Harmful Microwaves

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.

3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.

4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.

8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

Permaculture

The word permaculture is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture and is an approach to designing human settlements, in particular the development of perennial agricultural systems that mimic the structure and interrelationships found in natural ecologies.

Permaculture design principles extend from the position that the only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children. The intent was that, by rapidly training individuals in a core set of design principles, those individuals could become designers of their own environments and able to build increasingly self-sufficient human settlements — ones that reduce society's reliance on industrial systems of production and distribution that are fundamentally and systematically destroying the earth's ecosystems.

Modern permaculture is a system design tool. It is a way of:

1. looking at a whole system or problem
2. seeing connections between key elements (parts)
3. observing how the parts relate,
4. planning to mend sick systems by applying ideas learnt from long-term sustainable working systems.

In permaculture, we are learning from the working systems of nature to plan to fix the sick landscapes of human agricultural and city systems. We can apply systems thinking to the design of a kitchen tool as easily to the re-design of a farm. In permaculture we apply it to everything we need in order to build a sustainable future. Commonly, initiatives that are taken tend to evolve from strategies that focus on efficiency (for example, more accurate and controlled uses of inputs and minimisation of waste) to substitution (for example, from more to less disruptive interventions, such as from biocides to more specific biological controls and other more benign alternatives) to redesign -- fundamental changes in the design and management of the operation. Permaculture is about helping people make redesign choices: setting new goals and a shift in thinking that affects not only their home but their actions in the workplace, borrowings and investments. Examples include the design and employment of complex transport solutions, optimum use of natural resources such as sunlight, radical design of information-rich, multi-storey polyculture systems. This progression generally involves a shift in the nature of one’s dependence -- from relying primarily on universal, purchased, imported, technology-based interventions to more specific locally available knowledge and skill-based ones. This usually eventually also involves fundamental shifts in world-views, senses of meaning, and associated lifestyles. My experience is that although efficiency and substitution initiatives can make significant contributions to sustainability over the short term, much greater longer-term improvements can only be achieved by redesign strategies; and, furthermore, that steps need to be taken at the outset to ensure that efficiency and substitution strategies can serve as stepping stones and not barriers to redesign...

Core Values

Permaculture is a broad-based and holistic approach that has many applications to all aspects of life. At the heart of permaculture design and practice is a fundamental set of ‘core values’ or ethics which remain constant whatever a person's situation, whether they are creating systems for town planning or trade; whether the land they care for is only a windowbox or an entire forest. These 'ethics' are often summarised as:

Earthcare – recognising that the Earth is the source of all life (and is itself a living entity) and that we recognise and respect that the Earth is our valuable home and we are a part of the Earth, not apart from it.

Peoplecare – supporting and helping each other to change to ways of living that are not harming ourselves or the planet, and to develop healthy societies.

Fairshare (or placing limits on consumption) - ensuring that the Earth's limited resources are utilised in ways that are equitable and wise.

Everyone needs to eat and drink, and it is the issue of food production where permaculture had its origins. It started with the belief that for people to feed themselves sustainably they need to move away from reliance on industrialised agriculture. Where industrial farms use fossil fuel (gasoline, diesel, natural gas..) driven technology specialising in each farm producing high yields of a single crop, permaculture stresses the value of low inputs into the land and diversity in terms of what is grown. The model for this was an abundance of small scale market and home gardens for food production with food miles being a primary issue.

The Permaculture Design Innovation

The core of permaculture has always been in supplying a design toolkit for human habitation. This toolkit helps the designer to model a final design based on an observation of how ecosystems themselves interact. A simple example of this is how the Sun interacts with a plant by providing it with energy to grow. This plant may then be pollinated by bees or eaten by deer. These may disperse seed to allow other plants to grow into tall trees and provide shelter to these creatures from the wind. The bees may provide food for birds and the trees provide roosting for them. The tree's leaves will fall and rot, providing food for small insects and fungus. There will be a web of intricate connections that allow a diverse population of plant life and animals to survive by giving them food and shelter. One of the innovations of permaculture design was to appreciate the efficiency and productivity of natural ecosystems and seek to apply this to the way human needs for food and shelter are met.

