Have you ever been on a plane? If you have, then you well know that one of the things you’re not allowed to bring in your hand carry luggage or on board the plane are aerosols. They are deemed flammable and are therefore banned to bring inside an aircraft where the passengers are. These aerosols are either confiscated by airport security officers, or required to be transferred into the check in luggage.

What really are aerosols and why do they pose some safety and health risks?

Aerosol cans or aerosol sprays are pressurized containers that allow the dispensing of liquid matter and turn this liquid matter into an aerosol mist. Aerosol cans or bottles contain propellant, a gaseous compound which helps drive or propel the liquid content out as mist to disperse and evaporate immediately.

Aerosols became controversial due to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) which not only affect human health, but were also linked to the depletion of Earth’s ozone layer. So since 1978, aerosol propellants have been made CFC-free to comply with the rules and regulations created by the FDA, EPA, and Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Aerosols are deemed flammable because, according to the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents, “these gases [from aerosol cans] can cause fires and explosions if they are sprayed or are released unintentionally due to puncture or damage to the can, or if the contents are exposed to an open flame, pilot light, spark or static electricity”.

Also, according to fire prevention experts, some manufacturers have decided to use “a mixture of hydrocarbons, predominantly propane, isobutane and butane” to replace CFCs as a more “environment-friendly” alternative. The problem is that once the can is emptied, gaseous hydrocarbons can be released and sprayed into the air, which, if accumulated, can create a potentially explosive air inside the house. Experts have also concluded that aerosols containing hydrocarbon mixtures are dangerous. In fact, these aerosols have been used by terrorists in the past. There were also reports where fires and explosions resulted from just one aerosol container containing hydrocarbon as propellant.

Although there are no rules banning the buying of products in aerosol containers, safety precautions need to be strictly observed. Labels should be read carefully to ensure safe and proper use. Aerosol products that contain non-ignitable propellant gases are also much safer. BabyGanics’ Easy Breathin’™, for example, contains no harsh propellants. Aerosol packs should be kept away from heat, fire, or spark sources. Disposal should be done properly. Aerosol cans should also be completely emptied before disposal. Empty aerosol cans should likewise be recycled.

There are various forms of cooking oil available in the market today. Among the various cooking oils, vegetable oil proves to be more healthy option. However, vegetable oil has a lot of variants as well. There’s the ever so famous olive oil, soybean oil, palm oil, pumpkin seed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sesame oil, and more. Collectively they’re all called “vegetable oil”, so one would assume that they’re all safe. However, one kind has been receiving negative connotations because of its mere origin. Some people believe that canola oil isn’t really safe. The question is, is it true?

Canola oil is made from genetically modified rapeseeds. About 43% of rapeseed is oil and the remaining percentage is used as a high quality livestock feed. Although production of rapeseed oftentimes includes the use of pesticides, organic options make canola oil one of the most highly demanded type of vegetable oils among markets from around the globe.

The negative stigma about canola oil comes from the knowledge about rapeseed’s erucic acid content which is a toxin. Rapeseed oil can only be toxic if it’s not hydrogenated. Canola oil, on the other hand, contains very little erucic acid. In fact, out of all the vegetable oils available, canola oil has the least saturated fat which causes health problems like obesity, artery blockage, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, and stroke. Canola oil is also rich in omega 3 polyunsaturated fat. FDA has also OK’d the use of canola oil due to its health benefits.

Another good thing about canola oil is its versatility. It can be used not just for frying, but as well as for baking, dressing, adding texture, infusing flavor, and shortening. It’s pretty much like the good old olive oil. So if you have a bottle of canola oil at home, don’t worry. It’s safe and it’s healthy.

No doubt, running is one of the most effective ways to get that body trimmed and burn those unwanted fats. It is also one of the most affordable and convenient ways to workout. Just a pair of running shoes, a road or track to run on, and that’s it. No need for a personal trainer, or gym, or any heavy equipment. It’s just you, your shoes, and your stamina.

Speaking of shoes, it’s very important to choose which pair of shoes you’d need to wear when going running or jogging. Why? It’s because your running shoes could make your running experience either good or bad. They can determine whether you’re going to be in comfort or in pain. They can also make you either healthy or injured.

First thing that you have to remember is that buying inexpensive or bargain shoes doesn’t mean you get the best deal. The opposite also doesn’t work well. Even if you buy a brand of highly popular and expensive running shoes, you still can’t be certain that they would do you any good. The secret is in understanding your feet and finding the pair that would best fit your feet.

Ever heard of pronation? Pronation is how your foot lands or hits the floor, heel to toe, when running. Proper pronation is the even striking of the foot from the heel, to the ball, up to the front to reduce impact. If there’s not enough evening out and the outside of your foot takes the most shock when running, then that’s underpronation. Overpronation also means being flat-footed. It’s when there is too much rolling from the outside to the inside of your foot.

