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Nonggongshan Supermarkets Corporation (Bless you!), based in Shanghai, said the concern over carcinogens pushed them to make the choice.

We have to be responsible to consumers and suspend sales of these products until they are proved safe.

Anyone else think it’s ironic that a store in China is making the move to protect consumers faster than any here in the States?

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The company is launching a “Big Bubblin’ Stars” contest on YouTube behind its recently launched bubble-bath product, offering a grand prize of $10,000 and a chance for the winner to become host of a channel launched in 2005. To enter the contest, moms upload three-minute videos of their kids.

They’ve recruited hundreds of Mommy bloggers through Mom Central and, included the Wal-Mart Eleven Moms to promote the campaign.

Problem is…just this month The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics released a report, “No More Toxic Tub”. Lab test conducted by EWG found both Johnsons’ Baby Shampoo and two of their Baby washes include formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane, both ingredients linked to cancer and skin allergies.

Problem is…just this week a major supermarket, in CHINA of all places, pulled J&J products from their shelves over concerns about carcinogens and parents in China are REALLY upset!

Problem is…should J&J be going ahead with this campaign? J&J issued a carefully crafted statement to the 69.4 percent of Chinese parents who said THEY WOULD NOT BUY Johnson & Johnson baby products and 65.6 percent said they believed the products contained toxic ingredients. Yes, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo meets FDA regulations, but, well…do I need to go there?

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Of homes that were less than 2 years old, every home we tested had at least 100 ppb of formaldehyde. The newer homes had 200 - 300 ppb.

The 300 ppb concentration we found in the newest home is equal to the 15-minute Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for occupational exposures. A worker in that home should wear a respirator to remain inside the building for more than 15 minutes. An employer that exposes workers to 300 ppb of formaldehyde should have a Hazard Communication Program to inform workers about chemical hazards and ways to avoid illness.

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Image: Krikit on flickr.

Well, Zoya has your piggies covered with Twist, their spring line, which includes peachy-pinky hues as well as a neutral violet, a vibrant plum and, of course, a couple of metallics.  Choose from frost –Cassi is a lovely shimmering peach, or cream –Malia is sure to be a favorite this season, and your toes will invoke (tastefully done) Easter eggs.

As always, the latest Zoya polishes are free from dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde to provide you with a less toxic (not non-toxic) polish.  So choose your color, find those flip flops and head out for a terrific spring.

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Opening windows is the easiest way to reduce formaldehyde concentrations in homes. The best option is to use only building products that emit little or no formaldehyde. However, when conventional building materials are already in place and emitting formaldehyde, the problem will remedy itself with time. Materials that are several years old emit far less formaldehyde than new products.

Formaldehyde is a pungent-smelling gas that irritates eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can also trigger asthma attacks, and it is a carcinogen. Some individuals experience nausea and difficulty breathing at 0.1 ppm. New homes can have more than 0.3 ppm.  Some individuals become sensitized to formaldehyde and have symptoms at very low concentrations.

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Many of us think about green living and reducing our carbon footprints. But do we get enough fresh air into our homes? Energy efficient homes don’t get much ventilation, unless windows are opened regualrly. Airborne contaminants in homes can build up to many times the outdoor concentrations.

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The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) does not require chemical companies to test the 700 new chemicals introduced into the US market annually for their toxicity.  This law is so bad the EPA has not even been able to ban the known carcinogen asbestos under TSCA after 10 years of trying!

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Formaldehyde can cause red watery eyes, sore throats, skin rashes, and sinus infections. Persons with asthma are more likely to have asthma symptoms when exposed to formaldehyde. Health effects appear in many persons at about 0.1 ppm. Formaldehyde concentrations in some homes can exceed 0.3 ppm.

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If your kids are into eating blue stuff, might as well let them munch on a pair of organic blue jeans.  At least the cotton is all natural.  As for the blue dye - well, let’s go over the fold to see what’s up with that.