O'BREDIM design methodology

O'BREDIM is a mnemonic based on Observation, Boundaries, Resources, Evaluation, Design, Implementation and Maintenance.

Observation allows you to first see how the site functions within itself, to gain an understanding of its initial relationships. Some people recommend a year-long observation of a site before anything is planted. During this period all factors, such as lay of the land, natural flora and so forth, can be brought into the design. A year allows the site to be observed through all seasons, although it must be realised that, particularly in temperate climates, there can be substantial variations between years.

Boundaries refer to physical ones as well as to those your neighbours might place on you, for example.

Resources would include the people involved, funding, as well as what you can grow or produce in the future.

Evaluation of the first three will then allow you to prepare for the next three. This is a careful phase of taking stock of what you have at hand to work with.

Design is always a creative and intensive process, and you must stretch your ability to see possible future synergetic relationships.

Implementation is literally the ground-breaking part of the process when you carefully dig and shape the site.

Maintenance is then required to keep your site at a healthy optimum, making minor adjustments as necessary. Good design will preclude the need for any major adjustments.

Patterns

The use of patterns both in nature and reusable patterns from other sites is often key to permaculture design. This echoes the pattern language used in architecture which has been an inspiration for many permaculture designers. All things, even the wind, the waves and the earth on its axis, moving around the Sun, form patterns. In pattern application, permaculture designers are encouraged to develop: 1. Awareness of the patterns that exist in nature (and how these function) 2. Application of pattern on sites in order to satisfy specific design needs. The application of pattern on a design site involves the designer recognising the shape and potential to fit these patterns or combinations of patterns comfortably onto the landscape. We can use branching for the direction of our paths, rather than straight paths with square angles. Or we may use lobe-like paths of the main path (these are known as keyhole paths) that minimise waste and compaction of the soil.

Permaculture zones

Permaculture zones are a way of organizing design elements in a human environment based on the frequency of human use. Frequently manipulated or harvested elements are located close to the house in zones one and two, while less frequently manipulated elements of the design are farther away from the house.

Links and connections

Also key to the permacultural design model is that useful connections are made between components in the final design. The formal analogy for this is a natural mature ecosystem. So, in much the same way as there are useful connections between Sun, plants, insects and soil there will be useful connections between different plants and their relationship to the landscape and humans. Another innovation of the permaculture design is to design a landuse or other system that has multiple outputs. A useful connection is viewed as one that maximises power: that is, maximizes the rate of useful energy transformation. A comparison which illustrates this is between a wheat field and a forest. “It is not the number of diverse things in a design that leads to stability, it is the number of beneficial connections between these components.”

Layers/'stacking'

In permaculture and forest gardening, seven layers are identified:

The canopy
Low tree layer (dwarf fruit trees)
Shrubs
Herbaceous
Rhizosphere (root crops)
Soil Surface (cover crops)
Vertical Layer (climbers, vines)
The 8th layer, or Mycosphere (fungi), is often included in layering.

A mature ecosystem such as ancient woodland has a huge number of relationships between its component parts: trees, understory, ground cover, soil, fungi, insects and other animals. Plants grow at different heights. This allows a diverse community of life to grow in a relatively small space. Plants come into leaf and fruit at different times of year.

For example, in the UK, wild garlic comes into leaf on the woodland floor in the time before the top canopy re-appears with the spring. A wood suffers very little soil erosion as there are always roots in the soil. It offers a habitat to a wide variety of animal life which the plants rely on for pollination and seed distribution. The productivity of such a forest in terms of how much new growth it produces exceeds the most productive wheat field. It is in this observation of how more productive a wood may be on far less input of fertilizers that the potential productivity of a permaculture design is modelled. The many connections in a wood contribute together to a proliferation of opportunities for amplifier feedbacks to evolve that in turn maximise energy flow through the system.

Polyculture

Polyculture is agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture. It includes crop rotation, multi-cropping, and inter-cropping. Alley cropping is a simplification of the layered system which typically uses just two layers, with alternate rows of trees and smaller plants.

Guilds

Permaculture Guilds are groups of plants which work particularly well together. These can be those observed in nature such as the White Oak guild which centers on the White Oak tree and includes 10 other plants. Native communities can be adapted by substitution of plants more suitable for human use.

The Three Sisters of maize, squash and beans is a well known guild. Guilds can be thought of as an extension of companion planting.

Increase edge

Permaculturists maintain that where vastly differing systems meet, there is an intense area of productivity and useful connections. The greatest example of this is the coast. Where the land and the sea meet there is a particularly rich area that meets a disproportionate percentage of human and animal needs. This is evidenced by the fact that the overwhelming majority of humankind lives within 100 km of the sea. So this idea is played out in permacultural designs by using spirals in the herb garden or creating ponds that have wavy undulating shorelines rather than a simple circle or oval. Edges between woodland and open areas have been claimed to be the most productive.

Perennial plants

Perennial plants are often used in permaculture design. As they do not need to be planted every year they require less maintenance and fertilisers. They are especially important in the outer zones and in layered systems.

Animals

Many permaculture designs involve animals. For e.g., chickens can be used as a method of weed control and also as a producer of fertiliser. Agroforestry combines trees with grazing animals. The animals should be treated as friends, co-habitators and co-workers of the site.

Annual monoculture (anti-pattern)

Annual monoculture such as a wheatfield can be considered a pattern to be avoided in terms of space (height is uniform) and time (crops grow at the same rate until harvesting). During growth and especially after harvesting the system is prone to soil erosion from rain. The field requires a hefty input of fertilizers for growth and machinery for harvesting. The work is more likely to be repetitive, mechanised and rely on fossil fuels.

No pattern should be hard and fast and depending on the design considerations they can be broken. An example of this is broadscale permaculture practiced at Ragmans Lane Farm, which has a component of annual farming. Here the amount of human involvement is a key factor influencing the design.

Energy

Applying these values means using fewer non-renewable sources of energy, particularly petroleum based forms of energy. Burning fossil fuels contributes to greenhouse gases and global warming; however, using less energy is more than just combatting global warming. Food production should be a fully renewable system; but using current agricultural systems this is not the case. Industrial agriculture requires large amounts of petroleum, both to run the equipment, and to supply pesticides and fertilizers. Permaculture is in part an attempt to create a renewable system of food production that relies upon minimal amounts of energy.

For example permaculture focuses on maximizing the use of trees (agroforestry) and perennial food crops because they make a more efficient and long term use of energy than traditional seasonal crops. A farmer does not have to exert energy every year replanting them, and this frees up that energy to be used somewhere else.

Traditional pre-industrial agriculture was labor intensive, industrial agriculture is fossil fuel intensive and permaculture is design and information intensive and petrofree. Partially permaculture is an attempt to work smarter, not harder; and when possible the energy used should come from renewable sources such as wind power, passive solar designs or alternative fuels.

Toxic Fertilizers

The recycling of hazardous industrial wastes into fertilizers introduces several dozen toxic metals and chemicals into the nation's farm, lawn and garden soils, including such well-known toxic substances as lead and mercury. Many crops and plants extract these toxic metals from the soil, increasing the chance of impacts on human health as crops and plants enter the food supply chain. The steel industry provided 30% of this waste. Used for its high levels of zinc, which is an essential nutrient for plant growth, steel industry wastes can include lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel and dioxin, among other toxic substances. With little monitoring of the toxics contained in fertilizers and fertilizer labels that do not list toxic substances, our food supply and our health are at risk. Because fertilizer labeling laws only require beneficial nutrients, like zinc or phosphate, to be listed, fertilizers are sold directly to the public and farmers without warnings or information that informs consumers about the presence and quantity of toxic metals. Inadequate labeling requirements mean consumers do not have the necessary information to make informed decisions about products at the time that they are purchased to best protect the health of their families.

