my maiden voyage at the Float House...

A handful of people have asked me about my experience with floating at the Float House, so I thought I’d do a post about it and share my experience. I've been twice now, my third session is booked, and can say with complete confidence that I'm 150% addicted and secretly-not-so-secretly wish I could go every day.

Let me start by saying, I am extremely claustrophobic.  Even being in a packed elevator gets my heart rate going.  So, the thought of willingly being sealed inside a sensory-deprivation chamber slightly larger than a coffin in a foot of water?  Ya, my heart raced at the thought of it and made me cringe and shudder a bit and utter the words “Yup, that’s an edge.” And, I’ve learned that meeting ourselves on our edge can be extremely transforming.  So, I booked a float for my birthday, this past December 24.  As I watched the date in my calendar approach (appropriately highlighted in red), I found myself, rather than getting anxious or nervous, getting really excited and curious.  In yoga that morning, the perfectly timed offering from the teacher was to invite ourselves to ‘receive without agenda’.  My interpretation of the offering was to receive experiences, words, actions, without any tapes playing in the background.  You know the ones...the storytellers; the self-judgment; or perhaps the judgment of others.

So I get to the Float House later that morning, and we go through the orientation.  I’d be lying if I didn’t say my heart was starting to race a little bit now, but I was actually most nervous about having to wear ear plugs – I’ve never worn them!  Ever!  Instantly, a flashback to my childhood, and my Dad's voice: "Never put anything in your ear other than your elbow!"  Would I put them in right? Would they stay in?  What if they popped out?  What if I got Epsom salts in my ear canal?  What if what if what if. 

Stop. Receive. 

I quickly showered off, jammed the ear plugs in, and climbed right into that tank and shut the door.  I lay back.  And ya, wow, panic set in.  I called on my breath.  I called on the offering from yoga.  And nothing was bringing my heart rate down.  So, I clambered to the front of the tank (ever so UN-gracefully, I might add) and opened the door and instantly felt relieved.  I wedged the piece of styrofoam that you see in the picture in the door to let some light in (which I later learned is actually meant to be a neck pillow, potay-to potah-to), and lay back again.  And, I noticed I didn’t criticize or judge myself for ‘not being able to do it’.  I accepted that I was nervous and afraid, and that was perfectly okay.   I didn’t fight myself.  I didn’t push myself.  I just let myself be.  I’m not exactly sure how long it was before I felt safe enough to shut the door again completely, but it wasn’t too long.  I spent the remainder of the time in total and complete blissed out, relaxed, fear-free, quiet darkness.  It was the most incredible physical experience I’ve had.  

While it's not zero gravity, floating has been compared to floating in space.  Since I’ve never floated in space, I can’t say for sure.  But what I can say is that because the water is body temperature, you lose all awareness of the fact that you are even floating in water.  The magnesium in the 800lbs of Epsom salts acts like a tranquilizer on the body.  Within 10 minutes it seriously felt like a major effort to move any part of my body.

During my first float, I experienced the body's automatic response when in water to 'stay afloat'.  I found myself 'trying' to float.  As I relaxed more and more, I let go of the effort.  That was pretty cool.  On my second float, I experienced being totally aware of my own heartbeat, so much that the water was actually vibrating/pulsing with each beat.  When else in life do we ever get to experience this?  Pretty rad.

Why do it?  This was a question I answered every single I told someone I was planning to do it.  "You're doing what?! Why? Can't you just have a bath?"  Do it because it is the ultimate way to relax your sympathetic nervous system (your 'fight or flight' response) and activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your resting state).  According to the Float House's "Why Float" page, there are many benefits for the mind and body, including pain management, increased immune function, meditative benefits, and stress relief.  Sessions are booked for 90 minutes, and you know to get out when soft music comes on in the tank.  You are also free to get out at any time.

Being someone who struggles to stay in the bath longer than 15 minutes, I know that 60-90 minutes sounds like an eternity.  It's a totally different experience when we have absolutely nothing to distract ourselves with and have nowhere else to be other than in that tank.  Is it tough to quiet your mind?  Yes.  Do you get antsy at some points?  Yes.  Does this mean you're "not doing it right"?  No.  It means you're human.  

If you're thinking of going, and you're nervous or scared, it's okay.  Think about meeting yourself on that edge, and giving yourself the opportunity to let go and experience being okay with it all.  You will not regret it.  I mean, if Homer and Lisa can do it...

Have more questions?  The lovely Shivani Wells is an ambassador for the Float House, and I know she'd be happy to talk to you about it.

go ahead, float your boat,
xo

I like my parabens where I can see them… on my plate!