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Formaldehyde is found in many conventional household building supplies.  Whether you use them to outfit a trailer or to fancy up your basement, you’re going to get the formaldehyde.

How can you guard your man cave against this scourge?  Hitch a ride below the fold with me and find out.

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Sharon and her family felt ill.  They were coughing and wheezing.  Their eyes were watery and red.  They had headaches and rashes on their skin.

Sharon contacted an industrial hygienist about their problems.  Just a few questions led to the culprit.  Formaldehyde can cause precisely the symptoms Sharon and her family experienced.  Formaldehyde is also a carcinogen.

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Listed below are the three main ingredients we look to avoid in nail polish and why*:

1. Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) – neurotoxin, reproductive/developmental toxin, endocrine disruptor.
2. Formaldehyde –   human carcinogen, developmental/reproductive toxin, neurotoxin.
3. Toluene – developmental/reproductive toxin, neurotoxin.

So what is an eco girl who likes a good mani to do?  That is where Acquarella comes in.  Acquarella water based nail polishes are free of the top three offenders, virtually odorless and come in a variety of gorgeous colors.

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Health officials say that every winter 5–20 percent of the population catches the flu, 200,000 people are hospitalized, and 36,000 people will die from it. The National Vital Statistics Reports compiled by the CDC show that only 1,138 deaths a year occur due to influenza alone, and more than 34,000 of the “36,000″ flu deaths are what officials estimate are “influenza-associated” pneumonic and cardiovascular deaths.

There is also a lack of evidence that young children benefit from flu shots. A systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;1:CD004879).

A randomized trial found that the incidence of influenza in infants whose mothers had a flu shot during their pregnancy was 4%. The incidence of flu in infants whose mothers did not have a flu shot was 10%. (NEJM 2008;359:) In the study, flu shots reduced the relative risk of influenza illness in infants by a seemingly impressive 63%, yet only 6 out of 100 infants actually benefited from the shot. The other 94 received no benefit – 4 got influenza anyway – and all are at risk from being harmed by the vaccine, particularly from the mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde in it. - Donald Miller, MD

Flu shots contain a number of substances which may have adverse effects on health, especially for children:

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Formaldehyde came into the public consciousness this past Winter as trailers used for Hurricane Katrina victims were found to contain dangerous levels - click here for those findings.  Urea-formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound that has been linked to health issues ranging from persistent eye and skin irritation to asthma to, in extremely high levels, cancer.  It has been practically banned in Europe, Japan, and Canada.  The United States Green Building Council awards LEED credits for buildings that have eliminated added urea-formaldehyde.  The inclusion of the word “added” is due to the fact that small levels of formaldehyde occur naturally in wood.  Urea-formaldehyde is used in composite wood as a drying agent for glues and adhesives, significantly speeding up the manufacturing process of the composite wood.  For this reason, non-formaldehyde composite woods will come at a higher price.  Add in the increased demand due to the CARB rule and the current limited supply of formaldehyde-free composite wood and we could see increased prices across the board for composite wood products like furniture, cabinets, moldings and millwork, doors, and many other products. 

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What is with these chemicals that create bad air? Most importantly how do we rid our sacred spaces of them? Well,

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I tend to worry more about what I put into my body than what goes on the outside. When in fact the chemicals found in lotions, makeup and hair dyes are something I need to consider when using these products on my body.   Recently I have been using the eyelash extensions from “Xtreme Lashes” and I began to wonder how safe this new affection with eyelash extensions really was and was it worth any risks involved?  After researching, I was able to find one of the ingredient’s in the adhesive, “formaldehyde” linked to cancer.

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Tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on more than 500 trailers in Louisiana and Mississippi showed formaldehyde levels that were five times higher than levels in a normal house. The levels in some trailers were nearly 40 times what is normal.

The CDC is saying that people living in these trailers “should move out quickly — especially children, the elderly and anyone with asthma or another chronic condition.”

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