A tease of tropical rain:)

Which do I love, the frying heat of Arizona’s summer land, or the boiling heat of Philippine’s all-year-round tropical climate?  I love the pristine desert mountains of Arizona.  Oh my, one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen, but an unfriendly beauty during hot summer days.  I love the tropical lush of my native land – Philippines.  My only complain is living in the city where it is hotter and dustier.  But I miss so much the tropical rain and playing with it while I was younger.  So here I am reminiscing with it… now with our daughter who enjoys water!

There’s a pool to cool off, but that sprinkler in the yard gave us contentment – in bringing that old sweet childhood memory.

I thought this sounds funny!

Got it?

It just popped out in my mind.  “I’m awesome… my daughter said so!”

I wanted the words to be discrete yet understandable enough and sound sweet, and funny too. It’s like a riddle.  And whose Dad wouldn’t like wearing this?

Wanna get this shirt for a dad?  Visit my shop at zazzle.

I am thankful for being a mom to the sweetest little thing I ever had:  my daughter.

… for kissing my flaws thinking that I am perfect;

… for needing my arms as she lays to sleep;

… for laughing while she’s crying as I transform myself into a tickle monster or make some silly jokes;

… for being happy with little things we share;

… for testing the level of my sanity when her endless tantrum begins;

… for reminding me that the daily routines we do together are actually different, and each day I learn from it;

… for training my resistance to patience;

…for teaching me not to be embarrassed when she does something awful in the middle of the crowd because I am a mom and willing to do the right way in the midst of it all;

… for asking me to hug her, which actually means carry her even if she is almost half my weight – because this made me realize  as a sweet alternative to dumbbell exercise;

… for helping me dig through my creativity;

… for helping me define unconditional love;

… for totally transforming my life and my heart’s desires that helped me understand why my mother cried on my wedding day (I’ll tell you why someday).

And I won’t forget my husband.  I thank you for everything!

Oh, the joys of Easter…

Easter egg

Other than believing firmly that God exists, that He died for us to redeem our sins and rose again, the other joys of Easter are baking Easter cookies with kids; decorating, painting eggs and finding them; giving; having a family-get-together; and making new friends.  Isn’t it wonderful?

Easter Fun

Decorating Easter cookies

We got the opportunity of baking cookies with my friend’s lovely kids.  As I forgot to bring with us those flowery, colorful cookie sprinklers, we thought of pounding some fruit loops grouping it by each of its colors.  Then used it to decorate over cookies frosted with cream cheese mix.  The kids had fun!

…

Toddlers decorating their cookies with fruit loops

Fruit looped cookies:)

At night, our daughter enjoyed coloring the eggs all by herself, and turned out beautiful (first image).

Then on Sunday was family gathering.  Looking for eggs was a fun thing the kids enjoyed, and then there was egg-quiz (about Christ to get kids know the reason of celebrating Easter).  And there were egg-shaped chocolates and candies.  What a sweet day!

Easter egg hunting: Where is it?

Easter egg quiz: Just to know why there is Easter....

I hope you had Easter fun as much as we did.

Share your Joyful Easter story here.  We love reading ‘em!

I heard a number of times here in the U.S. that some women are not comfortable, feeling inferior from men opening a door for them. So if I still lived in my country (Philippines), I wouldn’t have asked this question.  Males there are trained to be gentlemen starting from their Moms or Dads to schools.  Ladies are celebrating with these gentlemen’s showdown.  We do not feel inferior when a man opens the door for us, we feel loved.  We love it when they court us and start bringing our bags, books and/or notebooks.  This gesture can make every woman proud – to show off that this man really cares for her.  How about men?  They love it when their ladies love it.

At schools, men would always open the doors for us ladies, and let us walk in first.  With a lady teacher, a male student would rush in to open the door for us all ladies.  When we are to ride our public vehicle called jeepney or motorela and there is a male with us, even if he is a stranger, he would offer the door for us, the ladies to sit first.  A jeepney is a popular Philippine public vehicle equivalent to a passenger bus in the U.S, only it has 2 benches at left and right side for sitting, which allow a total of 16 people to sit at 8 people per side or bench. A motorela is driven by a motorcycle with a body attached to its back where passenger seat are provided with a capacity of 6-8 passengers.  And when there is no more seat left for this gentleman, he will stand up and hold the bar.  If there is one more seat for him, he is lucky, but when there is an old woman who needs to have a seat, he will offer it to her.