Hi friends!  As promised, a follow up to my post a couple of weeks ago on the chemical ingredient, fragrance, here's what I learned about another member of the dirty dozen: parabens (butylparaben, specifically).  Most of my references came from the David Suzuki Foundation, as well as EWG's Skin Deep Database, Good Guide, and as a few abstracts or research reports published on PubMed. 

Butylparaben is a class of parabens commonly used in water-based formulas in shampoos, conditioners and lotions.  Parabens are found in 75 to 90 percent (typically at low levels) of cosmetics, making them the most widely used cosmetic preservative.  Synthetic parabens are absorbed by the body and have been found to interfere with hormone function, and accumulate in breast cancer tissue.  The concern over parabens has been and continues to be widely debated.  There is little information available on any hazardous effects of parabens on the environment.  While the European Union treats these synthetic compounds as cause for concern, there are currently no restrictions on parabens in Canada.

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, low levels of parabens occur naturally in certain foods, including barley, strawberries, currents, vanilla, carrots, and onions, and are metabolized when eaten, making them less likely to affect estrogen levels.  In contrast, when the synthetic petrochemical preparation used in cosmetics is applied to the skin, it is easily absorbed by the body, circumventing the metabolic process and entering the blood stream and organs intact.  

Some studies have shown that parabens can imitate estrogen and may also interfere with male reproductive functions.  Parabens are also suspected to interfere with the enzyme found in the skin that flushes estrogen from the body, resulting in elevated levels of estrogen.  This bodes well for the argument that parabens are absorbed into the body enough to be a concern.  Parabens have also been detected in breast cancer tissues, inferring a possible association between parabens in cosmetics and cancer. 

Based on the evidence that parabens interfere with hormone function, the European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has prioritized them as a Category 1 substance.  While international regulations on parabens are strong, there are no restrictions on the use of parabens in cosmetics in Canada.  The David Suzuki Foundation suggests that more research is needed regarding levels of parabens in people.  Human exposure has been indicated in studies conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found four different parabens in urine samples. 

EWG rates the overall hazard of butylparaben slightly above moderate (7 out of 10), with a high concern for endocrine disruption.  It gives a slightly below moderate rating for allergies and immunotoxicity and developmental and reproductive toxicity, and an in between low and no rating for cancer.  Good Guide rates butylparaben of high regulatory concern given that it meets the criteria used to identify “Substance of Very High Concern” in the European Union’s REACH program and is being prioritized for replacement by safer alternatives. 

There does not seem to be a lot of available information on the effects of parabens on the environment.  I was able to find two studies conducted in 2007 by the University of Tokushima in Japan: one acutely testing the removal efficiency of butylparaben (and benzylparaben) from a wastewater treatment plant and one on the persistence of paraben compounds in aquatic environments.  The results from the study on the efficiency of waste removal suggested the necessity of further study such as “more detailed large-scale monitoring and chronic toxicity tests.”  The second test conducted river water biodegradation tests and found that butylparaben (and benzylparaben) were relatively biodegradable; however, the level of degradability was dependent on the site and time in which the sample was taken.  Experiments were also conducted to determine the absorption levels in river sediments and a soil sample.  The concentration level of butylparaben was similar to that of natural estrogen.   

Even though the research, albeit limited, indicates that butylparaben is relatively biodegradable and its absorption levels are similar to that of natural estrogen, it is my opinion that care should be taken in both the manufacturing and disposal of the compound to protect the degradation of waterways and to prevent an increase in concentration levels of estrogen.  Given the potential for these environmental effects, as well as the health concerns described above, I believe that best efforts should be made to avoid this ingredient.

Finding products that do not contain parabens has been easier than I anticipated.  Thankfully, concern has been growing over the years about manufacturer’s use of toxic chemicals, resulting in an increased amount of studies and forcing many companies to find alternatives in order to make their products safer.  Many companies now boast ‘paraben free’ products, no doubt improving their marketability to concerned consumers.  Aveda is one such company who has recently stopped manufacturing products with parabens. However, as I said in my last post, it's important to stay critical: their products still contain other toxic ingredients, nor can we be sure that the 'alternatives' to parabens are safe, if they've not been tested.  

It is ultimately up to us, the individual consumer, to decide; we are lucky enough to live in a first world country where we have access to so much information and are able to exercise our right to choose.  It’s a right we ought not to take for granted. And, if we’re not ready to give up a beloved product, we can consider making a change elsewhere in our house to offset that product.  For example, I don’t feel ready to give up my Aveda products yet; so, we’ve recently started changing some of our household cleaning products.  This feels easier for me, probably because I feel less of an attachment to cleaning products, than I do to my hygiene products.  Making adjustments that we are excited about are far more likely to result in lasting changes.

stay edu-ma-cated,

xo

Don’t believe everything you smell… or can’t smell!

