Today, Grist.com posted a great article on the obesity epidemic in the US and how it is no longer about just burning more calories than you ingest.  It is about the chemicals in our environment.  The chemicals in our food, our shampoo, and cleaning products... specifically endocrine disruptors like BPA plastics and phalates.  Here is the complete article: http://www.grist.org/living/2011-06-28-is-your-shampoo-making-you-fat

Just a quick announcement!  Beginning July 7, we'll be at the Bow Little Market on Thursdays.  The market is located at Belfast Feed Store on Old Hwy 99 at Bow Hill Road.  The market is from 1 to 6 pm and runs through October 6.  Hope to see you there!

Also, don't forget to enter for our shampoo giveaway!

Do you know what lurks in your shampoo?  Your skin is your largest organ and any time you put a product on your skin, it is absorbed and transferred into your bloodstream. Neither the FDA or the USDA regulate ingredients that go into your shampoo and rely on companies to do their own testing for safety, though it is not required.

Many products on the market today contain ingredients that have been linked to cancer, hormone imbalances, birth defects, and organ damage.  Many shampoos contain petrochemicals such as Olefin Sulfonate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Parabens, or Sodium Myreth Sulfate.  These are toxins that have a cumulative effect that can cause organ toxicity and failure.  DEA (diethanolomine) is another common chemical that is in over 600 personal care products on the market. It is also used in adhesives, cement, epoxy, printing inks, and metal lubrication.  According to a study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, "Our study suggests that prenatal exposure to DEA may have a detrimental effect on brain development."  Detrimental to BRAIN development?  And they are allowed to put it in your shampoo! 

Probably the most common ingredient I've seen in shampoo is SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) or SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate).  It is "a surfactant used to break down the surface tension of water. It is used in concrete floor cleaners, engine degrease, car wash detergents, and just about every soap and shampoo on the market. And yet, according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology; Vol. 2, No. 7, l983, SLS is a mutagen. In sufficient amounts, it is capable of changing the information in genetic material found in cells! It has been used in studies to induce mutations in bacteria." (http://thomko.squarespace.com/dangers-of-dea/)

Here is my challenge to you:  Research your shampoo.  Search for your brand at Skin Deep, or do a Google search for the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on one of the top 5 ingredients in your shampoo (except water).  Report it to me in the comments and I will do a random drawing for one 8 oz bottle of Mystic Farms' Shampoo in your choice of scent.  I guarantee the shampoo you win will NOT have any of the ingredients listed above.  Drawing will take place on Friday May 13, 2011.