Hello everyone, long time no post!
I've been unplugged for longer than I intended trying to clean out and reorganize my office/craft room/child's playroom/guest room and it ended up being much more of a project than I anticipated. (story of my life!) Then Easter came (we hosted this year), then after everyone left we ALL got sick. So it's been eventful to say the least.
Any who, I'm back now and SO excited to introduce a new page I started on the blog called "Melaleuca Monday"!!! Through each post, my intention is to EDUCATE readers on ways to improve and live a healthy lifestyle, NOT to scare. Although, I will say, the research out there about our everyday household products is just plain scary!!
Ok so what is Melaleuca? It is an American wellness company based in Idaho Falls, Idaho that manufactures and sells over 450 household products in their online grocery store at melaleuca.com.
I know what some of you are thinking... "wellness", "specialty products", "American made", expensive and don't work. NOPE!!!! Melaleuca's products are sold at Walmart/Target prices and scientifically tested before they enter the market. (trust me I did the math down to the cent per ounce and tons of research) I'll explain how they are able to do this.
First, let me digress.... Before having my first baby, I could CARE LESS about organic anything. I ate whatever I wanted, shopped anywhere and everywhere and bought whatever looked appealing to me. Then all of the sudden, I was responsible for this precious little life that was perfect in every way. It was up to me to preserve and protect him in the best possible way. In doing that, I want to give him the most wholesome life possible and allow him to thrive in every way.
As health conscious adults, we work out, take vitamins, eat healthy, and see doctors regularly for checkups. Before having to care for someone other than myself, I thought, "what else could I possibly do to take care of myself and be healthy? There isn't anything." WRONG! I didn't realize that what I allow into my environment is a huge component of our well being and health. And that is where Melaleuca fits in. It is the missing piece to a healthy lifestyle.
According to the E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency) the inside of our homes are 5-7 times more toxic than outside. These toxins come from cleaners, soaps, lotions, candles, sunscreens, makeup, shampoos and conditioners, ointments, laundry detergents, and more! The EPA also says cancer is 90% environmental. This means that the products we are using in our everyday lives contain toxins and when ingested, inhaled, and consumed over time, cause cancer.
So back to how Melaleuca is able to produce toxin free products that are 100% safe for our environment at Walmart/Target prices....
Up to 63% of name brand products produced by fortune 500 companies like Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson go to advertising and the middlemen (i.e. paying rent for shelf space in Walmart, Target, grocery stores, and shipping costs from their production warehouses overseas usually). This only leaves 37% of the cost to go towards ingredients. That's not much at all! So as a result, you end up getting products with cheap ingredients. Cheap ingredients often times translates into cancer causing ingredients that are toxic to your body! I will give you a specific example in a minute.
SO, Melaleuca decided to use this 63% and put it toward fresh, organic ingredients. They are able to do this by using "just-in-time" manufacturing where every product they sell is manufactured in their own US facilities within 3 weeks of a customer's order, and shipped directly to the customer's door within days. Think about that!?! When I purchase my hand soap from Melaleuca.com, I know for a fact that it was MADE within the last month with the freshest ingredients possible and without any carcinogens! This means I am guaranteed higher quality products, at the same price as going to Target, and all I am doing is switching stores. Even better, I didn't have to leave the house!
At first when someone pointed this out to me, I could really care less. I didn't have time to be concerned about where my soap was coming from, I just needed something to wash my hands! But after I started reading and researching information about common ingredients in household products that have been proven to cause cancer (triclosan, parabens, formaldehyde, etc.) along with other toxic chemicals, my thinking totally changed. Prior to becoming a Melaleuca customer, I had no idea that my Dial soap had a hormone disrupting chemical in it called triclosan, that has been directly linked to cancer, particularly liver tumors. Now I am absolutely amazed and relieved that Melaleuca is able to provide product replacements that are safe AND effective at a Walmart/Target price!
The Melaleuca product I want to focus on today is their hand soap. EVERYONE needs and buys hands soap, especially during cold and flu season. (we are not out of the woods yet even though it is spring) So hand soap is something we've been blowing through like bottled water lately. We use several different scented hand soaps by Melaleuca and have been pleased with all of them!
