There’s a gem of a natural foods store in Brooklyn called Back to the Land. The choices are excellent, and the vegetables and fruits are always fresh. There are magazines on health and spiritual matters, and pamphlets on upcoming workshop events, are there for the taking. I want to bring this store back to Philadelphia with me.
The last time I was in Back to the Land, I picked up the Better Nutrition April 2008 issue, and saw the article Best of beauty awards WINNERS 2008 on page 58. In the article Barbara Close, the founder of Naturopathica www.naturopathica.com/barbstory.html, and the author of PURE SKIN: Organic Beauty Basics, said companies have started to remove “questionable ingredients” from their products, and “urges customers to steer clear whenever possible” of the following list of chemicals:
*Diethanolamine (DEA)
*Momoethanolamine (MEA)
*FD&C color pigments
*Imidazolidinyl urea and DMDM
hydantoin
*Petrochemicals
*Parabens
*Polyethylene glycol
*Propylene glycol
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and
sodium laureth sulfate
Back in Philly I was at Whole Foods and bought a BWC product. There were the words: “botanical formula,” extra gentle” and “100% vegetarian” on the package – soothing words, right? Then I read the list of ingredients, and saw that the “beauty without cruelty” BWC eye make-up remover had that word parabens. Uh-oh. Caveat emptor.
The next time I was at WF, I asked, “Why is Whole Foods selling products containing parabens? And the answer was . . . “Companies have two years to get toxic chemicals out of their products.” and . . . “You can get your money back.”
Meanwhile at the check-out counter, a small tube of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste was offered free. Tom’s . . . “The secret to a naturally healthy, fresh feeling mouth starts right here.” Nothing was mentioned of the one other ingredient listed on the tube, sodium lauryl sulfate.
Toxic chemicals . . . it’s a challenge to find ways to lessen their impact. We don’t want fear to enter the picture because the power of the mind is too precious to waste on fear, better to use it to come up with solutions for a cleaner world. I like Ode Magazine because their articles are about solutions to problems. And in the April issue are a few articles relating to the ways individuals from all walks of life around the world, each in their own way, are contributing to a cleaner and better world. We can all do that; we just need to get started. We tend to forget that we human beings are amazingly resilient, much stronger, and have more power than we can ever imagine.
www.odemagazine.co
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I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.
-Louisa May Alcott