It isn’t summer without sunscreen, the convenient shield-in-a-bottle that protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. But the same chemicals that ward off damaged skin could burn us in other ways. Here are some strategies for healthier sun safety: Minimize sun exposure between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm when sunlight is strongest, and use your shadow as an indicator of the sun’s intensity. If it appears shorter than you are, the sun is at peak strength. Don’t use sunscreen on children younger than six months. Instead, keep infants out of the sun.

There’s always been something a little unsettling about the idea of revitalizing the air inside our homes by spraying things with names like “Meadow Mist” and “Mountain Breeze,” especially when these products hardly smell like either. Now, two studies have found that our suspicions were correct -- synthetic air fresheners coat our homes and fill our air with unsafe chemicals.

Lately, we've noticed that local dry cleaners around the country are touting a service called, "organic dry cleaning." Like anything with the magic "O" word attached, this sounds promising. Or is the consumer just being hung out to dry? The answer turns out to be a little bit of both. Most dry cleaners rely on toxic solvents to clean clothing, chiefly a chemical called perchloroethylene or perc, which used by more than 75% of all dry cleaners.

Unlike organic foods, conventional produce is often treated with pesticides and other chemicals while it’s being grown and after it’s been harvested. The pesticides are typically made from some of the most toxic substances available, and their residues often remain on the foods we buy in the supermarket.

For more than 150 years, most Americans with tooth cavities have received the same treatment: a so-called “silver” filling that dentists have used to seal the tooth and prevent further decay. But what most patients don’t know is that those fillings can contain high levels of mercury and may be causing more problems than they solve.

When it comes to disclosing ingredients for cosmetics, the laws go less than skin deep. As a result, the makers of personal care products don't have to tell you all the ingredients they use. The Environment Working Group, (EWG) has taken the industry to task in a new report that lists the top nine chemicals to avoid in cosmetics and personal care products. Here’s the rundown in random order, and it’s not pretty: • Mercury • Lead • Synthetic fragrances • Animal parts • Hydroquinone • Nanoparticles • Phthalates • Petroleum byproducts • Placenta and placental extracts

When Seventh Generation was born 20 years ago, it was as a skinny digest-sized mail order catalog whose primary products were recycled paper bath tissue and an alien looking $25 dollar light bulb called a compact fluorescent light (CFL) that produced more laughter than illumination.