Each of these metals is suspected or known to be toxic to humans and the environment. Nine metals, like arsenic and lead, are known or suspected to cause cancer and ten metals, like mercury, are linked to developmental effects. Beryllium is a suspected carcinogen, chromium and arsenic are known to cause cancer and barium can cause kidney and lung damage. Three of the tested metals – lead, cadmium and mercury – are also persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs). PBTs persist for long periods of time in the environment – some indefinitely – and they can accumulate in the tissues of humans and wildlife, increasing the long-term health risks at even low levels of exposure. These three metals cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive problems. Children are most susceptible to the toxic effects of most metals, especially lead, which has been the subject of intense government efforts to reduce lead exposure to children. Products like fertilizer are of great concern as children spend more time on or near the ground and are often exposed to ground level substances through hand-to-mouth behavior.

Toxins in fertilizers accumulate in agricultural soils, become available for plant uptake, and run off into waterways.

AGRICULTURAL SOIL QUALITY
Farming, especially single-crop farming, requires consistent and dependable soil conditions. The introduction to farm soils of toxic substances like lead and cadmium can adversely affect growing conditions and result in increased toxic accumulation as these metals are highly persistent in soils. This can negatively affect critical growing requirements, such as soil acidity or the solubility of beneficial metals like zinc in the soils.

PLANT UPTAKE
Some crops are more likely than others to absorb non-nutrient toxic substances from soils. For example, fruits and grains can absorb lead, and lettuce, corn and wheat can absorb cadmium from soils. This means that our food supply is at risk of contamination by toxic substances that could threaten human health.

WATER QUALITY
The overall health of waterways has declined dramatically over the last quarter-century. Most of our rivers, lakes, and estuaries are still too polluted for safe fishing or swimming. Agricultural runoff is a common cause of waterway pollution. A recent report found that metals are the second most common pollutants found in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and estuaries. In fact, agriculture is the industry most responsible for lake pollution. The introduction of toxic substances from fertilizers to agricultural environments will only add to their concentrations in waterways.

Toxic fertilizers must be banned.

War On Plastics

A host of poisonous chemicals are imbedded in plastic that are unstable, causing genetic damage and resultant disease. As it is hard to attribute environmental diseases to specific chemicals or products, industry gets a free ride in killing people and the planet for profit. The reductionist approach of science, and the domination of research by corporations and corrupt government agencies, tricks citizens into ceding their power to specialists wedded to the economic/academic system and its inherent flaws.

Here are a few of the critical, insurmountable challenges from plastic's production and disposal:

1. Clear plastic food wrap contains up to 30% DEHP [di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate]. This substance is also in intravenous blood bags. This poison was identified by the State of California for its Proposition 65 list of carcinogens and mutagens, but industry pressure got the listing weakened;

2. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it was found that 1,000,000 times more toxins are concentrated on the plastic debris and plastic particles than in ambient sea water;

3. Six times as much plastic per weight than zooplankton is in any given amount of sea water taken from the middle of the Pacific Ocean;

4. Triclosan, in plastics as well as antibacterial soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, and fabrics, is shown to cause health and environmental effects and compound antibiotic resistance. Researchers found that when sunlight is shined on triclosan in water and on fabric, a portion of triclosan is transformed into dioxin;

5. Migration from all seven categories of plastic designated with numerals on packaging, including the recyclable types 1 and 2, are (partial list): Acetaldehde, antioxidants, BHT, Chimassorb 81, Irganox (PS 800, 1076, 1010), lead, cadmium, mercury, phthatlates, and the acknowledged carcinogen diethyl hexyphosphate;

