Always Read The Label

“Always read the label and follow the directions”, an adage my mum drilled into me after a family friend killed their entire lawn using weed killer instead of fertilizer and one that has stuck. Now that we are switching over to a chemical free lifestyle however the meaning behind the saying has taken on a new perspective. Rather then needing to read the label and follow the directions to prevent giving myself chemical burns or killing my lawn it is more about finding out what is really in many products marketing themselves as “natural”.

As part of another little piece I am writing about the emergence of more commercial products geared at being eco-friendly and natural I was dismayed to find so much false advertising out there in so many products. And it was also sad to see the number of people who are out there trying to purchase products that are better for themselves and the environment and are being lead astray. Some of the worst being baby products.

The current trend seems to be to add some natural plant extracts to the end of a product and brandish it as natural. In cleaning products it is usually the lower rates of phosphates that allows them to stamp “ECO-FRIENDLY” all over their packaging but being eco-friendly does not mean that it’s skin friendly. Probably the worst example I found was insect killer with natural ingredients! Clearly adding a natural insecticide to an aerosol can makes everything better, anyone who has walked into the room after it has been sprayed with insect killer will be able to tell that ain’t good for you!

But it doesn’t stop at personal care and cleaning products. A recent war has been declared on artificial colours, flavours and preservatives; particularly in kids food. So many products these days are appealing to parents trying to give their children healthy food however it seems most of these products are just trading one nasty for another. Most which claim they have no artificial colours are loaded with preservatives, flavour enhancers, and other unnecessary numbered ingredients. Those claiming to have nothing artificial often contain sneaky little natural additives like colour 160B or annatto which has been shown to be just as effective at causing food intolerances as the artificial ones. Those that are low in sugar are either high in fat or artifical sweetners. Shopping for us these days has become more of an exercise in skim reading and in addition to juggling the kids and the calculator I have a card of additives to avoid and the internet to google the sneaky names of chemicals companies change to hide what's really in them

Don’t even get me started on labelling of toddler milk substitutes and the adding of dietary supplements to each and every food including bread and milk.

So in this day and age it is so important that we are out there reading the labels and instead of following the directions, follow your instincts and refuse to fill your bodies and houses with numbers and ingredients you can’t pronounce.

For more info on chemicals to avoid check out these articles

http://naturalparent.com.au/category_16/Toxic-Chemicals-in-Your-Home.htm