In walking along the street, males will walk by the side of a lady where the vehicles come passing by to secure her (in case of side swifts). Most of my life living in my country, I had been spoiled with how these Filipino gentlemen treated a woman like me, and how I appreciate their kindness to older women who need their assistance.

Most Filipino men don’t need to be told when a woman needs help.  They come to the rescue intuitively.

In the family, mothers are not allowed to carry heavy loads as much as possible.  The husband will do this, or the sons.  Otherwise, her young healthy daughters will do.

Unbelievably in the U.S., some women feel inferiority over a man when he opens a door for them that they feel obliged to do that man a favor in return, like opening a door for him when she gets a chance. I love this independence of a woman here in the U.S., but I would be happy and thank a gentleman who politely opens a door to a woman, and all other gentleman gestures there is he could offer.

Well, I have met a number of American strangers (men or women) here in the U.S who would instantly open the door for me, and I never felt inferior.  I feel happy, because I met a kind-hearted person.

Feeling inferior over a male when he begins to treat a woman like a “princess” is to me, an egoistic point of view of femininity. As the profession of sociology began, the value of being a gentleman has been confused over equal rights to gender.    I think we are all equal even if a man opens a door for a woman, unless a man begins to bear a child by himself as well.  Before the confusion of equal rights through the depth of social studies, nature had already put men and women in perfect equilibrium.  There’s nothing wrong being a gentleman, being a woman treated as a “princess”.  And I wish these species would not vanish.  I hope that Moms and Dads will not stop teaching their young men the value of politeness, and the bliss of being – A Gentleman.

I love a man in uniform, but a man who carries his child attracts me more. I consider them one of the gentlemen - and this, my husband with our little girl.

Balloon Craze

Today was her 3^rd birthday.  We went to a department store to shop what we needed for the rest of the day for her (our toddler’s) birthday bash.  At first we sighted balloons, which she longed to have each time we go shopping.  Now she finally has it – 2 of them birthday balloons.  Big smile.  She now wants to get out from her stroller so she could parade those balloons as we walked along the aisle.  As we ended our shop, she politely gave the balloons to the cashier for us to pay.  Now we are outside the store.  I had to have her ride her stroller while we walk along the sidewalk by the highway until we crossed the street, then she could have a walk again with the balloons in her hand.  She got mad at me, as she wanted to walk along the way.  Now we start walking, and suddenly the wind kept blowing her balloons down.  She got madder than ever.  She wanted the balloons to fly up, but it kept flying down. She finally said, “Stop it wind, stop it!”

But the wind never stopped.  She cried madly as we went on walking, until she got tired and wanted me to carry her.  But this 3-year old is getting heavier, 10 minutes and this petite mom will get exhausted carrying her.   So she had to be on her stroller again.  She kept crying, so I said, “Stop singing Kitty Cat.”

She exclaimed, “I’m not a kitty cat, I’m a girl.”  Then she cried again.

Again, I said, “Stop crying pretty girl.”  Well, this made her madder, saying, “I’m not a pretty girl, I’m beautiful!”

“Okay, stop crying beautiful.”   Said I.  Then she nodded, and finally stopped crying.

Sharing and Taking Turns

Now we’re home, and she showed her balloons to her daddy, who then teased her, “That’s my balloon.” She replied, “No it’s not, you gotta be sharing.”

Okay, no more “It’s mine” with everything she sees.  Now that she’s 3, she is learning to share and take turns: sharing – to herself; my turn – all the time.  We thought her terrible-two stage is over. Is this a less terrible-3, or just a new  terrible 3?

Blowing Candles

Ah, finally.  Tonight she will be blowing the candles all by herself, closer to the cake.  And so she did.  She couldn’t wait singing happy birthday to herself.  By the way, Happy Birthday song is one of her favorites, and each time we celebrate it with somebody, she is the happiest in the crowd.  She blew her candles wholeheartedly, and after that she clapped the jolliest with the crowd around her.  One of her uncles said, “That’s the happiest kid I’ve ever seen.”

“Careful Daddy, don’t let it blow before I do.”

You made it!

"Finally, I could blow them all by myself!"

"Oh my, oh my! I can do this last one..."

It was such a jolly night.  She was a little bit exhausted.  She got wonderful gifts from family and friends.

