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Now that you know the hazards of a product that reads simply "Do not swallow", there is no excuse for buying it. And there is certainly no excuse for purchasing products whose warnings are more explicit. Read everything before you buy. Refusing to purchase, store or use it may save your life and the lives of your family, friends or pets. Now that you know the hazards of a product that reads simply remedies (many of them available only by prescription). "Do not swallow", there is no excuse for buying it. And there is It is difficult to find uncontaminated and satisfactory skin care certainly no excuse for purchasing products whose warnings are s and cosmetics. And it is almost impossible to locate more explicit. Read everything before you buy. Refusing to effective cleansers that are free of poisons. purchase, store or use it may save your life and the lives of your The dangers of bleach are well documented. One of the best- family, friends or pets. ept secrets for bleaching and cleaning is pure hydrogen peroxide (H2O:2). Hydrogen peroxide is both safe and highly effective as a 3. Exercise Your Legal Right to Request the MSDS germicide because, chemically, H2O2 breaks down into water The one document that most thoroughly addresses the degree of | (H2O) and oxygen (O1)—which is known for killing most kinds of toxicity in chemicals, and what kinds of safety measures are acteria, viruses and fungi. Food grade hydrogen peroxide is used required when handling them, is rarely seen by consumers. In the — medicinally, for agriculture and livestock, and in the food and USA, all industries that manufacture potentially dangerous sub- electronics industries. I want to emphasise that the only accept - stances—whether these substances are single ingredients or a able hydrogen peroxide is food grade. Non-food-grade H2O:, the mixture of ingredients such as in a bathroom cleaner—are kind found in drug stores and supermarkets, is unnecessarily rid- required by the government-run Occupational Safety and Health dled with dangerous stabilisers and other additives. Administration (OSHA) to issue a Material Safety Data Sheet The dilution of the hydrogen peroxide is also of paramount (MSDS). This legal document addresses various aspects of a pro- importance. Drug store H:O> is sufficiently weak at 3% strength, duct's safety: Is it flammable? Does it emit toxic fumes? Is ita though, as I already mentioned, it is not safe because of the addi- skin or eye irritant? Is it poisonous when ingested and, if so, how tives. Six per cent hydrogen peroxide, the major component of much is needed to kill? How must it be discarded? Is it safe to Clorox 2, is caustic to the skin (and contains additives). Food dump in the environment? Is it chemically stable; that is, does it grade H2O> is usually sold to individuals at 6% strength, to which decompose or react to heat or cold? And does it emit other toxic one adds equal amounts of water to create a safe 3% solution. chemicals as a byproduct of its breakdown? Industry does not Food grade H2Oz concentration of 35% or 50% burns your skin, routinely volunteer this information to the general public. And blinds you if it gets splashed in your eyes, and can kill you if you most consumers don't know that this documentation exists or that ingest it. Nevertheless, food grade hydrogen peroxide, if handled they have a legal right to ask for it. correctly at the proper dilution, is Contact the company that manu- not only safe but beneficial. factures your soap, shampoo, cos- There is an important difference metic, cleaner or paint, and ask for a It is difficult to find between the caustic effects of H:O2 copy of the MSDS. Ask your local and the caustic effects of poisons supermarket or health food store to uncontaminated and satisfactory like neurotoxins or petrochemicals. post the data prominently. Send skin care products and cosmetics. Even when added to water or anoth- your local representative copies of er benign substance, neurotoxins the MSDS along with other docu- And it is almost impossible and petrochemicals are inherently mentation about the dangers of . lethal. Their molecules may be chemicals. to locate effective cleansers more spread out, but this does not that are free of poisons. diminish their essentially toxic 4. Use Safe Substitutes Instead nature: at a weak dilution, they still of Poisons maim and kill. Food grade hydro- If you are committed to your gen peroxide, on the other hand, health and receptive to innovative changes its inherent character at methods, you will almost certainly want to throw out the contents weaker dilutions, as when it is dispersed in water. (A source for of your medicine chest and replace most (if not all) of the items food grade H:O2 is Family Health News, 9845 NE 2nd Avenue, with herbal and homeopathic remedies, which are generally more Miami Shores, FL 33138, USA, tel +1 303 759 8710 or 1-800 284 effective and far safer than the poisons found in a drug store. In- 6263, toll-free in USA.) depth information on how to replace synthetic drugs is beyond the For general cleaning, the only commercial preparation I know scope of this essay; so do some research on homeopathy and of that is genuinely safe and really cleans well (it even removes herbs. Two fine books on the subject of herbs are How To Be gasoline, oil, ink and blood from clothing) is Planet Solutions Your Own Herbal Pharmacist, by Linda Rector-Page, and The — Multi-Purpose. The Material Safety Data Sheet from the compa- Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, by Daniel B. Mowrey. ny is impressive: the solution is stable at all temperatures, is not You can learn a great deal about natural remedies and alterna- flammable, does not irritate skin or eyes, does not emit toxic tives to toxic substances simply by visiting a good health food fumes and does not break down into or react with other chemicals. store, even though you may want few of the personal care items, The "First Aid Measures" section of the MSDS states that there is and probably none of the detergents, that you find there. Most of no known level of toxicity, whether the fluid contacts the eyes or the detergents sold in health food stores are poisonous. And some skin, is inhaled or ingested. Because the product is not classified of the hand lotions and cosmetics are similar to those found in as a detergent and is truly safe, there are no warnings on the label. mainstream drug stores, although they do have fewer additives, Planet Solutions is made from amino acids, minerals, enzymes feel better and generally smell better than their mainstream coun- and botanicals derived from edible, leafy green and seed-bearing terparts. Those who want the convenience of ready-made, safe or _ plants, and it contains absolutely no detergents, solvents, pesti- relatively safe commercially made personal-care items may want cides, fragrances, dyes, plastics or any other additives. The fluid to shop for products from the American company Aubrey Organics cuts grease electrically rather than chemically: the molecules, (which also manufactures cosmetics) and the international com- imbued with a negative-negative ion charge, wrap around the pany Weleda, Inc., which also makes wonderful homeopathic molecules of oil and dirt rather than interact chemically. uncontaminated and satisfactory skin care products and cosmetics. And it is almost impossible to locate effective cleansers APRIL — MAY 2000 NEXUS -39 It is difficult to find that are free of poisons.