Did you know that Tom's Of Maine Children's Frist Floride Free Toothpaste has SLS in it!?!?!?!? I bought some for my dd and now I can't take it back becuse we opened it, and I thought I was totally getting something safe!

Grrrrrrrrrr....

Love Val

Yep.... I did the same thing. I just bought it because it was well... Tom's of Maine, and of course that would be sls free. Serves me right for not reading the label. I sent it to grandma's. That way if ever the kids brush thier teeth there then they have better toothpaste at least. Since I generally don't make sure that both houses have sls free because they are rarely bathed/groomed there.

Color me silly ((((( I'm lost, what's SLS? I'm sure I know, it's just not coming to me... :rolleyes:

Yep! We only use Weleda, oh and sometimes I get Burt's Bee's for me. Dh uses whatever chemical laden junk he wants.

sls= sodium laurel sulfate

I recently learned in my Anatomy and Physiology class that *regular* toothpaste has emedic in it so you will vomit if you swallow it (because it's toxic if you swallow it). :eek: I remember as a child I used to have nausea everytime I brushed my teeth and NOW I now why. It only took me 30 something years to figure it out. lol

What problems do sls cause?

http://www.nb.net/~ginesis/g-defs.htm

I found this side on Propylene Glycol and SLS... Wow, I had not idea! See, good thing I've been hanging around here! If there is anything that wasn't listed here, PLEASE let me know!

Originally posted by Shannon
I recently learned in my Anatomy and Physiology class that *regular* toothpaste has emedic in it so you will vomit if you swallow it (because it's toxic if you swallow it). :eek: I remember as a child I used to have nausea everytime I brushed my teeth and NOW I now why. It only took me 30 something years to figure it out. lol

That is very interesting, I wonder if that is why so many pregnant women I know say brushing their teeth makes them puke? Just more sensitive to it when they're PG maybe?

Wow, Shannon, you are in a way crunchier massage school than I. My A&P teacher is very mainstream...only 1 teacher of 3 at my school is really crunchy.

We use Weleda for the kids and love it. I use Jason for me & dh but haven't looked to see what's in it besides no SLS. I have found recently that Jason products have a huge list of chemicals in them and I'm not liking that.

How bout' the new Burt's Bees one... from their we-site...

...........................
Free toothbrush in each box! NO fluoride, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or sodium lauryl sulfate! For children 2 years & up. Great for adults too. Pediatrician Tested.

Doctor Burtıs 100% Natural Childrenıs Toothpaste uses calcium carbonate (natural chalk) and bentonite (natural clay) to gently and effectively clean and polish teeth. Our toothpaste helps develop good oral hygiene habits at an early age with its good-for-you ingredients and mild fruity flavor that children (and adults!) will love. And because itıs fluoride-free, thereıs no need to worry about swallowing this natural toothpaste while brushing.

Wow! I had absolutely no idea about this at all. But in a wierd way it makes sense. People are told to not wash their dog's hair with shampoo because it is dangerous to the dog's eyes (it can make him go blind). Hello? wouldn't they think to not give it to people then?

I must be moving too fast for myself. How can I change our entire life (our toiletries, our food, our cleaning supplies) without a) going overboard and b) not driving dh crazy?

Originally posted by Shannon
Yep! We only use Weleda, oh and sometimes I get Burt's Bee's for me. Dh uses whatever chemical laden junk he wants.

My dh too! He totally uses Crest! I have to find a toothpaste that I like better than the Tom's Peppermint one though... bc I think it tastes like crap... and I don't think I want to buy any of Tom's toothpastes after this... ugh. Thanks for the other tips!

I must be moving too fast for myself. How can I change our entire life (our toiletries, our food, our cleaning supplies) without a) going overboard and b) not driving dh crazy?

I can only give you one tip on this... bc I totally did the same thing three years ago... and the main thing that I wish I had done is stop researching before I started thinking that everything I did was going to kill us. There is only so much you can do at a time. Stop when you start to feel overwhelmed, get used to where you are, and then change more. Most likely it will be better on your family too. :) Good luck!

Love Val

The Jason stuff is SLS-free and is the closest I have found (after trying Burt's Bees, Weleda, Tom's, & probably others) to the Crest "feel" and it tastes WAY better!

Originally posted by tikva18
I must be moving too fast for myself. How can I change our entire life (our toiletries, our food, our cleaning supplies) without a) going overboard and b) not driving dh crazy?

LOL, this is where I stand too. I use WAHM soap for myself, and have always used the kids version Toms of Maine toothpaste (it's tastes really good!). I am trying to take it one step at a time. Then my body decided to give me a jumpkick and now I'm allergic to dairy... (I loved my milk!) Now Chocolate Silk is a good friend ;) I'm slowly phasing out our old products, replacing with better ones as we use the old. Started to phase in the switch to organic foods, too. So far not too much complaining... Just a threat. "I don't mind as long as it still tastes good" :D

I must be moving too fast for myself. How can I change our entire life (our toiletries, our food, our cleaning supplies) without a) going overboard and b) not driving dh crazy? [/B][/QUOTE]


Baby steps! When I started out I just changed one thing at a time. I used the rest of my toothpaste and when I ran out I bought a *healthier* one and I continued this until I had eliminated all the *bad stuff*. When I first starting learning about the dangers of the things I was using I thought "I can't wait until I only have healthier alternatives in our home" and then one day about a year later I opened the bathroom cabinet and just smiled because I knew I was doing my little part to make a healthier family and planet.

You can do this, just take it slow.

The most prohibitive thing to us (especially dh) is the cost. In my heart, I'm there. I want to be there. I know that in the kitchen I have really a far way to go (because, I'll confess - I'm a cookie-aholic - I have a major, major sweet tooth). That combined with the poor eating habits that were ingrained from early childhood (my mom didn't like vegetables - whatever she didn't like, we weren't served - I had never had celery until I was 14 years old!). So vegetables don't come 'naturally' to me.
I really do want to switch. We eat a healthier bread - as long as I push for it - I can't stand white. But I don't know how to convince dh, who hasn't had a job in ages , that we should spend more money to get what looks like the same product.
At keast with cleaning supplies, right now I'm saving by making my own.

I was at the gym yesterday and reading a magazine called Whole Body and Soul Living or something similar. It had an article by Dr. Weill (? - the author of 8 Weeks to Optimal Health), and the article talked about SLS. Dr. Weill said that the rumors of SLS being highly toxic are unfounded. He did say that SLS can cause skin irritation in some people, but if you don't have this sensitivity, there is no reason to avoid SLS. Anyways, I don't know what you guys think of Dr. Weill, but I thought of this thread when I read the article and thought I'd pass along the info.