Why Organic Soap? Because the #2 herbicide in the USA is so toxic it's BANNED in Europe

Summary: Atrazine is an herbicide that's so toxic it's been banned in Europe for over twenty years. But it's NOT banned in America, where it's the 2nd most commonly used herbicide. Atrazine is a hormone-disrupting chemical and exposure to even a TINY amount of atrazine is linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, and serious birth defects in babies. (Sources below).

Atrazine is such a powerful endocrine-disruptor that just a tiny amount of atrazine (2.5 parts per billion) can cause male frogs to turn into female frogs. Yes, you read that right. 

Now here's the even more shocking thing: The EPA allows atrazine to be in our drinking water at levels up to 9.7 parts per billion. Yes, 4x the amount that causes male frogs to grow ovaries! Sources 1, 2, 3,

 

Skincare and hair care products are often made from plant oils and plants can be sprayed with atrazine and other toxins. Certified Organic products like those made by S.M.O.C. Skincare are free from those toxic chemicals. This protects your health, our water supply (from atrazine contamination) and our planet.

Banned in Europe for 20 years, but sprayed all over America

Atrazine is the #2 most commonly used herbicide in the USA (after Round-Up), but atrazine has been banned in the European Union since 2004.

Why Is It Banned?

Atrazine is banned in over 40 countries because dozens of studies show that it's an endocrine-disruptor and a likely carcinogen that can cause serious health problems. Sources 1, 2,

⚠️Fact: 80 million pounds of atrazine are sprayed in the USA every year. Source 1,

⚠️Fact: Atrazine is the most commonly detected herbicide contaminant in drinking water in the USA. Sources 1, 2,

⚠️Fact: Exposure to just a tiny amount of atrazine can causes serious reproductive damage in amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals. Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 

⚠️Fact: Exposure to atrazine is linked to breast cancer and prostate cancer. Sources 1, 2, 3, 4,  

⚠️Fact: Pregnant women exposed to atrazine are at increased risk of having a child with gastroschisis, a birth defect that causes babies to be born with organs outside their body. Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 

How Much Atrazine Causes Harm?

The amount of atrazine that can trigger biological changes in animals is tiny: 0.01 parts per billion. If you put a grain of atrazine (the size of a grain of salt) into a large hot tub (500 gallons) and then put male frogs into that hot tub, about 75% would be chemically castrated and about 10% would actually turn into female frogs. Sources 1, 2, 3, 

The fact that such as a tiny amount of this herbicide can chemically castrate animals is truly shocking. That's why, upon learning of these scientific studies, the European Union immediately banned atrazine (in 2004). 

Why Isn't Atrazine Banned in the USA?

Atrazine is banned in over 40 countries, but not America. Source 1, Why not? Because the USA's regulatory requirements and protections are pathetic compared to other countries. Source 1, 2, 3,  There are ~80,000 man-made chemicals used in commerce and thousands are harmful but only 9 are banned by the United States' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That's a serious problem. Source 1,

Over 1,300 chemicals are banned from skincare and haircare products in the European Union but only 11 (yes, just 11) are banned in the USA.

Skincare and haircare companies often make two versions of a product: a safer version for Europe, and a version with more chemical additives that they sell in America.

How to Protect Yourself from Atrazine and Other Herbicides

1. 💦Use a water filter. An ordinary water filter (like Brita) will filter out atrazine and other herbicides from your drinking water. Bottled water is usually not filtered and is often contaminated with microplastic so filtered tap water is better. Source 1, Filtered tap water is also much cheaper per gallon than bottled water.
2. 🍎Eat organic food. Shop at your local farmer's market. It's cheaper and healthier. Organically-grown food is not sprayed with toxic pesticides or herbicides.
3. 🚿Use Certified Organic skincare and haircare products. Your skin is your body's largest organ. Frogs absorb chemicals through their skin and so do we. Remember that "natural" is a completely unregulated term. Certified Organic skincare and haircare products are free of pesticide and herbicide residue which protects your health, our water supply, and our planet.

Thank you for reading. Please share this information with others so that they can also protect their most precious resource: their health.

— Kal Garcia, S.M.O.C. Skincare