October 22, 2009 by organicallyhatched
We were looking everywhere for safe, non-toxic face paint and couldn’t really find any good alternatives, so we decided to experiment and make our own. We were quite surprised by how good our concoction turned out, that we thought we should share our recipe.
Here it is:
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon DermaMed Healing Cream
1 to 2 drops food coloring
Instructions:
1) In small bowl, combine water and cornstarch.
2) Mix in DermaMed Healing Cream.
3) Add food coloring.
Super easy and will wash off with soap and water!
Tags: halloween face paint, make your own face paint, non-toxic halloween face paint
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September 28, 2009 by organicallyhatched
We were on the BC Ferry to Vancouver Island a couple of weeks ago and noticed that they had a children’s play area which was great! Whilst in the play area, i noticed an antibacterial hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall when a mom and grandma used it and said out loud, “what a great idea” and then proceeded to use it on their kids. I thought to myself, that if these women knew what was in this hand sanitizer they would perhaps think twice about using it.
Most anti-bacterial products contain the chemical Triclosan which is found in everything from hand sanitizers, dish soap, anti-bacterial hand soap, toothpastes and so much more. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) says that ” Triclosan is linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, and may disrupt thyroid function. Wastewater treatment does not remove all of it, its ending up in our water sources… harming fish and aquatic life. To boot, Triclosan is turning up in breast milk and could potentially present toxicity to fetal development and childhood development.” To top it off, many anti-bacterial hand sanitizers are alcohol based which can be dangerous to little kids, especially if they decide to eat it.
So what should we do, to avoid spreading germs and bacteria? The EWG says that washing our hands and our little one’s hands regularly with soap and water is the best way to do this. When water is not available readily, try products like Oopsy Daisy’s rinse free body wash and rinse free shampoo. Both are made from natural, organic ingredients that will not harm you or your little one. I also carry the travel size of the Oopsy Daisy pip squeaky clean in my bag to wash my hands and my son’s hands when we are out an about. Both of these come in travel sizes making them easy to take along.
*source: http://safemama.com/?s=antibacterial
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September 11, 2009 by organicallyhatched
With Sigg bottles admitting BPA present in their bottle lining it get moms and consumers like me worried. We were told that these bottles were BPA free and that’s why most of those who bought them, made the decision to buy them.
Not long after we opened shop we were contacted by a Sigg representative wanting us to sell their bottles. I did a lot of research and the fact that they were an aluminium bottle made me uneasy given the health risks associated with aluminium. I told the rep my concerns and she said i was crazy because the liner that they used was leak proof and the aluminium would never be exposed – so she claimed. Still i hesitated, because i just didn’t feel good about selling a product that needed to be lined in order to make it safe. So we passed on selling Sigg and stuck to bottles that were made of solid, quality stainless steel. I am so glad we did.
So how can you, the consumer tell if bottles that claim to be BPA free actually are? It’s difficult, but my advice is to do as much research as possible before purchasing. Find out what the bottle is made of, what are the materials used. Find out if any of these materials are hazardous. For example, a few of the BPA free, baby bottles are made from PES plastic. So we asked the question what makes PES plastic safe? We found that out that it is able to withstand high-temperature dishwashing and microwaving without degrading. Apparently based on PES’s chemical attributes, it doesn’t react as readily as polycarbonate does to heating, acidic fluids or alkaline dishwasher detergents, so it is likely a safer choice for making food-contact plastics.
The bottom line is to do your research, ask these types of questions and find out what materials are used. Don’t just go by the fact that the manufacturer or retailer is telling you that it’s BPA free. The more you know about the materials used, the better your ability to make decisions regarding the health and safety of your children and family.
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August 18, 2009 by organicallyhatched
A lot of people ask me this question and so i thought i would run through the average costs of both. Of course, cloth diapers are better for the environment and better for your baby but we are now seeing more eco-friendly alternatives in the disposable diaper category. We sell a line of diapers made in Sweden called Nature Baby Care that is made from absorbent pulp from sustainably harvested Scandinavian forests. These chlorine free, plastic free line is a great eco-friendly alternative. We also now carry a bamboo diaper which is probably the softest diaper ever. It comes with three rows of snaps so it fits newborns all the way up to 33 pounds so you don’t need to buy different sizes. So here is cost comparison between the bamboo, organic cotton and the ec0-friendly disposable diapers we carry.
First 6 months (on average 6 diapers a day needed so you will likely need about 12 cloth diapers):
bamboo diapers: $359.88
organic cotton diapers: $217.98 based on all size medium of the ultima, all in one organic cotton diapers
disposable diapers: $725 based on an average of 35 diapers in each package
As you can see, the organic cotton diapers work out to be the cheapest option followed by the bamboo diapers. Given that the bamboo diapers are one size and so soft, these are worth the extra money. You will likely need to buy different sizes of the organic cotton diapers as your baby grows out of these so the cost of the bamboo diapers are probably the same as what you would end us spending on the organic cotton diapers. Disposable diapers are more than double in cost so if you can deal with the regular cleaning and care of cloth diapers this is definitely the cheaper alternative.
Tags: cloth versus disposable diapers
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July 31, 2009 by organicallyhatched
It took me a long time to learn about all of these horrible ingredients and to look for them, when reading labels of all skin and bath care products. I thought it would be great to summarize these worst ingredients so that they are easy to spot when reading labels:
Parabens (as in methylparaben etc)
There are quite a few paraben ingredients. At the very least they are known to cause irritation while some forms of parabens are considered to be toxic. They are cheap and effective and are most frequently used as preservatives in all kinds of skin care products.
