scrub, scrub, go away

Something we've all known for a while, but an interesting read none the less! Seems "...federal regulators, consumer advocates and soap manufacturers are locked in a battle (concerning safety) over the active ingredient in Dial Complete and many other antibacterial soaps, a chemical known as triclosan." A bit from the article:

"The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety of the chemical, which was created more than 40 years ago as a surgical scrub for hospitals. Triclosan is now in a range of consumer products, including soaps, kitchen cutting boards and even a best-selling toothpaste, Colgate Total. It is so prevalent that a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the chemical present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over the age of 5.

Several studies have shown that triclosan may alter hormone regulation in laboratory animals or cause antibiotic resistance, and some consumer groups and members of Congress want it banned in antiseptic products like hand soap. The FDA has already said that soap with triclosan is no more effective than washing with ordinary soap and water, a finding that manufacturers dispute.       

The outcome of the federal inquiries poses a significant risk to the makers of antimicrobial and antibacterial hand soaps, which represent about half of the $750 million market for liquid hand soaps in the United States, according to the market research firm Kline & Company..."

You can check out the entire article here! (And thanks to method's Facebook page for the link!)

virgin soap

I just knew someone was as insanely obsessed with method as I am, and would take a pic of that freakin' sticker they have on the new Virgin America airlines (they use method soap in their airplane bathrooms! How cool!) And here it is! Yay! Thanks!

what's it all mean? (uh, I don't know)

My latest odds n' ends news on a recent trip to Target. Usually I'll try to make sense out of everything (such as hand soap refill pouches on clearance, perhaps because of the new design; but then not all of the pouches are on clearance, so perhaps some scents are being discontinued. But then the pouches of certain scents are priced down, but the regular hand wash bottles in the same scents aren't, so see, it all doesn't make much sense.) So for the time being, I'm going with these as being Target clearances, and not necessarily method discontinued products/scents, unless otherwise noted.

Whew, with that out of the way! (And I'm telling you what, I'm going to start bringing a camera to Target! method hasn't updated their online store site in a while (but I believe a big push isn't too far away, as they stated the new bathroom line would be up there at the beginning of April. (How many parentheses within parentheses can we do here? (As many as we want Nathan, as many as we want.) But I keep seeing things I want photos of on here, and never have a camera.) Anyway, on to the latest from Target.

The Green Tea + Aloe, and Ginger Yuzu (no, not Ginger Yuzu! You know I wasn't really into it that much, but it has really grown on me; and this is one scent I do think is being discontinued here) hand soap refill pouches are on clearance.

The Ginger Yuzu foaming hand wash is on clearance. And the regular hand wash has not been restocked in quite some time, so... sniff sniff!

The bloq line has hit it's second price reduction (Oh, something else to keep in mind. I learned this a while ago, and it's surprising to me. Each Target store is responsible for their own clearance prices. So that's why, take my stores for example, one store is already on it's second price reduction on the bloq line, while another store has yet to even clearance them out! Odd, isn't it! But that's how they roll with the punches over at Target, I guess.) BUT the shaving cream has still not been clearanced! I'm thinking (hoping, praying!) that they might stick it out, at least until the marine naturals line appears in August. Either way, I hope shaving cream stays on method's product line-up!

And the entire wood for good line looks like it might be getting a face lift! The wood for good almond spray has a brand new sticker label. It now has a new wood grain design, and says "NON TOXIC + CLEAN" like the new bathroom items. These might be call-outs method is beginning to use, to make consumers more aware.

There ya' be!

is that soap refill in your pouch, or are you just happy to see me?

The new method soap refill pouches have begun to hit the shelves! These are refills for the hand wash line, which also includes new refill pouches for their foaming hand wash and go naked varieties. So far I've only spotted the sweet water refills, but did notice the new packaging. Earlier it was reported on Sustainable Is Good:

"The company is also working on a redesign of the graphic design for the pouch. Addressing concerns over readability of some of the white text on its current pouch refills, Method's new pouches will be white with "images of the colored bottle scattered across the front in a free-form mosaic," Molinari said."

Check'em out next time you're in Target, or your local store that carries method products! (Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the new packaging yet. I need to start carrying a camera with me during Target trips! When I get one I'll post it!)

bloody right!

Ok, that title? I had to! Because here is a great article from the method home UK blog (yes, Virginia, there is a method UK home office! How cool is that?!) concerning antibacterial soaps. Man, do I hate that stuff with a passion! So here is the article in full:

"Antibacterial soaps are pesticides. Meaning the ingredients in them are used to kill bugs.

When you use these soaps on yourself or your children, you could be absorbing pesticides into your system via your skin.

Many public bodies such as The American Medical Association do not recommend antibacterial soaps. They don't recommend them for use in your home. They don't even recommend them for use in pediatrician's offices. The only place they'd like to see these soaps is in hospitals.

Antibacterial soaps aren't effective at killing viruses that make you sick. The companies that make antibacterials have made a fortune pushing their “bacteria are evil” agenda. Through their marketing and advertising campaigns, they’ve created a sub-set of the population that’s compulsive about wiping down everything from grocery store carts to airplane armrests.

Antibacterial soaps claim to kill 99% of bacteria. But you don’t catch the common cold or the flu from bacteria. You get them from viruses. So is that antibacterial soap really making you less sick, or just exposing you to a dirty ingredient?

In addition, adding chlorinated water to some antibacterial products creates chloroform, which you then inhale. Chloroform is a suspected carcinogen. It’s also that stuff that bad guys use to knock out their victims in action movies.

Keep in mind that antibacterial products are designed to kill living things, namely bacteria. Guess what else is a living thing? You.

The Solution:

Wash your hands with good old soap and water. Done properly, it’s effective in getting rid of pesky germs.

Ideally, you’d wash with warm water and a good, paraben-free soap that is made from good stuff. Also, take your time with it. Your routine should take you anywhere between one and three minutes to really get the job done. Remember too that dirt you can see will come off right away, but the germs that you can’t will need some scrubbing before they go slip-sliding down the drain."

Now, go get some method Ginger Yuzu hand soap, and wash yourself clean!