Have you ever brought a T-Shirt home from a store and noticed that it has a very strange smell? Have you ever put the shirt on and then after a few hours noticed that it has left a stain on your skin. These are both signs that the t-shirt you are wearing is toxic. Usually the culprits are those inexpensive T-Shirts that are made out of a polyester blend.
The manufacturing of polyester is expensive for our environment. The material is made from refined petroleum that is flash heated at 800 degrees Celcius. A heavy metal such as antimony is added so that the resulting ethylene turns into a goo that in the end is cooled and becomes fabric. This is what we are wearing against our skin when we wear polyester. It is a creation of heavy metals and petroleum.
The scary thing about this is that if you sweat you might be leaching out these chemicals into your skin. You might want to think twice before you consider working out in a T-shirt because a Danish study found that as much as ten percent of the chemicals found in a polyester t-shirt might possibly end up on your skin and also leach into your bloodstream. It is bad enough that we buy junk food filled with chemicals but it is horrifying to think that we are buying junk fabrics that are equally bad for our health.
Printed T-shirts are equally toxic. Discharged print ink can also degrade and be absorbed by the skin over time. That is why it is not a good idea to sleep in a polyester or printed ink T-shirt if you can help it. Natural organic cotton T-shirts are much better choices both for day and night wear.
When buying a T-shirt try to stay away from cotton-polyester blends or Lycra blends and stick to pure cotton, which lets your skin, breathe. In terms of t-shirt colors it is the black, blue, pink and red dyes that are the most toxic to your body system. Opt for t-shirts that have not been dyed if possible, if you truly care about your health.
One way to tell if a T-shirt is toxic is to wash it. If it stains your other clothes then it means the dye in the fabric is not fixed. This is not good news because it means the dye is also transferable to your skin.
July 14
6.
Eco-Friendly Water-Based Nail Polish
For years the Environmental Protection Agency has been warning us about the toxic dangers of using nail polish. Nail salons are hotbeds of toxic fumes and some cities, like San Francisco and San Diego, are doing entire overhauls of their salon industries in an attempt to keep the pollution from running these businesses under control.
As an individual you can help the environment by not wearing nail polish at all or by wearing water based nail polishes. Several companies make water-based water polish including Aquarella, Honeybee, Suncoat and Scotch Naturals.
Water based nail polish does not smell and actually helps hydrate your nails. As it is not really a varnish this type of polish does not yellow or peel, it is chalkier in consistency. It is very matte but this is a nice, natural effect. In fact, it is very popular with people who love a natural or hippie look. The pale colors in a very light blue, white, lime or pink are wonderful for summer. Just because an ecologically correct nail product is non toxic it does not mean that it has to be stuffy. Water based nail polish is available in all kinds of colors from deep blue to lime to outrageous purples.
So technically just what is this different type of polish? Water-based nail polish is based on an acrylic polymer emulsion (e.g. styrene-acrylate copolymer), and pigments similar to those used in watercolor paints.[ This is marketed as an environmentally-conscious product, since nail polish is considered a hazardous waste by some regulatory bodies such as the Los Angeles Department of Public Works).[
However there might be one thing to be concerned about and that is that the solvent does not completely evaporate as in the case of the traditional nail polish; part of the water is absorbed through the fingernail. However so far these products have not been know to actually discolor the fingernail beds.
Nail polish makers have been under pressure for some time to reduce or to eliminate toxic ingredients, including phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde. In September 2006, several makers agreed to phase out dibutyl phthalate, which has been linked to testicular problems in lab animals and humans.
Water-based nail polish s also non-flammable and does not contain formaldehyde, phthalates or petrochemical solvents of any kind. In fact this type of nail polish is considered to be so pure that some brands actually qualifies as being a vegan products.