take my thoughts captive. I liken it to social justice infused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with a generous dash of Jesus and an undertone of the yogic philosophy of Ahimsa (non-harming). 

But what really got me is when it got personal.

I’m going to leave names out to respect privacy – My white American cousins who live in the deep south adopted a black baby just over 15 years ago. He just turned 16. I don’t know him super well cause we only see each other once every couple years at large family gatherings but I can tell you that he is kind, quiet, an incredible athlete, loves Jesus and is one good looking young man. 

Well, my cousin shared that she prays every time he leaves the house that he will be safe because she lives in fear that he will be the victim of racism just because he is a young black man. And the murder of George Floyd really shook her up. 

And that’s when it hit home for me. 

That’s when I realized in a very deep way inside my body that racism isn’t just a nuisance of a social problem. It’s devastating. And it’s real. Very real. 

I know it sounds really bad because I’m a social worker and could write you a thesis by the end of the week on fancy terms like “interlocking structures of oppression” and describe wonderfully sounding ways to implement social justice. I have always said I am against racism and addressed it when I’ve heard it but I didn’t really get it in the deep fibres of my being until it became personal. 

And I think a lot of us privileged folks are probably in the same situation as me. And I think it’s time we acknowledged it. 

The darkness has to come into the light or it will continue to have power. 

You see, Ahimsa – the yogic philosophy of non-harming – isn’t about saying weak pacificsm. It’s not about the absence of action (although sometimes it might be). Rather, it’s about using our power in a positive way to help prevent harm to others.  

It’s not the white saviour rushing in to save the day cause that does way more harm than good. 

It’s using the power we have in a way that supports our black and Aboriginal communities using their power. 

And it all starts with learning about these communities. (I will write more about my experience with this in another post).

I am not an expert on racism. But I am going to share something that I have learned in my studies of trauma about the relationship between trauma and race.. 

Statistics typically show higher crime rates amongst marginalized groups of people – so as a culture we have this collective mindset – like it or not – that this is because there is something wrong with these groups of people. 

Instead of acknowledging that oppression is trauma. 

Slavery is trauma. 

Trauma is held in our bodies. Trauma alters the neural pathways in our brain. It deeply affects our nervous system. 

Trauma is devastating to our body and our mind. 

And it gets passed down through generations. 

The effects don’t stop just because we don’t have plantations with black slaves. 

It doesn’t stop just because we don’t have residential schools anymore. 

Black slaves experienced severe trauma. Their mental health was affected. Their nervous system was affected. Not to mention their physical bodies. 

Oppression is trauma. Captivity is trauma. Being beaten is trauma. Being called names is trauma. Being told you are worth less because you can’t sit at the front of the bus or share the same classroom as a white kid is trauma. 

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Trauma have been documented and research by countless trauma experts like Bessel Van der Kolk, Babette Rothschild, Judith Herman and Antonio Damasio. 

And guess what……high risk behaviours like drug use, violence, crime are all symptoms of trauma. 

So let’s start by acknowledging that white people inflicted severe trauma on black people and that accounts for much of the “social problems” we find in these communities today.

But let’s not stay there and berate ourselves about it because that just makes it all about us again. 

Let’s bring it into the light – say it like it is. 

And then learn. 

I don’t have prescribed action steps other than this because I’m on this journey too.  

But by all means don’t let evil prosper in the midst of your silence.