Lead In Lipstick

For those of you who missed the NYT's 10/11 article, "Lipsticks Contain Lead, Consumer Group Says," here's the link. According to The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, 61% of the lipsticks tested by Bodycote Testing Group had detectable levels of lead. One third of the lipsticks tested reportedly had more lead than allowed in candy. Hmmm. Lead is allowed in candy? Seems like there's something wrong with that too.

Infant Cough And Cold Medicines Withdrawn

Here's a link to CNNMoney's article on 10/11 discussing the withdrawal of many of the kid cough and cold meds.

Building a Yurt

I love yurts, so when I stumbled on this video -- Building A Yurt Kazakh Style -- I thought to pass it on. Here's the link.

"The Everyman Who Exposed Tainted Toothpaste"

Today's edition of the New York Times carries the above-titled article. Walt Bogdanich discusses Eduardo Arias, a 51-year-old Kuna Indian, his reading the label on a 59 cent tube of toothpaste and discovery on the ingredient list of "diethylene glycol", a sweet tasting, poisonous ingredient in antifreeze. Diethylene glycol had previously been mixed into cold syrup in Panama, killing or disabling at least 138 Panamanians during 2006, according to the article.

Just for the hell of it, I entered "diethylene glycol" into the sustainable casa search engine and narrowed my search to include the EWG/Skin Deep database. Guess what? EWG/Skin Deep show that Johnson & Johnson, among other manufacturers, make or made several products (depending on current formulations) containing diethylene glycol: Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Compact Foundation, Blushing Ivory; Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Compact Foundation, Classic Porcelain; Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Compact Foundation, Natural Buff; Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Compact Foundation, Rose Cream; Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Compact Foundation, True Beige; Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Compact Foundation (Rose Cream, Natural Buff, Golden Bisque, Classic Porcelain, Blushing Ivory); and Neutrogena SkinClearing Trio Salicylic Acid Blemish Treatments (Medium 03, Light 02, Fair 01).