The swine flu scare is under control but you're still probably sudsing up more than usual. And well you should: As your best defense against sickness, the CDC recommends washing your hands often with soap and warm water for 15 to 20 seconds.

Note: they didn't recommend antibacterial soaps like those made with triclosan, which is basically a pesticide. Though they've been marketed as infection fighters, studies have shown that hot water and soap work just as well-or better-as these types of antibacterials. And aren't linked to pesky side effects like interference with testosterone production or migration into breast milk.

But what about the soap itself? Taking into account hand washing, showers, shampoos and baths, my family's life seems to revolve around suds. So I decided to do a little research on what they're made up of. What I found out was pretty scary: Regardless of how "pure" and "natural" those soap and shampoo labels say they are, many contain chemicals that can be dangerous to your health.

Take 1,4-dioxane, for example. Although it's classified as a human and animal carcinogen by the EPA, 1,4-dioxane, a nasty byproduct of processing harsh chemicals with ethylene oxide to make them less harsh, is prevalent on beauty shelves. Got sodium lauryl sulfate? Ethyoxylate it and you get sodium laureth-the "eth" indicates the process. Unfortunately you also get 1,4-dioxane, most commonly found in things that bubble.

Luckily better (and biodegradable) bubble can be found in products made with coconut- or sugar-derived decyl glucoside, sodium coco-sulfate or cocamidopropyl betaine, or castille-based safe sudsors. Look for certified organic soaps and body washes and it's a safe bet you'll turn up one of these gentler sudsors, rather than the ubiquitous petroleum-derived sodium lauryl or sodium laureth sulfate.

I won't bore you with the details of my recent research into soap and how I'm now trying only to buy sudsors made from sustainably sourced ingredients. Okay maybe I will. I found that a six-fold increase in the demand for palm oil over the last 20 years has lead to vast clearances of South East Asian rainforests. In 2007 Borneo, approximately six football fields of rainforest were cleared every minute. This kind of vast deforestation directly affects global warming and indigenous people and endangered species, while sustainable palm oil production protects rainforest biodiversity and employs native people.

Can changing your soap source make a difference? Considering the amount my kids go through, I'm guessing yes.

Are you and your kids washing hands more than usual? Have you checked the labels on your soaps? Tell me about it!

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, www.ecostiletto.com

Other cool stuff on Celsias:
One in Six Americans Breathes Dangerous Air.  Are You One?
Eco-Parenting in 8 Simple Steps

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