The largest organ on your body is your skin. It is the 1st line of defense against injury and infection.
And it is also highly absorbent – that is why dermal-absorption patches work so well – they absorb immediately into the bloodstream – in fact, there is 70 times more drug potency used in a pill form than when a patch is prescribed.
It is very important to know what you are washing your clothes in --- Whatever is in your detergent, fabric softener, spot remover and whitener is going into your bloodstream.
It would take 16 rinse cycles to get out all the detergent, etc. (the best washer on the market only rinses 3 times) so we have a lot of detergent, etc. left in our clothes (60%) that is being absorbed into our skin and bloodstream.
Toxins activate once they become damp or wet again or wherever there is heat.
· Common ingredients found in most laundry detergents:
-Sodium Silicate/Sodium Sulfate, Trisodium nitrolotriacetate - cause tissue damage, can trigger an asthma attack, are known skin irritants.
- Ethanol, Ethanol amine, Sodium Hydroxide – all registered as a hazardous chemical, dangerous to the respiratory system, skin irritant, toxic by inhalation or ingestion and can cause damage to the kidneys.
Liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six (over 2.1 million accidental poisonings per year). Most brands of liquid dish soap contain formaldehyde and ammonia.
[Source: The Mayo Clinic]
Dishwashers continually vent 6 liters of air into the home per minute. The steam that is released into your kitchen during the last cycle of the dishwasher is sodium hypo chlorite and sodium silicate. The largest burst of contaminated steam is released when the dishwasher is opened soon after its washing is complete.
There is always residue left on glasses, forks, plates, etc. after washing. (You can even smell it.) Keep in mind that toxins are reactivated with moisture and heat (hot food on the plate, etc.).
Most dishwasher detergents contain chlorine to sanitize dishes and bleach away stains. When the chlorine is subjected to high temperatures in a typical cycle, much of it is evaporated in the air. Any chlorine that remains in the water is discharged into either your septic tank or sewage treatment facility. Once in the environment, chlorine combines with organic materials to form carcinogenic substances called trihalomethanes.
Contrary to popular belief, phosphate use is still legally permitted in dishwasher detergents.
In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. Childhood asthma has increased by more than 400% since 1980.
[Source: Environmental Health Perspectives, June 1997; 105 (6)]
Chemicals are heavier than air – therefore they collect in concentration low to the ground. Pets and children spend the most time on the floor and carpets of the home where airborne chemicals settle; thus the vicious cycle continues.
Diseases that used to occur later in life are now appearing at younger ages. Diseases that used to be rare are more frequent. For example:
· There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer since the addition of pesticides into household products.
· Cancer is now the #2 killer of children – second only to accidental poisonings.
· Since 1977 the rate of cancer among American children has been steadily rising at a rate of nearly 1% each year.
[Source: National Cancer Institute] [Source: Center for Disease Control
Melaleuca is a comprehensive line of 300+ products that are safe and contain no harsh, caustic chemicals – the following seven pose the biggest threat to your health and the health of your family and are not found in our line of products:
NTA (nitrolotriacetate) is a great danger to the health of both workers and consumers and is a cancer-causing agent. [Source: The National Cancer Institute]
NOTE: NTA is used in Tide, Cheer, Oxydol, Bold, Zest, Ivory, Joy and Dawn
Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance. It is a known cancer-causing agent. It damages the neurological connectors in the body. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause: skin reactions, ear infections, headaches, depression, asthma, joint pain, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, disorientation, phlebitis, fatigue, vomiting, sleep disturbances, laryngitis
Formaldehyde is commonly found in: drugs, mouthwash, hairspray, cosmetics, cleaning products, perfumes, waxes, hair setting lotions, shampoo, air fresheners, fungicides, fingernail polish, floor polishes, dry cleaning solvents, toothpaste, laundry spray starch, antiperspirants … just to name a few
Due to the increase in toxic buildup in our bodies, including the toxic buildup of formaldehyde, dead bodies are not decomposing as fast as they used to. Bodies now start to decompose within 7 to 10 days after death.
During the Vietnam War, Vietnamese bodies started to decompose within 24 to 48 hours. However, Americans didn’t start to decompose for 4 to 5 days.
Twice as much formaldehyde was needed to embalm a person 20 years ago compared to today.
How many of these names would you have recognized as formaldehyde?
Formalin, Methanal, Methyl Aldehyde, Methylene Oxide, Oxymethylene, Bfv*, Fannoform*, Formol*, Fyde*, Karsan*, Methaldehyde, Formalith*, Methylene Glycol, Ivalon*, Oxomethane Formalin 40, Quaternium 15, Formic Aldehyde, Hoch, Paraform Lysoform*, Morbocid, Trioxane, Polyoxmethylene
* denotes trade name
NOTE: One in five people exposed to Quaternium 15 develop memory problems. It is a neuro-toxin that especially affects the brain.
NOTE: Is found in Johnson’s No-More-Tears Baby Shampoo. It is also found in many regular shampoos, dishwashing liquid, germ-killing disinfectants, carpet shampoos, air fresheners, hair spray and mouthwash.
The active ingredient in Lysol products is dioxin. Dioxin is the deadly ingredient used in Agent Orange that is 500,000 times more deadly than DDT and can cause genetic mutation, birth defects and cancer. [Source: The Environmental Health Newsletter, Spring 1991, Dr. Arios Rexroad]
NOTE: Dioxin is currently being studied as one of the main chemical linked to ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities and asthma.
Phenol is a highly poisonous, extremely caustic chemical that can be easily absorbed in any form. Skin contact with it causes temporary deactivation of nerve endings and damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. It is a dangerous neurotoxin and will interfere with nerve function with prolonged exposure and is being linked directly with ADD, ADHD and learning disabilities.
Phenol is a very common chemical and is regularly found in the following common products: air fresheners, aftershave, bronchial mists, chloroseptic throat spray, deodorants, feminine powders & sprays, hair spray, decongestants, mouthwash, aspirin, solvents, acne medications, antiseptics, calamine lotions, cleaning products, detergents, furniture polish, hair setting lotions, lice shampoo, polishes, cold capsules, all-purpose cleaners, aerosol disinfectants, anti-itching lotions, carnex, cosmetics, disinfectant cleaners, hand lotions, lip balms, sunscreen and lotions, insecticides, cough syrups … just to name a few
NOTE: Many products contain BOTH formaldehyde and phenol because one kills what the other cannot.
FDA’s Federal Code of Regulations, Section 1910.1200 c, Title 29, Exemption 3 states that “hazardous chemical” exempts the following substances: “Any substance to the extent it is used for personal, family or household purpose, or is present in the same form and concentration as a product packaged for distribution and use by the public.”
Simply stated, anyone can develop and market a product containing any chemical they want to put in it, and they are subject to no restrictions if it is intended for use in the home.