The Gifts

From Ninang Anna, Uncle Mike, Ate` Sophia and Kuya Macky … gift certificate.  I know what she wants from there:)

From the Grubbs… she finally has her own family of ponies.  She loves playing her baby pony the most.

From the Gebauers… A make-your-story-stick-to-felt.  It’s so cool.  She loves it.

From the Reynosos… that makes her crazy looking herself on tv, feeling like a star!

From Uncle Ted & Derek… meowww… she loves carrying this kitty cat anywhere we go.  She names her Kitty Cat.  It purrs and feet move when you pet her on the back.

From Gramma and Grampa … whom she loves playing with me all the time.

Her Most Favorite Birthday Stuff

In the morning we woke up, and guess the first thing she wanted to see ………………… her birthday balloons.

Since I got here in U.S., almost everyday I hear problem of obesity expressed by the media; there are always programs to loose weight; and there are always advertisements that offer weight loss.

The most alarming are the following reports:

• Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports from their member countries that U.S has the highest rate of obesity (31% in 2002) followed by Mexico (24% in 2000), and United Kingdom (23% in 2004).

• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) results for year 2005-2006 showed 33% of U.S adults aged 20 and older are overweight, 34% obese, and 6% are extremely obese.  This report showed an increase of obesity rate from 1988.

Obesity in the U.S

Indeed, I see a number of overweight people here.  I meet them almost everyday.  So I looked back in my country (Philippines)… where obesity is less a problem than malnourishment.

Philippines is classified as a third-world country.  Majority is poor.  Poverty there makes people under it not be able to buy foods like the ones served in Mc Donalds (yes, we have it there), and other fast foods related to Mc Donalds like KFC, Jollibee, etc. who serve high fat content foods as they are 3 to 4 folds more expensive than local foods.  Cooking oil there has become a valuable product that people in line of poverty could not almost afford it, and find a way of cooking their foods with little or no oil at all.   Meats such as beef, pork and poultry products including eggs are expensive, and are usually consumed during special occasions like someone’s birthday or wedding occasions.  Eggs can be consumed at any occasion, but very minimal. Vegetables commonly found here in U.S such as cauliflower, broccoli, and asparagus are considered “rich man’s meat” – they are quite expensive for poor people in the Philippines.  However, there are a variety of other vegetables that they can choose to that they prefer because of its affordability, or they can simply harvest it from their mini backyard gardens.  In addition, seafoods, which include a variety of fish are most commonly served in the table due to its affordability.   These seafoods are usually fresh from the catch, never frozen, just iced.

Typical public market in the Philippines.

Fresh vegetables sold in outdoor markets, a typical local Philippine market scenario.

In schools, from elementary (grade schools) to colleges, there are a number of stores situated around them that offer affordable traditional and healthy foods for every meal.  Most are family-owned, ranging from small carts in the sidewalks to simple cafeteria under small buildings or spaces.  Mc Donalds, KFC and the likes are present anywhere near the campuses, but they are usually the choice of working class and few students who can afford to buy some.

Traditional Filipino foods sold in a market's open area. This is a typical scenario.

This store is common in Philippine neighboorhood, which is equivalent to a minimart in the U.S. They sell various kinds of retail goods, including home cooked foods you can buy for less than 10 cents (USD) for a complete meal of 2 persons. Cheaper home cooked foods here are made with seafoods and vegetables.

A focus from part of the photo above on the food that they sell.

In the Philippines, for those who cannot afford snacking French Fries, freshly fried peanuts are a popular snack. People there also believe snacking this food causes pimples, and in my own opinion (nevermind the pimples), it is healthier than french fries, and even tastes better.

When I began working in the Philippine government’s Department of Agriculture, I also began to meet overweight employees who mostly combat with high-blood pressure and heart problems. These people are also well compensated.  Working there also benefited me with abundance of foods shared with every special occasion that seemed to happen most of the time.  They are usually expensive kinds, my weight was beginning to get affected, I had to practice good diet, and I made it.

