More BPA info

Just so I don't forget, here is a link to an article on Wired.com which lists more resources for info about Bisphenol and how to find containers and baby products without this.

Apparently BPA has been banned in Canada and the FDA in the US is under investigation for approving it in the first place...

Here is a cheat sheet for which bottles and sippy cups are safe.

Here are the teethers and pacifiers that are safe.

The danger of....packaging?

I recently read a very interesting article about the effects certain chemicals are having on wildlife. In the article it said:

Pollutants that turn male fish into females have an unexpected effect on starlings: they cause the guys to sing sweet songs that lady starlings find irresistible.

In a study published this week in Public Library of Science ONE, researchers from Cardiff University studied starlings feeding on earthworms at a sewage treatment plant.

The earthworms were chock full of endocrine disruptors -- chemicals that mimic estrogen, a potent female sex hormone, and have been show to affect the behavior and development of exposed organisms.

These chemicals also do similar things to humans. I don't mean that you'll get a fantastic singing voice but it can cause early onset of puberty for your kids or other problems. Now the interesting thing about this is that some of these pollutants come from the cosmetics industry. Apparently some plastic containers contain a chemical called Bisphenol A or phthalates and this leaks out of the containers and into the contents, especially when the food is heated up in the containers. I am sure many of you knew this before but this was news to me!

The Natural Resources Defense Council has a nice webpage with a more detailed explanation about what to do.

In the meantime, especially if you have babies, are pregnant or make cosmetics, here is the list according to Delicious Organics:

Safer plastics are:

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) - usually for soft drinks, water bottles, ketchup and salad dressing, peanut butter, pickle, jelly and jam jars

#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE) - used mostly for milk, water and juice bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash and retail bags

#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE) - bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles

#5 polypropylene (PP) - margarine tubs

Plastics to avoid include:

#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC) - 2nd most commonly used plastic in the world. Many toys are PVC too and kids put everything in their mouths so watch out for those! Opt for more wooden toys instead - they last longer in play meaning less time in a landfill and the time they are in the landfill is a whole lot less than plastic as they will disintegrate.

My concern also is that so many things we may use regularly are made of polycarbonate including juicers, food processors, dehydrators, and sometimes even blenders and coffee machines. If that product is made of glass, we always choose that instead. Sometimes you can find alternatives in stainless as well. I am checking into Juicers, Food Processors and the like and will post additional information as I learn about it.

#6 polystyrene (PS) - foam & Styrofoam

#7 other (usually polycarbonate) - many drinking cups are made of this, baby bottles, big water jugs (and we thought we were doing a good thing having that full water jug ready for drinking anytime, right?) - these leach as they age and mostly into fatty foods. I think it's probably ok for grains but better to get rid of all of these. There is a link between bisphenol-A and phthalates and early onset of puberty. Puberty and Plastics, Dec 2003, Mothering Magazine Some Tupperware products are made of this but very few. This is the plastic that looks like glass; it's very stiff and doesn't have a "plastic" look to it.

But no matter what container you use, if it is plastic, don't heat anything up in it. Use glass or ceramics in the microwave. Stay away from plastic food wrap as much as you can. However, use common sense and don't go completely overboard with it. It takes a lot of this stuff in order to have an effect, though it is nice to minimize the exposure.

Just moved...

We recently sold our apartment in a heated bidding war. It only took a day and a half from the showing to the sale (fairly normal in this part of the country). We got more for it than we had dared to hope for. :-)

This weekend we moved into a new (rented) apartment where we will live until after the baby is born. It is downtown on the 4th floor over a posh clothing store. Very nice, although 4th floor with no elevator is not fun when pregnant.

I still have no chance of making any beauty items, but instead I have ordered some from a great seller, SpaTherapy. My dry cracked hands will be happy as soon as the package arrives.

Here are some photos of the apartment we just sold:

LIVINGROOM

KITCHEN

BATHROOM

Herbs to avoid during pregnancy

Since I am all absorbed in the pregnancy at the moment I found this page to be very interesting.

It tells you which herbs to avoid during pregnancy and some other herbs that can be beneficial. Please be careful, whatever you do. Better to err on the side of caution is my stance on this, anyway.

I am contemplating making my own anti-stretchmark cream from shea butter, tamanu and jojoba oil but I need to find out if the ingredients will make it through the over-zealous customs office first.

Now THAT was a surprise!

I have been busy with other things unrelated to crafting recently. I just found out I am pregnant! I have a (step) son from before but I have never been pregnant until now. Wow. I didn't think it would work... :-P

So, now it will be a bit difficult planning the move, a bit MORE difficult, I mean. I will have to stay here in Norway, my husband and son will have to move but come back to visit me of course, and then I move after the baby is born.