To know whether you’re neutral, overpronate or underpronate, try looking at the soles of the shoes you always use. If there’s wearing shown on almost the entire sole, then you’re overpronate or flat-footed. If there’s wearing only on a thin portion of the inside of your shoes’ sole, meaning there’s a narrow curve that joins your toes to your heel, then you’re underpronate. If there’s neutral wearing on the sole of the shoes, then you have a normal or neutral pronation.

Once you’ve determined your pronation, it’s time to choose the best type of shoes for you.

Pronation                                           Shoe Type

• Neutral / Normal                              Semi-curved shape running shoes / Cushioned running shoes
• Overpronation                                  Straight shape running shoes / Motion control running shoes
• Underpronation                               Curved shape running shoes / Stability running shoes

Consider the frequency and location of your running activities. Lastly, do not forget about your weight and the proper size and fit, especially when wearing socks. These would also affect your shoe needs.

A lot of people, both men and women, buy and use beauty products like creams, gels, and ointments. The yearning for good looks and youth has made cosmetics one of the most lucrative industries. While some beauty product manufacturers adhere to the health and safety rules and regulations set by government institutions around the globe, some still show clear disregard for public health for the sake of profitability.

Just recently, news about mercury-laced beauty products has surfaced. This is not entirely new as there have been reports of beauty products laced with mercury before. One example is the news about a line of mascara, skin lightening creams, and eyeliners found to contain mercury in the state of Minnesota about 4 years ago. As a result, MN became of the first state in the US to ban the mercury being intentionally added in cosmetics.

Despite the numerous efforts in alarming and educating people about the ill effects of mercury, a lot of manufacturers still show complete disregard for these warnings. To site a sample incident, 11 skin whitening products that contain mercury have found their way into South East Asian countries like the Philippines. According to the country’s Ecowaste Coalition, most of the products were manufactured from China. The Ecowaste Coalition further divulged that the said products contained mercury of up to 28,600 parts per million (PPM). The country’s required limit is only 1 PPM.

What’s more alarming is that despite the manufacturers’ knowledge of the presence of high levels of mercury in their products, none bothered to mention the presence of mercury in their products’ labels. This is the same case with the Minnesota cosmetics 4 years ago. Instead of providing the public truthful information about their products to help the buying public make sound choices, the manufacturers clearly meant to mislead the consumers despite the fact that mercury has adverse effects to health and can even be fatal.

Consumers, on the other hand, need to be wary in choosing and buying cosmetics or any other product for that matter. It is their job to scrutinize what they’re spending their hard earned money for, because what they believe could be safe and beautifying, could even cost them their health and lives. Research is important. There are a lot of product reviews from trusted sites online, so recommendations and information are made readily available for the buying public.

Fair skinned people are looking for ways on how to get their tan. Some go bathing under the hot summer sun, some go to tanning salons, and some apply bronzers. Ironically, dark skinned people are looking for ways on how to whiten their skin. Some resort to chemical induced bleaching sessions, some use papaya soaps, exfoliants, and creams, while others resort to glutathione induced products. These products are either ingested like supplements, or applied topically like soaps, deodorants, and more.

Just what is glutathione? Does it really work? And most importantly, is it safe?

Glutathione is a protein consisting of 3 amino acids, or what’s called tripeptide. It is more accurately called glutathione sulfhyldryl (GSH). It was discovered by J. de Rey-Pailhade back in 1888. Glutathione is present in every cell in the human body. Since its discovery, glutathione has been found to do the human body some benefits, like boosting and balancing the immune system, improving detoxification, serving as the body’s natural antioxidant, giving body energy, and producing anti-aging effects on cells. Glutathione is also used in reducing cancer development. However, once the cancer is already fully developed, glutathione in increased levels would end up protecting the cancer cells.

Another effect of glutathione is skin whitening. It’s actually a side effect for GSH use. Since GSH works better in whitening skin than creams, some people have resorted to using them. Even spas and cosmetic clinics offer glutathione-induced services and products. The problem is, GSH use can have side effects other than skin whitening. These include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chest pains, breathing problems, and diarrhea among others.

Despite the bad side effects of GSH to the body, many people are still using it to whiten their skin. Worse, GSH products are readily available in the market for people to buy and use anytime they like.

While it may seem important for some to achieve a fairer or lighter skin tone, taking glutathione without consulting the experts proves to be somehow extreme and risky. As said, “Beauty is skin deep”, but people have to stop taking this literally.