Moving back to U.S, the view of food affordability is a total opposite.  Suddenly to me, the likes of Mc Donalds and KFCs had become most affordable; meats and other poultry products are more affordable than seafoods; cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus can be bought by anyone.  There are fewer selections of fruits and vegetables.  There is only one kind of avocado in every market, where in the Philippines there can be more than 5 locally sold in the market by a sidewalk-vending individual.  Seafoods are usually frozen.  Most of the food recipes my husband introduced me contain high-fats by using lots of cheese and butter, which most Americans desire. Bacons and hotdogs are now ordinary delicacies.  We used to eat these usually only during special occasion in my country.  We barely consume bacon because it is quite expensive, so are cheese and butter.  Indeed they all taste good, or make foods taste better, but I hate their distasteful health effects.  Cereals here are very popular.  Foods are ready-made, which unfortunately, most of these are preserved with carcinogenic chemicals such as BHTs and sodium nitrites.  In the Philippines it is a struggle to buy one for the table.  People there usually eat 3 times a day, and foods are usually served freshly cooked in almost every meal.

Typical display of fish fresh from the catch sold in the public market by individual vendors.

With these observations, I thought that poverty could be a blessing in disguise.  One part of it can be financially hard, one part it is physically beneficial. In my own opinion, the rising obesity problem in the U.S is due to opportunity and accessibility to acquire unhealthier food resources.  The obesity problem in the U.S and malnourishment problem in the Philippines are both results of economic status of each country’s people.  It is not because French fries and pizzas taste so good, it is because they are highly affordable that consuming them is easily abused, and they are offered with greater accessibility to everyone than foods served with fruits and vegetables, which are more expensive here in U.S and are usually being served best in restaurants.

In addition, there had already been some studies conducted in the U.S of the prevalence of obesity in low-income community, which includes American Indians, Black, and Hispanic minorities (Source: Obesity Prevalence Among Low-Income, Preschool-Aged Children—United States, 1998-2008, JAMA. 2010;303(1):28-30: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/1/28).

Clearly, obesity is not a culture but an effect of massive economic problem.  It is not enough to teach people to eat healthier foods like fish, fruits and vegetables.  The federal government must also find ways to make such food more accessible and affordable for the public consumers.  If there is McDonalds in every corner of American households, there should be twice more of healthier mode of fastfoods to be provided.  Don’t blame it all on McDonalds and the likes.

What you can do:

If you are one of those suffering from obesity, or support the reduction of obesity problem in the U.S, these may help:

Gardening.  One, it gives a good exercise option; second, it provides fresh fruits and vegetables right from your garden.  U.S. has vast of vacant lots that can be used for community gardens.  Community gardens must also be popularized in every campus, accompanied with health education.

Save a penny for healthy foods, everyday.  It is a fact, that here in U.S. vegetables can be more expensive than meats, especially the seafoods as well.  If you have extra penny each day, save it to buy for healthy foods.  You must secure it other than buying extra stuff that are non-consumable. Let your health be your top priority.

Be resourceful.  Find a variety of recipes that call for higher volume of vegetables and seafoods.

If you are trying to reduce weight, minimize consumption of meats, canned foods, refined processed foods, and all other products high in caloric and saturated fat content – as much as possible.

If you are craving for fried chicken or French fries, try to fill your tummy first with banana and grapes or other fruits and vegetable salads you can eat.  When you are done, only and only then decide if you still want that fried chicken and French fries.

………………..

Sources:

http://www.oecd.org

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/overweight/overweight_adult.htm

City Case Study Cagayan de Oro, http://www.ruaf.org/node/86/ (Gerald E. Potutan, Schnitzler, W.H., Arnado, J.M., Janubas, L.G., Holmer, R.J., 2000. Urban agriculture in Cagayan de Oro: a favourable response of city government and NGOs. In: Bakker, M., Dubbeling, M., Sabel-Koschella, U., Zeeuw, H. (eds). Growing Cities Growing Food: Urban Agriculture on the Policy Agenda. DSE, Feldafing, Germany. ISBN 3-934068-25-10, pp. 413-428.

Obesity Prevalence Among Low-Income, Preschool-Aged Children—United States, 1998-2008, JAMA. 2010;303(1):28-30: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/1/28

Love… whatever the heck it is…

… it is my “place” of comfot.  It cures pain, and gives you wisdom.  It can turn you into a slave, to the point of becoming a god.  If you have loved, you will know what I mean.

And here are some of my Love Collections…

My loviedude

… hubby, I mean.  Our memories together with the two of us alone.

