Common Sense

In choosing cosmetics and household cleaners, AVOID the following:    

* Products that contain ingredients with long, difficult-to-pronounce names. These are usually synthetic ("man-made") chemicals that are untested for their effects on human health.    

* Products with strong scents or odors. This includes perfume, cologne, scented lotion, powder, etc. These items contain chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which destroy brain cells, disrupt hormone function and can cause cancer. When inhaled, these VOCs have easy access to the brain, bloodstream and organs. As toxic vapors, VOCs also "offgas" from new plastics, carpeting and toys, nail polish, paint, etc. Avoid or "air-out" these items for as long as possible before installing or placing them in a closed-room. (Unless you use an effective air purifier, your indoor air often is  more polluted than the air outside your home due to fumes offgassing from products you bring inside.)  

* Products with ingredients listed as "fragrance", "perfume" or "scent".

* Products with "Warning", "Caution", or "Danger: labels (i.e., cleaning products and pesticides).  These labels are there because one or more of the ingredients has the potential for causing serious  harm or death.

For safer options/alternatives, look for: 

* Products labeled "organic" or "all-natural" (personal care products and foods), but read further to see how these terms are defined. To ensure organic standards, look for "USDA Certified Organic" or  "Quality Assurance International" labels.    

* Personal care products with plant-based oils such as almond oil or jojoba (rather than petroleumbased oils) and an ingredients list you can read and understand.    

* Simple, natural cleaners such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice. Avoid antibacterials (e.g.,  triclosan) in all products since they are unnecessary for effective cleaning and can create antibioticresistant bacteria that cause serious health problems. 

* OCC highly recommends the ALL GREEN product line of "Healthy Clean Buildings," a company dedicated to ULTIMATE CLEAN and ULTIMATE GREEN!