Q&A

WHY SHOULD I USE A CLEAN DISH SOAP ALTERNATIVE?

After doing hours of research into standard grocery store dish soaps and detergents, it was quite alarming how many of them contain KNOWN carcinogens and endocrine disrupters. And yet society is so shocked at how common these diseases are in our culture. So it created a need in my mind and home for a clean, nontoxic alternative.

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Below is some of my research:

HERE ARE SOME COMMON DISH SOAPS THAT ARE TOXIC:
*PALMOLIVE: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/3255-PalmoliveUltraDishLiquid/
*DAWN: https://earthfriendlytips.com/is-dawn-dish-soap-toxic-and-bad-for-the-environment/
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/is-dawn-dish-soap-biodegradable.php#:~:text=Is%20Dawn%20Soap%20Toxic%3F,skin%20irritation%2C%20and%20allergic%20reactions.
*JOY: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/1800-JoyUltraDishwashingLiquidLemon/?formulation=6797
*AJAX: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/5464-AjaxTripleActionDishLiquidHandSoapOrange/?formulation=6758

HERE ARE SOME COMMON TOXIC INGREDIENTS FOUND IN MOST DISH SOAPS/DETERGENTS:
1) Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) : is a common surfactant that helps the oils in soaps bind to the water and create a lathering affect.
It affects your respiratory system, your reproductive system, your nervous systems, and your digestive system. It’s also carcinogenic. Your local water treatment plant can only remove a fraction of the SLS that comes its way. So SLS ends up getting discharged into your local watershed... where it pollutes your local ecosystem and kills aquatic life. The WHO organization doesn't recommend it for sensitive skin due to its irritating skin/eye effects.
https://www.100percentpure.com/blogs/feed/a-reminder-on-why-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-is-bad
https://www.healthychild.org/easy-steps/skip-products-made-with-sles-and-sls-too/
https://womensvoices.org/avoid-toxic-chemicals/15-toxic-trespassers/

2) Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB): another surfactant that creates a thick lather, contributes to water pollution, and harms any living creature inside the water. In 2012, it became a known carcinogen. https://facenaturals.com/blogs/natural-skin-care/cocamidopropyl-betaine-capb-toxic-or-safe

3) Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs): another surfactant that causes reproductive harm and increases estrogen levels causing a risk for breast cancer.
https://www.bcpp.org/resource/alkylphenols/

4) Monoethanolamine (MEA): Ethanolamine is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL and contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage. Breathing Ethanolamine can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. It poses a big asthma risk.
https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0835.pdf

5) Phthalates: causes reduced fertility, increased risk of breast cancer, increased allergic symptoms and asthma in children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that DEHP is a probable human carcinogen.
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=377&toxid=65#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Environmental%20Protection%20Agency,is%20a%20probable%20human%20carcinogen.

6) Quats (quaternary ammonium compounds): an antibacterial disinfectant compound that can cause skin and lung irritation, asthma, fertility issues, and reproductive harm. Some QACs can cause allergic skin rashes even with very limited exposure. QACs are toxic to a lot of aquatic organisms including fish, daphnids, algae, rotifer and microorganisms employed in wastewater treatment systems.
https://www.mountsinai.org/files/MSHealth/Assets/HS/Patient-Care/Service-Areas/Occupational-Medicine/QACsInfoforWorkers_18.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25770948/#:~:text=QACs%20are%20toxic%20to%20a,employed%20in%20wastewater%20treatment%20systems.

7) Dipropylene glycol: an alcohol that stabilizes the formula that can lead to cancer, damages your DNA, and impacts your respiratory, digestive, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. It also irritates your skin and damages your vision. Clinical tests have determined that the glycols produce mild to severe irritation to the eyes.
https://thedermreview.com/dipropylene-glycol/
https://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0804.pdf

8) Fragrance: "If you see “fragrance” written on any ingredient label, that should raise a red flag, because “fragrance” is not a single ingredient. Instead it’s a “black-box” term that manufacturers can use to hide over 3,000 chemicals, many of which lead to health problems."

9) Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose: is a cellulose ether that is used as a thickener. This ingredient can harm your digestive system, and therefore definitely shouldn’t be put on your dishes- your food will pick up the dish soap’s residue on your dishes and bring it into direct contact with your digestive system, where it causes trouble.
https://www.echemi.com/cms/430638.html

10) Methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, and benzisothiazolinone: These three ingredients are preservatives and harm ecosystems by killing anything that lives in the water. They can irritate your skin by causing allergic contact dermatitis as well as are endocrine disrupters.
https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_G-58_1-Oct-98.pdf
https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/is-benzisothiazolinone-safe/#:~:text=Benzisothiazolinone%20(BIT)%20is%20a%20potentially,effects%20when%20applied%20or%20handled.

11) Polysorbate-20: This is an emulsifier and is responsible for a number of health issues. It damages your DNA and causes cancer. It can cause developmental, reproductive, and endocrine issues. In addition, it can also cause problems for your respiratory system, your nervous system, and your digestive systems, as well as your skin and your vision. https://www.annmariegianni.com/ingredient-watch-list-polysorbate-20it-may-be-contaminated-with-carcinogenic-14-dioxane/

12) Sodium polyacrylate: This ingredient, an emulsion stabilizer, is responsible for water pollution, and like others on this list, it is extremely harmful to aquatic life once it washes down the drain. It has also been identified as a carcinogen. https://www.columbuschemical.com/MSDS/SDS/Sodium%20Polyacrylate%200043.pdf
https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/chemical-free-living-sodium-polycrylate/

WHY HAVE SOMETHING AS STRANGE AS BEEF TALLOW IN YOUR PRODUCTS?

Well, it's actually not that strange. "Tallow has been used in skincare for longer than most modern products have existed. The Romans and ancient Egyptians regularly used tallow as a miracle moisturizing agent and a cure for burns, scrapes, and various other ailments."It is a substance rendered from animal fat that has been heated to remove impurities, and it has incredible wholesome benefits. Our skin cell membranes are composed mostly of fatty acids with at least 50% being saturated fats, and tallow is also made up of around 50% saturated fats. Because of the similar makeup, tallow is incredibly compatible with our cell biology and is very easily absorbed by our skin. And because it is so similar to our own skin's sebum, it is gentle enough for all skin types. It is a thicker consistency similar to that of body butter, and a little goes a long way! Some of Tallow's components include:

*Vitamin A: encourages the production of collagen, elastin, and healthy skin cells as well as strengthening skin tissue, healing acne, and slowing skin aging

*Vitamin D: contributes to skin cell development, repair, metabolism, and immune function

*Vitamin K: aids in skin tone, texture, and overall health by soothing skin inflammation and irritation

*Vitamin E: repairs and reverses free radical damage by acting as a powerful antioxidant

*Many minerals such as zinc, iron, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and copper!

These nutrients play a vital role in every cellular function in our body. There are cellular growth benefits as well as immune support and antioxidant benefits too. When ingested, tallow contains many healthy fatty acids that help fuel brain function and promote brain health as well as produce hormones that regulate appetite and mood. The tallow I use in my products is a high-grade grass-fed tallow. Grass-fed tallow contains 4x as much Vitamin E as grain-fed tallow. There are no artificial color additives, artificial scent additives, or preservatives in any of my products. The recipes are simple because simple is clean.