6. Many more such additives are often present, creating in our bodies synergisms that can be 1,600 times as strong as an estrogen imitator/endocrine disruptor/single chemical may be;

7. The main issue surrounding the use of polyvinylchloride (PVC) is the impact of toxic pollutants generated throughout its life cycle. A Greenpeace (UK) study from October 2001 stated in its headline, "UK Government report on PVC misses the point, but still condemns PVC windows and floors." Unfortunately, Greepeace did not quite get it either when it advocated for plastic replacements seemingly less poisonous: "PVC should be phased out and replaced with non chlorinated materials - timber, linoleum, polyethylene, PET, polypropylene and others." Will Greenpeace declare War on Plastic?

The hard truth is that all plastics must be banned forever.

Herbs

Astragalus - promotes resistance against disease by activating immune system; reduces blood pressure; helps treat heart disease and diabetes; increases energy and stamina

Avena Sativa (Oats) - soothes nervous system and performance anxiety; boosts fertility; strengthens heart; good for urinary organs; reduces nicotine cravings; and helps with detoxification

Bee Pollen - helps counteract effects of aging; raises mental and physical capabilities; assists in balancing endocrine system; helps chronic colitis and constipation/diarrhea

Bladderwrack - has natural iodine to promote a healthy thyroid; encourages good circulation and eases obesity; gently stimulates the metabolism

Cat's Claw - an immune system builder; cleanses and detoxifies entire digestive system, scrubs the intestinal walls and increases all nutrients' absorption

Damiana - sexual stimulant and enhances sexual performance; tonic to improve overall body function; helps relieve anxiety and promotes a feeling of well-being

DHEA - antiaging; enhanced mood, energy, and memory; improved immune system; boosted sex drive; reduced osteporosis; improved fat loss; more muscle mass; reduced autoimmune disorders; less heart disease

Dong Quai - stimulates circulation to purify and cleanse blood; nourishes brain cells; soothes central nervous system; helps relieve menopause and menstrual problems; fights colds, fever and anemia

Fo-Ti - promotes anti-aging effects of hair and muscle loss; an anti-toxic and anti-cancer tonic for the liver and blood to restore vigor and energy; anti-swelling effects ease pain, backache and constipation; tranquilizing properties aid in insomnia

Garcinia Cambogia - a natural, safe weight loss aid; helps stop and reduce production and storage of fat; inhibits conversion of carbohydrates into fat; works in conjunction with a low fat diet; suppresses the appetite; an anti-bacterial

Garlic - strengthens immune system; helps prevent heart disease by reducing high blood pressure & lowering cholesterol; fights infections; digestive aid; alleviates gas; anti-inflammatory

Ginger Root - promotes endurance and increases stamina; eases cold symptoms; soothes & promotes healing of minor burns & skin inflammations; digestive aid for nausea, vomiting, cramps & motion sickness

Ginkgo Biloba - improves blood circulation to the brain & other organs; aids memory loss & depression; improves short term memory & mental clarity; great antioxidant to fight free radicals and slow aging process; improves nervous system function; reduces frequncy of asthma & allergy attacks; fights heart disease

Gotu Kola - nerve tonic to promote relaxation; enhances memory; has calming effect on body; improves circulation by strengthening veins and capillaries; reduces pain and swelling; eliminates excess fluids; relieves congestion due to cold and upper respiratory infections; lowers fever

Grape Seed - a strong antioxidant; a natural diuretic; builds immune system; helps skin wounds heal faster; promotes healthy circulation; and improves skin tone and elasticity

Green Tea - powerful antioxidant; protects against digestive and respiratory infections; anti-cancer and heart disease properties; reduces cholesterol and triglycerides; enhances immune function; increases energy; and enhances weight loss by reducing appetite and fat tissue accumulation

Guarana - an energizer; increases mental alertness and fights fatigue; increases stamina and physical endurance; high energy source; helps diminish appetite

