Health risk associated with commonly used household products?

[CN43]

Just recently, I stumbled across this website:

http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/index.asp?

I'm not sure what to make of it, because a lot of the everyday products that we use (e.g. toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, etc.) are supposedly very harmful to our well-being...at least according to source above.

Take for example the warning descriptions for shampoo and toothpaste use:


Shampoos

Shampoos cause the most number of adverse reactions of all hair care products. They frequently contain harsh detergents, chemical fragrances and numerous irritating and carcinogenic compounds including sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate (irritant, can form carcinogenic nitrosamines), DEA, TEA, MEA (hormone disruptors, can release carcinogenic nitrosamines), quaternium-15, DMDM hydratoin (can release carcinogenic nitrosamines), polyethylene glycol (irritant), coal tar (carcinogenic), propylene glycol (neurotoxin, dermatitis, liver and kidney damage), and EDTA(irritant). Cleaning agents and water comprise about 93% of a shampoo. The cleaning agent itself is the most important ingredient.


Toothpaste

Conventional toothpastes contain artificial sweeteners like saccharin, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic colours and flavours, and polysorbate 80 which may be contaminated with 1,4-doxane, a carcinogen. Almost all conventional brands contain fluoride. Fluoride is linked to cancer and causes problems for some sensitive people.

After going through the website, I'm thinking of trying out some of the products the site suggests as a healthier alternative to the stuff that I'm currently using. Although a lot of the products that are suggested sound really obscure and are very hard to find in most stores...

What are your thoughts based on the information provided above? Any suggestions on where I can find some of the products listed in there?

[dougmania]

heard of it through word of mouth and rumours.
Take it with a grain of salt.
Could be true, could not be true.
Of course the recommended stuff would be safer, but by how much, or is it worth the money? You can decide that.

I would like to get non flourinated toothpaste, but it just costs so much. :)

[CN43]

Well, some of the recommendations listed are a bit interesting. Like how the guide even suggests using certain types of organic soap over conventional shampoos for your hair. I mean, that's a pretty bold statement right there. Is there any validity in their suggestions?

[Audiogenic]

Health stores have fluoride free toothpaste, fluoride free dental floss and fluoride free mouthwash. We get so much fluoride from everything else nowadays (foods, tea, pop, even Toronto tap water) that it's just overkill to also have it in the above so less intake is better.

[craftsman]

Shampoos

Shampoos cause the most number of adverse reactions of all hair care products. They frequently contain harsh detergents, chemical fragrances and numerous irritating and carcinogenic compounds including sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate (irritant, can form carcinogenic nitrosamines), DEA, TEA, MEA (hormone disruptors, can release carcinogenic nitrosamines), quaternium-15, DMDM hydratoin (can release carcinogenic nitrosamines), polyethylene glycol (irritant), coal tar (carcinogenic), propylene glycol (neurotoxin, dermatitis, liver and kidney damage), and EDTA(irritant). Cleaning agents and water comprise about 93% of a shampoo. The cleaning agent itself is the most important ingredient.

I'm sorry but I have a hard time taking this seriously - or at least how it's presented. According to this quote, the cleaning agent is the most important ingredient for a shampoo. Why else would you use a shampoo but for the cleaning agents to wash the hair.

Also, if you look at a lot of complaints they put forward, most of them have to do with the ingredients being carcinogenic. If you follow their logic, exposure to such ingredients should cause cancer in the area that is most exposed. In the case of shampoo, the area of exposure is the scalp. It would be reasonable to assume that with a carcinogenic chemical so close to the scalp on a daily basis that some form of skin cancer should develop.... With most of the general population using shampoos, there should be large increase in skin cancers on the scalp that can't be explained by unprotected exposure to the sun.... I'm not sure that is really the case.