As consumers, we really need to be careful about what hand soaps we use because many of the name brands on the market today contain an ingredient called "triclosan" for its antimicrobial properties. The following information was sent to me in a
yahoo article that I found both eye opening and fascinating...
"Researchers from the University of San Diego School of Medicine say that Triclosan could have long-term repercussions for health.
The study, published in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that exposure to triclosan caused liver fibrosis and cancer in mice. Mice exposed to triclosan for six months—the equivalent of 18 human years—were more susceptible to liver tumors, and their tumors were larger than those in mice who were not exposed to the chemical. This isn’t the first time the safety of triclosan has come under scrutiny. Studies have shown that triclosan changes hormones in animals, a CDC study found that 75% of humans have traces of the chemical in their urine, and it’s present in the breast milk of most lactating women. And as it turns out, many scientists agree that t
riclosan isn’t even more effective than washing hands with simple soap and water. Colleen Rogers, Ph.D., a lead microbiologist at the Food and Drug Administration, has said that antibacterial soaps don’t prevent illness any better than regular soaps. “New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits”. Perhaps surprisingly, concerns over triclosan are decades old. “Unfortunately, the FDA started looking at whether it was going to allow triclosan to be used in these products in 1978, yet they never actually finalized that decision,” says Mae Wu, a senior attorney at the National Resources Defense Council. “So, with the boom in antibacterial soaps, triclosan continued to be used.” In 2011, the NRDC brought a lawsuit against the FDA, ultimately settling on an agreement: The FDA would meet new deadlines and rule on triclosan. “We’re in the midst of that right now,” Wu says. The FDA is expected to finalize its decision by September 2016; meanwhile, a Minnesota ban on triclosan goes into effect in 2017."
SCARY RIGHT???
If Minnesota is banning the use of triclosan in hand soaps, then I hope and imagine that other states will follow suit very soon. So far in my research, ANY soap that says "antibacterial" on the label, means it contains triclosan. Check your labels the next time you buy soap.
So, now that I've probably scared the living daylights out of you (not my intention!) , lets talk about the safer alternative...
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Sol-u-Guard Botanical Tropical scented Hand Wash by Melaleuca.
Also comes in Citrus scent. Pump available for individual bottles as well as value size refills (not shown).
This soap does not include triclosan, parabens, or formaldehyde and is scientifically proven to clean hands.
It is made with thyme and citric acid to scientifically clean bacteria from your hands.
The Tropical scent is a subtle blend of jasmine, pineapple, and coconut. I use this one in my kitchen. |
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Moisturizing Liquid Soap in the Mountain Rain scent is one of my absolute favorites! It smells amazing and has tiny little moisturizing beads inside that really moisturize your hands. I keep this soap in the guest bathrooms and always get compliments from people on how amazing it smells!
Does not include triclosan, parabens, or formaldehyde and is scientifically proven to clean hands.
Also comes in Grapefruit Splash, and White Tea & Ginger scents. |
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| For those of you who like to use an old fashion bar of soap to wash your hands, the Melaleuca Bath Bars are great! They are french pressed so they last MUCH longer than a traditional bar of soap. We use to go through 1 Dove soap bar a week, now we replace our Melaleuca Bath Bars once a month! They come in several scents: The Gold Bar (citrus scent), Platinum Bar (sweet apricot scent), Exfoliating Bar (almond vanilla scent), Alloy Cleansing Bar (light marine scent), Pineapple Mango Bar (pineapple scent), Pink Grapefruit Bar, (grapefruit scent) |
There is also a hand wash for kids that I will talk about in another post featuring the kids line called Koala Pals.
If you are interested in becoming a
Melaleuca customer or have any questions for me, email me at lemonstolovelys@gmail.com .
Remember, when life hands you lemons, turn them into something lovely!
-Marci
Labels: bath bar, citrus, EPA, hand soap, hand wash, health, healthy lifestyle, Melaleuca, thyme, triclosan