The Bee's Knees

In honor of Earth Day, I thought it appropriate to write about how my family will be taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. I also wanted to give insight as to why we made this decision. A few months ago I happened upon the Dr. Oz show and they were discussing lip gloss. As a woman who loves her lipstick, I was interested on how my luscious red could be unhealthy for me. I was horrified! Most lip-gloss and lipstick products contain petroleum distillate. Well, petroleum jelly isn’t harmful so why should this be bad, or is it? Petroleum Distillates are hydrocarbons found in many of our household cleaners, lip-gloss, petroleum jelly, hair conditioner, mineral oil, nail polish, sun block, motor oil, furniture polish, ect. Have I got your attention? Good. Think about where we use these products on ourselves, our children, and in our homes. “The EPA states that products containing petroleum distillates should be used carefully. Wear gloves to avoid skin contact and avoid breathing vapors of volatile compounds.” What!!! You mean to tell me my lip-gloss could kill me! Scary but the answer is yes. Sounds farfetched like some B rated sci-fi movie, but it is true. Dr. Oz pointed out on his show that we have the potential, if we lick our lips and through eating, to ingest pounds of petroleum distillates in a lifetime. This can lead to increased risks of certain cancers and there has been a link to connective tissue diseases. I can honestly say this is true because unfortunately it has affected my family. My brother in law became suddenly ill two years ago and it took a year to diagnose the issue. He since has been diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy or Shy-Drager Syndrome with a Parkinsonian aspect to the disease. This disease has no known cure and is degenerative. This disease is not hereditary, so where did it come from? In his case, the disease was brought on by long-term exposure to petroleum distillates that he was exposed to in a job he held at a younger age. Think about the years of exposure you or your children may have had to petroleum distillates. This is why my family has chosen to rid our house of these hazards and switch to the more earth friendly botanical based cleaners, lip glosses, ect. These items are becoming more readily available in our local markets. It is not only good for the environment, but for you as well. So next time you reach for a new lip-gloss, make it the bee’s knees (bee’s wax based) and add life to your years. Some of my favorites are Burt’s Bees and Aveda. Happy Earth day to you all and may your carbon foot print be less.

For more information please see:

 www.sixwise.com/newsletter/05/03/08/petroleum_distillate

 www.doctoroz.com

 www.shy-drager.org