The ancient Egyptians were the first ones to practice exfoliation. Today, exfoliation is done through facials, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion in spas. Exfoliation is the process of removing old dead skin cells on the skin’s most outer layer in order to maintain skin and achieve a more youthful glow.

With the numerous brands of exfoliants available in the market, which ones are the safest and most effective to use?

The best and safest exfoliant brand is The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliator. It has no ingredients that can cause harm to the skin and health. Rank 2 belongs to John Master Organics Orange & Ginseng Exfoliating Body Bar, containing no harmful ingredients as well. Other brands that made it to the top are Gourmet Body Treats Cane Sugar Exfoliator and Burt’s Bees Radiance Exfoliating Body Bar.

However, for people who want to make their own exfoliant at home out of natural and safe ingredients, then here are some suggestions:

• Oatmeal. Not only is it good for lowering cholesterol, but it can also function as a mild and natural exfoliant and moisturizer.

• Papaya. This fruit is not only believed to be an effective aphrodisiac, but it also has enzymes that can dissolve dead skin cells without posing any harm to the live and young skin cells underneath. It can also remove lines and age spots.

• Lemon. Lemon juice can remove the chemical that allows dead skin cells to stick to the skin.

• Apple Juice. Apple juice has acids that help exfoliate skin.

• Sand. Sand can effectively get rid of dead skin cells. People who’ve gone walking barefoot along the beach would know this.

• Sea Salt or Kosher Salt. Sea or Kosher salt has abrasive properties that are gentle on the skin, making it an effective but safe natural exfoliant.

• Ground Coffee. Coffee not only gives people that needed buzz, but it can also be used as a body scrub ingredient.

Dandruff is dead skin cells that have fallen from the scalp. It is caused by fungi feeding on scalp’s oil secretions. Dandruff can also be caused by extreme heat or cold. It is normal for people to have dead scalp skin cells that flake off and fall. However, an oddly large amount of flaking happens to some people. This is usually accompanied by irritation and redness. Severe cases of dandruff sometimes result to bleeding or wounded scalps. Nevertheless, dandruff can be treated by anti-dandruff shampoos.

There are quite a lot of anti-dandruff shampoos out there, but which one is the best?

To arrive at more substantial results, we’re basing our findings on reviews made by independent and trusted testers. Let’s group these test results to 2 categories – one for the popular and effective brands, and one for the safe and effective brands. Take note that what may be popular may not prove to be safe, containing ingredients that raise a low to medium level of concern in terms of health.

Those that made the popular and effective brands are:

1. Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
2. Head & Shoulders Classic Clean
3. Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo
4. Denorex Therapeutic 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner

Those that made the safe and effective brands are:

1. Neutrogena T/Scalp Therapeutic Anti-Itch Liquid
2. Suki Hair Daily Conditioner Revitalizing
3. Stiefel Salicylic Acid Soap
4. Lavera Cornflower Shampoo – Anti-Dandruff

Although Nizoral tops the list of the most popular and effective brands of anti-dandruff shampoo, users and experts alike warn consumers to use it seldom and only when needed, like 3 times a week. Nizoral has been said and found to be more effective than Head & Shoulders because of ketoconazole, a highly effective antifungal ingredient. However, Nizoral can dry out hair.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, one brand that has been found to be both effective and safe out of over 250 anti-dandruff shampoo brands is Neutrogena T/Scalp Therapeutic Anti-Itch Liquid. After product tests, it has been found that the shampoo contains no ingredient that can pose any threat to health.

We all like to keep our teeth clean and our breath smelling fresh. After all, having something stuck between teeth or having a bad breath isn’t really a great way to make a good impression. So we brush our teeth three times a day as our moms and dentists have told us. However, we feel that brushing isn’t enough. So we gargle mouthwash. Problem is, there have been some reports of mouthwash causing diseases like cancer. Question is, are they true?

From its early forms during 2700 BC that were used to cure gingivitis, mouthwash has come a long way. Today, mouthwash or mouth rinse, is primarily used for oral hygiene. Some can kill plaque and cavity causing bacteria and can prevent bad breath and gingivitis, while some contain fluoride to prevent tooth decay. The purpose for the creation of mouthwash is simple – to keep the mouth clean. Mouthwash does what the toothbrush can’t, like reaching in between teeth, cleaning those back teeth, removing mucus or food particles down the throat, and helping cure sore throat.

While the intention for the creation is noble, there are side effects. Some major brands of mouthwash do contain harmful ingredients, such as fluoride, methyl salicylate, benzoic acid, zinc chloride, sodium benzoate, and saccharin. These chemicals can be toxic to the body, affecting organs of the reproductive and respiratory systems.

