Say it ain’t so!  People slather sunscreen on to protect themselves from the damaging effects of the sun.

Now the Environmental Working Group has concurred with the draft report from the National Toxicology Program (an inter-agency group) that finds that the presence of Vitamin A, (retinyl palmitate), speeds the formation of tumors in sunlight.

That’s right! The sunscreen you may apply for protection may actually speed up the formation of tumors!

They found that the popular brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, Panama Jack, Hawaiian Tropic, and Neutrogena all contained this ingredient.  In fact more than 200 sunscreens made by 44 different companies listed Vitamin A or retinyl palmitate on their labels last year.

We have cautioned using personal care products with harmful ingredients like formaldehyde and parabens for several years now.  We carry an SPF35 sunscreen from the Vanicream people and when I found out about the Vitamin A, I ran to a tube and read the list of ingredients.

No vitamin A in this sunscreen!  Yeah!  Now you can get outside, be safe from the sun, and know that your sunscreen will provide protection, not accelerate skin tumors!

Please tell your family and friends to read the label on their sunscreen. If you see vitamin A or retinyl palmitate listed on the ingredients, THROW IT AWAY! Get a tube of Vanicream Sunsport 35 and be safe!

If you don’t believe me, read about it here for yourself http://www.ewg.org/release/nih-panel-links-vitamin-sunscreen-skin-tumors 

Cheryl Krause

We get lots of questions from people about special sheets for dust mite allergies.  If you aren’t allergic to the dyes and resins that are used in some home textiles, then you really don’t need special sheets if you have dust mite allergies.

The important thing to look for in dust mite sheets is washability and durability.  If you have allergies to dust mites allergy, you know that even if you have a dust mite cover on your mattress you still must wash your sheets every 7 days in 140°F water.  You want sheets that will stand up to this constant washing without wearing out. If you buy sheets with bright, vibrant colors, don’t be surprised if they fade quickly. If you buy satin type sheets they will also be ruined fairly quickly.

The best sheets for dust mite allergy are sheets with a high cotton content for comfort and a thread count that will stand up to washing. Personally, I just use natural cotton sheets.If you like flannel-type sheets or sheets with bright vibrant colors, then wash them in cold water and use De-Mite laundry additive. The cold water won’t ruin the fabric or fade the dyes and the De-Mite will kill the mites and wash them away.  You can safely wash your satin sheets in cold water and De-Mite also.

If in addition to your dust mite allergies you are allergic to the chemicals used to treat fabrics (resins, sizing, finishes) then stick with natural cotton. If you see cotton sheets that are bright white, you know they aren’t natural cotton.  Unbleached cotton is a cream color.  It will lighten with each washing.  If your budget doesn’t allow for organic cotton sheets, then go for natural cotton.

In summary, the best allergy sheets are the sheets you probably already own. Money is tight so use what you have and just improve on it. Just wash weekly in extremely hot water (140°F or more) or wash with cooler temps and just add De-Mite.

A few days ago, I related how we were applying Allerpet in preparation for houseguests that were allergic to our cats.

The visit went purrrfectly.  No cat allergy problems!  The guests were comfortable, the cats were comfortable, and both were even able to sit comfortably in the same room.

As I previously posted, the Allerpet did its job in neutralizing the cat allergen and it also did its job in conditioning the cats fur. It also made the cats very shiny.  As you can see from this picture, the neighbors are going to need their sunglasses when this allergy-free cat strolls by.