When reading Aviva Domm’s article, “What’s a Mom to Do? Preventing Early Puberty and Hormone Problems In Our Daughters” I wasn’t surprised that the second BIGGEST contributor to early puberty in girls was exposure to environmental toxins.
To provide context, Domm (mother of 3 daughters and one young granddaughter) expresses deep concern for the reproductive health of young females. Scientific studies show that girls are hitting puberty at age 7 and getting their period as early as 8 years old. This is concerning because the endocrine (hormonal) systems are clearly being affected. Once those systems are disrupted, young girls and women are at a higher risk for developing hormonally related cancers.
This is where a mother starts to worry. Chemicals found in cosmetics, plastics, pesticides and detergents to name a few, mimic the effect of estrogen that is in our bodies. Many of these items are ones that our young children are exposed to on a daily basis.
Luckily, brands are slowly banning and eliminating many toxic chemicals in their products. However, not all products are considered safe (even those that may seem so). You need to be a very savvy shopper these days. Go beyond reading the front of the product, and really look at the actual ingredients listed on the back.
Greenwashing is a rampant practice these days, especially now that people are becoming more and more aware of these issues. However, many companies try to appear clean and green, when they really just use amazing marketing skills to fool the shopper into buying something they think is safe, when it’s not necessarily.
Ingredients for my DIY toothpaste
This is one of the many reasons I decided to become more aware of the chemicals in our environment. I choose products based on the ingredients, and have found it’s quite easy to not even use many products at all (beyond the basics). I’ve found many DIY recipes for laundry detergent, hand soap, household cleansers etc, that do not use harmful chemicals and work just as well. Creating Sola Skincare and producing natural, safe, non-toxic, skincare for young children, women and men makes me truly appreciate the ingredients we do have access to. For example, coconut oil, beeswax, argan oil, oats, roses, etc.
How do I protect my children from harmful chemicals?
Have you read this article? If so, what were your thoughts? As an eco-friendly mother, I would like to know how you help prevent your children from being exposed to chemicals. Please feel free to leave a comment down below.
If you haven’t read the article, here’s the link:
For more articles about this phenomenon:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/16/early-precocious-puberty.aspx
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