Cinco Vidas

In April of this year, we told you about the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study which revealed that nearly two-thirds of the children’s bath products tested (shampoos, lotions, bath soaps) were contaminated with formaldehyde and 1-4 dioxane, both linked to skin allergies and considered potential carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because these ingredients tend to be by-products of manufacturing, they are not added intentionally, and therefore don’t show up on product ingredient lists. (more…)

Remember that icky-smelling stuff that used to preserve the soon-to-be-dissected frogs in your junior high science class? Yep. Formaldehyde. We warned you about it showing up in nail polish in a former post. A colorless gas used to manufacture building materials, to serve as a preservative, and to make certain substances adhere to surfaces (as in nail hardeners and polishes), it made our “ingredients to avoid” list because of its reputation as a carcinogen. Just in case you weren’t convinced, here’s some more evidence for you!

A new study conducted by scientists from the National Cancer Institute followed 25,000 industrial workers in formaldehyde-producing plants for three decades, (more…)

Somebody’s finally getting fired up. And it’s about time.

In March of this year, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) reported that most of the children’s bath products they tested were contaminated with two chemicals linked to cancer and skin allergies. Later that same month, acting on behalf of parents or other consumers who had purchased the products, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro (HBSS) took Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Kimberley Clark, and other manufacturers to court. (more…)

Ladies, now that you’re going through chemotherapy, you may be working extra hard on your appearance…especially if your hair has fallen out. Having pretty nails is a great way to look put together, but how many of us like the smelly fumes and toxic chemicals in the polish?

That sharp odor comes from a mix of alcohol, solvents and resins that gives polish its ability to adhere to the nail, deliver the pigment, and resist chipping and peeling. Unfortunately, with repeated exposure, several of these ingredients are highly toxic as well as pungent, especially to sensitive and compromised nails. But since treatment may be leaving your nails brittle and discolored, you’ll probably want to cover up with nail polish. Is there an alternative?
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