Korean Ginseng - energizer and rejuvenator; increases endurance and promotes mental & physical vigor; fights stress; increases brain and memory center function; helps relieve menopause and menstrual problems; assists in normalizing blood pressure

Licorice Root - lowers cholesterol; reduces pain, stiffness from arthritis; reduces fever and inflammation; promotes healing of wounds; prevents tooth decay; soothes stomach aches, ulcers, bladder, kidney and urinary tract ailments; cleanses colon; good for sore throats and cough; breaks up congestion

Muira Puama - a sexual stimulant and potent aphrodisiac; used as a stomach tonic and treatment for rheumatism; improves sexual desire and libido; improves circulation to prostate; helps with menstrual problems

Rehmannia Glutinosa - replenishes vital force; helps with diabetes, urinary tract problems, anemia, & regulating menstrual flow; beneficial for hypoglycemia & liver protection; helps reduce blood pressure & increase circulation; blood tonic; alleviates night sweats & fevers

Reishi Mushroom - for heart health including normal cholesterol, blood pressure, circulatory system support; for normal sleep; immune system health; cardiac and liver tonic

Saw Palmetto Berry - beneficial for the reproductive organs of both sexes; works as an aphrodisiac and tonic; used to ease swelling of the prostate and excessive urination

Schizandra - an antioxidant, protects against free radicals and against infections and stress; an energizer; helps fight fatigue, lung disease; a digestive aid; improves vision; stimulates circulation of blood; normalizes blood pressure

Shiitake Mushroom - enhances immune system's ability to fight against infection; gives nutrients to cleanse and heal; aids mineral absorption; helps prevent high blood pressure and heart disease; cancer-fighting agent; aids depression and fatigue; promotes vitality and longevity

Siberian Ginseng - stimulator of the circulatory system; a rejuvenator that increases energy and endurance; boosts the immune system; lowers cholesterol; helps prevent heart disease; raises sexual potency and vitality

Suma - builds, protects the immune system by fighting free radicals; slows aging process; boosts energy; relieves stress; promotes new cell growth and healing of wounds; enhances sexual functions; fights viral infections

Vegetable and Fiber Blend (Cruciferous Blend) - has anti-aging properties; antioxidant glutathione; free radical fighters; may help lessen the chance of colon and lung cancer and cardiovascular disease

White Willow Bark - soothes headaches; helps insomnia; relieves pain; reduces inflammation in arthritic and rheumatic joints; good for neuralgia; contains tannins which are good for the digestive system

Yohimbe - an aphrodisiac; dilates the blood vessels and brings the blood closer to the surface of the sex organs; lowers blood pressure; increases the reflex excitability of the lower region

Zhi Shi - increases metabolism and calorie expenditure; fat burner - stimulates breakdown of fat; promotes weight loss; increases energy; improves circulation and liver function; and aids in relief of chest congestion, bronchitis and indigestion

Drink Only Distilled Water

Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies (lakes, rivers, oceans, groundwater) caused by human activities. It is a serious problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of death and disease, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. Drinking water currently available around the world is severely carcinogenic.

Principal sources of water pollution are:

1. Industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts
2. Discharge of poorly-treated or untreated sewage
3. Surface runoff containing pesticides
4. Slash and burn farming practice, which is often an element within shifting cultivation agricultural systems
5. Surface runoff containing spilled petroleum products
6. Surface runoff from construction sites, farms, or paved and other impervious surfaces e.g. silt
7. Discharge of contaminated and/or heated water used for industrial processes
8. Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulfur dioxide (by burning high-sulfur fossil fuels)
9. Excess nutrients added by runoff containing detergents or fertilizers
10. Underground storage tank leakage, leading to soil contamination, thence aquifer contamination.

Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.

