viorica's blog

A Toxic Lexicon

Do you know the difference between a toxin and a toxicant?
It turns out that many of us use these terms interchangeably. But there is a difference between a toxin and a toxicant—a big difference! Although popular usage may have us thinking that a toxin and a toxicant are the same, it’s essential for Femme Toxic readers know their meanings.

Why? In our work, we talk about the effects of toxic substances and how they affect your body and your health. We want you to be well-informed!
Who better to helps us explain this difference than two former BCAM and Femme Toxic public health interns, Amy Elefson and Natalie Martin.

Kicking the Shampoo habit

Stop using harmful chemicals on your hair…but how?

“No Poo.” It’s a growing trend, and the name, well, says it all. However unappealing the moniker may be to some, it’s still a powerful reminder of the toxic junk that we use to make our hair shiny, full-bodied, and smooth. Can we shake the bad shampoo habit? Is it really possible to clean your hair naturally?

We asked Dipti Karmakar, a biomedical researcher, to share her scientific expertise on the potentially harmful chemicals in many store brand shampoos. Read below to learn how better living through chemistry can be simple and lead to healthier hair.

Outgoing intern, Hayley Darychuk, speaks to us about her five-month internship with BCAM’s youth campaign, FemmeToxic (FT). Hayley tells us about how FT has inspired her and why this BCAM program is an invaluable tool in engaging youth.