Buyer Beware

We all need to feel like we can make smart purchasing decisions, but it’s hard to know where to put our trust. Researchers have found dangerous levels of mercury in anti-aging creams; they’ve linked chemicals in hair dye to cancer; they’ve traced fragrances in soaps and shampoos to fertility issues.  And while it has become more confusing than ever to know whether our buying choices are putting our health at risk, America's laws often help manufacturers avoid accountability. Today's show is the first in a two part series about creating a marketplace that puts consumers — not mega corporations! — first.    Here's a preview: [1:30] Mascara and blindness [6:00] Antibiotics, antifreeze and over 100 deaths [11:00] The link between Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and ovarian cancer; plus: the mega-corp's attempts to protect itself at the expense of 34,000+ victims   Resources mentioned: Johnson & Johnson Reaches Deal for $8.9 Billion Talc Settlement (via NY Times) US Judge Halts Most Talc Lawsuits Against J&J, Stops Trials (via Reuters) Talcum Powder Lawsuit Update June 2023 (via Forbes) -- Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Om Podcasten

Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work). Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability. The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too. Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).