Our dear daughter

… whom we think the world’s loveliest, sweetest, wittiest and whiniest human baby ever made

Our Family

… who showed us how to hold love that lasts a lifetime

Friends

… who comfort us, and whom we comfort to

Enemies

… whose animosities tried to take us apart, reminding us that strong love binds you together – sweetly, endlessly.

Strangers

… whom I met in the street and offered help when they think I needed so

My dear blog followers and readers

… whose blogs and/or comments inspire me.

Sweet Recollections

…when my husband proposed to me 54 minutes after midnight, with heart pounding like a drum thumped in a distant space in the silence of the night – I could hear the sound of its heartbeat a foot apart from him.

… when my mother cried on my wedding day.

… when I realized how  my dear father loves me too.

… the first time we witnessed our first borne.  My husband thought she is the prettiest baby he has ever seen, and we were both in tears.

… when my mother-in-law hugged me and said, “I love you”, and we are thankful everyday for sharing their shelter with us.

How about you?  Any love collections and sweet recollections?

Earl (self-portrait), the passionate photographer

Meet Earl, my little brother (duh, he’s taller than me), a passionate photographer I never knew until I left my country.  His talent better than the photographer we hired on our wedding day (I wish he did it for me).  But see how technology can inspire one artist.  Finding great camera and play with it first has given him power to beautify a photo like you’ve never seen before.

He was working as photo/graphics editor at Agfa, a photo developing company, eventually found love in photography. Oh, how my younger siblings grew away from my sight, and I am so proud of him.

Here are some of my favorite photos he took (and edited):

Cute Baby Photo

Below is our old film camera originally from Japan.  Our father has a heart for antiquity, he bought this one from his sister’s husband (who thought the camera is too old).  It really took good pictures still.  I used this since I was college for our Landscaping class, until I found a job as a researcher, taking photos for plantation/research crops documentation.  I’m glad our family still has this camera.  I think this is a treasure!

Girl with a Yashica camera

I think the photo below is artistic!

Color of my world

To my brother Earl, you are graciously creative.  Keep it up!  I am so proud of ya:)

You can visit his works at his Flickr.

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I was searching for baby product manufacturer’s coupons to post in my blog to share to everyone until I came across the news about toxins in baby products.  Unfortunately, most of the manufacturer’s coupons I gathered were from popular companies whose products contain
toxic chemicals when inhaled or penetrated through the skin. It halted my search and shocked me a little bit.  It helped me realize as well that once in a while, I use these toxin-containing
products for my baby.  Now I am throwing them away, probably switching to natural way of taking care of may baby.

Here’s the news:

Formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane: two most common toxic chemicals contaminating baby products and other adult personal care products.   They are chemicals incidentally released by your lotion, shampoo, etc through listed ingredients in their labels.

Formaldehyde in liquid form is used to embalm human corpses to temporarily preserve them; and 1,4-dioxane is primarily used as solvent in manufacturing chemicals, also an important ingredient in fumigants and automotive cooling. 1,4-dioxane is carcinogenic and one of the significant ground water pollutants from industrial wastes. Continuous exposure of this chemical causes damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys.  The state of California under proposition 65 considers it as a carcinogen.  Studies have shown that this chemical is carcinogenic to animals that the IARC (International Agency or Research on Cancer) considers it as Group 2B Carcinogens.

Formaldehyde is used to kill bacteria and fungi, so this has also become an important ingredient for vaccines, and a very important chemical for embalming human corpse as it preserves the tissue. Formaldehyde is also an important ingredient in synthetic fertilizers such as urea, and is one of the ground water pollutants.  Further studies by IARC and WHO (World Health Organization) have shown
that formaldehyde is a probable carcinogen to humans causing but not limited to nasal sinus cancer and possibly leukemia.  The US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) considers it a
probable carcinogen.  Formaldehyde can be taken by air we breathe (through indoor materials containing it), as well as outdoor.  The chemical is used in foam insulation inside the house in the 1970’s, few are using now (gotta ask what your home is made up of).

Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane can be ingested through air, water, foods and the cosmetic products that we use.

Some Baby Products Contaminated with Formaldehyde and 1,4 Dioxane

Here is a report from an independent laboratory study initiated by CSC (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics) and author David Steinman, article released on March 12, 2009 showing percentage in dioxane and formaldehyde contaminated personal care products:

• 17 out of 28 products tested (61 percent) contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. These included:
  • Johnson’s Baby Shampoo,
  • Sesame Street Bubble Bath,
  • Grins and Giggles Milk and Honey Baby Wash and
  • Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber and Green Tea Baby Wash

• 23 out of 28 products (82 percent) contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm).

• • Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels of formaldehyde.

• 32 out of 48 products (67 percent) contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm.
  • American Girl shower products had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane.

Below are some of the details of their lab test results.  David Steinman, author of “Safe Trip to Eden” requested West Coast Analytical Service, an independent testing laboratory specializing in trace chemical analysis to test the following products for 1,4 dioxane contaminant:

*Product was at or above FDA maximum

Dioxane Tested in Organic Products

Dioxane is also found in a number of organic cosmetic products.  A test performed in 2007 and 2008 initiated by the Organic Consumers Association and Environmental Health Consumer Advocate David Steinman showed 46 out of 98 organic products (47%) are contaminated with dioxane. The highest is Citrus Magic 100% Natural Dish Liquid with 97.1 ppm, which exceeded almost 5 times more than the
allowable dioxane exposure limit by ACGIH and OSHA (20 and 25 ppm,
respectively). Click here to view details on organic products tested with dioxane contaminants.

Exposure Limit For Formaldehyde and Dioxane to Humans

To minimize or halt the effect of dioxane and formaldehyde to humans, some government agencies proposed an exposure limit of these chemicals to workers.   The exposure limit is a threshold where human health is unharmed at certain exposure to the said chemicals.

1,4 Dioxane. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) sets an exposure limit of 1,4 dioxane to no more than 20 ppm.  They also confirmed this chemical to be carcinogenic to animals but with no known relevance to humans.  OSHA has currently proposed a 25 ppm exposure limit of dioxane in an 8-hour day of work, 40 hours per day.

Formaldehyde. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Standards)’s regulation for Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals specifically formaldehyde set a permissible limit of formaldehyde exposure (airborne) to workers at no more than 0.75 ppm in 8 hour per day work total of 40 hours per week; also it shall not exceed 2 ppm in a short term exposure at 15 minutes.

If you are using any of the dioxane and formaldehyde contaminated products mentioned above, refer to the proposed exposure limit set by government agencies.  This will give you an idea on how much you and or your baby are exposed to these chemicals.

Why are these chemicals not listed on the products?

Formaldehyde and dioxane are not direct ingredients of the said products, but they are released in the product container by some of the added toxic chemicals used to preserve the products.

Formaldehyde is released by use of common preservatives, and occurs overtime in the container.   These formaldehyde-producing ingredients include:

• quaternium-15,
• DMDM hydantoin,
• imidazolidinyl urea and
• diazolidinyl urea that are commonly mixed in shampoos.

1,4 dioxane, on one hand is released through ethyloxyation process involving the use of ethyl oxide (classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer) the manufacturers used to convert certain chemicals to be less harsh. Sodium laureth sulfate a common ingredient found in your shampoo, for example is a harsh chemical that needed to be processed with ethylene dioxide (called the ethyoxilation process) in order for it to be gentler when mixed with cosmetic products.  It is through this process that 1,4 dioxane is released.  The less harsh sodium laureth sulfate is commonly used by the manufacturers as an important cleaning agent (removes oil stains and residues) and is mixed in toothpastes, shampoos and shaving foams.  It is usually present in bubble baths for its lather and thickening effect.  Below are ingredients that cause dioxane contamination:

• sodium myreth sulfate,
• PEG compounds chemicals that include the clauses “xynol,” “ceteareth” and “oleth.”

Synonyms of dioxane: Diethylene dioxide; diethylene ether; 1,4-dioxacyclohexane; diethylene oxide; dioxyethylene ether; glycol ethylene ether; p-dioxane; 1,4-dioxane.

The US Food and Drug Administration is aware of these carcinogens in consumer products and encourages manufacturers to remove dioxane in their products, however there is no regulation implemented by the US federal law.

Japan and Sweden have banned products contaminated with formaldehyde, while the European Union banned products with dioxane, including the use of ethylene oxide contained in pesticides for crop protection.

What You Can Do

To prevent these toxic chemicals in attacking your health, check your cosmetic’s ingredient.