Some organic water pollutants are:
1. Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalide and other chemicals
2. Bacteria, often is from sewage or livestock operations;
3. Food processing waste, including pathogens
4. Tree and brush debris from logging operations

Some inorganic water pollutants include:
1. Heavy metals including acid mine drainage
2. Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants)
3. Chemical waste as industrial byproducts
4. Fertilizers, in runoff from agriculture including nitrates and phosphates
5. Silt in surface runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing

What Makes Us Sick?

The FDA [Food and Drug Administration] classifies cosmetics and personal care products, but does not regulate them. In 1938, the FDA granted self-regulation to the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association [CTFA], the self-appointed industry organization. With The exception of color additives and a few prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA ["Prohibited Ingredients", FDA Office of Cosmetics Fact Sheet, Dec. 19, 1994]. What this means is that the industry does not have to account to anyone, not even the FDA. The direct result of industry self-regulation is that all products on the market today that we use constantly--and worse, products that we UNKNOWINGLY use on our children and even babies in the womb -- are TOXIC. Wayne Stevenson of the FDA Cosmetics Registration Section says that "The cosmetic manufacturers aren't required to submit safety data to the FDA, so we don't really know what sorts of tests they run. When they run tests, they keep the results in their own files."

Some commonly used ingredients found in household products and their impact on the human body are as follows:

Alcohol: adult drink, acts as a solvent. Found in mouthwash [which may have higher alcohol content than beer or wine], astringents and facial cleansers, some toothpastes

1. Implicated in mouth, tongue and throat cancers [women have 90% higher risk; men have 60% higher risk than non-mouthwash users]
2. On skin, strips away natural protecting oils [takes skin 24 hours to repair itself]
3. When ingested, makes body tissues vulnerable to carcinogens

Alkyl-Phenol Ethoxylades: Found in shampoos, bubble bath

1. Reduces sperm count· estrogen mimic

Alpha Hydroxy Acid: [said to reverse aging and renew skin] Found in skin products

1. Removes outer layer of skin and prematurely exposes new skin to damaging effects of the environment
2. Inflames skin [and so wrinkles seem to disappear]
3. Destroys skin cells; long term use results in skin cancer

Aluminum: Found in antiperspirants, some cosmetics, cans and household utensils

1. Causes Central Nervous System dysfunctions [such as Alzheimer's disease]

Bentonite: [micro-fine clay used to suffocate forest fires] Found in foundations, soaps, and other cosmetics

1. Suffocates the skin [does not allow CO2 out or O2 in; traps toxins in]
2. Scratches the skins surface

Benzoic / Benzyl / Benzene: [preservative] Found in bubble bath, shampoos, shower gels

1. Carcinogens and endocrine disruptor
2. Cause birth defects

Bronopol: [2-bromo-2-nitropropane]

1. Severely carcinogenic

Coal Tar Dye: [esp. D&C Blue #1, Green #3, Yellow#5, Yellow #6, Red #33, phenylenediamine] Found in shampoos, especially dandruff shampoos, bubble bath, toothpastes, hair dyes

1. Cause severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness, lack of concentration
2. Increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma and Hodgkin's disease

Note - The 1938 Act created a specific exemption for coal-tar dyes. The FDA cannot now ban them, even though their carcinogenicity has been recently proven.

Collagen: [makes skin feel artificially smooth] Found in creams and lotions

1. Molecules too large to penetrate skin; suffocate skin

DEA [Diethanolamine], TEA [Tea, triethanolamine], MEA Cocamide DEA; Laurimide DEA; Linoleamide DEA, Oleamide DEA: [solvent, emulsifier, wetting agent] Found in most things--shampoos, conditioners, lotions, shaving gels, bubble bath, skin creams, etc.