I've recently written a research paper on three different chemicals found in day to day personal care products.  I found the information available on the ingredient 'fragrance' to be the most concerning.  In the interest of spreading awareness, I am sharing with you, friends, my research.  I discuss both the health and environmental effects of this ingredient, as well as provide some practical recommendations.  Buckle in.

Due to manufacturers protecting trade secrets and a lack of knowledge and research on the toxicity of many thousands of chemicals that fall under the umbrella of “fragrance”, this ingredient is arguably the one we should be the most concerned about.  The true effects of these chemical compounds on our bodies and the environment are largely unclear.

Take a look around your home, and you will find that fragrance, a.k.a. parfum, is an ingredient listed in just about everything from deodorant to laundry detergent.  Even more alarming, according to the David Suzuki Foundation: “Even products marketed as ‘fragrance-free’ or ‘unscented’ may in fact contain fragrance along with a masking agent that prevents the brain from perceiving odour.”  Further, some fragrance ingredients are not actually perfuming agents; rather they are included to enhance the performance of perfuming agents.

The David Suzuki Foundation also reports that approximately 3,000 chemicals fall under the term “fragrance” or “parfum”.  If the ingredient appears on a cosmetic ingredients list, it most likely represents a complex mixture of dozens of such chemicals.  Perhaps the greatest concern is that not only have many of the ingredients not been tested for toxicity, but certain fragrance recipes are considered by manufacturers to be trade secrets and are therefore not required to disclose the list of ingredients.  Certain studies suggest that many of these unlisted ingredients can trigger migraines and allergies as well as exacerbate and cause respiratory symptoms in asthmatics.  In laboratory experiments, adverse health effects such as cancer and neurotoxicity have reportedly been associated with fragrance ingredients.  Environmental Defence published a report after analyzing 17 name-brand colognes and perfumes and identifying 38 “secret chemicals” i.e. not listed on the product, finding an average of 14 such chemicals per product.  The report found that among these chemicals are those that can trigger allergic reactions or interfere with hormone function.  

As the trend goes, the regulatory practices in the European Union are far stronger than here in North America.  The David Suzuki Foundation reports that regulations were recently announced by Health Canada banning six phthalates, including DEP (used to make scent linger) in children’s toys; however, the use of DEP in cosmetics is unrestricted.  Further, the European Union restricts the use of two common “nitromusks”, as well as many other fragrance ingredients.  Warning labels on products are required on any products that contain any of the 26 commonly used allergens used as cosmetic fragrances.

Environmental Working Group rates the overall hazard of fragrance in between moderate and high (eight out of ten), with an above moderate rating for allergies and immunotoxicity.  Good Guide rates fragrance as a “controversial ingredient”, noting it is the subject of debate.  It states the concern that some fragrance compounds are respiratory irritants or allergens.  It also acknowledges that few companies disclose the specific ingredients used in their products and notes that some commit to not using potentially hazardous ingredients.  What is most alarming about Good Guide’s rating of fragrance is its statement that “Because the evidence of hazard is inconclusive, this ingredient does not contribute to product scores.” 

In terms of the effects on the environment, the “synthetic musks” used in fragrances are definitely a concern.  The David Suzuki Foundation reports that studies show that these chemical compounds are bio-accumulating in the fatty tissues of aquatic life and increasing levels of sediment in the Great Lakes.  It comes as no surprise then that Environment Canada has classified several of these musks as toxic and human health priorities and is currently assessing “moskene”, a synthetic musk, under the aforementioned Chemicals Management Plan.  They’ve also flagged several others for future assessment.  Given that we know these chemical compounds are bio-accumulating in aquatic organisms and environments, coupled with the fact that we largely remain under a veil as to the true effects these chemical compounds have, it is clear that care should be taken in both the production and disposal of these chemical compounds in order to protect our ecosystems.

Until further and focused research is conducted and assessments made about the toxicity levels of these chemical compounds, and until manufacturers are committed to using only non-hazardous ingredients in their products, it’s fair to say that we are putting our health, and the environment, at risk when using products containing this ingredient. 

So, what can we do? Especially when we can't trust that 'unscented' products are safe?  Well, we can avoid these products that boast 'fragrance free' or 'unscented' and try to search out products that are scented with essential oils.  Or, consider making some of our own products! There are so many recipes available online for making your own deodorants and shampoos.  We can shop at local farmer's markets and craft fairs, and talk to the artisans who spend their blood, sweat and tears making personal care products like soaps and lotions that aren't harmful. As always, the best approach is to get really curious, ask questions, consult multiple sources, critically assess available information, taking into account the methodologies used, and goshdarnit, demand some answers.  

ignorance is not bliss,

xo

PS next up? Parabens!