Sunscreens that pollute the water are not efficient. This is especially true in the ocean, where it’s estimate that 4000-6000 tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers every year. A company called Caribbean Solutions is introducing a biodegradeable sunscreen nationwide.

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The Peelu Tree has been used for centuries by people in Asia, Africa and the Middle East to clean their teeth. A frayed branch of the tree is traditionally used. Now the Peelu USA company has incorporated Peelu fibers into a range of dental products, including toothpaste, toothpowder and a dental gum. Peelu is said to be less abrasive than regular toothpaste. I’ve been using the Peelu dental powder for a while now, and it seems to work quite well. I have to say that the taste of Peelu is not enticing: it has a dry barky taste. But I am impressed by its cleaning action.

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Conventional sunscreens have a number of ingredients that have been linked to hormone disruption in animal tests and are readily absorbed by skin. Some these ingredients include: parabens, benzophenone, homosalate and octyl-methoxycinnamate. Besides skipping sunscreens and staying shaded, one alternative was to use sunscreen with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide — the kind that stays visible on your skin. However, recently the nanoparticles used to make titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreens more transparent have also been under scrutiny because they may be harmful to human tissue (see the Green Guide’s “Sunscreens: No-No Nano” and “Nano-Sunscreens Part Two“).

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You can make household and personal care products at home. The mixtures you create will be healthier and of a higher quality than those found in stores. Once you have the right ingredients, mixing them up is quite straightforward. The book, Better Basics for the Home, offers more than 800 simple alternatives to toxic household products, covering everything from skin care to gardening.

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A while ago we published a link to a site that rates Personal Care Products. We had some requests from readers who were interested in finding the report, so here is an update.

The EWG has also published the most comprehensive study on chemical contaminants found in humans. Blood and urine from nine people was tested for 210 chemicals that occur in consumer products and industrial pollution. See the report here: Body Burden.

The Environmental Working Group has produced a list of the Best and Worst Personal Care Products. They have a huge Searchable Product Guide of harmful chemicals found in personal care products.

The report is extensive and very well organized. You can search by ingredient, product
name or product
category.