Johnson & Johnson Plans To Remove Carcinogens From Products

By Alexandra Spunt for No More Dirty Looks

Last week the New York Times reported that Johnson & Johnson has announced plans to remove a host of questionable ingredients and contaminants from their products—notably formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane—by 2015.

According to the article they also intend to phase out parabens, phthlates, triclosan and other chemicals we’ve long had on our X list, though it was a little bit unclear from the piece whether this was all going to be on the same timeline.

This is notable progress, and even Kenneth Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, told the Times as much:

“We’ve never really seen a major personal care product company take the kind of move that they’re taking with this,” said Kenneth A. Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, one of the organizations that has been negotiating with company officials to change their practices. “Not really even anything in the ballpark.”

Keep reading…

Yawning Yoga: A new book and bedtime ritual for kids

By Well+GoodNYC

Can’t get your kid to stop asking for another drink of water after lights out?

Have a friend who’s nodding off every time you have lunch together because of a monster-spooked toddler?

Yawning Yoga, a new bedtime book by Laurie Jordan, a New York yoga instructor and creator of Little Sprouts Yoga, tries a new approach to soothing a child to sleep: yoga.

It’s like Go the F**k to Sleep with better karma.

“By incorporating yoga into the bedtime routine, children of all ages will be stretching, twisting, and breathing their way into dreamland,” Jordan says on her website.

While we can’t guarantee Yawning Yoga’s effectiveness (especially since we don’t know how many sugary lollipops your kid sucked down at school), it seems like a smart approach.

After all, yoga is great at calming our nerves and minds, so why shouldn’t it help a child’s?

Know someone who needs to know about this book? Email them this article. Or to purchase a copy of Yawning Yoga, $17.95, visit www.yawningyoga.com

Why you (and babies) should avoid Bisphenol-A (via Well+Good)

By Well+GoodNYC

This past summer, New York State passed legislation banning bisphenol-A (BPA), a controversial chemical used in plastics like baby bottles and sippy cups, in children’s products. This was a huge step towards protecting our most vulnerable, adorable, and bib-wearing residents, but what about (still adorable!) adult New Yorkers? Shouldn’t we also be aware of where the dangers lurk?

After all, BPA is a chemical used in polycarbonate plastic water bottles, as well the epoxy resin lining of cans. And it’s still in some yoga mats (though hopefully we’re not ingesting those), and thousands more everyday objects like ATM receipts and takeout containers.

BPA disrupts hormone systems in the body by acting like estrogen, and, countless studies have linked it to breast and other cancers and early onset puberty. It has also been linked to heart disease and diabetes and has been shown to affect the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children.

New York State senators announce a ban on BPA in child- care products—but not on the thousands of other items we all may come into contact with

Last month, Canada declared BPA a toxic substance, giving he government the ability to regulate it in all products (The country banned BPA in baby bottles two years ago), and just last week, the European Commission banned BPA in baby bottles starting in mid-2011. U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein proposed a similar ban of BPA baby products as an amendment to the food safety bill that passed last Thursday, but it was defeated after protests from the food industry and other major business groups. In the absence of a federal law, many states have enacted their own bans, and several companies, such as Gerber and Evenflow, have voluntarily stopped using BPA in baby bottles. Retailers such as CVS and Toys R’ Us have also discontinued selling products that contain the chemical.

Keep reading the rest here…

Shea Terra Organics – RUBI ROSE HIPS

Shea Terra Organics is a one of a kind and all natural beauty line designed to use Mother Nature’s gift of shea butter in its purest form to enrich our bodies. Shea Terra Organics is best known for their use of pure Shea butter and natural elements, which are 99%-100% natural and Paraben free. Natives in Africa have protected their skin for centuries and Shea Terra Organics is dedicated to providing you with an array of wonderful products that will do the same. Shea butter penetrates deep into the skin to create elasticity and is effective in preventing stretch marks in pregnancy. Pure shea butter has amazing healing properties because it is packed with vitamin A and cinnamic acid, which effectively treats wrinkles, stretch marks, skin ailments, and excessive dry skin. Shea Terra Organics personally purchases superior, natural shea butter from Africa to guarantee their customers with the very best in protecting their skin.

I tried their RUBI ROSE HIPS Whipped Shea Butter Body Creme: is packed with 30% shea butter and other skin quenching pure essential oils and fruit extracts. Unscented. Organic South African rose hips oil from rubiginosa rose hips provides amazing cell regenerating powers. From stretch marks, to scarring and acne, rubiginosa rose hips oil helps to heal skin and encourage healthy cell growth. This butter is softer than standard shea butter (that you will find at many popular beauty stores) because it does not need to be refined and thus, holds all its natural healing properties. This soft butter also makes application easier on babies and children. It’s also fast absorbing.

Checkout their other shea butter products here.