A very disturbing report from MSNBC explores a recent study that detected poisonous chemicals in the urine of babies after being shampooed, powdered, or lotioned with baby products.  

Ori Hofmekler explains some implications and ways to avoid phthalates here.

Phthalates have shown to cause reproductive disorders - sterility, birth defects, deformed sex organs and cancer in animals. These same chemicals are now abundantly found in the products that we use, in the water that we drink and in the food that we eat. There is growing evidence that phthalates are major contributors to female disorders, male reproductive disorders and cancer in men and women. Called hormonal disruptive chemicals, phthalates belong to a large family of manmade chemicals that have shown to disrupt the endocrine/ hormonal system, shattering the health and development of newborn animals and humans who were exposed to these chemicals through breast milk.

It's time to take action. Avoidance is crucial to halting this downward spiral. Ori listed a few pointers on avoidance such as avoiding plastic packaged foods and drinks, eat organic foods, avoid conventional chemical-loaded cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, and soaps, detoxify your body, don't use insect sprays, pesticides, and chemical deodorants, and avoid chemicals in foods and synthetic vitamins.

When considering the use of products, always ask yourself, "Is it really necessary?"