Way OT ~ Supermarket meltdown over toothpaste

[Sheila41au]

I've just been searching the net for info on it ... seems there is a bit of scare mongering about it

they claim the amounts in toothpaste and shampoos are so small they arent harmful ... gotta do some more research tomorrow

[kelli]

greens for adults and for the kids, I personally don't think they need one until at least 18mths or older and the weleda brand for children is best I reckon.

[becboo]

It is amazing isn't it. Something as innocuous as toothpaste but once you realise the sh*t (sorry about the language but it annoys me!) that goes into these things it blows your mind. One of the scariest things for me is cleaning products and nit treatments for kids. Hello, if you are meant to wear gloves when putting on the treatment what is it going to do to your kids scalp!?!? There are some great alternatives now though. It is about being aware

For anyone that is interesting I have a fantastic book I really recommend. It is The DEAL for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids by Dr Peter Dingle (a senior lecturerin environmental toxicology at Murdoch Uni). DEAL stands for Diet Enironment Attitude and Lifestyle and it goes from instilling respect in your kids for the environment to what toys are the best (plastic types etc). Really interesting read.

Sorry to ramble!

Edited to add - Sheila - I believe it is more an issue of continual exposure as opposed to one-off amounts in the toothpaste.

bec.

[Kris]

Thats natural one is good (1st link) as are the weleda ones. I switched back to "normal" toothpaste when pregnant becuase of all the cavities I was getting but it probably had nothing to do with the toothpaste.
I haven't used any toothpaste will ellie yet but thanks for the reminder, might grab some tomorrow.

Any tips for brushing kids teeth?

[becboo]

Kris - Depending on how old they are...........the oldie but goodie one of brushing the 'teeth' of their bear/doll gets them wanting to have theirs done sometimes

Bec.

[Jeni]

When is comes to sls (and most things)

Everythign in moderation!

I dont not buy something because it has sls.. but I only buy certain things with it in!

eg.. my Enjo marble paste has sls.. its great for mega cleaning tasks. But not my kids toothpaste! lol

[~*Bron*~]

we use snappy jaws - from the health food store. it's got xylitol (sp?) in it - a natural chemical from the birch tree and apparently good for fighting bacteria and decay. xanthia has some pits in her teeth, hence the need for xylitol

[trippylongsocks]

oh my goodness, my kids are constantly swallowing their toothpaste, one of them ate a tube full once...eeeek, I had no idea about this stuff..looks like I'll be heading to the health store this week!!!!!!!!!

[kermi]

Tikki, I have a small purse size brochure here somewhere.... I'll have to dig it up.. Think it's called The Toxic Bathroom (or something like that). It lists all the additives'chemicals and their potential threat to our health.

Check this link:
http://www.beaconmedia.com.au/toxic_chemicals.htm

and another:
http://www.thrivinghealthywomen.biz/...documentid=187

[becboo]

Carmen - I think this is a similar doc that was released by Hornsby Shire Council.

http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/upload...ts/decoder.pdf

I know we are surrounded by chemicals all day every day but my thoughts are why not minimise the exposure (particularly where kids are concerned) especially when supporting companies that sell alternatives sends a clear message. Power of the consumer again

Bec.