Defeat The Skeete

Having a 'Skeeter Syndrome', also known as a mosquito allergy, has resulted in me avoiding the wilderness and loving it from afar. Unlike your typical itchy red bumps, my mosquito bites would swell, blister then bruise. The swelling would cover most of my arms and legs, making it difficult to move my joints and muscles.

So it was a brave decision I made six months ago, when my friends decided to book a camping ground at Sandbanks National Park for a summer weekend. I said YES to go camping for the first time in the last 13 years. In order to survive the weekend, I knew I needed a good insect repellent.

PART 1: THE SEARCH

What is DEET?
The majority of bug repellents contain DEET(also known as diethyl-meta toluamide), a dangerous toluene chemical, which is also used in rubber and plastic cements and paint removers. When a repellent is sprayed, DEET is absorbed through our skin and passes into the blood, which can not only lead to headaches and skin irritations but also to brain swelling in children, anaphylactic shock and low blood pressure.

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My Favorite Stainless Steel Lunch Container

For the eco-minded individual, changing the way you bring your lunch (ie from zip-lock bags to a re-useable container) can make a big impact on the amount of garbage you produce.  With BPA as a major health concern, you probably want to avoid using plastic tupperware.  Glass is a good option, but they tend to be large, heavy, and prone to breaking. 

Last month, I was on a hunt; to find a light, compact, and durable container to replace my glass tupperware for my lunches and snacks on the go.  The solution?  Stainless Steel!

My search brought me to little India, The Big Carrot, and Grassroots in Toronto.  I found some great options on the market, including the Canadian branded Greentainer, as well as other stackable stainless steel containers.  However, the container that caught my (and my girlfriend’s) eye was the Stainless Steel Lunch Box by Zebra Thailand that I found at Grassroots.  The stainless steel container, called the "Camping Pot" on the Zebra Thailand Website, comes with a stainless steel insert that provides 2 levels of food compartments, a lid, and a closing latch that transforms into a pot handle! 

I ended up bringing the Zebra container for a camping trip, and I was the recipient of many envious looks!  The container served as a bowl for my cereal, and kept hot noodles and soup warm for a long time (the “pot” handle allowed me to hold the container without burning my hands, which was a bonus). I also used the insert and lid as plates for my various side dishes.

At a price of $15.99 at Grassroots, this stainless steel container was a great buy, and does exactly what I need it to do.  Definitely no regrets here!

Sunscreen Review (Part 1): What You Should Avoid And Why

You often hear this warning on the news: “Protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun, be sure to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure”.  On the surface, that may sound like good advice, but have you ever thought about the health impacts the INGREDIENTS may have on your body?

Unfortunately for us consumers, there is a lack of proper regulation on what can be added to the complex concoction we call a ‘sunscreen’.  Depending on the product that you buy, ingredients used in the lotion can be linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and allergic reactions.  Another misleading component to sunscreens is that, contrary to their claim, many do not sufficiently block ALL the rays of the sun.  Low SPF ratings (25 and under) simply don’t protect your skin enough, and not all products protect against the longer and more harmful UVA rays (which do not burn you but harm none-the-less). 

So what are 3 major ingredients you should avoid when buying your sunscreen?

Oxybenzone (BENZOPHENONE-3)	Used to absorb UVB and short-wave UVA rays, this organic compound has been linked to increased chances of skin cancer (malignant melanoma) and endocrine disruption (interference with the hormonal system)
Fragrances	Fragrances often contain compounds such as Phthalates, Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs), or Nitro- and polycylic- musks. These compounds have been linked to endocrine disruption, structural abnormalities in the reproductive systems, and cancer.
Methylparaben	A “food-grade” preservative used in many cosmetics, Methylparaben is known to bioaccumulate in the body, and is linked to increased chances of cancer and hormone disruption

So how do you choose a sunscreen that is both effective against the sun’s rays as well as safe and non-toxic for your body?  In comes the 2009 EWG Sunscreen Guide on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database.  This guide lists 1691 different sunscreens, and scores each one of them according to their effectiveness vs. possible toxicity.  Each product is scored from 1 to 10, where 0-2 is recommended, 3-6 is caution, and 7-10 is avoid.

To see how your sunscreen rates, visit the cosmetic database and enter the product name in the “find safe sunscreen” widget.  Some well known sunscreens in the “avoid” catagory include:

(7) Coppertone Sport Sunblock Lotion, SPF 30
(7) Banana Boat Sport Performance UltraMist Continuous Clear Spray Sunscreen, SPF 15
(7) Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas: Complete Block Spray, SPF 26
(7) Huggies Little Swimmers Sunscreen, Moisturizing Blue Melon Splash

That concludes our review of what NOT to get.  Be sure to come back to see Part 2 of our Sunscreen Review:  4 EWG Recommended Sunscreens In Action