Make you Fink on Friday

Anti-bacterial soaps may not prevent the spread of germs, FDA claims

FDA said it is reviewing research suggesting chemicals used in common soaps and body washes may pose health risks

FDA is reviewing claims in response to concerns that widespread use of antibacterial soaps may be fueling a rise in superbugs. Photo: Mandel Ngan /AFP /Getty Images

After more than 40 years of study, the US government said Monday it has no evidence that the anti-bacterial chemicals used in countless common soaps and washes help prevent the spread of germs, and it is reviewing research suggesting they may pose health risks.

Regulators at the Food and Drug Administration said they are revisiting the safety of chemicals such as triclosan in light of recent studies that suggest the substances can interfere with hormone levels and spur the growth of drug-resistant bacteria.

The government’s preliminary ruling lends new support to outside researchers who have long argued that the chemicals are, at best, ineffective and at worst, a threat to public health.

“The FDA is finally making a judgment call here and asking the industry to show us that these products are better than soap and water, and the data don’t substantiate that,” said Stuart Levy of Tufts University School of Medicine.

Under a proposed rule released Monday, the agency will require manufacturers to prove that anti-bacterial soaps and body washes are safe and more effective than plain soap and water. Products that are not shown to be safe and effective by late 2016 would have to be reformulated, relabeled or removed from the market.

“I suspect there are a lot of consumers who assume that by using an anti-bacterial soap product they are protecting themselves from illness, protecting their families,” said Sandra Kweder, deputy director in the FDA’s drug center. “But we don’t have any evidence that that is really the case over simple soap and water.”

A spokesman for the cleaning product industry said the FDA already has “a wealth of data” showing the benefits of its products.

An FDA analysis estimates it will cost companies $112.2m to $368.8m to comply with the new regulations, including reformulating some products and removing marketing claims from others.

The rule does not apply to hand sanitizers, most of which use alcohol rather than anti-bacterial chemicals.

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Opinion:

It’s taken 40 years to get to this. The FDA must have had some heavy pressure to get to this. Which means that there is some valid evidence.

At last!

“a wealth of data” showing the benefits of its products. What a lot of corporate bullshit. You can guarantee that 100% of that evidence is from industry biased or related sources.

Triclosan has been used since 1972, and it is present in soaps (0.10-1.00%), shampoos, deodorants, toothpastes, mouth washes, and cleaning supplies, and is incorporated into an increasing number of consumer products, such as kitchen utensils, toys, bedding, socks, and trash bags. It is also found in health care settings in surgical scrubs and personnel hand washes. – Wikipedia

And they don’t really know if it’s safe or not!

 

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Make you Fink on Friday

Full of products that we don't really need

One of the things that really makes me mad is that the world is full of products junk that we don’t really need.

We don’t think about it. We have been moulded into a consumer society.

Who benefits?

Not you, not me, not the supermarkets, not the manufacturers, it’s the corporations that benefit.

And, who are the corporations?

They are the 1% that the Occupy Wall Streeters are about.

Zuccotti Park, New York

That’s why I support the OWS, it’s why you should too.

You know you can enter the fray, yes, every one of us can, without ever setting a foot near Zuccotti Park.

You can begin by taking the need for certain products away from the corporations; out of the supermarkets and into your own kitchen, garage  or backyard.

Think about this, and think about it seriously.

1000s of beauty products

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“Oh, I need beauty care…”

Sure you go to the supermarket, the drugstore, the beauty shop in your local mall and you are faced with thousands of beauty products at exorbitant prices. Facials,  moisturisers, powders, lotions, cremes that go here and there for this and for that and they are all expensive. But women pay, they have to if they want to look beautiful.

Why do they have to? Because the corporations tell them they have to; that’s what advertising is all about… it’s nothing more than brainwashing.

How much does a punnet of strawberries cost?

Let’s look a little further; for the price of a punnet of strawberries you can make many of the products that you need for skin care.

Now how does strawberry tie to organic skin care?

First of all, it is a natural exfoliant. Its gentle acidic nature can take care of all those flaky dead cells on top of the skin. It’s salicylic acid is a good combatant for acne and black heads. Strawberry also has antiseptic and skin lighting properties.

Plus it has all those wonderful vitamins and antioxidants. And don’t forget folic acid, which is essential for healthy new cells! No wonder strawberry is such a star in the do it yourself skin care department. 

So how to go about making a strawberry mask?

It really is easy.  You don’t even need any special skills or tools. In fact, it’s so easy and cheap that I still don’t understand why would anybody go to an expensive salon and pay hundreds of dollars for a skin mask…

If you have oily skin, all you need is strawberry and a fork. Just mush it up and apply on your skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Than rinse with lukewarm water.

If your skin is dry, add sunflower oil to the mush (1:1). Leave the mask on your face for 15 – 20 minutes. (You can also use olive or corn oil).

Strawberry juice is a great skin lightener. It’s effective for freckles and other spots. Just squeeze the juice out of the berries, then using a cotton ball spread the juice on the face.

And here are a couple of slightly more elaborate recipes:

Mix 5 strawberries with 1 table spoon of milk and one tea spoon of honey. Blend it into a state of purée. Spread the mixture on your face for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently wash off with warm water using a cotton ball.

For dry skin you may also try mixing a few strawberries with one teaspoon of sour cream and one teaspoon honey. This is especially good for flaky skin.

You can also use cream (2-3 teaspoons) and milk (1 tbl spoon or so).

Source: Organic Makeup and Skin Care Check it out, more great ideas.

You want more?

How much does a fresh cucumber cost?

What about the humble cucumber…

Cucumber’s flesh is mostly water, but it also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid – these nutrients help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Which is the primary reason cucumber has been a “skin care” product since the beginning of time.

Read more here from the same source; you’ll be surprised at how much use the cucumber can be.

That’s just a couple of samples from one site. If you take your time and do a little research, I’m sure that you can find plenty of others, with other, different, more ideas.

We (mankind) don’t need all this corporate bullshit. We don’t need companies brainwashing us so that the CEOs and stockholders of corporations can get rich. We don’t need the 1% controlling our every purchase, need or desire.

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You – yes, you; don’t look around behind you, I’m talking to YOU! You can retake control. and you don’t have to set foot in Zuccotti Park to battle the 1%.

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Ban the crap for a better world

The same applies to much of our household requirements. Cleaners, soaps, toothpaste, detergents, insecticides, etc. They can all be made at home, cheaper, easier and without dangerous additives like fluoride, stearates and stuff like triclosan.

The answer is entirely in your hands…

Think about it!