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Formaldehyde In Your Home
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| By: Brenda Hoffman |
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Formaldehyde In Your Home
Formaldehyde is a colorless gas compound (HCHO) that is known as a
carcinogen, meaning that it causes cancer. It is an allergen that
can also irritate your eyes, mucous membranes (eyes, nose and
throat) and the upper respiratory system. It can also cause
headaches, rashes, hives (blistery, white, and itchy), dizziness,
nausea, and chronic fatigue. Some other symptoms include: heart
palpitations, ear infections, trouble sleeping, memory loss, trouble
focusing, depression, weakness, migraines, abdominal pain, aching
joints and muscles, and difficulty breathing. Many doctors may
misdiagnose this as a form of stress/anxiety/depression. However,
you can understand why this is possible when you understand that
formaldehyde is used in many products, including manufacturing
fertilizers, dyes, embalming fluid, preservative and disinfectant.
Of course, antihistamines aren't going to work for you here, even
though your sense of smell may become overly sensitive.
Nevertheless, 1 in 5 people are sensitive to formaldehyde.
Spotting formaldehyde can be difficult since it may be listed under
different names. However, it is important to read the product labels
and avoid not only formaldehyde itself but also formaldehyde- releasing preservatives. One of the most common names for a
formaldehyde-releasing preservative is Quaternium-15. However, there
are also numerous other alternative name.
Formaldehyde can be found in hundreds of products, including
cosmetics, paper, wood and clothes. Simply touching those products,
or just breathing the formaldehyde they release into the air, can
cause intense symptoms. Your best defense is to limit exposure to
this chemical.
You need to know that formaldehyde is used in most clothing and
textiles to prevent colors from running, and finished products are
often treated with more formaldehyde to prevent wrinkles. You need
to wash new clothes before you wear them in order to remove some of
the chemical. If you want to avoid formaldehyde all together, you
will need to switch to an all cotton wardrobe. You also need to
realize that washing your clothes with Tide, Cheer, etc only adds
more chemicals to your clothes.
Nail polishes and hardeners often contain formaldehyde to improve
their gloss and adhesion. The formaldehyde is released into the air
while your nails are wet/drying.
Here are some other products in which formaldehyde is commonly
found: over-the-counter medications, mouthwash, hair spray,
cosmetics, cleaning products, perfumes, waxes, hair setting lotions,
shampoo, air fresheners, fungicides, fingernail polish, floor
polishes, dry cleaning solvents, toothpaste, laundry spray starch,
and antiperspirants, just to name a few.
Now here is an interesting fact about formaldehyde... Due to the
increase in toxic buildup in our bodies, including the toxic buildup
of formaldehyde, dead bodies are not decomposing as fast as they use
to. Bodies use to decompose in 4 days but now they don't start to
decompose for at least 7 days after death. While talking about dead
bodies, you should also note that twice as much formaldehyde was
needed to embalm a person 20 years ago compared to today.
As for Quaternium-15... This chemical is commonly found in a variety
of cosmetics including: foundations, powders, concealers, bronzers,
makeup removers, blushes, eye shadows, eyeliners, eyebrow makeup,
and mascaras (ie Avon® Advanced (Moisture) Foundation Natural Finish
Creme Powder and Max Factor® Quick Draw Magic Eyeliner Pen).
Quaternium-15 is found in many cleansers, sunscreens (ie Banana
Boat® Dark Tanning Lotion and Physicians Formula® Sun Shield Oil- Free), moisturizers, creams, lotions (ie U-Lactin® Lotion and Mary
Kay® Angelfire Perfumed Body Lotion), shampoos (ie baby shampoos
such as Johnson & Johnson® and Baby Magic®), soaps (ie Dove Beauty
Bar), and other skin care products. It is also found in adhesives,
paper, paperboard, inks, polishes, and latex paints.
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Brenda Hoffman has been delivering holistic health and wellness
advice for over 7 years since receiving a BA in psychology. As a
home-based professional and mother of 1, she operates a holistic
wellness network. She invites you over to
http://www.yourhealthyfamilyhome.com/ to learn how to improve you
and your family's health.
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