Moreover, there are reports saying that mouthwash is linked to cancer. Australia’s The Daily Telegraph, for example, stated in one of its articles that leading independent experts warn that “Australia’s top-selling mouthwashes can cause oral cancer and should be pulled from supermarket shelves immediately.”

Experts were quoted, saying that “alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer”. The article also stated that evidence shows that Listerine, one of the leading brands of mouthwash, contains 26% alcohol.

As preventive measure, experts warned the Australian public to stay away from alcohol-infused mouthwash. Alcohol-free alternatives are available and should therefore be used. Listerine, for example, does have safer products that passed product safety tests and reviews. For example, Listerine’s Agent Cool Blue Tinting Rinse contains no ingredients that raise health concerns. Other brands that are clear from any harmful ingredients are Tom’s of Maine Cleansing Mouthwash and Miessence Organic Freshening Mouth Wash.

Mouthwash can be safe if consumers know how to scrutinize what they’re buying and using. Research and check the label for any red flag ingredients. Moreover, too much of something is always bad. Moderation is the key.

We’ve previously discussed toothpaste and how popular toothpaste brand Colgate did in some product reviews that concern health. We’ve also found out that the one ingredient that gave Colgate toothpastes only a score of 8 in the health category is the presence of sodium fluoride.

So what is sodium fluoride?

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is a colorless and solid chemical compound used to strengthen teeth. It is present in toothpaste to prevent cavities. In fact, most toothpaste brands contain about 0.32% of fluoride. In a much broader context, fluoride therapy is used in dental care. Dentists use it, topically applying it to teeth in order to prevent tooth decay and cavities. Sodium fluoride is also used in higher doses to cure osteoporosis, although it tends to cause pain.

Although widely used by a lot of dentists, fluoridation is still not universally accepted or considered useful by dental practitioners. In fact, organizations of experts, including dentists and other professionals, are asking for the stop of the use of fluoridation in dental treatment or hygiene. The reason for this is that sodium fluoride is found to cause some health risks.

A 154-pound grown human adult can die with just a dosage of 5-10 grams of sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is classified toxic either by ingestion or inhalation. It can cause heart and circulatory problems if dosage is too high. It can also cause irritation in the stomach and ulcers. Other effects include severe allergic reactions, chest pains, and swelling in the tongue, lips, mouth, and face.

In addition to these, constant intake or chronic exposure to fluoride may result to dental fluorosis (exposure to too much fluoride during development of teeth; symptoms include discoloration of teeth) or skeletal fluorosis (bone disease caused by too much consumption of fluoride). It can even increase the growth of cancer cells, as confirmed by the National Cancer Institute. Consumption of high dosages of fluoride can result to fluoride poisoning, even death.

Because of these ill effects to health, several countries have banned the use of fluoride. These countries include Austria, China, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark, Germany, France, India, Hungary, Japan, Israel, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Switzerland.

You brush your teeth everyday to make sure they stay nice and clean and your breath smelling fresh and minty. So you go out and choose the best toothbrush to get the job done. Whichever toothbrush you choose to use, you know well for a fact that there’s one thing that a toothbrush needs in order to effectively clean your teeth – toothpaste.

Toothpaste is a gel or paste that is used with a toothbrush to maintain oral hygiene and keep teeth clean and healthy. Most of us have probably grown up using only one brand of toothpaste – Colgate. Many families use Colgate which made the brand a household name for toothpaste. Sure, Colgate has become synonymous to clean teeth, but are we really sure that Colgate is safe for everyone to use?

For argument’s sake, let’s see if the professionals really think Colgate is safe and healthy. We’ll base our findings on how the brand did in product reviews done by an independent reviewer, like GoodGuide.com. The site enables consumers to get product evaluations based on “health, environmental, and social impacts of consumer products”.

According to GoodGuide, the most popular Colgate toothpaste products that ranked high in their reviews are Colgate Toothpaste Tartar Control Whitening Mint, Colgate Simply White Clear Whitening Gel, Colgate Simply White Night Clear Whitening Gel, and Colgate Cavity Protection Fluoride Toothpaste, Regular Flavor, all of which received average scores of 6.8.

According to the site, each of the abovementioned Colgate products got a score of 8 for health due to an ingredient that raises a low level of concern – sodium fluoride. The site states that sodium fluoride is “suspected of causing developmental toxicity… and …musculoskeletal toxicity”.

What is sodium fluoride and what can it do to our health? We’re going to have to discuss that in another blog. To finish off this write-up about toothpaste choice, if you have qualms about exposing your children to ingredients such as sodium fluoride, then choose any of GoodGuide’s top ranking toothpaste brands in terms of health, like Miessence Toothpaste and Weleda Toothpaste. Both got a perfect score of 10 for health due to the use of organic ingredients that pose no health threats.