1. Severely carcinogenic

Dioforms: Found in tooth whiteners

1. Damages teeth enamel
2. Weakens protective shell of teeth

Elastin: [promoted as beneficial to skin] Found in creams and lotions

1. Suffocates skin, cannot be absorbed by skin [molecules too large]
2. Cannot restore tone to skin
3. Holds moisture in/out

Fluoride: [Sodium fluoride] Found in toothpaste

1. Environmental pollutant
2. May contain lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, radionucleides
3. Accumulates in body, destroying organs
4. Contributes to bone disease [American Medical Association, December, 1993]
5. Carcinogen [known since 1990: shown to not reduce cavities]

Dr. Dean Burk of National Cancer Institute: "Fluoride causes more human cancer death, and causes it faster than any other chemical"

Formaldehyde: [preservative, fixative, disinfectant] Found in shampoo, nail care, cosmetics, baby shampoo, bubble bath, deodorants, perfume, cologne, hair dye, mouthwash, toothpaste, hair spray, and many other personal care items.

1. Carcinogen
2. Neurotoxin

Note - The following information is taken from a Material Safety Data Sheet [MSDS] which, by law, must be supplied to anyone who uses any chemical product in the workplace. The MSDS for formaldehyde warns: "Suspected carcinogen; May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin; causes burns; inhalation can cause spasms, edema [fluid buildup] of the larynx and bronchi, and chemical pneumonitis; extremely destructive to tissue of the mucous membrane."

Fragrances: Synthetic fragrances are made up of hundreds of chemicals. Some, such as methylene chloride, are carcinogenic; others can cause brain damage. A scientific analysis of one very popular perfume showed it to contain a very potent neurotoxin.

Kaolin: [micro-fine clay used to suffocate forest fires] Found in facial powders and other cosmetics

1. Suffocates and weakens skin, like bentonite

Lacquer: [stops things from running] Found in mascara

1. Causes eyelashes to fall out

Lye: Found in bar soaps

1. Corrodes or dries out skin

Methyl Methacrylate: Found in sculptured artificial nails

1. May cause inflammation of fingers and nails

Mineral Oil: [makes skin feel soft and smooth] Found in liquid foundations, blush, skin creams and baby oil; derivative of petroleum

1. Suffocates and dries out skin
2. Inhibits oils you produce naturally and so increases dehydration
3. Clogs pores; locks in toxins and wastes

Phthalates: [plastic softener, solvents] Found in lipstick, hair spray, deodorant, nail polish, hair gel, mousse, hand lotion, body lotion, and perfume, as well as children's toys and PVC plastic. Usually NOT found on label of ingredients. 52 of 72 products tested contained unlabelled phthalates in concentrations up to 3%.

1. Shown to damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system, especially the developing testes
2. Accumulates in organs; women 20-50 have the highest levels in their bodies
3. Phthalates ingested as a result of lipstick use lead to breast cancer

Propylene Glycol: [humectant--prevents things from drying out] Found in deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, shaving gels

1. Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities
2. Inhibits skin cell growth
3. Damages cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: [detergent] Found in toothpaste, shampoo, dish soap, liquid hand soap, bubble bath

1. Corrodes hair follicles and impairs ability to grow hair, may cause hair to fall out
2. Builds up in the heart, liver, lungs and brain from skin contact causing organ atrophy
3. Denatures protein--impairs proper structural formation of young eyes
4. Damages immune system

Talc: [dry lubricant] Found in baby powders, feminine powders, lubricant on condoms, found in blush

1. Carcinogen when inhaled
2. Use on condoms may result in fallopian tube fibrosis [leads to infertility]
3. Linked to post-operative granulomatous peritonitis and fibrous adhesions
4. 60% increase risk of ovarian cancer when used in genital areas
5. 90% increase risk of ovarian cancer when used in feminine deodorant sprays

Toluene: Found in nail polish

1. Endocrine disruptor
2. Carcinogen
3. Causes birth defects
4. Irritates respiratory tract
5. Causes liver damage

Tyrosine: [darkens the skin] Found in tanning accelerators

1. Carcinogen

Zinc Stearate: Found in blush, powder foundations

1. Carcinogen