THE DIRT

Before giving perfume on Mother's Day, you may want to consider that most contain dibutyl phthalate, an endocrine (hormone) disrupter, a proved teratogen (agent causing abnormal foetal development) and a carcinogen (cancer causing agent) in animals.

It is also on the Environmental Protection Authority list of  hazardous substances. Oh and don't bother looking on the label. Phthalates are not required to be listed as  ingredients. Learn More.

The term 'fragrance or Parfum' can mean any number of combinations of up to 250 synthetic chemicals. The four most commonly used are phthalates.  Check out Skin Deep to see what is in your perfume and how it may be affecting your health.

Phthalates are often present in skincare products, air fresheners and plastics (but that is another email all together). If it says 'Parfum or fragrance' on the ingredient list it most likely contains phthalates.  The Government Fact sheet contains a more conservative looks at phthalates.

G SPOT

Wearing perfume won't make you look like Scarlett Johansson or Brad Pitt (trust us we've tried!) but it may increase your chance of having a baby boy with undescended testes and low birth weight. Mmmm, Not such an attractive advertising campaign.

There is no doubt that more research needs to be done in this area, but we're not waiting!  Our Mums are getting green gifts this year!


COME CLEAN

Check out these sites for some green gift ideas......

Biome has it all from organic skincare products, to books to the coolest travel coffee mugs you have ever seen, you are sure to find a great gift on this site!

Wild Walnut creates some amazing organic gift baskets. Perfect for mum! There is also a great selection of all things organic from food (yes including chocolate), books and even organic linen.

exilr8 this West Australian company offer a great range of fresh and modern chemical free skincare products. You can actually reuse some of the packaging as a vase after use!

Saffron Rouge is a fantastic US based e-shop that sells a wide range of organic skincare/ hair care and cosmetic products. If you thought organic cosmetics were only for hippies, this site might prove you wrong!

The UK online shop SOorganic has a great range of organic and chemical free eco gifts for Mum.

If you are in Perth buy your Mum a CleanLife Consult Gift Voucher. Educating your family on how to minimize their exposure to dangerous chemicals is in many ways the ultimate gift.

Check our Come Clean Archive for previous tips.

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