Have you been hearing a lot about unknown toxins in your home and are wondering what people are talking about? You clean your home, sanitize everything, you even burn good smelling candles… how can your home be filled with toxins?
There is so much to learn when you dive into the world of toxic-free living. It can be overwhelming at first so I have compiled a list to start with. Once you start reading product labels as much as food labels, you will be well on your way to toxic-free living.
For every article that you find with reports of toxins in popular household products, you can also find an article that counteracts its claims. I do not run with the mainstream perspective so this will have to be an area that you are convicted in for you to make the switch. Don’t settle for someone’s opinion. Do your own research and find out what so many people are finding out. Here is a great article that lists toxic body-care ingredients to be on the watch for.
According to an article from Bloomberg L.P., the U.S ranks 34th for healthiest countries. Seeing how we spend more than the top three countries combined for healthcare and only rank 34th, I would say something is wrong. It appears that healthcare is more of a business than a provision. My point in bringing this to your attention is that not everything is as it appears. Maybe, just maybe, our country cares more about selling products than what the effects are of the products. I will get off my soapbox for now.
Top 5 List of Products to Ditch and Switch:
1. Laundry Soap/Detergent
2. Dryer Sheets
3. Hand Soap
4. Body Soap
5. Candles
There is so much more we could cover, but I specifically want to cover the products we use that effect our body first hand and more specifically, our skin. Our skin is the largest absorbing organ. Everything that goes onto the skin goes into the bloodstream. How important do you think it is to pay attention to what you are slathering all over your skin?
1. Laundry Soap/Detergent
We live in our clothes all day. We sleep in a bed that is lined with fresh smelling sheets and blankets. It’s clear that our laundry products are with us all day long. Switching to a natural laundry detergent and fabric softener is a very easy switch. Just make sure you are buying a detergent, not soap. I dabbled for years in making my own laundry soap until I found out that soap and detergent are two completely different things. I was so proud of myself for making my own soap with my awesome essential oils! Ha… all I got was dingy clothes and a sticky washing machine. What’s the difference you ask? Think of it this way…. if you take a bath every night, how long does it take before you have a soap ring around your tub? In a couple days you will start to see the appearing soap ring. This is exactly what will to happen with your laundry after time when using soap. It will not rinse free. For my fellow chemist freaks out there, this article goes into detail.
2. Dryer Sheets
With a couple of organic wool dryer balls (you can even make your own) and some drops of essential oils, your laundry will be soft and toxic-free. This is not only a healthier option but a much more affordable one too.
3. Hand Soap
You can purchase natural hand soaps almost anywhere, but I highly recommend making your own. I make a large batch once a month and refill all my jars. If you would like to tackle this project you can check out my blog article here for step-by-step directions. This is such a fun project to do with your kids. Bring math and science alive AND they actually get excited about washing their hands when they have made their very own soap. They especially like to pick out the fragrant oils to use.
4. Body Soap
Between synthetic chemicals, fragrances, and the dyes, you really need to switch to a natural body soap. The good news for us is this trend is on the rise and natural body soaps can even be found in local grocery stores. I am in love with my Lavender body soap from Young Living. My kiddos even have their own Kid’s Scents …..perfect before bed time!
5. Candles
Have you ever walked into a department store that was highly fragranced by candles just to walk out with a terrible headache? Have you ever wondered why? I used to make and sell all my own candles so for me to have this conviction was a big deal. When learning about the toxicity that they pump into the air from being burned, it was a no-brainer. Plus, I have since learned about all the wonderful attributes of aroma therapy with using essential oils. You can even use your candle warmers with oils. Just fill with your favorite carrier oil like coconut oil or olive oil and add a few drops of your essential oils. Diffusers have too many health benefits not to use them. Having clean air and receiving the healthy benefits is worth the switch. I even have diffusers in my car! They travel everywhere with me.
Again, this is a very short list of products to remove and the switch to healthier options is super convenient. Every little bit will help and you will soon find your own balance of convictions in this area. Our bodies are wonderfully and fearfully made. Let us be good stewards of them. They have a tough enough job just trying to filter all the environmental toxins out of our body. Let’s not make them work harder than they have to.
Happy Switching!
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-cunningham/dangerous-beauty-products_b_4168587.html
2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-20/italy-s-struggling-economy-has-world-s-healthiest-people
3. http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/soaps__detergents_chemistry.aspx
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/16/scented-candles-toxic-safer-options_n_7536410.html
5. https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/benefits-of-aromatherapy.html
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