I just can't believe I am having a baby, that is all. My due date is in the middle of September. I am already suffering from various symptoms, cramping like you would not believe, fatigue, etc. But so far, no vomiting. Hope it holds.

I am staying home as I need to stay in bed for most of the day because of pain, but I can stay up for short intervals.

On another note, my husband tried shaving with my vanilla castile soap yesterday and said it was his best shave EVER. Not a single nick by the razor and he is usually a bloody mess by the time he is done. I have asked him to get me more supplies so I can make more of this great soap. He just lathers up the soap and rubs it on his stubble and shaves with a cheap razor. Now his friends want to try it too. :)

Tips for Craft shows

First of all let me say sorry for not blogging for a bit there. My husband and I are feverishly trying to get ready for our move to the States and there are just not enough hours in the day.

I came across this amazing list of Craft show Do's and Don'ts today. Once we are settled in and I have my products all figured out I think I will do some of those. If you live in the Carbondale, IL area you may find me there one day!

UPDATE: 06.03.08
I just found a great article detailing how to successfully work a farmer's market.

Overview of Preservatives - updated Dec 23 2007

This is a list of the various preservatives I have found on soaping supply websites. There are more out there, definitely, but these are the ones that are the most available. Find one that you feel comfortable using. As I am more comfortable using non-paraben and non-formaldehyde releasing preservatives I have added more information to the preservatives that fulfill these requirements, but if you need more information about any of the preservatives, please check out the links at the bottom of this post. Let me know if there are any more preservatives that I have missed and I will add them to my list!

An important note: Vitamin E, Grapefruit Seed Extract and essential oils are anti-oxidants. That means they will keep your oil from going bad but will NOT protect against bacteria and fungus. If you don't use preservatives your products will only be good for 1-2 weeks, even in the fridge. They may look ok, but there are lots of bacteria you cannot see or smell.


Contains no Parabens and releases no Formaldehyde:

Cosmocil CQ
INCI: Water, polyaminopropyl biguanide
Effective against: Bacteria (incl. Gram), yeast and fungi. Not active enough against yeast and mold to be able to be used on its own.
Contains parabens: No
Releases Formaldehyde: No

Note: Do not use Cosmocil CQ in a beeswax-borax emulsification system or in natural liquid soaps. The preservative will coagulate and become brown.

Usage Guidelines: Cosmcocil CQ is stable in heat to 140°C/284°F and may be added to your water phase prior to processing. Standard use rates are .2 to 1.5%. Typical use rate is 1.0%. It is effective in pH 4 to pH 10 media. Its solubility is in water, ethyl alcohol, glycerine and propylene glycol. It is not miscible in oil.



Optiphen
INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol
Effective against: Gram-positive and Gram-Negative bacteria, yeast, and mold
Contains parabens: No
Releases Formaldehyde: No

Usage Guidelines: Optiphen is a unique liquid preservative formulation which consists of phenoxyethanol and an emollient base. For use in a variety of formulas such as aqueous, anhydrous and emulsion products. Optiphen is a clear liquid preservative that can be easily added directly to the formulation during pre- or post-emulsification, at or below 80°C/176°F. Optiphen has no pH restrictions in formulating, and is compatible with most ingredients used in the personal care industry. Recommended Use Levels: 0.5 - 1.5%



Preservatives that contain Parabens and / or releases Formaldehyde:

Germaben (II, II E)
INCI: Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Methylparaben (and) Propylparaben
Effective against: Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as yeast and mold
Contains parabens: Yes
Releases Formaldehyde: Yes


Germall
INCI: Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Effective against: Everything
Contains parabens: No
Releases Formaldehyde: Yes


Liquapar Oil
INCI: Isopropylparaben (and) Isobutylparaben (and) Butylparaben
Effective against: Gram-positive bacteria, yeast and mold
Contains parabens: Yes
Releases Formaldehyde: No


Liquapar Optima
INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Methylparaben (and) Isopropylparaben (and) Isobutylparaben (and) Butylparaben
Effective against: Gram-positive bacteria, yeast and mold
Contains parabens: Yes
Releases Formaldehyde: No


Phenonip
INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Methylparaben (and) Ethylparaben (and) Butylparaben (and) Propylparaben (and) Isobutylparaben
Effective against: Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and molds
Contains parabens: Yes
Releases Formaldehyde: No


Suttocide A
INCI: Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Effective against: Gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, yeast and mold, even at low concentrations
Contains parabens: Yes
Releases Formaldehyde: Yes (but contains no formal-dehyde donors)


For all of these preservatives, please follow the instructions carefully. Some require that temperatures are under a certain level, some require a particular range of pH-values.  Please be careful and keep both yourself and your customers safe!

Sources: MMS, Lotioncrafter, Snowdrift Farms