Question from Valerie W.

My husband and I are interested in purchasing an organic latex mattress. We went to a store and tried the ‘Heaven and Earth’ 100% organic style from Land & Sky and really liked it. Have any of you had any experience with this company/mattress?

Thank you,

Valerie

Debra’s Answer

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Question from YH

You wrote in your book that lip stick is very toxic. How about chapstick? I don’t have the packaging anymore, but it is so small that no ingredient is listed on the chapstick itself. What are some ingredients in chapsticks that are bad for people? I would guess that some are not too good for consumption. Mine taste like a very sweet tangerine or orange. I like the taste a lot, but of course, I guess no fragrance is better. Thanks

Debra’s Answer

Interestingly, ChapStick is labeled as a drug.

Active ingredients:

Padimate O 1.5%………………Sunscreen

White petrolatum 44%………….Skin Protectant

Inactive ingredients:

arachidyl propionate, camphor, carnauba wax, cetyl alcohol, D&C red no. 6 barium lake, FD&C yellow no. 5 aluminum lake, fragrance, isopropyl lanolate, isopropyl myristate, lanolin, light mineral oil, methylparaben, octyldodecanol, oleyl alcohol, paraffin, phenyl trimethicone, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, white wax.

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Question from YH

After reading Dr. Marcela’s article on stainless steel found on your website, I think it is time for me to buy Vision cookware. I read that to produce stained glass, lead is used. Will lead leak into food prepared in stained glass cookware (Corning Vision)?

Is it practical to buy glass pans? I read that food would stick and that glass cookware is one of the stickiest (food also stick on stainless steel; cast-iron is very non-stick). Also, I am afraid that it might shatter. I think having water in pots is safer than stir-frying in glass pans (which may be dry). I am still afraid that glass cookware may break and shatter any time. Thanks

Debra’s Answer

First of all, colored glass doesn’t contain lead. See Q&A: Colored Glass and click on the “Colored Glass Chemistry” link to see what is used to make different colors of glass.

Lead is used in the solder that holds the glass together to make colored glass windows. But it is not in the glass itself.

I myself have used Corning Visions cookware for over twenty years without a mishap, though others have reported otherwise (see Q&A: can visions cookware and pyrex shatter while cooking?). I do not stirfry in it, but use pots for things like warming soup, boiling eggs, etc.

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Question from Lisa

Dear Debra,

I need a good winter coat for when I travel half the year to a cold and snowy climate.

I have looked everywhere, but major brands seem to have water proofing, rain proofing, etc coating, and almost exclusively use nylon and acrylics, or dry clean only wool.

What do you think of these coats, hats, scarves, mittens, etc? I have searched high and low for washable wool, or for cotton winter wear, but have found virtually nothing.

Do you have something your recommend or that you use yourself?

Also, if I buy a nylon coat with the durable water repellent and flame retardant treatments, is it safe to wash in my washing machine or should I take it to the launromat?

Debra’s Answer

Winter wear can be difficult.

I live in Florida, where the temperature rarely gets below 50 degrees, but I do travel to cold climates and so do need to keep warm.

Here’s what I do.

I don’t have a winter coat.

Another thing I’ve been considering is making a big wool poncho. But I really don’t have a need for it.

I have several big cardigan sweaters I can put over other clothes, and these are mostly what I use instead of a coat. I have a couple of cotton sweaters and a 100% wool sweater that I bought last year at Macy’s. Not everything is mothproofed.

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Question from YH

I plan to buy a heat lamp and put under the table where I usually seat (imitating the Japanese’s Kotatsu). Heat lamps emit infrared light. Is the light safe?

I was scared of the hydrogen lamp that I have been using for 4 years because it may emit radiation (even though the piece of glass is supposed to stop all the radiation). Is hydrogen lamp safe?

How about flourescent and incandescent light? I heard that fluorescent light also emits radiation, but I am not sure. Also it cannot be recycled…

Is incandescent light totally safe? I know that it uses 4 times more energy than flourescent lightbulbs… Thanks

Debra’s Answer

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Question from jag

Some of my son’s cotton, nylon and otherwise washable clothing was mistakenly dry-cleaned, although I was advised it was a “green dry-cleaner” whatever that means. It usually means they use regular cleaning fluid but dispose of it properly and keep the fumes to a minimum. The city where this was done has no CO2 cleaners listed, which I’m told is least toxic. If I re-wash these items at home, won’t the dry cleaning fluid or “perc” come out in the wash, create fumes and otherwise contaminate subsequent loads? I recall this happening to me decades ago so I am wary about trying it again. If there is any doubt, I’d rather toss the clothes. I have a front loading machine and some brands advise against this.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t have any experience with this.

Readers?

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Milk has come up in some of the blog comments this week, and I have been learning more about milk recently, so I wanted to pass along a bit of what I am learning.

First, the milk we think of as milk is not “real milk” as it comes from the cow. It is processed to kill bacteria (pasturized), remove fat (low fat and skin milk), and incorporate fat (homogenized). Real milk separates (sold as “cream top” where the cream is floating on the top), contains all it’s fat, and is loaded with enzymes and nutrients that are destroyed by heat during pasturization.

In times past, milk fresh from cows fed on pasture grass was used as a cure for many diseases. Today’s milk doesn’t have that healing quality.

Unfortunately, it is illegal to purchase raw milk for human consumption in most states. However, we can buy cheese made from raw or “fresh” milk (cheese made from pasturized milk says “pasturized milk” on the ingredient list).

For more information on raw and pasturized milk and their health effects, go to the Real Milk website. They are campaigning to have real milk widely available in the US.

Raw milk cheeses are sold in most natural food stores. For mail order sources, see Debra’s List: Food: Cheese.