If you are reading this, then chances are you are at least considering making a change to a greener lifestyle, if you haven't already. You've probably read or heard something that suggests that some, if not many, of the products in your home (or at least in the average American home) may be hazardous to your family's health. And you've probably realized that it isn't always easy to find information about how healthy and safe a product truly is.

We've been hearing a lot about product safety in the news lately. Certain red lipsticks have been found to contain lead, particularly disturbing since at least some of the applied lipstick eventually gets ingested. A popular antibacterial ingredient, Triclosan, has been found to react with chlorine in tap water to produce, among other things, chloroform, an extremely toxic substance. In addition, the legitimacy of using antibacterial agents (outside of hospital environments) has come into question, as the death toll from drug-resistant staff infections topped an annual 19,000 this past year (which, by the way, is more than the number of annual deaths due to AIDS/HIV). These "super-germs" are becoming resistant to drugs due to the overuse of antibiotics- and that includes antibacterial soaps! But even more shocking is the list of other products that contain Triclosan (toothpaste, cutting boards, even certain brands of socks and deodorants!). Read all about it in "Problems with Triclosan".

If we were to create a list of all of the potentially harmful synthetic chemicals found in everyday cleaners and toiletries, we would have hundreds of entries. These chemicals include neurotoxins, carcinogens, allergens, central nervous system depressants, heavy metals, and other agents that cause or contribute to a wide range of health concerns, including cancer, respiratory problems, reproductive abnormalities, allergic reactions, and behavioral problems, among other issues.

Years ago, as we started slowly switching to natural alternatives for our household products in our own home, we had a number of revelations:

1. Living a life in harmony with our planet and its other inhabitants is fulfilling and meaningful. As we begin to live our life with care and respect for our living environment, we build a deeper connection to our world. Choosing greener products means causing less damage to our planet, protecting our own individual health, and becoming more attune to the greater consequences of our consumer choices- the environmental damage, the labor conditions, and the amount of resource use and landfill waste that result from production of a product.

2. "Green" products contribute to the "whole health" of the planet. Fair Trade, organic, handmade, locally-produced- these are all terms that mean a product benefits not only your health and the environment, but also entire communities around the world. By purchasing green products, we are supporting a social and environmental "revolution" that creates sustainable communities that have access to clean air and water, healthy food, fair wages, and greater health (and, yes, this means for our very own communities, too!).

3. Green products are effective!! Our house is just as clean as it was when we used synthetic cleaners and personal care products, but now it is safer, too.

4. Natural cleaners can be purchased affordably! They are often concentrated solutions (like Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap or Aubrey Organics Earth Aware Cleaner), and will often last for months and months of cleaning.

5. Finally, we are left wondering how we became accustomed to using toxic chemicals, when there are so many natural solutions to cleaning problems that have been used effectively for centuries. We just needed to learn about them! For example, tea tree oil has natural antibacterial properties, as do honey and garlic, but does not pose a health risk due to over-use. Baking soda and vinegar are natural fabric softeners, hydrogen peroxide has whitening and disinfecting properties, and citric acid (lemon and grapefruit) naturally cut grease.

There is much controversy as to exactly how harmful a chemical is. It is very difficult to link a substance to cancer, except in large doses. The rumors that SLS and SLES, found in many shampoos, toothpastes, and soaps, cause cancer is being strongly denied by the American Cancer Society, even though it is a known irritant. (Read about it in Debunking the Myth.) Other chemicals appear more hazardous, but again, without conclusive evidence. My conclusion is that if there is a natural substance that is known to be safe, gentle and effective, why risk the potential hazards of a synthetic substitute? Why do companies even use synthetic substances instead of safer, more gentle, more natural ones?

Ultimately we are an economy driven by profit. Once a manufacturer finds a way to mass-produce a synthetic substance, it is often far cheaper to use that than a pure, naturally-extracted alternative. We might wonder why natural products are more expensive than those filled with synthetic chemicals. The answer lies in the same reason that fast-food companies use fillers in their meat products, why 100% juice is more expensive than juices that are merely high fructose corn sweetener and water, or why artifical vanilla is cheaper than 100% pure vanilla. More often than not, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality.

But there is another cost that we must factor into price tags these days, and that is the environmental and social cost of manufacturing a product. If the production of a product creates extensive air and water pollution, supports chemical-based agriculture that is contaminating our land, uses sweatshop labor that degrades and destroys communities, and ultimately results in a product that is not biodegradable and will one day become a landfill burden, isn't the total cost of that product so much higher than what we see on the price tag? How much are clean air and water, good jobs, safe products, and a healthy planet really worth to us? I imagine that many people would say that paying an extra dollar or two to ensure those things is, in the end, worth it. The problem is that a simple price tag does not tell us what all of those non-monetary, "externalized" costs really are....Instead, we must inform ourselves, and that is never an easy task to do!

Each of us must decide for ourselves what our health is worth, and how much of a threat to our health these synthetic chemical cleaners present. I have decided to be safe, and to make choices I can feel good about, knowing I am not contaminating my home, my natural environment, and our waterways with toxic substances that could have been avoided. I feel good knowing that our clothes do not contain the residues of bleach, optical brighteners, phosphates, and other harsh chemicals rubbing against our skin. I feel safe knowing that when my pets walk on my floors, or my cat jumps in the sink, or my husband sets his sandwich on the counter, they are not coming into contact with harsh chemicals that will stick to their hands, paws, and food. And I feel responsible making these choices, because they are not just for me and my family, but for our world, and our children's world.

"Make a Difference"
*Make your own natural cleaners and learn about some of the harmful effects of synthetic-based household cleaners.

"Good, Clean Fun"
*Learn about toxic ingredients, natural recipes to make your own cleaners, and some of the top natural products available.

"Problems with Triclosan"
*A must-read for anyone who has ever felt the urge to use anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners in their home.

"Debunking the Myth"
*There has been widespread controversey surrounding the popular ingredients sodium lauryl lsulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Though they are known irritants, the American Cancer Society has published this article in an attempt to disprove the claim that they cause cancer. A must-read for anyone who wants to be informed on this issue, especially since so many products contain this ingredient (including some of Mrs. Meyer's hand soaps and lotions).

"Are Leading Brand Laundry Detergents Environmentally Friendly?"
*Read about common ingredients found in many laundry detergents and their potentially harmful side-effects.

"Housecleaning Goes 'Green' with Simple Products"
*A good summary of the why and how of going green.

Glossary of Household Hazards
*Seventh Generation, a leading manufacturer of green products, has provided useful information about many common household ingredients.

Toxic Ingredients in Cleaning Products
How to handle some of the most common household cleaning issues (mold, bacteria, etc.), and when to avoid (and not to avoid) using bleach and other harsh cleaning chemicals.

10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid in Body Products
A list of some of the most harmful ingredients in body and beauty products.

Green Cleaning Products
Natural Tips on How to Clean Up the Planet and Your Home from Deidre Imus, author of Green This!.