They don't smell toxic.... HUH??

I find some things very interesting and rather bizarre.  As a parent, I am always worried about my kids.  We all want the best for our kids.  When we find out we're pregnant, our whole life changes immediately.  We try to eat as healthy as we can, we take the prenatal vitamins, we don't drink alcohol, etc...  It's always in the back of our minds... will this hurt the baby.
As the due date comes closer, we're getting everything we need for the baby that we'll soon bring home.  We make sure we're buying a safe car seat and crib.  We worry so much about that baby's safety.
Then we get products like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo, bubble bath, lotions, and more.  We clean, clean, clean to make sure the home is nice and clean for the baby.
But how many of us never even think of the safety of these types of products??  I know I sure didn't.  The products are sold... so they're safe... right?
Why are we so trusting?
I was on a message board about safe cleaning products and people were recommending Mr Clean Magic Erasers because "they don't smell toxic".  REALLY???  They don't SMELL??  Ummmm ok.  Do all toxic chemicals smell?  No they do NOT!
Come on people!  Do some research.  It drives me insane.  I am always on different message boards online... it simply amazes me what people think is safe.
I will admit, I was pretty naive 14 years ago when I had my first baby.  But it didn't take me long to start researching what the heck I was cleaning with... what I was washing baby's clothes in and what I was bathing him in.
I didn't have a lot of money and sure couldn't go and pay the amount of money the stores wanted for "all natural" products.  The few that I did try, didn't work!  They didn't clean worth crap.
We all have options though.  Do some research, spend some time looking at what you're using in your home.  There ARE safer alternatives that do NOT cost a fortune!

My journey

For 10 years now I have been on a mission. A mission to educate people about toxic chemicals in their homes.

Most of the time when we hear "toxic chemicals" we think of things we find in the garage. We don't think of personal care products, cleaners and laundry soap.
My journey started in July of 2000. 2 years before that my oldest son was diagnosed with reactive airways disease. This is a form of asthma brought on by allergies. He was a very sick little guy. As a mom there is nothing worse than your child not being healthy.

I did everything I was supposed to do... got rid of stuffed toys, ripped up his carpet, sprayed his room daily with Lysol, washed his bedding every other day in Tide w/Bleach and installed HEPA filters. Nothing helped. He was still in and out of the hospital getting ventilin treatments and pneumonia.

I didn't know what to do. I was working outside the home at the time and was being reprimanded for the amount of time I was taking off work.

Since I was a baby, I had always suffered with horrible eczema and of course the more stressed out I got, the worse the eczema was.

My manager approached me one day and asked if I'd ever done research on chemicals in my home. I thought she was crazy. She explained that in so many everyday products, there are toxic chemicals that can trigger asthma and eczema... and many more health issues.

That night I started researching. I started in the bathroom, pulling every bottle out to investigate the ingredients. I was shocked to say the least.

Shampoo (including baby shampoo), body wash, toothpaste, bubble bath, makeup... all filled with chemicals. WHY?? Formaldehyde??? It's a cheap preservative... that's why.

We trust manufacturers. We assume that if a product is on the store shelf, it's safe, right? Never assume anything.

There is no regulation of personal care products, cleaners or laundry products.

Manufacturers use whatever chemicals and fillers they want. This way they can make the product for as cheap as possible and mass sell them in stores like Wal-Mart.

Commercials and advertising campaigns are there for what purpose?? To sell the product. They market their products as safe... but do we actually know that is true?

I was so naive. From the day my baby was born, I trusted the manufacturers that promote their products as safe, gentle and natural for baby. Ok... then explain quaterniun-15. This is formaldehyde. In BABY products??

After I went through the bathroom, I pulled out cleaners and laundry products. It didn't get any better. Wow. How?

Why is it that in the UK if a product contains a toxic chemical it has to have a warning on the label, yet here in North America...nothing.

Society is so concerned about disinfecting homes. Having our homes hospital-strength clean. But have we ever really thought about what we're doing to our health?

Look at the rise in asthma. Then there's ADD/ADHD, auto-immune disorders, cancer... the list goes on and on and on.

When we find out we're pregnant, we want to the best. We want our baby to be safe. We research cribs, car seats, high chairs, toys... etc... But why don't we look at what we're bathing baby in? Washing clothes in? Cleaning with? Very scary.

I found a manufacturer that makes only safe, non-toxic products. They work better than anything I'd ever used in the past... and they were less expensive than the garbage I was buying before.

Within 6 days my eczema cleared for the first time in 27 years! Within 2 weeks my son wasn't needing his steroids. All from switching stores and getting rid of all the chemicals.

Anyone can switch stores and have a healthier home. It's simple. It just takes research.