Have you tried out a reed diffuser yet?  I love mine!  I love the way it looks, and I love the subtle, safe scent that is always lingering in my living room area without the fire hazard.  So when I needed to get a refill, I decided to do a little research and find a phthalate-free version.  (Read about phthalates here, if you’re wondering about them.)  I went to one of my favorite places – Etsy, to look around.

I emailed a few different sellers that had reed diffuser refills, and Dee at Belle Aroma emailed me back with the most variety.  When I saw “Pumpkin Crunch Cake”, I knew that was just the scent I was looking for.  I received it in my mail box very quickly, along with some fresh new reeds, which were included.  I LOVE this scent!  It’s not too strong, but it is noticeable, and I’ve gotten several compliments on it.  The only problem is that it makes me want to eat pumpkin bread all the time.

So are you thinkin’ you’d like to have one to?  Well, here is my first giveaway!!  I’m going to give one lucky reader his or her very own phthalate-free reed diffuser kit!  The kit includes one glass bottle, reeds, and your favorite phthalate-free scent!  Here’s what you gotta do to win:

• visit Dee’s store, Belle Aroma, and find your favorite phthalate-free scent
• come back here and make a comment on this post telling me which one you’d love to try
• be sure to leave an email address (will not be displayed, and only used for prize notification)

Contest ends at midnight, November 28th.  I’ll use a random number generator (random.org) to choose the winner.  One entry per person.  Get an extra entry for subscribing to my feed, and let me know you did that in another comment.

Good luck! Have fun choosing your favorite scent!

Maybe we should start here with pronunciation.  You say it like this \ˈtha-ˌlāt\, the “ph” is silent.  OK, so now that you can actually say the word, let’s discuss what it is. Phthalates are a chemical used in PVC plastics, solvents, and synthetic fragrances. Here’s a cheatsheet at Environmental Working Group to give you some of the basics.

I thought we’d talk about Phthalates since I mentioned last week in the BPA post.  This chemical is another serious concern for our little ones, especially boys, and pregnant mommies.  The above cheatsheet says that “Phthalates are endocrine disruptors linked to problems of the reproductive system, including decreased sperm motility and concentration in men and genital abnormalities in baby boys. (Oh, and did you know that average sperm counts have decreased significantly since the 1940’s?) More recently they’ve also been linked to asthma and allergies.”  YIKES!  We’ve got boys at this house, so let’s chew on some wooden toys!  Thank goodness congress passed the ban on phthalates recently!

Wanna know how to avoid phthalates??  Start by avoiding…

• Nail polish with DBP in it, (check out EWG’s Skin Deep to find some that are okay)
• microwaving your food in plastic
• Vinyl toys
• Paints (choose non-VOC paint)
• Fragrances, like perfumes, air fresheners, detergents, body wash….choose fragrance free whenever you can – and here is a safe air freshener
• Vinyl – that plastic-y smell on new shower curtains or rain coats
• Cosmetics
• Hair color

One fairly easy way to avoid phthalates is by checking all of your body products on Skin Deep.  I threw out almost everything I owned and started fresh with new brands and products.  I stopped coloring my hair, and I try to be as careful as I can.  I buy products that are paraben and phthalate free.  And here is an article you should read if your thinking of getting pregnant and would like to avoid these chemical toxins.  Since there are no labeling requirements, it’s really impossible to know which products are risky, so again, just use Skin Deep to help you out.  Concering teethers and bath toys, you can check the same Z Recomments list that I referenced in the BPA post.  And here is a wonderful cheatsheet from SafeMama on Paraben and Phthlate free baby products.

I hope I’m not overwhelming you with all of this chemical information.  I really like passing it on to those interested.  It’s very important to me to avoid being around harmful things.  I want our home to be as clean, safe, and toxin free as I can possibly make it.

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