Phthalates (Dibutyl and Diethyl):
An ingredient typically used in hair spray, nail polish and some fragrances as a plasticizers providing flexibility. Considered high hazard on Skin Deep for it’s various potential health problems.
Synthetic colors:
FD&C and D&C followed by a number. These artificial colors are coal tar based and some of them are known to be carcinogen.
Synthetic fragrance:
Fragrance is often the ingredient in a product that will cause an allergic reaction. The word fragrance tells us nothing and could mean all kinds of different ingredient.
Diethanolamine, Triethanolamine (TEA, DEA):
These ingredients help to stabilize the ph of a product. They act as foaming agents in cleansers and are considered irritating and possibly toxic.
Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea:
These are used as preservatives and have been found to cause contact dermatitis. They also release formaldehyde which can be toxic.
Petroleum based ingredients:
sodium laurel sulfate (a cheap detergent used in shampoos can be very irritating and cause allergic reactions)
propylene glycol PEG and PPG (usually used in the synthetic form can cause a variety of allergic reactions)
PVP PVA copolymers (used in hair products can be toxic if inhaled)
petrolatum-petroleum jelly (used to help retain moisture in the skin but has been found to do just the opposite)
Stearelkonium chloride
Used in hair conditioners and creams maybe even in your fabric softener, can be very irritating and considered toxic.
1,4-dioxane
While not an ingredient but a by-product of other chemicals, it has been found in many of our personal care products and is linked to cancer. To learn more about it, where it’s found and how to avoid it read this article about
1 4 dioxane.
Hopefully more of you will start reading labels and recognizing these ingredients in your everyday bath and body products you use.
*reference:
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July 14, 2009 by organicallyhatched
A recent article in the Vancouver Sun caught my attention. It talked about the new best-selling book Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects our Health written by Smith and Lourie who expose the toxic makeup of everyday items ranging from bed sheets to toothpaste to antibacterial hand cleansers. The book is on my to read list, but the article summarized the purpose and point of the book, which is “to really demonstrate that what we buy and what we use in our homes on a daily basis really matter; they really have a direct impact on the level of pollution in our bodies and perhaps more importantly, the level of pollution in our kids.” Both Smith and Lourie spent a week as experimental guinea pigs. They exposed themselves to pollutants that many people expose themselves to on a daily basis. The results were unbelievable.
“Smith and Lourie focused on Triclosan and six other toxins that are found in everyday items, some of which are easily flushed from the body and others that linger much longer. They found that among those that are processed and expelled by the body relatively quickly are phthalates — often found in scented shampoos and soaps — and bisphenol A, which is used in hard plastics and was recently banned for use in baby bottles by the Canadian government. Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is also found in the lining of pop cans, food cans and cans used for infant formula.”
” BPA is a particularly big one to avoid,” Smith said. “Since the 1930s, it’s been known to be a hormone disrupting chemical. And it’s particularly harmful for kids.” “Smith said BPA can contribute to breast cancer and the early onset of puberty, among other health problems. “
As parents, I think it’s our responsibility to try to omit as many of these toxins as possible in our daily life for the benefit of our children and the first step is looking carefully at scented shampoos and soaps we use on ourselves and our kids, as well as looking at our food containers and feeding accessories. Start replacing products with toxic ingredients with ones that are natural/organic. “Avoid using hard, transparent plastics with the number seven on the bottom of them — they’re likely made with BPA. Try to buy items packaged in glass — rather than aluminum or plastic — whenever possible.” Also look carefully at the products you use to clean with. These are often full of these toxins and chemicals that are harmful.
Organically Hatched offers BPA free bottles, feeding and teething accessories. They also have a wide selection of bath and body products that are phthalate free and natural cleaning products.
Article Info:
Toying with our safety
Bath plaything has become symbol for hidden poisons found in many household items
By Amy O’Brian, VANCOUVER SUN June 8, 2009
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June 8, 2009 by organicallyhatched
Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic chemicals and is certified by an accredited independent organization. Instead of using toxic chemicals, organic farmers use insects, crop rotation, compost and other eco-friendly methods to grow their cotton. They start by using untreated seeds and build soil through crop rotations and retain water efficiently with organic matters. They physically remove weeds and control weed through cultivation instead of using herbicides and insecticides to kill weeds and pests. The result is a softer, better cotton for your children.
Babies and children are most vulnerable to chemicals and pesticides and choosing organic cotton clothing and products reduces their exposure to toxic and persistent pesticides on their skin. Anyone with sensitive skin should choose organic cotton since it enables them to avoid allergens contained in chemically grown and synthetic products.
The farming of organic cotton is also kinder and gentler to the earth than conventional cotton. Conventional cotton farming uses approximately 25% of the world’s instecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. It takes roughly a third of a pound of chemicals to grow enough cotton for one T-shirt. According to the world health organization, 20,000 people die of cancer and miscarriages each year in developing countries as a result of the chemicals sprayed on conventional cotton.
Organically Hatched sources the best organic cotton products for your babies and children from all around the world. Their products are made with certified organic cotton and are produced in sweat-shop free factories.
**Statistics from Ecoland
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May 25, 2009 by organicallyhatched
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