Let’s Talk Indoor Air Quality with Alona Shaw-Non- toxic household cleaning products In this episode of the “Let’s Talk Indoor Air Quality” podcast, our host Kyle speaks with Alonna Shaw from alonnashaw.com. Alonna Shaw is an artist, writer, and editor who now lives an unscented lifestyle with her husband in California. Alonna shares with our listeners a bit of her personal history and MCS experience and we then discuss the uses of different buzz words and terminology in MCS marketing, what she believes an unscented lifestyle is, and how to avoid fragrances and scents on a daily basis. We talk about her work as a model and how she views consumerism and advertising to the multiple chemical sensitive population, eco-friendly consumers, and the market at large. Alonna shares with Kyle some of her experiences traveling and provides some valuable MCS travel trips. This episode of the podcast wraps up with Kyle sharing some of his personal views on the various terms and language being used to market products to the MCS community and that the consumer should just ask what does that mean to me and what does that mean for this product and to look beyond just the term. Green cleaning products for the home Those with chemical sensitivity have learned to become crafty and resourceful when searching for safe and effective products that they can use in their home for cleaning and deodorizing but there are many consumers who are unsure fo what to look for. Consumers are becoming more educated and aware of the health risks associated with some of the toxic products and building materials that are in our homes and many have made the transition to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. If you have decided to make the switch to better health by going fragrance-free, congratulations you have joined the club of nearly 20 million people who have made this lifestyle change! The scary truth is that most consumers do not understand what their favorite fragrances are comprised of and more than 95 percent of the chemicals in synthetic fragrances are derived from petrochemicals. Some of the named chemicals in fragrances can include but are not limited to benzene derivatives, aldehydes, phthalate which are also cited on the EPA’s hazardous waste list. According to Scientific America “The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label,” reports EWG, which analyzed the Campaign’s data. “Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.” EWG adds that some of the undisclosed ingredients are chemicals “with troubling hazardous properties or with a propensity to accumulate in human tissues.” Examples include diethyl phthalate, a chemical found in 97 percent of Americans and linked to sperm damage in human epidemiological studies, and musk ketone, which concentrates in human fat tissue and breast milk. EWG explains that ingredients not in a product’s “hidden fragrance mixture” must be listed on the label, so makers disclose some chemicals but “lump others together in the generic category of ‘fragrance’.” first reported on-http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toxic-perfumes-and-colognes/ What’s the difference between organic and natural? The answer seems pretty simple if one has experience in shopping for safe and healthy products but let’s go into these two categories and better define them. When a product states that its ingredients are natural it doesn...