Carcinogenic chemicals contained in consumer products are usually waylower than its harmful amount.  However, repeated use of these products, added to our unpreventable exposure of these chemicals through air and water, and food we consume piles up and this is where health concern arises.  They are perceived to affect pregnancy, infancy and puberty.

Other Carcinogenic Ingredient in Personal Care Products:

Parabens. Formaldehyde and dioxane are not the only carcinogenic chemicals found in these cosmetics.  There is also this group of parabens, which includes the most commonly used methylparaben (E number E218), ethylparaben (E214), propylparaben (E216) and butylparaben, and the less occurring ones isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben and their sodium salts.  Parabens are commonly used as preservative for cosmetics, food products and pharmaceutical drugs.  It prevents the growth of bacteria thus lengthening the shelf life of the product.  It is also a low-cost form of preservative, and accordingly, it is excreted rapidly out from the body.  However, the latter contradicts the resulting scientific study conducted showing paraben compounds found in breast tumor.  This alerted the scientific community to conduct more study relating to the effect of parabens in breast cancer, which as of this time no conclusive results had been reported.

To use or not to use paraben-containing product is a personal choice.  I personally choose not to ever since a cyst in my breast was surgically removed (thanks it was benign).  It is hereditary to us, however I think that should I expose myself with more parabens, I might build up more of it in my system that would be unhealthy in my later life.

BHA and BHT.  Another form of carcinogenic preservatives is BHA and BHT both added in cosmetic and food products.  Repeated studies with BHA and BHT conducted by IARC showed increase risk in cancer, liver enlargement, and retards cell development.

No Escape! What Can I Do?

So I read all these carcinogenic additives and found it in all of the chemicals we use in our home from personal care to home cleaning agent. There seems to be no escape.  We live with a little bit of poison around. And I feel a little bit disappointed.  Here is what I did:

• Research products without chemicals that cause the release of formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane and paraben free

• Use of natural resources and be creative with it.
  Now that I threw away those harmful lotions, I found myself using grape seed oil or olive oil mixed with lavender oil to scent it.  It actually gives me a more supple and well moisturized skin.  It also works with my little girl and she loves the smell of lavender.  Olive oil in my skin, in fact has given a more effective result in moisturizing my skin, living it with no scales after 3 hours or so.  This impresses me, as even expensive lotions will make my skin stay moisturized for less than 3 hours, even if they promise it with 24-hour moisturizing effect. Don’t be worried about using oil in your body and think it will stain your furniture.  It does stain if it is spilled over your furniture.  It’s about the quantity spilled over that makes it stain.  You would not like to put too much oil in your skin (you don’t want it to be too oily and live marks).  Just a little bit, enough for it to get absorbed by your skin.  Most of the best lotions you found in grocery stores contain oils and do live marks in glasses.  It does the same with using olive body oils.

• Carefully choose products that claim they are natural and organic.  As I said, there is no escape (it seems) for us to avoid using products with toxic ingredients.  If you cannot avoid it, minimize its usage.

• Homemade it.  The primary reason why these toxic chemicals are important to manufacturers in mixing with their products is to preserve them, and we love its accessibility and ease of use.  If you choose to avoid it, make a research on homemade recipes for personal care.  These homemade products (you can do) may not last as long as the commercial ones, but you will have the safer, healthier, most natural one.

Like salt, all the chemicals noted here, and all other toxins not remarked here might be hazardous to health at certain quantity.  They all exist both synthetically and by nature.   Having them absorbed to our body is inescapable. The only way to keep ourselves healthier is minimize their usage if we can’t avoid them.  The good news is our body is designed to wash them out, bad news is some of them stay in our body that may make us unhealthy in later life.

From the first comment below (by Danielle), here’s how you could get well informed with safer products:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
http://www.safecosmetics.org/

References:
Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde

Formaldehyde

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde

1,4-Dioxane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,4-Dioxane

Regulations (Standards – 29 CFR):  Formaldehyde. – 1910.1048c

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=10075&p_table=STANDARDS

DIOXANE

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pel88/123-91.html

1,4-Dioxane (1,4-Diethyleneoxide)

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dioxane.html

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH GUIDELINE FOR DIOXANE

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/dioxane/recognition.html

An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html

Children’s Bath Products Contaminated with Formaldehyde, 1,4-Dioxane

http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=425

Results Of Testing For 1,4-Dioxane

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/DioxaneResults08.cfm