As parents, there’s nothing more important to us than keeping our family safe. But even seemingly harmless household items are often filled with ingredients that pose serious health risks for you and the environment.
So, to help you choose better products for your family, we’ve created this cheat sheet with a list of toxic chemicals we think everyone should know. Keep reading to discover a few ingredients you might want to steer clear of…
Bisphenols (BPA and other BPA replacements)
Bisphenols such as Bisphenol A or BPA, are commonly used in plastics, food packaging, household items, and thermal paper receipts. BPA can cause a number of health risks including disrupting hormones, fertility, cognitive function, metabolism, and more.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS aka forever chemicals)
PFAS are found just about everywhere — including food, drinks, food packaging, cookware, personal care and household products. Because they build up in our bodies and don’t break down in the environment, they earned the nickname forever chemicals. Certain levels of exposure to PFAS could contribute to a number of health risks including negative reproductive effects, developmental effects and behavioural changes in children and more.
Phthalates (aka everywhere chemicals)
Much like PFAS, phthalates are widely found, earning them the nickname everywhere chemicals. They’re in a variety of consumer products such as plastics, paint, personal care products, undisclosed fragrances, coatings on medicines, and more. Phthalates can disrupt the endocrine system and are associated with several other health risks including allergies, asthma, increased cancer risk, and attention or behavioural challenges in kids.
Parabens (and other chemical preservatives)
Found in all kinds of personal care products such as toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, deodorant, and more — parabens are artificial preservatives that prevent contamination. Potential health risks include skin irritation, hormone disruption, harm to the reproductive system, and increased cancer risk.
Oxybenzone (and other active ingredients in chemical sunscreens)
The active ingredients in most chemical sunscreens might be just as harmful as they are helpful! The worst of the bunch, oxybenzone, has been linked to hormone disruption, allergic skin reactions, and reproductive issues. An easy switch is to find mineral-based sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide instead!
BFRS (Brominated fire retardants)
Often found in foam furniture, home furnishings, and electronics, BFRS and other flame retardants could pose a number of health effects. While research is still underway, these toxic chemicals have been linked to endocrine disruption and thyroid dysfunction. They may also cause damage to the immune and reproductive systems, cancer, and harm fetal and child development.
Synthetic 'fragrance' (aka parfum)
Products that smell nice are likely to contain fragrance or parfum. You’ll likely see this ingredient on labels without further disclosure of what chemicals went into their creation. Unfortunately, synthetic fragrances can often contain toxic chemicals that could cause skin and respiratory irritation, endocrine disruption, and affect the immune and reproductive systems. To be safe, consider choosing products that contain natural fragrances instead.
We hope this cheat sheet helps your family start a journey towards choosing better products for you and the planet. For a more extensive list of toxic chemicals to avoid, check out this banned/restricted substances list from Made Safe®, a human health and ecosystem product certification organisation. Or better yet, use their certifications to guide safer purchasing with this product catalog!
At Pura Stainless, we believe that our most-used items should always be made of only proven safe and eco-friendly ingredients – and each and every one of our products is Made Safe® certified, meaning they’ve been proven to be free of these harmful toxins. Find us on Made Safe®’s website, or head to our website to start shopping for safer products now!
Learn more through these sources: