Why it is Best to Use Organic Shampoo

Do you worry about the health of the planet? As important, do you worry about your health and that of your family and worry about the effect that pollution and chemicals may be having on your body? I know I do and I've been trying to cut out unneccessary chemicals in my home as much as possible. And one of our firm rules has always been to be sure that we only use organic shampoo and other organic baby products on our two small children as well as similar products such as natural organic toothpaste.

If you really want to scare yourself why don't you take a look at the list of ingredients on a normal bottle of shampoo. I would be willing to bet you that there are at least twenty to thirty products on there. Do you know what any of them mean? Do you know how much any of them have been tested? And do you know if they have been tested in combination?

The answers to all of the above questions are probably NO. I sure did not know what I was putting on my hair and body almost every day in the shower for more than 35 years. But the more reading I have been doing on the subject, the less I like what some of the big companies have been putting in the products we use every day.

Greenpeace has done some studies and found that phthalates are among the substances found in every day shampoo. These chemicals are known to be reproductive and developmental toxins that reduce male and female fertility and are believed to be toxic to unborn fetuses to which they can cause malformations and possibly even death. Do you want that on your body? I thought not.

What about another ingredient that sounds really innocent. I bet that your shampoo bottle will list something called musk or parfum. That sounds harmless doesn't it? According to Greenpeace these artificial musks are persistent chemicals that accumulate in the body and build up over time. Studies have linked them to problems with the reproductive system and they also disrupt the endocrine system (our hormones).

Want those in your body? I thought not too. How about in your baby's body?Another study by Greenpeace found traces of Formaldehyde,synthetic musks, low levels of phthalates and alkylphenols in shampoo and skin care products for babies. None of these are good.

Since I did some more reading and discovered just how many harmful chemicals are in our everyday products I've made a real effort to try to cut out as many of them as possible and to get organic alternatives wherever possible. Our first priority was to find alternatives for our two little boys (one is aged three and the other just nine-months). We're in Europe and the organic movement has been going on here for a long time so finding products such as organic baby shampoo is no problem. In Germany, where they call organic products "bio" there is a great selection. But there are other good names and products that you can get all around the world.

The first thing to check for is a good organic certification. In Europe the EU regulates what products can be called organic and organisations in each country also have their own standards. Be sure to read up on the different standards and go for the highest.

You also want to double check the label yourself. This can be time consuming but if you are worried about your children's health it is time well spent. Some regulators will allow parfum to be added, for instance, so you want to check that for yourself. Many of the more reputable brands will now say that they are paraben free, which is something else to look for. These are widely used as preservatives and although official bodies such as the FDA have cleared them for use many experts suggest that they be avoided, especially by pregnant women and small children. Different products will also often have slightly different standards and lists of allowed chemicals. For instance organic sunscreen makers will be permitted to use some substances that say organic face cream does not have. And obviously if you just go for pure and natural products such as organic cocoa butter then there will usually be no additives at all.